[NCUC-DISCUSS] Acceptance of nomination for NCUC EC

Kathy Kleiman kathy at kathykleiman.com
Sun Nov 8 01:41:04 CET 2015 

Hi All,
Two thoughts come to mind as I read the discussion:
1) Little known change in the US tax code - a filing called the IRS 
(Internet Revenue Service) 501EZ - a shorter, faster, easier version of 
US tax-exempt filing adopted last year. We might qualify, and if so, it 
would be a much easier way to file.

2) Traditionally when one person holds the "purse strings" and then is 
brought into other levels of management or power, a group might create a 
few extra protections around allocations the person might make to 
him/herself. I don't know how NCUC approves expenditures lately (and 
Milton has been a wonderful custodian of this account for many, many 
years), but let's say Milton has some unilateral power to approve 
expenditures as secretary/treasurer before election, then after 
elections, we might want to agree that any expenditures that Milton 
makes to himself should be co-approved by someone(s) else on the EC.

This process is probably already the case, but I just thought I would 
mention it. There are ways to create additional layers of approval or 
review while still allowing someone to hold multiple positions in a 
small organization or company.

Best,
Kathy


On 11/7/2015 1:29 PM, Mueller, Milton L wrote:
> This gap between bylaws and reality and the need for better organization is one of the reasons I want to be on the EC, though it is not 100% necessary if you want to abide by formalities in this case (and ignore them in about 50 others).
>
> As for the formalities, there is nothing in the bylaws that says a regionally elected EC member cannot also be appointed as Secretary-Treasurer.
>
> Here's the problem: NCUC does not exist, as far as the banking system is concerned. So the bank account is treated as an individual account until and unless we incorporate. That means that, legally, the bank account is mine. Not NCUC's - mine. Of course I hold it in trust for NCUC and have done so for years, but moving it around is not as simple as Tapani and others have suggested, because banks tie these accounts to jurisdictions, they want to know where you live. They will not give an NCUC account because, as I said, NCUC does not exist. So we've had to give an individual custody. This account was established in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and giving it to someone who does not live here would mean either that the new person has to live here or you have to re-establish the entire account. It took me a month to do that, I am still ironing out some kinks, and aside from trust issues messing around with that just to maintain a distinction between ST and EC members seems like pointless bureaucratic nicety, if you ask me. Don't we have better things to do?
>
> In order to mature as an organization we need to incorporate NCUC, and then apply for 501 3 c (tax-exempt status) and that in turn means a hell of a lot of paperwork and legal work and a long wait. That's my goal. I could assist with this work with or without being on the EC, but thought that being more formally engaged as the NA EC member would make it more of a group effort. I'll be happy to work on it in some other capacity if you want someone else to represent you as the NA EC member.
>
> By the way, if you read the bylaws about what the Secretary-Treasurer is supposed to be doing, the EC hasn't followed those rules for years and some of the duties (e.g., making recommendations about the eligibility of applicants for membership) is no longer even possible because the eligibility checks are happening at the SG level. So I am not sure why we are suddenly sticklers for the bylaws. Fixing those bylaws is another thing that needs to happen, it should be and should have been the Chair's and EC's responsibility. That's another reason I'm running. We need to fix this.
>
> However this happens, it needs to be done in a way that involves people with institutional memory and a good understanding of where we are now organizationally and financially.
>
> So I'm still in the race.
>
> --MM
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dan Krimm [mailto:dan at musicunbound.com]
>> Sent: Friday, November 6, 2015 3:12 PM
>> To: Sonigitu Ekpe <soekpe at gmail.com>
>> Cc: McLaughlin, Lisa <mclauglm at miamioh.edu>; William Drake
>> <william.drake at uzh.ch>; Mueller, Milton L <milton at gatech.edu>; NCUC-
>> discuss <ncuc-discuss at lists.ncuc.org>
>> Subject: Re: [NCUC-DISCUSS] Acceptance of nomination for NCUC EC
>>
>> I guess the question is, what does it mean that "he has the bank account"?
>>
>> Is there a formal institutional entity that the account can be transferred to, so
>> that Milton can give that up (providing he is indeed elected as North America
>> rep)?
>>
>> I'm not sure I can imagine what particular conflicts of interest might arise
>> between being a voting rep and non-voting Treasurer.  He still only gets one
>> vote as a rep, and being Treasurer doesn't give him any additional influence
>> on the EC above and beyond a voting rep.
>>
>> Perhaps we could be "provisionally flexible" by allowing this temporarily, but
>> making the EC's business to include a transfer of account to a more formal
>> entity and designation of a new non-voting Treasurer (is this an elected or
>> appointed position?).
>>
>> I presume the function of the Treasurer is simply to keep the EC abreast of the
>> status of the account, and to execute whatever decisions the voting EC makes
>> about those funds.
>>
>> Dan
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, November 6, 2015 11:54 am, Sonigitu Ekpe wrote:
>>> Hello Great Friends and Fellow,
>>>
>>> For transparency and accountability, I would suggest Prof. Milton to
>>> handle on post at a time when it comes to voting and non-voting
>>> position.
>>>
>>> It will not tell good if he stands in as Non - voting and Voting in
>>> the EC.
>>> One head one hat in the same building.
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>>>
>>> Sonigitu Ekpe
>>>
>>> Mobile +234 805 0232 469    Office + 234 802 751 0179
>>>   "LIFE is all about love and thanksgiving"
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Nov 6, 2015 at 7:58 PM, McLaughlin, Lisa
>>> <mclauglm at miamioh.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This isn't personal to Milton, of course, but I don't understand how
>>>> one can be a voting member and a non-voting member at the same
>>>> time--and, I write this even as three of my bloodhounds are among
>>>> those gathered around Milton's home, baying their support.
>>>>
>>>> Perhaps we can start with the question of why the Treasurer has no vote?
>>>> Is this true of the entire EC?
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>>
>>>> Lisa
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Nov 6, 2015 at 1:49 PM, William Drake <william.drake at uzh.ch>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi
>>>>>
>>>>> I feel obliged to raise just one small point, I don’t know if we
>>>>> want to be finicky or flexible about it.  Under our existing bylaws
>>>>> the “Secretary Treasurer” (who is in actuality just the
>>>>> Treasurer part) is a nonvoting member of the EC.  That position is
>>>>> sort of permanently filled by Milton, as he has the bank account.
>>>>> So the suggestion here is that he would be both the voting NA
>>>>> representative and the nonvoting Treasurer?
>>>>> Hopefully
>>>>> the two heads wouldn’t disagree with each other…:-)
>>>>>
>>>>> I of course wouldn’t want to disappoint the teeming hoards
>>>>> gathered on Milton’s doorstep, just saying—if we wish to
>>>>> interpret this as being ok bylaws-wise, fine, but we should at least
>>>>> be aware that we’re doing it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best
>>>>>
>>>>> Bill
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Nov 6, 2015, at 12:28 PM, Mueller, Milton L <milton at gatech.edu>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks to Amr for the nomination and to the massive outpouring of
>>>>> support for this nomination on the list. ;-) Last night throngs of
>>>>> people chanting my name amassed outside my front door demanding that
>>>>> I run. Or it could have been a couple of barking dogs, I am not
>>>>> sure. Anyway, I am willing to run for the North American seat on the
>>>>> Executive Committee.
>>>>>
>>>>> Looking forward, the NCUC needs to take some important steps toward
>>>>> formalizing its organizational structure in the next cycle.  I think
>>>>> my combination of long-term institutional memory and ideas for where
>>>>> to go next would be helpful in that task.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dr. Milton L. Mueller
>>>>> Professor, School of Public Policy
>>>>> Georgia Institute of Technology
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Ncuc-discuss mailing list
>>>>> Ncuc-discuss at lists.ncuc.org
>>>>> http://lists.ncuc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ncuc-discuss
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *For MJF course waitlist, go to this site*:
>>>> http://units.miamioh.edu/mjf/
>>>>
>>>> Please note that my e-mail address has changed to
>>>> *mclauglm at miamioh.edu <mclauglm at miamioh.edu>*. Messages sent to
>> my
>>>> former address will no longer be forwarded after May 31, 2014.
>>>>
>>>> Lisa McLaughlin, Ph.D.
>>>> Associate Professor, Department of Media, Journalism & Film and
>>>> Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program Miami University-Ohio
>>>> USA
>>>>
>>>> Contact:
>>>> Department of Media, Journalism & Film Williams Hall Miami University
>>>> Oxford, OH 45056 USA
>>>> Tele: 513-529-3547
>>>> Fax: 513-529-1835
>>>> Email: mclauglm at miamioh.edu
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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