MWM's RG: Superhero Edition

Marvel at the DC Regional Gathering, May 17-19, 2013, at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA!

Keep up with the latest happenings by subscribing to the RG's blog at
http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/
and link to us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SuperheroEdition

You can register online at http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/registration/
(It takes you to the same page that the registration link on mwmrg.org takes you to.)

You can also reserve your hotel room at http://superheroedition.wordpress.com/hotel/
(It takes you directly to our room block's page at
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=9661405)

Interested in giving a program? (It can be superhero-themed or not.) Drop us a line with a brief description of the talk. Willing to volunteer an hour or two of your time during the RG? (Many hands make light work.) Have any suggestions of what might make for a good program (especially if you have a connection)? Let us know.

Bylaws Amendments -- Comments

Amendment #1 (Do away w/ 2VC)

Generally speaking, I think this is a good amendment, as the duties of the 2VC really could be taken on by the rest of the AMC. A couple of items, though:

--I think better phrasing in IV(2) re: what happens when the VC is absent would be "In the absence or inability to serve of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman, their duties will be assumed by the senior-most elected directors of the AMC based on uninterrupted time served on the AMC."

--If this were to pass during this election, then the person who would have just been elected to the position would immediately be out of office, as the position will be simultaneously done away with. Perhaps a "date effective" (say, July 1, 2015 -- the beginning of the *subsequent* term) should be added to this?

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Amendment #2 (Change appointees to be non-voting; remove Past Past Chair & keep Past Chair for no more than 6 months)

Mixed bag. First of all, this should be split into two separate amendments, as the limitations on Past Chairs and the change of appointee voting rights are totally unrelated to each other.

I agree with the sentiment that only those people elected to the AMC should be the ones to have a vote on AMC motions. Why should these particular AMC appointees get a vote and not such others as the various counsel (Interpretive Counsel, Intellectual Property Counsel, General (?) Counsel)?

And while I would prefer to just outright get rid of both of the past chair positions (they can always be left on the AMC e-list for consultations, etc.; that's an administrative call that the AMC can make whenever it wishes to, IMO), this is a step in the right direction.

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Amendment #3 (RVC roles)

I understand the point behind this: define the duties of the office just like the other AMC offices have defined roles within the bylaws. I do wonder about a couple of items in here, though:


Are proxies on the Board of Directors permitted per NYS NFP law? (I've not gone and looked for myself yet. It's something which will need to get answered at some point.)


Also, is removal of the Asst. RVC by the majority of the AMC permitted per NYS NFP law? It would seem that this runs afoul of the same issue as we currently have with removal of RVCs. (The way this is otherwise written, surely the RVC can remove his own assistant, but I don't see how the AMC could do so.)

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Amendment #4 (Add a LocSec Representative to AMC's appointees)

This one I don't like:
--Why do LocSecs, specifically, require a special representative on the AMC, any moreso than the rest of the membership?
--Isn't this just an extra, and more cumbersome, layer of bureaucracy than the RVCs? RVCs communicate with about a dozen LocSecs currently, at least in theory, to represent the chapters in their region on the AMC. This position would have 1 person communicating with over 130 LocSecs to be able to represent them on the AMC, when they're already represented by their respective RVCs.
--The mechanism for appointing the LocSec Representative is extremely clunky.

I think this one could benefit from a rewrite to improve the clarity before the membership should be voting on it. (Granted, by improving the clarity and not changing the underlying amendment, I still would want the membership to vote this one down.)

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Amendment #5 (Reduce # of RVCs down to 3-5)

This one I very much don't like. And while it could benefit from slightly improved phrasing, it's clear enough to be put on the ballot, I think. (Well, once the date effective is also dealt with, as with Amendment #1.)

Why dislike this one? Well, doing the math with 3 RVCs, we get the "large" region with about 12 groups, then the "medium" region with over 20 groups, and finally the "small" region with over 90 groups. Really? *90* groups can be adequately represented by one RVC? And effective if Amendment #3 were to pass also? Even if you break the "small" region into 3 regions of 30 each (for ease here), that's still far too many for one RVC to handle.

Nevermind the fact that the various groups within any one region will be so far-flung that it's unlikely that the vast majority of members within the region will have the opportunity to even meet their RVC.

Governance Discussion -- Bylaws Amendment #5

Amendment Summary
Reduce the amount of RVCs from ten (10) to three (3). Divide the groups into large, medium and small classes in such a manner that approximately one third (1/3) of the membership falls into each. Each RVC can only be elected from local groups that fall into that class. The existing funds used by the other seven (7) RVCs would be added to the budgets of remaining three (3) to facilitate RG travels and awarding of discretionary funds for local use. Groups would be redrawn prior to each election cycle in order to continue to provide optimal representation.

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Affected Bylaws
Article III, Item 4
There shall be no fewer than five (5) and no more than ten (10) Regional Vice-Chairmen. The Regions represented by the Regional Vice-Chairmen shall be defined in terms of postal ZIP codes and shall be established by the American Mensa Committee after it has considered the membership distribution, membership growth trends, local group preferences, and administrative feasibility.

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Revised Bylaws
Article III, Item 4
There shall be no fewer than three (3) and no more than five (5) Regional Vice-Chairmen (RVCs). The Regions represented by the RVCs shall be divided into large, medium and small groupings based on local group size in such a manner that approximately one third (1/3) of the membership (or divided evenly if additional RVCs are added) falls into each. Final groupings will be completed and delivered to the American Mensa Committee by the National Office for approval at the AMC meeting at least four (4) months prior to the appointing of a Nominating Committee.

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Pro-Position Statements for Amendments
Many members see the RVC as our elected representative to the AMC, much in the way our House Members and our Senators represent our congressional districts in Washington. The reality is this is not the case. RVCs don't represent membership, and local groups actually report up to the RVC instead of the RVC reporting down to the members that elected them. This restructuring will allow a few things to start happening. By structuring regions based on size of the local group rather than geographic proximity, we can begin to select RVCs who have experience being successful at the local level with groups of a certain size. RVCs will then have an experience level and a focus on the needs of a specific size/type of local group. RVCs can identify local group needs and introduce best practices to other groups that face similar challenges and help integrate them in a more efficient manner. Local RVCs can begin to be identified and elected based on their track record at the local level and not just by their popularity at a national level or on their longevity as a member. The one third approach by general membership numbers also will accommodate those who may oppose such a change due to perceived equal representation. However, in reality that majority of Mensa members may never directly interact with their RVC or even meet that individual during the course of a RVC's elected term. RVCs would continue to interact directly with Local Secretaries, but if the actual number of local secretaries a RVC has to work with becomes too great to manage, a buffer of up to five RVCs has been worked into the amendment to allow for growth.

Governance Discussion -- Bylaws Amendment #4

Here's proposed bylaws amendment #4.

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Amendment Summary
Add an appointed position to the AMC, consisting of an active LocalSecretary who is appointed to the AMC by a vote of Local Secretaries. The term of this position shall be for a non-consecutive year. The individual filling this position must be unique to the AMC, and may not be filled by any other existing elective or appointed position serving on the AMC and as a Local Secretary.
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Affected Bylaws
Article 3, number 5
(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society.
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Revised Bylaws

Article 3, Number 5

(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee appointed by the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society. The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee appointed by the collective of Local Secretaries at the time of appointment shall include a 1 year, non-consecutive (not eligible for a second term for at least 12 months) term of a sitting Local Secretary who is not serving in any other capacity on the AMC.

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Conflict Mitigation

In the even that both amendment 2 and amendment 4 pass, the revision to Article 3, Number 5 that is present in amendment 4 shall override the revision present in Amendment 2.

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Pro-Position Statement on Proposed Amendment

By adding a sitting Local Secretary to the AMC, we can continue to encourage dialog between the local level and the national level, along with bringing a grass roots perspective to board members who may no longer be familiar to its challenges. Its non-voting status maintains the will of the elective in giving decision making power to those who can be held accountable at election time. The term limit of 1 year will maintain that a fresh local level perspective is constantly provided to the AMC.

Governance Discussion -- Amendment #3

Below is Shawn's 3rd amendment:

Amendment Summary
Regional Vice Chairs are to hold quarterly conference calls with their local group leaders (Local Secretary, Assistant Local Secretary or appointed representative of a local group), no more than 60 days after each AMC meeting.

1. The Regional Vice-Chair is to disseminate business conducted at the most recent AMC meeting, and is to gather feedback from local groups on that business.
2. The Regional Vice-Chair is to discuss issues of importance to the local groups for dissemination with the AMC at the next scheduled AMC meeting.
3. The Regional Vice-Chair is to share any best practices, or recommendations on feedback given by local groups for continued improvement of local group efficiency.
4. The Regional Vice-Chair is required to select an assistant RVC from a candidate in their region, to assist them with tasks between AMC meetings and to act as a proxy in the event the RVC is unable to attend an AMC meeting. The assistant RVC would assume RVC duties should a sitting RVC vacates their post until a vote can be conducted to elect a new RVC within that region.
5. Regional Vice-Chairs will be required to write a column to be printed in the official publication of local groups for the region represented, that at a minimum highlights recent AMC business and items of interest to the general membership from across the region represented.

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Affected Bylaws
Article IV, Item 6

6. The duties of the Regional Vice-Chairmen shall be to act as liaison between local groups in their respective Regions and the American Mensa Committee, and to carry out in their respective Regions the policies and programs formulated by the American Mensa Committee.

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Revised Bylaws
(6) The duties of the Regional Vice-Chair shall be to act as a liaison between local secretaries in their respective regions and the American Mensa Committee, and to assist Local Secretaries in executing the policies and programs formulated by the American Mensa Committee.
(a) The Regional Vice-Chair will disseminate business conducted from the most recent AMC meeting, and gather feedback from Local Secretaries through conference call or direct correspondence no greater than 60 days after the close of each meeting.
(b) The Regional Vice-Chair will discuss and capture issues of importance to the Local Secretaries of the RVC's region quarterly, and disseminate this feedback with the AMC in the form of a report for the subsequent AMC meeting.
(c) The Regional Vice-Chair will work in conjunction with the AMC to provide direction to the national office staff through the Chair of the AMC in supporting initiatives for the benefit of Local Secretaries/Local Groups.
(d) The Regional Vice-Chair will share any best practices, or recommendations on feedback given by local groups for continued improvement of local group efficiency.
(e) The Regional Vice-Chair is required to select an assistant RVC from a candidate in the RVC's region whose term runs concurrent with the RVC's, to assist the RVC with tasks between AMC meetings and to act as a proxy in the event the RVC is unable to attend an AMC meeting. The assistant RVC serves at the pleasure of the RVC, and may be asked to step down at any time by the RVC he/she reports to or by a collective vote of the AMC.
(f) Should an RVC step down from his/her position, the assistant RVC will temporarily assume the RVC's administrative duties until an election for a new RVC has been conducted. The assistant RVC is not permitted to vote on official business while attending an AMC meeting in this capacity.
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Pro-Position Statements on Proposed Measure
There is an existing condition where ambiguity in the role of an RVC allows the role of an RVC to be left up to interpretation. The byproduct of this is that conflicting philosophies causes confusion at the local level as to what to expect from an RVC, or resentment should an incoming RVC's interpretation be different from that of the outgoing RVC. Additionally, this ambiguity also can be interpreted in a way that leads to inaction by an RVC which can stifle growth and communication at the local level for periods of 2 years or more. Furthermore, the current structure lacks a formal process for grooming potential future RVC's. By mandating an assistant RVC, we provide a mechanism for grooming members and getting them exposure to the inner workings of Mensa at a national level early as opposed to throwing them in the fire upon election, while at the same time allowing RVC's to better manage their own responsibilities to the organization.

Governance Discussion -- Amendment #2

Here's the next amendment that was submitted for the ABM agenda.


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 Amendment Summary
Restrict voting rights on the American Mensa Committee (AMC) to elected positions only.  Appointed positions will be permitted to take part in business discussion as their role dictates, may be permitted to make motions but may not be permitted to cast vote on any business.  Past Chair(s) will also be prevented from casting votes.

Limit the role of past chairs to a single individual, with a 6 month (2 meetings) term with non-voting rights. Any remaining roles as it relates to the Hearings or Nominations Committee would remain unchanged.

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Affected Bylaws
Article III, Number 2, items a, b, and c

(2) The voting membership of the American Mensa Committee shall include:

(a)  The elective officers.
(b)  The two most recent Chairmen of the Society.
(c)  Such other officers as are specifically appointed by the American Mensa Committee to their respective positions and specifically granted the right to vote. The number of such officers shall not be greater than one-third the number of officers included in Sections (2)(a) and (2)(b) above.

Article III, Number 5
(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee appointed by the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society.

Article III, Number 8

(8) The American Mensa Committee may also appoint individuals to non-voting membership on the Committee.

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Revised Bylaws
Article III, Number 2, item a

(2) The voting membership of the American Mensa Committee shall be restricted to the elective officers as defined in Article III, Number 3.

(a) Such other officers as are specifically appointed by the American Mensa Committee to their respective positions are specifically prohibited from casting votes on official Mensa business, but are permitted to make motions and participate in discussion as their roles permit.

Article III, Number 5
(5) The appointive members of the American Mensa Committee shall include the following: Membership Officer, Communications Officer, Director of Science and Education, Development Officer, 1 most recent Past Chairman (Limited to 2 meetings or 6 months, whichever is less) and such other officers as shall be required for the orderly administration of the business of the society.

Article III, Number 8

To be removed from bylaws, with other sections and internal references adjusted accordingly.

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Conflict Mitigation

In the even that both amendment 2 and amendment 4 pass, the revision to Article 3, Number 5 that is present in amendment 4 shall override the revision present in Amendment 2.


Pro-Position Statement on Proposed Amendment
By limiting the voting positions on the AMC to those elected by the general membership, we can maintain a bond of accountability between those who are elected to make decisions, and those who actually make the decisions.  Additionally, we take an additional step towards reaching a more streamlined, and efficient AMC by removing the bloat of unaccountable voices.

The role of past chair in organizations is typically limited to 1 individual, for transition purposes.  The current ability for past presidents to remain on the AMC up to 4 years after their elected term expires is unnecessary, costly and and contributes to the inefficiency of our organization.

Governance Discussion -- Amendment #1

Shawn Kenney just sent me the five amendments that he has proposed for the ABM agenda. I'll post them one at a time sans comment over the next several days. (I'll make my comments separate from the main posts.) Feel free to post your comments here. Discussion on these is also occurring (or, at least, being prompted) on M-Pol and m-grapevine.

--Jared
http://boxmasterscorner.blogspot.com



Petition 1: Amendment Summary
Remove the role of second vice chair. Modifications to responsibilities of the hearings committee will need to be made to reflect this change.

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Affected Bylaws
Article III, Item 3
(3) The elective officers of the society shall be as follows: Chairman, First Vice-Chairman, Second Vice- Chairman, the Regional Vice-Chairmen, Secretary and Treasurer.

Article III, Item 11
(a) In the case of vacancy in the office of Chairman or First Vice-Chairman, the officer(s) next in line shall move up and the successor shall serve in the office of Second Vice-Chairman.

Article IV
(2) The duties of the First Vice-Chairman shall be to assist in the discharge of the Chairman's duties and to act as substitute during the Chairman's absence or inability to serve.

(3) The duties of the Second Vice-Chairman shall be to assist in the discharge of the Chairman's duties and to act as substitute during the First Vice-Chairman's absence or inability to serve.

Article IX, Item 5, Section a

(5) A member may be suspended from specific activities, offices, positions or functions, for a specified time, or suspended from membership for a specified time, or expelled from membership, for acts inimical to the society. No member shall be suspended or expelled from American Mensa, Ltd. except following a fair and impartial hearing by the Hearings Committee at which hearing the member shall have the right to present his/her case. A decision by the Hearings Committee to suspend or expel a member from American Mensa, Ltd., shall require the concurrence of the American Mensa Committee.

(a) The Hearings Committee shall be composed of the three most recent Past Chairmen, provided that each is a dues-paid member of American Mensa, Ltd., and not involved in the matter(s) in controversy. In the event that one or more of the three most recent Past Chairmen be unavailable -- or incapacitated, in the judgment of the remainder of the Hearings Committee, following a challenge by any of the parties  involved -- vacancies, using the same criteria, shall be filled, in order, from the three most recent First Vice-Chairmen who are not currently serving on the American Mensa Committee; and following them, from the three most recent Second Vice-Chairmen not currently serving on the American Mensa Committee; and following them, from the three most recent Secretaries not serving on the American Mensa Committee. The Hearings Committee shall be chaired by the least recent Past Chairman serving on it, or, if none is available, the least recent First Vice-Chairman, or, if none is available, the least recent Second Vice-Chairman, or, if none is available, the least recent Secretary.

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Revised Bylaws
Article III
The elective officers of the society shall be as follows: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, the Regional Vice-Chairmen, Secretary and Treasurer.

Article III, Item 11
(a) In the case of vacancy in the office of Chairman, the officer(s) next in line shall move up and the successor shall serve in the office of Vice-Chairman.

Article IV
(2) The duties of the Vice-Chairman shall be to assist in the discharge of the Chairman's duties and to act as substitute during the Chairman's absence or inability to serve.  In the situation where the Vice Chairman is absent or unable to serve, or is unable to assume the roles of the Chairman in their absence, their duties will be assumed by the senior most elected director of the AMC based on uninterrupted time served on the AMC.

(3) This item will be stricken from the bylaws.  Item numbers will be adjusted to accommodate the remaining items for this Article.

Article IX
(5) A member may be suspended from specific activities, offices, positions or functions, for a specified time, or suspended from membership for a specified time, or expelled from membership, for acts inimical to the society. No member shall be suspended or expelled from American Mensa, Ltd. except following a fair and impartial hearing by the Hearings Committee at which hearing the member shall have the right to present his/her case. A decision by the Hearings Committee to suspend or expel a member from American Mensa, Ltd., shall require the concurrence of the American Mensa Committee.

(a) The Hearings Committee shall be composed of the three most recent Past Chairmen, provided that each is a dues-paid member of American Mensa, Ltd., and not involved in the matter(s) in controversy. In the event that one or more of the three most recent Past Chairmen be unavailable -- or incapacitated, in the judgment of the remainder of the Hearings Committee, following a challenge by any of the parties involved -- vacancies, using the same criteria, shall be filled, in order, from the three most recent Vice-Chairmen who are not currently serving on the American Mensa Committee; and following them, from the three most recent Secretaries not serving on the American Mensa Committee. The Hearings Committee shall be chaired by the least recent Past Chairman serving on it, or, if none is available, the least recent Vice-Chairman, or, if none is available, the least recent Secretary.

Pro-Position Statement on Proposed Amendment
The role of Second Vice-Chairman is an unnecessary position that can be filled by existing roles on the AMC.

Governance Discussion at AG

Are you attending the AG this year? If so, then make sure to come to my program, as there will be proposed amendments to be talking about:

Wednesday, July 4

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

CC: Mandalay 4

Governance Discussion

by Jared Levine

Meet in advance of the ABM to discuss any amendments which are being brought before the membership for approval to be placed on the next referendum ballot. If there are no such amendments on the agenda for the ABM, then we will discuss various items on the agenda for the upcoming AMC meeting. Anyone interested in the governance of AML is encouraged to attend and contribute. Once I have a copy of them (either sent directly to me or gleaned from the agenda, once posted on the AML website), I will post them here.