Past Annual Meetings – 2018

Business Meeting Ballot Items

Conference attendees can participate in our annual business meeting, which will happen on Saturday, November 10, 2018. Here are the ballot items:First up, Officer Elections! We are seeking candidates interested in serving MRCG as officers. This fall we are electing the new Vice President and Treasurer for two-year terms.

The Vice President produces the MRCG Newsletter, runs the website, maintains the social media presence of the Guild, serves as the content editor for all three, and participates in board meetings, decision-making, and shaping the agenda for the annual Business Meeting. (Please refer to the ballot proposal "Proposed Creation Of A New Office" below: these duties may be split with a new position after year 1.)

I have enjoyed serving as Vice President, not least because it has been an excellent way to meet other members of the Guild and engage with them. It has been a pleasure to read your submissions for the newsletter and blog, and to share them with the community! I also gained a much better understanding of the organization and how it works to help conservators in the Midwest.--Katherine Langdon, Vice President 2016-2018

The Treasurer manages the financial accounts of the Guild, collects dues and registration fees, produces an annual report of the finances for the Business Meeting each fall, and participates in board meetings, decision-making, and shaping the agenda for the annual Business Meeting.

Serving as the MRCG Treasurer for these past 2 years has been an incredibly rewarding experience! It has been a great way to become better acquainted with my fellow members and learn about the inner workings of the Guild.  I’ve loved working with all of the officers I’ve had the pleasure of serving with these few years and would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to get more involved with MRCG.--Crista Pack, Treasurer 2016-2018

Are you interested in serving the Guild in either capacity? Please send us your name to be added to the ballot. Elections will be held during the business meeting in Cincinnati. The positions are described in the MRCG Officer Manual and Bylaws, available on our website. For details about the duties, contact Katherine Langdon, Vice President, or Crista Pack, Treasurer.

Proposed creation of a new MRCG office: News Editor. To be determined by vote at the Annual Business Meeting.

The officers of the Midwest Regional Conservation Guild are proposing the creation of a new office, the News Editor, to take on some of the responsibilities of the Vice President. A vote by the MRCG membership is required to create a new office because it involves a change to the Bylaws. If you are attending the next annual Business Meeting to be held November 10, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri, you will be asked to vote on whether to approve the change.

The proposed change to article V is in red and underlined, below:

V. a. The officers of the Guild shall be a President, a Vice President, a News Editor, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, to hold office for the period of two years, or until the next Annual Meeting. The duties of the officers shall be those customarily associated with the office, and the President shall have the authority to appoint such other assistants as he or she may deem necessary to effectively conduct the affairs of the Guild.

b. Officers may serve only 2 consecutive terms.

Explanation: In recent years, MRCG has significantly expanded its online presence, which has increased the duties ascribed to the Vice President. Currently, the Vice President is in charge of soliciting content for the blog, website, and newsletter, producing the biannual Newsletter, writing content for the website and blog, and maintaining the website, blog, and MRCG social media presence. Dividing the duties between the Vice President and the News Editor will help the officers maintain high standards for MRCG's public communications and online presence.

Briefly, the division would be as follows:

Vice President: Assists president as needed, maintains MRCG website, blogs, and social media.

News Editor: Solicits and generates content for blog and newsletter, writes and edits blog posts and newsletter content.

The first election for the office of New Editor will take place at the 2019 Annual Business Meeting.

Comments: If you wish to comment about this proposal prior to the 2018 Business Meeting, please send comments directly to the Claire Winfield, President, at claire.w.winfield@gmail.com, or comment in person at the business meeting.