I knew a BOE that hadn't appointed an elder for literally 8 or 9 years. When MS would leave the congregation and transfer to a different congregation in the same building!, they would get appointed.
The CO talked to them about this and they barely budged.
A professional MS that had been one for DECADES, FINALLY got appointed.
Yep, sounds exactly like my old hall.... except we didnt share the KH with another cong. The nepotism was rife, if daddy or daddy in law wasnt in the holy trinity (the 3 power elders) or an elder at all it took fooooreeeeveeeer to get appointed.
But if daddy or daddy in law was in the holy trinity, then bam, the most useless inept pathetic speaker would get made an MS and then within 3 - 4 years be an elder. The quality of the meetings went right down hill as a result of having these sad jokes on the platform. Meantime, gifted ones outside the familly got overlooked year in year out. Some took decades to get appointed.