Good Morning Mr Chair, As I see merit to this concept, I request that this item be _added_ to our agenda. Thank you. Sincerely, Bill Oliver NW/Plains CC Rep -=- Carol wrote: > I propose that the Board form a special committee to draft a "Standards of > Conduct" for the benefit of all members of the USGenWeb Project. > > FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE > As with past committees, membership in this committee should be chosen from > volunteers representing all regions of the USGenWeb Project and should > include both a State Coordinator and a County Coordinator from each region, > with a minimum of two members from each region. > > The number of committee members should be determined by region with no less > than one State Coordinator and one county coordinator from each region, with > the optimal distribution being one State Coordinator and two county > coordinators from each region; except in the event when sufficient numbers > do not volunteer to serve on the committee, and in that event, the committee > should be formed from the available volunteers. > > In the event that any member of the Standards of Conduct committee becomes > nonresponsive after seven days or resigns for any reason, the Standards of > Conduct committee should appoint a successor from a pool of alternate > volunteers so that equal representation from all regions remains intact. In > the event that there is not sufficient volunteers to represent all regions, > or to replace members who resign or become unresponsive, then the committee > should go forward with the volunteers that are available. > > Any member who serves on the Standards of Conduct committee should be in > good standing within the Project and should remain in good standing for the > duration of service on the committee. > > In no case or situation, or for any reason, cause, belief or opinion, should > any member of the Committee be subjected to spamming, threats, disrespect or > rudeness from any other member or group or opinion or philosophy within the > Project. > > The Chairperson of the Standards of Conduct committee should be appointed by > the members of the committee rather than a Board appointed chairperson. > > CONTENT OF THE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT > Content of the Standards of Conduct should be the highest possible standards > of conduct, rather than a minimum standard. > > Members of the "Standards of Conduct" committee should be allowed to seek > opinions and ideas from the general membership or outside sources as > appropriate for consideration of inclusion into the Standards of Conduct. > > Advice and opinions from the membership could include, but not be limited > to, a survey to determine troublesome areas of concern for the Project as a > whole, and for solicitation of individual or group experiences that caused > ill will or an individual or group to feel that they were not a valuable and > appreciated member of the USGenWeb. > > Outside sources for advice and opinions could include, but not be limited > to, educators, behavioral psychologists or sociologists, organizational > sociologists, other experts or those who are in a position to observe and > remedy negative behaviors within groups, and similar Standards of Conduct > from other organizations or groups. > > The Standards of Conduct should include both specific behaviors that are not > allowed as well as specific actions by the USGenWeb should the Standards of > Conduct be violated by any member. > > The Standard of Conduct committee should be a positive and healthy step > forward for the USGenWeb Project. Therefore, in no case shall the Standards > of Conduct committee propose that a member be discharged or banned from > membership in the USGenweb as a result of a violation of the Standards, > recognizing that each member has a contribution to give to the project. > However, other means of discipline could be included such as censure. > > Although the Standards of Conduct committee should include provisions for > discipline should the Standards be violated, and the specific proofs and > procedure for doing so, the Committee should keep its focus on encouraging > and enhancing harmonious working relationships within the Project through > the Standards of Conduct. > > The Standards of Conduct committee should be evermindful of creating a > Standard that is fair and impartial, and should be prohibited from drafting > language or intent that is focused on any particular individual, group, > viewpoint or philosophy within the USGenWeb Project. > > The Committee's charge should be to determine Standards of Conduct that are > general enough to apply to all membership, but specific enough to prohibit > certain actions or behaviors that are detrimental to individual members or > groups within the Project, or are detrimental to the Project as a whole. > > The Committee should form a Standard that is as brief as possible, but no > length to the Standard should be imposed upon the Standards of Conduct so as > to include all relevant Standards as the Committee should deem appropriate. > > MAKING THE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT PART OF THE USGENWEB PROJECT > The Committee should report back to the Advisory Board periodically with its > progress, including a timeframe when the Standards of Conduct will be > submitted to the Board. > > The time or date of completion should be set by the committee, depending > upon the complexity of the issues involved and to insure the inclusion of > all relevant and needful topics as the Committee should determine. However, > in no case should be Standards of Conduct be submitted to the Board any > later than three months after formation of the committee. > > At the completion of the Standards of Conduct, the committee will turn its > findings and the Standards of Conduct over to the Advisory Board for voting. > The Advisory Board should be allowed to propose changes to the Standards of > Conduct and send it back to committee for revision. However, the Standards > of Conduct committee should have veto power over the Advisory Board and the > Standards of Conduct should be accepted by the Board if the committee > unanimously vetos the Board's recommendations for changes. > > The acceptance of the Standards of Conduct by the Advisory Board should be > by a two-thirds majority vote, rather than a simple majority. However, in > the event of dissent within the Project or within the Advisory Board, the > Standards of Conduct committee should retain veto power over all > individuals, groups and the Board; except in the event that a special > election is called by the general membership to veto or override the > Standards of Conduct committee's decisions. > > The purpose of giving the Standards of Conduct committee veto power is to > disallow special interest groups from unduly pressuring a certain viewpoint > or revision into the Standards. The veto power over the Board is in > recognition of the current voices of dissent concerning Board activities and > philosophies, so as to remove the Standards of Conduct from being tainted in > the minds of the general membership as to its intent or goals. > > In the event that the general membership, in accordance with the Bylaws > procedures, calls for the Standards of Conduct to be withdrawn, revised, or > rewritten, then a two-thirds majority of the qualified voters who elect to > vote, should be required. > > The Standards of Conduct should not be part of the Bylaws of the USGenWeb, > but have equal force as the Bylaws in all situations, except that the Bylaws > should take precedence in all situations should there be a conflict between > the two documents. This should include present Bylaws as well as any future > changes to the Bylaws. > > The Standards of Conduct should be a in force and serve as if the Standards > were part of the Bylaws, but exist separately from the Bylaws. This should > be for the sake of providing a procedure in accordance with the Bylaws for > future changes, reivisions, additions or deletions to the Standards of > Conduct, as the general membership deems appropriate. > > After the Standards of Conduct is accepted by the Board, all membership > should be committed to adopting it and enforcing it as individuals as well > as a Project. All present members of the USGenWeb Project should follow the > Standards of Conduct as a matter of honesty and integrity, and as a personal > committment to further positive relationships within the Project. Future > members of the Project should be required to follow the Standards of Conduct > as a condition of membership in the USGenWeb Project. > > The Standards of Conduct committee should set forth a charge to the Advisory > Board to form a standing Standards of Conduct committee as a resource and > avenue for resolving conflicts within the Project. The Standards of Conduct > committee should set forth the specifics of service and election or > appointment to the standing committee as deemed appropriate. > > The Standards of Conduct standing committee should not be enpowered to act > upon any disagreement or complaint, but rather to submit recommendations to > the Board, State Coordinator, or groups as appropriate concerning any > disagreement or complaint. The Standards of Conduct standing committee > should be allowed to investigate any violations of the Standards, but should > be charged to maintain confidentiality and restraint concerning any such > investigation; except in the event when all parties involved agree to any > disclosure of the details or situation involved. > > The Standards of Conduct should serve to unify various factions within the > Project, to provide an avenue for complaints and resolution to violations of > conduct, and encourage an orderly and positive manner for all of the Project > to work together to advance online genealogy and to encourage individual as > well as group participation in the worthy goals when the USGenWeb was first > created. > > Respectfully submtted, > Carol Haagensen > State Coordinator, Wyoming