Re: Election of AIS Directors

["Robert Pries " <robertpries@embarqmail.com>]

I believe we should find another way of doing this than a letter mailed to the membership. The last time this route was taken it cost the AIS several thousand dollars and really made the membership angry at what was perceived as a waste of money. The person that suggested it was soundly trounced by the members vote and there seems to be a lesson here. I do not know what the answer is, but this is a terrible alternative.

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Jones" <jijones@usjoneses.com>
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 3:04:05 PM
Subject: [AISdiscuss] Election of AIS Directors

Unfortunately at the AIS Spring 2013 Board meeting the proper process for the election of officers, as prescribed in the BYLAWS OF THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY, was not followed.

The AIS Bylaws specify that the Nominating Committee present, in open session, a list of at least 8 candidates to the Board and that the Board then accept nominations from the floor from any AIS member. The Board is to then go into executive session and choose 4 candidates as nominees to be elected as directors at the following Fall Board meeting.

The list of candidates was not presented in open session, but rather in executive session, and no nominations from the floor were allowed in the open session. Nominations by the members of the Board of Directors were also accepted in the executive session.

I would like the Board to consider placing all 11 candidates that they evaluated in executive session on a ballot to be mailed to the AIS membership so the membership can select the 4 directors. This process being similar to the process prescribed in the AIS Bylaws Article V, Section 4 (d) specifically: 

"Any additional nomination shall thereafter be by petition signed by forty members, with not more than fifteen from any one AIS Region, and such petition shall be submitted to and received by the AIS Secretary on or before August 15 of the same year.  A ballot including the names of the original nominees and any additional nominee or nominees shall be mailed to all AIS members on or before September 15 of each year, and returned ballots received by the AIS Secretary or the Election Committee, if one is appointed, on or before October 15 of the same year."

The authority to do this resides with the Board Of Directors as prescribed in Article V, Section 1:

"The AIS Board of Directors shall have complete and comprehensive power and authority to conduct the affairs of the AIS, the intent of these bylaws being to confer upon the AIS Board full discretion and power in any and all situations that may arise."

I do not believe that the error was intentional. Nonetheless, I believe the Board should take the action outlined above to reassure the membership.



Thanks

John
__________________ 
John and Joanne Jones
Registrar-Recorders, American Iris Society
aisregistrar@irises.org

John Jones, Chairman, Electronic Services Committee
aiselectronicsvcs@irises.org

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Fremont, CA 94536






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