Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2006/06/11/aoa_execs_cancel_elections.php

AoA Execs Cancel Elections

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Editor’s Note: Reproduced here is the letter sent by Merle Adelman ‘80, first vice president of the Association of Alumni, announcing the executive committee’s decision to unconstitutionally forego the planned October elections for new officers, in light of the upcoming constitution vote.

May 24, 2006

Dear Fellow Alumni,

The officers and executive committee of the Association of Alumni (AoA) continue to work on several matters of alumni governance stemming from the constitutional amendment being proposed by the Alumni Governance Task Force (AGTF) to provide for a new constitution for the association. Here is an update of our plans.

The Vote on the Proposed New Constitution

During its 192nd meeting, May 18-20, 2006, the Alumni Council unanimously ratified the proposed new constitution presented by the AGTF. This version is the result of many years of work by a diverse group of volunteers who solicited and incorporated feedback from a wide range of alumni, representing constituencies across the AoA. The constitution will be presented to the entire alumni body for an all-media vote from September 15 to October 31, 2006.

This vote will be conducted according to the Guidelines for All-Media Voting for Constitutional Amendments, adopted on March 23, 2006, and posted on the AoA Web site (http://alumni.dartmouth.edu/leadership/association/index.html). Alumni will have the option to vote online, by phone, or by regular mail.

In the interest of fairness and democracy for all alumni, additional amendments to the current constitution will be included on the ballot if they are submitted in accordance with the guidelines. Although additional amendments will not have undergone the extensive review, debate, and revision the AGTF proposal has received, we trust alumni to make their own judgments about the worth of alternative proposals.

The Annual Meeting of the Association of Alumni and Election of Officers

The proposed constitution includes provisions for all-media voting for alumni officers and a plan that transitions the AoA and Alumni Council into a single new organization (the Dartmouth Alumni Association) while minimizing disruption. If the proposed constitution passes, the transition committee and transition leadership will determine the timing and content of the next annual meeting.

Because the results of the vote on the proposed constitution will not be available until after October 31, 2006, the AoA Executive Committee is making two changes to the annual election process. We are postponing the annual meeting from the October 15, 2006 date originally planned to the first half of calendar year 2007. The election of association officers and executive committee members will be conducted via all-media voting.

The guidelines for this vote will be developed and announced in the fall, with appropriate time allotted for the nomination and announcement of candidates well in advance of the voting period. The election will be completed at the annual meeting, with final voting by attendees who have not previously voted.

This approach is consistent with the current constitution of the AoA, which stipulates that officers be “elected annually at each annual meeting.” The AoA operates under the same calendar as the College; therefore, the meeting must take place during the period from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007.

The delay in the annual meeting means that if the proposed constitution passes, the officers currently in place will remain in place until the next election, ensuring a smooth transition to a new alumni governance structure. If the proposed constitution does not pass, the next slate of officers and executive committee members will be elected via all-media voting.

The AoA Executive Committee and the AGTF encourage you to learn more about the proposed constitution at the AoA Web site (address is given above) and to ask your questions and offer comments on the blogs of the AoA (http://www.dartmouthaoa.blogspot.com/) and AGTF (http://dartagtf.blogspot.com/) or by contacting any of us directly.

For Dartmouth,

Merle Adelman ’80

First Vice President