[board] email to members re president nominations.

Tom Pillsbury tpillsbury8 at gmail.com
Tue Jul 14 21:59:03 MDT 2026 

I concur.
Tom

On Tue, Jul 14, 2026 at 8:49 PM Justin Strom <westnovatohoney at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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