Proposed MD-1 State Resolutions
Following are proposed Resolutions which will appear on the ballot for the Lions of Illinois to vote on at the State Convention in Itasca on May 16-18, 2008. All seven Resolutions were approved by the Council of Governors at its February 2, 2008 meeting.
Resolution Number One
Should the Lions of Illinois (MD-1) prepare and present a bid to host the 2017 Lions Clubs International Convention during which the Association’s 100th Anniversary will be celebrated? (Yes/No)
Resolution Number Two
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
CONSTITUTION – ARTICLE V, STATE ORGANIZATION
Section 2, Paragraph 3
Subject: Adds titles of Vice-Council Chairperson, Council Secretary, and Council Treasurer to the three District Governors-Elects selected to serve with the Council Chairperson as the Executive Committee of the Councils of Governors. Adds titles of Council Chaplain and Council Tailtwister as positions to also be selected by the Governors-Elects.
WHEREAS, it is important that the Lions of Illinois Constitution, its By-Laws and its Policy Manual all be in line with each other, in that one does not contradict another; and,
WHEREAS, the Policy Manual currently recognizes and assigns specific duties to and responsibilities for the specific positions of Vice-Council Chairperson, Council Secretary, Council Treasurer, Council Chaplain, and Council Tailtwister, it is important that this Section recognize same; and,
WHEREAS, these positions have been a recognized part of the Council of Governors for several years, and the District Governor-Elects have elected a member of their incoming Council to each of these positions, it is important that the positions be specifically recognized within this Section;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article V, STATE ORGANIZATION, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the Lions of Illinois Constitution be amended, effective following the close of the 2008 International Convention, as follows:
Replace Sentence One with the following new Sentence One
“During this same meeting, three District Governors-Elect shall be selected to serve as the Vice-Council Chairperson, Council Secretary, and Council Treasurer and together with the Council Chairperson will comprise the Executive Committee of the Council of Governors.”
Immediately following Sentence Three, add the following new Sentence Four
“During this same meeting, two additional District Governors-Elect shall be selected to serve as the Council Chaplain and Council Tailtwister.”
Resolution Number Three
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
CONSTITUTION – ARTICLE IX, STATE REVENUE
Section 1, Paragraph 3
Subject: Adds Council Chairperson, incoming Council Chairperson, and International Convention Chairperson Positions to be included for reimbursement in connection with his/her attending the International Convention.
WHEREAS, the out-going District Governors have, by past practices, been reimbursed by the Lions of Illinois for specific expenses related to their attendance at the International Convention at, or near, the end of their term of office as gratitude for having dedicated a year of their time, their finances, and leadership abilities toward the betterment of the Lions of Illinois; and,
WHEREAS, the out-going Council Chairperson and International Convention Chairperson have also dedicated a year of their time, their finances, and leadership abilities toward the betterment of the Lions of Illinois; and,
WHEREAS, the incoming and out-going Council Chairpersons, and International Convention Chairperson all have specific duties and responsibilities to perform while at the Lions Clubs International Convention; and,
WHEREAS, the Lions of Illinois wish to continue the past practice of reimbursing the out-going District Governors for specific expenses related to their attendance at the International Convention, and add to this group the out-going Council Chairperson, the incoming Council Chairperson, and the International Convention Chairperson as diplomats and representatives of Multiple District 1;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article IX, STATE REVENUE, Section 1, Paragraph 3 of the Lions of Illinois Constitution be amended, effective following the close of the 2008 International Convention, as follows:
Replace Sentence Two with the following new Sentence Two
“Expenses of each out-going District Governor, out-going Council Chairperson, incoming Council Chairperson and International Convention Chairperson in connection with his/her attending the International Convention at or near the conclusion of his/her term of office shall be considered a proper charge against this International Convention Fund and reimbursement for said expenses of such outgoing District Governors, out-going Council Chairperson, incoming Council Chairperson and International Convention Chairperson out of this fund shall be on the same basis as that allowed District Governors Elect under the Rules of Audit of and by Lions Clubs International. ”
Resolution Number Four
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
BY-LAWS – ARTICLE III, STANDING COMMITTEES
Subject: Adds Standing Committee as a functioning committee among Standing Committees, with a limited term.
WHEREAS, a Redistricting Committee is among the list of Standing Committees in the Lions of Illinois By-Laws which may be appointed by the Council of Governors; and,
WHEREAS, the Lions of Illinois By-Laws does not list any description or specific responsibilities for the Redistricting Committee; and,
WHEREAS, the general purpose of a Redistricting Committee is to evaluate the membership population of a Multiple District and determine the best distribution of the membership among the various sub-districts; and,
WHEREAS, membership within the Lions of Illinois has decreased from a high of 30,000 members in 1984, to less than 19,000 members today; and,
WHEREAS, MD-1 currently has 3 sub-districts under the minimum membership standards set by Lions Clubs International, with several more sub-districts approaching the minimum; and,
WHEREAS, there exists specific financial burdens and loss of international representation for sub-districts under the minimum membership standards; and,
WHEREAS, all sub-districts within MD-1 should enjoy the same benefits given to any sub-district meeting the minimum membership standards and should not be at a disadvantage for having international representation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article III, STANDING COMMITTEES of the Lions of Illinois By-Laws be amended, effective following the close of the International Convention, in the following manner:
Section 1 – Replace Sentence Three with the following new Sentence Three
“Each such Standing Committee, except Campaign and Liaison, State Redistricting, Long Range Planning Committee and Membership Development, shall be composed of one member from each District appointed by the District Governor of the District, and each member shall have one vote in committee deliberations.”
Section 1 – Replace Sentence Five with the following new Sentence Five
“The Chairman of each Standing Committee shall be appointed annually by the State Council, with the exception of the Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, who will be the Immediate Past Council Chairman, the State Redistricting Committee, and the Chairman of the Membership Development Committee, who shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years, effective on July 1 following the year in which he/she is appointed.”
Section 1 – Replace sentence Six with the following new Sentence Six
“Members of each Standing Committee shall be appointed annually, except as is hereinafter provided for the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, the State Redistricting Committee, the Campaign and Liaison Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee and the Membership Development Committee.”
Section 1 – Replace sentence Nine with the following new Sentence Nine
“With the exception of the Long Range Planning Committee and the State Redistricting Committee, in order to be eligible for appointment as Chairman of a Standing Committee, the appointee shall have served as a District Chairman of that Committee for at least one (1) year.”
Section 10 – Renumber the old Section 10 as Section 11
Insert the following as a new Section 10
“The State Redistricting Committee shall commence its existence July 1, 2008, for a term of five years, ceasing all activity June 30, 2013. The committee shall have one representative from each sub-district, comprised of four representatives from the 2006-2007 Council, four from the 2007-2008 Council and four from the 2008-2009 Council. Any vacancies shall be filled by the then sitting Council after consultation with the respective District Governors(s) affected by such vacancies. The 2007-2008 Council of Governors will appoint the committee’s district representatives. All Past International Directors from Illinois, and any sitting International Director from Illinois serving during the time of the committee’s existence, shall be invited from time to time to offer advice to members to the committee. The Committee will elect a Chairperson and Recording Secretary from their membership. The twelve district representatives of the committee shall be voting members of the committee. The purpose of said committee shall be to evaluate the membership situation of MD-1 and explore ways of bringing all sub-districts into compliance with the LCI minimum standards of membership and clubs. The committee will report to each succeeding Council. A vote on a proposed plan by the delegates shall take place at the 2011 MD-1 Convention.”
Resolution Number Five
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
CONSTITUTION – ARTICLE IX, STATE REVENUE, Section 1, Paragraph 7
Subject: Clarifies approved signatures for the Lions of Illinois checks.
WHEREAS, it is important that the Lions of Illinois Constitution, its By-Laws and its Policy Manual all be in line with each other, in that one does not contradict another; and,
WHEREAS, all three documents currently differ from each other in describing who should sign Lions of Illinois checks; and,
WHEREAS, it has been an existing and accepted practice that the elected Council Treasurer, or another member of the Executive Committee, countersigns all checks along with the State Secretary-Treasurer: and
WHEREAS, it has been an existing and accepted practice that the elected Council Treasurer has major responsibilities in preparing the Council’s budget and overseeing compliance with said budget by reviewing all expenditures before they are approved for payment; and
WHEREAS, the Council Treasurer is and will be an important Council representative on the State Finance Committee where detailed knowledge of expenditures and compliance with the Constitution and By-Laws are paramount and which knowledge can most readily be obtained by countersigning all checks and working with access to the financial program data;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article IX, STATE REVENUE, Section 1, Paragraph 7 of the Lions of Illinois Constitution be amended, effective following the close of the International Convention, as follows:
Replace paragraph 7 in its entirety with new paragraph 7
“ The aforesaid funds shall be expended only for such items of the foregoing as are approved by the State Council of Governors and by checks drawn and signed by the State Secretary-Treasurer and countersigned by the Council Treasurer. If the Council Treasurer is unavailable, then any other member of the Executive Committee may countersign.”
Resolution Number Six
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
BY-LAWS – ARTICLE II, DUTIES, Section 10
Subject: Clarifies approved signatures for the Lions of Illinois checks.
WHEREAS, it is important that the Lions of Illinois Constitution, its By-Laws and its Policy Manual all be in line with each other, in that one does not contradict another; and,
WHEREAS, all three documents currently differ from each other in describing who should sign Lions of Illinois checks;
WHEREAS, it has been an existing and accepted practice that the elected Council Treasurer, or another member of the Executive Committee, countersigns all checks along with the State Secretary-Treasurer: and
WHEREAS, it has been an existing and accepted practice that the elected Council Treasurer has major responsibilities in preparing the Council’s budget and overseeing compliance with said budget by reviewing all expenditures before they are approved for payment; and
WHEREAS, the Council Treasurer is and will be an important Council representative on the State Finance Committee where detailed knowledge of expenditures and compliance with the Constitution and By-Laws are paramount and which knowledge can most readily be obtained by countersigning all checks and working with access to the financial program data;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article II, DUTIES, Section 10, part c, of the Lions of Illinois By-Laws be amended, effective following the 2008 International Convention, by replacing it with the following:
“receive and disburse upon order of the State Council, all State funds, and sign all checks, which would be countersigned by the Council Treasurer. If the Council Treasurer is unavailable, then any other member of the Executive Committee may countersign.”
Resolution Number Seven
Lions of Illinois, Inc.
RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE LIONS OF ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
BY-LAWS – ARTICLE III, STANDING COMMITTEES, SECTION 9
Subject: Clarifies Council member to serve on Finance Committee
WHEREAS, it is important that the Lions of Illinois Constitution, its By-Laws and its Policy Manual all be in line with each other, in that one does not contradict another; and,
WHEREAS, the Council representative on the State Finance Committee is expected to have detailed knowledge of expenditures and compliance with the Constitution and By-Laws, the Council’s budget, of which knowledge can most readily be obtained by countersigning all checks and working with access to the financial program data; and
WHEREAS, it has been an existing and accepted practice that the elected Council Treasurer is or is expected to be the Council’s most knowledgeable person on financial matters when selected for the position;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Article III, STANDING COMMITTEES, Section 9, first paragraph, last sentence of the Lions of Illinois By-Laws be amended, effective following the close of the International Convention, as follows:
Replace the entire sentence with new sentence
“The fifth member of the Finance committee will be the elected Council Treasurer who will serve a one year term during his/her term of office.”