Hey everybody:
We're in the weeds here on the bylaws, and it's virtually impossible to have a
discussion of this type via email.
It's also very cumbersome and can make people not want to be on this board. We
do not want to make people feel discouraged when we are doing such good work to
move this organization forward. I think private emails can be used sometimes to
get a position clarified and discussed. Or phone calls. Old school.
So....no more membership discussion! Everyone who wants to weigh in has done so.
I will use Margaret's last email as a guide to update the bylaws. She has
spoken.
I have already made the other changes. I will resend them to all and then we
can send them to an atty.
Deirdre
Sent from my iPad
On Aug 14, 2015, at 11:16 AM, Leigh Mundhenk <mundhenk@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks, Rory. So I assume this means that Russ and Anna would be non voting
members? Or could they choose to be singing members, even if they only sing
with us occasionally?If do, do they have to pay dues monthly, or just the
month they are singing?
Leigh G. Mundhenk, PhD
WorkConcepts
mundhenk@xxxxxxxxx
(207) 772-2550
On Aug 14, 2015 10:06 AM, <roryphoenix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Folks,
I spoke with Russ on the phone. He thinks a lawyer looking at our bylaws
will reject anything that would allow us to lose control over our
organization. This is what he means:
Russ thinks ONLY singing members should be allowed to elect board members.
I.e., voting members MUST BE SINGERS. If we were to allow ANYONE to vote so
long as they paid dues (which was MY IDEA, and I see now was a bad idea),
then a group could easily come in and take over just by paying their dues
and overwhelming the rest of us when it came time to elect the Board.
THEREFORE, let's make it clear that THE ONLY VOTING MEMBERS (i.e. board
electors) are Singing Members.
OK. So that's from Russ, and I agree if the rest of you do.
So the implication, it seems to me, is that we do not need to define any
other kind of member in the bylaws.
Sure, folks are encouraged to help us, and that includes financially --
either with money as they see fit, or even if they wish to make regular
payments. And we would thank them, and we could even call them "Friends of
Phoenix Chorale." But this is all something that can be decided by the Board
once we are incorporated. There is no need to put any of that in the
by-laws. The by-laws section on PC membership would simply state that if you
join as a singer, then you are a Member, you pay dues (except for
hardship/scholarship situations), and you get to vote in the elections to
the Board. Period. There's no need to formalize any other relationship we
have with folks. The Board can determine that from time to time, and it may
change as we go forward.
Wouldn't that really simplify the whole discussion about organizational (as
opposed to Board) membership?
Rory
