President, VP, and Past-President (Secretary) resigned,

[Guest Resignation of Board]

The board had to removed the secretary.  The Past-President resigned as past president (don't think she could do that?) stepped up as secretary instead of President seeking help from the membership.  what are the members to do?  They both then resign from the board.  The VP steps up then he resigns.  What are the members to do now?

[Guest Guest]

I forgot to say the President also resigned. So the President, VP, and Secretary resigned from the board.

[Edgar Guest]

What are the members to do now?

 

Fill the vacancies.

[jstackpo]

And unless your bylaws forbid it, there is nothing wrong with one person holding two offices.  So your Past-President didn't have to resign (you are right, by the way, the past president can't resign - the person is in the the office as an historical fact, not an accident of circumstances) to "step up"  to the Secretary position.   Was that secretarial vacancy filled properly, per your bylaws?

 

So you really only need fill the P and VP positions (and maybe Secretary).    Do your bylaws say how to do that?  Do it.

 

If the bylaws don't say, run an election for the two (maybe three) positions.

[Timothy]

Yeah, the Past-President probably didn't need to resign, but depending on what duties are given to the Past-President, a request to be excused from duty might have been required. Of course, if the President resigned first, the Past-President may not have been Past-President anymore. But as the others said, you fill the vacancies for President, Vice President, and Secretary. Your current Past-President appears to be the guy who was VP. I have no clue whether that makes sense for your organization,but that appears to be the case.

[jstackpo]

Here is a suggestion for how to avoid some of your confusion, and avoid other problems, in the future:

 

IPP is a Bad Idea:

And here's some reasons why the position is a bad idea:

In my personal view, setting up an "official" Immediate Past President (IPP) position is not a particularly good idea.  The most telling argument is the real possibility of a close and bitter race for the presidency, with the current president running (for a second term) against an "outsider".  And the outsider - the "reform candidate", perhaps - wins but is still stuck with the thorn of the IPP on the Board in a position to snipe at the new president.  And perhaps attempt to undermine the new president's plans.  Not to mention vote against them.

If the erstwhile president is a "good guy" the new president can (usually, depending on the bylaws) appoint him to a pre-existing committee - or even have him chair one, which might put him on the Board - as the new president sees fit.  That way the IPP's experience and value can be put to good use, when needed, without the danger of setting up an adversarial situation which would require a bylaw amendment to get out of.

Here's some more reasons

1) The President resigns and wants nothing to do with the organization.
 
2) The President simply doesn't run for election again because he's had enough, and never shows up at a board meeting.
 
3) The President is booted out of office for being incompetent, or for something more nefarious.
 
4) The President dies.
 
5) The President resigns and moves (wants to help but isn't around).

6) Even worse is the bylaw assignment of the IPP to chair a committee - such as nominating.  Then he dies/quits/leaves town, &c.  You are then stuck with an unfillable (by definition) vacancy.

Note that except for item 4, the IPP may well be part of the quorum requirement for meetings, even though he never shows up.

 

Our suggestion is to amend your bylaws to eliminate the position.