Incoming President Resigns Before Term Begins

[lkmw]

We are a non-profit organziation, hobby related, but govern but Roberts Rules of Order. We held elections (ballots mailed to all members) for our 2011 officers which would be installed on January 8th at our installation banquet. Due to healt reasons, the person elected to take over the Presidency has resigned. What is the proper way to go about filling this position for 2011? Thanks in advance for the help.

[jstackpo]

There is no easy - RONR based - answer since RONR states that the rule is that an officer takes office immediately upon the completion of his election.

Since you have written a different rule (with a loophole or unintended consequence), you are on your own.

However, here's a suggestion. Your President-Elect is NOT in any office right now so he can't resign from anything. One way of looking at your situation is that he WILL take office in January and then immediately resign. That means that your (new-?) Vice-president who (I presume) will take office in January then becomes president. But check your bylaws - they might spell out a different succession rule.

Best alert the V-P-elect of what will happen then.