Dear GFWC Georgia Friends,
This special edition of our monthly constant contact is to update you on things happening in GFWC Georgia as we all continue to stay alert and practice social distancing. Additionally, there is a message from our Vice First President/President Elect Shelby Holland. First, I hope you are staying safe in our shelter in place order throughout the state. I hope you are taking the time to stop, breathe, relax, find a new hobby, and connect with friends and family through technology.
I encourage clubs to continue to “meet”. This will look different from our past interactions for a while. Use the technology tools for meetings suggested on our Facebook page such as Zoom or Google hang out. Those tools can allow you to continue to interact and provide support to members and to your community. There are numerous project suggestions on our Facebook page for members. One of the most popular is making face masks for health care workers and now it appears for the general public. While it is not advised and only a suggestion to wear a face mask in public, the CDC and others have indicated the virus may be more airborne than originally thought. Again, take precautions you feel are best for your health situation including social distancing, stay at home unless essential to leave the home, use hand sanitizer, and wash your hands. Protective gear such as face masks and gloves have been encouraged, if used properly. Find more information at www.cdc.gov.
As your clubs, districts, and state have much business to conduct, I wanted to offer suggestions. If your bylaws allow, please conduct your business using technology. If they do not, look toward addressing those bylaws soon to update to allow electronic meetings or voting. If officers were elected, then yes, they may assume their office. In the state, our officers have only been nominated by the nominating committee. They have not been elected at this time. Nominations may still occur from the floor at this point. When we conduct our traditional Saturday morning business session at annual convention, we will vote on the nominations for the nominees to be elected. Then, we will vote on the nominees to be elected. Their installation typically happens on Sunday morning of our annual convention and is the celebration of their election. At this time, we have not moved forward making those elections happen as we have tentative plans to do this June 6. Thus, our administrations have not changed hands to the 2020-2022 administration at this time.
One of the things I learned some years ago as I began holding an elected position at the state level was the President is nominated and elected by the state at convention and in our state will take over the reins. Technically, though, GFWC does not recognize the new administration until the President is installed at the ceremonies at the GFWC annual convention. So, technically, our state president does not assume office until the close of the GFWC annual convention. In Georgia, our state president will take over the reins at the end of the state convention in public but other things are passed over throughout the months following our convention. Most of those things happen in June as we pass on the financial pieces and changing names on various accounts, safe deposit box, and other business items. I hope this information is helpful to you.
I have had several questions from the district presidents regarding this transition. As explained to the district presidents, it is not the installation that is the trigger but the election of the officers. If districts choose to hold their elections via electronic means, this is entirely up to the district and should reflect what the district bylaws or standing rules reflect. The state is also planning to invite all district officers to participate in the installation on June 6. This will allow all districts to then be functional for the 2020-2022 administration. Some districts were able to meet prior to the virus shutting down gatherings and their administrations have transitioned.
Other news:
1. The executive committee voted by electronic means to be ratified at our next meeting to allow administrative assistant Deborah Landress to work from home and all mail has been forwarded to her home address until April 30.
2. The bylaws will be forwarded to you again by April 22, 2020.
3. Nominations and resumes will be forwarded to you again in the call.
4. The call for our “Journey to Jackson” day of celebrating will be sent by April 22, 2020 with a deadline of May 22.
5. Bring member art to our “Journey to Jackson” in our one day of celebrating our time together.
6. All GFWC required reports have been filed by the state president and program chairs. A copy of the president's annual report will be sent with your call. A copy of the GFWC Georgia administrative report will also be included and will be in the GFWC Clubwoman magazine.
7. Be flexible in case our Journey to Jackson on June 6 cannot happen because of the coronavirus restrictions.
Take care federated friends!
In federated kindness,
Tina Daniel
State President 2018-2020
