Dear USRowing Organization Members,
The second adjourned meeting of the July 19, 2008, Special Meeting will be held on August 22, 2008, at 12:00 Noon EDT at USRowing's Offices at 2 Wall Street, Princeton, New Jersey. The second adjourned meeting will consider the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States Rowing Association put before the Association membership at the July 19, 2008, meeting. The language of this amendment and links to the current Constitution and proposed Bylaws are found below. Pursuant to 15 Pa. C.S. §5756, those members who attend this second adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of acting upon the proposed amendment.
In keeping with the USRowing Bylaws and Pennsylvania statutes, organizational members of the association on the record date of June 19, 2008, will have the opportunity to vote in person or by absentee ballot (mail-in, fax or e-mail).
USRowing has secured a third party teller, ACV, LLC, to receive absentee ballots; the address is listed below.
How Can My Organization Vote?
All votes submitted for the July 19, 2008, meeting will carry forward to the adjourned meeting. If you previously submitted a vote or delegate credential and do not wish to make any changes, you do not need to do anything.
Due to the second adjourned meeting being called for the sole purpose of addressing the prior amendment, the same Delegate Credential Form/Ballot will be used for the adjourned meeting.
If you did not previously submit a ballot/delegate credential form and want to exercise your organization's right to vote or want to make changes to the previously submitted ballot, you must do one of the following two things for your vote to be counted:
1) If you intend to arrive in person to vote on August 22, 2008, in Princeton, N.J., you must complete the Delegate Credential Form.
If the Delegate Credential Form will be received by ACV, LLC, on or before August 15, 2008:
The delegate form must have the following two (2) actions taken to make it valid. If either of the two is not completed correctly, the Delegate Credential Form will not be valid and your delegate(s) will be unable to vote:
a) signed by an officer of the organization who is authorized to complete the form on behalf of the organization, and
b) the delegate must be an individual member of USRowing.
If the Delegate Credential Form will be presented at the Adjourned Meeting on August 22, 2008, or it will be received by ACV between August 16 and 12:00 Noon EDT August 21, 2008:
The delegate form must have three (3) actions taken to make it valid. If any one of the three is not completed correctly, the Delegate Credential Form will not be valid and your delegate(s) will be unable to vote:
a) be sworn under oath (meaning it must be notarized),
b) signed by an officer of the organization other than the person acting as delegate, who is authorized to complete the form on behalf of the organization, and
c) the delegate(s) must be an individual member of USRowing.
2) If you do not plan to attend the meeting in person, you must mail, fax or e-mail your Ballot to be received before 12:00 Noon EDT August 21, 2008:
ACV, LLC
Attn: David Carmignani
3560 Quakerbridge Road
Mercerville, NJ 08619
Fax: (609)890-4644
Eileenc@acvllc.com
If you choose to vote by e-mail, a completed pdf copy of the Delegate Credential Form and Ballot must be sent by email to Eileenc@acvllc.com. Only completed pdf copies of this form will be considered to be valid votes.
Your organization has at least one (1) vote to cast. If on June 19, 2008, your organization had on record in the database of USRowing at least six (6) male and six (6) female Individual Members of USRowing, your organization is entitled to cast two (2) votes. For organizational members entitled to only one vote, the vote of Delegate #1 on the Delegate Credential Form and Ballot will be considered valid.
More information about the proposed By-Laws can be found below.
Respectfully,
Laura Kunkemueller
Secretary
USRowing Board of Directors
Document #1
Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States Rowing Association
Submitted by the Atlantic County Rowing Association (MA); Baltimore Rowing Club (MA); Bishop Ireton Crew Association (MA); Fairmont Rowing Association (MA); Gar-Field Crew Boosters (MA); Jack London Aquatic Center (SW); National Capital Area Scholastic Rowing Association (MA); New York Athletic Club (NE); Quinsigamond Rowing Association (NE); Scholastic Rowing Association of America (NE, MA, SE, MW); St. Augustine Prep (MA)
Southern New Jersey Scholastic Rowing Association (MA); Stewards Foundation (SE);
University of Washington (NW); Viking Rowing Foundation (MA); Wakefield High School Crew Boosters (MA); and Wilmington Youth Rowing Association (MA).
Pursuant to 15 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5504 and the United States Rowing Association Constitution Article VI, the following amendment to the Constitution of the United States Rowing Association placed before the membership of the Association:
That the current Constitution of the United States Rowing Association, appended hereto as Appendix A, be replaced in its entirely by the Proposed Bylaws of the United States Rowing Association, appended hereto as Appendix B. If approved, this amendment will become effective January 1, 2009.
Appendix A Current Constitution
Appendix B Proposed Bylaws
Additional Information
New Mission, New Form, New Focus
Delegate Credential Form and Ballot
Letter and Amendment Proposal from May 15
USRowing Proposed Governance Changes Sponsoring Organizations
Proposed By-Laws
USRowing Governance Proposal PowerPoint Presentation (pdf version)
Don Langford on Proposed Governance Changes Part One
Don Langford on Proposed Governance Changes Part Two
A Letter to the USRowing Membership on Governance
Governance Changes Frequently Asked Questions
Open Letter to the Masters Rowing Community Regarding Governance Changes
Become a Sponsoring Organization of the Governance Changes -- 2008 By-Laws Sponsor Form
Governance Calendar
June 19, 2008 -- Date of Record for the July Special Meeting
July 12, 2008 -- Delegate Forms and Proxy Ballots Due at USRowing
July 19, 2008 -- Special Meeting of the Association, Camden, N.J.