Merger Updates Archive

Update on Merger

November 2019

It’s been a very active, very informative, very enlightening time since spring Conference. Many issues have been cleared up in a very positive way.

Iesha, our task facilitator for HQ’s is recommending to the SIA board that the name: North Atlantic Region be kept. She knows and the NER understands it is very important to our members to keep the name. The NER members on the task committee have been supportive with keeping the name and welcome being a part of our region. Side Note: HQ’s still has final vote on this, Iesha said there is something in SIA policy that gives SIA the right to decide on a name. I did request to see this policy. Diane and I are reviewing. But for now, let us continue to hope that the name North Atlantic Region will be the title that we are all very proud of.

The new title for our Governor-elect, will be Administrative Officer. Please note that technically the two Administrative Officers will be the nominees for the Governor position to be on the ballot for the term: 2022-2024, which by then the two regions will be merged. (yes.. all positions will be open) with a district 5 added.

The transitional bylaws are being worked on very diligently. Governorelect Diane and I reviewed and suggested items along with what the NER has presented. The NAR board also had the opportunity to review. On Wednesday October 23, we had a phone conversation with the task committee to go over each line of the transitional bylaws. Iesha is aware as is HQ’s that these bylaws must be sent to Laws and Resolutions Chair, Deb Cook by November 15th. We are following our bylaws, so the transitional ones will go out with the call in February, once approved by Deb Cook and vice-chairs.

There are some questions that still need answering. We are going to proceed with motions/questions at spring conference. The board truly wants to present as a unified board, and hopes that the membership will approve our recommendations. We will suggest that motions/ideas from the membership be sent to me by Mid-March which I will forward to the board as well as Deb Cook, and Iesha who will send to the parliamentarian on the SIA board.

As with any change, we know it can be difficult, but we hope that the membership understands the challenge in this merger but also the very very positive effects this can have.

We hope you will continue this discussion with your clubs. As always we welcome your input. Discuss details with your clubs, and share this message. We have done as much as we can to keep the details transparent at our region meetings.

We can only hope that because of all the time, effort, suggestions, recommendations, compromises and discussions, that the SIA Board will approve all our hard work. Our Region and this merger is going to be the “Role Model” for future mergers of other regions. So again and again, the North Atlantic Region is in the forefront of creativity, for our Federation.

So, stay tuned for the next episode of “Let’s Have a Merger”!

 Respectfully,

Governor Peggy


August 2019

I want to take a few minutes to inform those in attendance where we are at this time with the merger of the NAR and NER.

First, thank you to all the members and individual clubs that took the time to ask questions and send comments as requested at spring conference. Your emails were compiled and submitted to the task force. We are still waiting on some questions to be answered and once they are we will submit a written report to the membership.

In June, after the governor’s roundtable, the committee met to discuss restructuring and put together ideas for a new set of transitional bylaws that will hopefully be sent to our laws and resolutions chair, Deb Cook by the  November deadline. If all goes as planned these transitional bylaws will be sent to the members in the Call to Spring Conference in early February. These of course will need to be approved at our Spring Conference.

At this time, we do not know what name the merged regions will have. This is to be decided and voted on by the SIA Board of directors. The SIA Board is reviewing the suggested transitional bylaws and reviewing the financial structure of how to combine the two regions.

For the immediate future, through July 1, 2020 we are conducting business as usual for the North Atlantic Region and following our bylaws. Our bylaws require that our nominations chair, Stephanie Shoemaker, prepare a notice of upcoming elections for 2020-2022 North Atlantic Board. This call for nominations will be made at each Fall District Meeting and a written notice will be sent to each club which should be sent to all members. The following positions are open to ALL members:

Administrative Executive/Assistant, (what we knowas governor-elect of our region), Board Secretary, Board Treasurer, all four District Directors, and all four District Secretaries. I encourage each one of you to consider moving up to a region position. As agreed upon by the task force, there will not be an election for Governor, GE Diane will assume the position of governor. These positions will each be for a two year term, 2020-2022.

During the term of 2020 thru 2022 these elected positions will work as one board with the copositions that the NER will elect. Future Board meetings for 2020-2022 will include co-Administrative Executive/Assistants (formally governor-elect), co-Treasurers, and co-Secretaries. The ten clubs in the NER will become the fifth district of the new region. In November 2021 the nominations committee will once again open nominations for all positions which will include a new governor of the new region and one governor elect for 2022-2024.

The North Atlantic Region and Northeastern Region will still have their own Spring Conference for 2020. Leadership 2020 will be combined with the NER. One of the 2020 Fall district meetings will include the NER ’s ten clubs, (combined districts to be determined) which will start their transition as the 5th district in our new region.

2020-2022 will be the transition term of the NAR and NER in order to form a well run, healthy region. This is a work in progress. Something as important as this takes a lot of preparation and a lot of discussion. As promised, we are being transparent with details and keeping an open dialog with our members. I hope to have more information to present at our Fall District Meetings. Thank you for your continued support and as always I welcome your comments and questions, do not hesitate to email me. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

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