Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: Toastmasters - UK and Ireland :: Election of club officers
Author NickBenning Date 20 Aug 11, 10:04 Views 3586
Keywords
Description Annual General Meeting

Election of club officers 

Next year’s Club officers should be voted in during a ‘Business Meeting’ section of a normal club meeting in May. In some clubs this is called the 'Annual General Meeting'.

An amount of time (say 10 minutes) can be set aside in the agenda to do this. The main item will be the election, but members are entitled to submit motions concerning other club business. This is also a good time to have a Treasurer's Report. The section can end with ‘Any Other Business’ giving members an opportunity to raise items for discussion about the club which they feel are important but not substantial enough for a motion.

To avoid chaos, ensure the officer candidates are determined before the meeting. The constitution specifies this should be done by a Nominating Committee headed by the Immediate Past President. You can then show the list of candidates at the meeting - for example, in a handout or written up on a board. Voting is by secret ballot or, with the meeting’s unanimous agreement, by show of hands.

There is nothing wrong with having only one candidate for each position. It is rare for members to vie for officer positions; often they need to be persuaded to take on the roles!

Some clubs with weekly meetings have officers who serve for only 6 months. These clubs should have an additional election in November.

Following the election a current officer should register the newly elected officers.