Motion -- Guidelines for Filling Vacancies

Section Council moves that the "Guidelines for Filling Vacancies in the Office of Section Council Representative or Representative-Elect" be approved by the MLA Board of Directors.

The MLA Board has approved the proposed changes in the Section Council structure. To keep the bylaws simple, the procedures for replacing Council members when vacancies occur are not being included in the revised bylaws. Instead, the new bylaws will state that appointment shall follow "guidelines adopted by the Board." The Board has asked the Council to develop these guidelines.

The guidelines below use wording initially developed for the bylaws before the simpler approach (described above) was suggested. The guidelines cover three scenarios:

Representative office is vacant and there is a Representative-elect

Representative office is vacant and there is NO representative-elect

Both offices become vacant

Under the proposed Section Council structure, the position of Alternate is eliminated. A Representative-Elect serves in a training and backup capacity for an one-year term, and then becomes the full Representative for two years. For one term, the Representative serves without a representative-elect. The rotation is as follows:

Election of Representative-elect by March; term begins at end of next Annual Meeting

Year 1 -- Representative and new Representative-elect

Year 2 -- new Representative only

Year 3 -- Representative and newly elected Representative-elect

Therefore, procedures are needed to address how to fill replace the Council positions if vacancies occur in either office.

If the Section Council Representative position becomes vacant and there is a Representative-Elect, the Representative-Elect immediately assumes the full duties of the Representative, serves out the unexpired term of the Representative, and shall continue as Representative for the next full terms to which the Representative-elect was elected. A new Representative-Elect will be elected at the next scheduled election for the office.

If the Section Council Representative position becomes vacant and there is NO Representative-Elect, the Chair of the Section may appoint a member of the Section to serve as the Representative until the next scheduled election for the position of Representative-Elect. The newly elected Representative-Elect will assume the full duties of the office of Representative at the end of the annual meeting following the elections.

If both the Representative and Representative-Elect are unable to complete their terms, the Section Chair may appoint a member of the Section as the Representative until the next scheduled election for the position of Representative-Elect. The newly elected Representative-Elect will assume the full duties of the office of Representative at the end of the annual meeting following the elections.

The MLA Board has approved the proposed restructuring of the Section Council. The Board also approved the proposed bylaws changes which do not directly address vacancies in Section Council offices, but refer to "guidelines adopted by the Board." The Board in September 1998 asked the Section Council to develop these guidelines.

Procedures will be needed for filling vacancies under the new Council structure and proposed bylaws changes.

The Section Council will approve the guidelines and submit them to the Board for review and approval.

The guidelines will be implemented when the new Section Council structure is implemented, possibly in Spring 2000.

The guidelines will be added to the Council and Section Chair procedures manuals and will be reviewed during the orientation sessions in 2000.

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Last updated on: December 5, 2001.