Posted by Jack Dipper in Proposal - Changes to the TECH Bylaw

Posted by Fleet Captain Nathan Miller (TECH) in Proposal - Changes to the TECH Bylaw

Posted by Vice Admiral Steve Johnson (Fleet Commander, Foremost Fleet) in Proposal - Changes to the TECH Bylaw
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
I propose the following changes to The Technical Board, commonly called the TECH Bylaw.

1) In the section titled Composition, the first two paragraphs:
TECH shall be constructed of four members.

New members shall be selected from open application followed by an interview with three members of TECH. This interview may take place either in a three-on-one group interview, or multiple one-on-one interviews as the situation demands. TECH may choose to subject applicants to a skill-based evaluation to determine the applicants technical competence. All new members of TECH are subject to Presidential consent.

shall be changed to:
TECH shall be constructed of no fewer than two members. TECH may by internal vote and consent of the President choose to increase or decrease its number of members.

New members shall be selected from open application followed by an interview with the membership of TECH. This interview may take place either in a group interview with all of the members of TECH, or multiple one-on-one interviews as the situation demands. TECH may choose to subject applicants to a skill-based evaluation to determine the applicants technical competence. All new members of TECH are subject to Presidential consent.

2) In the section titled Practices and Internal Policymaking, subsection titled The Chairman, the second paragraph:
The Chairmanship shall be put to an internal vote every six months. Every member of TECH shall vote among the body to select a Chairman to serve the next six months. No person may serve as the Chairman two terms consecutively.

shall have its last sentence removed and be changed to:
The Chairmanship shall be put to an internal vote every six months. Every member of TECH shall vote among the body to select a Chairman to serve the next six months.

3) In the section titled Practices and Internal Policymaking, the subsection titled External Utilities:
External Utilities
TECH will administer all external utilities, including but not limited to:

E-mail
TECH shall maintain the e-mail forwards utilized by STF.

shall be changed to:
External Utilities
TECH will administer all external utilities.

4) In the section titled Resignation and Replacement Procedure, the fourth, fifth, and sixth paragraphs:
In the event of multiple resignations or any event in which TECH is reduced to fewer than three members, the Chairman may directly install the number of members required to fill TECH back to its standard four members, with the authorization of any existing and active member of TECH, or the President if there are none. Past members of TECH should be considered before the Chairman may install new members to TECH, but they are not required to be selected.

In the event that TECH is fewer than three members, without a Chairman, and the remaining member(s) cannot come to a consensus on who shall be the Chairman, the President may select one directly.

TECH may not operate at a deficit of four members for any longer than 45 days. At the end of 45 days, if TECH has not returned to its required four person quota, the President will directly appoint, using whatever criteria they may, the number of members required to fill TECH.

shall be changed to:
In the event of multiple resignations or any event in which TECH is reduced to fewer than two members, the Chairman may directly install the number of members required to fill TECH back to its standard membership, with the authorization of any existing and active member of TECH, or the President if there are none. Past members of TECH should be considered before the Chairman may install new members to TECH, but they are not required to be selected.

In the event that TECH is without a Chairman, and cannot come to a consensus on who shall be the Chairman, the President may select one directly.

TECH may not operate at a deficit of two members for any longer than 45 days. At the end of 45 days, if TECH has not returned to its required quota, the President will directly appoint, using whatever criteria they may, the number of members required to fill TECH, or approve a reduction its membership.

5) The section titled Review:
Review
TECH shall be reviewed thirteen months after the date of this bill’s passing. The review will take the form of a public discussion held within Command, with the President having the final ruling on whether or not TECH has been operating in a successful manner. The discussion must run for a minimum of two weeks. The review criteria is to include:

Has TECH been operating according to its structure?

Has TECH succeeded in providing timely, accurate reports?

What projects has TECH accomplished in its founding year?

Is the state of the club’s systems in significantly better or worse shape than the year before the bill’s passing? Has it remained the same?

Should TECH be found to be failing any of these criteria, the President will then decide to amend the bill to address the issues raised, or if the issues are so numerous and large, discuss an all out replacement to TECH.

Should TECH be found to operate as expected and planned, it shall be considered a facet of the club and will continue operating indefinitely.

shall be removed in its entirety.

****************

These are changes that have been discussed internally in TECH for some time. Allow me to provide the rationale.

1. Four members are not needed in TECH at all times, and in fact has been at a deficit for over a year. We need to be aware of the ability of our membership to support our endeavors, and providing TECH the flexibility to change its size as needed, with Presidential approval, helps in that regard, the same way it does in COMMUnity.
2. Similarly, the “two terms consecutively” restriction on the Chairman has basically been ignored for the last several years - no one actually wants the position. We’re nerds and tech geeks, not the face of the organization. Altering this will align the document with the current reality.
3. The e-mail forwards are dead and aren’t coming back.
4. Changes to reflect the above changes to minimum membership.
5. While we’re here, might as well get rid of this no longer relevant section.

Nathan
TECH Chairman

Hi Nathan,
Was any consideration made to changing the Restrictions section?
Restrictions
Members of TECH may not serve as Departmental Directors, Fleet Commanders or be President or Vice President. Members of TECH may hold Assistant positions, such as Assistant Departmental Director or Assistant Fleet Commander positions. They may also hold Executive Assistant and Executive Government Oversight positions.

With the continued decrease in membership, is it still necessary to restrict TECH members from holding a Department Director or Fleet Commander spot? Or for that matter, VP?

Steve

It was something I did think about, but did not know how many would feel about it; it is definitely worth the consideration of others at large. Those restrictions remove 5-10% of the membership from Cabinet consideration, and an even larger percentage of those who might potentially volunteer.

I embrace the idea, if others are willing.

Nathan

I would support that. We are too small a club to be that picky. This obviously wouldn’t preclude TECH from considering what other obligations someone has, and whether they can juggle more than one role. It also aligns it with COMMUnity (which I don’t think has those restrictions in).

Jack

I see no issue with the proposed changes and I think reducing the restriction makes a lot of sense.

~Linds