AMA Executive Council Meeting
The motions below are part of the unofficial minutes of the meeting. Minutes from a given meeting are not official until they are approved at the following quarterly Council meeting. Questions or comments concerning the motions should be addressed to your district vice president.
January 11, 2009 Ontario, California
Motions/Acclamations
- District IV Vice President Bliss Teague was not in attendance at this meeting.
- It was moved, seconded and approved by acclamation to accept the minutes of the October 25, 2008 Executive Council meeting.
- It was moved, seconded and approved by acclamation to adopt the Code of Conduct/Ethics Policy as presented January 11, 2009.
- It was moved, seconded and approved by acclamation to adopt the Whistleblower Policy as presented January 11, 2009.
- It was moved, seconded and approved by acclamation to accept Mark Smith’s recommendation and approve Jim Wallen as interim District IX VP.
- Motion I: Moved by G. Fitch (II) and seconded by J. Rice (VIII) to accept the AMA Emergency Assistance Program as outlined by I. Maine at the January 11, 2009 Executive Council meeting.
Motion passed unanimously.
- Motion II: Moved by G. Fitch (II) and seconded by B. Nelson (XI) to amend AMA’s Bylaws Article XII Competition Jurisdiction, Section 1, sentence 6 which reads: “One member of each Contest Board shall be appointed Chairperson of that Board by the President,” to now read:
“Each Contest Board Chairperson shall be elected by majority vote of the Contest Board members, to serve a two year term. The elected Chairperson fills and serves at this position at the approval of the AMA President.” Motion passed unanimously.
- Motion III: Moved by J. Rice (VIII) and seconded by B. Nelson (XI) to amend AMA Flying Site Development/Improvement Grant application page 6, Project Costs, to read: Project costs can only include monies spent since the previous year’s application cutoff date or projected work for the new year. If application includes work already completed, documentation must be provided to show that work and supplies were completed and paid for between the previous and current year cutoff date. The club must also provide justification for not submitting the application within the time requirements. In no case will clubs be allowed to request monies for expenditures more than one cycle back.
Motion passed: 9-Yes; 3-No (VI, VII, and X).
- Motion IV: Moved by B. Brown (III) and seconded by J. Giffin (X) that content material for Model Aviation columns for the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and EVP (Executive Vice President) will be in accordance with the job descriptions put forth in the Standing Rules.
Motion passed unanimously.
- Motion V: Moved by J. Rice (VIII) and seconded by A. Argenio (I) that Council approves the recommendation of the Executive Director Evaluation Committee.
Motion passed unanimously. (VPs for District IV, VI, VII and X were not present.)
- Motion VI: Moved by B. Brown (III) and seconded by G. Fitch (II) that with the addition of the name change to AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame Award, Council accepts the recommendation of the Hall of Fame Committee.
Motion passed unanimously. (VPs for District IV, VI and VII were not present.)
- Motion VII: Moved by A. Argenio (I) and seconded by G. Fitch (II) to add to Bylaws Article X a new Section 3 as follows:
“Any elected officer of the association is limited to serving in the same position to three consecutive full terms. After this third term the officer may not run again for the same elected position without standing down for at least one election cycle. After one cycle an individual may run again for a previously held position and be eligible to serve for another three consecutive full terms. In any election, if there is no qualified candidate* of record (as determined by the chair of the Nominating Committee) 30 days before the nomination process ends**, an incumbent officer who has served the maximum number of complete terms may then be considered for an additional term by being nominated, per normal procedures, for the position currently held. If elected, this officer must stand down after this one term unless there is no qualified nominee, as determined above, in a subsequent cycle.
This term limitation is effective taking into consideration current elected officers’ service. Any current elected officer has the option of serving an additional consecutive full term after adoption of these term limitations, if they have already served three consecutive full terms as of the date of the adoption of these term limitations.
*A qualified candidate is defined as someone who meets all the qualifications necessary to hold the office he or she is seeking including, but not limited to, Leader Member status.
**The end of the nomination process is defined as the last day when nominations will be accepted at AMA Headquarters for the current year elections.”
Renumber all sections following the new Section 3. Motion passed: 8-Yes; 1-No (III). (VPs for District IV, VI, VII and XI were not present.)
Proposed Bylaws Changes/Additions
AMENDMENTS TO the AMA Bylaws may be proposed in writing by any member of the Executive Council (EC), any member of the Bylaws Committee, or any 20 members of the AMA.
On November 10, 2008, we received from an AMA member, Joe Hass, an AMA Bylaws amendment proposal petition signed by 35 AMA members stating: “We the undersigned, being current members in good standing of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, request that term limits for Executive Council members be enacted and be limited to two (2) three-year terms.”
Another letter was received by Gary Fitch, District II Vice President (VP), from AMA Contest Board members suggesting an amendment to the Bylaws relative to Article XII Competition Jurisdiction, Section 1, to allow each Contest Board Chairperson to be elected by majority vote of the Contest Board members instead of being appointed by the AMA President.
As per the AMA Bylaws, these amendment proposals were directed to the Bylaws Committee, which is charged with making recommendations prior to deliberation by the Executive Council.
The following describes the motions, the rationale behind them, and any recommended changes:
After reviewing the "Hass" Term Limit proposed amendment, the Bylaws Committee agreed with the proposal that term limits needed to be presented to Council again for consideration; however, the proposal as written would require additional clarification and provisions.
Please refer to Motion VII from the minutes of the meeting on the previous page. It should be noted that, for the most part, the changes the Bylaws Committee recommended were found in the amendment proposal for term limits from Dave Mathewson in 2006. Dave's proposal represents the first two paragraphs of Motion VII along with the third paragraph which was recommended by the Bylaws Committee.
The first paragraph limits elected officers serving in the same position to three consecutive full terms, and then requires them to stand down for at least one term. It should be understood that our board members are part-time volunteers who must balance their personal life and work employment time with the requirements of being an AMA board member and a district vice president. Most elected officers come to the EC with limited experience and knowledge concerning the many aspects of Council and committee work.
Experience on the Council plays a very important role as to an officer's effectiveness. Council members will tell you that their first term is spent learning the culture of the board and how the governance structure works. By their second term, their role and area of expertise has been determined and their work on committees is contributing to the mission and strategic goals and objectives of the Academy. The third term finds Council members chairing committees and having the wisdom to shape the vision and direction of the association. For these reasons, three terms were chosen as the limit instead of two terms.
It was also decided that after standing down for one term, a previous officer is eligible to serve another three consecutive terms. In this case, the individual would not be running as an incumbent, and lacking this advantage, would be on an equal status with other nominees to be elected by popular vote of the members.
Those opposed to term limits argue that limits could result in the loss of a good officer; however, this provision allows a former officer to run again for the same office after a one-term hiatus.
The second paragraph allows an incumbent officer who has served three consecutive terms to be considered for one additional term when there is no qualified candidate seeking his office. Contrary to what most members think, there aren't always AMA members standing in line wanting to take on the voluntary officer positions, knowing the demands of time and knowledge required to do the job.
The third paragraph was added for those current elected officers, who have served three or more consecutive full terms, to be granted eligibility to run for one additional term after completion of their current term, before having to stand down. This additional recommendation was made to provide a transitional grace period for existing officers to adequately address or complete programs, activities, or projects that they are working on nationally, in committees, or within their district.
Most officers run unopposed for reelection because many members believe it's next to impossible to unseat an incumbent. Members knowing that an officer must step down after serving three consecutive terms would help to reverse the downward trend in members running for office and voting in elections. Term limits would increase the frequency of having new officers on the board and in the districts whose fresh ideas and different skill sets may better serve the Council and the Academy.
After reviewing the "Gary Fitch" Contest Board proposed amendment, the Bylaws Committee agreed with the proposal as written without any recommendation for change, to be presented to Council for consideration.
Please refer to Motion II from the minutes of the meeting on the previous page.
The motion states to amend Article XII Competition Jurisdiction, Section 1 sentence which reads “One member of each Contest Board shall be appointed Chairperson of that Board by the President,” to now read: “Each Contest Board Chairperson shall be elected by majority vote of the Contest Board members, to serve a two-year term. The elected Chairperson fills and serves at this position at the approval of the AMA President.”
The rationale here was that Contest Board members have a better opportunity to observe, evaluate, and determine who would best serve as Chairperson for their board than someone distanced from the daily activities of these specialty areas. As written, the AMA President would still have oversight for approval or dismissal of the selected Chairperson.
The Council approved these Bylaws amendments during the January 11, 2009, AMA Executive Council meeting in Motion VII and Motion II. Ballots have been sent to AMA Leader Members to vote on the proposed changes. An affirmative vote of two thirds of the Leader Members responding within 45 days of issuance of the mail ballot is required for ratification to adopt each amendment.
— Andy Argenio, Bylaws Committee Chairperson
The chart on the following page lists current Executive Council members, the term and year they are currently serving, the completion date of their current terms, and the step-down dates if the term limits proposal is ratified by AMA Leader Members and becomes part of the Standing Rules to the AMA Bylaws.
The four officers who have currently served more than three terms were granted eligibility to run for an additional term following the completion of their current terms to allow them to complete projects on the Council and in their respective districts. Officers who have not completed three consecutive terms are not eligible to run for office past their three-term service without standing down for at least one term.
AMA Officer Term Completion Dates if Term Limits are Adopted in 2009
- AMA Elected Officer: District I Vice President
Andy Argenio
- Status: Second year of second term
- Current Term: 2008–2010
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2011–2013
- Extended Term Limit (Only for officers who have completed three terms as of 2009): Not offered
- AMA Elected Officer: District II Vice President
Gary Fitch
- Status: Remainder of former VP’s term
- Current Term: 2010–2012
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2016–2018
- AMA Elected Officer: District III Vice President
Bob Brown
- Status: Completed three terms
- Current Term: 2009–2011
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): Over three terms
- Extended Term Limit (Only for officers who have completed three terms as of 2009): 2012–2014
- AMA Elected Officer: District IV Vice President
Bliss Teague
- Status: Third year of second term
- Current Term: 2007–2009
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2010–2012
- AMA Elected Officer: District V Vice President
Tony Stillman
- Status: Second year of second term
- Current Term: 2008–2010
- AMA Elected Officer: District VI Vice President
Charlie Bauer
- Status: Completed three terms
- Current Term: 2007–2009
- Extended Term Limit (Only for officers who have completed three terms as of 2009): 2010–2012
- AMA Elected Officer: District VII Vice President
Bill Oberdieck
- Status: Completed three terms
- Current Term: 2009–2011
- AMA Elected Officer: District VIII Vice President
Jim Rice
- Status: Third year of first term
- Current Term: 2007–2009
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2013–2015
- AMA Elected Officer: District IX Vice President
Jim Wallen
- Status: Interim appointment
- Current Term: 2011–2013
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2017–2019
- AMA Elected Officer: District X Vice President
Jim Giffin
- Status: Interim appointment
- Current Term: 2010–2012
- AMA Elected Officer: District XI Vice President
Bruce Nelson
- Status: Completed three terms
- Current Term: 2009–2011
- AMA Elected Officer: President
Dave Mathewson
- Status: Second year of first term
- Current Term: 2008–2010
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2014–2016
- AMA Elected Officer: Executive Vice President
Mark Smith
- Status: First year of first term
- Current Term: 2009–2011
- Three-Term Limit (Step down after this term): 2015–2017
Nominations for District Vice Presidents Due
NOMINATIONS for the office of vice president in Districts II, IV, VI, VIII, and X are due at the Headquarters of the Academy of Model Aeronautics June 25, 2009. Any AMA Open Member may submit a nomination.
A special election for the District IX Vice President will run concurrently with the 2009 elections.
To be eligible to discharge the duties of AMA vice president, a nominee must be a Leader Member of the Academy and must reside in the district.
(Nominees and nominators will be notified by HQ confirming receipt of nomination.)
(If confirmation is not received within two (2) weeks after you have mailed your document, contact Lisa Johnson at (765) 287-1256, extension 231.)
A letter of acceptance and a résumé of professional qualifications and model aviation experience from the nominee must be on file at AMA Headquarters by July 10, 2009, 15 days prior to the published meeting.
Nominating Procedure Document
Relating to Article IX
Approved November 1, 2003
Candidate Guidelines:
(a) No person may nominate himself/herself for office.
(b) No person shall simultaneously hold two positions on the Executive Council. In the event a person holding an office is elected or selected to a second position on the Executive Council, that person must choose which of the two positions he/she will continue, such decision to be made within 48 hours of the announcement of the selection, or else the person so affected will be deemed to have selected to remain in the first office held. (See Bylaws, Article IX, Section 2.)
(c) Incumbent is automatically placed on the ballot, provided that he/she has been properly nominated and accepted, except that a 3/4 vote against may withhold the incumbent’s name from the ballot (see Bylaws, Article IX, Section 2).
(d) All nomination letters must be received at AMA Headquarters thirty (30) days prior to the convening of the Nominating Committee’s Annual Meeting. If received by electronic mail or fax, it must be received by close of that business day at AMA Headquarters, Muncie IN.
(e) Candidate must be a legal resident of the district in which the election is being held; this does not apply to the office of President or Executive Vice President.
(f) Candidate must be a current AMA member with Leader Member status (other qualifications apply to the office of President and Executive Vice President, Article IX, section 3).
(g) No person elected to and serving as an active member of the Executive Council shall be paid for any regular column or article in Model Aviation magazine. Exception may be made for such articles as the coverage of special events provided prior arrangement was made for said article. Articles and columns printed in the “AMA News” section are not paid contributions. No paid columns may be submitted after the individual has been placed on the ballot.
It is strongly recommended that nominations be mailed by certified mail, receipt requested.
Candidate Acceptance:
(a) A letter of acceptance by the candidate must be on file at AMA Headquarters 15 days prior to the meeting; if by electronic mail or fax it must be received by close of that business day at AMA Headquarters, Muncie IN.
(b) Along with a résumé of professional qualifications and model aviation experience, your résumé should include, but not be limited to, the following areas of consideration. (Note: Campaign Statements to be delivered to AMA Headquarters 10 days prior to the Nominating Committee meeting in a sealed envelope. Those not nominated will have his or her statement returned unopened. Campaign Statements will remain sealed until after the Nominating Committee has deliberated and determined the candidates.)
Adopted January 2008
- Management experience.
- Financial background.
- Insurance employment and/or expertise.
- Legal background.
- Technical background, including areas of aeronautics, electronics (especially in radio frequency propagation and usage), acoustics (as related to noise studies and analysis), and other areas of engineering.
- Aeromodeling background must be noted. The individual will be required, if elected to national office, to deal with questions related to all areas of aeromodeling and should have a broad-based background.
It is strongly recommended that these documents be mailed certified, receipt requested.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
