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09-01-2008, 11:02 AM
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#1
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Rivet Master
Aurora
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 645
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A substitute for Proxy voting
I do see that there is a need for some method that allows the votes of members to be counted even though their Unit may not have anyone to represent them at the Delegate's Meeting at the International Rally.
The proposed purpose of allowing a member of one Unit to act as proxy in the absence of another Unit’s Delegate is strongly discouraged by Robert’s Rules and other parliamentary authorities. It may even be prohibited by the laws of the state of Ohio where the WBCCI is incorporated.
However, I believe there is a work-around to let a Unit cast its vote even though they do not have a regular member present at the Delegate’s Meeting to act as their Delegate or Alternate.
Any Unit can adjust their Unit Constitution so that, “Regular Members of another unit may become an Affiliate Member” in their unit. Normally, Affiliate Members “possess all the rights and privileges of the unit, except the following: 1) the right to hold office in this Unit; 2) the right to vote in the selection or election of Unit, Region or International Officers; 3) the right to vote on any amendment to the Unit or International Constitution; and 4) the right to vote in a dissolution or merger, or consolidation with another unit.”
It seems to me that the right to represent a Unit as Delegate could be extended to an Affiliate Member. The Affiliate Member normally is someone who does have at least some regular interaction with the members of his/her affiliate unit, pays dues, gets their newsletter and is generally involved with the affiliate unit in some manner. So, Affiliate Members are not strangers. They are in fact members that “possess all the rights and privileges of the unit” except those rights as specified by the Unit Constitution.
It does not appear to me that allowing an Affiliate Member to act as a Unit’s delegate is in conflict with the WBCCI Constitution because the Affiliate Member is indeed a member of their affiliated unit. With this in mind, there is no need to amend the WBCCI Constitution. There is no need to hurdle that major obstacle.
All any Unit need do is amend their own Constitution so that it allows its Executive Committee to appoint one of its Affiliate Members as Delegate or Alternate.
In this manner only the affected Units, small Units, or electronic Units (such as the WDC Unit) need adapt their Constitution to solve the problem of getting someone to represent them. Large active Units such as my Denver Unit wouldn’t need to deal with it because we nearly always have someone going to International.
So, in short, the solution to the problem is not Proxy voting (which has many negatives), and is instead simply a matter of the affected Unit adjusting their own Constitution to allow an Affiliate Member to be their Delegate. If an affected Unit doesn’t have any Affiliated Members, then of course they should start looking to get one, preferably one that is willing to also be a Delegate or Alternate. This wouldn’t be any different in process than looking for someone to be a Proxy.
My only concern about doing this is the remote concern that a small group of individuals could use it to take control of the organization.
__________________
Forrest
Out for coffee!
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09-01-2008, 11:12 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
Airstream - Other
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Bosque Farms
, New Mexico
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,026
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Forrest
...My only concern about doing this is the remote concern that a small group of individuals could use it to take control of the organization.
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Forrest, I like the idea, but could you expand on this last point a little? Maybe by mullinig for a bit, we could come up with some kind of safeguard.
Lynn
__________________
ACI Big Red Number 21043
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09-01-2008, 11:22 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
Aurora
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 645
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I suppose somehow the affiliate delegate idea could be manipulated so that the affiliate delegate might become a "super" delegate. Let's say more than one unit uses the same affiliate, or some affiliate members might hire themselves out so to speak.
__________________
Forrest
Out for coffee!
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09-01-2008, 11:34 AM
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#4
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Rivet Master
Aurora
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 645
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Opps, I just noticed a glitch in the idea. The WBCCI Constitution states, "Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the Delegate and Alternate have paid their International dues through the Unit they represent."
Since affiliate members pay their dues through the unit where they are regular members and not through the unit where they are affiliated members it appears they would not be eligible to represent their affiliated unit as delegate.
So, there would need to be an amendment to the WBCCI Constitution to do this.
__________________
Forrest
Out for coffee!
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09-01-2008, 11:49 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
Airstream - Other
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Bosque Farms
, New Mexico
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,026
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Ah, I see.
Is there any current provision in the by-laws that prohibits folks from dually representing two (or more) constituencies? I'm thinking here of the way that region officers -- representing a whole region -- can't be unit delegates, representing a different (subset) constituency.
Lynn
__________________
ACI Big Red Number 21043
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09-01-2008, 11:57 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
Airstream - Other
2016 Interstate Grand Tour Ext
Bosque Farms
, New Mexico
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,026
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Forrest
Opps, I just noticed a glitch in the idea. The WBCCI Constitution states, "Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the Delegate and Alternate have paid their International dues through the Unit they represent."
...
So, there would need to be an amendment to the WBCCI Constitution to do this.
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Yep, it appears that way. But this is also a change that might just fly, especially if the current IP is in favor.
By the way, even the current wording could use a little clean-up:
"Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the Delegate and Alternate have paid their International dues through the Unit they represent."
This provision should probaby have read as follows:
"Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the selected representative has paid International and unit dues through the represented Unit."
And this provision would, in turn, need to be altered somewhat as follows:
"Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the selected representative has paid International and unit dues."
Lynn
__________________
ACI Big Red Number 21043
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09-01-2008, 12:39 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
Aurora
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 645
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eubank
And this provision would, in turn, need to be altered somewhat as follows:
"Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the selected representative has paid International and unit dues."
Lynn
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Well, I think the reason International dues were originally placed in the section was to prevent just what I'm proposing. With my proposal there really isn't any reason to mention International due since any member of a unit automatically must pay International dues to be a unit member anyway.
__________________
Forrest
Out for coffee!
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09-01-2008, 12:40 PM
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#8
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Rivet Master
Aurora
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 645
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Here's a motion to actually work with:
IBT MOTION FORM
WALLY BYAM CARAVAN CLUB INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Motion/Item No.___________ Meeting Date: _________________Location: ________________________
I move that ARTICLE XII, DELEGATES MEETINGS, Sec. 4 be amended by striking out the words, “their International dues through the Unit they represent." And inserting in its place the words “dues to the Unit they represent."
ARTICLE XII, DELEGATES MEETINGS, Sec. 4 would then read in its entirety, “Each Unit shall be represented at the Delegates Meeting by one Delegate, or an Alternate, provided that the Delegate and Alternate have paid dues to the Unit they represent."
Rationale:
There is a need for a method that allows the votes of members to be counted even though their Unit may not have anyone to represent them at the annual Delegate’s Meeting.
It has been proposed that Units be allowed to have a proxy to do this, but that is strongly discouraged by Robert’s Rules and other parliamentary authorities.
However, any Unit can amend their Unit Constitution so that, “Regular Members of another unit may become an Affiliate Member” of their unit. Normally, Affiliate Members “possess all the rights and privileges of the unit, except the following: 1) the right to hold office in this Unit; 2) the right to vote in the selection or election of Unit, Region or International Officers; 3) the right to vote on any amendment to the Unit or International Constitution; and 4) the right to vote in a dissolution or merger, or consolidation with another unit.”
Instead of a proxy the right to represent a Unit as Delegate could be extended to an Affiliate Member. The Affiliate Member normally is someone who does have at least some regular interaction with the members of his/her affiliate unit, pays unit dues, gets that unit newsletter and is generally involved with the affiliate unit in some manner. So, Affiliate Members are, in nearly every respect, a member that “possess all the rights and privileges of the unit” except those rights and privileges as otherwise specified by that Unit’s Constitution.
All any Unit need do is amend their own Constitution so that it allows its Executive Committee to appoint one of its Affiliate Members as Delegate or Alternate.
In this manner only the affected Units, such as small Units, need adapt their Constitution to solve the problem of getting someone to represent them. Large active Units wouldn’t need to deal with it because they nearly always have a regular member going to International.
So, in short, the solution to the problem is not Proxy voting (which has many negatives), and is instead simply a matter of the affected Unit adjusting their own Constitution to allow an Affiliate Member to be their Delegate.
Currently, ARTICLE XII, DELEGATES MEETINGS, Sec. 4 prevents that because it requires Delegates and Alternates to pay their International dues through the Unit they represent.
Adopted Defeated Amended Referred Postponed* Tabled** Withdrawn
________________________Maker
*Cannot be postponed beyond session.
**Will lay on table only till end of present session. _______________________________Second
__________________
Forrest
Out for coffee!
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