The following bylaws proposal was mailed to every NJLP member in a newsletter that was dropped into the mail on November March 3rd 2025. This satisfies our Bylaws requirement notification.
Proposal. Fix definition of a delegate to Convention. Change convention Rule 1 as follows (underline indicates an addition):
who were members on or before the first day of the month preceding the month when the Convention is held.
Rationale: Currently a strict reading means that a member could expire at the end of January, renew on February 2nd and not be eligible. Traditionally this is how we have interpreted this rule in the past, but we should fix it to be what was intended.
As of March 7th, 2 members whose dues are current are registered for the Convention, yet they were expired on February 1, 2025. They renewed after this date. A reading of our bylaws shows that they should not be able to participate as delegates at our upcoming Convention.
This proposal aims to allow members who renew after their expiration date (but prior to Convention) to serve as delegates. However, doesn’t it create a scenario in which a member could let their dues lapse at the end of January, then wait to see if the Convention outcomes look favorable before renewing (e.g., paying dues at the Convention)? In other words, could this effectively allow someone to become a delegate last-minute, undermining the requirement that members be in good standing before the first day of the month preceding the Convention?
good point. The goal is not to exclude people who expire on January 31 and then renew on Feb 2nd. I have several examples of members who fall into that category. Perhaps instead we just move it to the last of the month two months prior? For example:
"who were members on the
firstlast day of the monthprecedingtwo months before the month when the Convention is held"(underline indicates insertion, strike deletion).
This solves the problem and only moves the deadline by one day.
Yes, I believe this change would simplify the language and clear up the ambiguity, while also addressing the issue for those who renew a day or two late. Moving the date to the last day of the month two months prior seems like a sensible fix.