Pat,
I have been trying to think all day of a concise way to explain my opinion
on this amendment to you and other members of GAGenWeb. My goal is to do it
in 100 words or less.....but I worked until 4 AM today and was up again at
8:30 AM so bear with me, please!
I do believe this amendment to the Bylaws is important for the project to
move ahead. Having served on the Advisory Board for almost five years, I
have seen the need for changes to be made to The USGenWeb Project Bylaws.
The way they are presented now, there is too much room for personal
intepretation. They need to be clearer on several points so there is no
question as to their intent. This should serve to allow the project to run
smoother at the national level.
Someone posted on Discuss tonight and explained the issue of 2/3 versus a
majority better than anyone I have seen state it yet. Right now a very
small minority of the project members can control whether or not a Bylaws
Amendment will pass. Out of somewhere around 1700 members who are eligible
to vote, only 394 voted in the most recent election. If there had been an
Amendment on the ballot, that had been written by a member or group of
members and then sponsored by members of 5 state projects, it could have
been defeated by a mere 130 voting members.
There is a small minority of the members of this project controlling it and
in my opinon that needs to change therefore I do support this amendment. In
the next few months, I plan to put effort into encouraging more members to
register to vote so that we can begin to build a larger turnout for our
elections. I have the utmost faith in our members to do what is best for
the project, but they need to be encouraged to participate in it at all
levels.
Linda Blum-Barton
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Sabin" <psabin(a)bellsouth.net>
To: <gagen(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 8:06 PM
Subject: Re: [GAGEN] Co-sponsorship of proposed amendment to the by-laws
I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on the subject.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Debra Crosby" <poohbos(a)poohbos.com>
To: <gagen(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [GAGEN] Co-sponsorship of proposed amendment to the by-laws
> well Pat, yes would seem a popular vote, but I'm not going to vote yes.
>
>
> Debra Crosby
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gagen-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:gagen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On
> Behalf Of Pat
> Sabin
> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 12:43 AM
> To: gagen(a)rootsweb.com
> Subject: Re: [GAGEN] Co-sponsorship of proposed amendment to the by-laws
>
> I guess I vote "yes," although I'm not entirely sure of the
> ramifications. It sounds
> like
> it would streamline things but not bypass the general membership.
>
> Pat Sabin
> Gwinnett Co GAGenWeb
>
http://www.oldplaces.org/gwinnettga/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <edeye1(a)bellsouth.net>
> To: "gagen" <gagen(a)rootsweb.com>
> Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 7:30 AM
> Subject: [GAGEN] Co-sponsorship of proposed amendment to the by-laws
>
>
>>I need to know if yall want to vote on sponsoring this amendment a yes
>>vote
>> will mean you want to sponssor and no vote means you do not want to
>> sponsor.
>>
>>
>> Amendment Proposal to Change Method of Amending USGenWeb Bylaws from a
>> 2/3 Membership Vote to a Majority Membership Vote.
>>
>> Proposed Amendments to the USGenWeb Bylaws - July 31, 2009,
>>
>>
>> ARTICLE XVI. AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS
>>
>> OLD:
>> Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by the membership of
>> The USGenWeb Project through a two-thirds (2/3) majority of
>> those members participating during the voting period.
>>
>> NEW:
>> Section 1. These Bylaws may be changed by a majority of
>> membership casting affirmative votes on a proposed amendment
>>
>> OLD:
>> Section 4. Voting on any proposed amendment to the bylaws
>> shall be during the annual voting period of July 1-July 31
>> and a two-thirds (2/3) majority, of the members voting within
>> that time frame, is required for the amendment to pass.
>>
>> NEW:
>> Section 4. Voting on any proposed amendment to the bylaws shall
>> be during the annual voting period of July 1-July 31 and a majority,
>> of the members voting within that time frame, is required for the
>> amendment to pass.
>>
>> OLD:
>> Section 5. In the case of an urgent matter affecting the well-being
>> of The USGenWeb Project, the Advisory Board may propose an amendment
>> and disseminate it to the membership without the required
>> co-sponsorship.
>> In this case, the proposed amendment shall be posted to the national
>> website
>> and disseminated to the membership within two (2) business days.
>> The proposed amendment shall remain posted for a minimum of three (3)
>> business days. A special ballot shall be prepared and voting shall be
>> for a period of five (5) business days. A two-thirds (2/3) majority,
>> of The USGenWeb Project membership, voting within that time frame,
>> shall be required for the amendment to pass.
>>
>> NEW:
>> Section 5. In the case of an urgent matter affecting the well-being of
>> The USGenWeb Project, the Advisory Board may propose an amendment and
>> disseminate it to the membership without the required co-sponsorship.
>> In this case, the proposed amendment shall be posted to the national
>> website and disseminated to the membership within two (2) business days.
>> The proposed amendment shall remain posted for a minimum of three (3)
>> business days. A special ballot shall be prepared and voting shall be
>> for a period of five (5) business days. A majority, of The USGenWeb
>> Project
>> membership, voting within that time frame, shall be required for the
>> amendment
>> to pass.
>>
>>
>> Ed
>>
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>>
>
>
>
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