By-laws changes - 2017

To all, I just read Dave's changes from a few days ago.

The BLUE ones I have noted.

Agree with their shall be 5 classes of membership

They are included

Section 5, I vote No

Section 5: I vote Yes

Section 6, Yes

Section 7, Yes

Section 2, Honorary Members etc.

Section 4, On line meetings No

Section 7 Yes

Section 8 No, no votes at Study Weekends unless predetermined

Section 2, the incumbent has the vote

Section 1, 3 years Yes.  It appears that we are not staggering.  

Secton 2, Nominating, five members Yes,

responsibilities, At least one;

Members may volunteer for nomination

Section 3 Audit, took out the red strikeouts.

Section 4 By Laws, Dave, David and Mike Bone. I don't have a problem with no limit.  Better for continuity of thinking.

Section 2, email or ballot.  Can be second 3 year term.  TERM OF OFFICE, UPON ELECTIO OR DATE SPECIFIED BY ADCOM.

DROP THE NOTION OF VERIFICATION.

SECTION 3, Slide Librarian, who is that??????,  Adcom cannot expend funds in excess of an amount approved annually by BOD, how much is that for this year, 2016.

Article ix, Yes, all committees except noms.

Section 3 Yes for Secretary,  Also, run the election, call for budget vote.

Admin notes should not be available to all members.  Votes OK.

Section 3 Agree.

Section 2d, Done  by outside organization.  Adcom determines the method used.  Not the BOD

Conduct:  Section 1.  The Quarterly Editor is a service contract.  Elisabeth needs to add the WEB contractors here, Allen Press.  Anything else.

Article XIV - Dissolution, Yes, take out religious.

Thanks Dave.

OK, Dave and David, many thanks.  This is how it is supposed to work.

Article IV dues, Section one.  OK.  What is the rationale for different dues for different locations?

Section 1, Ok with that.

Article III, Membership, OK on Section 1.  No student members at this time.

Section 2.  OK,

Section 3, OK,

Section 4, OK.  BUT, associates are partners right.  I'm not sure about the actively.  Perhaps dump that.  Don't see the need.

Section 6, OK,  1 to 3 is perfect nmber.

Section 7:  OK.

Section 9, Yes.

No, changes in Quarterly do not apply to associates.  

OK on Article II.  nice job

Going away for two days, back soon.

Article 1 and 2 look good.

Article 3 looks good.  Actively should be removed from all classes of membership. 

Article 3 Section 1: Don't we need to include "Student" as a class and define who qualify as Student Members?

Article 3 Section 5: Are Honorary Members "life" members or must they be renewed periodically with a vote of the Board? 

Article 3 Section 8: What is a member not in "good standing"? Do we need this section? 

Article 3 Section 9: To me this works no matter how we deliver the official organ of the Society, but we should delete "the Rock Garden Quarterly" in case we change the name of the official organ of the Society. 

Article 4 looks good.  Take the period out after the word "levels".  Add to the end "as approved by the Board."

Agree with above suggestions. But I wonder if we should not dump associate members from ordering seed?

EBZ

Hi Betty

Thanks for commenting!  What you've agreed with has been noted; only those items that you've asked questions of have been addressed here.

We have had two geographic regions for ages.  They are  'USA and Canada' and the rest of the world.  Press "RENEW" on the home page to see the current definitions of the membership dues levels.  I believe the difference is to recover the additional cost of mailing the Quarterly and seed orders.

"Actively" has been in the Bylaws for a long time.  David found it was from a time when (N)ARGS was a bit more exclusive, and wanted only strongly motivate members.  I think it adds 'flavor' to the Bylaws, and can only encourage members to be more active.  David feels that in this day and age we shouldn't appear to discourage potential members, but welcome anyone at all levels of interest and commitment.  I don't feel strongly either way.

Associates are people that share an address with a current member(s).  When we made changes that  required all attendees of meetings to be members of NARGS, and changed the rules so that a membership only covered one person, rather than a single person or a couple, associates were created to lessen the additional cost to the couples, while denying associates the most expensive benefit of membership.  Associates cost us almost nothing.  They pay for their seed orders.  Currently, they can look at the more recent Quarterlies, which again costs us nothing.  The benefit to NARGS is that we have retained active members that may have elected not to join themselves if charged the full price, and in fact may be the reason that any household member renews membership.  Also, I know of couples where each person donates seed in order to qualify for the 10 packet bonus.

In short, I feel that Associate Members are important, should be allowed to purchase seed as any member, and should be allowed to view the Quarterly online.

Thanks,

  Dave

Hi Richard and thanks for the comments!

  I don't know if we need to add Student to the membership types.  This is no different than  the geographic condition that determines the dues for members outside of Canada and the U.S. The Student membership is simply a Regular membership, with reduced dues and one additional restriction.  (press Renew on the Home page to see the text.)   I advocate removing the restriction against Student members sponsoring Associate members.  (See Reply to Betty's comments regarding Associate members).  If we don't remove the restriction, I think we have to add the Student membership type to the others.

  Honorary Members.  Likely it is someone in a position where our support will reap benefits in the form of endorsements and/or frequent mention in publications, lectures, etc.  Whether it is a permanent honor, or regarded as the Person of the Year is unknown to me.  I don't know if we have any Honorary Members.  Perhaps Bobby would know more about this.  This is a good point.

Changing the name of the Quarterly is a possibility, but would need to be done in at least four places throughout the Bylaws.  I'm hopeful that we'll not change the frequency of the "organ of the Society", a desire also expressed in the member survey.

  A "member in good standing" I interpret to mean has maintained membership.  Article IV - Dues covers this.

       SECTION 3.  Any member who shall be delinquent in dues for more than three months shall forfeit his/her membership in the Society.

Article IV  Period gone, thanks.  I think the first sentence covers what you are suggesting adding.  No?

Thanks again,

  Dave
 

Thanks Elisabeth

  See post #6 (reply to Betty's comments) for my position on Associate members. 

Thanks,

  Dave

In past years I can understand that we needed a way for spouses to attend meetings. That is how it was explained to me years ago. They were not that interested in plants, but wanted to partake in whatever we were doing. Only a very few have ever shown interest in voting or ordering seed. In past years when partners did have equal interest, they each joined.  They supported the society equally with their $$. We are in need these days.

It's always the anomalies that make work. That small percentage of the associate membership which is active takes added work between billing and the website tracking. We have not increased the cost for them since I can remember. If we don't do away with them, why not increase the dues for those who want to be active in our society? The seed exchange costs money to run. If someone is interested enough to vote, we could use their monetary support to run the organization with their extra contribution. $10 is too little to share in the Seedex and website.