On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 11:49 AM, pistazienfresser (see profile) pistazienfresser@gmx.de wrote: <snip>
I especially think it not appropriate that someone should have all the work of getting into how the board is running (technical, social non written rules, the written rules) if she or he is going to stay just for a few months.
It's not always voluntary that board members have to resign. I'm on a board where 18-months ago we elected someone. Within 6-months he had been diagnosed with Brain Cancer and died.
This was meant to be a 3-year term but in reality it was:
election: 2-years later - resign new member voted on by membership: 6-months - passed on new member appointed for final 6-months.
Our rules are appointments last until the end of the term, but if someone resigns within 60 days of a normal election, we fill the seat via election for the rest of the term.
It was very unusual but at the end of 2009, 4 of the 6 members were appointed, not elected by the membership.
My basic statement is that resignations/departures are common, so it is worth spending time addressing how it is handled.
Greg