| IMCA Insights – September 2006 After last years elections, many of our Members complained that they hadn’t been aware of our first annual elections to the IMCA Board of Directors. It turned out that several of these Members didn’t receive our IMCA Mailing List messages, or that these messages had ended up in some spam filter. Other Members did forget to update their email addresses with us, and so they missed our announcements, and the opportunity to vote, or to nominate candidates for the IMCA Board. To avoid this, we decided to make our annual elections a bit more public, this year, and thus this Special Edition of IMCA Insights that’s more of an announcement, and a brief tutorial to the IMCA Board of Directors, and the election procedures. Let’s start with a bit of background information. The IMCA Board of Directors Right now, the IMCA Board of Directors is comprised of nine Board Members, with four of them serving as IMCA Board Officers: Anne Black – President According to our Bylaws, each Board Member is elected to a term of three years, and this year the terms of two Board Members are expiring: the terms of Don Edwards, and Ken Newton. Both decided to retire from the Board, and they won’t be up for re-election. We’d like to take the opportunity to publicly thank Don and Ken for all their hard work, their enthusiasm, and all of the energy they put into setting up the foundations of our Association. Thanks guys, you both did a fantastic job, and it’s been a real pleasure to serve with you on the Board! 2006 Election of Three New Directors for the IMCA Board Since Ken Newton, and Don Edwards decided to retire after their terms expired, three new Board Members will be elected in 2006, so that the total number of IMCA Board Members will arrive at ten after the elections. (Three Board Members are to be elected or re-elected in 2007, so that the total number of Board Members will be back to nine, next year.) After the elections, the new Board of Directors will vote upon the Officer's positions for the next term, as regulated by our Bylaws. In any case, we will have to elect a new Treasurer as this position will be vacant after Ken has left the Board. But that’s another issue that will be solved when the time has come to solve it. So let’s get back to the public elections, and the first phase of it: the Nominations. Nominations: Volunteers Wanted! The requirements to be a Candidate are very simple: you must have been a IMCA Member in good standing for two years. For those of you who used to be Honorary (no-fee) Members, this means that you must have paid Membership dues for the last two years (2005 and 2006). If you have any questions regarding your Membership, this would be a good time to contact us, and to ask about your status. A great many of you do qualify. So tell us now that you want to participate in the shaping of our Association for the future. If you really must think about it first (or ask a few questions) we will give you until September 9, 2006, but we must have your email announcing your candidacy no later than September 9, 2006, midnight (Eastern Time). Up to this moment, only four Members officially agreed to be a Candidate – we need at least two more Candidates as our Bylaws require two Candidates for each open slot on the Board. We’re just waiting for a sign from you! Contact the Nominations and Elections Committee at election@imca.cc to let us know that you want to be a Candidate for the Board of Directors. If you want to nominate someone else, that’s also fine with us – just make sure that the Nominee is aware of that nomination, and that he’s actually willing to accept it. In any case, we will have to receive a formal notice by the Nominee, stating that he accepts his nomination no later than September 9, 2006, midnight (Eastern Time). FAQ: How much Work is it? We often have been asked how much work it is to serve on the IMCA Board of Directors. Is it time consuming? There’s no simple answer to that, and it certainly depends on if you are just serving as a Board Member, or as a Board Officer. Naturally, the Officers will have to invest a bit more time and energy into their respective tasks – but then, you won’t have to volunteer for an Officer’s position after the elections. In any case, be prepared to engage in a frequent discussion with the other Board Members, voting on Membership Applicants, resolving disputes, investigating complaints, etc. Besides that, you might be asked to serve on one of the Committees, such as the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Membership Committee, or the Website Committee. Of course, you will be a bit busier if you are a member of the Nominations and Elections Committee at this time of the year. But don’t worry, we all have a life beyond IMCA and its Board of Directors, and we are all used to teamwork. Of course, we would prefer to see Candidates running that are more active Members, and who are actually willing to give their best for our Association. But then, we are fully aware of the natural restrictions put upon us by everyday life, and other commitments. So, What’s Next? After the nominations phase, which will end on September 9, 2006, midnight (Eastern Time), we will take a few days to verify the eligibility of all the Candidates, and we will publish the names of all the Candidates on September 12, 2006. The Candidates will then have 10 days (until September 22, 2006 midnight, Eastern Time) to explain to our Membership why they want to be a Director, and to answer all your questions. And we will actually vote during the week of September 23-30, 2006. Please have a look at our official Election Schedule for more information, and technical details. Official IMCA Election Schedule September 9 (midnight Eastern Time): Deadline for Nominations Contact the Nominations and Elections Committee to let us know that you want to be a Candidate for the Board of Directors. (eligibility requirements – 2 years as a dues paying member in good standing) September 12: Publication of the List of Candidates Frederic Beroud September 12 - 22 (midnight Eastern Time): Campaign The Candidates may tell the Members why they want to sit on the Board of Directors, and to answer other Member's questions. Their statements and answers will be published to the whole membership during that time. September 23-30: Election Week All members may vote for the three Directors only ONCE at any time during this period. Voting begins September 23 and ends midnight September 30 Eastern Time. The special voting email address will be published via the IMCA Mailing List. (If you are not on the IMCA Mailing List and wish to vote, contact the Nominations and Elections Committee) Please be sure to use the mailing address we have on file for you, so we may verify that the vote is coming from a registered, eligible Member. Please contact us if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to your participation, and to your votes. Thanks. Best Regards to all of you, Anne Black, President IMCA Inc. •
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