| Proposed Bylaw Changes
The ABO Executive Board has put
forth two proposed changes to our bylaws:
- Proposal to allow dues changes to be
voted on by electronic ballot (rather than only at the business meeting)
Rationale: Our current bylaws state that dues increases must be approved by a
majority vote of members present at a regularly scheduled business meeting.
Because we currently hold a business meeting once a year, it makes it very
difficult to make changes for the section in a timely manner, based on the
input of our entire constituency.
This is NOT a proposal to increase Section dues, but rather a proposal to give
us the flexibility to do it in a more timely manner in the future if there is a
need. Our dues are currently very low compared to other sections, and we may be
forced to increase dues if the overhead costs from the AAA continue to rise, or
if we want to undertake any major Section initiatives.
All other requirements for dues changes (e.g., majority vote and 30-day written
notice to members) would remain the same.
- Proposal to change the
timing of the official business meeting to coincide with the research
conference rather than the Annual Meeting.
Rationale: We currently hold our annual business meeting in conjunction with
the AAA Annual Meeting. Because the business meeting conflicts with other AAA
sessions and activities, attendance at this meeting is typically very low
(e.g., 10 to 15 members).
The Board recommends that we move the official business meeting to coincide
with the midyear research conference. We believe we would get much better
attendance since the conference is focused on our Section and those who attend
share the goal of supporting behavioral research. We also believe it would
provide an opportunity to get more people who are interested in behavioral
research involved in our Section's governance structure.
We would then hold some type of social function (e.g., reception) at the AAA to
provide an opportunity for our members to interact and to recognize the
outgoing officers, etc. The Chair would also have the option of calling an
official business meeting (with 30 days' notice) at the AAA if circumstances
warrant.
All bylaws changes must be approved
by a 2/3 majority of total votes cast, so please take the opportunity to
express your vote on these issues when you receive a ballot in the near future.
|
