- Whereas the 1818 Society was created in 1979 as a social organization with registration as a 501(c)7 under the IRS code
- Whereas during its history, the 1818 Society consisting of former World Bank Group (WBG) staff, have come to see the Society as a valued and informed intermediary with the WBG management for discussion of the Staff Retirement Plan (SRP), retiree health benefits, continued involvement in professional activities, social activities and help offered to members
- Whereas the By-laws and election procedures have been changed and evolved during the society’s history but may no longer reflect the needs of a modern, diverse, and geographically dispersed alumni cohort or represent best practices that are inclusive and suitable for volunteer-run organizations
- Whereas some members have raised concerns about the recent election of officers and its president (announced June 30, 2021)
Therefore, be it resolved that:
The new 1818 Society board shall create a Task Force/Committee of seven member volunteers, charged with reviewing the current By-laws and, in particular, those relating to the processes for election, and reporting. The recommendations should be firmly anchored in supporting the interests of all members of the Society, as well as the principles of Transparency, Fairness and Inclusion.
The Task Force will seek inputs from membership at large in its deliberations.
The Task Force will report back to the Board on their recommendations for any changes in the society’s governance framework, by-laws and processes. The Board will be charged with communicating the proposed changes to the membership, along with its own recommendations. Preferably a set of options should be presented so that members can exercise more than an up or down vote. A final vote on the revised By-laws by the membership should be expected prior to the next Annual Meeting. The Board would be charged with implementing any changes agreed by the membership.
The composition of the Task Force would be determined by the incoming Board. It could include any member of the 1818 Society deemed by the Board capable of contributing to its work. Criteria of inclusion would include, among other possible criteria, willingness and interest to serve on the Task Force, knowledge of and interest in the Societies activities, and experience in other voluntary organizations. The Chair would be appointed by the seven members of the task force chosen by the Board, from amongst its members.
Note that this motion has incorporated content from the motion circulated on 18 October 2021 by members: Morallina Fanwar George, Rachel McColgan, Paul M Cadario, and Guillermo Almada. It has however modified what the submitter believes are several objectionable aspects of that motion. Specifically, the present motion
1. does not exclude any Society member from potentially serving on the task force,
2. allocates the incoming Board the task of naming the task force members, and provides some basic criteria for the selection of task force members,
3. proposes to engage the full membership directly in the process,
4. and eliminates the excessively restrictive intermediate time-line while retaining the ambitious goal of completing the process by the next annual meeting.
