MOTION 4
The Assembly will be start at 8am on Wednesday 30th of September, in order to feel refreshed we enourage members to arrive Tuesday 29th of September in the late afternoon or early evening. The assembly will finish around 4pm on Friday 2nd October 2026. Convention will then start on Friday 2nd October 2026 in the early evening and finish no later than 2pm on Sunday 4th October 2026.
Names, acronyms, and short forms have been removed or edited for consistency with OA Policy
Motion: Move to amend OA Region 9 Bylaws, Article V – Region 9 Board, Section 2 – Elections, point 1 and 9 by striking and inserting as follows:
Current Wording
ARTICLE V – REGION 9 BOARD
Section 2 – Elections
- Elections for Region 9 Board members will take place annually at the Region 9 Assembly.
Proposed Wording
ARTICLE V – REGION 9 BOARD
Section 2 – Elections
- Elections for Region 9 Board members will take place
annuallyat the Region 9 Annual Hybrid Assembly.- Chair, Secretary and Digital Officer will be elected in odd number years.
- Vice Chair and Treasurer will be elected in even number years.
Wording if Adopted
ARTICLE V – REGION 9 BOARD
Section 2 – Elections
- Elections for Region 9 Board members will take place at the Region 9 Annual Hybrid Assembly..
- Chair, Treasurer and Digital Officer will be elected in odd number years.
- Vice Chair and Treasurer will be elected in even number years.
- Vacancies are filled by appointment until the next Region 9 Assembly.
- Vacancies are filled by appointment
until the next Region 9 Assemblyfor the remainder of the term.- Any appointed Board member shall be ratified by the Assembly at the next Assembly following their appointment.
- Any appointed Board member serving more than 14 months shall be deemed to have served a full term.
- The appointed board member will participate as a full member of the board.
- Vacancies are filled by appointment for the remainder of the term.
- Any appointed Board member shall be ratified by the Assembly at the next Assembly following their appointment.
- Any appointed Board member serving more than 14 months shall be deemed to have served a full term.
- The appointed board member will participate as a full member of the board.
Proviso 1: If this motion is adopted it will become effective on adoption.
Proviso 2: The term of the current Vice Chair will be extended to bring the elected terms in line with this bylaw change.
Submitted By:
Name: Loudovika P
Service Body or Committee: OA Region 9 Board
Intent: Establish staggered terms and a rotation system for Board members, ensuring that not all Board positions are elected in the same year.
Implementation: Update the bylaws to create staggered election cycles for Board positions. Terms shall be structured so that approximately half of the Board positions are elected in alternating years. The offices of Chair and Vice Chair shall not normally be elected in the same election cycle. Transitional provisions are also adopted to facilitate the initial implementation of the rotation system.
Cost: There is no direct financial cost associated with this motion beyond any minimal administrative updates required to governing documents, election materials, and Board resources.
How This Supports OA’s Primary Purpose: Promoting stable, effective, and continuous service leadership within the Region.
Rationale: Electing all (or most) board members in the same year can result in a significant loss of institutional knowledge, leadership experience, and continuity. This risk is especially concerning when both the Chair and Vice Chair positions may change simultaneously, potentially leaving the Board without experienced leadership.
A staggered rotation system promotes continuity, mentorship, and stability by ensuring experienced trusted servants remain on the Board while newly elected members are integrated into service. Separating the election cycles of the Chair and Vice Chair further strengthens leadership continuity and reduces the risk of disruption to Board operations, strategic planning, and ongoing projects.
