A. Only members in good standing whose dues are received by the national organization or its appropriate subunits at least ninety (90) days prior to the Conference and who are duly registered, credentialed and in attendance shall be eligible to vote at the Conference. Each member in attendance shall have one vote.

B. …There shall be no proxy voting.

Accordingly, to bring our local chapter into compliance with our national organization, and to assure that we have a properly held election, one that is not subject to a possible local grievance, or to invalidation or sanctions from NOW, Greater Portland operating rules provide that any three members can propose amendments to our bylaws.

Proposed additions appear in underlined bold italics. Proposed deletions appear [bold in brackets.]

GP NOW Bylaws – Article X. Elections                                                                                                                                                              Officers and board members must be elected by simple majority vote of the members present who have been members at least ninety (90) days prior to the election [and/or their individual proxy],or by a majority of preferences counted in the event preferential voting is used. All members of the Chapter [are eligible to vote] must be notified of the election by the procedure described in the operating rules of the Chapter.

GP NOW Bylaws – Article XIV. Amendments   These bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote, [including any individual proxies] at a meeting of the Chapter providing the proposed amendment has been [mailed,] emailed or otherwise provided to members 30 days in advance of the meeting [or published in every member newsletter30 days in advance of the meeting].

GP NOW Operating Rules – III. D. Qualifications and terms of office.                                                                                                        1. All officers shall have been members of NOW for six (6) months prior to the election and attended at least two membership meetings.  3. Officer’s terms shall begin at the beginning of themonth [fiscal year] following the meeting at which they are elected and shall run through the end of that same fiscal year.                                                                                                                                                            5. All at-large board members shall have been members of GP NOW for at least[60] 90days prior to the election.

This has been emailed to our membership list and represents official 30 day notice of a propose bylaw change as of Dec. 10th.