Deciding how to handle elections and other similar issues for your collector's car club can seem like a nightmare at times, but if you work on organizing these events ahead of time, it really is not so bad. It is also very important to ensure that you have all of the policies and guidelines for elections noted down in the clubs bylaws to ensure that everyone is well aware of the process.
When you are deciding to start electing officer it is very important to decide what officers you want or need. Most clubs at a minimum have a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Some clubs may have additional officers as well, but this is the general list of officers. Additionally, if your club is very small then you can omit the Vice President; however, this is typically a matter of personal preference and the choice of the club itself. There are no strict and hard fast rules that must be followed.
Most clubs opt to make it public knowledge exactly when election time is, and they also tend to encourage all members to appear. This is generally when the club will offer prizes and raffles as well for those who attend the meetings that determine the officers for the next year. These are not always effective, but it is generally very helpful in encouraging additional members to attend meetings.
Another consideration that you need is to decide when club officers will take office. Many clubs have members taking office around the first of the year, but hold elections in the fall time before the holidays are a major concern. However, other clubs have decided to do elections and instatement of new officers in the summer and fall to completely avoid the holiday hassles. Look to the input of your members if you are completely unsure about when to hold the elections, but always be sure that elections are held at the same time each year for easy remembering.
It is also a wise decision to have some guidelines about who is allowed to serve as an officer. This is usually just based on the minimum age of 18, as well as a period of required membership before someone is eligible to hold an office. The exact requirements that you stipulate can depend on your circumstances and you may choose to add additional requirements as well depending on the needs of your club.
Look to other clubs that are similar if you need some ideas about exactly what you do and do not need. You may discover if your club is very large that only 3-4 officers cannot handle all of the tasks for the club without severely cutting into their family time. If this occurs, it may be necessary to create additional officers, as they are needed to ensure that everyone is able to do their job effectively without cutting into other priorities that they have.
It is also important to ensure you make arrangements in the event that someone is not able to fulfill their office for any reason. Determine what will be in place to fill the emptied position, will someone be appointed, or will the members of the club hold a special election to fill the position. Having all of this information readily available is important to ensure that everything is open and everyone is aware of their rights and responsibilities.
