President-Elect: Steve Tidey -|- Tom Mason -|- Stephanie Parello
Secretary: Lee Ann Hennig -|-Treasurer: Shawn Laatsch

Proposed Amendments
to the IPS By-Laws

for Ballot Consideration 2006

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BY-LAWS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

1. Re-order listing of categories of membership.

Current By-Law:

ARTICLE III- Members Section 1. Persons may become members of the Society as an:

A. Individual Member
B. Corporate Member
C. Institutional Member

Proposed By-Law:

ARTICLE III – Members Section 1. Persons may become members of the Society as an:

A. Individual Member
B. Institutional Member
C. Corporate Member

Rationale for change:

See under #2 below. [re-orders the listing of the three membership categories. Note that the formal word "persons” includes both people and organizations.]

2. Include voting privileges for all categories of membership.

Current By-Law:

Article III. Section 4:

Section 4. Individual and Institutional Members shall be entitled to one vote in person, by proxy, or by mail (postal or electronic) or fax as may be appropriate on any question pertaining to the Society. (Institutional Members must designate the person who is authorized to exercise the vote.)

Proposed By-Law:

Section 4. Members shall be entitled to one vote in person, by proxy, or by mail (postal or electronic) or fax as may be appropriate on any question pertaining to the Society. Institutional and Corporate Members must designate the person who is authorized to exercise the vote.

Rationale for change:

The By-Laws have always included a corporate membership category intended primarily for for-profit organizations (vendors) but until now its dues and benefits have not been defined and it has not been used. So vendors have normally joined IPS as Institutional Members. However, Institutional Membership dues and benefits are defined primarily for the needs of not-for-profit organizations (planetaria). Now, the Officers and Council have defined the dues and benefits of Corporate Membership in a way that will serve the needs of for-profit organizations. This will provide a way for these organizations to join in the future as Corporate Members rather than as Institutional Members as at present.

Proposed change #1 simply re-orders the listing of the three membership categories. Note that the formal word "persons” includes both people and organizations.

Proposed change #2 specifies that Corporate, as well as Individual and Institutional, Members are entitled to vote. Since nearly all potential Corporate Members already have voting privileges as Institutional or Individual Members, this is primarily a semantic change to preserve those privileges in the newly-activated Corporate Membership category.

The definition of Corporate Membership, including dues and benefits, is now contained in the Standing Rules, Section III (Membership) approved by Council. By-Laws changes require approval by the membership to take effect.

3. Semantic change in termination of membership clause.

Current By-Law:

Article III. Section 5:

Section 5. Termination of Membership shall be effected upon death, written resignation, or decision by Council.

Proposed By-Law:

Section 5. Termination of Membership shall become effective upon death, written resignation, or decision by Council.

Rationale for change:

To clean up awkward terminology.

4. Semantic change to clause dealing with member whose dues are unpaid.

Current By-Law:

ARTICLE IX – Finances Section 2. If the dues of any member remain unpaid after six months, the Council, after due notice, shall remove his/her name from the membership list and withdraw all privileges.

Proposed By-Law:

ARTICLE IX – Finances Section 2. If the dues of any member remain unpaid after six months, the Council, after due notice, shall remove the member’s name from the membership list and withdraw all privileges.

Rationale for change:

A semantic change to use gender-neutral wording.

5. Make By-Laws consistent with a specific affiliate procedure.

Current By-Law:

ARTICLE VI – Council Section 2. The names of the Representatives to serve on Council shall be submitted by the officers of each affiliate group to the Secretary of the Society before the end of each calendar year by the secretary of the respective affiliate.

Proposed By-Law

Section 2. The names of the Representatives to serve on Council shall be submitted by the officers of each affiliate group to the Secretary of the Society before the end of each calendar year (or at the time of the election/appointment of the IPS Representative) by the respective affiliate.

Rationale for change:

Some affiliates have a change of IPS Representative at times other than the end of the calendar year. The proposed change will make the By-Laws consistent with current practice.

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