Date: Thu, 06 May 2004 15:47:15 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>,
    WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Our constitution and bylaws online
Cc: john at bungalow.org, jekindell at aol.com, macbuccfo at email.msn.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 08:08 PM 5/3/04, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
>The club voted that I should place our current constitution and bylaws
>online.  I've been working on doing so, with the help of Sam and Wade.
>
>Sam provided me with what he believed to be the current version of
>both.  I've converted them to good HTML, and placed them online as
>http://www.wsfa.org/bylaws.htm and http://www.wsfa.org/constitution.htm
>with bracketed comments and with disclaimers that I'm not yet sure
>they're completely correct.

I was at first surprised that no one, especially those up for election
tomorrow, had commented on this and then realized that it may be because
folks are doing the same thing that I have: taking time to look everything
over before commenting.

One possible reason for the differences is that the bylaws have replaced
the constitution, but I don't know if this is the case so I'm going to act
on the assumption that it isn't.

>Wade and I went over the bylaws, to find all differences between what
>I have recently placed online and what was distributed in 1998.
>
>Since our annual elections are coming up in four days, the most
>important difference right now is in how we run our elections.  The
>1998 hardcopy says we elect our trustees one at a time, while the
>online bylaws say that they're done all at once -- the three nominees
>who get the most votes become the new trustees.  I agree that that
>makes more sense, and it is how we have done it recently, but is it
>official?  Can anyone point me to the minutes of the meeting when the
>change was made?  Thanks.

Try looking for something in the minutes saying that the club authorized
John and Judy to make whatever changes they thought were needed.  As a club
we're lazy about the details of how we operate and sometimes just delegate
people to take care of them.

As for how the elections are done, I agree that it's easier to just elect
the top three nominees.  It might be interesting to look into how our use
of the Australian method fits with this -- but I'm *not* suggesting that
this is needed, just that it might be interesting!  Since this is the way
that we've done it recently I suggest that, barring objections, we do it
this way tomorrow.

>Other substantive differences in the bylaws include:
>
>* II.B.7:  "WSFA may issue annual membership cards" in 1998 has turned
>into "WSFA shall issue annual membership cards".  The latter was also
>in the bylaws before the 1998 revision.  Is it possible that this 1998
>change simply didn't get copied into all the right places?
>
>(I for one haven't received a membership card in several years.)

Neither have I.  I don't know about the changes but admit that I don't see
a need for them -- if I'm in doubt I just ask Bob if I've paid my dues in
any given year -- and do see reasons for not issuing them. And having to
have a stack of them around at all times to give out to people as they pay
their dues could be a bother.  I can't recall if Bob is on the WSFA list
(and can't find your latest list of who's subscribed) so I'm adding his
address to the cc's on this, as he's the one who probably would have to
deal with membership cards.

>* V.A.4 and V.D:  The online version mentions a Facilities Committee.
>There's no mention of any such thing in the 1998 version, or in any
>earlier version.  If it exists, when was it established, and why has
>it never given any reports?

I've certainly never heard of it but think it would be a very useful thing
to have.  My comments on this are detailed enough that I'm just going to
send them as a separate message.

>A complete copy of the constitution wasn't distributed in 1998, just
>the sections that were to be changed.  Of those sections, I've found
>one substantive difference between the online version and the 1998
>hardcopy:  The sentence "The corporation shall not engage in lobbying
>or any form of legislative or electoral activity" has inexplicably
>been deleted from the Fourth Article.  I've restored it, but placed
>it in brackets.

That's part of our being a 501(c)(4) corporation, and I've no idea if there
was a reason for it being dropped.

Which reminds me that there was some question about our tax status,
including if we have to pay sales tax or not.  Judy or John, could you say
something more about that?

<snip>

>Am I misunderstanding something?  Or am I failing to find the relevant
>meeting minutes?  Or should I go ahead and back out the changes,
>restoring the 1998 version?  Thanks.

I'm beginning to suspect that my guess that the Bylaws replace the
Constitution may be correct but I have absolutely nothing to go on.  Have
you heard back privately from John or Judy?  I believe that both are busy
enough that they don't check their mail as often, so if not it can be
brought up tomorrow.

>When I'm done, I'll remove the bracketed comments, then create a
>"business section" of our website, which consists of pointers to the
>constitution, bylaws, past copies of the constitution and bylaws in
>various past WSFA Journals, the meeting minutes in various past WSFA
>Journals, and lists of our past and present officers.  All of which
>are already online.

Many thanks for all your work on this!

Elspeth