Two Amendments to the ESSCA Constitution and By-Laws up for vote in September
The ESSCA Constitution/By-Laws is a living document and needs periodic updates to stay in step with the community. At our May 2021 meeting, two motions were passed to amend the document to 1) remove the one year membership length requirement for holding office, and 2) make membership in ESSCA free.
Amendments can be passed with a two-thirds majority of member votes cast. Stay tuned for instructions on how to cast your vote electronically or by paper ballot between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, and make sure your membership is up-to-date by visiting our membership page.
To vote on these amendments, please see our Voting Procedures Page.
Please see the specific amendments below and the ESSCA Executive Committee’s recommendation. Text in gray is deleted and text in brackets [ ] is added.
QUESTION 1: Should any current member be allowed to hold an ESSCA Board position, regardless of length of membership?
The ESSCA Executive Committee recommends that the membership length requirement for holding office be removed. This requirement is an unnecessary barrier to participation in ESSCA leadership. In this digital era where residents have numerous opportunities to instantly join and lead organizations, we need to be able to seize on leadership interest immediately to welcome the energy and talents of our neighbors, especially to those who are new to our community and who may not be well-represented by ESSCA.
Proposed amendment:
Article VI.C
To be eligible to hold office, a person shall have been a member for at least one year prior to election [be a member in good standing].
QUESTION 2: Should membership in ESSCA be free?
The ESSCA Executive Committee recommends this amendment because dues, even a small annual amount, can be a barrier to participation in ESSCA, especially for those on limited incomes. ESSCA can easily meet its budgetary requirements through voluntary member donations.
Proposed amendment:
Constitution Article III, Section A: Any resident or property owner of the area, having reached the age of eighteen years, may become a member and retain membership by paying annual dues, as specified in Article IV [registering annually with the ESSCA Corresponding Secretary]. Anyone not satisfying the above requirements may join the Association as an Associate Member upon payment of annual dues. Associate Members shall have all rights of full membership except that of voting, holding office, or becoming Standing Committee Chairperson. Article IV: Dues Section A: There shall be annual dues in this Association as provided in the By-Laws. The dues of the Association shall be determined by the membership upon recommendation of the Executive Committee at the regular May meeting of each year. Dues shall be due on October 1 of each year and a grace period of two months shall be allowed before a delinquent member is removed from the rolls. The Treasurer and Hospitality and Membership Chairperson, after consulting with the President, shall notify those members who have not renewed by November 1. If said dues are not received by the December meeting date, then the delinquent member will be removed from the rolls. As a condition of eligibility to vote in the election of officers, all members' dues and dues of new members must be paid up before the election.
Section B. Members who are still delinquent by the March meeting shall be notified by the Treasurer that they are in arrears. [Membership in ESSCA is free, but members may make contributions to support the Association's activities and events.] By-Laws Article 1: Dues
Individual members’ dues shall be $10.00 per year and dues for family membership (including all family members 18 years and older) shall be $10 per year. (This Article will be removed from the By-Laws, as the Constitution states that the membership in ESSCA is free.)
