AACA Proposed Bylaws

[32tatra]

This afternoon, I received an email from the Shenango Valley Region about AACA Proposed Bylaws.

This is the first I have heard of this and has anybody else gotten this email???

According to this email, we will be voting for new bylaws on May 20th.

[Paul Dobbin]

Maybe that Region is changing their By Laws.   I've seen nothing like that in the National Club.

[3macboys]

I'm fairly certain that Steve posted something a few weeks ago, I just can't find it right at the moment.

 

Don

[61polara]

An email was sent to all AACA Members on March 22 from AACA President Wayne Tuck addressing this with a link to the revised by-laws.  A vote will be held at the Grand National in Virginia Beach, VA on May 20.

[MCHinson]

This is the text of the email sent to those AACA members who have an email address on file with National AACA on March 22nd:

Important Bylaws Changes Upcoming and Vote

After several years of work, the Bylaws of AACA have been overhauled to reflect the needs of the club in these modern times. This project has been impacted by situations that have occurred over the past 10 years that altered the course of the club. Finally, with our new building project finished, we had the opportunity to move forward and finalize our governing rules.   I am thankful to all those from our current board and past board who worked on this project. Without the help of these directors, we would not be where we are today. It has been fortunate for us that two attorneys served on the board and helped us immensely in this process.   Our bylaws were submitted to the legal firm of Cheshire Morgan Law in Philadelphia. This firm is now handling our legal needs as they are solely devoted to the practice of non-profit law. The firm reviewed our changes and found them legally compliant (and in fact track the PA statues almost verbatim in many cases).   Our current bylaws require us to provide written notice to the membership 60 days before a meeting of the membership. We are doing so today and are providing you a link (click here for the link) to read our newly stated rules. Our plan is to host a membership meeting to ask for approval of the newly stated bylaws in Virginia Beach, VA, during the Grand Nationals. While we are packing a lot of activity into the GN, there are relatively few options to host this meeting. Our plan is to have it on Friday, May 20, immediately after announcement of the Zenith competition results. (Approximately 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. at Zenith tent near the Founders Inn & Spa.)   Please plan on attending this meeting, plus see the crowning of the Zenith competitors at the same time. Your attendance is needed and would be greatly appreciated.   I look forward to seeing you there!   Wayne Tuck   2022 AACA National President

[32tatra]

Here is copy of the e-mail I got.  This Region seem to be unhappy about how this was sent out and a number of the changes. 

[PhillyFordGuy]

Like many here, I suspect, I don't get my jollies from reading bylaws. Unless obfuscation is the goal, sending me the complete set of new bylaws, without highlighting the changes from old, is completely futile. If someone would cogently explain the proposed changes, then I will cast a vote. Otherwise, I will abstain. Again, it's not clear if the goal is imposing change or actually seeking a consensus of members. 

[Steve Moskowitz]

I do not have much time to get a extremely detailed reply to all of this but here goes an attempt to explain the issue.  Years ago we determined that our by-laws which included reference to a separate AACA Library (at one time they were) and the museum were hopelessly out-of-date.  With the help of a attorney on the board we began a re-write.  Then the library legally merged with the club and then the museum debacle caused even a bigger re-write.  Life got in the way and we struggled to get back to fixing the by-laws so that the board could operate in a time of zoom calls and other changes in how the board needed to operate.  A BIG issue for many was the by-law that required our annual convention to be held in Philadelphia in February.

 

This one issue is why there is such a push to get a vote on the by-laws now so the board can have the flexibility of "legally" moving the convention for 2023.  There is a committee working on the idea.  It is the only reason why the vote is being held at this time.

 

I have been chairman of the by-law committee and from my perspective there is very little in the changes that affect our membership.  One change did, and that is the elimination of the youth membership as we currently have no program and still trying to figure out how to get that train on the tracks again.  Other than that and the convention date/location virtually everything else impacts how the board works.

 

Before we could send the proposed by-laws out we had to send them to our legal counsel (a non-profit firm) to ensure the changes met with Pennsylvania Non-Profit Law.  After they made their changes we literally had a two day window to get the 60 day notice out for Virginia.

 

As to no redline, this is a pretty simple explanation.  Our attorney on the board had the only redline copy of the first draft and when he passed away all was lost.  All our committee had was his clean copy which went through many revisions and the reline copy from our current lawyers was tough enough to read as it was and had no reference to the original copy.

 

There is no conspiracy, no ulterior motives just a goal of getting this passed so we can move forward on moving the upcoming annual meeting (if possible).  As to the manner this has been done it is the same way the 2004 minutes were approved and two subsequent addendums.  It may not be a perfect way nor even the best way (approval process) but the goal simply is to allow the board some flexibility in operating.  It is a large board (21)!  

 

The other issue is that we need to fix the suggested uniform by-laws that many regions and chapters operate under and they are also woefully out-of-date.  These will also have an affect on our Policy and Procedures manual which is undergoing constant editing to reflect how we operate in this century not the last!

 

I recognize my post may get all sorts of people wanting to debate or argue the issue. I most likely will not be able to reply as I am leaving for our event in Puerto Rico tomorrow crutches and all.  All I can say is a little trust in your board, the board you elected, is only fair.  In my tenure here which is approaching 19 years I have never seen any board attempt to do anything but make the club better for its members.