This is, with minor modifications, the same proposal I advanced during the 2000 CC>CC election campaign. The primary advantage is that it would eliminate the main point of contention by making every chapter member a member of the international club, but would leave it up to the chapters to determine whether that would be accomplished at the expense of the individual.

Jim Reilly

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MEMBERSHIP:

The international club's by-laws (and/or constitution) should be amended to DEFINE membership as follows:

Life Member & Charter Member ---- as currently defined

Regular Member ---- anyone who joins the international club in the usual manner

Associate Member ---- anyone who joins international as an associate member in the usual manner

Regular Chapter Member ---- anyone who joins any chapter in accordance with the chapter's membership rules without otherwise joining international

Associate Chapter Member ---- anyone who becomes an associate member in accordance with the chapter's membership rules without otherwise becoming an associate of international

"Regular chapter members" and "associate chapter members" would be carried on the international club roster and would, like current associate members, be allowed to vote on any issue submitted to the membership. However, such members would not have any of the other privileges of international membership (i.e., no club magazine) and would be treated the same as non-members for all other purposes including attendance at the convention.

Thus, anyone who joins a chapter automatically becomes a member of international, either by paying international dues and becoming a regular member or by paying only chapter dues and becoming a "chapter member". This would solve part of the problem (the issue of international membership, club unity, the "clout" of greater numbers in the international club, etc.).

Any person who is currently a member of a chapter, but not the international club, would at the time of the amendment automatically become a "regular chapter member" or "associate chapter member", as appropriate, of the international.

DUES AND BENEFITS:

Then there is the second part of the problem, the issue of membership fees and use of club money to support chapter activities. To resolve this part of the problem, the by-laws (and/or constitution) should be amended to provide as follows:

First, each chapter must pay to international an annual $5 membership fee for each "regular chapter member" or "associate chapter member" who does not otherwise join international. With respect to those people who become "chapter members" upon adoption of the amendment described above, the $5 annual membership fee would be waived for the current year and would go into effect at the time of the next membership renewal.

Second, any special requests by a chapter for international funding are allocated or apportioned based only on the chapter's international members, not including any chapter members who are not members of international.

Notice that this $5 membership fee would be paid by the chapter, not the individual. It would then be up to each chapter to decide how hard to press their non-international members to become regular members of the international. It would also be up to each chapter to decide whether or not to charge the extra $5 as part of the chapter dues.

CODE OF ETHICS:

Finally, to address the third major issue, the by-laws and/or constitution should be amended to provide:

All "regular chapter members" and "associate chapter members" are required to abide by the club's Code of Ethics. Furthermore, the Chapters would have to agree to abide by and enforce any determination by the Club Board affecting the membership status of any individual.

Thus, if a "regular chapter member" or "associate chapter member" is expelled or otherwise disciplined by international, the chapter would be bound by the club's determination in that regard, would have no authority to conduct any other review of the matter giving rise to the discipline and would be required to enforce the club's decision on that matter. Chapters could, however, conduct their own disciplinary proceedings with respect to any issue which is not submitted to or acted upon by the international club (e.g., for violations of local chapter rules).