election of officers

[Guest annette]

It is on our agenda to elect officers. However, I am new to the board and do not feel that I can make a educated decision without first sitting through a few meetings. It is not NECESSARY to elect. The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012. How do I properly address postponing the vote. And if I can not, then should I abstain, and how will that effect the vote. There are a total of 7 member and one other member is new.

[hmtcastle]

How do I properly address postponing the vote.

You don't if the only reason is that you don't know whom to vote for. You can abstain if you wish or vote for the nicest or smartest or cutest or tallest candidate. People have done worse.

Abstaining won't affect the vote.

[David A Foulkes]

It is on our agenda to elect officers.

When is the meeting?

However, I am new to the board and do not feel that I can make a educated decision without first sitting through a few meetings. It is not NECESSARY to elect.

????

The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012. How do I properly address postponing the vote. And if I can not, then should I abstain, and how will that effect the vote. There are a total of 7 member and one other member is new.

So, you have anywhere from 13+ months to 25 months (depending on when in 2012 your election is) and you think you need more time to develop an educated decision on for whom to vote? You are going to have a meeting or three between now and then, right?

I know it's me.... it often is..... but what am I missing here?

[Guest annette]

When is the meeting?

????

So, you have anywhere from 13+ months to 25 months (depending on when in 2012 your election is) and you think you need more time to develop an educated decision on for whom to vote? You are going to have a meeting or three between now and then, right?

I know it's me.... it often is..... but what am I missing here?

[Guest annette]

My FIRST meeting is Dec 4 and that is when the present members want to vote. We do not need to elect until Jan 2012. So I do not have 13 months if they force the vote on Dec 4 I will have had HOURS to decide who will be president and vice president for the next 3 years. I wanted to know how to ask to postpone the vote until me and the other new member could sit in on a few meetings and see how the other personalities are in order to make the best decision. The current members are all jocking for position and I dont want to just vote for "whomever"

[Chris Harrison]

We do not need to elect until Jan 2012.

That makes no sense. Are you saying that the bylaws state that elections can be held anytime the Board wants them? If so those are some messed up bylaws! Somehow I suspect they are not saying what you (or the Board) think they are saying.

[hmtcastle]

My FIRST meeting is Dec 4 and that is when the present members want to vote. . . . I dont want to just vote for "whomever"

It seems to be that you have three weeks to get to know the candidates. But if you don't know who to vote for, don't vote for anyone. Postponing an election just because one member "isn't ready" doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Though it does seem odd that you're voting next month when elections aren't scheduled until 2012. But odd bylaws are not exactly an endangered species.

[Guest annette]

That makes no sense. Are you saying that the bylaws state that elections can be held anytime the Board wants them? If so those are some messed up bylaws! Somehow I suspect they are not saying what you (or the Board) think they are saying.

Two of the 7 members were termed out and they were the pres and VP. I and one other person were appointed to the board. The current members want to fill those two positions right away and call a vote to elect officers on Dec 4. The bylaws state that we have to elect every even number year, but that is all it says. A board member asked that it be put on the agenda for Dec 4.

[Weldon Merritt]

My FIRST meeting is Dec 4 and that is when the present members want to vote. We do not need to elect until Jan 2012.

I guess I am missing something, too. If you do not need to vote until January 2012, why in the world has an election been scheduled for December 2010? Your bylaws should specify when elections are held. Unless this is a special election to fill a vacancy, there does not seem to be any good reason to be having it 13 months early. Does the orgnaisztaion have some peculiar bylaws that allow for earlier-thn-normal elections?

[Guest Annette]

It seems to be that you have three weeks to get to know the candidates. But if you don't know who to vote for, don't vote for anyone. Postponing an election just because one member "isn't ready" doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Though it does seem odd that you're voting next month when elections aren't scheduled until 2012. But odd bylaws are not exactly an endangered species.

There is one other new member. And it gets better. 4 of the 7 represent one part of the state (north) and 2 of us that are new represent another part(south). Of course the north want to vote asap to replace the pres and vp that were termed out from the south.

[hmtcastle]

The current members want to fill those two positions right away and call a vote to elect officers on Dec 4.

Makes sense to me. You certainly shouldn't go for more than a year without a president and vice-president.

[Guest Guest]

I guess I am missing something, too. If you do not need to vote until January 2012, why in the world has an election been scheduled for December 2010? Your bylaws should specify when elections are held. Unless this is a special election to fill a vacancy, there does not seem to be any good reason to be having it 13 months early. Does the orgnaisztaion have some peculiar bylaws that allow for earlier-thn-normal elections?

Two of the 7 members were termed out and they were the pres and VP. I and one other person were appointed to the board. The current members want to fill those two positions right away and call a vote to elect officers on Dec 4. The bylaws state that we have to elect every even number year, but that is all it says. A board member asked that it be put on the agenda for Dec 4.

Back to top of the page up there ^

[Tim Wynn]

Two of the 7 members were termed out and they were the pres and VP. I and one other person were appointed to the board. The current members want to fill those two positions right away and call a vote to elect officers on Dec 4. The bylaws state that we have to elect every even number year, but that is all it says. A board member asked that it be put on the agenda for Dec 4.

I think you need to take a careful look at the bylaws, to see how all of this is to be handled. It seems that there is a lot of speculation about the procedure.

[J. J.]

It is on our agenda to elect officers. However, I am new to the board and do not feel that I can make a educated decision without first sitting through a few meetings. It is not NECESSARY to elect. The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012. How do I properly address postponing the vote. And if I can not, then should I abstain, and how will that effect the vote. There are a total of 7 member and one other member is new.

How can someone be "termed out," if there is not to be an election? Is this an election to fill a vacancy? Does the board have the power to do so?

When is the next regular meeting of the board after this one?

[hmtcastle]

I know it's me.... it often is..... but what am I missing here?

That makes no sense.

Though it does seem odd that you're voting next month when elections aren't scheduled until 2012.

I guess I am missing something, too.

It seems that there is a lot of speculation about the procedure.

How can someone be "termed out," if there is not to be an election?

This topic certainly provides for a lot of head-scratching.

[Tim Wynn]

This topic certainly provides for a lot of head-scratching.

Poor Annette came here to trade her questions for some answers, and all we can give her are more questions.

[Chris Harrison]

This topic certainly provides for a lot of head-scratching.

My scalp is bleeding from the head scratching.

[Chris Harrison]

Poor Annette came here to trade her questions for some answers, and all we can give her are more questions.

I think it is time to give her the NAP and AIP spiel (which other folks do so very well ). Maybe they can look at everything and figure things out before the 4th.

[Josh Martin]

It is on our agenda to elect officers. However, I am new to the board and do not feel that I can make a educated decision without first sitting through a few meetings. It is not NECESSARY to elect. The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012. How do I properly address postponing the vote. And if I can not, then should I abstain, and how will that effect the vote. There are a total of 7 member and one other member is new.

Well, all I can really contribute from RONR here is that an election may be postponed while it is pending. This requires a majority vote and is debatable. It may be postponed to the following meeting (at the latest), provided that meeting is within a quarterly interval. Abstaining would not affect the vote one way or the other.

Anything beyond that is going to take a review of these apparently bizarre Bylaws, which is beyond the scope of this forum.

[Tim Wynn]

Anything beyond that is going to take a review of these apparently bizarre Bylaws, which is beyond the scope of this forum.

I think we should do one bizarre-bylaws review per month.

[Guest annette]

Well, all I can really contribute from RONR here is that an election may be postponed while it is pending. This requires a majority vote and is debatable. It may be postponed to the following meeting (at the latest), provided that meeting is within a quarterly interval. Abstaining would not affect the vote one way or the other.

Anything beyond that is going to take a review of these apparently bizarre Bylaws, which is beyond the scope of this forum.

So the proper way would be when the agenda item to vote came up, I would move to postpone the vote until say 6 months for example. My other newbie member would second and then it would go to debate. Is this correct? If after debate, the majority vote is to continue, then at that point, I could abstain. Which as I know will not effect the vote, it would then be left up to the other voting members and the majority of THEM.

It sounds like the debate portion would be interesting since it has been with you fellows and your not even involved. ;0)

[Guest Guest]

I think we should do one bizarre-bylaws review per month.

[Guest Guest]

agree! I am dealing with NAC NRS codes.

[Trina]

...

It is not NECESSARY to elect. The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012.

...

Two of the 7 members were termed out and they were the pres and VP. I and one other person were appointed to the board. The current members want to fill those two positions right away and call a vote to elect officers on Dec 4. The bylaws state that we have to elect every even number year, but that is all it says...

Poor Annette came here to trade her questions for some answers, and all we can give her are more questions.

Guess I'll add to the list of questions (although Annette seems sparing with her answers so far ). How do people get onto this board (election by a larger membership, or by appointment)? I wonder, since you say you and the other new person were appointed -- is this the standard way to become a member of the board, or were you appointed to fill vacancies? When did the terms of the president and VP end?

If the bylaws say the board has to internally elect its officers every even-numbered year, was such an election already conducted in 2010? Is that why you think no election is needed in the current even-numbered year? And, if so, how did two elected officers 'term out' less than a year after the election?

Waiting until 2012 to fill the president and VP positions certainly makes no practical sense.

Well, all I can really contribute from RONR here is that an election may be postponed while it is pending. This requires a majority vote and is debatable. It may be postponed to the following meeting (at the latest), provided that meeting is within a quarterly interval. Abstaining would not affect the vote one way or the other.

Anything beyond that is going to take a review of these apparently bizarre Bylaws, which is beyond the scope of this forum.

So the proper way would be when the agenda item to vote came up, I would move to postpone the vote until say 6 months for example. My other newbie member would second and then it would go to debate. Is this correct? If after debate, the majority vote is to continue, then at that point, I could abstain. Which as I know will not effect the vote, it would then be left up to the other voting members and the majority of THEM.

It sounds like the debate portion would be interesting since it has been with you fellows and your not even involved. ;0)

No on the 6 months. Notice the bolded text from Mr. Martin's reply -- no later than the following meeting, and then only if that meeting is within about three months (that's what 'quarterly time interval' means).

As far as the debate being 'interesting' here on the forum, we're pretty much flailing around in confusion -- with more information (which information your organization presumably has, in its written documents and collective memories) one can hope the debate will be more productive.

edited to add citation:

'If an assembly wishes to adjourn when an election is incomplete, an adjourned meeting should be provided for. If such an adjourned meeting is impossible or impractical and the organization will hold another regular business session before a quarterly time interval has elapsed, the election is completed at the next regular meeting.' (RONR p. 429 line 32 - p. 430 line 3). See also RONR p. 177 ll. 14-26 for further comments on how an election may be postponed when it is pending.

[Telephonics]

It is on our agenda to elect officers. However, I am new to the board and do not feel that I can make a educated decision without first sitting through a few meetings. It is not NECESSARY to elect. The by-laws state that this is to be done in 2012. How do I properly address postponing the vote. And if I can not, then should I abstain, and how will that effect the vote. There are a total of 7 member and one other member is new.