PLL BYLAWS COMMITTEE REPORT FOR 1999 - 2000
The PLL/SIS Bylaws Committee (Johanna Bizub,
Caren Luckie, Carla Evans & David Mao)
began its work in January.
Some background--the 1999 PLL Nominations Committee and Executive Board have
expressed their dismay over the lack of candidates willing to run for offices
and the non-participation of members in the balloting. For example, we list 1700
members but only 500 members vote. The cost of printing, labeling, stuffing, and
mailing run over $2,000. Per year.
Our assignment from the Executive Board was to review the requirements for
election and bylaws voting and balloting, simplify the process, reduce costs and
hopefully, garner more member participation. Additionally, all Bylaws must be
reviewed annually and adjusted to comply with AALL Model SIS Bylaws.
To begin, we compared our current Bylaws to the AALL Model SIS bylaws and
made any necessary changes. Additionally, we allowed the Nominations Committee
the opportunity to submit a single slate for offices with write-ins by petition,
if no one else will run. All of the SISs, Chapters and AALL has found it
difficult to find candidates, it may not be necessary but it prevents a Bylaws
violation.
In order to simply the voting/balloting process, we reviewed other SIS and
Chapter election procedures, and then, the committee discussed the various
options�Mail ballots, e-mail ballots, and votes taken at annual meeting. We
all liked the idea of e-mail balloting but at this time, AALL does not a process
in place to handle the verification necessary. We believe that this could
eventually happen but not for 2000. Some members liked the idea of voting at the
annual meeting and reducing voting costs completely and others felt that the
Bylaws should allow everyone to vote via mail.
We posed both ideas to the AALL Bylaws Committee and both were acceptable.
The PLL Bylaws Committee decided to continue with the mail ballot, reducing the
extra envelopes and agreed to re-examine member participation in 2001. We agreed
that e-mail balloting could be a reality by then, or PLL could switch to voting
at the annual meeting and further reduce our costs.
I will continue as chair for 2000-2001.
Johanna C. Bizub, Chair
PLL Bylaws Chair