Bylaws Update Coming

The Friends Board has been working over the past year on an update to the bylaws.  Proposed amendments will be taken to the Membership for approval at the annual meeting on Saturday, February 29.  To date the significant changes being considered by the Board include:

• The addition of anti-discrimination language which should be in our bylaws for purposes of getting government grants.
• Annual memberships will start on the date of dues payment, rather than on January 1 of each year.  This will work better with the membership software that Friends now uses.
• The way of counting the members of the Board of Directors is clarified with the minimum number set at seven and the maximum number at 17.
  
• The quorum for a Board meeting is increased from four members to 6 members. 
  
• The timeline for the nominating committee to present a slate to the Board is changed to better reflect actual practice, i.e., the slate to be presented to the Board no later than the January meeting, with the slate approved by the Board going before the Membership at the February annual meeting.
• A conflict of interest policy is added to comply with Florida law.
• Security provisions are added to deal with passwords and email addresses each year when there is a transition to new officers.

 
For a draft of the bylaws showing all changes, please contact John McPherson, jkmcpherson@att.net, 352-317-7431.