Looking for 2010-2011 leaders…

Earlier this month, the branch board appointed a nominating committee: Grace Knechtel (chair), Judy Atkinson, and Mary Morrow.

They are already at work recruiting members to serve on the 2010-2011 branch board. The slate they develop will be presented next spring when the branch will elect a president, treasurer, and 3-7 directors-at-large.

If you’d like to consider serving on the board starting July 1, 2010, please contact one of the members of the committee or a member of the current board to find out more about the positions and how they might fit into your interests. Again, we try to keep the administration of this branch as simple as possible, but if you have a particular AAUW interest, serving on the board may get you additional information from AAUW and AAUW NC and put you in a better position to advance your cause.

PS: We do not have a full complement of seven directors at large, so if you’d like to step onto the board for a term that would end June 30, 2010, please contact Doris.

Updated bylaws

The Bylaws Committee (Doris Bernlohr, Pat Abell, and Nancy Shoemaker) has reviewed the branch bylaws in light of the required changes after the 2009 AAUW convention. Modifications have been made and here is the new version:

AAUW Tar Heel branch bylaws, Oct. 2009

Note that at least one additional change is pending, but since that requires a vote of the branch (and that vote must occur in the context of the annual meeting), it was not included here.

For information on how the committee addressed items that were not clear in the AAUW instructions, see Nancy’s blog post.

Draft of branch policies

Here is an initial draft of the branch policies. The board will be asked to approve a version of the policies sometime in June. All members are welcome to comment on this document. Please use the branch e-mail list for the discussion.

AAUW Tar Heel Branch Policies

Upcoming modification to the branch bylaws

As we were drafting the branch policies, we realized that the branch bylaws don’t cover electronic votes of the branch in all cases where they may be required. Article X covers an election process appropriate for the branch, and Article VI. Section 2. (changes to dues) and Article XX. Section 3. (changes to the bylaws) refer to that process. However, in Article XII Meetings, there is no such reference.

An initial suggestion is to take Section 4 from “Article XI. Board of Directors” and use a version of that in Article XII which could be retitled “Meetings and Branch Business”.

Such votes are rare, but do occur occasionally (as when we elected a delegate to the state convention). This will be adressed more formally after the national convention when we see what other modifications will be needed in the bylaws.

Proposed branch bylaws for review

The branch is currently working according to working rules approved by the charter members.

It is time to move towards a set of bylaws that conform to the AAUW model branch bylaws.  The branch bylaws committee (Pat Abell, Doris Bernlohr, Nancy Shoemaker) worked with the model branch bylaws as well as resources on alternate branch structures (see wiki.bbvx.org).

They have produced a document that has been approved by Caroline Pickens,  AAUW Bylaws Chair. We thank Caroline for her time and careful comments.

This document is now ready for review by the branch. If you have any comments on the bylaws, please refer them to Nancy Shoemaker, 919-773-2340, or e-mail bylaws@tarheel.aauwnc.org which will reach Nancy, Pat and Doris.

Please return your comments as soon as possible. Comments made by February 20 will be considered before a final version of the bylaws is prepared for a vote of approval by the branch. Since we expect to do an electronic vote (without the opportunity for amendments), it is very important that you raise your concerns during this comment period.

Here are the files for your review, as of 2/6/09:

• Rationale
• Proposed Bylaws

Introducing the branch board

An initial branch board was approved by the charter members. Here’s the information that accompanied the ballot along with notes about which at-large directors have agreed to concentrate on specific functions. Several of the board members are pictured in this post.

Slate of initial board members

Doris Bernlohr, President

Doris is a former member of the Chapel Hill branch and is now living in Burlington. She is a member-at-large and will be a primary member of this new branch (and expects to be a dual member in Chapel Hill). She served as president of AAUW Chapel Hill and was a member of the AAUW NC board.

Nancy Shoemaker, Treasurer

Nancy is a member of the Raleigh/Wake County branch and will be a dual member of the new branch. She is serving her second term as treasurer in Raleigh and is a past president of AAUW NC.

Pat Abell, Director-at-Large (Educational Foundation)

Pat is a life member of the Association and is a member of the Statesville branch. She’ll be a dual member of this branch. She is a past president of AAUW Statesville, and a former member of the AAUW NC board and the AAUW NC executive committee.

Judy Atkinson, Director-at-Large (Program)

Judy is a member of the Winston-Salem branch and will be a dual member of this branch. She is a past president of AAUW Winston-Salem, and a former member of the AAUW NC board and the AAUW NC executive committee.

Birgit Pauli-Haack, Director-at-Large (Communications)

Birgit is a member of the Naples (FL) branch where she currently serves as web manager, and is a member of the Association’s Technology Usability Advisory Group. She’ll be a dual member of this branch.

Mary Fran Schickedantz, Director-at-Large (Membership)

Mary Fran is a member of the Greensboro branch and will be a dual member of the new branch. She is a past president of AAUW NC and is currently serving as AAUW NC treasurer.

Queen Thompson, Director-at-Large

Queen Thompson is a member of the Charlotte branch and will be a dual member of this new branch. She serves on the AAUW NC board as diversity chair.

Note: An AAUW member may join more than one branch. A member’s “primary” branch is the one where they pay dues to AAUW. They are called a “dual” member in their second and subsequent branches where they pay branch and (if applicable) state dues. For 2008-2009, this branch’s dues are $0 and any members of other branches joining the branch are dual members. If they pay 2009-2010 AAUW dues through this branch they will become “primary” members. By national policy, only primary members may hold the office of branch president.

Getting the branch started

Before applying for the branch charter, the 24 charter members decided on the name of the branch, approved a set of officers, and agreed on working rules.

Initial Working Rules for the Tar Heel Branch

Initial slate of officers:

• Doris Bernlohr, President
• Nancy Shoemaker, Treasurer
• Directors: Pat Abell, Judy Atkinson, Birgit Pauli-Haack, Mary Fran Schickedantz, Queen Thompson

Before March 1, 2009, the branch will

• Increase the leadership team with additional volunteers as appropriate.
• Decide what financial model the branch will use moving forward
• Finalize the branch bylaws

Branch applies for charter

At the October 31, 2008 AAUW NC board meeting, the branch received approval from the state board. [See text of the resolution that the board approved.]

On November 3, the charter application packet was sent to the Membership Department at AAUW. We are now waiting for the results of the vote at the November meeting of the AAUW Executive Committee and the formal notification that we have a branch charter.