Guest Guest Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:29 PM Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:29 PM We are a small 501C3 and at election time no one ran for the office of Secretary. Does the President. VP or Treasurer take the minutes until we elect someone? Our By Laws does not state what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:33 PM Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:33 PM Until you can complete the election for secretary, the presiding officer will conduct a brief "election" for a secretary pro tem (a temporary secretary) at the start of each meeting. No one "automatically" has that position (though the assembly could agree on someone by unanimous consent). It might be the case that your current secretary remains in office until a successor is elected (check your bylaws for the term of office) but, of course, you can't force someone to remain in office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Brown Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:34 PM Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 at 07:34 PM At each meeting until someone is elected secretary, you select (elect) a "secretary pro-tem"... someone designated to be secretary for that meeting only. Officially, the assembly is supposed to elect someone, but usually it is done by unanimous consent, with the president asking someone to serve and asking the assembly if anyone has any objection. The scenario would go something like this: (The president): "Since we do not yet have a secretary, I have asked Jane Finicky to serve as secretary pro-tem for this meeting. Is there any objection? Hearing no objection, Jane Finicky will serve as secretary pro-tem for this meeting". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted January 31, 2015 at 11:53 AM Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 at 11:53 AM Thank you very much for your answers. If someone were to serve as "acting secretary," how would that be decided? Vote and record in minutes of meeting? Similar to the regular election of the position? Our By Laws do not address this situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 31, 2015 at 12:02 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 at 12:02 PM Thank you very much for your answers. If someone were to serve as "acting secretary," how would that be decided? Vote and record in minutes of meeting? Similar to the regular election of the position? Our By Laws do not address this situation. What do you mean by "acting secretary"? How does this differ from "secretary pro tem"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:26 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:26 PM Our VP agreed to take the minutes for our meetings since we do not have a Secretary. We did not take a vote on this but verbally agreed that she would take the minutes. She believes from that meeting that she is the "acting Secretary" assuming some of the other Secretary duties as she chooses. Specifically, she has informed the President that all mail is to be given to her to be opened, reviewed and disbursed. On her own, she drafted a form that the President & Treasurer must fill out detailing any mail received that she was not aware of. She had not been communicating with the President on important matters and the President informed her that she will now be opening all mail and disbursing it. This prompted the VP to send a letter to the Board Members informing them of her conflict with the President and resigning her position of "acting Secretary" even after the President informed her that she was never elected to this position. This had made a difficult situation between our President. VP and Treasurer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:41 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:41 PM She believes from that meeting that she is the "acting Secretary" assuming some of the other Secretary duties as she chooses.Well, she's mistaken. But, apparently, she's "resigned" from this imaginary position so all's right with the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:43 PM Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 at 01:43 PM Our VP agreed to take the minutes for our meetings since we do not have a Secretary. We did not take a vote on this but verbally agreed that she would take the minutes. She believes from that meeting that she is the "acting Secretary" assuming some of the other Secretary duties as she chooses. Specifically, she has informed the President that all mail is to be given to her to be opened, reviewed and disbursed. On her own, she drafted a form that the President & Treasurer must fill out detailing any mail received that she was not aware of. She had not been communicating with the President on important matters and the President informed her that she will now be opening all mail and disbursing it. This prompted the VP to send a letter to the Board Members informing them of her conflict with the President and resigning her position of "acting Secretary" even after the President informed her that she was never elected to this position. This had made a difficult situation between our President. VP and Treasurer. Well, as noted, she never was "acting secretary", and is not now, so I don't know what else need be said on that score. If you have no secretary, fill the vacancy in this office as soon as you can. In the meantime, select a secretary pro tem at the outset of each of your meetings as instructed in the first two responses posted above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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