by Bob Rosenberg, GPM Election Committee
The time nears once again for our annual election of local Mensa officers. This article is to describe what the elective offices in GPM are and how to run for them. Who should run -- and what about competition for office among friends? Well, in a group the size of GPM, there will likely be several (or many) qualified candidates who want to serve the group in a particular capacity, and the membership has the right to choose which of them will do the job during the coming year. No one should be dissuaded from running for fear of "rejection"; Mensans are capable of recognizing that to select one candidate on his or her merits does not denigrate the considerable merits of the candidates not chosen. And every member in good standing is eligible to run for any one of these offices.
THE LOCAL SECRETARY (LocSec or Chairman) calls and presides over meetings of the Executive Committee and business meetings of GPM, coordinates all activities, executes business and policies between meetings, and appoints (or removes) committee chairmen and the newsletter editor.
THE ASSISTANT LOCAL SECRETARY (Assistant LocSec or Vice Chairman) performs the duties of the LocSec in his or her absence, transacts business assigned by the LocSec, and serves as Program Chairman of GPM.
THE TREASURER receives, administers and disburses all funds not specifically delegated to others by the Executive Committee (e.g., RG funds), oversees the formulation of a semi-annual budget, provides periodic financial reports to the Executive Committee, prepares a complete semi-annual statement of all financial transactions of GPM, and serves as Business Manager for our newsletter.
THE RECORDING SECRETARY keeps minutes of all business meetings of GPM and the Executive Committee, and maintains appropriate correspondence.
MEMBERS AT LARGE serve as representatives of the general membership, may serve as committee chairmen, and may be assigned additional duties by the Executive Committee.
Naturally, all members of the Executive Committee are expected to attend meetings and participate constructively.
THREE ROADS TO CANDIDACY
A member may become a candidate in any of the following ways: (1) by contacting a member of the Election Committee (myself, at 274-3012, or one of the other two members not yet appointed as of this writing) on or before April 5 and stating a desire to run for a particular office;
(2) by being nominated with two seconds from the floor during the February or March General Meeting (having previously agreed to serve); or
(3) by obtaining the signatures of at least three percent (26 signatures should qualify; 30 certainly will) of the membership [along with legibly printed names of those signing] on a petition, which must be submitted to the Election Committee by April 5. We take this to mean that petitions will be in our hands sometime on April 5, not postmarked on that date.
Some interpretation of these options may be necessary. If the only goal were to become a candidate, the first option would obviously be the easiest method, and the only one necessary. We presume that the other alternatives exist in order that candidates may demonstrate to voters that there is some support among the membership for their candidacies. In order to convey that information, we expect to show on the ballot whether a candidate was self-nominated, nominated at a General Meeting with seconds, or nominated by petition (or some combination of the above). For this information to be unambiguous, we recommend that members regard the act of nominating a candidate or signing a petition as a statement of support for the candidate in question -- not merely help in getting him or her on the ballot "to make things more interesting," for no such help is required due to option (1) above. Petitions of the form "We the undersigned members in good standing of Greater Phoenix Mensa support the candidacy of _________ for the office of _______ during the 1997-1998 term of the Executive Committee" are for this reason recommended.
The Election Committee will announce all candidates at the April General Meeting and in the May issue of the newsletter. A biographical description and photo of each candidate is solicited for the May issue of the newsletter, as is a campaign statement (again with photo) for the June issue. A list of questions [which must be approved by the Election Committee and mailed prior to April 16] may be presented to candidates. If submitted, the questions and answers from all responding candidates will be printed in the June issue of the newsletter; answering the questions shall be optional for the candidates. Ballots will appear in the June issue of the newsletter, which will be mailed to all members (including second or additional members of the same family who normally receive one copy of each issue to share). Balloting will close no later than June 10, results will be announced in the July newsletter, and the new Executive Committee will take office effective July 1.
The Election Committee will monitor the content of the newsletter during the campaign to ensure that coverage is balanced and unbiased, and will provide guidelines for fair and constructive campaigning to candidates.
We hope the campaign this year will do credit to the intelligence of Mensans and the camaraderie of Mensa.