# 3 in a series
Enactments 19-40 to 19-55 addressed issues of elections and nominations at the President and Governor levels plus two Miscellaneous election items.
I would term what COL approved is more like housekeeping than anything with substance. More fascinating were ideas they turn thumbs down.
COL spent considerable time hashing out how they were going to deal with deaths and resignations of President-Elects and President-Nominees. They are going to choose both a nominee and an alternate should that person vacate the position before assuming the presidency. In the event the alternate could not serve a process of going back to the original committee and selection process occurr.
Much more innovative were three resolutions dealing with issues Rotary, to date, has not wanted to address: all-male clubs, the age of most leaders, and democracy.
The problem of all male clubs is simply ignored. One club and district had a novel solution and put forth resolution 19-46 that clubs that had no women could not put forward a candidate to be District Governor. Of course, it failed at almost a 2:1 ratio.
This excerpt from their rational puts it nicely: “The district governor is a leader and if he or she cannot achieve multi-gender structure in his or her own club, it transmits that probably his or her leadership skills are neither good enough for the district level nor solid enough to enhance underlying Rotary values.”
Two resolutions wanted to increase the chances of getting a younger leader one by eliminating the requirement for a governor to wait three years before qualifying to be a director, while another wanted to move the requirement for a governor to have five years rather than seven years of experience. Neither passed.
The biggest disappointment was the failure of the 2019 COL to be truly brave and accept the enactment proposing that individual members not clubs get to vote by email for the District Governor. The proposal should be read at 19-50 below. It failed massively at a ratio of 6:1.
An excerpt says it all: “Conducting elections for governor-nominee by electronic means, and giving voting rights to individual Rotarians, will pave the way for fair elections in the district. This will also reduce the politics and influence of past governors in the election process.
Boy that last sentence hits the nail on the head. I would add to it we need some way of opening up COL, having only Past-Governors is dragging down all of Rotary. They are also undermining the directions the RI Board are taking the organization.
And yes, they did support a resolution which constrained the Directors. Evidently, the Board of Directors can appoint a District Governor by appointing a Rotarian to the position should there by no Governor-Elect and the DG can not continue to function. In Enactment 19-53 they ensured it had to be a past-district governor, preferably one from the same district. Are you surprised?
PRELIMINARY VOTING RESULTS FOR 2019 COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION | ||||
40-42 | RI President Elections | YES | NO | RESULT |
19-40 | To amend the process for filling a vacancy in the office of president-elect or president-nominee ORIGINAL LEGISLATION Strike all of Article 6 Officers 6.080. Vacancy in the Office of President-elect or President-nominee. Replace with 6.080.1. Selection of Replacement President-elect by the Board. If the position of president-elect becomes vacant for any reason, the board shall elect a replacement president-elect from among the candidates considered by the nominating committee at the time that the president-elect was selected by the committee. The board should fill the vacancy within one month. AMENDED LEGISLATION 6.080.1. Alternates. At any time if the office of president-elect or president-nominee becomes vacant, due to whatever reason, the board shall elect the alternate selected at the time the president-elect or president-nominee was elected to serve. 6.080.2. Alternate Unable to Serve. If the alternate is unable to serve for any reason, the nominating committee for the president currently serving shall select a new nominee for president for the year during which such president-elect or president-nominee would have served as president. Such selection shall be made from among the past directors who previously indicated they were willing to serve as president in that year and shall be made as soon as practicable at its regularly scheduled meeting or in an emergency meeting of the committee. If such meeting is not practicable, the selection may be made by an electronic ballot or by other rapid means of communication as determined by the committee chair and the president. Past directors currently serving on the nominating committee shall be provided the opportunity to resign from the committee if they would otherwise be eligible for selection. Article 12 Nominations and Elections for President 12.050. Nomination by the Committee. 12.050.1. Best Qualified Rotarian. The committee shall meet and nominate from among the list of past directors who have indicated they are willing to serve as president the best qualified Rotarian available to perform the functions of the office. The committee shall also select an alternate who shall serve in the event of a vacancy in the office of president-nominee or president-elect. and . 12.050.3. Quorum and Voting. Twelve members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. The transaction of all business of the committee shall be by majority vote, except that in the selection of the committee’s nominee for president and alternate, the votes of at least | 492 | 17 | Adopted as amended |
19-41 | To amend the rules for selecting the president-nominee Article 12 Nominations and Elections for President 12.050.1. Best Qualified Rotarian. The committee shall meet and nominate from among the list of past directors who have indicated they are willing to serve as president the best qualified Rotarian available to perform the functions of the office regardless of their country of residence. However, the committee shall not nominate candidates from the same country of residence two years consecutively. | 458 | 50 | adopted |
19-42 | To amend the provisions regarding club voting for president Article 12 Nominations and Elections for President 12.030. Election of Members to the Nominating Committee for President. 12.030.4. Club Voting. Only clubs with more than 15 members shall be entitled to | 116 | 395 | rejected |
43-45 | RI Director Elections | YES | NO | RESULT |
19-43 | To increase by 15 days when the nominating committee for director may meet 13.020. Selection of Director-nominee and Alternate by Nominating Committee Procedure. 13.020.13. Designation of Convener, Time and Place of Meeting, Election of Chair. The board shall designate a convener from the members of the nominating committee no later than 15 June in the year preceding the year in which a director and alternate are to be nominated. The board shall likewise designate the place of its meeting. Such meeting must be held between 15 September and 13.020.18. Report of Selection of Committee. The committee’s nomination for the office of director .....selection of the nominating committee by | 338 | 150 | adopted |
19-44 | To revise the qualifications for director Article 6 Officers 6.050. Qualifications of Officers. 6.050.3. Director. A candidate for the office of director of RI shall have served a full term as a governor of RI prior to being proposed as such candidate (except where service for less than a full term may be determined by the board to satisfy the intent of this provision) | 232 | 283 | rejected |
19-45 | To amend the process for selecting the member and alternate member of the nominating committee for director 13.020.4. Election. Except as provided in subsections 13.020.9., 13.020.9. Selection of Members by Nominating Committee Procedure. The member and the alternate member of the nominating committee may be selected by a nominating committee procedure. The nominating committee procedure, including any challenges and a resulting election, shall be conducted and completed in the year preceding the scheduled nomination. The nominating committee procedure shall be based on the nominating committee procedure for district governors set forth in section 14.020.2. to the extent it is not in conflict with this section. A candidate for member shall not be eligible to serve on the committee. 13.020.10. Failure to Adopt a Method for Selecting Members of a Nominating Committee. Any district that chooses to select the member and the alternate member of the nominating committee by a nominating committee procedure but fails to adopt a method for selecting members of the nominating committee shall utilize as its nominating committee all past governors who are members of a club in that district and are willing and able to serve. A candidate for member shall not be eligible to serve on the committee. | 338 | 150 | adopted |
46-53 | Governor Elections | YES | NO | RESULT |
19-46 | To revise the qualifications of a governor-nominee Article 16 Districts 16.070. Qualifications of a Governor-nominee. No change 16.070.1. Rotarian in Good Standing. The Rotarian must be a member in good standing of a functioning club, which has both female and male members, in the district. | 186 | 318 | rejected |
19-47 | To revise the qualifications for governor-nominee Article 16 Districts 16.070. Qualifications of a Governor-nominee. No change. 16.070.4. Rotarian’s Ability to Fulfill Duties of Governor. The Rotarian must have experience in district administration, such as serving as an assistant governor, and demonstrate willingness, commitment, and ability, physically and otherwise, to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the office of governor as provided in section 16.090. | 249 | 255 | rejected |
19-48 | To revise the qualifications for governor-nominee Article 16 Districts 16.080. Qualifications of a Governor. Unless specifically excused by the board, a governor at the time of taking office must have attended the international assembly for its full duration, been a member of one or more Rotary clubs for at least | 225 | 281 | rejected |
19-49 | To amend the provisions regarding voting for governors-nominee 14.040.1. Club Voting. Each club shall be entitled to at least one vote. Any club with a membership of more than 25 shall be entitled to one additional vote for each additional 25, or major fraction thereof, of its members. Such membership shall be determined by the number of members in the club as of the | 324 | 192 | adopted |
19-50 | To allow all club members to vote electronically for the governor-nominee Article 14 Nominations and Elections for Governors 14.040. The governor shall prepare one 14.040.1. Club Voting. Each | 72 | 443 | rejected |
19-51 | To amend the provisions for challenging candidates for governors-nominee 14.020. Nominating Procedure for Governor. 14.020.8. Challenging Candidates. Any club in the district which has been in existence for at least 14.040. Ballot-by-Mail Specifications. 14.040.1. Club Voting. Each club that has been in existence for at least two years as of the beginning of the year shall be entitled to at least one vote. | 185 | 329 | rejected |
19-52 | To revise the challenge period for the nomination and election of governors 14.020.11. Challenging Nominations. The governor shall notify, within seven days following the deadline, all clubs in the district where a valid challenging nomination has been received by the deadline. Such notice shall include the name and qualifications of each such challenging candidate, the names of the challenging and concurring clubs and state that such candidates will be balloted upon in a ballot-by-mail or alternatively at the district conference if the challenge remains effective up | 442 | 69 | adopted |
19-53 | To require that, if a governor becomes unable to serve, and there is no vice-governor, only a past governor shall be eligible to serve 6.120. Vacancy in the Office of Governor. 6.120.2. Authority of Board and President. If there is no vice-governor, the board is authorized to elect 6.120.3. Temporary Inability to Perform Duties of Governor. If there is no vice-governor, the president may appoint a | 399 | 119 | adopted |
54-55 | Elections - Miscellaneous | YES | NO | RESULT |
19-54 | To amend the provisions for club voting at the district level Article 13 Nominations and Elections for Directors 13.020. Selection of Director-nominee and Alternate by Nominating Committee Procedure. 13.020.4. Election. Except as provided in subsections 13.020.9. and 13.020.10., the member and the alternate member of the nominating committee shall be elected at the annual conference of the district in the year preceding the scheduled nomination. For a club to participate in district voting for the selection of a member and alternate member of the nominating committee for director, the club shall have paid the approved district fund for the Rotary year in which the voting is taking place and shall not be indebted to the district. The financial status of the club is determined by the governor. Article 14 Nominations and Elections for Governors 14.020.1. Method of Selection of Governor-Nominee. Except for those districts in RIBI, a district shall select its governor-nominee either by a nominating committee procedure as hereinafter provided or by a ballot-by-mail as provided in sections 14.030. and 14.040. or, alternatively, at the district conference as provided in subsection 14.020.13., the choice of which shall be decided by a resolution adopted at a district conference by a majority of the votes of the electors of the clubs present and voting. For a club to participate in district voting for the selection of a member and alternate member of the nominating committee for director, the club shall have paid the approved district fund for the Rotary year in which the voting is taking place and shall not be indebted to the district. The financial status of the club is determined by the governor. | 271 | 238 | adopted |
19-55 | To amend the process for nominations and elections by clubs in RIBI 12.020.2. Member from RIBI. The member from a zone wholly within RIBI shall be elected by 13.010.7. Director from Zone in RIBI. The director from a zone or section of a zone wholly within RIBI shall be nominated by | 471 | 92 | adopted |