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North Country Troll Association Newsletter, Winter, 1992-3
Many changes coming NCTA Board completes reogranization plan It has taken nearly three years worth of meetings and position papers, and two very long, hard meetings this last fall, but the overall outline of the reorganization of the North Country Trail Association has at last been worked out. It hasn't been simple, since there have been many separate pieces that have needed to be assembled, many of which affect another. Some of the details are still up in the air, but many of them should be worked out in the next few months. Much of the percieved need for changes in the organization have come from dissatisfaction with a cumbersome board membership, one that is so large that it is hard to coordinate, especially considering the geographical spread of the board members. It has been perceived that the distance involved, the meeting format, and the number of directors have caused difficulties in accomplishing even simple items. The changes approved by the board in recent meetings are intended to streamline the way things are done. Some of the changes are relatively minor, while others are basic; taken together, they will result in many changes in the way the organization does business. Among the changes are these: BOARD OF DIRECTORS DOWNSIZING; Starting in the spring of 1993, the Board of Directors, currently at 30 after reaching a high of 36, will be reduced to a total of 17 regular and two non-voting "honorary" board members. APPOINTED BOARD MEMRERS; Three board members will be appointed: the Finger Lakes Trail Council and the Buckeye Trail Association will each appoint one of these members; a third will be appointedfrom other affiliate members. In 1993, this third affiliate-named board member will be named by American Youth Hostels, Pittsburgh; a method of handling how this "floating" affiliate board member will be named after 1993 remains to be worked out. ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS: The other 14 voting board members will be elected at large from the organization, but regional representation will be assured by a complicated formula, in which two seats will be reserved for board members representing either North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; two seats will be reserved for board members representing Michigan; one seat (plus the seat named by the Buckeye Trail Association) will be reserved for a board member representing Ohio, and one seat (plus the seat named by the Finger Lakes Trail Conference) will be reserved for a board member representing New York or Pennsylvania. Geographically reserved scats will be filled by the candidates from the representative area with the highest number of votes of the candidates from that area, regardless of their overall finish in the voting. The other eight board members will be elected at large.
STAGGERING OF TERMS; All board members will be elected in 1993 in a fresh election, regardless of current terms of office. Some elected in 1993 will be for one-year terms, some for two-year terms, and some for three-year terms. (How a candidate gets selected for a one-year, two-year or three-year term has not been decided yet.) All board members elected after 1993 will be elected for three-year terms. Board members elected in 1993 and afterwards will be limited to two terms on the board, and will have to go off of the board for one year before they may again run for a board seat. NOMINA1JONS TO mEBOARD: Any member (except those over term limits or those serving on the elections committee) who desires to run for the board may do so. Potential candidates must be willing to agree that they will: (a) work toward NCTA's goals; (b) maintain their NCTA membership; (c) agree to attend a majority of board meetings annually, or present a written request for an excused absence for good cause; (d) agree to provide the committee with a written application to get on the ballot. This application will include a written statement of qualifications, priorities, etc., as well as other possible materials, and will be used in the ballot packet sent to members; (e) agree to serve as an officer, or on committees, as needed, and will serve on the elections committee when they go off of the board. , All those currently serving as board members will be mailed an application form, which will include the above agreements. Others seeking an application form should write to NCTA Headquarters for a form. Applications must be received not later than February 10. ELECTIONS COMMITfEE; An elections committee will be formed, consisting largely but not necessarily entirely of board members whose terms have expired and/or who are not running for re-election. This committee will oversee the mail vote, and will have the responsibility to recruit potential candidates if specific board member skills are needed. MAIL VOIE: All NCTA members will have the opportunity to vote for candidates by mail. All the details have not been worked out, but as of this writing it appears that all paid members will receive ballots and information sheets about the candidates some time in the early spring. ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS; All officers will be elected from the board. Those officers elected in 1992 will continue their terms until 1994. If a currently serving officer is not elected to the board in the 1993 ballot, they will serve as a board member until the end of their term even though this will result in a board larger than planned, for one year only. An officer who is elected and who will have to serve past his normal term limit will be allowed to stay on the board to end theirofficer term, although their board sea twill be filled when it expires. ADMINISIRATIVE VICE PBESIDENT: The board has created (although not yet filled the post) of adminstrative vice-president, who will serve as first vice-president in case of succession needs. The administrative vice president will oversee such administrative functions of the organization as publications, publicity, membership, legislative liasion, and the like. The second vice president, which will be known as the Trail Management Vice-President, will oversee trailrelated issues.