Keeping WILPF US Current by Updating Our Bylaws

Photo credit: succo from Pixabay

by Darien De Lu
President and Bylaws Committee Chair

September 2024 

Bylaws – how boring! That’s the usual reaction to the topic. However, our bylaws are the guidelines we set to establish and maintain our WILPF community. And – like most other aspects of life – our community is changing over time. In choosing what we want to initiate or continue – and what we want to let go of. We will be putting out our guidelines in black and white so we can propose and vote on amendments to our bylaws to address the changes. 
    
Your vote on the November WIPF US ballot is important! We have five bylaws amendments for members to vote on, and the Bylaws Committee considers each of them to be important. Some are easy to understand – such as the simplification of the name of the Membership Development Committee to Membership Committee. Others are more involved; the one that merely codifies the current Board practice of appointing qualifying WILPFers to be interim board members – to fill vacant board seats to complete the current year’s board term – may take a couple of readings to follow.  

The role of the national board is important, as is shown by the fact that the amendment on board seat appointments is just one of three amendments related to board service. A second amendment emphasizes the importance of board members attending all of the board meetings. By emphasizing that in the Bylaws, we indicate the significance of the work of each board meeting. The third board-related amendment further reinforces the need for some background in WILPF US in order to be an effective board member.
    
That amendment requires any candidate for a board position to have been active in a WILPF national committee for one year (12 months) prior to applying to be considered for a board seat. The work of the Board has become more complex and challenging, and this amendment acknowledges the necessity of certain qualifications to be a productive board member. Understanding of WILPF US structure is crucial for board members, and national committee work helps provide that. Additionally, this amendment transparently shows one way an aspiring candidate can begin to acquire a qualifying background.

Through active committee membership, a WILPFer learns how committee work is translated into national actions and policies. Of course, the Standing Board Committees are most directly connected to the Board. When a member is active on one of these – Nominating, Development, Finance, Personnel, Membership Development, or Program – then she sees “the making of the sausage”, the preparation for board decision-making. It’s in that committee process – learning about and exploring a concern, developing a proposal for a response to address it, discussing the proposal, and refining it before a vote about taking it to the Board – that the basic work occurs. 

Most board committees are open to potential new members, especially if you have some background in the committee’s area. You can contact the board member who is the committee’s chair to find out if you may attend as a guest in a committee meeting. That’s a way of being introduced to the committee.

The other two kinds of national committees are the issue committees and the ad hoc committees. Issue committees are where our political work is developed. Find those that interest you under Our Work on our home page. You’ll also find how to contact the committee’s chair(s) or leadership team on the webpages of each issue committee. Ad hoc committees come and go; currently they include Communications, Website, Mini-Grant Program and Bylaws. Watch the eNews for occasional articles talking about their work. You can contact me, at President@wilpfUS.org, for more details about specific committees.

Most of you probably are not considering running for a board seat, yet you could gain a lot by being on a national committee. You’ll meet good people and have the chance to dig deeper in a topic that interests you. And WILPF is a place to find lively discussions – with the opportunity for a little conflict resolution practice (among folks of good will) when you disagree. Of course, if you think you might want to run for the Board, join a committee now to prepare for next year’s application period.

Finally, we have a proposed Bylaws amendment that focuses on the importance of names. In today’s world, in which anyone can look into almost anything via the web, it’s important that the name of a WILPF branch reflects useful and accurate information about the branch and/or WILPF US. This amendment offers two options for branch names. A branch name can simply be based on the local geographic location (as most branch names are). Or it can name itself after a significant deceased activist who worked on issues generally consistent with WILPF principles. The (virtual) Jane Addams Branch is an example of that.

All five of these amendments merit your yes vote, to help assure clear and appropriate WILPF community guidelines for our changing times.