Nomination Committee

[Rev Ed]

I have a question about the Nominating Committee:

On page 433 of RONR, it states: "Members of the nominating committee are not barred from becoming nominees for office themselves. To make such a requirement would mean, first, that service on the nominating committee carried a penalty by depriving its members of one of their privileges; and second, that appointment or election to the nominating committee could be used to prevent a member from becoming a nominee. "

My question is how would the appointment/election stop a person from being a candidate - I mean if being a member of the committee would bar me from running for office, and I was interested in doing so, then why would I accept the appointment or election to the committee?  Or, if after accepting to be on the committee I decided to run for office, what would stop me from resigning from the committee in order to run?  Or volunteer from the floor - as the committee is discharged as soon as it makes its report.

Thanks in advance.

[Richard Brown]

26 minutes ago, Rev Ed said:

I have a question about the Nominating Committee: . . .

Q # 1: My question is how would the appointment/election stop a person from being a candidate -

Q # 2: I mean if being a member of the committee would bar me from running for office, and I was interested in doing so, then why would I accept the appointment or election to the committee? 

Q # 3: Or, if after accepting to be on the committee I decided to run for office, what would stop me from resigning from the committee in order to run?  Or volunteer from the floor - as the committee is discharged as soon as it makes its report.

Thanks in advance.

 

Answer to Q # 1: Serving on a nominating committee does not prevent the member from being nominated or being a candidate for office.

Answer to Q # 2:  Again, being a member of the committee does not prevent you from becoming the nominee. You might not know in advance that the other members want to nominate you and you may not initially have any intention of becoming a candidate.  Things change.  Maybe no one else was willing to take the job.

Answer to Q # 3: Nothing would stop you from resigning from the committee.  And nothing stops you from being nominated from the floor or from being elected as a write in candidate.

[jstackpo]

Here's how it might work: 

Given that there IS a rule (in some bylaws) that was tightly phrased to the effect that NomCom membership was indeed a barrier to serving in office, and that you, Rev. Ed, were indeed elected to that committee, then you might try or ask to resign (to run for office) but if your resignation was not accepted (p. 291) you are indeed stuck on the NomCom and are prevented from serving.  And since the NomCom is a Standing Committee (established in the bylaws) the committee continues to exist even after the election meeting is over (although its immediate work is done when it makes its report) you will be stuck on the committee indefinitely (probably until the next set of members are elected to the committee).

And don't forget that "discharging the [standing] committee" does NOT cause the committee to cease to exist, only relieves the committee of the responsibility to find nominees.

So if a majority of us don't want you, we will keep you on the committee and out of the running.  ('Course, you might not have been elected to an office anyway, but that's not the point.)

[Rev Ed]

jstackpo,

Thanks for the answer - that's why I was asking the question.

[Gary Novosielski]

22 hours ago, Rev Ed said:

I have a question about the Nominating Committee:

On page 433 of RONR, it states: "Members of the nominating committee are not barred from becoming nominees for office themselves. To make such a requirement would mean, first, that service on the nominating committee carried a penalty by depriving its members of one of their privileges; and second, that appointment or election to the nominating committee could be used to prevent a member from becoming a nominee. "

My question is how would the appointment/election stop a person from being a candidate - I mean if being a member of the committee would bar me from running for office, and I was interested in doing so, then why would I accept the appointment or election to the committee?  Or, if after accepting to be on the committee I decided to run for office, what would stop me from resigning from the committee in order to run?  Or volunteer from the floor - as the committee is discharged as soon as it makes its report.

Thanks in advance.

 

Many organizations, by rule or custom,  make serving on a committee to which one is appointed a duty of membership. RONR allows one to decline an election, but as far as I know does not explicitly grant a right to refuse appointment to a committee, or guarantee that a resignation from a committee will be accepted.

[Rev Ed]

11 hours ago, Gary Novosielski said:

Many organizations, by rule or custom,  make serving on a committee to which one is appointed a duty of membership. RONR allows one to decline an election, but as far as I know does not explicitly grant a right to refuse appointment to a committee, or guarantee that a resignation from a committee will be accepted.

Gary, but wouldn't declining an election and declining an appointment be the same thing?  Or am I wrong again?

[Shmuel Gerber]

23 hours ago, Gary Novosielski said:

RONR allows one to decline an election, but as far as I know does not explicitly grant a right to refuse appointment to a committee

 

11 hours ago, Rev Ed said:

Gary, but wouldn't declining an election and declining an appointment be the same thing?  Or am I wrong again?

They would be the same thing:

"If a duty is not compulsory, a member can decline when he is first named to it or, if absent at that time, when he first learns of his election or appointment. At times other than during a meeting, such a notice of declination can be addressed to the secretary or to the appointing power. Since in these cases the duty is not compulsory, no motion to excuse the member is necessary.

"A member who remains silent when presumably aware that he has been named to a duty is regarded as accepting, and he thereby places himself under the same obligations as if he had expressly accepted." (RONR, p. 290, ll. 25-35)

[Gary Novosielski]

21 hours ago, Rev Ed said:

Gary, but wouldn't declining an election and declining an appointment be the same thing?  Or am I wrong again?

 No, you're right, and so is Mr. Gerber.   But, as I pointed out, in some societies, such duties are compulsory, and may not be declined.