2026 proposed Bylaws changes

[Bret Hess]

We’ve made changes to our  bylaws in each of the past four years, and feel they are in pretty good shape.  The only changes we had thought of this year were minor changes in the wording on initiate insurance from last year.  

Then when planning this year’s elections, I remembered the two stress-inducing election/voting rules that we could change.  The board has developed bylaws proposed changes to address them, and would like any member input before we set the final wording.

Below is the motivation and summary, and you can also read the draft of wording changes, including the minor insurance changes.

You can post your thoughts and questions here.  

1. The first is when board nominations close:  They are to remain open until 24 hrs before voting starts.  That's too rushed to ask for candidate statements and publicize them.  We’re proposing that nominations close 4 days before the vote.  

2. The other issue is the 2/3 majority vote needed for bylaws changes.  The board has to work hard to get a simple (>50%) majority of all members eligible to vote. For bylaws changes the board has to hunt down individual non-voters to get to 67% majority, and it’s a lot of unnecessary work.  

The idea the board came up with to address this is similar to what we already have in our bylaws about voting at in-person meetings (section 3.4):  if we don’t have a quorum present to vote, a second meeting can be held where those present constitute a quorum, regardless of their number.  This is a common mechanism in many associations

So we’re proposing that if in the regular voting period the bylaws are approved by more than 2/3 of members that vote, but not 2/3 of all eligible to vote, the board can hold a second voting period where if 2/3 of those voting approve, the amendment passes.