Norwescon 36 Election Season is Here!

Hello Norwescon ConCom members! It’s election season again — for Norwescon 36 (2013)!

The next Norwescon meeting (February 18) will be your first chance to nominate candidates for the offices of Chairman (Chair) and Vice-Chairman (Vice-Chair) and for the two slots on the Guest of Honor Selection Committee (GOH Committee).

What are the elected positions and what do they do?

• CHAIRMAN — Leads Executive (Exec) and Convention Committee (ConCom) meetings and is in charge of the planning and overall execution of the convention. During the convention the Policies say they should meet and greet guests and appear at certain functions like opening and closing ceremonies and PK Dick Awards. (Other things can be found under “Chair’s Responsibilities” in the Policies.)

  If you have further questions about what the Chairman position entails, you may contact the NWC 35 Chair, Shawn Marier at smarier@gmail.com.

• VICE-CHAIRMAN — Acts for the Chair in their absence and is responsible for the Site Selection Committee. (And other duties as assigned by the Chair.) The Policies (under “Chair’s Responsibilities”) say it’s up to agreement between the Chair and Vice-Chair what the Vice-Chair’s duties are during the convention.

  If you have further questions about what the Vice-Chairman position entails, you may contact the NWC 35 Vice-Chair, Peggy Stewart at peggy.stewart1@gmail.com.

• GUEST OF HONOR SELECTION COMMITTEE — Along with the Chair, Vice-Chair and Program Director, these two ConCom-elected representatives are charged with the selection of guests and theme for the convention two years hence. It is each GOH Committee member’s duty to compile and submit a list of potential guests by November 15.

  If you have further questions about what the Guest of Honor Selection Committee position entails, you may contact NWC 35 GOH Committee members Pat Booze at patb@nwrain.com or Timothy Ketron at superstrch@aol.com.

What are the minimum qualifications for Chair and Vice-Chair?

• You must have held a position on the ConCom at some time within the last five years. (This also applies to GOH Committee)
• You must be able to legally sign contracts in the state of Washington.
• You cannot have held the position of Chair or Vice-Chair for more than four consecutive years.
• If you want to be one of the two GOH Committee members, you can’t be on the Exec Team.

When are nominations and voting?

Nominations open during the Saturday, February 18 ConCom meeting and close at the end of the Saturday, March 17 ConCom meeting. Ballots will be mailed by April 6 at the latest. Voting will continue until the end of the Post-Con meeting (around 5pm) on Saturday, May 12. That evening the votes will be counted and results announced. An email detailing the results and vote counts will be sent out the following week.

How do I get nominated, or nominate someone?

We require a nomination and a second for all elected positions. Nominations may be made during the appointed times at the meeting or by email to me at tourdemondo@yahoo.com.

• If you want to nominate someone, we suggest (though it isn’t required) that you discuss their level of interest with them beforehand.
• If you would like to run, we suggest (though it isn’t required) talking to other ConCom members about your nomination and second.

All candidates will be asked to write a statement that will go out with the ballots. You may choose not to write one, of course, but you must allow your email address and phone number to be published in the election packet. Candidates will also be asked (but not required) to participate in question and answer sessions at the February and March meetings, and possibly the Post-Con meeting.

How do I vote?

At Norwescon, you don’t automatically get a vote unless you ask for one. But we make that easy through a check box on the Convention Committee Registration Form you should have filled out when you accepted your position.

If you haven’t filled out such a form get one from your Exec Team member. Your voting preference needs to be on record with the Secretary by the end of the February 18 meeting (THAT’S THIS NEXT MEETING!) in order to be eligible to vote. You also have the option of not voting.

The bylaws require a quorum of 57% of its voting membership in order for the election to be valid. So if you do want a vote, make sure you send your ballot back!

If you’re not sure if you can vote or not please contact our convention Secretary, Pearl Young at secretary@norwescon.org.

Thanks for listening!

–Keith Johnson, Norwescon 36 Elections