SFSFC Meeting Notice

[kevin_standlee]

Although I'm completely snowed under with work, I did manage to get the envelopes and notices printed for the next SFSFC Board Meeting, and will drop them in tonight's mail.

SFSFC's bylaws still require written notice of all meetings, including regular ones. The next meeting is March 17, and the bylaws require that the written notice be mailed by the 25th of the previous month. E-mail doesn't count; it has to be a printed paper notice.

I try really hard to not miss mailing the paper notices on time. I'm told I'm one of the few corporate secretaries who actually bothers. Me, I think it's important that corporations "act corporate," not for its own sake, but in case the corporation gets in trouble. Corporations who fail to act like corporations can find themselves in big trouble. Most of the time they don't, but it's that one time where the stars align wrong that you want to avoid.

(It's like leaving your engine running while fueling your car. With modern vehicles and fueling systems, this isn't nearly as dangerous as it once was, so you can probably get away with it a lot of times. The harm caused by the one time it (literally) explodes, however, justifies obeying the signs and turning off your engine while you fuel the vehicle.)

Comments

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

Is it possible to change the bylaws to allow notification by email?

[galtine1.livejournal.com]

Given the propensity of vapor-mail, I prefer being paper-notified. I'm not on this board, but another that does paper mail for the annual meeting of it's members. It's worth the cost and the headaches to have this level of confirmation.

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK. Whatever works for you. :)

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Certainly it's possible, but the directors -- all of whom have and use e-mail -- don't want to do it. I wrote the most of SFSFC bylaws, and that particular section about notice was thoroughly discussed at the time. It was the consensus of the Board, and I think it still is, that some things should not be done by e-mail, even though it costs a small mount of money (about $4-5/meeting) and some of the Secretary's time to print and mail ten notices.

I obviously don't have to mail a notice to myself, although we once had a director who was excessively literal about the way the bylaws were worded who insisted that simply handing the director a copy didn't count and that I would have to send myself a copy through the mail for it to be valid. I said that was silly, and we went through a round of bylaw neepery until we resolved it. The current bylaws actually explain in an interpretation note that "personal service" includes handing you the notice in person, and also that e-mail is not a valid method of serving a notice.

Sometimes I remember to print the notices on the Monday before the mailing deadline and hand them in person to one or two SFSFC directors who attend BASFA meetings, but I try not to get too fussed over a few stamps.

I do also e-mail the directors when I mail the paper notices, and send them the past minutes by e-mail, which saves me time and the corporation postage. Not all directors go read those past minutes, but I'm not sure that's much different from when I sent them paper copies.

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

OK, whatever works for you.

[dave-gallaher.livejournal.com]

And we appreciate the effort.