Last fall, the MGNE Board of Directors reviewed the Guild’s bylaws and proposed updates in order to allow for electronic ballots and a more sustainable succession planning in the future. Unfortunately, we did not have a quorum at the 2019 Annual Meeting to pass the amendment.
With the unprecedented events of the past few months, the MGNE Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote in favor of amending its bylaws. These changes will enable us to navigate these unprecedented times and also ensure more inclusivity and connectivity for members by allowing for electronic election of board members and virtual annual meetings.
For example, some of these proposed changes include:
- to be more inclusive, we ammended all the pronouns in the bylaws from he/she/her/him to they/them/theirs.
- to expand our ability for online voting and allow for the election of board members virtually, current language was updated and expanded.
- requirement for Nominating Committee updated to allow for it to become a standing commitee to help with succession planning year round.
A copy of the proposed update bylaws with full explanation of the proposed changes can be viewed by clicking HERE.
After reviewing the proposed changes, please click HERE to submit your vote. To be eligible to vote, you must be a current member of MGNE. (If you have questions regarding your MGNE membership status, please contact us info@mgne.org.) The voting period will be open from Sept 1-October 1, 2020. Deadline for members to vote and submit their ballot is 11:59pm ET on October 1, 2020. For the measure to pass, we will need a quorum of 10% of the current membership.
The MGNE Board will be hosting a virtual Q&A session on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 7-8pm ET. The Board will answer questions you have about the MGNE membership vote on the proposed changes to the MGNE Bylaws and on strategic plans for the future of the Guild. This virtual seminar will take place online via Zoom. Free admission, but registration is required. Click HERE to register.
Every vote counts and your feedback is important to us, so we appreciate your participation. We hope that you are staying well, and staying creative, and look forward to “seeing” you soon!
All the best,
Rebecca Torres
President
