By-laws should be guidelines. In most cases, they should be general. However, what works for a business like GM might not work for another kind of business, particularly one with an advocacy that involves more than sales of a particular product! My personal biggest problems with the by-laws discussions is that they have not been discussed in advance of ILCA members (some but apparently not all--I have yet to receive my copy, even though they were sent first class) being told they must vote on them. That is problem #1. Problem #2 is that not all changes have been subjected to a vote. Specifically, all deletions have been DELETED from a vote, but disenfranchising members from expressing their opinions about said deletions. This is in violation of our own by-laws, which specifically state that all changes (additions, alterations, AND deletions) require a membership vote. Why did the Board not offer discussions of each of the points well in advance of a vote request? Why did the Board not include proposed deletions in the list of items to be voted on? PS Does anyone know WHEN the increased dues go into effect? Have not received any GLOBES since September, I am totally in the dark about what has been said on this point. I recently received a notice to pay more, but there was no mention of when it was due or why the increase occurred. For those of you who have not received the new form, the increase for a regular membership has been upped 14% and for contributing professionals up 25%! Also a puzzlement is the note that you have to be an IBCLC in order to vote as a regular member (has that vote already been counted?) but it doesnt't specify that contributing professionals (also voting members) have to be IBCLCs! Very odd. "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask] WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.com/~kga/lactation.html LACTNET archives http://library.ummed.edu/lsv/archives/lactnet.html