process for approving bylaws and electing our first board of directors

7/27/2019 Process for Approving Bylaws and Electing Our First Board of Directors

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RENAISSANCECoop Committee

renaissancecoop.com ~ twitter.com/RenaissanceCoop ~ acebook.com/RenaissanceCommunityCoop

Process for Approving Bylaws and

Electing Our First Board of Directors

As Designed by the RCC Steering Committee

(October 2013)


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renaissancecoop.com ~ twitter.com/RenaissanceCoop ~ facebook.com/RenaissanceCommunityCooprenaissancecoop.com ~ twitter.com/RenaissanceCoop ~ acebook.com/RenaissanceCommunityCoop

Our Next Big Steps: Approving Bylaws and Electing a Board of Directors

One year ago, a group o committed community members rom Northeast Greensboro cametogether and ocially decided to build a community-owned and controlled grocery store, theRenaissance Community Coop (RCC or short). For the past year, the work o building the coophas been moving orward with the leadership o a Steering Committee and lots o communityvolunteers.

Earlier this year, the RCC became an ocially recognized legal entity, incorporated as acooperative business in the State o North Carolina. Now were ready to take the next step:ormalizing the rules or how we make big decisions, as encoded in bylaws, and selecting a boardo directors, who are collectively responsible or making sure the coop succeeds.

Both o those steps will take place at our December 16, 2013, monthly meeting. Each step hasto be handled separately, in the proper order. Te bylaws must be approved rst, because theyspeciy our right and responsibility to elect a board o directors.

So there will be two separate votes on December 16one to approve the bylaws (or disapprovethe bylaws i thats the way the vote goes), and one to elect nine board members (assuming thebylaws are approved). I the bylaws are not approved at that meeting, the Steering Committee willhave to go back to the drawing board.

Member participation is critical!

We need as many members as possible to show up or the vote on December 16!

We need at least 25 members to reach a quorum, but we want ALL our members to show up.Our coop works only with strong community support, and this vote is important! Well providea catered buet meal to make it easy or members to come out or the meeting. Nonmembers are

welcome, too, though they will not be permitted to vote.

Who gets to vote in the December 16 elections?

You are eligible to vote i you have done one o the ollowing on or beore December 6, 2013:

> You have paid in ull or your $100 lietime RCC membership, or

> You have:

Agreed to be on a payment plan, and

Paid at least $20 toward your RCC membership, and

Are current on your payments, as described below.

Full lietime membership is $100. Aer you have paid $20 toward your membership, you areeligible to vote i you agree to the payment plan. Following the rst $20, you must pay at least $10per month to remain eligible until you have purchased the ull $100 membership share. You maypay ahead o schedule or uture months eligibility.

For example: Suppose you pay $10 one month, then $10 later. At the point when you have paidthe rst $10, you are eligible to vote i a vote were held that month. I you pay an additional $40


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the next month, you are eligible to vote or the next 4 months. I you then skip a month, youwould no longer be eligible until you have made up the skipped payment and become currentagain.

I youve already made a partial payment toward membership:

While the RCC has been in its start-up phase, the rules about payment plans have been somewhatloose, though we have been very careul about keeping track o how much each person has paid.Now we need to get much clearer about payment plans and where each person is, in part so wecan determine voter eligibility and also because we need to stay on track raising our membershipunds.

Between now and December 6, every person who has made partial payment needs to agree tothe ofcial payment plan and stay current to be eligible to vote. You may start the $10 per monthpayment plan any time between now and December 6 by signing a Payment Plan Agreement. Iyou want to vote on December 16, you must have paid at least $20 and keep current with at least$10 per month between the time when you sign the agreement and the election.

I youre new to the coop and want to join now:

You can become eligible to vote by paying the entire $100 membership ee at any time betweennow and December 6, or

You can sign a Payment Plan Agreement, pay at least $20 on or beore December 6, and becurrent on your payments.

Where can I get a copy o the Payment Plan Agreement beore December 6?

> You can download a copy o the Payment Plan Agreement at the RCC website (http://renaissancecoop.com/grocery-store/owner-loan-program).

> You can email the RCC at [email protected], and request that a copy beemailed to you.

> You can pick up a copy o the Payment Plan Agreement at the October 21 or November 18RCC community meeting.

> You can call the RCC to ask or a copy to be mailed to you: 336-638-1RCC (336-638-1722).

What do I do with my payment(s) and signed Payment Plan Agreement?

> You can mail your payment and signed agreement to the RCC at PO Box 13531,

Greensboro, NC 27415.> You can give it to an RCC representative at the October 21 or November 18 RCC

community meeting.

> You can charge your membership online at the RCC website (http://renaissancecoop.com/membership/), or swipe your credit card or debit card at an RCC meeting.

> You can hand-deliver it to the oces o the Fund or Democratic Communities, on thethird foor o the Gateway Building, located at the corner o South Elm and Lee Streets


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(620 South Elm Street, Suite 355).

o be eligible to vote on December 16, your signed agreement and any monies due must be

received by the RCC no later than 11:59 pm on Friday, December 6, 2013.

Approving the Bylaws

Te rst vote on December 16 will be to approve or disapprove the bylaws. Te bylaws that willbe considered at that meeting are available or review by every member o the RCC community.Tere will be an opportunity to discuss the bylaws, ask questions, and propose improvements atthe November 18 RCC community meeting.

How do I get a copy o the bylaws to review beore December 16?

You can get a copy o the bylaws in any o these ways:

> You can download a copy o the bylaws at the RCC website (INSER SPECIFIC RCCWEB ADDRESS HERE).

> You can email the RCC at [email protected], and request that a copy beemailed to you.

> You can pick up a copy o the bylaws at the October 21 or November 18 RCC communitymeeting.

> You can call the RCC to ask or a copy to be mailed to you: 336-638-1RCC (336-638-1722).

What i I have questions, concerns, or comments about the bylaws?

I you have an idea to improve or strengthen the bylaws, the Steering Committee would like tohear about it. It may be that your idea will lead to a revision o the bylaws beore the December

16 vote. However, keep in mind that many decisions or the coop should not be encoded in thebylaws, but instead should be managed through a written policy or other approach.

Tere are several ways you can voice your questions or concerns about the bylaws beore they arevoted on:

> You can attend the November 18 RCC community meeting, where explanation anddiscussion o the bylaws will be ollowed by a question and answer period.

> You can write or speak to a member o the Steering Committee, by emailing [email protected] or calling 336-638-1RCC (336-638-1722).

How will the December 16 vote on the bylaws work?

Te vote on the bylaws must come rst, because the bylaws give members the right to elect aboard o directors.

Te vote on the bylaws will be a straight up or down vote, to approve or not to approve.

I you want changes to the bylaws to be made, you must make your suggested changes no laterthan the November 18 RCC community meeting.


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Te version o the bylaws that will be voted on at the December 16 meeting will be posted on theRCC website no later than December 1, 2013. In addition, members can pick up a copy as theywalk in the door or the December 16 meeting.

When people enter the meeting, they will be asked to check their name against the list o eligiblevoters. All eligible voters will receive a green card and a red card. Community members who arenot eligible to vote are welcome to attend the meeting, but they will not receive these cards.

Near the start o the meeting, the meeting acilitator will call or the vote. First, the acilitatorwill ask all eligible voters who approve o the bylaws to hold up their green cards. Ten an ocialcount will be taken o all the green cards that are showing. Next, the acilitator will ask all thosewho disapprove o the bylaws to hold up their red cards, and an ocial count o red cards will betaken. Te results will be recorded and announced.

I more green cards than red cards are showing, the bylaws will be approved! I more red cardsthan green cards are showing, the bylaws will be disapproved, and the Steering Committee willhave to go back to the drawing board. Disapproval would also mean that the election o board

members would be postponed until a set o bylaws has been approved.

Electing the Board

Te second vote o the evening will be to elect nine members o the board. It is vital to electpeople who are committed to the coop and who also collectively represent various aspects o ourcommunity and have among them a range o skills.

o make sure that we have excellent nominees or the board, the Steering Committee has ormeda Nominating Committee, which has been speaking with potential board members and designinga nomination process.

Who is eligible to serve on the board?

All candidates who wish to serve on the board must meet these criteria:

> Be an RCC member in good standing, who is eligible to vote in the December 16 election.

> Be at least 16 years old at the time o the election.

> Have submitted their name or nomination during the nomination window, using theprocess explained below.

> Be willing to serve a three-year term on the board, ullling all the duties o board service.

Every candidate who meets these criteria will appear on the December 16 board ballot.

You do not have to be present on the night o the election to be elected to the board. Te electionwill be based on the names on the ballot, whether you are present or not. O course, we hopeyoull be there, but i you are unable to attend the election meeting, it does not disqualiy you!

When can nominations be made?

Te window or nominations is November 18 December 6. o make sure we have a stronggroup o candidates who are sure they can commit to ullling all their board duties, we will not


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be holding nominations on the night o the election. Instead, we will have a ormal nominatingperiod, during which candidates will ormally submit their names or nomination. Tis ensuresthat each nominee understands the job and has agreed to serve.

Nominations will ocially open at the November 18 RCC community meeting. Tey willocially close at 11:59 pm on Friday, December 6. Tat will give the Nominating Committee timeto collate all the candidate inormation and circulate the inormation ahead o the December 16vote.

How do I submit a name or nomination?

Each candidate must sel-nominate because part o the nomination process involves agreeing toserve i elected. Only candidates can do that or themselves. I you know o a person who wouldbe a good board member, you cannot nominate them (unless its you!). But you certainly shouldcontact them and explain the opportunity and its responsibilities. Ten tell them how they cancomplete a nomination orm and submit it beore the deadline.

Te nomination orm asks you to provide your name and contact inormation, give your currentoccupation, and answer two open-ormat questions:

> ell us about who you are. Tat is, write a bit about the communities you hail rom andthe kinds o lie, work, or educational experiences youve had that you will bring to yourservice on the RCC board.

> Why do you want to serve on the RCC board?

Where do I get nomination orms?

Nomination orms can be submitted online or in paper ormat. Its easiest on the NominatingCommittee i nominees complete online orms, because we wont have to type up the answers

to the questions. But i you are not comortable lling out the orm online, then you shouldcomplete and submit a paper orm.

You can complete a nomination orm in the ollowing ways:

> You can complete the orm online at the RCC website: http://renaissancecoop.com/board

> You can download a copy o the orm at the RCC website (http://renaissancecoop.com/board), print it out, and complete it by hand.

> You can email the RCC at [email protected], and request that a copy beemailed to you, print it out, and then complete it by hand.

>

You can pick up a copy o the orm at the October 21 or November 18 RCC communitymeeting, and then complete it by hand.

> You can call the RCC at 336-638-1722 to ask or a copy to be mailed to you, then completeit by hand.

How do I submit a nomination orm?

o submit your completed orm, you can do any o the ollowing:


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> I you completed the orm online, and clicked Submit, youre done!

> You can mail your completed orm to the RCC at PO Box 13531, Greensboro, NC 27415.

> You can hand-deliver your completed orm to an RCC Steering Committee member atthe November 18 RCC community meeting, or to the oces o the Fund or DemocraticCommunities (620 South Elm Street, Suite 355).

Keep in mind that all nomination orms must be RECEIVED no later than 11:59 pm on Friday,December 6, 2013.

Where do I get inormation on the candidates?

Te RCC Nominating Committee will compile the inormation or all the candidates who havesubmitted nomination orms. Tis inormation will be made available on the RCC website and inpaper ormat, prior to the election on December 16.

Inormation on the candidates will be provided to all eligible voters. All RCC members willbe encouraged to go to the website in the week beore the election to review the candidate

inormation, prior to the vote. Paper copies listing candidate inormation will also be passed outto every eligible voter the night o the election so that people can make inormed choices.

How will the December 16 board elections work?

Te election o RCC board members will ollow the vote on the bylaws (assuming that the bylawsare approved). Again, only eligible voters will be allowed to participate. o accomplish this, eacheligible voter will come to the registration table, where they will receive a paper ballot that lists thenames o all the nominees. Each persons name will be checked against the roster o eligible votersso that we can be sure that only eligible voters participate.

Each voter will mark their ballot by putting an X next to the names o the candidates they

would like to see on the board. Each voter will be able to vote or up to nine (9) candidates. Youdont have to use all your votes i you dont wish to.

Completed ballots will be olded in hal and then returned to the registration desk, where thevotes will be counted. Te plan is to serve a delicious catered dinner while the votes are tallied.Te top nine vote getters will be elected to the board. I there is a tie between the ninth and tenthhighest vote getters, the results will be determined by a coin toss.

Following dinner, the results will be announced!

What i I want to vote but absolutely cannot make it to the December 16 meeting?

First o all, our coops success depends mightily on the regular engagement o its members; so wehope you will make every eort to attend the night o the election. However, we recognize thatattendance may be dicult or people who are disabled, working night jobs, and so on. I this isthe case or you, please call or email us to make arrangements to complete your ballot and turn itover in a sealed envelope to a member o the Steering Committee.

Arrangements or an absentee vote must be made no later than Monday, December 9.Completed ballots must be in the custody o a Steering Committee member no later than 6:00


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pm on Sunday, December 15.

What happens afer the board is elected?

Te night o the election, we will ask all the elected board members to come together to select thedate or their rst board meeting, which should take place no later than mid-January 2014. Te

time and date o this meeting will be publicized to all members o the Coop, in case they want toattend the board meeting.

At the rst meeting, the board will be randomly assigned to one-, two-, or three-year terms (threeboard members in each class, or group). Tis is a way to stagger the terms so that one-thirdo the board will stand or election each and every year going orward. A board member who isassigned to a one-year term in 2013 is eligible to run again in 2014and we hope many will!

Also at this rst meeting, board members will elect ocers, as directed in the bylaws, and willgure out the schedule o board meetings or the next several months, i not the whole year. Teboard may also take up other important coop business. All members are welcome to attend and

observe at board meetings.

process for approving bylaws and electing our first board of directors

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