USOF Board of Directors Policy for E-Mail Voting

 

A. Action without meeting of Board of Directors (BOD)

  1. Any vote that is permitted at a board of directors’ meeting may be taken without a meeting if the provisions of this policy are met.
  2. Each BOD member must print and sign the consent form and send it to the Executive Director to finalize the vote.
  3. Action taken under this policy becomes effective when the last BOD signs the consent form, unless a different effective date is specified in the motion.
  4. Any vote taken using this policy has the same effect as a vote taken at a BOD meeting and becomes a part of the recorded minutes of the federation.

 

 B. E-Mail Etiquette

For the procedures that follow, the BOD will observe the following e-mail etiquette:

  1. All communications will be via the USOF BOD-net.
  2. Each sender of an e-mail message will include his/her name at the end of a message.
  3. When referencing other e-mail messages, specific passages shall be quoted prefaced by the originator’s name, [John Smith wrote]. Full-text e-mail messages should not be quoted or resent.

 

C. E-Mail Voting Procedure

For issues requiring Board of Directors (BOD) decisions or actions that could not be completed at scheduled meetings, or which the president feels would require resolution before the next scheduled BOD meeting, the following procedures will be followed:

  1. Those eligible to vote include vice presidents, secretary, regional representatives, and the at-large representatives. Alternate regional representatives may vote, however their vote will only be counted in the event that no vote is received from their regional representative.
  2. Any BOD member who has voting rights under the USOF bylaws may make a motion.
  3. Motions should be worded as such and sent to the President.
  4. The President designates a Moderator - either himself/herself or a VP.
  5. The Moderator posts the motion to the BOD-net and assigns a "Subject" to it so that the debate and subsequent votes can be associated with the motion. The form of the subsequent e-mail subject lines will be Motion: Header (for example: Motion: GAOC Long-O Bid).
  6. A "second" of a motion should be sent to the BOD-net within 72 hours.
  7. The Moderator opens the seconded motion for debate on the BOD-net with a stipulated date/time/time zone deadline for debate, usually 10 calendar days from the posting date, and a stipulated date/time/time zone for voting, usually 15 calendar days from the posting date. Timelines, shortened or lengthened, from those set by the moderator must be approved by 2/3 of the BOD.
  8. Only one motion may be debated during the timeline, unless approved by the President. On-line debate should include the text of the motion with each posting.
  9. Amendments may be posted to the BOD-net any time during the debate period. The form of the subsequent e-mail subject line will be Amendment#: Header (for example: Amendment #2: GAOC Long-O Bid).
  10. A second to the amendment should be sent to the BOD-net within 72 hours.
  11. The Moderator opens the seconded amendment for debate and re-issues a timeline, if necessary.
  12. Debate and voting are not concurrent. Extensions of debates can be requested. The Moderator or any BOD can call to table a motion for further debate, or postpone a motion to in-person meetings.
  13. At the beginning of the voting period, the Moderator posts the motion, including any amendments, with the message subject header: "Motion Vote: Header" or " Motion as amended # Vote- Header." (Example: Motion as amended #3 Vote: GAOC-Long-O bid.)
  14. Votes will be sent to the Moderator, and/or BOD-net if desired, to approve, oppose, or abstain. If no vote is received from a voting BOD, that person is recorded as "not voting." In cases where no vote is received from a regional representative, the alternative representative’s vote shall count. In the event email is not available to the director, he/she may telephone his vote.
  15. The Moderator shall send confirmation back to each voter.
  16. At the end of the voting period, the Moderator tallies the votes. A majority of the BOD must vote to constitute a quorum.
  17. The Moderator may announce the result of the vote before the deadline if the outcome has been decided. The Moderator sends the results to the BOD-net in "roll-call" fashion, stating the BOD and his/her vote.
  18. When a motion passes by e-mail vote, the Moderator sends a consent form to the BOD-net with the subject line, Motion Header / Consent Form. The message begins, "I, the undersigned member of the US Orienteering Federation Board of Directors, agree to the implementation of the following board action approved by vote of the USOF Board of Directors;" the message should include the motion, a signature line and a date line. Each board member should make a copy of the consent form, sign it, date it, and mail the copy with original signature to the Executive Director. The motion is not considered passed until all consent forms have been received.
  19. The Executive Director compiles all the consent forms and files them in the USOF records. The Executive Director then notifies the Secretary that motion is passed, and then adds any policy changes to the USOF binder.
  20. The Secretary records the wording of the motions, voting results, and date of the final vote in the formal minutes.

 

D. Sample E-Mail Motion

The following example follows a (complicated) proposal from the motion to the vote. The underlined text is the e-mail subject line.

  1. Motion: Night-O Rule. I propose a new USOF Rule that Night-O headlamps cannot exceed 20 watts. Motion Seconded: Night-O Rule. I second the motion.
  2. Amendment #1: Night-O Rule. I propose to amend the motion to say Night-O headlamps cannot exceed 10 watts.
  3. Amendment #1 dies for lack of second (72 hour time limit)
  4. Amendment #2: Night-O Rule. I propose to amend the motion to say Night-O headlamps cannot exceed 15 watts.
  5. Amendment #2 Seconded: Night-O Rule. I second amendment #2. Debate on amendment #2 follows.
  6. Amendment #3: Night-O Rule. I propose to amend amendment #2 to say Night-O headlamps cannot exceed 18 watts.
  7. Amendment #3 Seconded: Night-O Rule. I second amendment #3.
  8. Amendment #3 Vote: Night-O Rule. I call for a vote… Vote on amendment #3 failed. Results are sent and motion is restated as amendment #2.
  9. Amendment #2 Vote: Night-O Rule. I call for a vote… Vote on amendment #2 passed. Results are sent and motion is restated with amendment #2.
  10. Motion as amended #2 Vote: Night-O Rule. Restate motion as amended #2. Vote on motion as amended #2 passed. Results are posted. Policies updated.

E.      E-Mail Consent Form Sample

Subject: Motion Night-O Rule / Consent Form

I, the undersigned member of the US Orienteering Federation Board of Directors, agree to the implementation of the following board action approved by vote of the USOF Board of Directors.

The USOF Board of Directors directs the implementation of a new provision in the USOF Rules of Competition as follows:

"USOF Rule 5.6 Night-O headlamps cannot exceed 15 watts.

Signed: __________________________________

Date: ____________________________________

Director – please submit the above to the USOF Office immediately after notification of passage of the vote indicated.

Approved 08/01/00