Patrick, You keep stating how incredibly clear Article VII, Section 6 is and you note that everyone who is a member of USGenWeb *but who is not a lookup volunteer or a transcriber* gets to vote. Hmmm......so does that mean that census transcribers who become a county co-coordinator are still not eligible to vote because they are also transcribers????? In order to vote, they would have to give up their transcribing jobs??? No, that would be silly, wouldn't it? So the point is that this section is not quite so incredibly simple and clear as you suggest. It requires interpretation, just like any other law or bylaw requires interpretation. And a strictly literal interpretation of it could produce something quite silly. Another point: residency requirements are standard fare for U.S. elections. Seems reasonable for USGW to do the same. Maggie ----- Original Message ----- From: Patrick Hays <gsdownr@geocities.com> To: Maggie <73777.25@compuserve.com> Cc: <richpump@wf.net>; Jim Powell Jr <jpowelljr@gru.net>; Teri Pettit <pettit@Adobe.COM>; <feathers2@aol.com>; <TVick65536@aol.com>; <hollyft@bright.net> Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 9:47 AM Subject: Re: [USGenWeb-NE] Re: [BOARD-L] Election.. April 1, 2000, cut-off date In that case, I think I want to head up next years election committee. My rule will be that all volunteers who were not members of the project before May 3, 1997 can vote. It's a bit ridiculous, but it follows the exact same principle. The bylaws simply say that all members are eligible to vote with the exception of transcribrs and look up volunteers. Just enforce the bylaws for once when it's not just convenient for you to do so. Patrick Hays PS. Since I can't respond on Board-L, I will CC this to the rest of my board members as well, and any of them who may wish to do so can feel free to forward my response there for the rest of the world to see. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maggie" <73777.25@compuserve.com> To: "Patrick Hays" <gsdownr@geocities.com>; "BOARD-L" <BOARD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 10:08 PM Subject: Re: [USGenWeb-NE] Re: [BOARD-L] Election.. April 1, 2000, cut-off date > Patrick, > > I believe that you are missing the point I was attempting to make. > BTW, the quote in my quote was from the motion made by > Ginger Hayes. I was not even discussing the "eligibility" of > USGWP members but that there is no "cutoff" mentioned in the > bylaws. > > > Therefore, the Board is responsible for ensuring that the EC also upholds > >the bylaws and eliminates this farce of an arbitrary "cutoff", because it > is a > >flat out violation of the bylaws. > > Regarding your conclusion (above): > > My main point is that the Bylaws don't specify membership "as of when"? > > So they permit a determination of "when" -- and for the election process to > verify that voters are indeed eligible, there *has* to be some such > determination! > > Robert's Rules of Order, pg 403 > "Unless the bylaws provide otherwise the assembly itself is the judge of all > questions arising which are incidental to the voting or the counting of > votes." > [the assembly normaly being the AB, but in this case the EC] > > > At any rate, the *point* is that some cutoff date has to be established in > order for there to be workable, fair election. > > > Maggie > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Patrick Hays <gsdownr@geocities.com> > To: <USGenWeb-NE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 9:28 PM > Subject: [USGenWeb-NE] Re: [BOARD-L] Election.. April 1, 2000, cut-off date > > > > To my Board representatives (all 7 of you), > > I have a question that I just can't figure out. This Apr 1, 2000 > 'cutoff' does not affect me directly, as you can see below, but... > > To quote part of a note written by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman to Board-L: > '...Section 6. All members of The USGenWeb Project, excluding Look-Up > Volunteers > and Transcribers, shall be eligible to vote. " > > The question in my mind when I went looking for answers was how can > "voter eligibility be declared contrary to the Bylaws of the USGenWeb > Project" when it's not addressed in said Bylaws?' > > How can somebody be so inattentive that they can not read the sentence > they copied and pasted right before they started typing? Attention deficit > disorder? Hmm... How can something so simple be so twisted? This person > is supposed to represent me, the common CC. Does she think that those of us > who are common CC's are stupid? Does she think we can't read? Does she > think that none of us know what the bylaws say? No, as usual, this is > simply very poor representation. If it was not addressed in the bylaws, as > she claims, Article VII, Section 6 would not be there. And yet, whoooops, > there it is. Article VII, Section 6 is incredibly clear and simple. In > fact, it's one of the simplest Sections of the bylaws. Everybody who is not > a look up volunteer or a transcriber, who is a member of USGenWeb is > eligible to vote. PERIOD. > It does not say "if their name is ... (fill in the blank)". > It does not say "if they have been in the project 60 days". > It does not say "if they are wearing green and it is a Thursday". > It does not say "if their skin color is ... (fill in the blank)". > It does not say "if their grandfather was eligible to vote". > It does not say "if they are employees of Rootsweb or associated with the > Archives". > It does not say "if they own land". > It says "ALL MEMBERS of the USGenWeb Project... SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE" > (emphasis added, because somebody needs to do it!). > Decisions of the Election Committee are binding on the Board, > nevertheless, the EC can still not violate the bylaws. And like it or not, > the Board is responsible for upholding the bylaws. Therefore, the Board is > responsible for ensuring that the EC also upholds the bylaws and eliminates > this farce of an arbitrary "cutoff", because it is a flat out violation of > the bylaws. > > Patrick Hays > CC Hancock Co., KY Since April 23, 1997 SE > CC Custer Co., CO Since October 7, 1997 NW > CoCC Blackford Co., IN Since March 9, 1999 NE > CC Jefferson Co., KY Since October 17, 1999 SE > CC Mecosta Co., MI Since October 17, 1999 NE > CC Daviess Co., KY Since January 30, 2000 SE > >