The Chicago Voter League of Women Voters of Chicago Annual Meeting 2016 Website - www.lwvchicago.org Vol. 66 No. 10 In this issue Bylaws Committee Report pg 2 Nominating Committee Report pgs 2&3 Proposed Education Consensus pg 4 Proposed Operating Fund Budget pg 5 Annual Meeting Flyer pg 6 Upcoming Events LWVChicago Annual Meeting Saturday, June 11 9 AM to 1 PM Union League Club LWVUS National Convention Thursday to Sunday June 16-19 Washington, DC S Please check the web site LWVChicago.org for additional scheduled committee meetings. President s Message This is the Annual Meeting Voter. A month from now, on Saturday, June 11, we will gather at the Union League Club to hold our Annual Meeting. We will amend bylaws, elect officers and directors, adopt the operating fund budget, and adopt a position on the method of governance of the Chicago Board of Education. These items of formal business have been approved by the Board of Directors and are presented in this Chicago Voter. They will be voted upon by the attendees at the Annual Meeting. I urge all members to attend the Annual Meeting. It s been a busy year. The Chicago League participated in the two LWVUS Consensus Studies; Amending the US Constitution and Money in Politics. The LWVChicago Education Committee conducted a thorough study of methods of selecting a school board and the merits of each method. We held our first State of the City luncheon in five years. Come and hear all about these activities. That may whet your appetite to join the fun. Call 312-939-5949 or Email: League@LWVChicago.org For more information I want to thank the entire board, unit leaders and every member for the opportunity to serve as president of LWVChicago. It s an honor that I treasure and one that would not be possible but for the support and encouragement of each of you. Thank you, Margaret 1
Esta Kallen and Marianne Nesler members Bylaws Committee Report This year a new Interleague Organization was formed; the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region (LWVUMRR). LWVChicago has become a member. There are several places in the LWVChicago bylaws: Article I, Article III, Section 2, Article VIII, Section 4 and Article IX, Section 4 where the other Leagues are mentioned. LWVUMRR will be added to those sections. The committee recommends adding the following section to Article V, Board of Directors. Section 5 Remote Meetings. If circumstances make it inconvenient or impossible for the board to meet, it may conduct business by holding a meeting through electronic communications (e.g. e-mail or telephone conference call). Such meetings shall be referred to as remote meetings. All materials for considerations at a remote meeting must be distributed to all members of the board. Remote meetings shall not count as any of the eight regular board meetings required each year. This language is similar to that included in the LWVIL bylaws. The sections following (currently 5 through 7) will become sections 6 through 8. The current LWVChicago Bylaws are available: http://www.lwvchicago.org/files/lwv_chicago_bylaws_2014.pdf These proposed changes were accepted by the Board of Directors on May 10, 2016. Nominating Committee Report Nominating Committee: Tana Durnbaugh, Chair, Marcia Dillon and Helene Gabelnick, Members OFFICERS (Two Year Terms) 2016-2018 President Annie Logue Annie has been on the board of the League of Women Voters of Chicago for four years, following serving on the LWV Illinois board (most recently as secretary) and as part of the 2008 Constitutional Convention study. She chaired the LWVChicago Strategic Plan Initiative. Annie has been active in other organizations, including the Junior League of Chicago and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwestern Indiana. She teaches finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago and writes about business and finance for several different publications. She lives on the North Side with her husband and son. Vice-President Jill Althage Jill has been a member of LWVChicago for four years. She has participated on the State of the City and Education Committees and has been an observer at the Chicago Board of Education meetings. Jill is retired from Northeastern Illinois University where she was the Education and Social Science librarian from 1980-2011. She also was a Women s Studies Core Faculty member for over 10 years at NEIU. She has volunteered on the crisis line at Between Friends, a Rogers Park agency that works against domestic violence, with the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women s Network as a Court Watcher and at Stephen K. Hayt Elementary School. Continued on page 3 2
DIRECTORS (Two year Terms) 2016-2018 Helene Gabelnick Helene is completing her fourth term as a Vice President. She worked on the State of the City and Education committees and is the Chair of Voter Service. She coordinates LWVChicago office business, monitoring computer activities and electronic communications and edits the Chicago Voter. She is active in the Loop Morning unit. Helene lives in the South Loop, is a volunteer with Chicago Greeters and a retiree group from Harold Washington College where she taught Physical Science. Pat Graunke Pat has completed her third term a Vice-President. She has been active on the membership committee and the Chicago in Focus lecture series. She also served on the State of the City Luncheon Committee. She works on environmental issues and is on the board of LWV Lake Michigan Region. Pat retired from the College of DuPage where she worked in Community Relations. She was the district s liaison between the college and the high schools. She is a member of the Loop Morning Unit. Margaret Herring Margaret served as Co-President with Esta Kallen for one year and then as President for five years. She has participated in many of the LWV activities with a special interest in natural resources issues. She writes summaries of Chicago in Focus events and represents LWVChicago at meetings of outside groups. Earlier LWV activities included action chair and Secretary. She is the leader of the Loop Evening Unit and is employed by the U.S. EPA. Cathy Potkay Cathy recently returned to Chicago, where she grew up, and has been enjoying her grandchildren, the music and theatre of the city, and the always-interesting League. Cathy left Chicago for Macomb, Illinois, where she worked at Western Illinois University as a mainframe systems programmer. She was active in the LWV of Macomb, on the board and as president. Karen Sandrick Karen, although a relatively new member of LWVChicago, has recently served on the Education and State of the City Luncheon Committees. Professionally Karen worked in the research laboratory at the University of Chicago in the Department of Psychiatry, participating in bench research. Following editorial positions at the American Medical Association and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, she launched a successful freelance writing and editing career in clinical science and healthcare administration. She has served as President of the Chicago Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association. She is currently co-chair for programming for Chicago Science Writers. A recent recipient of a paralegal certificate, she is a member of the American Constitution Society, National Paralegal Association, and an associate member of the American Bar Association. Nominating Committee-2016-2017 Marcia Dillon, Tana Durnbaugh, Helene Gabelnick This report was approved by the Board of Directors on May 10, 2016. At the Annual Meeting additional nominations may be made from the floor with the consent of the nominee. Continuing Board Members Officers: Vice President: Esta Kallen Secretary: Alice Perlin Treasurer: Pat Vogtman Directors: Nancy Brandt Bernice Fortini Rae Sokolow Retiring Board Members: Carma Forgie Barbara Puechler 3
Education Consensus In June 2015, the members of the League of Women Voters of Chicago approved a study on the "methods and merits of Chicago Board of Education selection." The education committee began work on the study in September. Research began with discovering the methods of selection of board members in large cities and then comparing them. The committee also looked for research relating to board governance. After careful consideration a list of questions for the consensus to be done in the units was developed. The results of the reports from the units were compiled and the proposed consensus is given below. It was approved by the Board of Directors on May 10, 2016 and will be considered by the attendees at the Annual Meeting. League of Women Voters of Chicago Proposed Education Consensus Governance of the Chicago Board of Education Updated June, 2016 The League of Women Voters of Chicago believes that whatever method is chosen to select the members of the Chicago Board of Education, there are secondary issues that should be addressed in the following manner: A. Type of Governance: If governed by an elected Board of Education, the majority of members should be elected from geographical districts. If governed by a board appointed by the Mayor of Chicago, Chicago should return to the practice of a district-wide nominating commission. If governed by a hybrid board, with some members elected and some appointed by the mayor, the majority of members should be elected from geographical districts. B. Search/Oversight: There should be a search committee to locate candidates for the position of CEO/Superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools, no matter which method of selecting board members is used. A committee formed for the purpose of conducting a nation-wide candidate search for candidates for CEO/Superintendent should include members from community groups, parent groups, the principal's association, and the Chicago Teachers Union. To improve oversight, the Board of Education should have the primary role in selecting a Chief Executive Officer/Superintendent, no matter which method of selecting board members is used. To provide accountability and to restore trust there should be an independent audit committee that reports to the Board of Education, no matter which method of selecting board members is used. C. Community Engagement: To engage the community in a meaningful way, there should be a district-wide advisory council to advise the board on facilities utilization and school closings. The Board of Education should determine community preference for the type of schools to be located within that community. 4
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CHICAGO PROPOSED OPERATING FUND BUDGET FY 17 July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017 Current YTD Total income/expenses thru June 2016 FY 16 Delta Between FY16 Budget and Expectations thru June FY 17 Budget Notes Actual Operating Fund Operating Fund July - March 501 ( c ) (4) 501 ( c ) (4) INCOME Membership Dues $75.00 HH $120 9,242 9,617 10,380 (763) 9,885 50/50 split: 119 mem @75/ind + 8 @$120/HH Individual Contributions 250 250 1,250 (1,000) 1,250 Foundations/Corporate 10,000 10,000 100 9,900 100 Davee Foundation Phonathon Publications - Other Special Events - Annual Meeting - 1,050 1,050-1,050 30 *$35 =1050 In Kind Income (Voter Sponsors) - Earned Income - 250 (250) 250 Condo election/cha election TOTAL INCOME 19,492 20,917 13,030 7,887 12,535 EXPENSES Bookkeeping/Accounting/Audit - 750 750-750 Limited audit in Fy 17 = 750 Computer & IT Services WEB Hosting 200 200 250 (50) 3,000 Website hosting Split with ED Fund? Occupancy 2,225 2,967 2,790 177 3,120 50/50 split $500 monthly rent =$250/month + $10 monthly utilities Phone & internet 188 251 269 (18) 269 Supplies 150 (150) 75 Copying (in House) 253 338 250 88 400 Printing (Voter ave 30 month) 210 280 600 (320) 300 Added printing for Ann Mtg, summer voter & brochures Postage 147 196 400 (204) 200 Insurance - Liability 58 58 58-58 50/50 split D&O Insurance 991 991 1,000 (9) 1,000 Bank Fees Travel & Meeting Expense Dues/Fees/Subscriptions 65 87 135 (48) 100 State filing fees, etc. LWVLMR and LWVUMRR Publications Annual Meeting 1,275 1,275-1,275 Meeting Room Rental/Printing Materials. See Income Above Special Events National PMP 2,032 2,032 2,032-2,096 50/50 split: 119 mem + 8 HH half State PMP 1,715 1,715 1,715-1,965 50/50 split: 119 mem + 8 HH half County PMP 508 508 381 127 524 $4 of $: 119 mem + 8 HH Full + 8 HH half Donations/Gifts 50 50 150 (100) 50 Membership Recruitment/Directory 100 (100) 100 Advertising/PR 500 Board Training for Social Media 500 Misc 72 96 200 (104) 100 appeal, speaker gifts, transportation for interns Bank Reconciliation discrepancy Bank Account Reserve Credit (44) 0 - - CAPITAL BUDGET 250 250 Computer Hardware and software TOTAL EXPENSES 8,671 10,844 12,755 (1,911) 16,632 EXCESS REVENUE OVER (4,097) FY 17 NOTES: PMPs US 32.00 32.00 IL 27.00 30.00 Cook 4.00 4.00 Members Individual 116 119 Household - Full 6 8 Household - Half 6 8 National 0 0 Honorary - Life 8 8 No Dues or PMP Total 136 143 Budget Committee: Leslie Corbett Chenoweth, Annie Logue, and Rochelle Riffer Pat Vogtman, Ex-Officio Approved by Board of Directors, May 10, 2016 Although this is a deficit budget, there are sufficient reserve funds to cover the deficit 5
2016 Annual Meeting League of Women Voters of Chicago Saturday, June 11, 2016 9 am to 1 pm Check-in, Coffee: 9 am Business Meeting: 9:30 am to noon Luncheon Following Union League Club 65 W. Jackson Blvd. Cost $35 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reservations and payment due by Friday, June 8 Pay online OR Return this portion with your check to: League of Women Voters of Chicago 332 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 525, Chicago, IL 60604 Name Number of Reservations Contact information 6