The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

56 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Proposed Bylaw Amendments for 2017 Attention AFSA Members: The Governing Board is proposing three bylaw amendments to be voted on during the 2017 AFSA Elec- tions. The proposed bylaw changes would: (1) Make the Awards and Plaques Committee a permanent standing com- mittee; (2) Change the current residency requirement for serving on the AFSA Govern- ing Board to a participation requirement; and, (3) Require that active- duty members presenting themselves as candidates for AFSA president or vice president hold an active security clearance. The changes would become effective immedi- ately if approved by two- thirds of the valid votes received from members. Explanation of Proposed Changes 1. Proposal to Make the Awards and Plaques Committee a Permanent Standing Committee. At its Aug. 3, 2016, meet- ing, the AFSA Governing Board voted to propose to membership during the election a bylaw amendment to establish the Awards and Plaques Committee as a permanent standing com- mittee. The Governing Board recommends that members support the amendment of Article VI (Internal Organiza- tion), Section 1 of the AFSA bylaws by adding the follow- ing language: “(e) Awards and Plaques Committee: The board shall appoint and determine the terms of the chair and members of the Awards and Plaques Committee who, under the overall guidance of the board, shall develop criteria and make recom- mendations for awards and honors.” Justification: The Governing Board believes that AFSA should have a permanent Awards and Plaques Committee recognized in the bylaws as a standing committee. Under the current bylaws, the Awards and Plaques Committee is not a perma- nent standing committee. Rather, the Awards and Plaques Committee has operated as a “special com- mittee” for more than 20 years. Under Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (which per the bylaws is the parliamentary author- ity of the association), the committee is established only for the duration of that elected board. The commit- tee (along with AFSA staff) handles the annual AFSA Awards Ceremony and the AFSA Memorial Plaques, which are ongoing undertak- ings of the association. The AFSA awards and plaques program should be directed by a permanent standing committee, recognized as such in the bylaws. The AFSA awards and plaques process requires sustained research, vetting and analy- sis, all of which take place on a continuous timeline, with recurring and firm deadlines. AFSA awards recognize the important role of the Foreign Service and honor members of the Foreign Ser- vice community. Additional details on AFSA’s awards and honors can be found here: www.afsa.org/awards. 2. Proposal to Change the Current Residency Requirement for Serving on the AFSA Governing Board to a Participation Requirement. At its Oct. 3, 2016, meet- ing, the Governing Board voted to propose to mem- bership a bylaw amendment to change the residency requirement for serving on the AFSA board to a partici- pation requirement. The Governing Board recommends that members support the amendment of Article V (The Govern- ing Board) Section 8 of the AFSA bylaws by replacing the current language with the proposed language: Current Language: “Residency: Board mem- bers shall be resident in the Washington area within 60 days of taking office on July 15 or appointment to office thereafter, and shall remain resident in the Washington area throughout their term in office. Board members who cease to be resident in the Washington area during their term shall submit their resignations to the board.” Proposed Language: “Participation: Board members shall participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meet- ings of the board within 60 days of taking office on July 15 or appointment to office thereafter, and throughout their term in office. Board members who are unable to participate via in-person attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the board, e.g., because of transfer, shall submit their resignations. Board members may be removed from office by a majority vote of the board after four absences in any 12-month period from regu- larly scheduled meetings of the board.” Justification: As originally written, the bylaws recognize that mem- bers of the Foreign Service serve on a worldwide basis, and require that Governing Board members reside in the Washington area. The unintended consequence of this phrasing favors Govern- ing Board members who reside in the Washington area but do not necessar-