The King County Bar Association has proposed a series of amendments to its Bylaws, which must be approved by its members.
The vote will be taken at a special 6 p.m. membership meeting to be held in conjunction with KCBA’s annual Coffee, Chocolate, Cabernet and Cheese Celebration from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at the Women’s University Club, 1105 Sixth Avenue, Seattle.
Proxies to vote on these amendments may be found on the KCBA website at www.kcba.org.
The proposed amendments are summarized below to make them more easily comprehensible. The proposed amendments themselves appear throughout the Bylaws and are reprinted in the accompanying text beginning on page 16. Those portions that are to be deleted are marked with a strikethrough; those to be added are underlined (this does not include Section headings). Portions of the Bylaws that are not being amended have been omitted due to space limitations and for ease of reference. Also included on page 17 is a proposed form for the Articles of Amendment.
The entire text of the KCBA Bylaws is available on the KCBA website at http://www.kcba.org/scriptcontent/KCBA/aboutkcba/pdf/kcba_bylaws.pdf.
Summary of Proposed Amendments
Secretary and Proportionality. Revisions have been made to address the position of Secretary and the method of determining the number of trustees to be elected from each of the districts in the county:
Article V, Section 1. Secretary and Number of Trustees: The number of trustees is increased from 16 to 17. This will allow for the four officers (President, two Vice Presidents and Treasurer positions), the Secretary (which is a trustee position in which the individual serves as secretary for the first year of their three-year term) and 12 trustees, including two past secretaries. All of the five officer positions are elected “at large.”
Article VI, Sections 1.a. and b. Districts. The districts have been more clearly defined based upon a new updated map, attached to the Bylaws, which is reprinted on page 16.
Article VI, Section 1.e. Proportionality. The 10 trustee positions are divided among the three districts proportionally based on KCBA membership. The Board must examine the distribution at least every five years.
Membership:
Article I, Section 5. Associate members (those who meet the requirements of membership except for residency or employment within the county) can become regular members with all rights of regular members if they pay full dues.
Article VI, Section 1.d. Members who do not have an office address in King County will vote in the district in which their residence address is located or in the Central District if they do not reside in King County.
Electronic Transmission. Several revisions have been made to permit the use of emails and other electronic means to conduct KCBA business.
Article VI, Sections 3 and 5. Elections for officers and trustees may be conducted by electronic transmission if the conditions in the Bylaws are satisfied.
Article XI. Notices, consents, demands and waivers may be given by electronic transmission as long as the conditions in the Bylaws are satisfied.
Article VI, Section 2. The nominations report must be posted on the KCBA website, as well as posted in the office.
Article XII. Notices of amendments to the Bylaws together with the proposed amendments must be posted on the KCBA website and sent to members by electronic transmission in accordance with the Bylaws.
Miscellaneous:
Article V, Section 2. A provision providing for notice of special meetings of the Board has been added. At least 24 hours’ notice of the time, place and purposes of a special meeting must be given.
Article V, Section 3. An amendment clarifies that sections and divisions must provide written reports annually and upon request to the Board or Treasurer of their operations.
Some typographical errors were corrected and minor clarifications were made throughout the document:
Article VI, Section 2 (last paragraph)
Article VI, Section 5 (first and last sentences)
Article VII, Sections 2, 3 and 4
Article IX, Section 1 and 2
