Proposed By-Law Changes, February 2017
he by-laws committee recently met to discuss the unbalanced, confusing state of director and officer terms. We came up with some proposed changes we will present to the general membership meeting on February 21st.
Currently, the bylaws state that we can have between 5 and 15 board members. We have 11. Also, we have four officers: president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Each of those are chosen for three-year terms. Elections of both board members and officers are staggered in an attempt to keep a balance between experienced people and vibrant new members. However, an officer's term takes precedence over board membership term. If someone who was a board member for two years is chosen as an officer, that person will be an officer for three years while remaining on the board, meaning that he or she will have been a board member for five years.
Confused? So were we.
Also, for various reasons, the staggered terms of board members have gotten out of balance. In March, there are five board members up for reelection, and there will be one in 2018 and two in 2019.
When FoCH was originally formed, we said we could have up to 30 board members, thinking that if anybody wanted to be on the board, he should be. It later was reduced to 15. But this isn't good for us now. We're more mature, and if, as we hope, we become more active with the upcoming change in the RJRD board, we may have more responsibilities.
So, the by-law review committee has made recommendations for changes that we think will be less confusing.
1. There will be exactly nine board members. That seems to fit well with our current size, and since it's a bit smaller than the current size of our board, it may inject a bit of competition into our elections, which we think will be a good thing.
2. Officers will be elected for one-year terms. That will eliminate the confusion from three-year terms that do not mesh with board three-year terms.
3. Officers will be elected by the board of directors and the advisory board instead of by the general membership.
4. Since the Advisory Board is will now have a role in selecting the officers, it is defined in the by-laws.
5. The by-laws currently give the board of directors the authority to select new board members to fill unexpired terms of any member who leaves. However, the wording of the sections granting that right was confusing.
The proposed code of regulations is shown below, with changes highlighted in bold type.
Currently, the bylaws state that we can have between 5 and 15 board members. We have 11. Also, we have four officers: president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Each of those are chosen for three-year terms. Elections of both board members and officers are staggered in an attempt to keep a balance between experienced people and vibrant new members. However, an officer's term takes precedence over board membership term. If someone who was a board member for two years is chosen as an officer, that person will be an officer for three years while remaining on the board, meaning that he or she will have been a board member for five years.
Confused? So were we.
Also, for various reasons, the staggered terms of board members have gotten out of balance. In March, there are five board members up for reelection, and there will be one in 2018 and two in 2019.
When FoCH was originally formed, we said we could have up to 30 board members, thinking that if anybody wanted to be on the board, he should be. It later was reduced to 15. But this isn't good for us now. We're more mature, and if, as we hope, we become more active with the upcoming change in the RJRD board, we may have more responsibilities.
So, the by-law review committee has made recommendations for changes that we think will be less confusing.
1. There will be exactly nine board members. That seems to fit well with our current size, and since it's a bit smaller than the current size of our board, it may inject a bit of competition into our elections, which we think will be a good thing.
2. Officers will be elected for one-year terms. That will eliminate the confusion from three-year terms that do not mesh with board three-year terms.
3. Officers will be elected by the board of directors and the advisory board instead of by the general membership.
4. Since the Advisory Board is will now have a role in selecting the officers, it is defined in the by-laws.
5. The by-laws currently give the board of directors the authority to select new board members to fill unexpired terms of any member who leaves. However, the wording of the sections granting that right was confusing.
The proposed code of regulations is shown below, with changes highlighted in bold type.
| foch_code_of_regulations_revised_2-2017_draft.pdf |