Nominating Committee Reconvenes

[Guest Elaine]

The Nominating Committee will need to reconvene to replace a candidate who is not eligible to run for office.  Can the Nominating committee also look for candidates for other positions or are they limited to soliciting for the replacement candidate?

[Hieu H. Huynh]

I think the nominating committee could do it unless there are limitations in the bylaws.

[Richard Brown]

I think the nominating committee could do it unless there are limitations in the bylaws.

I agree based on this language from page 435:  "A nominating committee is automatically discharged when its report is formally presented to the assembly, although if one of the nominees withdraws before the election, the committee is revived and should meet immediately to agree upon another nomination if there is time."

 

I don't interpret that provision as limiting the committee to only being able to select a nominee to replace the one who withdrew.  I think once the committee is "revived", it is revived and back in business for all purposes.

 

Others may disagree, so I urge Guest Elaine to stay tuned.

[Gary Novosielski]

Didn't it already have nominees for other positions?  It can certainly fill those when it reconvenes.

 

If it wants to strike one of its earlier nominees and insert instead another person's name, I think that might constitute a motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted, which has a higher threshold.  But I don't see why it would be out of order, presuming facts had changed since its original report.  

 

I'm not sure it would matter, but has the committee's report actually been given yet?

[Richard Brown]

If it wants to strike one of its earlier nominees and insert instead another person's name, I think that might constitute a motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted, which has a higher threshold.  But I don't see why it would be out of order, presuming facts had changed since its original report.

 

That's a good question.  I agree.  I think that substituting or adding a nominee for a position would be in the nature of amending something previously adopted as to the nominations already made.  If the committee has voted to nominate Jack Spratt for secretary, and prior to submitting its report wants to substitute Jolly Green Giant as its nominee for secretary, that strikes me as amending something previously adopted.  I believe the same would hold true if the committee wanted to add Jolly Green Giant as an additional nominee without striking Jack Spratt.

 

Edited to add:  I don't think it matters whether conditions have changed, other than the need for someone to have withdrawn in order for the committee to "automatically" be revived. 

 

 

 I'm not sure it would matter, but has the committee's report actually been given yet?

I think that does matter in the sense that, per the RONR provision I quoted in post # 3 above, the committee is not discharged until it presents its report.  If it has not yet presented its report, it has not yet been discharged and should be free to substitute or add nominees.

 

But, I'm of the opinion that the committee could still add and substitute nominees after submitting its report if it has been revived due to a nominee withdrawing.  I still think that once it is reconvened (or revived), it is  reconvened for all purposes.  On that point, though, I'm hoping for some more feedback.

 

Edited again to strike out the words "and substitute" from the paragraph above.  After reading George Mervosh's post # 6 below, I don't think the committee could withdraw a nomination once it has been submitted to the assembly.  But, I do still think it could add nominees.  And I still hope for more feedback on that point.

[George Mervosh]

If it wants to strike one of its earlier nominees and insert instead another person's name, I think that might constitute a motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted, which has a higher threshold. 

 

Unless a nominee withdraws what authority does the committee have to withdraw a nomination that was already made?

[Richard Brown]

Unless a nominee withdraws what authority does the committee have to withdraw a nomination that was already made?

That's a very good question.  I think you are right if the committee's report has actually been presented.  I'm not aware of a provision for anyone or for a nominating committee to withdraw a nomination once made. 

 

However, if the committee has not yet presented its report, do you think it should be free to change its mind about who to nominate for a particular position? 

[George Mervosh]

That's a very good question.  I think you are right if the committee's report has actually been presented.  I'm not aware of a provision for anyone or for a nominating committee to withdraw a nomination once made. 

 

However, if the committee has not yet presented its report, do you think it should be free to change its mind about who to nominate for a particular position? 

 

Certainly. In this case they're "reconvening", which suggests it has been made. I also agree with Mr. Huynh.in post #2.

[Gary Novosielski]

Unless a nominee withdraws what authority does the committee have to withdraw a nomination that was already made?

 

If a nominee withdraws, and "if there is time", the committee is revived.  Having been revived, if the committee feels that it can improve upon one of its other nominees, I think it's within its rights to do so.

 

I'm assuming that if there is enough time to reconvene the committee, this suggests that the committee has not yet presented its report to the assembly, and so the nomination was not "already made".   If the report was given, then the people named in it are nominated, and the committee, having risen, can't withdraw anything.  But if that's the case, then even if someone withdraws, it's unlikely that at that late date there would be enough time to revive the committee.

 

Admittedly, other scenarios are possible.

[Josh Martin]

If a nominee withdraws, and "if there is time", the committee is revived.  Having been revived, if the committee feels that it can improve upon one of its other nominees, I think it's within its rights to do so.

 

I'm assuming that if there is enough time to reconvene the committee, this suggests that the committee has not yet presented its report to the assembly, and so the nomination was not "already made".   If the report was given, then the people named in it are nominated, and the committee, having risen, can't withdraw anything.  But if that's the case, then even if someone withdraws, it's unlikely that at that late date there would be enough time to revive the committee.

 

Admittedly, other scenarios are possible.

 

The nominating committee continues to exist until its report is formally presented to the assembly. (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 435) As a result, if a nominee withdraws before the committee makes its report, it isn't "revived" or "reconvened," because the committee never ended in the first place. As a result, if the committee is truly being "revived" in the sense that term is used on pg. 435, then the committee must have already made its report. The OP may not be familiar with all of these intricacies, however, so it is certainly possible that the report has not yet been made.

 

In some societies, the report is made at a meeting prior to the election meeting, and in that situation, there would still be time to revive the committee if a nominee withdrew after the committee made its report.

[Guest Elaine]

Thanks for the replies.  The slate was formally submitted at the October meeting; members will vote at the November meeting.  It was determined after the meeting that a candidate for one of the positions was ineligible for the office.  The committee is meeting now to seek out an eligible replacement. 

 

There is a member in the organization that is now interested in running for one of the other open positions on the slate.  She wants the nominating committee to add her to the the slate.  I have told the member that she can  not be added to the slate but can be nominated from the floor in Nobember.  Reconvening the nominating committee is not to look for additional candidates for the other open positions on the slate.

[Richard Brown]

Thanks for the replies.  The slate was formally submitted at the October meeting; members will vote at the November meeting.  It was determined after the meeting that a candidate for one of the positions was ineligible for the office.  The committee is meeting now to seek out an eligible replacement. 

 

There is a member in the organization that is now interested in running for one of the other open positions on the slate.  She wants the nominating committee to add her to the the slate.  I have told the member that she can  not be added to the slate but can be nominated from the floor in Nobember.  Reconvening the nominating committee is not to look for additional candidates for the other open positions on the slate.

 

You are certainly correct that the member may be nominated from the floor.  She can also probably be a write-in candidate even if not nominated unless your rules prohibit it.  

 

I believe that once the committee is revived, regardless of the reason for its being revived, it may make and submit additional nominees.  I believe it is up to the nominating committee itself, not the chairman or president or any other officer, to decide whether the committee will make an additional nomination.  Others may disagree, so I urge you to keep checking back. 

[Curiosulus]

I feel we should point out that "the slate" is not like Moses' tablets under RONR. The recommendations of the Nominating Committee are a starting point and the assembly is free to add to the list.

 

[Josh Martin]

Thanks for the replies.  The slate was formally submitted at the October meeting; members will vote at the November meeting.  It was determined after the meeting that a candidate for one of the positions was ineligible for the office.  The committee is meeting now to seek out an eligible replacement. 

 

There is a member in the organization that is now interested in running for one of the other open positions on the slate.  She wants the nominating committee to add her to the the slate.  I have told the member that she can  not be added to the slate but can be nominated from the floor in Nobember.  Reconvening the nominating committee is not to look for additional candidates for the other open positions on the slate.

 

No rule in RONR would prevent the nominating committee from filling other open positions in its report, and I think it should absolutely do so, since the committee failed to finish its job the first time

[Gödel Fan]

How is that different from the slates Moses had?  He broke them up too, from my recollection.

[Gary Novosielski]

Thanks for the replies.  The slate was formally submitted at the October meeting; members will vote at the November meeting.  It was determined after the meeting that a candidate for one of the positions was ineligible for the office.  The committee is meeting now to seek out an eligible replacement. 

 

There is a member in the organization that is now interested in running for one of the other open positions on the slate.  She wants the nominating committee to add her to the the slate.  I have told the member that she can  not be added to the slate but can be nominated from the floor in Nobember.  Reconvening the nominating committee is not to look for additional candidates for the other open positions on the slate.

 

And you're making this determination on what authority exactly?  You'll search in vain in RONR for anything that supports you.

 

As long as there is time for the nominating committee to meet, they can decide for themselves if they want to add nominations to their slate report.

[Steven Britton]

Thanks for the replies.  The slate was formally submitted at the October meeting; members will vote at the November meeting.  It was determined after the meeting that a candidate for one of the positions was ineligible for the office.  The committee is meeting now to seek out an eligible replacement. 

 

There is a member in the organization that is now interested in running for one of the other open positions on the slate.  She wants the nominating committee to add her to the the slate.  I have told the member that she can  not be added to the slate but can be nominated from the floor in Nobember.  Reconvening the nominating committee is not to look for additional candidates for the other open positions on the slate.

Please note, the practice of nominating a "slate," is something defined outside of RONR. In RONR, a nominating committee only offers individual nominations for the particular individual offices. Also, unless prohibited elsewhere, your nominating committee was free to nominate additional candidates for each office.