Meeting Summary from Friday, July 15, 2011

 Yes, many things were said and decided when the "board" met on Friday.  Rather than give you a "who-said-what" sort of run-down, you're getting just the important decisions.  Please contact me at secretary@jamsofenchantment.com if you have questions about what happened.  Or if I forgot anything.  Or if you just plain don't like me

First off, all offices and positions have been dissolved.  Although we have people who are performing the traditional duties of our board members, we've decided to start fresh with new elections and new (or re-elected) board members.

 We will have four officers, performing the duties of President, Vice President, Secretary, and treasurer.  The board will also have between four and six board members (exact number TBD) who do not have duties (like the officers will).  Formally, these board positions are called Directors at Large.  They have the same voting privileges as the four officers, and can be used to fill the quorum requirement (it's a legal thing; don't worry about it).  A contribution above and beyond the $25 standard annual membership dues will not increase your chances of getting a spot on the board; all board positions will be elected.

We will hold elections for all 8-10 board members during the first week of October.  Voting by proxy will be allowed.  Members will get all the voting instructions in plenty of time.  The nominations committee will make the final decision as to who your candidates are for each position, but we don't expect any problems during the primary elections.  Final votes will be collected by midnight on Friday, October 7.  New board members will assume their new duties and rights at midnight on Sunday, October 16 (late Saturday night).

One vote per member, and only dues-paying members are entitled to a vote.  No "in kind" donations are allowed, so only people who have paid their membership dues will be allowed to vote (in the October election or in any future membership votes).

On Monday, October 17, we will start the process to apply for New Mexico non-profit status.  Four officers must sign the required document, so we felt it was best to wait until our first election is final.  By then, the bylaws committee will have the final set of bylaws ready for public inspection.

Officers will serve one year per term, and can be re-elected once, for a maximum of two consecutive terms.  After that, a board member can be nominated and run for any other board position, and can run again for his/ her previous position after one term.  Two members of the same household cannot hold two board positions at the same time.

We will have general elections for each article in the bylaws before they're finalized.  We haven't decided yet how we'll accomplish this, but members might be required to attend a meeting in person in order to vote on bylaws.

The Treasurer can spend up to $50 when acting on the wishes of the board of directors without requiring individual consent for each purchase.  Any spending $50.01 or more will require a board vote and approval.  Larger amounts will require a general vote (open to all dues-paying members), but the exact ceiling for board-only-approval is TBD.

Some ideas for future JOE projects include a holiday benefit (in December) when JOE will donate proceeds to needy families, through Joy Junction, Toys for Tots, or another worthy charity.  Ideally, the event will offer free or discount admission if patrons bring a new toy or, perhaps, some non- perishable food.