Bylaw Amendment 2016

During the Pickleball Club general meeting on January 6, 2016, the membership was notified that the Club Board is doing a comprehensive review of the current Club bylaws with the intention of producing a complete re-write. The Board expects that the proposed revision of the bylaws will be presented to the membership before the end of the 2015/2016 season. We also discussed the goal of revising our election process in this re-write which would include the ability to vote for open Board positions using an electronic voting system, possibly using the Sign Up Genius software or another product designed to allow for online voting.

The Board would prefer to use electronic voting to give all members, in good standing, the opportunity to elect Club officers. In past years voting was limited to those members still residing at Palm Creek when our March general meeting occurred.   That meant that approximately sixty five percent of our members were not able to vote to elect the Club Board of Directors.

Since we are not ready to submit the entire rewritten bylaws to the membership at this time, we are asking that you consider an amendment to the voting process that would allow us to use an electronic voting system this year. It would require a vote of the members attending our next general meeting on the 10th of February. If it is adopted we would be able to prepare to have you vote online. We would then schedule the vote to take place during a four day period in February, after the general meeting.

We hope to have the election earlier, in this and in future years, to help us facilitate an improved transition between the outgoing and incoming Board members before we leave the Park and return to our summer destinations.

Below you will find the current bylaw dealing with elections and the proposed amendment. Please give it you thoughtful consideration. Thank you.

PROPOSED INTERIM AMENDMENT TO BYLAW
GOVERNING PCPB CLUB ELECTIONS

1. Rescind: Article III-Officers, Section E., Election of Officers and Board Members
NOMINATIONS:  Effective 2014 The Secretary will post at the courts a list of open board positions for the March election, January 1, of each year. This notice to be published on the club website.  A club member may nominate another member or themselves.  Nominations to be sent to the Club President with a short biography of the candidate.  The nominees and their biography will be posted on the club website, for review by the membership.

QUORUM - A minimum of 60 members in good standing, excluding the Executive Board, must be present and eligible to vote at any election specified by these bylaws.  If more than one member is nominated for any elective position, voting shall be by secret written ballot.  The particular procedures for nominations and elections, to be followed at such meetings, shall be determined by the Executive Board.  Should these vacancies not be filled at the General Meeting, the Executive Board shall fill the vacancies as it sees fit.

2.  Insert:
Article III-Officers
Section E:  Election of Officers and Board Members

(a) The Secretary will communicate to the members a list of open Board positions that require filling for the subsequent operational club year (April 1 to March 31). This notice will be filed as soon as possible after January 1st in a form deemed appropriate by the Board.

(b) The Board will set the election date annually and advise the membership not less than 30 days in advance.

(c) Club members may nominate another member or themselves for any of the open Board positions.  The nomination is to be communicated to the club President in writing or by other recognized electronic means.

(d) The current Board may nominate a slate of club members to fill any of the open Board positions.

(e) All nominations must be filed with the club President not less than fourteen (14) days prior to the election date (nominations deemed to be closed at this time).  All nominations are to be accompanied by a short biography of the candidate which will be posted on the club website not later than seven (7) days prior to the election date.

(f) In the event of only one (1) candidate being nominated for an open Board position, that candidate will be deemed to have been elected by acclamation and there will be no election for that position.

(g) In the event of multiple candidates being nominated for an open Board position, an election must take place.  The election format will be at the discretion of the Board and will take the form of either:

1) By secret ballot at general membership meeting at which a minimum of 60 members in good standing, exclusive of the Executive Board, are in attendance.  The candidate receiving the most votes will be deemed elected to the position, except in the case of an existing Board member candidate seeking a third successive term in which case the Board member candidate must receive a minimum of two thirds (2/3) of the votes cast to be deemed elected.

2) By electronic voting software. Invitations to vote will be sent electronically to all members of record as of the date the Board notice of the election is posted.  On line voting will be available to club members in good standing for a period of not more than 5 days. The candidate receiving the most votes will be deemed elected to the position, except in the case of an existing Board member candidate seeking a third successive term in which case the Board member candidate must receive a minimum of two thirds (2/3) of the votes cast to be deemed elected.

(h) Should any vacancies not be filled through the election process, the Executive Board shall fill the vacancies as it sees fit.

Best regards,

Donna, Marg, Kate, Roger, Reed, Jocelyn and Ken

Note: For future reference, there is a link under club information