vote for life membership

[Guest Warren]

I belong to an organization and it came before the body to vote for giving a gentleman a life membership. The motion was made and seconded to accept the gentleman as a life member with the vote in favor......... In a discussion after the vote another motion was made to rescind the prior vote of the life membership of the gentleman until the next meeting. Can the original vote be rescinded.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

I belong to an organization and it came before the body to vote for giving a gentleman a life membership. The motion was made and seconded to accept the gentleman as a life member with the vote in favor......... In a discussion after the vote another motion was made to rescind the prior vote of the life membership of the gentleman until the next meeting. Can the original vote be rescinded.

I might be the bearer of Bad News.

If you don't already have defined in your bylaws the class of membership called "life", then you cannot grant life membership.

At least not directly.

You can do so indirectly by paying the dues (i.e., fulfilling the requirement of "membeship") on behalf of this individual, for as long as you choose to.

But I am betting, from your description, that you guys are just doing this all ad hoc, by the seat of your pants.

If your bylaws DO define such a class of membership, then my worry is over.

But you cannot un-grant a membership once a membership is given, by merely adopting a motion To Rescind.

[Rev Ed]

I guess to twist this question, would the membership (or perhaps the Board or other group if required like a membership committee) be allowed to pass a motion relieving a member of paying his/her dues? While it would be simply easier to amend the By-laws to allow for a "life member", would this help at all? Based on my knowledge, I would say no, but I (and perhaps the original poster) may prefer a more experienced response.

[Gary Novosielski]

I belong to an organization and it came before the body to vote for giving a gentleman a life membership. The motion was made and seconded to accept the gentleman as a life member with the vote in favor......... In a discussion after the vote another motion was made to rescind the prior vote of the life membership of the gentleman until the next meeting. Can the original vote be rescinded.

Probably not.

The motion to Rescind cannot be applied to a motion that appointed someone to membership, once that person has been informed.

But if your bylaws don't establish the existence of "life members" the entire vote is null and void anyway.

[Trina]

I guess to twist this question, would the membership (or perhaps the Board or other group if required like a membership committee) be allowed to pass a motion relieving a member of paying his/her dues? While it would be simply easier to amend the By-laws to allow for a "life member", would this help at all?....

Why would this possibly be appropriate? Assuming the dues are delineated in the bylaws, this would amount to an attempt to suspend an unsuspendable bylaw (and by a board, or membership committee, at that -- groups that usually have no business touching the bylaws at all).

Look at it from the fairness p.o.v. also -- suppose the organization runs from membership dues (as many do) -- why would anything less than a bylaws amendment be appropriate, since the proposed motion means the dues-paying members now must carry the freeloader financially?

[Rev Ed]

For some organizations, an example being some yacht clubs, will allow for "Life Members" who are simply members that have been involved (as members) for many years and have had a positive effect on the organization. The "Life Member" requirements will generally be spelled out in the By-laws (as they should if they are going to be offered) and allow the member use of the organization's facilities for free. It is not necessarily a "free loading" situation, but rather a chance for an organization to give back to a long time member.

[Trina]

For some organizations, an example being some yacht clubs, will allow for "Life Members" who are simply members that have been involved (as members) for many years and have had a positive effect on the organization. The "Life Member" requirements will generally be spelled out in the By-laws (as they should if they are going to be offered) and allow the member use of the organization's facilities for free. It is not necessarily a "free loading" situation, but rather a chance for an organization to give back to a long time member.

Sorry, I should have stuck to the bylaws angle (unsuspendable bylaw regarding dues). Venturing into what is 'ethical' or 'fair' doesn't reliably throw light on proper procedure... as we see that what one person views as 'freeloading' may be seen by someone else as fair recompense for a member's contributions to the organization.