BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT 2015 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

CURRENT DOCUMENT / PROPOSED CHANGES / PROPOSED WORDING
AFTER CHANGE / RATIONALE
Reference the Article, section and paragraph as it reads in the attached document / Indicate what wording is to be revised, deleted, renumbered, or changed in some way. / Include the new wording to show the way the proposed change will read / Provide rationale as to why you feel this change will improve the organization
Article VII, Sec 2, Para C (3)
Article VIII, Sec1 / (3) Delegates shall vote on all business matters to be decided at the Assembly including the election of National Officers and the National Nominating and Election Committees.
(A new paragraph C is added therefore the remaining paragraphs will have to be put in order.) / (3) Delegates shall vote on all business matters to be decided at the Assembly including announcing the official results of previously elected National Officers (via electronic and mail votes) and the National Nominating and Election Committees.
C. Election of National Officers.
All National Officers shall be elected via Electronic submission and/or by mail-in-ballot and by any BIG Member in good standing as designated by the Elections Committee. / EACH MEMBER – ONE VOTE
National Officers shall be elected by all BIG Members in good standing versus being elected by Chapter Delegates who can only vote the conscious of a group if they so desire. There is no guarantee a Delegate will do that.
Furthermore, one member one vote would literally eliminate block voting and deal making promises and campaigning on the floor and during the period when Delegates are needed to handle the business of the organization. One member one vote would virtually empower each BIG member to be a part of a very important decision on who runs the affairs of BIG. It gives every member a voice of this organizations mission and goals instead of a select few.
CURRENT DOUCMENT / PROPOSED CHANGES / PROPOSED WORDING
AFTER CHANGE / RATIONALE
Reference the Article, section and paragraph as it reads in the attached document / Indicate what wording is to be revised, deleted, renumbered, or changed in some way. / Include the new wording to show the way the proposed change will read / Provide rationale as to why you feel this change will improve the organization
Article VIII, Sec 2
Article VIII, Sec 2 (A) / Section 2. Elections. National elections shall be held annually during the Delegates Assembly in such a manner as the Board of Director may decide, except that the election process shall be administered by the election committee and all newly elected National Director and Officers shall take office January 1_____
A.) National Officers. The President, the 1st and 3rd Vice- Presidents, the Secretary, and the Assistant Treasurer shall be elected at the same Delegates Assembly to serve two-year terms; the Executive Vice- President, the 2nd Vice- President, the Treasurer, and the Corresponding Secretary shall be elected at the Delegates Assembly the following year for two-year terms.
(A new paragraph B is added therefore the remaining paragraphs will have to be put in order). / Section 2. Elections. National elections shall be held annually NLT 90 days prior to the New Year and all newly elected National Directors and Officers shall take office January 1 following the elections process.
A.) National Officers. The President, the 1st and 3rd Vice- Presidents, the Secretary, and the Assistant Treasurer shall be elected NLT 180 days prior to the New Year and all newly elected National Directors and Officers shall take office January 1 following the elections process.to serve two-year terms; the Executive Vice- President, the 2nd Vice- President, the Treasurer, and the Corresponding Secretary shall be elected at the Delegates Assembly the following year for two-year terms.
B. One member one vote will began NLT 180 days prior to year end ‘2016” / Blacks In Government is a democratic society built on the promise of the nation and embodied in its Constitution that enumerates the words, “We The People”. In this instance “The People” being each and every BIG member in good standing.
African Americans have experienced a denial of the right to vote as demonstrated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and prior to the death of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
We must be a model employment Civil Right organization that no one could ever challenge, for not allowing each of its members in “good standing” an opportunity to decide on each elected officer.
This Constitutional Amendment allows the organization time to assess the changes from prior practices and evaluate and hire contractors who would conduct the elections process.
CURRENT DOUCMENT / PROPOSED CHANGES / PROPOSED WORDING
AFTER CHANGE / RATIONALE
Reference the Article, section and paragraph as it reads in the attached document / Indicate what wording is to be revised, deleted, renumbered, or changed in some way. / Include the new wording to show the way the proposed change will read / Provide rationale as to why you feel this change will improve the organization
So why is it when we are in control of a democratic organization we in turn, deny each and every member this fundamental right to be heard by not allowing one member, one vote? Let us join other affinity groups, i.e. Federal Employed Women (FEW) with over 5,000 members and Amnesty International ‘USA’ with over 360,000 members in the United States and many other organizations that allow all members to vote for their National Elected Officers in this, the 21st Century.
These organizations utilize Contractors and automation to collect, tabulate and run the elections process. BIG can use the same mechanism to tabulate its proxy votes.
This process would save the organization thousands of dollars and allow the Elections Chair to announce the victorious candidates as a caveat to the hard working Delegates at the Assembly each year.
This amendment allows the BIG time to assess the changes from prior practices and evaluate and hire contractors.

EACH MEMBER ONE VOTE -- Submitted by: MATTHEW F. FOGG - RXI Heritage Chapter President