Questions Chapters Will Ask March 7th

[Andrew Muehlfeld (Alpha - UIUC)]

In addition to the informal, brief pre-meeting, what do you all think
of posting the questions you will ask tomorrow?

[Andrew Muehlfeld (Alpha - UIUC)]

Here are the questions Alpha has submitted to Kathy:

1) Over the past several years, have expenses begun to exceed income?
--If the response is yes, we will ask:
----Why do our tax filings indicate that expenses have not begun to
exceed income?
----Can you provide evidence that expenses have begun to exceed
income?
--If the response is no, we will ask:
----Why does the FAQ state that "over the past several years, expenses
have begun to exceed income?"

2) Over the past several years, has the endowment been gradually
decreasing?
--Yes:
----Why do our tax filings indicate that the endowment has not been
gradually decreasing?
----Can you provide evidence that the endowment has been gradually
decreasing?
--No:
----Why does the FAQ state that "over the past several years ... the
endowment has been gradually decreasing"?

3) Does HKN have a structural operating deficit?
--Yes:
----Why do our tax filings indicate that HKN does not have a
structural operating deficit?
----Can you provide evidence that HKN has a structural operating
deficit?
--No:
----Why does the FAQ state that "HKN has a structural operating
deficit"?

4) Are the reserves depleting?
--Yes:
----Why do our tax filings indicate that the reserves are not
depleting?
----Can you provide evidence that the reserves are depleting?
--No:
----Why does the FAQ state that "this deficit will continue to deplete
the reserves"?

5) Have net assets been decreasing?
--Yes:
----Why do our tax filings indicate that net assets are not
decreasing?
----Can you provide evidence that net assets are decreasing?
--No:
----Why did Dr. Eisenstein send Alpha's faculty advisor an email
stating that "it is the net assets that has been decreasing"?

6) Can you confirm that executing the proposed merger will require a
3/4 vote of active chapters? The constitution requires a 3/4 vote of
active chapters to make amendments. The proposed merger would require
amendments to Article VII, Section 4 "Membership: Qualifications". It
would also require amendments to Article XIII "Fees, Dues, and
Subscriptions". If the BoG feels the proposed merger does not require
amendments and a 3/4 vote, Alpha chapter enacts our right to review
the BoG's initial position, provided in Article X, Section 5 "Board of
Governors: Interpretation of Constitution", that "any such
interpretation by the Board shall, at the request of any Active
Chapter, be subject to majority approval by the next Convention."

7) Can you provide a list of active chapters?

8) How will active chapters eligible to vote who do not submit a vote
affect the calculation of 3/4?

[Darren Lo (Mu Chapter Corresponding Secretary Sp 2008)]

Mu Chapter's are below. I'll note that our question 1 is a vaguer
version of Alpha's questions 1-5. I agree with the question on how
votes will be counted, but somehow neglected to include it in what I
sent to Kathy. Good thing you included it.

1)
Please provide numerical evidence of HKN's financial distress. It is
very unclear how our IRS tax reports show an increase in net assets
while we are somehow losing money. Also, please show us how IEEE's
payments will solve these problems.

2)
What alternative plans were considered? Why are they no longer under
consideration?

3)
Many chapters agree that we have not received enough information to
make
a good decision on this issue. Could we push the date of the vote
back
until Fall or later, so as to allow chapters sufficient time to
discuss
the full information?

4)
What assurances do we have that IEEE will not change HKN membership
requirements? We assume that our constitution will be invalidated, so
will there be some change to IEEE's constitution to protect the
independence of HKN? Must significant changes to HKN still be
ratified
by the chapters, as per our current constitution?

5)
Please make explicitly clear what the differences are between:
pre-merger initiates that pay the new annual fees (assuming they may
do so)
pre-merger initiates that do not pay the new annual fees
post-merger initiates that pay the new annual fees
post-merger initiates that do not pay the new annual fees

Please be sure to address:
Is this person considered a current "member"?
What HKN and IEEE services will be available to this person?

6)
What exactly are the new fees? Has there been any investigation into
how willing HKN members and candidates are to pay these fees, and how
this may affect initiation rates?

7)
What exactly are the changes being made to IEEE's governing boards?
HKN's?

8)
This isn't so much a question as it is a concern. After the merger
occurs and a generation of students passes, all HKN members at a
particular university will be invited to all IEEE events at that same
university, as they will all be members of IEEE. Any HKN-only events
will involve the same people, but exclude IEEE members not in HKN.
This
exclusiveness will tend to be unpopular, and eventually there will be
no
HKN events. Since HKN members really learn to bond with each other
through HKN events, this will lead to the loss of any distinct HKN
chapter, and HKN will be merely a designation within IEEE. The HKN
and
IEEE chapters will inevitably merge, and HKN will not be recognized as
anything distinct from IEEE. HKN chapters as we know them will
eventually disappear.

On Mar 6, 11:24 am, "Andrew Muehlfeld (Alpha - UIUC)"