GHI Members Changed Their Bylaws

(GHI) members voted on four bylaws changes and one member petition at Wednesday's annual membership meeting in the . Here is a summary of what passed and what went back to committee:

• SUGGESTED BYLAWS CHANGE ONE

A change to a segment of Article III, Section 1 that defined membership, recommended additions are bolded, recommended deletion is bracketed:
Only one person per dwelling unit may be a member of the Corporation except that a husband and wife or persons from the same unit or other persons specifically authorized by the Board of Directors  [may hold a membership jointly]  may each be a member; they are called joint members.

GHI members debated whether to add wording that would include persons with civil unions, parent child relationships and other partnerships, they also debated whether the new language might leave room for more than 1,600 voters for 1,600 GHI units.

"It's just scary language," Eileen from Ridge Road said, "This could wreak mischief."

Tom Jones thought the change should designate one Mutual Onwnership Contract (MOC) per unit, or he feared it could create thousands of new memberships.

Wayne Williams urged members to look at the court case that established the current wording, cautioning review committees to pass any suggested changes by a lawyer -- to ensure that GHI could maintain some authority over who is part of it.

Vote On Bylaws Change One: Members voted to return the suggested change to the Nominations and Elections Committee and to a committee referenced as the Bylaws Committee -- for the language to be worked on and submitted back to the membership next year.

• SUGGESTED BYLAWS CHANGE TWO

A segment in Article III, Section 5 addressing family members' rights to hold multiple elected offices, with suggested addition in bold:
Only a member of the Corporation, at least twenty-one years of age, and a GHI resident may be a director of the Corporation or a member of a committee elected by the membership. Only one member from a unit may hold elected office at a time.

Vote on Bylaws Change Two:
Members voted to pass the change.

• SUGGESTED BYLAWS CHANGE THREE

Segments of Article IV, Sections 8a and 8b, changing, by a few days, timeline dates for the Nominations and Elections Committee.

Vote on Bylaws Change Three:
Members voted to pass the change.

• SUGGESTED BYLAWS CHANGE FOUR

A segment in Article IV, Section 8C regarding whether the GHI Board and Audit Committee members should be elected by the plurality or the majority systems of voting, with the language to be deleted in brackets and the new suggested language bolded:
Elections shall be by [the plurality system of voting], the majority system of voting, the procedures, rules, and regulations of which shall be determined by the Nominations and Elections Committee, subject to approval or modification by the membership.

Some members expressed concern that, all things considered, under the new language -- if a position remained open because a candidate did not achieve a majority vote, the GHI Board members who achieved majority votes would select the new person(s) to fill each spot.

Harris Maclay argued the new language would empower cliques within the Board that could perpetuate themselves.

GHI Board secretary Ed James, was concerned about the potential for more members running for seats than there were openings, creating a situation where only a few would win by majority vote. In which case, GHI might end up without the five members necessary for a quorum -- and be unable to act.

Vote on Bylaws Change Four:
Members voted to return the suggested change to committee -- to be worked on and submitted back to the membership next year.

• MEMBER PETITION FOR COMMITTEE PAY INCREASES:

Membership also voted on a members petition that called for pay increases to GHI Board members at a rate of $20 and to Audit Committee members at a rate of $10, every five years, which also stated -- This will be effective at the start of the new fiscal year (January 1, 2012.)

Vote on Member Petition:
Membership passed the pay increases with three amendments. The amendments clarified that:

1. the increase would be monthly
2. members could choose to forego compensation for elected office, and
3. The word "this" in the language "This will be effective…" would be changed to "The first such increase will be effectively at the start of the new fiscal year (January 1, 2012.)