September membership meeting

[JoeP]

[size=2]Chris:[/b] I am not commenting as a candidate, but as a Riesentöter member.  Otherwise, I would be much less restrained because I would not care who I pissed off.[/size]

I appreciate your hard work toward making our bylaws and procedures thorough and logical.  Many of the current disagreements have been with us for a while.  They were dormant because practices were not set down in black-and-white and not broadcast to all Members.  Such a gap is understandable with such a busy group, but I am happy that it will not continue.  It is great that you care enough to work through these issues with us.  

Overall, I am more worried about Bylaw Changes than Executive Compensation.  It is a more fundamental issue than an operational one, so I will focus my comments on the Bylaws:

1) Please add your expert opinion, but it seems that only our Bylaws and PNCL are legally binding.  So, if Bylaws do not specifically incorporate Rogers, parliamentary, or national PCA procedures, they do not apply.  We are left with the language as it stands.

2) I absolutely support Membership votes from the floor unless our Bylaws define another process.  Most members and Execs are not legal experts.  All applicable procedures should be laid out for us so that we know what to expect before the meeting.  Even if law or legal precedent defines how to proceed, our Bylaws should define procedures for members.  It is unfair to expect members to search different sets of rules to understand how to behave in a monthly meeting.  I have attached the “Amendment of Bylaws�? provision from the national PCA.  If our parent organization can define rigorous procedures for 100,000+ members, it should be much easier for us.  Without Bylaws to the contrary, the speaker’s actions last night were completely appropriate.  

3) With regard to Bylaw changes, I object to any notification requirements for Membership that are not required for the Board.  To change Bylaws, we only state that,

      "The members entitled to vote shall have the power to adopt, amend and repeal the Club’s bylaws. Subject to the PNCL, the bylaws may be adopted, amended and repealed by an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the entire Executive Board."  

If it is OK for the Board to change the provision for Exec Compensation without Membership notice beforehand, then it should be OK for Membership to push back without formal notice.  

Again, our Bylaws should go beyond what is legal.  I realize that you have a full plate and cannot address everything at once, but more structure in this one important area might allow our meetings to look more like a Minuet and less like Animal House.