Each year, the By-laws Committee meets to determine if any changes need to be proposed to the membership for aBy-laws change or amendment. This year is no exception. The committee met and has developed several amendments to the By-laws.

For those of you who don't know exactly what Bylaws are-they are the foundation of our organization. They are like the blueprint for a house. The blueprint will show where the kitchen and bathrooms are going to be placed but they do not explain how to install the pipes for the plumbing. Therefore, By-laws don't specify how an event is going to be done or even specifically name an event (excluding the Board of Director Meetings, and the Annual Business Meeting and Election). The actual event as well as when and how the chairperson is going to run the event are found in our guidelines, procedures, and operations manuals. Keeping that in mind, if you have a suggestion for a By-law change, please provide your recommendation to me by July 30.

Time is of the essence. Your recommended change needs to be reviewed by the By-laws Committee and possibly legal counsel to ascertain if the change will violate any state or federal law. If the suggestion is determined to be valid, it will be included on the election ballot for the membership to cast their ultimate acceptance or rejection. If you need to review the current By-laws, a copy is available on the OCWS website. If you notify me, I can also provide a copy electronically.

Richard Ward

By-Law Chairperson