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Policies on Waivers and Membership Requirements Clarified.
1. Court Denies Pacifica National Board Request to Allow
for Membership Waivers
In a web-cast telephone conference call meeting of the interim
National Pacifica Board of Directors it was decided to follow
a suggestion from the Pacifica attorney and ask the court
for permission to use membership waivers in the upcoming Local
Station Board election. Waivers in the case of financial hardship
are authorized in the Bylaws, but the body authorized to grant
such waivers (elected Local Station Boards) do not exist yet.
Rather than risk having the entire election invalidated by
using waivers without clear authority, the board voted to
seek court permission. On Tuesday, November 25 the judge denied
the request, which means no waivers are allowed for this transition
election.
2. “Contribution” Defined to Include Initiation
of Automatic EFT or Credit Card Installments
On the question of whether new installment-plan members who
authorize automatic monthly credit card or electronic funds
transfers should be recognized as voting members only after
their transfers have surpassed $25, or immediately, the board
voted to define the term “contribution” in the
Bylaws to encompass BOTH actual dollars put into a station
bank account, as well as the initial authorization of automatic
payments, which will total in excess of $25 within the next
12 months.
3. Membership Subsidies or Scholarships Not Approved
The National Board was asked by Terry Bouricius, the National
Elections Supervisor, whether they wanted to adopt a policy
on whether subsidies or scholarships for membership will be
allowed, such as have been proposed at WBAI for listeners
incarcerated in prison. The Executive Director Dan Coughlin
stated that it was not practically possible to administer
and keep track of such theoretical memberships and suggested
they would not be allowed in the upcoming election. The board
took no action on the matter.
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