Administrative Director Issues 64th Reminders
by Brigitte Jones

Official Notice

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3b of Article IX (National Convention) of the BVA National Bylaws, all members of the Blinded Veterans Association in good standing are hereby notified that the BVA 64th National Convention will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 1000 NE Multnomah Street, Portland, OR 97232, from Tuesday, August 18, through Saturday, August 22, 2009. Periodic updates about the gathering will be uploaded to the Convention page on the BVA website.

BVA members in good standing who wish to vote by proxy may request a form by writing or calling the Administrative Director at BVA National Headquarters no later than 45 days before the opening day of the 64th National Convention. Because the convention’s opening day is August 18 and July 4 is a Saturday, the deadline for requesting a proxy form is July 6, 2009.

In compliance with Section 2c of Article IX, the proxy form must be completed and returned to BVA National Headquarters (Attn: Administrative Director). To be considered valid, the envelope containing the form must be postmarked no later than 21 days before the opening date of the convention. The due date is therefore July 28, 2009.

The Grotto in Portland, Oregon, is a botanical garden featuring more than 100 sculpted statues and shrines nestled among flower-lined pathways. It is located minutes from the Doubletree Hotel, site of the BVA 64th National Convention.

Deadlines for 64th Convention

1. June 4 (no later than 75 days before convention)—Latest date to mail pre-registration package and official convention notice from National Headquarters.
2. June 9 (no later than 70 days before convention)—Latest date for National Headquarters to mail ballots for regular elections of Directors of Districts 1 and 2 and a special election for Director of District 6.
3. June 15—National Headquarters mails annual financial report forms (three copies) to treasurers of regional groups.
4. July 6—Ballots for regular elections of Directors of Districts 1 and 2, and a special election for Director of District 6, must be postmarked no later than midnight.
5. July 6 (no later than 45 days before convention, in this case 43 because July 4 is a Saturday and also a national holiday)—Latest date to mail proposed bylaw amendments to members in good standing.
6. July 9 (no later than 40 days before convention)—Regional group meeting notices to elect convention delegates must be mailed to group members. A copy of the notice must also be mailed to National Headquarters at the same time it is mailed to the membership.
7. July 14 (35 days before convention)—National Headquarters counts election ballots for regular election of Directors of Districts 1 and 2 and for the special election of Director of District 6.
8. July 28 (21 days before convention)—Completed delegate credentials forms and proxy forms must be postmarked no later than midnight.

Good Standing Requirements

Article XIV of the BVA National Bylaws outlines the criteria by which regional groups are deemed in good standing for national conventions. Groups must accordingly accomplish the following:

1. Meet at least once during the BVA fiscal year July 1-June 30 and submit a copy of the minutes to National Headquarters within 60 days of such meetings (Section 13a).

2. Submit an annual financial statement to the Administrative Director on forms provided for that purpose no later than September 30 (three months following the end of Fiscal Year 2009).

Regional group officers should review the status of their groups to ensure that the above requirements have been met. Doing so will ensure that all BVA delegations are appropriately seated at the convention.

Delegates, Alternates, Credentials Forms

Article XIV of the BVA National Bylaws specifies that all regional groups intending to send a delegate to Oregon must also hold a meeting to elect and instruct the individual.

Groups must inform all of their members in good standing, in writing, of the date, time, location, and purpose of the meeting, which must be held no later than July 9, 2009. Notice of the meeting must be distributed to the regional group members no less than 10 days prior to the regional group meeting.

A copy of the notice must be forwarded to BVA National Headquarters at the same time the notice is distributed to the members. Failure to do so will render the group’s delegation unable to receive seating at the convention.

A set of official BVA credentials forms was mailed in triplicate on lavender paper to all regional group officers on April 6. The credentials must also be completed in triplicate, which includes a signature and dating of the signature by both the regional group president and regional group secretary. One copy should be provided to the elected delegate. A second copy must be mailed to BVA National Headquarters and postmarked no later than July 28, 2009. A third copy should be placed in the regional group files.

Regional groups must also elect alternate delegates to the national convention at the same meeting. In addition, each regional group to be represented should elect a representative to the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee. The representative’s name should be placed in the appropriate blank at the bottom of the second page of the credentials form.

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