Pres88. All of our units have in their bylaws explicit directions on how to fill vacancies. I had posted that referal above for reference, if filling vacancies was not in your bylaws, and of course it would only be useful if your parliamentary authority is Robert's Rules of Order.

KC Swan, It is not spelled out so I guess the motion on the floor would have to state that if elected resignation would take place.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>If someone on the board wants the position, they would have to resign from their current position and the election would be for 2 slots.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Pres88, would they be required to resign just to run? Or only if elected? We only require resignation upon being elected to another office.

If you follow roberts rules then the previous post states that the VP takes over. Our bylaws state that the board nominate someone and that the person must be voted in at the next meeting. If someone on the board wants the position, they would have to resign from their current position and the election would be for 2 slots.

KC Swan, That is why I tried to make my suggestion open. This was just my experience from the bylaws I have reviewed.

I did find in Robert's Rules of order (10th edition page 442) that: In the case of resignation or death of the president, the vice president (if there is only one) or the first vice president (if there are more than one) automatically becomes president fot the unexpired term, unless the bylaws expressly provide otherwise for filling the vacancy in the office of president.

Hope this helps

[This message has been edited by plw (edited 10-19-2001).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>plw:None of them advocate another election.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ours do. In the event of a vacancy in any executive office, the board (executives plus committee chairs) elects a replacement. Any existing executive may choose to stand for the vacancy, and if elected create a new vacancy in their old position.

I'm adding some additional information in italics, posted after plw posted the response below.

I know in some organizations, the executive positions are a stair-step succession. If you want to be President when your child is in 6th grade, you need to be secretary when they are in 2nd grade so you can be treasurer when they are in 3rd grade so you can be 2nd VP when they are in 4th grade.... Who was the US VP that said his job was to get up in the morning and see if the President had died, and if not he could go back to sleep?

In our PTA, each VP has a specific function and a fairly big job. Back when we had monthly unit meetings, 1st VP was responsible for the programs (we are due to review the by-laws this year, we need to look at this one). 2nd VP is responsible for membership and relationship with the area council and state PTA. 3rd VP runs all fundraisers except the spring carnival. 4th VP runs the spring carnival.

Each of these people agreed to serve ina specific function, and many of them are not interested in the job they would acquire by stepping up. Thus, in our case, holding a special election to fill the vacancy is really a necessity. The specifics of your group may be different.

Do your bylaws state that any item not specifically mentioned will be covered by the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order. If so, what does Roberts say? www.robertsrules.com has their own forum where you can ask, and you'll get a response that includes specific page and paragraph references so you can look it up yourself.

I would also argue that a vacancy is not the same thing as an absence. While you should not object to a hotel renting your room to another guest after your vacate it, doing so simply because you are absent from it is a whole different kettle of fish. (And yes, I do know of cases of this happening!) If the closest thing in the by-laws states that the VP serves in the presidents absence, you still need a succession plan.

Our by-laws also state that during the summer months the executive committee may act for the board on any issue. When our president resigned last summer, they spent several weeks trying to poll the board when a special meeting of the executive could have put the gavel in my hands and allowed me to start working that much sooner. So it's not enough to have it in your by-laws, you must have people who read them. (Although, curiously, we discovered that we had neglected to declare what constituted a quorum of the executive, so maybe this way was better)


[This message has been edited by KC Swan (edited 10-19-2001).]

[This message has been edited by KC Swan (edited 10-19-2001).]