VFC Bylaws

[Rory]

Although VFC has existed since 2003 and approved articles of
incorporation in February 2006 before formal incorporation in March,
2006, it has never adopted formal bylaws. Bylaws were drafted and
reviewed by the interim board in April 2007, returned for revision and
a completely new version prepared by interim board member Lori
Loranger in November 2007, and Sunrise O'Mahoney had repeatedly
expressed plans to post bylaws for ownership discussion, but at the
most recent board meeting, Mike Kerbs noted that the goal was to
approve bylaws by July 1, 2008.

Does anyone know of anywhere that these bylaws have been published?
Has anyone been given a copy for review? By state law the board of
directors is required to create bylaws, but with only a few days left
before July 1, how is it even possible to do this?

Does anyone here have a copy of the proposed bylaws which they can
post to the Files section? Have board members even been given a
physical copy of these bylaws? Claiming they exist, are in review
somewhere or are posted to some invitation-only web site is clearly an
offense against transparency and cooperative principles such as
education and democratic control. It seems impossible to have any sort
of substantive democratic control without clear bylaws and rules to
follow.

Where can any owner get a copy of these bylaws? Where shall owners
have an opportunity to review them? Will approval of the bylaws be
final or provisional until a vote of the ownership?

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=24.06&full=true#24.06.095

[h]

Rory attends meetings, but makes a good show in asking for items. I
don;t know if her thinks this is successful agitation from the base or
not, all I know is that he already knows the answers to most all of
his questions.

What I would like to know is where other people stand on this item:
are you all freaking out that there is some duplicitous scheme going
on, or, like me, do you think that everyone is working well and hard
towards the goal - including the learning curve, the attention span of
working people, and the general nature of getting "stuff" organized?

I feel like I have been witnessing really poor Shakespeare, the
soliloquy's are getting a bit much.

~heather lehman

who is also waiting for the by-law commentary period that occurs after
legal review...which is what everyone has patiently been checking on
who is on the Board.....

[Rory]

When and where will these be posted for owner review?

I would suggest that they be mailed (not as an attachment) to the VFC-
Owners Google group and that the VFC-Owners Google Group be
reconfigured so that comments can be made there.

Having all "official" groups and fora be top-down distribution lists
does not seem to me welcoming, democratic or inclusive.

What would be harmed by releasing the latest draft version of the
bylaws for owner review?

[Rory]

What is the current status of bylaws? Mike Krebs had indicated at the
last board meeting that the goal was to have a draft ready by July
1st, no? Where are things with this? Does anyone know?

[Glenna Rose]

I worked with Mike on a project last summer. I certainly have
the impression that any commitment Mike has made he will do all
he can to honor.

With Mike taking care of it, I am certain we can expect to see
those bylaws soon for the owners to review and approve as has
been promised. Mike certainly seems to b an honest and
responsible person, truly caring about Vancouver Food Co-op.