President Retired, VP is under recall petition - can the VP still run the meeting though they are on the Agenda for recall

[Guest JNH]

So our President retired, making our VP our acting president.  The VP is under a recall (we will vote on later in the month) but we have a general meeting where she will defend herself.... Under any Robert's Rules, can she still chair the meeting?  Seems like a conflict of interest when she is on the agenda, but can't find anything.

[Josh Martin]

1 hour ago, Guest JNH said:

So our President retired, making our VP our acting president.  The VP is under a recall (we will vote on later in the month) but we have a general meeting where she will defend herself.... Under any Robert's Rules, can she still chair the meeting?  Seems like a conflict of interest when she is on the agenda, but can't find anything.

I would first note that unless your bylaws provide otherwise, the VP becomes President (no "acting" about it) in the event of a vacancy.

The President/Vice President should relinquish the chair during the portions of the meeting which relate to the potential removal of the President/Vice President, but the President/Vice President would be free to preside over other portions of the meeting.

"Whenever a motion is made that refers only to the presiding officer in a capacity not shared in common with other members, or that commends or censures him with others, he should turn the chair over to the vice-president or appropriate temporary occupant (see below) during the assembly’s consideration of that motion, just as he would in a case where he wishes to take part in debate (see also 43:29–30). The chair, however, should not hesitate to put the question on a motion to elect officers or appoint delegates or a committee even if he is included." RONR (12th ed.) 47:10

[Richard Brown]

3 hours ago, Guest JNH said:

Under any Robert's Rules, can she still chair the meeting? 

I'm going to agree with Mr. Martin n part and disagree with him in part.  He is right when he says the  presiding officer should turn the chair over to the vice-president or someone else in a situation such as this, but RONR seems to make it plain that this is a "should" rule, not a "must" rule, and that the chair may refuse to relinquish the chair unless he is removed from presiding pursuant to the  provisions in 62:10 - 62:12 in RONR (12th ed.).  I do not see anything in RONR that actually requires the presiding to vacate the chair in this situation unless the formal disciplnary process of RONR is being utilized.

[J. J.]

The rules could be suspended to remove the president from the chair.

I shall agree with Mr. Brown and will note that under RONR "The Chair, however, should not hesitate to put the question a motion to elect officer ...even if he is included(47:10)."  I am not even sure if the president vacating the chair would be a "should" rule.

[Dan Honemann]

I disagree with Mr. Brown when he says that he disagrees, in part, with Mr. Martin.  🙂

[Gary Novosielski]

7 hours ago, Daniel H. Honemann said:

I disagree with Mr. Brown when he says that he disagrees, in part, with Mr. Martin.  🙂

So you don't think that Mr. Brown really does disagree, in part, with Mr. Martin?

[Dan Honemann]

2 minutes ago, Gary Novosielski said:

So you don't think that Mr. Brown really does disagree, in part, with Mr. Martin?

No, I don't.