A Committee Question

[boxtops]

If a person is an elected officer on a committee for a voluntary organisation, what happens when they stand down, in your experience - do they have a vote on their replacement at the AGM, or does their ability to vote on the committee die as soon as they stand down from re-election? The person concerned is leaving the organisation at the AGM when the new chairman will be appointed.

[Daffy6543]

They still have their position until the new person is appointed, so they should get a vote. If they had stood down with immediate effect it would have been a different matter.

[humbersloop]

depends on who the electorate are for the post boxy - does the organisation's constitution or standing orders have anything to say about it?

[Buenchico]

Once you cease to serve on a committee you immediately lose all voting rights. (It's possible that a specific committee's constitution might make an exception but I've served on countless committees, and drafted quite a few constitutions myself, and never encountered anything like it).

Of course a person standing down from a post is free to indicate who'd they'd like to succeed them - but that's not the same as actually having a vote on the matter.

[Dizmo]

A committee for what? This matters a lot. If it was a social club it wouldn't matter if the person stood down 10 years ago. If they were a member they'd get a vote anyway.

[boxtops]

It's the management committee for a local youth organisation, diz, which is part of a much large organisation. I am sure there will be guidance for this particular committee, but I was asked the question today and I just wondered what everyone else's experience is of situations like this.

The Chairman has indicated that he is not standing for re-election at the AGM, but I wasn't sure if he was able to vote when his successor is voted in. If he were staying as an ordinary committee member, then presumably he could - but he's said that he has to leave altogether after the AGM.

[humbersloop]

In my experience of those situations boxy, if the present incumbent is offski altogether, the "proper" thing for them to do would be not to vote even if the rules allowed it

[Peter Pedant]

The outgoing committee man should be able to exercise all functions until he demits office - that should be the time of the start of the meeting without him.

I was treasurer and invited to chair my last finance ctee mtg at 5 pm the day before I demitted office at 9 am the next day. The next one only lasted three months....

[Peter Pedant]

BC is right but we always used to vote in the lucky successor a few weeks previously. Everyone had voting rights.

[boxtops]

I can understand that, divebuddy, but the person is leaving the committee altogether after their term is over, so won't remain as an ordinary committee member so I don't think they should vote on who takes over from them?

[boxtops]

I see what you are saying. However, my angle is that once the Chairman has stood down, surely he can't be an ordinary member for the rest of the AGM, if he has no intention of being a committee member (i.e. one of the remaining committe excluding the elected posts) once the AGM is over. I don't see how the outgoing Chairman's vote could be allowed to influence the decisions about the elected officers who will be in post after he's left altogether?

[boxtops]

OK - I think this situation is different in that this group is not a subs-paying membership? The non-elected committee members have offered to join the committee over the year, and may or may not stay on committee, the ones who want to stay are approved en bloc at the AGM.

As I understand it, there are alternative nominations (properly nominated and seconded) for the elected officers, and the vote will take place properly at the AGM for those posts. It's whether the outgoing chairman can vote for (or against) the nominated persons which is taxing me - I don't think it's any of his business, if he's not going to be around after the vote's taken place.

[woofgang]

Does it matter?

[boxtops]

Thanks DB - sorry, i wasn't clear. Interested people do put themselves forward for committee but they can't just turn up, there is an induction process and they are asked to join as and when new members are needed.

Thanks to you all for your advice - all food for thought.

[boxtops]

Thanks DB - sorry, i wasn't clear. Interested people do put themselves forward for committee but they can't just turn up, there is an induction process and they are asked to join as and when new members are needed.

Thanks to you all for your advice - all food for thought.