History Main / AbsenteeClubMember

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry, Shion is ostensibly the CuteSportsClubManager for the Hinamizawa Fighters, except she rarely attends games anymore. She doesn't attend them because her main reason for attending them before [[spoiler:her crush, Satoshi,]] stopped attending due to [[spoiler:having disappeared one year ago.]] However, when she does attend after Keiichi joins the team, she hops right back into her old role and there is no questioning it from anyone.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]

'''Beggler-Beg:''' Thank you, Fritz.\\

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', it's a minor RunningGag that the delegation from New Jersey doesn't have any representatives in the Continental Congress for the first portion of the show. The rules of decorum dictate that the colony has to be called at every roll and for every vote, even though there isn't anyone to speak for them.
** The trope is played more seriously with Caesar Rodney, one of the three delegates from Delaware. He's forced to leave the Congress early due to his quickly-failing health, with a doctor commenting that he may never leave his house again. Rodney's absence leaves the Delaware delegation split on the question of declaring independence (one other delegate is for it, and another against it), which is problematic because a single "no" vote will sink the entire proposal. In a particularly triumphant moment, Rodney returns to break the stalemate when it comes time to vote on independence, saving the cause.
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[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/DaitoshokanNoHitsujikai'': Kakei and his friends are the only active members of the Library Club. The inactive members remain unseen and forgotten until near the climax of the true route when their sudden reappearance causes all kinds of problems for the main cast.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': The "Cutie-Mark Crusaders" (Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo) accepted Babs Seed into their club in "One Bad Apple", but she never attended any of their meetings due to living far away, and she left the club after getting her cutie mark in "Bloom and Gloom". They also accepted a griffin named Gabby into their club in another episode, but she's never been seen since then.
[[/folder]]

** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', Voldemort is [[BackFromTheDead revived to human form]] and immediately summons his Death Eaters, who are expected to apparate (teleport) to him immediately. As he moves among the gathered circle, he comes to a gap in the ranks and speaks fondly of the Lestranges, the only Death Eaters who never renounced him during his long time away (Bellatrix Lestrange is even his [[TheDragon right-hand woman]]). Voldemort remarks that the Lestranges, currently locked in the Wizarding prison Azkaban, ''should'' be with him that night and makes it clear that their absence is the only one he's willing to excuse.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow'': Had the episode, "Our Gang", where a gang of [[{{Delinquents}} troublemaking students]] called The Crazy Eights showed up for a school meeting but the [[ArtifactTitle ninth]] member, Nazi Greg was not present, as he was attending his grandmother's funeral, yet was still considered part of the group.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Harry is a formal member of Horace Slughorn's "Slug Club", whose members consist of Slughorn's handpicked favorite students and those he believes show promise and/or have beneficial connections to important figures in Wizarding society. Harry actively tries to avoid the club functions due to his dislike for them and out of concern for his best friend Ron, who was the only one out of the [[Characters/HarryPotterTheTrio main trio]] not to be admitted into the club.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', Voldemort is [[BackFromTheDead revived to human form]] and immediately summons his Death Eaters, who are expected to apparate (teleport) to him immediately. As he moves among the gathered circle, he comes to a gap in the ranks and speaks fondly of the Lestranges, the only Death Eaters who never renounced him during his long time away (Bellatrix Lestrange is even his [[TheDragon right-hand woman]]). Voldemort remarks that the Lestranges, currently locked in the Wizarding prison Azkaban, ''should'' be with him that night and makes it clear that their absence is the only one he's willing to excuse.

* ''Literature/Zeroes'': Anonymous's power makes him this by default. Even when he does show up, it's impossible for anyone else to [[ForgettableCharacter remember he was there.]]

* In the Creator/AgathaChristie book ''The Big Four'', the titular BigBadEnsemble is a CosmopolitanCouncil consisting of American [[Fiction500 multibillionaire]] Abe Ryland (Number Two), French EvilGenius Madame Olivier (Number Three), and English MasterOfDisguise Claude Darrell (Number Four). They are led by Number One: Li Chang Yen, a Chinese DiabolicalMastermind. Li Chang Yen never appears in the novel, but his presence is felt throughout, and it's clear that he is the one controlling the others' actions.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Harry is a formal member of Horace Slughorn's "Slug Club", whose members consist of Slughorn's handpicked favorite students and those he believes show promise and/or have beneficial connections to important figures in Wizarding society. Harry actively tries to avoid the club functions due to his dislike for them and out of concern for his best friend Ron, who was the only one out of the [[Characters/HarryPotterTheTrio main trio]] not to be invited.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Harry formally is a member of the Slug Club, an invitation-only club organized by Horace Slughorn, who handpicks members consisting of his favorite students and those he believes to have promise and/or beneficial connections. Harry actively tries to avoid the club events due to his dislike for them and out of concern for his best friend Ron, who was the only one out of the [[Characters/HarryPotterTheTrio main trio]] not to be invited.

!!Examples

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': {{Justified|trope}}. Blast is the highest ranked Hero of the Hero Association and is occasionally mentioned by the staff or the other heroes. However, he is always absent and never participates in meetings or group operations, leaving the rest of the S-Class to deal with the threats that appear regularly. This is because [[HeroOfAnotherStory he's currently occupied trying to stop "God"]], as opposed to deliberately blowing them off.
[[/folder]]

* ''Manga/OnePunchMan'': {{Justified|trope}}. Blast is the highest ranked Hero of the Hero Association and is occasionally mentioned by the staff or the other heroes. However, he is always absent and never participates in meetings or group operations, leaving the rest of the S-Class to deal with the threats that appear regularly. This is because [[HeroOfAnotherStory he's currently occupied trying to stop "God"]], as opposed to deliberately blowing them off.