AMC Meeting: After Lunch On Saturday

After Lunch

Money money money
Motion from Finance Committee re: dues rate increase.
• Mel asked how much is going to the LGs. Cyndi said no one proposed giving LGs a raise, even back when she asked.
• Roger spoke to the economic difficulties some members are facing and that this raise is a slap in the face. Cyndi said we'd have to reduce services because costs have risen for Mensa, just like they have to the members.
• Dan pointed to the fact that we uncoupled dues and LG funding rates.
• Nick said we need the dues increase; it's a necessary evil. Members are more concerned with the unknown rates and timing of increases.
• Ken pointed that LG are increasing their pubs use, and that helps their financial situation.
Marc asked how much effort and where the Finance Comm tried to cut costs in lieu of raising dues.
Pam says that's not how we think because the bylaws require us to have dues motions on two agendas.. which is why we cannot budget and then set dues based on what our budget requires.
Guy appreciates that we need more income, but echos Nick's comment and suggests we set modest increases every year so we can avoid these $4 and $5 shocking jumps.
Mel said his members are understanding about a $4 increase.
Cyndi said something but I didn't catch it.

Lunch is catching up with me and I'm having zoning out a bit.

Time to vote. opposed: Guy, Marc, Roger, Betsy
Dues increase passes.
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Motion about updating the budgetary and purchasing policy (Appendix 20). a little chatting...but basically it's fine.

Vote: unanimous approval
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Motion to appoint auditor. Same firm, but different partners... and a bit of bargaining reduced the cost (yay!).
Vote: unanimous approval
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Motion to borrow up to $300,000 from Life Dues to be paid back by end of March.
Vote: unanimous approval
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Motion to amend bylaws concerning qualification for Chairman (removing prior experience on AMC for nom-com candidates for Chairman).
Currently the Nom com candidate has to have served before, but the petition candidate does not. Dan talked about the history of the variants of this qualification and the process. Russ and Jean spoke to it.. saying that it's not good that the two routes to chair are not the same, but that two wrongs do not make a right. Guy talked to the motion, but I listened instead of taking notes. Several commented that it's a bandaid and we should wait for the Gov Blueprint TF to figure the best long term solution. Mel thought it's bad to have a chair with no experience, but he's reluctant to tell the members who they may and may not choose as leaders. Art pointed out that defeating this motion sill lets members vote for non-experienced candidates via the petition route.

Vote: failed (for: John, Guy, Marc, Betsy)
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Motions for bylaws amendments about hearings. Basically eliminate a national hearings committee and replace it with regional hearings.

I'm paying attention instead of typing the discussion. I see both sides of the issue and I'm not yet sure how to vote. Closer to the members instead of judgment from on high... makes sense. Having experienced hearings comm members... makes sense. Guy talked, saying that this might encourage more hearings. John said the RVCs already do enough. Peggy pointed out that if there is a perception of national hearings members beg too politically close to the issue.. regional people wold be even more so.

Vote- Failed (in favor: Bob, Mel Roger)
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Ombudsman Discussion—Dave Cahn
How he sees his job (handed out several typed pages). Basically he is involved in solving problems. Gets involved in complaints of unfair treatment of a member by TPTB; complaints about Mensa [governance and processes] in general; and in disputes between members. Wants to create a cadres of properly trained mediators to help in member to member disputes.

He touched on the topic of how to handle when confidential info is pertinent to a conflict.

I noted that he uses the term TPTB, and that when the National Ombudsman uses a term that has negative, us-versus-them connotations, it widens the separation between leaders and members and build barriers to trust. Others nodded and Dave agreed that it was a fair point.

One point he wrote is that the ombudsman sees that each individual member is treated fairly and justly by the leadership. I want to ask (and may outside of the meeting): is he is also going to see to it that the leadership is treated fairly and justly by the individual members?
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[my] Motion to amend the "ride-sharing" ASIE. Pretty self-explanatory.
Vote: unanimous approval
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Motion to make sure RGs are listed in the Bulletin for many months. Marc made the motion, the staff already fixed the problem, I moved to substitute an amendment of ASIE 2002-101

Nick opposed to the substitution. Russ abstained.

Discussion of the substituted motion, All nice and tidy and in the spirit of Marc's motion.
Nick feels that we already dealt with it, and this binds us to do it in a particular way when we might be better off with the flexibility we already have.

Vote: passed (Nick opposed)
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Motion to go from 4 & 3 AMC meetings a year to 4 & 4 meetings a year.

I moved to substitute a motion to rescind the ASIE all together. Peggy seconded. Russ and Dan clarified that by bylaws we are already mandated to have at least 3 meetings a year. Dan made a good point that by stating we want 4 a year, we enable the site selection committee to know how many meetings we want to have a year.

Vote on motion to substitute recision of ASIE 2006-81 failed (for: Robin, Peggy, Mel, Jean; Nick abstains)

Back to original motion to amend ASIE 2006-081 to express our desire to have 4 meetings a year.

Vote: passed. (opposed: Robin, Peggy, Nick)
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Motion about Leadership Exchange Program process changes-- the AMC will review and retain final approval over the ambassadors recommended by the LD Committee.

Vote: Failed (For: Betsy, Art; Jean and Debra abstained)
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Motion to revise the MSBs (to allow for electronic distribution of ballots and tidy up a few other minor things to make it all smooth with recent changes in the AML bylaws ((such as the new ombudsman mandates))). One sticking point is that it also mandates that LGs must call an ombudsman an ombudsman, not a mediator or arbitrator.

Vote: approved (Marc opposed)
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Motion to adopt updated Model Bylaws.

Vote: approved
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Motion to publish mini-minutes in the Bulletin
Betsy's point is that this is the only way ALL members will see what the board is doing. I pointed out that if passed, we'd be printing the mini minutes of this meeting several months (February) after we publish the formal minutes and after the agenda for the next meeting is out. I pointed out that the RVCs can write about what the AMC did in their columns.

Vote: failed (For: Debra Guy Marc Jean Bob, Betsy ; Dan and Robin abstained)
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Motion to fix ASIE 1995-080 to include in-room internet (that we said we wanted but forgot to actually type into the motion in july)

Vote: approved
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Consent agenda approved ( big surprise!)
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Good and Welfare

Only MIL candidate who asked for AML endorsement so far is Willem Bowens. Burg moves to nominate WB as MIL Chair. (Approved)

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Conference call in January to decide Leadership candidates, MIL nominations, and changes to the budget if necessary.


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