[Linux-aus] LA constitution/election/terms/ctte/handover change proposal

[Andrew Cowie]

On Thu, 2008-08-07 at 11:37 +1000, Peter Lieverdink suggested:
> 3) At each election, only 4 positions are open, not all 8.

This sort of thing is the usual solution for the problem of how to
provide continuity.

Many NGOs have a staggered rotation of multi-year terms. A typical
structure is 3-year terms and 1/3 of the board being up for renewal each
year, and usually a term limit of two or three 3-year terms.

(Personally I like three; it provides for someone to become Chair at
year 5 and not be tossed the year following; making someone Chair before
they have a goodly run of experience with the organization always seems
a recipe for disaster, given that providing governance, fiduciary
oversight, and continuity is the role of most boards)

[Note "renewal". Most not-for-profits half self-propagating boards, and
usually the board has to request (beg) new people of suitable stature
and skills to volunteer their time to serve as directors. In LA's case
not only is it bad enough having to "run for election" in order to be a
volunteer at something that is going to massively biff your time, but to
have to do so every bloody year? This is, unfortunately, ground that has
already been covered; there is a segment of our community that believes
that they are more empowered by being able to vote on something each
year. What they have empowered themselves to have is an organization
that wastes most of its time in regulatory hassles and is struggling
with continuity]

AfC
Sydney

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie

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