Bylaws Committee Reports and Articles
Armadillo Literary Gazette, V 34, No, 12, December 2007, page 4 Ideas and Volunteers Needed for Bylaws Committee - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Chair, Bylaws Committee Changes the American Mensa Committee has made to the Minimum Standard Bylaws Requirements and Model Bylaws, guiding all subordinate local group bylaws, suggest that portions of our Lonestar Mensa Bylaws should be revised to comply. In addition, member ideas, such as a recent idea suggesting electronic alternatives to our election process, suggest that we should simplify some of our processes. Consequently, the ExComm has established a Bylaws Committee to draft revisions to the Lonestar Mensa Bylaws considering ideas from the membership, the latest American Mensa Bylaws guidance, and Robert's Rules of Order. The revisions are to be submitted for approval of the American Mensa Committee and the LSM membership. If you have ideas on how we could improve Lonestar Mensa processes or if you would like to volunteer to work on the Bylaws Committee please email your thoughts to Janet Kres, jmkres@sbcglobal.net
Bylaws Committee - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Chair, Bylaws Committee, drumtra@aol.com Last month we asked for Ideas on Bylaws and volunteers for the new committee. We are fortunate that four more LSMs volunteered to become committee members, each bringing unique skills and experience to the six member committee: John Neemidge, neemidge@usa.net, provides long time experience in establishing Lonestar Mensa and living through it's various bylaws. He knows what has worked and what hasn't. Lu Russell, luruss@austin.rr.com, brings a great deal of experience with bylaws and credentials of a Professional Registered Parliamentarian to the committee. Helen Siders, xlartemis@gmail.com, provides detail experience from her past computer programming work and recent experience meeting in getting our publications through the printers and postal service on time. She brings first hand knowledge of what is needed where the rubber meets the road. Steve Skelton, steve_skelton2000@yahoo.com, provides experience in Web and computer communications. He brings a knowledge of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Data Base design that be needed to secure votes and prevent multiple voting entries. He will keep us straight as we discuss the possibilities of electronic voting. In addition, our newly elected President, Ron Edelstein, aduana@mindspring.com, automatically serves as an ex-officio committee member. He provides years of experience in the Navy and senior company leadership in addition to serving on the ExComms of other Mensa organizations. He brings knowledge of how rules should be written to allow folks to get things done. He will participate in our discussions as needed and review our work as it progresses. The meetings will be open and you may participate in the meetings or follow along through the Committee Webpage, http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~drumtra/website/LSMBylaws/ . We welcome your ideas and comments as we progress. We have requested the National Office set up a discussion forum for us but meanwhile, you may provide these in person at the meetings or to committee members or via email to committee members or me. Meeting times and locations will be posted on the Homepage of the Website. Our first meeting is tentatively scheduled in conjunction with TGIT from 7:15 to 8:15 PM, Thursday, January 10, at Central Market, 4001 N. Lamar, 4001 N x 1000 W on the Austin grid. All LSM members are welcome to participate. Bylaws Committee Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Chair The Bylaws Committee held its first meeting in conjunction with TGIT on January 10. The committee approved its procedures and five sections of our new LSM Bylaws. Details are available at the committee Website http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~drumtra/website/LSMBylaws
Bylaws Committee Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the second time 7:15-8:15 PM, February 14, 2008 with all five members present and two guests. We finished work on setting up the committee, approved the remainder of the “required wording” portions of the Bylaws, and moved on to the fun stuff—answering the questions listed in the Ideas Webpage on our Website, http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~drumtra/website/LSMBylaws/ The minutes and other details of our work are also posted on the Website. In this meeting we completed discussion on the first idea (actually question)--what we should call our governing body? It is currently the Executive Committee or ExComm but the American Mensa standard allows us to choose board, committee, or other deliberative assembly. So we referred to Robert’s Rules for guidance. The Rules seem to say that committees usually have a narrower scope and responsibility than boards do. Also committees normally do not have other committees under them or regular meeting times. Since our ExComm is broad in scope, has committees, and meets regularly, it appeared that “board” was a better term to use. The rules suggest Board of Directors, Executive Board, Board of Managers, Board of Trustees, and the like. To us, these all seemed too grandiose and bureaucratic for our group of officers. So in the end we approved “Board of Officers,” which we would refer to simply as “the board.” At the future meeting we plan to take up questions like what should our leader be called-- LocSec, Chairman, President, Chief Bottle Washer? How many officers should we elect for the Board? How many, if any, appointed officers should be on the Board. Who should vote on the board? Should our leaders be chosen by direct or indirect vote? Should terms overlap? Which of our officers should be defined in the Bylaws (rather than in ASIEs)? Is this fun or what? The next meeting will be at the TGIT on Thursday, March 12, at Central Market TGIT. The meetings are open and you may attend.
Bylaws Committee Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the third time 7:15-8:15 PM, March 13, with TGIT at Central Market. We finished work on Article VI about amending the bylaws, discussed possible election voting procedures, and continued work on the ideas and questions that we need to answer. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~drumtra/website/LSMBylaws/ The committee approved answers to two ideas/questions about the board and its elected officers. The committee decided that all board members should be officers with assigned duties and that the elected officers on the board should be a leader, a vice-leader and recorder, a past leader, a financial officer, and one general officer per 100 Lonestar Mensa members or fraction, less one. It is like what we have today with the addition of the Past President. At the future meeting we plan to take up questions like what should our leader be called--LocSec, Chairman, President, Mommy, or Big Daddy? What should the other elected officers be called? How many, if any, appointed officers should be on the Board? Who should vote on the board? Should our leaders be chosen by direct or indirect vote? Should terms overlap? Which of our officers should be defined in the Bylaws (rather than in ASIEs)? Come join the fun. The next meeting will be 7:15-8:15 PM, Thursday, April 10, at Central Market with TGIT. The meetings are open and you may attend.
Bylaws Committee Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the fourth time 7:20-8:20 PM, April 10, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved prior work with two exceptions and continued work on the ideas and questions that we need to answer. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~drumtra/website/LSMBylaws/ More specifically, the committee approved correcting the spelling of the local group name to “Lone Star Mensa,” and reconsidering the formula for determining the number of Members-at-Large on the Board. It also approved a three level structure of local group officers consisting of the Board, four standing committees and three annual ad hoc committees, and the committee members. The standing committees areas of responsibility will be: recruitment, membership, testing etc.; communications, newsletter, website, advertising, email lists, etc.; education, scholarship awards, gifted children, gifted teens, etc.; and symposia, monthly meetings, social activities, etc. The committee chairs will be members of the Board with limited voting privileges. There will also be a small number of independent officers such as the Ombudsman some of whom require national office approval. At our next meeting we plan to take up questions like the term of office for the Board and its members, how officers are elected or appointed, and titles of officers. Come join the fun. The next meeting will be 7:15-8:15 PM, Thursday, May 8, at Central Market with TGIT. The meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the fifth time 7:19-8:20 PM, May 8, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved prior work with one exception and continued work on the ideas and questions that we need to answer. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ More specifically the committee approved a new formula for determining the number of board members, granting authority to the Chairman of the Board to appoint committee chairs with the Board's advice and consent and authority to committee chairs to appoint their committee members, a two year term for elected board members without restriction on reelection, a fiscal year to match AML's fiscal year, a board term to coincide with the fiscal year, and the month for the membership count for determining the number of elected board members to be at the end of the month prior to the month when annual election ballots are sent out to members. At our next meeting we plan to take up questions like how vacant board and other officer positions will be filled, how officers may be removed, and what officers we want to identify in the Bylaws and ASIEs. Come to TGIT and stay for the Bylaws Committee meeting. TGIT is 6-8 PM Thursday June 12, the Bylaws Committee will meet 7:15-8:15 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the sixth time 7:15-8:16 PM, June 12, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved last month's minutes and other prior work with one exception and continued work on the ideas and questions that we need to answer. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ More specifically the committee approved terms of office, order of succession, officer appointments, filling vacancies, and removing officers. More detail is provided in the minutes on the Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/minutes.html At our next meeting we plan to take up questions like how vacant board and other officer positions will be filled, how officers may be removed, and what officers we want to identify in the Bylaws and ASIEs. Come to TGIT and stay for the Bylaws Committee meeting. TGIT is 6-8 PM, Thursday, July 10, the Bylaws Committee will meet 7:15-8:15 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The Bylaws Committee met for the seventh time 7:15-8:20 PM, July 10, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved last month's minutes and other prior work, discussed questions and answers from the Bylaws Workshop at the 2008 Annual Gathering, continued work on the ideas and questions that we need to answer. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ More specifically the committee approved officer titles of LocSec, Vice-President, and standing committee chair titles—Communications Chair, Education Chair, Recruitment Chair, and Symposia Chair; Coordinator. It also approved the four standing committee titles with the same names (Communications Committee, etc.). More detail is provided in the minutes on the Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/minutes.html At our next meeting we plan to take up election methods and what officers we want to identify in the Bylaws and ASIEs. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is 6-7 PM, Thursday, August 7, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee August Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The eighth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:25-7:00 PM, August 7, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved last month's minutes and other prior work, discussed and approved indirect elections of the Loc Sec, Vice-President, and Treasurer, discussed and approved changing the name of the Recruitment Committee to Membership Committee, and continued to consider what officers would be included in the Bylaws and Standing Rules (ASIEs). The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ More specifically the committee approved roughly half of the officers with titles and duties specified in the Standing Rules. More detail is provided in officer's Worksheet on the Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/resources/officer_worksheet4.xls At our next meeting we plan to review the titles of officers based on a recent list of standard aliases from the National Office and continue to decide which officers we want to identify in the Bylaws and ASIEs. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is 6-7 PM, Thursday, September 4, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee September Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The ninth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:10-7:05 PM, September 4, with TGIT, at Central Market. I believe that this was the most productive meeting we have had. We approved last month's minutes and all other prior work, the number of elected board members, a worksheet of appointed officers, regular board meetings and related notices, and board voting procedures. More specifically the committee discussed and adopted the Officers Worksheet listing all officers and their titles; adopted a board of four appointed and five to eleven elected officers depending on the local group membership; approved regular monthly Board meetings at a regular date, time, and location specified in the special rules (ASIEs); approved posting notice of each meeting in the newsletter calendar for the month of the meeting , on the online calendar, and in an announcement in the LSM member email list; approved special meetings being called as written in the Model Bylaws but with five percent of the membership; approved Board meetings at a location within the geographic area of the local group open to all Lonestar Mensa members without admission cost to attend; approved board decisions being made by majority vote except as specified in the Bylaws, Robert's Rules, and Special Rules (ASIEs); adopted the Robert’s Rules procedure that the Chairman should normally not vote but may vote to make or break a tie, and approved changing the monthly Bylaws Committee meeting back to the second Thursday of the month but from 6-7 PM subject to approval of absent members. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ The complete Officers worksheet may be found at http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/resources/officer_worksheet6.xls At our next meeting we plan to consider titles for general board members, membership meetings, an annual business meeting, and possibly some specific wording of bylaws paragraphs of Article III. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is 6-7 PM, Thursday, October 9, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee October Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The tenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened at 6:00 PM, October 9, 2008, at Central Market, Austin, Texas. The chairman announced the absence of a quorum and waited for an additional member. Seeing no quorum by 6:50 PM, and being unable to conduct business without a quorum, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ At our next meeting we plan to consider titles for general board members, membership meetings, an annual business meeting, and specific wording of some of the bylaws paragraphs of Article III. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7 PM, Thursday, November 13, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee November Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The eleventh meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:00-7:05 PM, November 13, 2008, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved last month's minutes and all other prior work, the date for determining membership numbers for determining he numbers of elected officers, at least one membership meeting per quarter, an annual membership business meeting, special membership business meetings, notification procedures, and the bylaws basic format. We also reaffirmed indirect elections. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ At our next meeting we plan to consider draft wording for the bylaws. You may follow its development on the Website. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7 PM, Thursday, December 11, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee December Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The twelfth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened at 6:30 PM, December 11, 2008, at Central Market, Austin, Texas. The chairman announced the absence of a quorum and declared the meeting adjourned. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ At our next meeting we plan to consider bylaws format, transition to our new fiscal year, and specific wording of as much of the bylaws as we can get through. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7 PM, Thursday, January 8, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee January Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The thirteenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:15-7:30 PM, January 9, 2009, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved the last two month's minutes and all other prior work, a revised article structure, and a transition strategy to move from our current bylaws to the new ones. The committee then began work on the actual wording of the Bylaws completing the Preamble, Articles I through IV, and the first part of article V. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/ At our next meeting we plan to continue to work on the bylaws text. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7 PM, Thursday, February 12, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee February Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The fourteenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:10-7:00 PM, February 12, 2009, with TGIT, at Central Market. We approved the last month's minutes with corrections and all other prior work, and the drafts for Article 5 Sections 5 through 9. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/ At our next meeting we plan to continue to work on the bylaws text. Come to the Bylaws Committee meeting and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7 PM, Thursday, March 12, 6-7 PM, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee March Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The fifteenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:00-7:25 PM, March 12, 2009, with TGIT, at Central Market North. We approved the last month's minutes with corrections and all other prior work, and the drafts for the remainder of the bylaws with the exception of Article VI, Elections, which is still being drafted. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/ We are very happy to report that we are close to finalizing a coherent set of bylaws that will support our currently business practices but still allow us flexibility to change things if we want. The committee plans to finalize the bylaws at the next meeting, so now is your last chance to suggest any changes before it goes to the ExComm, scheduled for May 6, and then the AMC Bylaws Committee for approval. After that approval, we all will have an up or down vote on it -- portions cannot be changed at this point without going through the approval process again. If you do not want to submit comments online, you are welcome to come to the final Bylaws Committee meetings and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7:30 PM, Thursday, April 9, and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend.
Bylaws Committee April Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The sixteenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened at 6:00 PM, April 9, 2009, at Central Market, Austin, Texas. The chairman announced the absence of a quorum and waited for additional members. Seeing no quorum by 7:00 PM and being unable to conduct business without a quorum, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned. The minutes and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ The committee planed to finalize the bylaws at the this meeting but the delay until the next meeting next meeting allows you another chance to suggest any last minute changes before the bylaws goes to the ExComm and then the American Mensa Bylaws Committee. After those approvals, we all will have an up or down vote on it -- portions cannot be changed then without going through the approval process again. If you do not want to submit comments online, you are welcome to come to the next Bylaws Committee meetings and stay for the rest of TGIT. Our next meeting is scheduled for 6-7:30 PM, Thursday, 14th and TGIT will meet 6-8 PM. Bylaws Committee meetings are open and all may attend. If we have an earlier meeting to get our work finished earlier, we will post the decision on the Website.
Bylaws Committee May Monthly Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The seventeenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:30-8:10 PM, April 27, 2009, at Central Market North. This was an adjourned meeting called by consensus to complete the work scheduled for the sixteenth meeting and finalize the draft bylaws for ExComm approval. We approved previous work the committee had done, completed work on Articles VI - Elections and XIII -Bylaws Amendments, and recommends that the ExComm approve the Proposed Bylaws as an amendment to our current bylaws for submission to the AMC Bylaws Committee. Finally, the committee adjourned the meeting at the call of the chair for possible future meetings to address questions or changes from the AMC review. The minutes, proposed bylaws, and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/ Please join me in thanking all Lonestar Mensa members who provided input and other support during the Bylaws development process and particularly the Bylaws Committee members for all their hard work and hours of meetings to complete the project. If everyone agrees with the committee's work, the new Bylaws should be fully effective on April 1, 2010.
Bylaws Committee July Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman The eighteenth meeting of the Bylaws Committee convened 6:15-7:40 PM, July 9, at Central Market North. This was a Special meeting called by the Chairman to review, revise, and approve for Submission to the ExComm the bylaws changes and written responses to the comments of the AMC Bylaws Committee. The LSM Bylaws Committee adopted the revised Proposed LSM Bylaws and the responses to the AMC Bylaws Committee for submission to the ExComm and forwarding to the AMC Bylaws Committee. The committee adjourned the meeting at the call of the Chairman for possible future meetings to address further questions or changes from the AMC review. The minutes, proposed bylaws, and other details of our work are posted our Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/
LSM Bylaws Committee Final Report - Submitted by Don Drumtra, Bylaws Committee Chairman Having completed its work on July 23, 2009 the LSM Bylaws Committee is pleased to submit its final report to the ExComm and LSM membership. This report consists of four parts: a report of the final meeting of the Committee which together with previous reports from our first report published in the December, 2007 Armadillo Literary Gazette through this final report, summarizes the work of the committee from its first meeting of its session on January 10 2008 through its final meeting on July 25; details of the work of the committee; a the Proposed LSM Bylaws; and committee recommendations. Final Meeting: The nineteenth meeting and final meeting of the LSM Bylaws Committee convened from 3:58 PM, July 25 to 12:38 PM, July 27 via email. This was a special meeting called by the Chairman to wrap up committee business. The LSM Bylaws Committee unanimously ratified the two previous email votes approving the proposed bylaws revisions to satisfy the National Bylaws Committee. On July 23, the National Bylaws Committee Chair granted LSM permission to send the proposed amendments to a vote of Lone Star Mensa's membership. The LSM Bylaws Committee, noting that it had completed the work assigned to it by its ExComm charter, adopted a motion that the LSM Bylaws Committee rise and that the Chair be authorized to present to the ExComm for adoption at their next meeting the committee's final report consisting of the proposed bylaws as submitted July 23 to the National Bylaws Committee in the forms delivered to the ExComm and posted on the Website together with a recommendation that the ExComm and the bylaws for distribution to the membership and balloting. Details of Committee Work: These are available on the LSM Website, http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/ Proposed LSM Bylaws: The Proposed LSM Bylaws dated, July 23, 2009, are available on the LSM Website in page size format http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/resources/LSMProposedBylaws20090723.pdf and in booklet format http://lonestar.us.mensa.org/bylaws/bylaws_committee/resources/LSMProposedBylaws20090723B.pdf Recommendation: The ExComm adopt the Proposed LSM Bylaws in the two formats on the Website with preference for the booklet form and publish the bylaws for the membership approval according to current bylaws.
Updated: 2009 August 7 by Don Drumtra |