Region One President’s Report
Published: July 18, 2008
Greetings Airstreamers:
The 51st International Rally ended only two weeks ago, and your new Region 1 officer team looks forward to the next two years of Fun, Fellowship and Adventure as we rally and caravan together. It’s less than five weeks before our Region 1 Rally at Bayside RV Campground on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Bob Thompson, our Past President and Region 1 Rally Chair reports that 120 WBCCI member units have registered for the rally, which is a superb showing given the distance many of us will have to travel and the cost of fuel for our tow vehicles or motor homes. We expect a fine time to be had by all! If you haven’t signed up for the rally, there are a few more spaces available. Please contact Bob Thompson immediately at bob9581@hughes.net, or call 540-449-1101, to make your reservation.
While in Bozeman, Montana for the International Rally, I was in contact with members of each of our six units, looking for volunteers to fill the numerous committee positions which contribute to a smooth-running region. I was delighted by the positive responses I received from so many of you, and look forward to announcing the appointments at our Annual Region Meeting on August 21st. Our members are blessed with many talents, and have demonstrated a willingness to volunteer their help. It has been very encouraging to me.
Your region officers have agreed on a schedule of visitations to units at their 2008 Fall Business Meetings. I will be installing officers of Canadian Atlantic Unit at Bayside RV Campground on August 13th. Russ Melocik, 1st Vice President, will attend the unit’s Country Roads Rally in Nova Scotia on September 13th, and will install officers of Québec Canada Unit, in Yamachiche, Québec,on September 20th. Dan Dureiko, 2nd Vice President, will install officers of Cape Cod MA Unit on September 13th. I will install officers of White Mountains NH Unit on the same day, and will attend New England Unit’s Fall Business Meeting, in Milton, NH, on September 26th-28th. Dan and I both plan to attend Charter Oak CT Unit’s Fall Business Luncheon, in East Hartford, CT, on November 9th. (Don’t forget, the choice of installing officer is the prerogative of the incoming president of each unit.)
At this time of year, your outgoing presidents should be taking stock of the accomplishments of their units since installation last Fall; your incoming presidents should be planning for their unit’s year ahead. The WBCCI Unit Planning Guide and Merit Award Program facilitates effective unit programs and their evaluation. Your visiting region officer can help you with the program, and answer your questions. We’re looking for all Region 1 units to participate in the program. Do make use of it, and good luck in earning Merit Awards for your unit!
WBCCI has just introduced a Region Planning Guide and Merit Award Program intended to facilitate effective region programs and their evaluation. The program’s initial year of operation is July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008. Bob Thompson, as outgoing region president, is responsible for year’s activities and their evaluation, and would be the recipient of any award.
As you may recall, a special committee appointed at the Region 1 Annual Meeting in 2007, which consisted of Dick Bartram, Rick Cipot and Franklin Sanders, developed a Proxy Voting Proposal to amend the WBCCI Constitution and Bylaws to permit a unit to appoint a person from another unit in the same region to be its representative at the Delegates Meeting (held each year on June 30th). Bob Thompson introduced a motion at the winter 2008 International Board of Trustees meeting asking the IBT to introduce an amendment of the WBCCI Constitution at the 2008 Delegates Meeting. Bob’s motion immediately was ruled out-of-order on the basis that proxy voting was inconsistent with the status of a “deliberative assembly”, one at which all members are entitled to be present and discuss pending business. No discussion of the motion was permitted.
Bob Thompson reintroduced his motion at the IBT Meeting in June. International President Jerry Collins did permit discussion of the motion at the IBT Seminar on June 24th. After extensive discussion, a ‘straw poll’ of the IBT Board of Trustees was taken, and a majority of the members of the IBT indicated opposition to the motion. Objections to the motion were based upon the “deliberative assembly” theory, the complexity of the proposal, concern that proxy voting was not permitted under Ohio law for non-profit corporations unless specifically authorized as such, concerns as to control of proxy holders, and concern about reducing the rationale for attendance at Delegates Meetings. The motion was not brought forward to the formal IBT Meeting on June 26th.
Rich Kushman, President of Charter Oak Connecticut Unit, was present at the Seminar, heard the discussion, and thought of a far simpler way of achieving the objective of representation for units unable to send a Delegate to the Delegates Meeting. Rich shared with your region officers a proposal to broaden those qualified to be a Delegate or Alternate to include Affiliate Members of a unit. His proposal avoids references to proxies or proxy voting, and can be accomplished in a far simpler fashion that our original Proxy Voting Proposal.
This matter will be on the Agenda for our Region 1 Annual Meeting, with the opportunity to discuss the merits of a new approach as Rich has suggested, and how the amendment might be brought before the Delegates Meeting.
Registration forms can be found on the Region One Rally page of this website or for more information, contact: Bob Thompson (WBCCI#280) address is in the WBCCI Directory, or e-mail at BOB9581@HUGHES.NET.
Franklin Sanders