[board] email to members re president nominations.

Tue Jul 14 21:48:49 MDT 2026

If we provide a neutral meeting again, we will awaken a sleeping giant.

Put the secretary position open to the buzz.

  I think Robert and Jennifer would want us to very careful with the future
of this club.
On Tue, Jul 14, 2026 at 7:02 PM Jim Lawson <communications at marinbees.org>
wrote:

> I agree with Justin. I think we should nominate Paul for president and
> solicit candidates for secretary. As to the timing of announcements, I'll
> support whatever decision the rest of the board suggests.
>
> > On Jul 12, 2026, at 9:22 AM, Justin Strom <westnovatohoney at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > I think we should send out the email.  I think it would be best if the
> future president wasn’t involved with the past drama. If the new board
> wasn’t  involved we can get people like Bonnie and her followers to start
> returning to meetings.  If the big players like Bonnie and Mia get
> nominated, the drama may continue.  That’s one reason why I think Paul
> would be perfect for it.  He is neutral.
> > Just my thoughts.
> > Justin
> > On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 8:39 AM Dana Pepp <danapepp at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Good morning,
> >
> > I agree that MCBA is on a roll!
> > And, I think we should share this email asap.  We don’t want to hide
> anything or create drama, which the bee club has had in the past.
> > We, the board and this new vibe is more transparent and inclusive.
> > I say let’s share and continue to build.
> > And, I think Paul’s email indicates that one doesn’t need to be a bee
> expert to be president.
> > I know Jim is away, which is probably why he hasn’t responded.
> >
> > I also believe that we should vote via email, to not limit it to those
> at the Sept meeting.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dana
> >
> > Because this is sent from my iPhone, please excuse any typos.
> >
> >> On Jul 11, 2026, at 10:49 PM, 'GARY DENISON' via board <
> board at marinbees.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> 
> >> Paul:   This is a very good message.  You did an excellent job of
> announcing this at our July meeting. You quickly moved on and did not allow
> it to be dwelled upon. Thank-you! .    Personally, I am sensing a renewed
> level of excitement in the MCBA.  We have seen an increasing amount of
> commentary on the buzz and on our social media website, hive dives are
> still occurring, the July meeting was highly attended despite being in the
> middle of the July 4  holiday period and the MCBA was extremely well
> represented at the Marin County Fair, including a front page picture on the
> Marin IJ. (we actually had more volunteers than slots this year.)
> Consequently, I think we need to carry that positive energy into our August
> potluck,
> >>   I have very mixed feelings regarding the timing of this message,  You
> announced the president vacancy at our July meeting.  Our August meeting is
> suppose to be a pot luck social, where members are coming to have fun and
> getting to know each other better.  I am somewhat afraid this message may
> have the unintended effect of allowing conversations to drift to "so why
> did the President-elect withdraw?"    Maybe people will be asking about
> Robert at the meeting anyway...but given the excitement I noted
> above...maybe not?   Robert resigned, we thanked him and we are moving
> ahead without him.  Therefore, I see no need or benefit in raising this
> prior to the pot luck.
> >>   Also, I think we need a position description of the President (beyond
> the by-laws) to send to our members.   As I mentioned in a previous message
> the President does not need to be a Beekeeping master.  What we are really
> needing is someone with good organizational, administrative and team
> playing skills.  With Justin taking on the heavy lifting in the monthly
> meeting agendas, the President role is going to be much less "bee-centric"
> than it has been in the past.  If we needed a beekeeping master, we should
> have rejected Robert's resignation.  : )
> >> I think it is important message that we emphasize this to our members
> when soliciting nominations.
> >>   My vote is to wait and solicit nominations after the August pot
> luck.  We (MCBA) are obviously functioning just fine in the interim.  When
> we do, we can do it in exactly the matter of fact manner you have stated in
> your very good message.
> >>   Again, that is my opinion but as always I will fully support the
> Board decision on this matter.
> >>   Thanks again!
> >>   Gary
> >>     On 07/11/2026 2:09 PM PDT Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org> wrote:
> >>     SAMPLE EMAIL and AI response to filling vacancy of president.
> Comments and suggestions so we can get this out this weekend. The August
> meeting is a social event so do we hold an election via email in August?
> what is the submission deadline and who gets the nominations?
> >>   EMAIL TO MEMBERS
> >> Dear MCBA Members,
> >> Thanks for an amazing honey harvest meeting last week conducted by
> Justin Strom and the club team. We hope you were able to experience the
> process with us. We have a great lineup of educational programs for
> 2026-2027 season.
> >> Now I would like to relay some club news.
> >> Our President-elect withdrew his candidacy prior to the beginning of
> his term on July 1, creating a vacancy in the office of President.
> >> In accordance with the Marin County Beekeepers Association Bylaws
> (Article VI, Section 6.04), the Board is now accepting nominations from
> both the Board of Directors and the general membership to fill this vacancy.
> >> We encourage any member in good standing who has been a member of MCBA
> for at least one year and is interested in serving as President to submit
> their name for consideration. Members may also nominate another qualified
> member with that person's consent.
> >> Please submit nominations by [date] by replying to this email or by
> emailing [email address].
> >> The membership will vote to fill the vacancy at our next membership
> meeting on [meeting date]. In accordance with our bylaws, the vote may be
> conducted by voice, written proxy, or electronic vote. The individual
> elected will serve the remainder of the current presidential term.
> >> Serving as President is an excellent opportunity to help guide the
> future of our association and support the beekeeping community throughout
> Marin County. If you have any questions about the role or would like to
> discuss what the position entails, please don't hesitate to reach out.
> >> Thank you for your continued support of MCBA, and we look forward to
> your nominations.
> >> Best regards,
> >>
> >> FILLING VACANCY UNTIL NEW PRESIDENT IS NOMINATED AND VOTED IN
> >> Based on the bylaws you've shared, they do not specify who
> automatically assumes the office of President if it becomes vacant.
> >> Your bylaws:
> >>     • Describe how to fill a vacancy (Article VI, Section 6.04) by
> taking nominations and having the membership elect a replacement.
> >>     • Describe the duties of the President, Treasurer, Secretary, etc.
> >>     • Do not include a succession provision (for example, "the Vice
> President shall become President" or "the Secretary shall serve as Acting
> President").
> >> Since your association does not have a Vice President, there is no
> automatic successor.
> >> In your situation
> >> Because the President-elect withdrew before taking office on July 1,
> there are two reasonable governance approaches:
> >>     • The outgoing President continues to serve as a holdover until a
> successor is elected. This is the most common practice for nonprofits and
> avoids the association being without a chief officer. California nonprofit
> law generally permits directors and officers to continue serving until
> their successors are elected and qualified unless the bylaws provide
> otherwise.
> >>     • If the outgoing President is unwilling or unable to continue, the
> Board should meet promptly and appoint one of the existing officers
> (typically the Secretary or Treasurer) to serve as Acting President solely
> to conduct the association's business until the membership elects a new
> President under Section 6.04.
> >> What I recommend
> >> Since your bylaws are silent, the cleanest and most defensible approach
> is:
> >>     • Have the Board adopt a motion that the current President will
> continue as Acting President until the vacancy is filled by the membership
> under Article VI, Section 6.04.
> >>     • Send the call for nominations.
> >>     • Hold the election at the next membership meeting (or by
> electronic ballot if the Board chooses to use that method consistent with
> the bylaws).
> >> This approach provides continuity and follows both your bylaws and
> common nonprofit governance practice.
> >> Paul Reulbach
> >> Secretary
> >> Marin County Beekeepers Association
> >> https://marinbeekeepers.org 617-828-2222
> >>
> >> <PastedGraphic-3.png>
> >>
> >>
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