Lifetime membership on non-profit boards

[Guest Julie]

How are lifetime members on non-profit boards defined in terms of their role on the board.  What is the reason for electing lifetime members and what is the difference between lifetime members and board emeritus?

 

Thank you for your assistance.

 

Julie

[Transpower]

Typically a "life-time" member no longer has to pay dues but still has full voting rights.

[jstackpo]

But the exact details for your organization should be found in your bylaws.

[Richard Brown]

How are lifetime members on non-profit boards defined in terms of their role on the board.  What is the reason for electing lifetime members and what is the difference between lifetime members and board emeritus?

Julie, it is up to your organization, through its bylaws, to define the status of "lifetime members" and "members emeritus".

 

It is my experience that a lifetime member is usually a full member in all respects unless the bylaws or some other rule limit that person's role.  As Transpower said, it is usually one who, for whatever reason, no longer has to pay dues.  It may because he paid a large one time fee to become a lifetime member, as some organizations allow.  It may be that the society decided to bestow the honor (or privilege) on the member because of past service.   People become lifetime members in all sorts of ways.

 

The title "emeritus", which is an adjective, usually designates someone who has retired from his former profession or position, but retains the title as an honor, such as a "Dean Emeritus".   It is normally an honorary title.   I believe it is most often used in academic settings, although some professions use it, too.  One dictionary defines it as: "one retired from professional life but permitted to retain as an honorary title the rank of the last office held."

 

If your organization has a "board member emeritus", it will be up to your organization to define his status, duties, rights, etc.  The word emeritus is not used at all in RONR.