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At the next WILPF Board meeting – on January 31, 2023 – two new Board members will be invested. George Friday will be added as the second Program Committee Chair (along with Jennifer Bailey, the other Program Committee Chair), and Barbara Nielsen will be taking office as the new Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. I thank George and Barbara for their commitment to WILPF! Also, WILPF is indebted to outgoing board members, Shilpa Pandey (Membership Development Committee Chair), Ellen Thomas (Personnel Committee Chair), and Jan Corderman (Treasurer).
In addition to supporting the election of the two candidates, WILPF members voted in favor of the Bylaws amendment on the ballot. That amendment streamlined Bylaws language explaining the staggered election schedule for board positions. See the new language (and – no longer part of the Bylaws – the deleted part V.A.5.) here.
The 2022 elections leave the board with a number of open positions. Consequently, the Board has the option of leaving positions open or appointing individuals to fill these positions for up to a year, until the next board term starts. WILPF US members who meet the requirements are encouraged to consider applying for election to the board. The annual elections application period is likely to be open in November. (The basic requirements for board membership are simple: current WILPF US membership and membership during 24 months out of the preceding 30 months.)
The new board will assess the situation to decide on how to proceed with the vacant positions. The following are the unfilled positions:
Nominating Committee Chair
Personnel Committee Chair
Membership Development Committee Chair
Development Committee Chair
If the Board decides to invite appointment applications, that will be announced via an email to members, like this one.
In 2014 WILPF shifted from holding board elections every three years, for the entire board, to staggered elections. All board seats come up for election every three years, on a staggered cycle of approximately one-third of the positions coming up for election each year. The newly approved Bylaws amendment Bylaws amendment explains that process.
WILPF thanks members from the Des Moines, Iowa, Branch, who very carefully handled the ballot counting this year. Each year, the ballots are counted by different individuals, usually from a volunteering branch. To qualify for counting ballots a branch cannot have any members running for positions on the ballot.
WILPF received a total of 223 ballots, of which 218 were valid ballots. On the Bylaws amendment, 215 voted yes, with two abstaining votes and one no vote. The Program Committee Chair received 214 yes votes, three abstaining votes, and one no vote. The Treasurer received 208 yes votes, two abstaining votes, and eight no votes.
Thank you to all of you who voted, and special thanks to those who made additional donations to WILPF. (The new confidential donation envelope provided with the ballot – only for donation slips and payments – worked well to maintain the secrecy of member votes.) Both your votes and your dollars contribute to keeping WILPF a vibrant organization!
The last few years have been challenging throughout the world – marked by upheavals, challenges, and many personal losses. As President, I am glad to see WILPF members continuing in involvement and activism. I look forward to 2023 as a decisive year for the U.S., during which WILPF branches and members will become increasingly active. Our actions will join with the activism of other peace and justice movement organizations to set our country on a course for renewed democracy and necessary progressive change.
I encourage us all to seek to contribute to making happy holidays for ourselves and others. Best wishes for a good new year!
Darien Elyse De Lu, President
President@wilpfUS.org
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