At this year’s business meeting, which will be held during our Annual Membership Meeting on November 18, you will be asked to vote on revisions to the MCLS bylaws. The revisions are necessary to bring MCLS into compliance with the updated Michigan Nonprofit Act, which was approved by the legislature in 2015. The MCLS Board of Directors is recommending a “Yes” vote on the revised bylaws.
We must have a quorum of ten percent of the membership at the business meeting to approve the bylaws. This year, you may attend at one of three sites:
- Indiana Wesleyan University, North Campus, 3777 Priority Way South Drive, Indianapolis, IN
- Lansing Community College, West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, MI
- Northern Michigan University, Olson Library, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI
The vote on the bylaws will take place during the business meeting, which will start at 12:45 and conclude at 1:45. Those who wish to attend only the business meeting and no other sessions at the Annual Membership Meeting may do so at no charge. Please contact Heather Ladiski at 800-530-9019 extension 133 or ladiskih@mcls.org for more information about attending only the business meeting.
We encourage everyone to attend the full Annual Membership Meeting. We have an exciting program planned and great speakers on tap. Registration is now open. Please go to http://www.mcls.org/training-events/training-events-list/training-event/?ref_cID=198&bID=0&dd_asId=6109 to register.
A red-lined version of the bylaws shows the current language and the proposed changes. There are a significant number of modifications. Below are the most significant amendments:
- Adding a Treasurer to the Board officers. The act requires every nonprofit Board to have a President, Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, to the three required officers, the MCLS Board will also have a vice-president. Duties for the new Treasurer position have been added. See Section 5.08.
- Changing the title of the presiding officer from “Chair” to “President.” The law requires every Board to have a president. See Section 5.01.
- Explicitly authorizing email and electronic balloting. The law now allows for membership votes by electronic means, and the new bylaws include language to make it clear when and how MCLS members may vote electronically. See Section 7.04.
- Election procedures. The process that has been used to elect new Board members is now incorporated into the bylaws. This is designed to make our election process transparent to members. See Section 4.03.
- Board officer elections. The way that Board officers are nominated and elected is now part of the bylaws. See Section 5.03.
- Notice of Board meetings. Language to clarify the way that notice is given about Board meetings has been added. See Section 4.09.
- Inspection of records. The types of records and methods of inspection that are available to members is clarified. See Section 10.04.
Please review the revised bylaws to see all the changes.
To be eligible to vote, you must be the Member Representative for your institution. If you cannot be present for the meeting, an Alternate may be appointed, or you may assign a new Member Representative. Appointment of an Alternate or new Member Representative must be done via email or in writing prior to November 16. Please send an email message to receptionist@mcls.org to change the Member Representative or appoint an Alternate.
The Board believes that these bylaws changes will not only bring MCLS into compliance with state law but also make governance of the organization more effective. We look forward to seeing you on November 18.
