Due to changes in the District of Columbia statute under which the ACB is incorporated, we are obliged to make some important changes in the way we conduct our business. These changes will primarily affect who is eligible to vote in ACB elections, or in the event that there is a roll call vote during an ACB business meeting.
The D.C. law now requires that membership organizations establish a “record date” for determining the names and addresses of all members who are eligible to vote at an annual membership meeting. This “record date” must be established by the board of directors and be no more than 70 days prior to the annual meeting. The ACB board has voted to set our “record date” at 30 days before the opening session of the ACB conference and convention. In 2015, this date is June 5. Therefore, beginning with the 2015 annual conference and convention, any person wishing to be eligible to vote in our business meetings at the convention must pay their dues to the national office no later than 30 days before the opening of the conference and convention. This requirement applies to both individuals paying as members at large and to members paying dues through a state or special-interest affiliate. Please note that people can pay dues at any time, but only those members whose ACB dues are received by June 5 can vote at the conference and convention.
This change has no impact on affiliate voting. Individuals who pay dues to an affiliate at convention should ask the affiliate about their eligibility to vote during affiliate business meetings. Special-interest affiliates that are incorporated in the District of Columbia may have established their own record dates for the same reason that ACB is being required to do so. In each case, members are welcome to pay dues and join the organization at any time. They will receive every benefit of membership, except the right to vote at the business meeting this July, because the record date by which eligible voters at that meeting must be identified has already passed.
We are aware that this is a significant change in the policies we have followed for many years with regard to voting by individuals who join ACB during our conferences, but it is now the law. It is also at variance from current provisions of ACB’s constitution and bylaws, so they will require amendment to bring us into compliance with the D.C. statute. John Huffman, chair of ACB’s constitution and bylaws committee, and his committee will be working on these amendments over the next few weeks for presentation to the membership at the convention in Dallas.
— Kim Charlson