Leave of Absence Information
Being a Rotarian requires many commitments and, as discussed in an earlier article, one of these is attendance. Sometimes circumstances arise and members realize that they will be unable to meet this commitment. When this happens, there is a provision within the Club’s bylaws for members to apply for a leave of absence (LOA).
Applications for LOA must be made in writing to the Secretary stating the reason for the request and the length of time for which it will be required. Applications will not be considered retroactively. For a LOA to be granted there must be good and sufficient cause.
If granted, the member will be excused from attending club meetings for a specified period of time as determined by the Club’s Board of Directors. That period of time is generally set for a maximum of three months.
LOA is granted at the discretion of the Board of Directors and can only be considered for members in good-standing meaning members who have paid their annual dues and do not owe money to the Club – in other words you cannot request a LOA to avoid paying your dues!
When you are granted LOA, you will be recorded as absent from all meetings you do not attend so you will not be eligible for perfect attendance recognition. However, your absence is not counted on the overall attendance of the Club. You might not know it, but RI does look at Club attendance and Clubs should strive to achieve as close to perfect attendance as they can.
LOA should only be granted in exceptional circumstances such as the illness of a Rotarian or an immediate family member, a temporary work transfer, a particularly hectic travel schedule as a result of work commitments, or other special / unique personal reasons.
Spurious reasons and those such as everyday family and local work commitments are not considered reason to apply for LOA and are discouraged. The Board considers requests very carefully so as to avoid setting precedents which could be damaging in the future.
The excuse that you cannot do a make-up is a non-excuse as there are sufficient vehicles to do one with a total of three Rotary Clubs on Grand Cayman and two Rotaract Clubs and a Rotary Club on Cayman Brac. Additionally, there are the many committee meetings and service projects that also count as a make-up.
Still confused about LOA? Speak with Director Bruce or a member of the Membership Committee who will be able to offer you some guidance on this subject.
[Editor’s note: In last week’s article by PDG Alastair, it was incorrectly stated that PDG Dick introduced a fifth item for the Four-Way Test. Instead, PDG Alastair introduced it during the prior Rotary year.]