The 2012 Annual General Meeting

[Dawn Kozak]

One important aspect of the NAs is the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 6:00 PM at Eastern Yacht Club. We are in the early stages of planning the full agenda; however, there are a few things that I wanted to make everyone aware of in preparation for the meeting:

1. The AGM must be attended by Class Members in person or by proxy who represent 20% of the members of the Class Association. If you are not able to make the AGM, you may want to ensure that a friend has your proxy, so your voice can be heard.

2. This is the time and place that we vote on proposed amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws, and/or Class Rules. All proposed amendments to the Constinution or Bylaws must be submitted to me ([email protected]) 90 days prior tot he AGM, or by June 8, 2012. Any proposed changes to the Class Rules should be submitted to the technical committee ([email protected]) by the same deadline. To date the Tech Committee has received proposals to modify the mainsheet rule and to prohibit hanging off the mast or shrouds while tacking or jibing. The Executive Committee will communicate all proposed changes to the Class within 60 days of the AGM or, no later than July 8, 2012, to give everyone plenty of time to consider the proposals, have open discussion on the Class forum, and come prepared to vote at the AGM. Please note, any proposed changes to the Class Constitution, Bylaws or Rules require the support of five Class Members or a member of the Executive Committee. Please include this information when you submit your proposals.

3. This year's AGM also includes the election of a new Executive Committee (President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Technical Committee Chair), and Class Governors. Joe Healey has agreed to lead the Nominating Committee. If you are interested in volunteering as part of the Executive Committee or have thoughts on someone that you think should be considered for the slate, please reach out to Joe at [email protected]. The nominated slate will be posted for your review by July 8, 2012.

4. We are considering an amendment to the class Bylaws to simplify the election of Class Governors creating a panel of 3 Governors, each with a 6 year term, rotating so that every 2 years the class members get an opportunity to elect or re-elect one Governor. We are actively looking for one or two people to stand as Class Governors. The Governors are not necessarily involved in the day-to-day management of class affaris, and do not have an executive function, rather their role is to represent the long-term interest of class members. Governors should have a long-term commitment to the class association, a commitment to the original mission of the class association, and a finger on the pulse of Viper owners, so that the Executive Committee can turn to them for advice and support from time to time. Nominations for Governors are approved by the current governor (Justin). Please send him any suggestions for potential condidates at [email protected].