2022 Elections – Important Updates

For those that were unable to make last Sunday’s club meeting, you missed an important set of updates proposed for the upcoming 2022 elections for Board positions. Over the past 2+ years, we added Competition Coordinator as a recognition of individual contributions being made to the Club Lance Clayton. The challenge we created by going to 6 Board members is there could be voting blocs or ties with an even number of positions. As things settled down following HomebrewCon and Fermentation Frenzy, we needed to think about how to leave the Board in a good spot for the foreseeable future.

To get to an odd number of Board positions, we have to add or subtract one role. After reaching out to several other clubs and having some internal conversations, the Board proposes eliminating the KART position starting in January 2023. This change will leave only five Board positions to vote on this coming November. So, what does this mean for KART? And why change now?

KART has been a fundamental element of BCBS for the past 4-5 years. We have heard from many members that the education we provide is a big reason people stay engaged in the Club. With that in mind, each of the five Board positions will be responsible for 2 KART topics each year. To be clear, the Board member doesn’t need to prep, create and deliver content all on their own. They could schedule an outside speaker or another member to deliver content or even draw off of existing AHA materials. The rationale for taking this approach is that it has gotten much more difficult to develop new topics and content for KART. Over the past few years, we’ve hit on the bulk of the fundamental topics in the homebrewing space, and our club is brewing better beer/mead/etc. because of it. But now we’re ready for more intermediate and advanced topics, and that’s a tall order for one person to manage. By assigning KART across five people, those individuals can bring their personal interests and strengths to bear.

As to why now. Many of the actions taken by the Board over the past 3 years were intended to mature and stabilize various facets of the club. The Bylaws, meeting structure, consistent activities, and a source of income beyond membership dues have all been targets that we have checked off. The Board structure needs to level off as well, so hopefully more time can be spent going forward on executing rather than organizing. And we need to prepare for some transition in Board members. Travis Taylor (Vice President) and I (President) will NOT be running for re-election this Fall. Both of us have changes in our work and personal lives that will prevent us from devoting an appropriate amount of time to a Board position. We are not riding off into the sunset or defecting to another club, but we may miss a few events because of other commitments.

With our departure, the other change we are proposing is 2-year terms for Board positions. This is the typical approach taken by other clubs to manage Board positions and reduce the bureaucracy and potential turmoil of annually voting for every position. Candidates for President and Vice President will be signing up for 2-year terms starting in January 2023 and ending in December 2024. To stagger the Board terms, we will have Treasurer, Communications Director and Competition Coordinator positions up for 1-year terms for 2023 this Fall, and then the positions will be elected to 2-year terms starting for the 2024-25 calendar years. That way we don’t run the risk of turning over the entire Board at the same time.

What does all this mean for you? Well, a big part of our growth and success has been more people lending their time and talents to our various events and activities. That needs to continue for us to keep thriving and grow in new directions. Talk to the existing Board members if you have questions or if you’re nervous about taking on too much. I’ll stay available to the new Board for consultation and support as needed, and some of the Board will likely get re-elected so there will be some stability. None of the current Board members had done this before they got elected, so lack of previous experience is not a criterion to hold you back.

Important timing to be aware of:

1. September 1 – September 30: Candidates nominate themselves for a Board position. Connect with a Board member at the monthly meeting on September 11 or ping one of us directly (phone, chat, e-mail, etc.). In addition, we will formally ask members to consider the proposed Bylaw amendments for ratification.
2. October 9 Club Meeting: Candidates are given a few minutes to campaign. Members that cannot attend can submit some campaign notes to the Board to present on their behalf. We will also formally vote to ratify the proposed Bylaw amendments.
3. November 13: Elections will be held as part of the monthly Club meeting. Absentee votes are allowed.

If you have questions on any of this, feel free to add a comment to this post or reach out to me or another Board member directly.

Prost!