It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to direct the manager, not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date of the annual meeting of members, to call, with the assistance of the district's current director, an open forum nominating meeting in those directorship districts which require director election.
The director and manager shall select a place for said meeting and arrange for publicity throughout the district. And it shall be the further duty of the director to cause to be given at least 15 days written notice in the directorship district of the time and the place for said nominating meeting. But the current director shall be forbidden to take any active part whatsoever throughout the meeting for the selection of nominees for the directorship.
The manager is further directed to call this nominating meeting to order and conduct the meeting as chairman, calling for nominations from the floor for a period of 30 minutes. Only members may make nominations. Regardless of whether or not any nominations have been made, the meeting shall be adjourned at the end of 30 minutes.
Following the meeting, held in said district, the manager shall notify the Secretary of the nominees selected, and the Secretary shall, in turn, cause to be posted such nominations at the principal office of the Cooperative 20 days prior to the date of the annual meeting at which the director shall be chosen. The Secretary shall mail or cause to be mailed with the notice of the meeting, or separately, at least 7 days prior to the annual meeting, a statement of the number of directors to be elected and the names of all who have been nominated at the district nominating meetings. Nothing contained herein shall, however, prevent additional nominations from the floor at the meeting of the members.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any election of directors.