past president

[Guest Melinda]

Our current by laws due not address the term limit for a past president to sit on the board. We recently ran our elections as if it were one year. Nothing was mentioned from the past president until 3 days after the election. She now says her term is unlimited. Without going into great detail, because of her past action within the club, the board does not want her on the board. Is there anything in roberts rules that defines a past president's term? Need help. Meeting tonight. She has sent me an email stating she is and will be on the board. Again she says it is unlimited terms. However, there is no other past presidents still residing on the board. She has not asked to be put on the agenda. Can the board move forwad with tonight's meeting and not put it on the agenda? (Really new with the robert's rules stuff.)

[Tim Wynn]

Is there anything in roberts rules that defines a past president's term?

No, RONR doesn't define the position.

She has sent me an email stating she is and will be on the board. Again she says it is unlimited terms. However, there is no other past presidents still residing on the board.

The position and these details would have to be written somewhere for them to exist. Check the bylaws, and follow them.

She has not asked to be put on the agenda. Can the board move forwad with tonight's meeting and not put it on the agenda? (Really new with the robert's rules stuff.)

A board doesn't need an agenda and is probably better off without one. Ultimately, the organization will have to inspect its governing documents to decide the parameters of the position of past president.

[hmtcastle]

Our current by laws due not address the term limit for a past president to sit on the board.

Do your bylaws say anything about the (immediate) past president serving on the board? If not, she doesn't.

But the immediate past president (as a historical and logical fact, if not as an office) will remain the immediate past president until the current president leaves office (and becomes the new immediate past president).

In other words there's a difference between the office of immediate past president (if your bylaws provide for such an unwise thing), and the fact of simply being the immediate past president.

[Gary Novosielski]

And it goes without saying (well, it did, up till now) that if the bylaws don't limit her term, but you wish they did (or maybe didn't even have such an office), then you can follow the procedure for amending the bylaws, which should be contained in the bylaws.

"Unlimited" is only unlimited until it gets limited.