Members Bylaw Committee Recommendations on NRHA's 2008 Bylaw Proposals
(prepared for Whoazone by Gary Pipkin)
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THE NRHA MEMBERSHIP!!! Take a positive step in giving your newly elected 2009 Board of Directors the tools they need to govern the Association into the future!!!
BYLAWS TO VOTE FOR:
Vote FOR Bylaw amendment proposals 05-01-09, 10-01-09 and 14-01-09. These bylaw amendments set up NRHA governance to be administered by the full board of directors, establish specific standing committees, require more accountability of the Executive Committee to the full board of directors and establish more transparency and reporting of the full board to the NRHA membership. For a detailed discussion of these bylaws see the
list below.
BYLAWS TO VOTE AGAINST:
We recommend you vote AGAINST bylaw amendments 06-01-09 and 07-01-09 as the topic of these two bylaws are addressed in 05-01-09 and directly conflict with our proposed amendment entitled Article VI. Committees., Section 1(a) regarding the Nominating Committee and Section 2(a) regarding the appointment of committee chairs.
This is a message from the independent, membership-based Members Bylaws Committee comprised of Gary Pipkin, Judy Caton, Lisa Cover and Catherine Irvin.
05-01-09 Articles I though IX
Submitted by Gary Pipkin and committee. Recommend to vote FOR this amendment. This comprehensive amendment proposal addresses several Articles and gives the new 2009 Elected Board of Directors more powers to manage the association, delegating what they determine to the Executive Committee. The changes recommended includes: More accountability of the Executive Committee to the full Board of Directors; more transparency of association business to the membership; specific duties of the Board, the Executive Committee and officers; establishment of Standing Committees and duties; establishment of electronic internet voting; additional criteria for being a Board member; addresses the Associations Policy and Procedures Manuals and Corporate Record Book; Board Meetings; raises the age of voting members and addresses voting by the membership; and amends Miscellaneous and Bylaw Amendment articles.
06-01-09 Appointment of Candidates
Submitted by Dr. Morgan/Lance Griffin. Recommend to vote FOR. The original wording was modified in the second posting on the nrha.com website. Now reads "Nominations of candidates for the offices open for election, shall be submitted by the committee to the President no less than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the designated membership meeting. All candidates for officer positions must have a minimum of 1 year previous experience on the NRHA Board of Directors."
07-01-09 Professionals Committee WITHDRAWN
Submitted by the Professionals Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. This bylaw directly conflicts with the present method of the President appointing committee chairs. Also it goes against the existing bylaws whereby all directors are elected by the members of NRHA from Regions and NAA’s.
10-01-09 Membership Meetings
Submitted by Gary Pipkin and committee. Recommend to vote FOR this amendment. Amends Section 1 of Article VI. Membership Meetings. Requires an agenda be published and allows for members to request items to be placed on the agenda.
11-01-09 Lifetime Memberships Eliminated
Submitted by the Finance Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. This issue should receive more deliberation prior to eliminating Life Time Memberships altogether.
11-02-09 Dual Memberships (round 2)
Submitted by the International Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. Trying to reverse last year’s passing of the rule that prohibited mandatory dual memberships (it was put into a bylaw), doesn’t address the issues at hand. The “Intent of Purpose” is a huge stretch as we know of no National Federation nor federal law in any country that require any equine discipline rider in the country to also join multiple associations within the country to enjoy their sport. The theory of freedom of choice to join and support any association should prevail along with the theory of only those who play should have to pay (specifically for international competition). There is no mandatory requirement for ALL reining horse enthusiasts in the U.S. to join USEF just to support the international reining team. It’s strictly a voluntary situation. If one wants to compete in USEF and FEI competition, then they pay accordingly. Nor is there any federal law in the U.S. mandating equine association memberships just because you enjoy a particular discipline. NRHA members in foreign countries should check their own regulations prior to voting on this issue.
11-03-09 Regional Affiliates
Submitted by the NRHA Affiliate Committee. Recommend to vote FOR.
11-04-09 Show Proximity WITHDRAWN
Submitted by the NRHA Affiliate Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. Adversely impacts some NAA/affiliates in foreign countries.
11-05-09 Affiliate Deadlines WITHDRAWN
Submitted by the NRHA Affiliate Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. Too punitive, should be able to work out a better solution in the Rules section of the handbook without creating a bylaw for this issue.
13-01-09 Audit
Submitted by the Finance Committee. Recommend to vote AGAINST. The association has been very late in presenting final audited financial information. Fortune 500 companies regularly present to the public their quarterly reports within days after the end of the quarter and their annual reports in a more timely fashion than what NRHA does. A better solution needs to be proposed. With the move of the General Membership Meeting from Congress to August and the end of the fiscal year on 6/30, the audited financial report wouldn't be formally presented to the general membership until well after the end of the calendar year, even though it would be published on the website within 150 days of the close of the fiscal year. We suggest publishing 120 days after the end of the fiscal year per 05-01-09, Finance Committee duties.
14-01-09 Meeting Rules of Order
Submitted by Gary Pipkin and committee. Recommend to vote FOR this amendment. Roberts Rules of Order is currently used at the Parliamentary Source for our Association and both Roberts Rules of Order and the American Bar Association’s Committee for Nonprofit Corporations strongly suggest that an association publish within their bylaws the authoritative source for parliamentary procedures or else they print any Special Rules of Order adopted by their board of directors within their bylaws.
53-01-09 Youth Bylaws
Submitted by the NRHA Youth Committee. NO RECOMMENDATION.
read the Interview with Member Bylaw Committee Chairperson
