Appointing someone in the place of the President in the abscence of the President

[Guest CVHernandez]

I have a question and hope to be able to explain it. Where does it state in the RObert Rules of Order that a President can appoint someone in his place if he is unable to attend a meeting. My understanding was the Vice President would take his place. This is our situation. I am the Vice President of our board as well as the VP of the Zone Board. Our President was unable to attend our last meeting and sent his wife in his place, mind you his wife is the Registar. She assumed that because she was there representing him ,she was able to vote in his place.

Like I stated before, I thought the VP would step up in his place but in our case since I'm also the VP for the Zone, I can't have two votes so could I appoint her to represent our President? Is this correct?

[Trina]

I have a question and hope to be able to explain it. Where does it state in the RObert Rules of Order that a President can appoint someone in his place if he is unable to attend a meeting.

Nowhere in RONR does it say this -- because the President does not have any such power.

My understanding was the Vice President would take his place.

Correct, the VP chairs the meeting in the President's absence.

Our President was unable to attend our last meeting and sent his wife in his place, mind you his wife is the Registar. She assumed that because she was there representing him ,she was able to vote in his place.

Nope, she can't represent him; and she sure can't vote (unless she's a member herself -- does being Registrar make her a member of the body that is meeting?). If she's not a member, she can't even attend the meeting as a guest (unless the assembly grants permission, or has other rules allowing non-members to attend).

Like I stated before, I thought the VP would step up in his place but in our case since I'm also the VP for the Zone, I can't have two votes so could I appoint her to represent our President? Is this correct?

No, you don't get two votes. However, why would that prevent you from presiding over the meeting in the President's absence? The VP has no such appointment power, no more than the absent President does. If the VP refuses to chair the meeting, the assembly could elect a chair pro tem, and could even elect a non-member (such as an officer's spouse) to do that job. Such an election would not give the non-member a vote.

[Josh Martin]

The VP has no such appointment power, no more than the absent President does.

Well, no, a presiding officer who is actually present may appoint a chairman pro tempore, although such an appointment is still subject to the approval of the assembly. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 437)

[Trina]

Well, no, a presiding officer who is actually present may appoint a chairman pro tempore, although such an appointment is still subject to the approval of the assembly. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 437)

Thanks for clarifying the appointment of a chair pro tem... I was getting hung up on the question "could I appoint her to represent our President?" -- no one can appoint someone else to 'represent' an absent member, in the sense of acting fully for that absent member. Appointing someone to chair the meeting is a much more limited kind of appointment than the original poster seemed to be suggesting.

[SaintCad]

I actually looked this up because our Chair wants to appoint me (the Sec'y) to chair the next meeting he's going to miss which is not allowed and I told him as much. See p 437 lines 10-12

[Guest dan]

I think your President following Robert's Rules for dictators, not RONR.