2009/1/24 AndrewRT raturvey@yahoo.co.uk:
Article 17 on its own does, unfortunately, give different rules for existing directors vs. new candidates. This clause was based on the default articles which, as you remember when they were drafted, generally gave more power to directors and less to members than we were happy. We changed other bits but not this one.
Ick. And the Articles can't easily be amended.
I still don't think it's as big a problem as it appears on the surface, however - Article 17 is not an exhaustive list of criteria for candidates, and as long as the Election Rules don't allow members other than those covered by Art 17.2 to become candidates, the Rules are not in conflict with the Articles even if the Rules allow only one of the two parts of 17.2 to be candidates.
Essentially, "No person may be appointed a Director at any general meeting unless <x>" does not imply "all <x> may be appointed a Director at a general meeting".