communication department

Volume XX Number 6

Elections

Bylaws Referendum to Be Held in Fall

By Mary R. Wise, Chair, Bylaws Committee

In early fall, STC will conduct a member referendum to determine whether the Society will adopt a new set of bylaws. Because the current bylaws contain many inconsistencies and are out of compliance with New York state law, STC’s Bylaws Committee worked with the Society’s legal counsel to completely rewrite the bylaws. For more information about the need for new bylaws, please see the following articles:

• “STC Bylaws, Version 2.0,” January 2007 Intercom, page 31
• “The New STC Bylaws: A Leaner Approach,” February 2007 Intercom, page 32

Both articles are available from the Intercom archives.

At the recent Technical Communication Summit in Minneapolis, STC held an open forum to listen to members’ concerns about changing the bylaws. An audio recording of that forum and several supporting documents, including texts of both the current and proposed bylaws, are posted on the Society Web site.

The deadline for members to tell the Bylaws Committee what you think about the new bylaws is Monday, July 16. We want to hear from you and consider your opinions!

Region 1 Election

By Suzanna Laurent, Chair, Nominating Committee

In April, STC members elected Region 1 Director Cynthia C. Currie as the Society’s Second Vice President, creating a vacancy on STC’s Board of Directors. To fill the Region 1 Director position in time for the next Board meeting, STC will hold a special election in July.

Although STC no longer elects Directors by region, New York state law requires the remainder of Currie’s term to be filled by a vote of the members who live in the same region as those who originally elected her. All members in good standing who reside in Region 1 as of July 1, 2007, are eligible to vote. (Note: According to STC’s bylaws, student members do not have voting rights.)

When candidates are selected, they will be posted on the election voting site, which may be accessed via www.stc.org. 

The election will open in mid-July. By the end of July, paper ballots will be mailed to eligible voters who indicated on their 2007 membership applications and renewal forms that they do not wish to receive election materials electronically. Members who intend to vote by paper ballot are urged to return their completed ballots immediately.

The person elected as Region 1 Director will begin serving on the Board immediately after the election and continue until STC’s annual meeting in June 2008. On the advice of STC’s legal counsel, no petitions can be accepted for this position.