[DRAFT 1] Bylwas Revision: COMMITTEES

[Here's my first attempt at putting all the bullet points into words.
Please comment. I think I took all feedback into account- thanks!

--Nils]

COMMITTEES
----------

Committees are an extension of the board of directors and take care of the
day to day operation of the organization. They are set up to deal with
ongoing issues within the organization.

[is there a better wording for this? I'm trying to say that you should not
set up a committee for i.e. one trade show, but should set up a publicity
committee that coordinates shows etc.]

Committees are governed by the board of directors and are accountable to
the board and the membership.

[should this be further defined? I'm thinking of where they send the
minutes, and where they get their direction from... 'governed' can mean a
lot of things, and I'm not sure if I should narrow this down, or leave it to
the charter.]

Committees may propose resolutions and motions within the scope of their
charter. Discussions should be held in a public forum, but the committee
may have private discussions if they are deemed necessary.

Charter
-------
The committee charter completely describes the rights and responsibilities
of the committee, as well as its structure, membership policies, and any
other relevant details. Charters are issued and revoked by the board of
directors. The charter shall be put before the membership for review and
discussion before it is voted on by the board of directors.

The charter shall also define the membership structure of the committee.
Both contributing and non contributing members are eligible to serve on
committees.

[I've changed my mind. I think that non contributing members should also be
able to serve on committees... I don't think they'd get selected for highly
political committees, but would get selected for i.e. a publicity committee.
That way then can contribute. In fact, I'm sure this is a good idea- gets
the non contribs more involved, which is a Good Thing (tm).]

QUESTIONS:
----------
- does this cover everything? Darren made a good point, saying that only
the basic definitions common to all committees belong in here, and I agree.
I'd been trying to do that, but it's easy to lose sight of that goal.

--
Nils Lohner Software in the Public Interest, Inc.
E-Mail: lohner(at)spi-inc(dot)org PO Box 1326
Board Of Directors <board(at)spi-inc(dot)org> Boston, Ma. 02117 USA