There exists in the mind some confusion about who is an officer and who is a director.
Directors are elected usually by a majority of the members. To hold a valid election for directors, usually but not always, a majority of the membership must vote. After a majority has been reached the election is valid and the person or people with the most votes get elected. In some associations a majority may not be needed. Some organizations require only a certain percentage of people vote, maybe as few as a third, to hold a valid election. The governing documents usually the bylaws and/or articles spell out the required percentage.
When the association has voted its directors, the directors then appoint from among themselves who shall serve as officers. There is always a president and a secretary and usually but not always a treasurer, often a vice president and sometimes one or more members at large. These positions can change at any time in the year by a simple vote of the directors. For example, the president may become very busy in their other work and offer to step down as President. The directors decide among themselves who will succeed him and replace him by a simple majority vote.
However changing a director is much more complicated. If a director removes themselves as a result of moving away, sickness or worse the remaining directors may choose a replacement without a vote of the membership, unless the articles or bylaws state otherwise. They appoint by simple majority vote their retiring member’s successor. This is the procedure if a vacancy occurs, unless the number of directors remaining is less than a quorum in which case the remaining directors must unanimously agree in writing.
Directors may be removed from office by the membership or by a court order.
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