Proposed Changes to the Bylaws of the System Dynamics Society

Rules for Changing the Bylaws

	No article shall be added to these Bylaws and no part shall be amended or annulled, except by formal proposal, followed by opportunity for discussion at a general business meeting of the Society and by a mail ballot.
	Proposal of a change may be made by the Council, or by a petition to the Secretary signed by at least twenty-five members or ten percent of the members of the Society, whichever is smaller.
	The Secretary shall distribute copies of the proposed change to all members of the Society not less than six weeks before a general business meeting, and opportunities shall be given for discussion at this general business meeting.
	Not more than eight weeks after this general business meeting, the Secretary shall distribute to all members copies of the proposed change, an explanation of the purposes for the change, ballot forms, and the effective date of the change if approved.
	A change proposed by the Council may, at the discretion of the Council, be submitted with modifications made in light of the discussion at the general business meeting. A change proposed by petition shall be submitted in the original form, but the Council shall have the right to submit an amendment to the change in light of the discussion at the general business meeting.
	No ballot shall be counted unless marked by a member in good standing to indicate his choice, returned to the Secretary in a sealed envelope bearing the voter's name, and received not later than a date specified by the Secretary on the ballot form, provided that this date is not less than sixty days after the mailing of the ballot.
	The Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members qualified to vote and voting, provided that one-quarter of the members qualified to vote participate. The Bylaws may specify the procedure by which amendments are considered.
	The result of the balloting shall be announced to the membership by the Secretary and, if approved, the change shall become effective at the date previously stipulated by the Secretary.

	The general membership never voted to place the Executive Editor of the Review and Jay Forrester on the Policy Council, only the Policy Council did. These changes are to the Society's Bylaws, however, and require a vote of the general membership.
	Throughout the Bylaws, change the word "subdivision(s)" to "chapter(s)."
	Bylaw 5, Section 3 says that: "Officers shall serve until notified by the Secretary that their successors have taken office." This is not current practice. Should we change this to read that "An officer shall serve until the end of the Society's fiscal year coinciding with his/her last year in office."
	Bylaw 6 says that: "There shall be an annual election by mail ballot." This is not current practice.
	Bylaw 9, Section 3 says that: "The Council shall meet as a separate body once each year, on the day before or after or during the annual international meeting. Council meetings may be called at other times in response to a request by the President or by three other members of the Council, but only upon a one-month advance notice to all members of the Council." Should we change it to read: "The Council shall meet as a separate body twice each year, once on the day before or after or during the annual international meeting and once during the months of January, February, and March.
	Bylaw 10 says that: "No article shall be added to these Bylaws and no part shall be amended or annulled, except by formal proposal, followed by opportunity for discussion at a general business meeting of the Society and by a mail ballot." Do we really need a mail ballot (exclusively) to change the Bylaws?