GUIDE DOG USERS, INC.
C/O Sarah Calhoun
3603 Morgan Way
Imperial, MO 63052
TOLL FREE: 1-866-799-8436
April 11, 2021
Announcing the GDUI 2021 Elections
The Board of Directors of Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) is asking GDUI members to vote for the following positions:
One Interim Secretary (term ending in 2022)
One Interim Director (term ending in 2022)
Two Director Seats (term ending in 2024)
The candidates for these positions are:
Secretary:
Cynthia Hawkins, from Florida (Incumbent)
Directors:
Cheryl McNeil Fisher, from New York
Jessie L. Rayl, from West Virginia
Jane Carona, from Maryland
Olivia Norman, from Washington DC
The 2021 GDUI Elections will commence Saturday, May 29, 2021 12:01 AM (EDT) and conclude on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 11:59 PM (EDT).
GDUI members who have paid their dues by the record date of April 9, 2021 are eligible to vote in this election. Each member has one vote.
GDUI must receive the votes of fifteen percent of the members entitled to vote in this election, or at least fifty-seven votes, for this election to be valid.
The two open director positions will be filled by the two candidates who receive the largest and second-largest number of votes for director.
The Interim Director position will be filled by the candidate receiving the 3rd largest number of votes for director.
Voting System
Again, this year, VoteNow will be handling our election. GDUI members will have the option of voting either telephonically or online.
Your old voter ID number will no longer be valid. In a few weeks, members will receive new voter ID numbers, either by e-mail or postcard directly from VoteNow. Please watch your inboxes and mailboxes for this important information. No one else at GDUI will have access to your personal ID number so, if you misplace that new number, you may call a designated person at VoteNow to retrieve that information. You will also receive the number for telephonic voting and the link to the online ballot.
GDUI will hold two membership forums to interview the candidates running in this election. The first one will be held on Thursday, May 6, 2021 beginning at 7:30 P. M. (EDT) and the second will be held on Saturday, May 15, 2021 beginning at 1:00 P. M. (EDT).
Below are your invitations to each of the Candidate Forums.
Guide Dog Users, Inc. is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: GDUI 2021 Candidates Forum 1
Time: May 6, 2021 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86263723400?pwd=ZS9ZRldLa1ovQUxQQnVuZ3ZCbG5xUT09
Meeting ID: 862 6372 3400
Passcode: 389362
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,86263723400#,,,,*389362# US (New York)
+13017158592,,86263723400#,,,,*389362# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 862 6372 3400
Passcode: 389362
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdYIfYrVIH
And the information for the second Candidate Forum is:
Guide Dog Users, Inc. is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: GDUI 2021 Candidates Forum 2
Time: May 15, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89351046004?pwd=ZDg5WmZGcU9IS29JREtNRGFGdHZyZz09
Meeting ID: 893 5104 6004
Passcode: 997367
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,89351046004#,,,,*997367# US (New York)
+13017158592,,89351046004#,,,,*997367# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 893 5104 6004
Passcode: 997367
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdL4E4tnjz
GDUI has elected to proceed under Section 29.405.20(f) of the Nonprofit Code. If a member who is entitled to vote on these matters wishes to communicate with the membership about the subject matter of the vote, the member should contact the Nominations Chair.
Margie Donovan
GDUI Nominations Committee Chair
elections@guidedogusersinc.org
Notice of Proposed GDUI Bylaws Amendments
GDUI must receive the votes of fifteen percent of the members entitled to vote in this election, or at least fifty-seven votes, for this election to be valid. A proposed Bylaw amendment will be adopted if there is an affirmative vote from 2/3rds of the members voting. Below are the two Proposed Bylaw amendments to be included in the 2021 Elections.
Bylaw proposal 1.: Clarification of the term “guide dog user” to include any current or former guide dog handler.
Proposed additions are within parentheses:
5.08: Eligibility for Board Service
(2) The President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President and a majority of the Board of Directors shall be (current or former) guide dog users.
4.02: Availability
Upon compliance with the requirements of ¶ 4.03 of these Bylaws, voting membership shall be available to all persons eighteen years of age or over who support the purposes of this Organization, provided however that at all times, the majority of the voting membership shall be blind or visually impaired persons who (are current or former guide dog users).
4.05: Affiliates
All affiliates of GDUI shall be organized in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) Any organization making application for affiliate status shall have no fewer than seven (7) members, the majority of whom shall be (current or former) guide dog users. Each affiliate organization shall maintain a majority of members who are (current or former guide dog) users.
RATIONALE:
Both current and former guide dog users have the experience necessary to empathize with the challenges of guide dog handling and guide dog teams.
Bylaw Proposal 2.: Revised Schedule of Annual Membership Meeting, Annual Election, and Tenure of Officers and Directors.
Current Language:
5.10: Election and Tenure
(3) May shall be the month of the annual election unless otherwise rescheduled by the Board of Directors.
(4) Except in cases where persons join the Board to fill vacancies, the term of service for all Officers, Directors, or Appointees shall begin at the close of the annual GDUI convention in the year of election and shall end at the close of the annual GDUI convention in the year that elects and qualifies their successors. In the extraordinary event the annual GDUI Convention does not occur, the aforementioned transition shall take place on July 15 in the year of election.
7.01: Annual Meeting
This Organization shall hold an annual meeting to conduct such business as may be required by the DC Nonprofit Code and for such other business as the membership may wish to have considered at such meeting. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Organization’s existence or affect any otherwise valid organizational acts.
Proposed Language:
5.10: Election and Tenure
(3) October shall be the month of the annual election unless otherwise rescheduled by the Board of Directors.
(4) Except in cases where persons join the Board to fill vacancies, the term of service for all Officers, Directors, or Appointees shall begin at the close of the fiscal year of election and shall end at the close of the fiscal year in which their successors are elected and qualified.
7.01: Annual Membership Meeting and Election
This Organization shall hold an annual Membership meeting during the month of October to review the status of the Organization, receive annual reports, conduct business as may be required by the DC Nonprofit Code, and other business. The Annual Membership Meeting shall immediately precede the Annual Election. Failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Organization’s existence or affect any otherwise valid organizational act.
Rationale:
Align GDUI’s elections and timing of Board terms with the organization’s fiscal year. Provide for a virtual meeting wherein members can receive an annual organizational update, with electronic elections occurring over several days following the end of the meeting. This will provide an organizational update to members closer to the end of GDUI’s fiscal year in a medium which is easier for members to attend, or review via recording.
Proviso:
Should proposed amendment 2 prevail, a transition process will be initiated to incorporate the new terms for Officers and Directors and the new month for elections. Effective 2022, all terms will be extended by five (5) months to December 31 of each Officer’s and Director’s respective term. For example, if one’s term expires in July of 2022, that term will be extended by five (5) months to December 31 of 2022. Similarly, if one’s term expires in July of 2023, that term will be extended to December 31 of 2023, and so on.
The transition to an October Election preceded by an Annual Membership Meeting will occur in 2022.