Question on Regional Representative

[Joe Pires]

After reading the article on page 7 of this months magazine regarding regional representatives, I am still unclear on how to nominate one. So I think i will try it here.

I think Ron Awad should be nominated for the Southern region representative.
1. He is active in both PRA 13 and 26, who are among the most active and involved members in the region.
2. He volunteered to serve as a director so he must feel he has the time to devote to governance.
3. He actively and enthusiasticlly promotes the sport.

 

[barnstorm2]

Joe,

Excellent question!

Tom Milton is the BOD coordinator for this.

 

[PW_Plack]

If I understand correctly, the regional reps have to be elected by the chapters. That process will need a little more specificity.

Do the chapters vote within themselves, and the choice of a majority of chapters within the region prevails? Do only the chapter members who are also PRA members get to vote?

Shoot...you reminded me, I renewed in July and haven't seen a magazine. Gotta call the office!

 

[dabkb2]

These are the rules I got from Tom

Rules and Procedures:

1) Any PRA members in your region or country may be nominated and voted for as Regional Representative.

2) A voting booth web-page will be created for each region or country we receive a reply from.

3) 1st vote will be requesting PRA members that will serve and donate time for more than just a monthly BOD online meeting. (See job description below)

4) Primary candidates may be any current PRA member.

5) Our staff of volunteers will help you contact the PRA members in your region to ask for candidate volunteers.

6) The Candidates will be posted on the Rotary Wing or PRA's Forum (if available in time) and we will help you email the candidate's info they provide as to what will they do for you and why they are the best person for your region.

7) We hold the elections for the Regional Representatives.

8) The Regional Representatives will get to voice their needs and opinions at the board meetings, but they will not get to vote

 

[Joe Pires]

Yes that same list was published in the magazine, but i was unable to understand the process. Here are a few questions that I still had after reading it.

These are the rules I got from Tom

Rules and Procedures:

1) Any PRA members in your region or country may be nominated and voted for as Regional Representative.

Nominated how?

2) A voting booth web-page will be created for each region or country we receive a reply from.

What does it mean to have "received a reply from"? Does my post here mean you have received a reply?

5) Our staff of volunteers will help you contact the PRA members in your region to ask for candidate volunteers.

Does this mean I may not nominate Ron?

 

[dabkb2]

I think you have nominated Ron. I have a call into Tom and will confirm.

 

[gyroplanes]

Hi All, I haven't been here in a while. Actually, I don't recall writing this, maybe I just passed it on.
I did come up with the idea of regional reps. I would like the chapters to nominate someone from their region (or country) to run for the position.

If the chapters are in agreement on a person, I believe the only reason the PRA would get involved is to check for the required PRA membership.

I believe Ron's local chapter should run him as the regional rep and see if he faces any competition. I think we should set a deadline of Dec 31,2009 to have our reps in place.

What say you?

 

[dabkb2]

I agree Tom, Dec 31, 09 sounds good.

I would like 1 nomination from each chapter, probably won't get it but I can dream, posted on this thread. If we get more than 1 nomination from a region then we will have to have a vote from the members in that region, here on the forum. It sounds straight forward, but if you have any questions or suggestions lets hear them.

Joe- yes Ron is nominated, as long as you are in the same region.

I don't think we will have a voting both webpage set up, but we can do that here on the forum.

Paul- you do not have to be a chapter member to vote, but you do need to be a PRA member.

I nominate Jeffrey Jones for the southwest. For those of you who don't know Jeffrey, he is the president of chapter 1 and I think he will do a great job.

 

[Dean_Dolph]

......I did come up with the idea of regional reps. I would like the chapters to ominate someone from their region (or country) to run for the position.

You are going to have to get in line if you think you were the one that suggested this! Rusty recognized Grant Stroud at the 2nd annual chapters meeting this year as the one who suggested it and it hurt my feelings since I thought I was! Nah, it didn't hurt my feelings since I'm just glad to see it given a chance to work and it just shows that great minds think alike.

......I think we should set a deadline of Dec 31,2009 to have our reps in place.

Getting it done that soon may be difficult because of the holidays and the fact that people are just now realizing a rep for their region should be chosen. And not everyone visits here so they won't see that Dave is deviating a little from what has been published in the magazine.

I just don't see us ready to bring this all about between now and the first of the year. And because not everyone visits here, I don't believe it is a good idea to use this Forum as the place to collect nominees or conduct elections. I would rather see the regions handle the details and how they do it should be up to them. We are only after regional agreed on reps (or are we! Does others outside a region get to vote on all regional reps?) and how the agreements are reached should be ironed out within the region for at least this first go around. If it turns out that there are problems doing it this way then make adjustments and formalize the process the next time around. And what about our international reps?

Before anyone accepts a nomination, it would be nice to know exactly how the interaction will take place with the board. Is the mechanism in place to have these exchanges? If so, then what are they, when will they take place and how will they function? How long will is a rep expected to serve? Or is it a life sentence?!!

In my particular region, Southwest, we have Chapter's 6, 20, 62 and 78. Chapter 62 hasn't heard anything from the other chapter's so I'm pushing for us to be the 1st to make contact. But, even if it were to happen today it would still take some time for everyone to poll their chapter and see who would volunteer and then have an election. I just don't see it happening by the 12/31/09.

 

[dabkb2]

Quote(Getting it done that soon may be difficult because of the holidays and the fact that people are just now realizing a rep for their region should be chosen. And not everyone visits here so they won't see that Dave is deviating a little from what has been published in the magazine).

I am just trying to get something going here, I think mail ballots could take forever, and if we had a voting both site set up that would be great. But if you are already online, why not just do it here?

I think a year would be a good trial and see how it goes.

Quote(Before anyone accepts a nomination, it would be nice to know exactly how the interaction will take place with the board. Is the mechanism in place to have these exchanges? If so, then what are they, when will they take place and how will they function? How long will is a rep expected to serve? Or is it a life sentence?!!)

I agree and think the board needs to set some guildlines here.

 

[gyroplanes]

Dean, you may be right. I think I invented the internet (or was it global warming?)

I don't want to drag our feet on this any longer, three months have passed already.

We know who the interested and capable nominees are.

I believe the new regional reps need to be daily internet users and frequent forum visitors.

The internet is the new telephone, as the telephone was to the US Mail, the internet is to the telephone.

Guys like Ron Awad & Larry Goodhind come to mind as excellent regional representatives.

I don't see any reason why a PRA member, seeing the article in the magazine (or on here) couldn't ask a local chapter to nominate them and vote them in over the next month and a half. An active chapter could do it in a few days.

 

[Dean_Dolph]

.......I don't see any reason why a PRA member, seeing the article in the magazine (or on here) couldn't ask a local chapter to nominate them and vote them in over the next month and a half. An active chapter could do it in a few days.

I guess this is going to be a test to see what the active chapters are!

Do you or Dave hava problem with the regional chapters collaborating and selecting their rep without a vote here?

 

[dabkb2]

I do not have a problem with any way someone is selected. Lets get it done.

 

[PW_Plack]

So, is this forum now the PRA's vehicle to notify chapters of official business?

Tom, I think if PRA has business with its chapters, especially notifying them of a vote, it needs to be done via whatever the chapters have on record with Mentone as their official contact, whether by snail-mail, phone or e-mail.

Also, as noted above, there needs to be a little more definition for the position, especially a defined term length. These folks should come up for reelection every so often. Otherwise, they can only be replaced through their own resignation, or a potentially ugly recall/impeachment sort of process, which needs to be avoided if possible.

How about two-year terms, ending December 31st of each odd-numbered year starting in 2011? That would start the first round of reps off with a term of 25 months if they're elected right away, and require either their reelection or replacement every 24 months afterward.

 

[gyroplanes]

Do you or Dave hava problem with the regional chapters collaborating and selecting their rep without a vote here?

I don't see why the forum or a web voting site is necessary for the process, in fact, it might actually slow down the process. I think the chapters need to look for a suitable rep and encourage he or she to run. If the nominee agrees, and there are no other nominees from within the chapter, it becomes an issue of the other regional chapters putting forth their nominees.

One nominee from the region? No problem, no vote needed, welcome aboard.

More than one nominee? I would suggest the nominees write a "PRA vision statement" (with implementation plans) so the regional members can vote intelligently.

This can be done without great fanfare and foot dragging. Either you want in, or you don't.

Paul P. & Britta P. are another two likely nominees that come to mind. If they were in my region, I would have already asked them.

 

[gyroplanes]

Method of Contact & Term Limits

Method of Contact & Term Limits

Hi Paul, Thanks for the input. The PRA's first line of chapter contact is the Chapter Coordinator, David Bacon.

I believe the PRA met it's notification requirements with the ROTORCRAFT magazine article. The magazine is received by all chapter officers and PRA members. (but not necessarily at the same time )

I would propose a 1 year term limit. Any conversation on this?

 

[barnstorm2]

I would propose a 1 year term limit. Any conversation on this?

That seems too short to me. They would just learn the ropes and be up again. IMHO.

I like Paul's suggestion of 2 year terms.

It is hard enough to get chapters to send an email much less nominate and vote on someone each year...

.

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

I think a two year term with one half of the delegates expiring on even years and the other on odd years. This would provide some level of continuity.

 

[GyroDoug]

Nomination for North West Region

Nomination for North West Region

Dave,

PRA Chapter 2 took a vote on it today and we unanimously decided to nominate Paul Plack for the Regional Representative for the North West Region.

Paul is the Secretary for Chapter 2 as so is very involved and aware of the issues facing our chapter. He has also been an active member of chapter 73 and has a good understanding of many of the issues they face up in Washington so we think he would be the ideal Representative for our Region. Please let us know if there is anything else we need to do to get his name into the hat for consideration.

Doug Barker
PRA CHapter 2

 

[gyroplanes]

Hi Doug,
I would suggest that your chapter notify the other chapters in your region (or have Dave do it) If the other chapters endorse Paul or do not offer a nominee of their own, I would say that Paul would be "elected" through default. If other nominees are put forth, then a vote should be taken. How does this sound, Dave?, Tim?, others?