Can members of a Task Force be replaced?

[Guest briarwild]

Our dog club created a Task Force with a specific task that has not yet been completed.  When creating this Task Force, the President specifically stated in his motion that it and it's members would remain intact until the task was complete.  From the President's original motion "To maintain continuity, this task force will only be disbanded upon completion of this project".  This motion was approved by the Board of Governors; not a vote of the entire membership.  Now we are hearing that you cannot establish a continual task force because each session has the freedom to act on any item that might be open to it, unless the item is included as a special rule of order or bylaw.

Specifically, we do not want the members of this force replaced.  We want continuity of the members.  Is it correct that we can or cannot replace members on the task force? 

[J. J.]

1 hour ago, Guest briarwild said:

Our dog club created a Task Force with a specific task that has not yet been completed.  When creating this Task Force, the President specifically stated in his motion that it and it's members would remain intact until the task was complete.  From the President's original motion "To maintain continuity, this task force will only be disbanded upon completion of this project".  This motion was approved by the Board of Governors; not a vote of the entire membership.  Now we are hearing that you cannot establish a continual task force because each session has the freedom to act on any item that might be open to it, unless the item is included as a special rule of order or bylaw.

Specifically, we do not want the members of this force replaced.  We want continuity of the members.  Is it correct that we can or cannot replace members on the task force? 

The motion could be rescinded, or amended using Amend Something Previously Adopted.

[Gary Novosielski]

9 hours ago, Guest briarwild said:

Our dog club created a Task Force with a specific task that has not yet been completed.  When creating this Task Force, the President specifically stated in his motion that it and it's members would remain intact until the task was complete.  From the President's original motion "To maintain continuity, this task force will only be disbanded upon completion of this project".  This motion was approved by the Board of Governors; not a vote of the entire membership.  Now we are hearing that you cannot establish a continual task force because each session has the freedom to act on any item that might be open to it, unless the item is included as a special rule of order or bylaw.

Specifically, we do not want the members of this force replaced.  We want continuity of the members.  Is it correct that we can or cannot replace members on the task force? 

RONR does not use the term Task Force,  but this would correspond to the creation of a Special Committee--one which is created to perform a certain task, and to rise and report when the task is completed.  The motion that the committee not rise until its task is complete amounts to instructions to the committee.

It is not necessary to adopt a special rule of order or a bylaw provision to maintain continuity.  RONR (on, I believe page 502) allows this to be done simply by instructing the committee, if this is a special, as opposed to a standing committee.  So there is no requirement that the members of this committee be replaced.  And even if it were necessary to disband the committee (as is the case for standing committees, or committees that report to a body whose membership changes at designated times, such as a board, there is no rule against reappointing the same members to the committee.

[Atul Kapur]

As has been noted, the closest match in RONR to your Task Force is a special committee. I assume that the board had the authority to create this Task Force.

There is a principle that one session of a body usually cannot tie the hands of another session. So, despite the wording and intent of the president, a future meeting of the board may use the motion Amend Something Previously Adopted and change the membership of the task force. Only language in your bylaws or other governing rules could prevent that, and even then, they could be removed for cause following an investigation and trial.

The wording of the motion means that the task force continues until its job is complete, despite the fact that the term of the current board may expire before that time. So you do not need to worry about it being disbanded, except by the board using the motion to Discharge a Committee.

[Atul Kapur]

37 minutes ago, Gary Novosielski said:

if it were necessary to disband the committee (as is the case for ... committees that report to a body whose membership changes at designated times, such as a board

In this case, the committee is "appointed expressly to report at a later time," (RONR 11th ed., p.502 line 35 - p. 503 l. 1) specifically, "upon completion of this project." So it would not automatically expire with the board that appointed it.

[Gary Novosielski]

9 minutes ago, Atul Kapur said:

In this case, the committee is "appointed expressly to report at a later time," (RONR 11th ed., p.502 line 35 - p. 503 l. 1) specifically, "upon completion of this project." So it would not automatically expire with the board that appointed it.

Yes, I missed the fact that this was a committee of the board.  Still, I concur that the specific instruction is valid, and while a future board could decide to change the membership or the instructions, this would not be mandatory, nor would it be  automatic.

[Joshua Katz]

15 hours ago, Guest briarwild said:

Specifically, we do not want the members of this force replaced.  We want continuity of the members.  Is it correct that we can or cannot replace members on the task force? 

I feel like I'm missing something. If the board created the task force/committee, and doesn't want the members changed, they won't be changed (absent some temporary majority seizing power - is that the concern?) even without the board tying its own hands. What is the board trying to accomplish here?

My only concern might be that the membership could rescind or amend the action of the board - but if so, the board has no power to prevent that.

[Guest Zev]

I'm not sure who the "we" in "we do not want the members of this force replaced" is. I also do not know if the Board is the highest authority in this dog club or whether the general membership has an assembly that can issue an order to the Board which it must comply with.

[Josh Martin]

14 hours ago, Joshua Katz said:

I feel like I'm missing something. If the board created the task force/committee, and doesn't want the members changed, they won't be changed (absent some temporary majority seizing power - is that the concern?) even without the board tying its own hands. What is the board trying to accomplish here?

I expect that the task force in question is anticipated to take longer than the current board members are serving, and the concern is that future board members may wish to disband the task force, or to replace its members.

If it is desired to prevent this, getting the membership to form the task force may be the best option, since then only the membership may disband the task force (or replace its members). If the board wishes to be even more certain, amending the bylaws to add the task force (and prohibiting replacing its members) would mean that only a bylaw amendment would be sufficient to disband it or replace its members.

[Joshua Katz]

14 minutes ago, Josh Martin said:

I expect that the task force in question is anticipated to take longer than the current board members are serving, and the concern is that future board members may wish to disband the task force, or to replace its members.

 

Oh, I get it now, and agree with your conclusion.