New bylaws to be considered at the annual meeting

This was a complete rewrite of the bylaws, so there is no “red-lined” version showing the changes from the old version. Members are asked to review the entire document and there will be a presentation on the changes and an opportunity to make amendments to the proposed version before the vote at the annual meeting on April 13.

There were a few changes mandated by AAUW, but most of the changes were due to the new structure that AAUW NC has been using. In 2011 we voted to suspend the bylaws to allow for experimentation, and in 2012 voted to continue with roughly the same structure with the intention of presenting new bylaws in 2013. This is that new set of bylaws.

A rough outline of the new structure can be found in this post from February, 2012.

These bylaws intend to clarify the composition, roles, and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the Presidents’ Council. A major change is that the branch presidents are no longer members of the Board of Directors, but the new Presidents’ Council allows them a voice while increasing the flexibility of the board.

Other changes include removing the “at-large” category of membership from the bylaws and stating that we have an “annual meeting”, not a “convention.” Anyone who wishes to be a member of AAUW NC must join a branch, and, in particular, the Tar Heel Branch serves as a light-weight way to connect a member from any part of the state.

In addition Julie Carlino, a professional writer and daughter of bylaws committee member Grace Knechtel, did a complete reformatting of the document and modernized the language. Our thanks to her and Grace and the other members of the committee, Pat Abell and Peg Holmes.

If there are questions, please contact bylaws chair Lill Van Order or president Mary Peterson, particularly if you see a place where the new version should be amended before a vote. See the state contacts page for their contact information.

More details on the annual meeting