Guest Gina Posted December 17, 2022 at 12:46 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 12:46 AM My board has decided to run an election to stagger when positions are up for election so that the entire board doesn’t turn over at the same time. We amended our bylaws to allow this to happen. The current president, who originally made this recommendation, is up for election in January and has now decided not to run again. Our VP would like to run for President but that would leave the VP position open and the VP election is not until next year (2 year terms). The issue is that we are now faced with someone who has no experience with the board and will take the leadership role. Any advice appreciated! thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted December 17, 2022 at 01:02 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 01:02 AM On 12/16/2022 at 7:46 PM, Guest Gina said: The current president, who originally made this recommendation, is up for election in January and has now decided not to run again. Our VP would like to run for President but that would leave the VP position open and the VP election is not until next year (2 year terms). The issue is that we are now faced with someone who has no experience with the board and will take the leadership role. Either elect someone with more experience, or chip and and help support the inexperienced president through that on-the-job learning period. Start with a gift of RONR 12th ed. As for the vacant VP position, follow your bylaws provisions for vacancy filling, or if there are none, hold a special election. In the case of a vacancy in the presidency the VP automatically becomes president instantly, but that's an important reason to get a VP in that office right away. What do your bylaws currently say about filling vacancies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atul Kapur Posted December 17, 2022 at 06:38 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 06:38 AM I read the OP slightly differently than @Gary Novosielski. It sounds like Guest Gina feels that the VP is unable to run for president, because of the stagger, so they feel that they will end up with an unexperienced person as president. If that is Guest Gina's concern, the good news is that this is not true. The VP can run for president in January. If elected, they should resign as VP, leaving the VP position vacant. Then the vacancy-filling provisions of your bylaws will apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted December 17, 2022 at 07:15 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 07:15 AM On 12/17/2022 at 1:38 AM, Atul Kapur said: I read the OP slightly differently than @Gary Novosielski. It sounds like Guest Gina feels that the VP is unable to run for president, because of the stagger, so they feel that they will end up with an unexperienced person as president. If that is Guest Gina's concern, the good news is that this is not true. The VP can run for president in January. If elected, they should resign as VP, leaving the VP position vacant. Then the vacancy-filling provisions of your bylaws will apply. I may have mixed up the people, but my advice still stands. There's nothing stopping the VP from running for president, and if the concern is that there would be a vacancy in the VP office, it need not stay vacant for the remainder of the term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puzzling Posted December 17, 2022 at 09:56 AM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 09:56 AM I am agreeing that the Vice President can run for president, (so we all agree :) ) I am a bit puzzling about how to fill the Vice president position. Guess the answer should be in the bylaws, but what if the bylaws are silent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted December 17, 2022 at 12:19 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 12:19 PM On 12/17/2022 at 3:56 AM, puzzling said: I am a bit puzzling about how to fill the Vice president position. Guess the answer should be in the bylaws, but what if the bylaws are silent? "The power to appoint or elect persons to any office or board carries with it the power to accept their resignations, and also the power to fill any vacancy occurring in it, unless the bylaws expressly provide otherwise. In the case of a society whose bylaws confer upon its executive board full power and authority over the society's affairs between meetings of the society's assembly (as in the example in 56:43) without reserving to the society itself the exclusive right to fill vacancies, the executive board is empowered to accept resignations and fill vacancies between meetings of the society's assembly. For particular vacancies, see 47:22 (president-elect), and 47:28–30 and 56:32 (president and vice-presidents). See also 13:23 (vacancies in a committee). Notice of filling a vacancy in an office (including a vacancy in an executive board or executive committee) must always be given to the members of the body that will elect the person to fill it, unless the bylaws or special rules of order clearly provide otherwise." RONR (12th ed.) 47:57-58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted December 17, 2022 at 04:56 PM Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 at 04:56 PM On 12/17/2022 at 4:56 AM, puzzling said: I am agreeing that the Vice President can run for president, (so we all agree :) ) I am a bit puzzling about how to fill the Vice president position. Guess the answer should be in the bylaws, but what if the bylaws are silent? If the bylaws are completely silent, even to the point of including no language at all that can be interpreted in the way that @Josh Martin suggests, which is unlikely, then the answer is that the body that initially elected the VP is the body that can elect a replacement. In other words, a special election with prior notice would be sufficient to fill the vacancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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