Before getting into the boring details, let me first say congratulations to all of us for making it through our second year as part of Arizona Browncoats, Incorporated. I also want to say thank you to all of my fellow Officers and Board Members for their dedication to the organization and the hard work they put in behind the scenes to make everything run. Please take a moment to thank all of them personally the next time you see them: David Richins, Marg, Kevin, Lisa, and David Ramirez (TOD).

Okay, now it's time to talk politics. Literally. Well, sort of.... The proposed changes to the Bylaws have been adopted unanimously by those 14 members who participated in the poll and are thus our new Bylaws. Therefore, we will elect new Officers based on the five-member Officer Board outlined by the new Bylaws. Let's quickly review the positions:

President: The Executive Officer of the Corporation and has general supervision, direction, and control of the Corporation. The President also presides at all meetings and speaks for the Corporation to other organizations. Finally, the President appoints, serves on, and disbands all committees and appoints other positions as necessary.

Events Director: Responsible for the coordination of all shindigs, either personally or through the appointment of one or more other persons to fulfill the duties. The Events Director monitors the progress of each Special Event (like CSTS, for example). Finally, the Events Director presides as the President at any meeting in the President's absence.

Communications Director: Oversees the public message of the Corporation and either serves as or appoints a webmaster, spokesperson, historian, and press liaison.

Secretary: Responsible for maintaining and recording the minutes and attendance records for all meetings of the Corporation and posting such records on the Members Forum.

Treasurer: Responsible for maintaining all the financial records of the Corporation and presenting a statement of financial status at each regular meeting of the Corporation.

To be an eligible candidate for these positions you must be at least 16 years old (except for the positions of President and Treasurer you must be 18 years old), a General Member of the Corporation, and otherwise legally competent. If you are currently a member of the corporation, please remember you must renew your dues by May 1 in order to keep your membership and in order to take office, if elected to an Officer position. If you would like to participate in the vote or even run for a position, but are not currently a member, no problem - just make sure you sign up before Saturday and you'll be invited to join the Members Forum! The membership form is up on the website (www.azbrowncoats.org/Membership) and you can pay online, send us a check, or pay at the May 1 shindig.

The Officer Elections will be conducted pursuant to the following schedule:

April 17 - April 20: Nominations for President and Treasurer

April 21 - April 23: Elections for President and Treasurer

April 24 - April 27: Nominations for Events Director, Communication Director, and Secretary

April 28 - April 30: Elections for Events Director, Communications Director, and Secretary

All nominations must be seconded and the person who was nominated must accept (or decline) the nomination prior to the poll opening. You may nominate yourself, but the nomination must still be seconded. If you are nominated and seconded, you must use a single thread on the Members Forum describing your qualifications for the position. I know this post is rather lengthy so all pertinent instructions will be reposted when applicable. Please think about which positions you would like to be considered for. And, as always, feel free to ask any questions. -Jennifer