Toastmasters Club Elections

As we come to the end of the first week of May, Toastmasters clubs should be finishing up their executive elections for 2014/2015. Clubs should have heard nominating committee reports the week prior - if this didn't occur then all nominations for officers must come from the floor. Either way nominations are always welcomed from the floor. The script to follow for elections is fairly clear cut and you can find in the sources below. Note that you require quorum for an election to be binding.

Clubs must elect at least three officers - (1) president, (2) a vice president (whether VPE, VPM, VPR), and (3) a secretary or secretary/treasurer. (1), (2) and (3) must all be held by different members.

A club president can serve at most for one term. For clubs that hold elections yearly, the president can't serve the second year. For clubs that elect biannually, the president can't serve in the subsequent term.

Election results should be reported to Toastmasters through a current executive officer via Club Central. This ensures clubs achieve their DCP#10 goal. Doing this early ensures that the incoming district executive has current contact information for clubs and is recommended.

I've always sent on contact information for incoming president/VPE/VPR to the outgoing/incoming area/division governors. It ensures a clear transition in terms of communication.

If a member wishes to resign from their elected position then they can do so in writing to the club president or secretary. The election for the newly open position should be held the week following their resignation.

If a member needs to be removed as an officer then the club can do so at any meeting with quorum by a simple majority vote. The club constitution does not require notice of motion although I would personally recommend doing so.

My personal experience has been that every executive loses at least one officer in the course of the year so it's good practice to be familiar with both officer resignations and removals.

If you have any questions or any of this is unclear, please contact mcarr@pachogrande.com .

Sources:
http://www.toastmasters.org/clh#page=59
http://www.toastmasters.org/clubconstandbylaws
http://www.toastmasters.org/policyprotocol