Yet another Good Standing question

[AFS1970]

Our current bylaws do not define what good standing is, but we do use RONR as our parliamentary authority, We have very detailed discipline and appeals in the bylaws as well as provisions for terminations of membership. However to the best of my knowledge we do not use RONR for discipline. 

From reading other threads here, it seems that many organizations use wording similar to a member in good standing is not currently under discipline. Our main form of punishment is suspension. We do not define what rights are suspended during this period. However the bylaws do say that if an appeal is successful the member is returned to good standing. 

Now our requirements for office require specific lengths of time (years) of consecutive good standing. Does this means that a suspension restarts the clock for years of consecutive good standing? Our fire chief is required to have seven years, does this mean a suspension six months ago means he can not run for another six and a half years? 

We are having trouble coming to a consensus on this. However the use of the word "currently" in some bylaws seems to be the biggest problem to me.

[Josh Martin]

4 minutes ago, AFS1970 said:

Now our requirements for office require specific lengths of time (years) of consecutive good standing. Does this means that a suspension restarts the clock for years of consecutive good standing? Our fire chief is required to have seven years, does this mean a suspension six months ago means he can not run for another six and a half years? 

This is ultimately a question of interpreting your own bylaws, but that would seem to be the case.

4 minutes ago, AFS1970 said:

We are having trouble coming to a consensus on this. However the use of the word "currently" in some bylaws seems to be the biggest problem to me.

Well, the word currently is used because all that matters in RONR is whether a member is currently in good standing, and a member is currently in good standing if his rights are not currently under disciplinary suspension. Generally, whether a member was not in good standing at some time in the past is irrelevant.

Your bylaws, however, apparently do care about the member’s previous good standing status, since you say that, to be eligible to serve in  certain offices, a member must have “specific lengths of time (years) of consecutive good standing.”