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Lodge Officer Election Rules

Aal-Pa-Tah Home » Leadership » Election Rules

The following criteria is for the Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge elections which will be used to hold the upcoming Lodge election of Lodge Chief, Lodge Vice-Chief of Program, Lodge Vice-Chief of Service, Lodge Secretary, Lodge Treasurer, and Lodge Historian at the upcoming Service Weekend. If you are planning to run for one of these positions, please read the following criteria carefully. The candidates' meeting mentioned under “Candidate Eligibility” item #6 will begin precisely at 5:00 PM on the Friday night of the Service Weekend, at T.K. You must notify the current Lodge Chief at chief@aal-pa-tah237.org one week before the Service Weekend if you plan to attend and run for an office. If you plan on running for office, you also must register as an attendee of the weekend and make sure that your dues are current.

Candidate Eligibility

A candidate for office must meet the following requirements:

  1. Must have been inducted or transferred into Aal-Pa-Tah at least six months prior to the election date.
  2. Must have dues paid for the current year.
  3. Must not reach his 21st birthday during the scheduled term of office (ending June 8th, 2008).
  4. Must physically reside within the official boundaries of The Gulf Stream Council.
  5. Must be currently registered with a unit that is chartered by The Gulf Stream Council, BSA.
  6. Must present himself at the scheduled candidates' meeting unless he is running for a Chapter position or makes specific prior arrangements with the Lodge Chief and/or Lodge Advisor. The candidate may have one person of their choosing with him during the interview. The person can be anyone of the candidate's choosing as long as they are not also a candidate.
  7. Must be determined eligible by the Interview Committee.
  8. Must provide a letter from his unit leader indicating that a Scoutmaster's Conference has been held to discuss the Scouts role within the unit and how that responsibility will be met during the term of office. Further, that the Candidate has the approval of the unit leader to run for office.
  9. Candidate acknowledges one of the responsibilities of all Officer positions is to meet with the Lodge Advisor and the other officers monthly.

The Interview Committee is composed of The Current Lodge Chief, only if he is not running for an office, The Lodge Advisor, Associate Advisor(s), and one youth, who is not a candidate, which is appointed by The Lodge Chief.

Voter Eligibility

All dues paid members who have not reached their 21st birthday by the day of the election and are registered for the Lodge weekend are entitled to vote. No absentee ballots or proxies are permitted. The Lodge Secretary is responsible to provide the supervisor of elections with an accurate list of eligible voters.

General Election Rules

  1. The election for each office is to be held separately. The results will be announced before the next election will begin.
  2. A candidate may run for any office. If he is defeated, he may run for another office of his choice.
  3. Campaign promotional material is limited to a single poster board. The poster board itself may be science fair project style (with folding sides) or may be just plain poster board and may contain as much information or pictures as the candidate wishes on one side of the board only. There will be no other campaign material by the candidate or on his behalf. All poster boards will be displayed together in a designated location after weekend registration has begun.
  4. A candidate may be disqualified, upon the approval of the Lodge Key 3, for violations of the election procedure or for conduct that is not keeping with the highest traditions of The Boy Scouts of America; The Scout Oath, Scout Law and Obligation of our order will serve as a standard of judgment. A candidate may be held responsible for actions on his behalf.
  5. The Lodge Chief and Lodge Advisor shall appoint one youth and one advisor. The youth will hold the title, Supervisor of Elections, and shall hold such duties and responsibilities as are implied by that title and any other duties as may be assigned to him by the Lodge Chief.
  6. At the time of the Annual Lodge Business Meeting, The Candidates will be expected to:
  1. Be nominated by another youth member of the lodge. The Nominator will be allowed to speak for two minutes on behalf of The Candidate.
  2. Speak for two minutes. if they so wish. 
  1. Neither the current Lodge Chief (unless he is running), The Supervisor of Elections, nor any adult may nominate, speak for, or in any way publicly endorse any candidate.
  2. The Candidate that receives greater than 50% of the votes is elected. Unintelligible ballots are not counted.
  3. Unopposed candidates must receive greater than 50% of all votes.
  4. In the event of a tie vote, there will be one additional ballot to break the tie. Before the ballot is given, the tied candidates will each be given an additional two minutes to speak on their behalf, if they so wish. If the second ballot results in a tie, the determination of which of the tied candidates will serve in the office is made by the Lodge Executive Committee, before the new officers are installed, and will require a majority vote of that body. Lodge Chief may never be chosen by the Lodge Executive Committee and must be the result of a whole Lodge vote.
  5. If no candidate receives greater than 50% of the votes for an office, a second election will be held immediately between the two candidates who received the highest amount of votes. If the second vote results in a tie, the determination of which of the tied candidates will serve in the office is made by the Lodge Executive Committee, before the new officers are installed, and will require a majority vote of that body. The Lodge Chief may never be chosen by the Lodge Executive Committee and must be the result of a whole Lodge vote.
  6. If no candidates run for an office, the newly elected Lodge Chief will appoint a lodge member who meets the candidate eligibility requirements to that office. The Lodge Executive Committee must approve appointments of elected officers.
  7. After counting, the ballots will be held by the Supervisor of Elections for a period of thirty days. Any lodge member, with the approval of the Lodge Chief may review the ballots during this period.
  8. New Lodge Officers shall take office on Sunday following the closing of the business meeting.
  9. Chapter elections shall take place immediately following Lodge elections.

Talent Release - By participating in any Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge activity, the participant, and the participant's legal guardian when the participant is a minor, grants Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge and Gulf Stream Council - and their officers, employees, agents, licensees, representatives, or assigns - permission and consent, to copyright, use, publish, exhibit, display, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate via any medium: film, video, kinescope, audio, still pictures, slides, or any other type of recording, which includes the participant's name, voice, and/or image or likeness. The participant and/or legal guardian waives any and all rights to inspection or approval of the final product. The participant and/or legal guardian waives any all rights to remuneration for uses consistent with this waiver. The participant and/or legal guardian further releases Aal-Pa-Lodge and Gulf Stream Council - and their officers, employees, agents, licensees, representatives, or assigns - from any liability arising out of uses consistent with this waiver, including but not limited to claims of misrepresentation or false light. Aal-Pa-Tah Lodge and Gulf Stream Council warrants they shall conduct all uses in manners consistent with the policies of the Boy Scouts of America.