IMCA Insights – August 2012
It is this time again……
by Anne Black & Jeff Kuyken
It is still very hot
here but the Denver Show is just a few weeks away.
So, YES, it is this time of the year again, time for our Yearly
Elections!
And to make it absolutely sure that not one single member missed this
opportunity to become a Director or to vote for their favorite
candidates; we are devoting a whole issue of our newsletter to it.
Additionally, this year we are going to ask a bit more of all of you, we
are going to ask you for your opinion on a few changes we are
considering, more about that very soon on the IMCA mailing list, but we
believe you will be interested so make sure you are getting your mail.
And since you must be a Member in good standing to vote, this might be a
good time to check on that, do we have your correct current email
address? Did you pay your dues for 2012? If you are not sure, this would
be a good time to check by asking the Board
(election@imca.cc).
What's next?
In accordance with our ByLaws, three Board Members will be elected in
2012, and at least six Candidates will be up for election (our ByLaws
require a minimum of two Candidates for each vacant Board position).
Something that brings us to the first phase of our public elections: the
Nominations.
Nominations: Volunteers Wanted!
The requirements to be
a Candidate are very simple: you must have been a IMCA Member in good
standing for at least two years. And since we are an International
Association we really want the Board to be International too, so go
ahead be a Candidate, even if your English is not perfect, If you have
any questions regarding your Membership, this would be a good time to
contact us, and to ask about your status.
A great many of you do qualify. So tell us now that you want to
participate in the shaping of our Association for the future. If you
really must think about it first (or ask a few questions) we will give
you until September 12, 2012, but we must have your email
announcing your candidacy no later than September 12, 2012, midnight
(Eastern Time). Remember – we need at least six Candidates as our
Bylaws require two Candidates for each open slot on the Board. We’re
just waiting for a sign from you!
Contact the Nominations and Elections Committee at election@imca.cc
to let us know that you want to be a Candidate for the Board of
Directors. If you want to nominate someone else, that's also fine with
us – just make sure that the Nominee is aware of that nomination, and
that he’s actually willing to accept it. In any case, we will have to
receive a formal notice by the Nominee, stating that he accepts his
nomination no later than September 12, 2012, midnight (Eastern Time).
FAQ: How much Work is it?
We often have been
asked how much work it is to serve on the IMCA Board of Directors. Is it
time consuming? There’s no simple answer to that, and it certainly
depends on if you are just serving as a Board Member, or as a Board
Officer. Naturally, the Officers will have to invest a bit more time and
energy into their respective tasks – but then, you won't have to
volunteer for an Officer’s position after the elections.
In any case, be prepared to engage in a frequent discussion with the
other Board Members, voting on Membership Applicants, resolving
disputes, investigating complaints, etc. Besides that, you might be
asked to serve on one of the Committees, such as the Nominations and
Elections Committee, the Membership Committee, or the Website Committee.
Of course, you will be a bit busier if you are a member of the
Nominations and Elections Committee at this time of the year.
Besides that, working on other Committees, such as the Encyclopedia of
Meteorites Committee, can mean a lot of work: just ask Bob Falls who
does a fantastic job answering your questions and constantly updating
the IMCA Encyclopedia of Meteorites. Just have a look, and you
will see what we mean. Thanks to Bob for all of their time, great work,
and enthusiasm.
The continuing work on the Encyclopedia of Meteorites, the open
discussion of international meteorite laws, business practices, a major
over-all of our website and other important issues will sure keep all
new and old Directors busy, but don’t worry, we all have a life beyond
IMCA and its Board of Directors, and we are all used to teamwork. Of
course, we would prefer to see Candidates running that are more active
Members, and who are actually willing to give their best for our
Association. But then, we are fully aware of the natural restrictions
put upon us by everyday life, and other commitments.
So, What's Next?
After the nomination
phase, which will end on September 12, 2012, midnight (Eastern Time), we
will take a few days to verify the eligibility of all the Candidates,
and we will publish the names of all the Candidates on September 15,
2012 via our IMCA Mailing List. The Candidates will then have a two
weeks period (from September 15 to September 29, 2012, midnight, Eastern
Time) to explain to the whole Membership why they want to be a Director,
and to answer all your questions (again, via our IMCA Mailing List). And
we will actually vote during the week of September 30 to October 07,
2012. Please have a look at our official Election Schedule for more
information, and technical details.
Official IMCA Election Schedule
September 12 (midnight Eastern Time): Deadline for Nominations
Contact the
Nominations and Elections Committee
to let us know that you want to be a Candidate for the Board of
Directors. (Eligibility requirements – 2 years as a dues paying member
in good standing)
September 15: Publication of the List of Candidates
September 15 - September 29 (midnight Eastern Time): Campaign
The Candidates may tell the Members (via our IMCA Mailing List ONLY) why
they want to sit on the Board of Directors, and answer other Member's
questions. Their statements and answers will be published to our entire
Membership during that time (again, via our IMCA Mailing List ONLY).
September 30 to October 07 (midnight Eastern Time): Election Week
All members may vote for the three Directors only ONCE at any time
during this period. And exceptionally, this year we will ask you to
answer a few questions, more about that in the near future on the IMCA
mailing list. Voting begins September 30 and ends midnight October 07
Eastern Time. The special voting email address will be published via the
IMCA Mailing List. (If you are not on the IMCA Mailing List and wish to
vote, contact the
Nominations and Elections Committee).
Please be sure to use the mailing address we have on file for you, so we
may verify that the vote is coming from a registered, eligible Member.
Please
contact us
if you have any questions. We're looking forward to your participation,
and to your votes. Thanks..
Other Ways to
Support the IMCA
If you are not sure if you want to run for the IMCA Board of Directors,
but willing to actively support the IMCA there are indeed other options,
such as volunteering to help in one of our various Committees, or by
answering some of the many questions which we receive via our Contact
form. We would be very grateful for any kind of help you can offer,
especially since the number of questions and requests has been exploding
ever since the "Meteorite Men" have become popular through TV, and other
media have focused on the subject. So if you are willing to help,
contact us,
or just drop us a line via our Contact form (questions@imca.cc),
and we will be in touch with you. Thanks.
Best Regards to all of you!
In the name of the IMCA Board of Directors,
Jeff Kuyken, President IMCA Inc.
Anne Black, Vice-President IMCA Inc.
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