BAADS Election 2014 – Vote now! Voting will close at 9am Dec. 21st

Join us for the monthly membership on this Sunday, December 21st, at 11am in the South Beach Harbor Community Room. Election results will be announced. If you are a BAADS Member in good standing (2014 dues have been paid for by December 1st) please visit https://www.baads.org/elections/ to cast your vote as soon as possible. If you are unsure whether you are a current BAADS member, contact Treasurer Brian Pease at treasurer@baads.org. Individual members are eligible to submit one ballot and family memberships are eligible to submit two ballots. All voting must be completed by 9 AM on December 21 (before the December membership meeting).

Seven Director Positions will be available. Seats up for election are those now held by:

  • Eli Frank
  • Alex Hruzewicz
  • Alex Okrut
  • Brian Pease
  • Kathi Pugh
  • Cristina Rubke
  • Margreta Von Pein

The results of the election will be announced at the member meeting on Sunday, December 21. The seven new board members will be elected to two-year terms and begin serving their terms at the first board meeting in 2015 (tentatively scheduled for January 18). Their tenure will expire at the first board meeting of 2016. The terms of the remaining six board members will expire at the first board meeting of 2015.

In addition to the election of directors, the election seeks the members’ consideration of two corporate governance matters. The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors is an unincorporated association. On advice of legal counsel your Board of Directors has unanimously elected to change to a corporation. Changing the status of BAADS from an incorporated association to a corporation requires the adoption of new bylaws, which are available for download on the election ballot. These proposed bylaws have been unanimously adopted by your Board of Directors and approved by legal counsel. Please let us know if you have any problems accessing the bylaws document.

More information on the corporate governance issues on the ballot:

The BAADS board is asking the BAADS membership to vote in favor of incorporating BAADS so that it is a California corporation. BAADS is currently an unincorporated association. Based on advice from outside legal counsel, the board understands that incorporating would have the benefits listed below. If the membership votes in favor of incorporation, BAADS will need to adopt new bylaws. To streamline the required election process, the ballot asks you to vote in favor or against incorporation and in favor or against adoption of the new bylaws. The adoption of new bylaws will take effect only if the members elect to incorporate. The bylaws were drafted with the aid of and have been approved of by legal counsel.

1. Limitation of liability for BAADS members – As an unincorporated association there is a possibility that each and every member of BAADS could he held liable for the debts and obligations of BAADS. Although the law is changing to afford the members of associations the same protection as members of corporations, the members of association still have more exposure than members of corporations.

2. Standard corporate governance rules – As a corporation, BAADS can rely on the standard and default corporate governance rules in California. This helps us adopt simpler bylaws and operate in a more efficient manner.

This change will necessitate obtaining non-profit status for the new BAADS corporation. If the membership votes in favor of this change, BAADS will seek pro bono (free) legal assistance to carry out these changes.