For the past few months, a committee consisting has been meeting and discussing possible updates to our bylaws, which have not been updated in more than 25 years. 

Following the minutes approval and any announcements, the committee members who are able to attend will walk through the bylaws change by change. We then will open the floor to questions and discussion. 

A marked-up copy of the bylaws showing the proposed changes is available via the BSCL chat list. Some of the changes we are recommending 1) are editorial in nature, 2) remove outdated references to things like telegrams, or 3) reflect inflation that has occurred since 1991 (for dollar amounts specified). The more substantive changes are:

• Streamlining the types of membership. We currently have individual and family memberships; we are proposing changing this to household memberships. Each household would have one vote, regardless of the number of members who reside in each household.
• Membership dues. The committee believed it was inappropriate to codify dues in the bylaws. We propose that the board of directors determine this amount annually. 
• Membership year. The membership year would now run from January 1 to December 31 rather than from September through August. (The annual election of officers, taking place in May, would not change.) Existing memberships would remain in effect until January of next year. 
• Proxy voting. We propose limiting the number of proxies a member may bring to one; the proxies are only valid for the meeting or vote for which they are intended. 
• Amending bylaws going forward would require a 2/3 majority vote rather than a simple majority. 

As a reminder, voting is limited to BSCL members in good standing (i.e., you've paid your dues). The latest membership list is available at https://www.bscl.org/membership by clicking on "review the current membership list."

Draft Minutes

[The following minutes are pending adoption at the next BSCL meeting.]

President Chris Kupczyk called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

The January meeting minutes were approved as submitted.

A bylaws committee had developed a proposal to update the BSCL Bylaws. The proposed changes were circulated online and on the BSCL web page, with notice of the meeting included in the February Barcroft News. The changes discussed included:

• Basis for membership. The BSCL now has individual and family memberships. The committee had recommended moving to household memberships only, with one vote allowed per household. There was no consensus on whether this change was necessary or desirable, so the existing membership types and voting allowances will remain in effect.
• Membership dues. The BSCL board of directors will determine these amounts annually.
• Membership year. The membership year will now run from January 1 to December 31 rather than from September through August. (The annual election of officers, taking place in May, will not change.) Existing memberships will remain in effect until December 31, 2017.
• Proxy voting. Each member may bring only one proxy to a meeting, valid for that meeting or vote for which it is intended.
• Term limits. Term limits remain at two years for all officers except as otherwise approved by the membership at the annual meeting.
• Treasurer's duties. The Treasurer section now includes language about handling BSCL tax paperwork and returns, duties the Treasurer has been performing already.
• Honorary members. Honorary members may join discussions but cannot vote.
• Amending bylaws. Going forward, amendments to the bylaws will require a two-thirds majority vote rather than a simple majority.

All changes except the switch to household memberships and one vote per household were approved.

Chris thanked the other members of the bylaws committee (Dedra Curteman, Keith Fred, Eric Harold, and Randy Swart) for their work. He will send the revised bylaws to the State Corporation Commission in Richmond.

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Randy Swart