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Life, the Universe, and Everything*
Musings from Linda / LUE-42 Enterprises
Issue #112, June 2020
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I am very happy to see June. May was a long, difficult month. It's often a tough month for me with so many days tied to the memory of my mom, but this year May really piled on. Yet here I am in June, still on the right side of the dirt. Good for me. Good for you, too!
What was good? I got to think about my mom a lot.
What was not so good? I miss my mom. (But my friend showed me how to reframe and do much better next year).
What was good? My AMA and Costco memberships.
Try.What was not so good? I had to, unexpectedly, get four new tires. Here's a test: My
AMA and Costco memberships both paid for themselves with a single call. Can your association equate actual value to dues? Try.
What was good? Wearing my Fluevogs on Fluevog Day.
What was not so good? No one around to see them.
What was good? On-line DanceMoves, Banghara dancing, juggling, and bootcamp.
What was less good? Got benched for a couple of weeks due to some stupid health issues.
What was good? Some great value webinars, including one epiphany: "It
was inevitable that within 5 years most AGMs would have been done virtually anyway. This [COVID19] just escalated the timeline."
What was less good: Just so damn many webinars/meetings/phone calls and I'm tired of trying to look professional on Zoom meetings.
What was good? Social distance bonfires and weenie roasts.
What was not so good? Pink Whitney.
What was good? So much amazing theatre and art on-line, including
Dear Ireland
.
What was not so good? Not being able to produce my own theatre and see live theatre, and not being inspired to write anything new.
What was good? On-line worship. I can watch any service, any denomination, any time, in any language, and I can sing as poorly as I want, and more importantly I don't have to shake hands with people. (The latter preference predates the pandemic by decades).
What was not so good? This won't last.
On that note, recently some friends and discussed the gifts of this isolation and how to not get too swept up in re-opening phases. What will you decline to do for awhile longer? What will you keep on doing, even when you no longer have to? What will you start doing that's new? Answering these questions was a really sane use of my time. Maybe they'll be good for you, too.
I've been seeing the same goose every day for a month. Goose Encounters / Goose Omens
:
When you see a goose, it's time for you to embark on your own journey of inner joy! You may be stagnant, or you may have tossed aside your own plans in order to live someone else's life and dreams. The goose is exhorting you to let go and follow it in flight. (And who hasn't seen a goose lately, really? So this is for all of us).
/lmwe
"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." -- A
l Bernstein
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Question: When in doubt, refer to Robert's Rules of Order...right?
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ANSWER: Ri... not so fast! Check your bylaws, of course, but are your bylaws creating a Murder-Hornet's nest of problems?
For many years I've recommended the following bylaw:
Procedures at Meetings: At all Annual General, General, or Special Meetings, and Directors' meetings procedural matters not specifically addressed here shall be governed by (name) Rules of Order.
Or you may have been advised to use this wording in your bylaws:
The rules contained in the current edition of
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.
Other than a brief period about 30 years ago, I've never been a fan of "Robert's Rules" (too military, too un-Canadian, too much!) but the alternatives seem to be too much trouble for organizations. I can never find a copy of "Wainberg's Company Meetings" and whenever I suggest "Bourinot's" people say, "Who?" The better option is a set of rules built by the organization for their own purposes, but so many don't take the time to do it (or to do it well).
Rules of order are about fairness. The operation of a meeting needs to be fair for all who are entitled or required to be there. Any procedures governing the meeting should fit the style of the organization and the type of meeting, and not just be a reason for a procedural nerd (like me) to go on ad naseam about the amendment to the amendment to the amendment. There's one in every crowd and if it's not me, it might be you.
Notwithstanding that decision-making grinds to a halt for the sake of procedure, way more than half the organizations I work with have plugged "Robert's" into that blank in their bylaws. This can be costly, and not just because they buy copies of the book for each member of the board (Visit any garage sale to get your unopened copy for a bargain!).
So I was very surprised, and secretly delighted, when an argument broke out in a recent board meeting and my attention was drawn to the article, "Five Pitfalls of Putting Robert's Rules of Order in Your Non-Profit's Bylaws" by
Norah L. Jones, Jodi P. Patt, Jacob L. Zerkle i
n
Quarles.com. There are practical implications to putting such a statement in your bylaws. Here's
a summary:
- Conflict with bylaws or State law. I'd add federal law here, too. The article gives a great example using whether or not the board must meet face-to-face or whether it has other options.
- Unnecessarily cumbersome for smaller organizations. Small organizations probably don't need (and certainly can't afford) a parliamentarian. Perhaps a consensus or a hybrid model will be more efficient and effective.
- Deference to the parliamentarian. A situation could arise where the majority of the board interpret the rules one way and the parliamentarian sees it differently. It can create an environment where directors stop expressing opinions/concerns.
- Failure to abide by the rules. If your bylaws say you're using these rules, then you need to follow them. At 698 pages, you can see there is a bunch of room for error/misinterpretation. If the organization ends up in a legal dispute, the courts will always try to see if you followed your own rules. With respect to Robert's Rules, it's very unlikely that you did. The organization won't come out well on this.
- Reference to an outdated version. There are 11 editions, so where is the line drawn? The edition when the bylaws were approved?
The authors suggest that it is a rare organization that can actually benefit from using "Robert's Rules of Order" and go on to say, "The overwhelming majority of non-profit organizations should avoid incorporating any reference to the Rules in their governing documents because of the complexities described above."
I agree with them. Pitfall #2 is certainly true in my experience, but the real messiness is in pitfall #4. It's just not worth the hassle. So why not try wording like this:
RULES OF ORDER: T
he Board of Directors may adopt or create rules of order for the conduct of the organization's business,
Board busi
ness, and Annual G
eneral or Special Meetings. Where the bylaws and rules
are silent, "_____'s Rules of Order
(most current edition
)"
may
be used as a guide and a source of
reference in any matter of procedural controversy.
Check out the entire article
HERE
.
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JUNE 2020 OBSERVANCES AND OCCASIONS
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Shout Out
to s
ome people who made my life better in May: Luke Alanko, MaryJane Alanko & Bryan Perkins, Leslie Arnott, Pat Bragg, Buddy, Marg & Bill Carmichael, Susan Carmichael, Brian D. Edwards, Elsie & Doug Elford, Tim Essington, Mandy Foster & Dave Sutherland, Butch Fox, Liz Garratt, Noreen Irvine, Marcie Kiziak, Lynn & Don MacAskill, Doug Macnamara, Jeff Mawson, Bryan Perkins, Lori Schmidt, Donna Stonehocker & Jim Gwartney, Edith & Harvey Sweet, David Vella, Gerry West, James & Sarah West, Jason & Elana West, Lil West, Jenny Wood Narine, Rob Wood
"But
even with the inspiration of others, it's understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine."
-
Queen Elizabeth II, Christmas Message 2016
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Wish I'd Said That
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"I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least -- and it is commonly more than that -- sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements."
-- Henry David Thoreau
"What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die of course. Literally sh!t myself lifeless."
-- Bill Bryson ("A Walk in the Woods...")
"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
-- Mother Teresa
"To me, there is a world of difference between 'not being dead' and 'being alive'. I owe this understanding
to my parents." -- Esther Perel
"I want someone to look at me the same way that I look at gin." -- Unknown
"This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence. Or lack thereof." -- Neil Gaiman
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What To Pack for a Picnic
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When researching this there were articles that offered 95 things to take on a picnic! I don't know how long you picnic, but I don't picnic 95 things worth. So I found a simpler article by Nicole Garner from mentalfloss.com
HERE. You'll notice it doesn't include food, so
HERE are some recipes from Chatelaine.
- Sunscreen
- Baby Wipes
- Bug Spray
- Blanket
- Bottled Beverages (Resealable)
- Bottle Opener (I assume this means with a corkscrew)
- Knife (I bring a cutting board, too)
- First Aid Supplies (See #7)
- Mini Condiments & Seasonings (You know you have a fridge full of them)
- Kitchen Towel
- Trash Bag
- Ice Packs
- Extra Cutlery
- Camera
- Something to Do
Enjoy your picnic, even if it's just in a fort you built in your living room!
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Garden Faeries
(but not Gardens) |
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No-Name "spam" in a vending machine in Dawson City, Yukon.
There were nights in Dawson when I tota
lly would have bought that.
Just sayin'...
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"A man, a plan, a canoe, pasta, heros, rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag, a banana bag again (or a camel), a crepe, pins, Spam, a rut, a Rolo, cash, a jar, sore hats, a peon, a canal - Panama." -- Guy Steele
"I'm having Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, and Spam!" -- Graham Chapman
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LUE-42 Enterprises #BeKiind
* with fond acknowledge to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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