Results of Club Bylaws Election
Dear Members and Colleagues,
I’m delighted to report the results our recent Club election on amendments to our Bylaws, as recommended by our Executive Board.
All three questions on the ballot were approved by large margins. So the recommended amendments are now in effect.
Here are the results of the election, as reported by our Elections officer, Treasurer Phil Currier.
A total of 30 of the 55 eligible members returned their ballots. Under current Bylaws, a supermajority of two-thirds (67%) of members voting is required for approval. The votes “yes” and “no” for each question were as follows:
Question 1: Shall Section 4.2 – General Meetings, Notices and Voting of the Club Bylaws be amended?
Voting “Yes”: 26
Voting “No”: 2
No Vote: 2
Ballots cast: 30
Percent of voters voting “Yes” = 86.7%, PASSED
Question 2: Shall Article 6 – Officers of the Club Bylaws be amended?
Voting “Yes”: 28
Voting “No”: 0
No Vote: 2
Ballots cast: 30
Percent of voters voting “Yes” = 93.3%, PASSED
Question 3: Shall Article 7 – Executive Board of the Club Bylaws be amended?
Voting “Yes”: 27
Voting “No”: 0
No vote: 3
Ballots cast: 30
Percent of voters voting “Yes” = 90.0%, PASSED
On behalf of the Executive Board, and myself, I want to thank all of our members who participated in this election for voting. And we are gratified and encouraged to have received the level of support and confidence that these results indicate.
We have heard from a handful of members of having difficulty in casting votes. We apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment that has caused. We are still learning how best to utilize the voting technologies available for remote on-line balloting. And there are limited options for such applications that guarantee anonymity in the ballots returned. While we know who voted, and how many ballots were cast, we do not know how any individual voted. We are working to refine our applications and communications so that future problems such as these can be avoided.
Given the small number of members (about 3 or 4) who let us know they were unable to cast a ballot, the results would not be changed, regardless of their vote. So, in this case, we consider the results as final.
Again, I’d like to thank everyone for your participation and support. And I also would like to thank and acknowledge the efforts of Phil Currier for enabling us to conduct this election under the current restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Phil may not yet admit it, but he is rapidly becoming an expert in this process.
Sincerely,
Wayne Dernetz
Internet Links from our 4-22-21 TPDC Zoom Meeting Presentations
Greetings Torrey Pines Dems,
We had a good meeting yesterday evening with our guest presenters sharing important and timely information about issues that are impacting our community and country. If you would like to learn more about these issues, the internet links referenced by our guest presenters are included below.
Presentation by Lori Van Orden of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention (SD4GVP)
Schools for Safe Storage is a project of California Gun Violence Prevention organizations, including SD4GVP, working together. Their mission is to make it easy for volunteers to contact their school districts asking for secure gun storage information to be sent to every family, reminding them of their legal responsibility to lock guns and lock ammunition separately. Many school districts in California have already done this. Schools are important partners for gun safety because in 75% of school shootings, kids bring in guns from their own homes. In addition, the risk of accidents involving unsecured guns has been higher during the pandemic because many children have been at home with fewer of their usual activities. Gun sales were also higher than ever in 2020 with many first-time gun owners. Secure guns save lives. For more information, click here.
California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) is a state-funded program to help community-based organizations in supporting effective violence reduction initiatives in communities that are disproportionately impacted. SD4GVP is hosting a virtual San Diego CalVIP Town Hall meeting on Thursday, April 29th, 5:30-7:00pm. To learn more or participate, click here.
Presentation by Dr. Indroneal Banerjee, President of the AAPI Democratic Club of San Diego
Dr. Indroneal Banerjee, President of the AAPI Democratic Club of San Diego, addressed the rising violence in our community directed against people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent. He also discussed how we can help reduce the frequency and impacts of such violence which have surged during the past year because of racist or stigmatizing rhetoric by certain political figures and commentators. Dr. Banerjee provided the following links for resources to learn more about the issues and get involved in working toward racial justice:
Stop AAPI Hate– Our communities stand united against racism. Hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we can stop it.
hollaback!– Our mission is to end harassment in all its forms by transforming the culture that perpetuates hate and harassment. We carry out this mission by building the power of everyday people to create safe and welcoming environments for all.
AAPI Democratic Club of San Diego– Advocating for the Asian American & Pacific Islander Community in San Diego and fostering the ideals of the Democratic Party in the AAPI community.
AAPI Data– Demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
April, 2021
Greetings Torrey Pines Dems,
Membership Growth
As of this month, our Club membership stands at 56 regular members. Now in our fifth year, we are seeing increasing interest and membership. A growing membership enables us to schedule better programming and provide greater opportunities for members to participate in Club activities and to carry out our mission of promoting social and economic justice, encouraging active participation in the democratic political process, and fostering the ideals of our Democratic Party at the local, state, and national levels.
Want to Join the Executive Board?
To help us continue to improve our services to our members, the Executive Board has approved the addition of two new seats on the Board, and to fix one ex-officio seat for our immediate past president. The two added seats will be filled with appointments of interested regular members. We want to be sure that we are representing your interests and values when making leadership decisions. If you are interested in serving on the Executive Board, please send an email, along with a brief statement about your interests and experience to torreypinesdems@gmail.com. All responses will be considered by the Board and two members will be selected to join for two-year terms. Your participation will further strengthen our Club programs and mission.
Bylaws Amendments Election
This month, we are moving forward with a membership vote on amendments to our Bylaws. These amendments are intended to provide greater transparency and accessibility of our Club activities to our membership and to the public generally. And will help streamline some of our Club decision making. These amendments will be reviewed at our upcoming April 22nd general meeting. All regular members will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on the Amendments through an online balloting process. Regular members will receive an email notification of the election, along with a ballot form to complete and return. The balloting period will be open from the conclusion of the general meeting through Sunday evening, April 25th. Please watch your email inbox over the next few days for ballot information. And be sure to send in your completed ballot by Sunday, April 25th.
Club Officers Election Coming Up Soon
Election of Club Officers will be coming up in June. There are four elected officers: President, Executive Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All four offices are now up for election. If the Bylaws Amendments are approved, the President and Secretary will be elected for an initial term of one year, with two-year terms thereafter. The Executive Vice-President and Treasurer will be elected for two-year terms. All officers would be subject to three consecutive terms in office.
A nominations committee is being formed, with Marisa Hildebrand-Criqui as chair. The Committee will open up nominations to all regular members, and after reviewing the nominations a slate of recommended candidates will be presented for election. Nominations from the floor will also be accepted. If you are interested in standing for election to one of the four offices, or you know another member you think would be a good candidate, be sure to send in your nomination.
That’s all the room we have for this month. There’s a lot going on. We have some good programs lined up for this month’s meeting. I hope to see you there.
Wayne Dernetz,
Interim President
GENERAL MEETING (VIA ZOOM)
APRIL 22, 2021, 6:00pm
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtf-ytqz8sH9ZqLrBotSeeLHOWqv8wedY0
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
PRELIMINARY AGENDA (MODIFIED)
6:00pm Meeting Room opens
6:15pm Meeting Called to order by Chair
1. Quorum Check – Janette Shelton, Vice President – Memberships
2. President’s Welcome
3. Comments from elected officials and Party leaders – 3 minutes each
4. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda
5. PROGRAM:
A. Schools for Safe Storage Project
A new program recently announced by California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond calls upon all public school districts to help reduce gun violence. Lori Van Orden of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention, and Stephanie Wells of Moms Demand Action will present the program and discuss other ongoing efforts at reducing the epidemic of gun violence in our community.
B. Discussion on Anti-Asian American, Pacific Islander Violence
Dr. Indroneal Banerjee, President of the AAPI Democratic Club of San Diego, will address the rising violence in our community directed against people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent and how we can help reduce the frequency and impacts of such violence.
6. CLUB BUSINESS
A. Second Presentation of Bylaws Amendments and Voting Procedure:
In keeping with current bylaws, we are scheduling the second presentation of recommended bylaws amendments for your consideration, and a description of the online voting procedures to be used in the days following the meeting. (See memo below or visit our TPDC Bylaws webpage)
B. Open Member Comments and Questions regarding Club Activities and Future Direction. This will be a moderated opportunity for Club members and guests to ask questions or address comments about the Club’s activities and future direction.
7. REPORTS
A. Treasurer’s Report: Phil Currier, Treasurer
B. Membership Report: Janette Shelton, Vice President – Memberships
C. Future Programs Report: Marisa Hildebrand-CrIqui, Vice President – Programs
D. Communications Report – Ken Burtt, Executive Vice President and Communications Director
E. Members’ Comments For the Good of the Order
8.00pm ADJOURNMENT The next Regular Meeting will be on May 27, 2021, beginning at 6:00pm. Check our Website for further information – www.torreypinesdems.org
Reminder: If you have not renewed your membership in the Club, you may renew at any time. Only paid up members of the Club are eligible to vote on Club elections and other matters. To renew your membership, or to join the Club, go to https://www.torreypinesdems.org/membership. Thank you.
BYLAWS PRESENTATION MEMO
April 22, 2021
To All Regular Members, Torrey Pines Democratic Club
Since the founding of our Club in 2017, we have grown in membership and know-how. And thanks to you, our members, we have grown in endurance and stability, even facing the difficult challenges of the Covid shutdown. We are now approaching our fifth year in serving active Democrats in the 92014 and 92075 communities.
In the coming year we will be electing new leadership and confronting new challenges.
Following the disastrous four years of the Trump administration, more and more voters – especially younger voters – are registering as Democrats, or as non-preference voters. We welcome them and we encourage them to become active Democrats in a Democratic Club that provides information, inspiration, and year-round opportunities for participation in bringing our nation and our economy back from the ravages of the past four years.
Late last year, our Executive Board established an ad hoc Bylaws review committee, composed of Club Vice President Ken Burtt, Secretary Deborah Currier, Treasurer Phil Currier, and myself. The Committee began meetings to study the bylaws and identify areas it believed should be improved. The first group of priorities we identified were presented to the Executive Board in February for their review and were approved for presentation to our members. The amendments were presented to members at the February 28th General Meeting. Under current Bylaws, all amendments must be presented twice to the membership prior to an election on their adoption. Approval requires a two-thirds supermajority vote by members.
The Committee and the Executive Board believe it is time for us to make these adjustments to our Bylaws in order to improve transparency in our processes; and increase accessibility for our Members to engage in our programs, participate in our political advocacy, and help lead our Club forward. These Bylaws amendments are intended to accomplish those objectives. And they retain the fundamental principles under which our Club was established. The Bylaws changes fall into three categories, each described below.
Proposed Amendments to Section 4.2 of Article 4
The first category consists of several changes to Section 4.2, Article 4. We are proposing to strengthen the two-week advance noticing of our general meetings by identifying the specific items that will be considered. This will help our members know what the upcoming agenda issues are, and to prepare for participation. We also want to clear up ambiguityon the meaning of the term “quorum” as applied to our meetings. And to make it clear that in the absence of a quorum, those who are in attendance can continue the meeting for presentations, discussion and informational purposes.
We also propose to reduce our “supermajority” voting requirement in our elections from two-thirds (67%) approval of those voting, to sixty percent (60%), and to remove simple resolutions that only express the will or sentiment of our members from the requirements of a supermajority vote, allowing that such resolutions may be approved upon a simple majority vote. This will allow us a greater voice when expressing Club sentiments on matters of interest.
While on the subject of Club elections, over the past year we have learned that holding in-person elections, as required in our current Bylaws is not always possible. And it is certainly not the most convenient method for conducting elections. Club elections are now held to elect Club officers, create new offices, amend the bylaws, approve resolutions (including endorsements), and adopt annual budgets. The Amendments will allow three additional methods of conducting elections: mail-in paper balloting; on-line teleconference balloting (e.g. via Zoom); and at-home electronic balloting. We have used these alternatives during the past year with success. At-home electronic balloting provides greater convenience for voters and more time to study and consider choices.
Proposed Amendments to Article 6 – Officers
The second category of amendments will affect Article 6, concerning Club offices, elections, and terms of office. At present, our four elected officers – president, executive vice president, treasurer and secretary – are each elected to one-year terms of office, with a four- consecutive term limit. That means we are conducting elections every year for every elected office. We propose that the terms of office be expanded to two-year overlapping terms, so that each year we will elect two officers, and retain two officers for election in the following year.
And we propose a term limit of three-consecutive terms, for a maximum of six years in the same office. We recommend fixing the number of elective officers to the four named offices.
The Amendment also modify the described “duties” of each elective office, referring to these “duties” as “responsibilities.” The term “Responsibilities” includes both duties and authorities, suggesting a more positive and proactive focus. And we propose minor additions and changes to the responsibilities of the president and vice president. Several new responsibilities are added to the office of president, following the latest recommendations from San Diego County Party guidelines, that are aspirational in nature. For the executive vice president, we add the additional responsibility to consult and advise the president, along with assuming duties and authorities the president may delegate.
Establishment of additional non-elective offices will still be allowed, but will require approval by Club members under the new Supermajority vote requirement, but once established, the Executive Board would be authorized to make the appointments. This change will allow greater flexibility and accountability, and allow quicker responses to the Club’s needs.
Proposed Amendments to Article 7 – Executive Board
The third category of amendments affect Article 7, describing the responsibilities of the Executive Board. Section 7.1 currently identifies the Board’s responsibilities in a single, short paragraph. We propose a “bullet-point” listing of them to provide greater clarity and emphasis.
The only new authority to be added to the current list of responsibilities is for the Executive Board to prepare and adopt Policies and Procedures. These Policies and Procedures would supplement and support the Bylaws, and would provide specific guidance to officers and members on how the Club functions in its day to day operations. This would provide: improved transparency in our procedures for members; a basis for holding accountable those responsible for carrying out responsibilities; and improved flexibility and consistency in method and approach over time.
Next Steps
At our April 22nd General Meeting, we will once again review these proposed amendments and allow ample time for your comments, questions, and answers. At the conclusion of the meeting, regular members will receive a ballot and descriptions of the ballot choices by email. Members will have a few days, if needed, in which to review and consider the proposed amendments before voting on them. Current bylaws requires a two-thirds (67%) vote of approval from the members voting to be approved. We urge your participation in the election, and your support for the proposed amendments.
Thank you,
Wayne Dernetz,
Wayne Dernetz, Interim President Torrey Pines Democratic Club
Write Letters to Voters
Writing personal letters to voters is one of the most effective ways to help increase election turnout. A personal touch with heartfelt sincerity is more effective than glossy mailers, particularly when sent to fellow citizens in under-represented communities. Vote Forward is a non-profit organization that provides grassroots volunteers with simple tools for writing letters to encourage these people to vote. With over 23 million Vote Forward letters written since 2018, studies have shown that these letters can boost voter turnout by as much as 3.4%.
Vote Forward currently has a campaign focused on thanking Georgia voters, sending letters to show appreciation to voters from underrepresented groups for turning out in 2020, and encouraging them to vote again in upcoming elections. Many of the people who turned out to vote in the 2020 general election are new to voting, or vote infrequently. By celebrating their vote and reminding them of future voting opportunities, we can help them become committed voters.
If you would like to volunteer in this campaign, please visit the Vote Forward campaign webpage. For more information about Vote Forward, see their FAQ page.
A Message from Will Rodriguez-Kennedy:
For the second time in a week, our nation finds itself mourning for an unthinkable number of lives lost to the epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings.
On March 16th, eight lives were lost in a shooting spree in Georgia targeting the Asian-American community. Our nation barely had a week to grieve before yet another mass shooting occurred Monday afternoon at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado — just miles away from previous sites of mass shootings in Aurora and Columbine.
Las Vegas, Orlando, Charleston, Virginia Tech, Newtown, Sutherland Springs, El Paso, Parkland, San Bernardino, Columbine, Aurora, Santa Fe, San Ysidro — and now Atlanta and Boulder.
So many communities have forever been scarred and defined by the horrific acts that occurred there. Every time, we’ve stated “enough is enough.” Every time, we’ve marched and tweeted and demanded our elected officials take action before our community is next.
Every time, nothing has changed.
House Republicans, like San Diego County’s Darrell Issa, continue to stand in lockstep with the NRA in voting against the most common-sense of solutions — such as expanded background checks and the removal of gun-show loopholes. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans continue to use the filibuster to prevent common-sense gun legislation from even being voted on.
Republican obstruction is killing us — in our schools, stores, theaters, concerts, and churches.
Today, however, we are in a unique position to finally change things.
For the first time in a decade, we have Democratic control — albeit slim control — of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. Common-sense gun reform is in sight, if only our elected officials can show the courage and resolve to stand up to the gun lobby and talking-heads in the right-wing media.
Join your voice with mine: Sign our petition demanding that our elected officials do whatever is necessary to ensure the passage of common-sense gun reform now.
We need to keep the pressure up on elected officials who refuse to take action on gun violence. And we need to show that we have the backs of those who are taking action.
The only way to do that is to do it together. Please, join your voice with mine and sign our petition to demand action on gun violence.
Together, we can protect innocent lives and keep our communities safe.
In Solidarity,
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy
Chair, San Diego County Democratic Party
It is Time for our Club Membership Renewal Drive
We hope that you will consider renewing and supporting our continuing efforts to provide a forum for Democrats. Annual Membership dues are payable by March 31st. Please don’t let your membership lapse. There are several categories of membership as outlined on our website Membership page. Why join? We have done a lot in one year and have a lot more to do. Your membership provides the financial support to make these things possible.