[LPL Board of Directors] Calling things what they actually are.

[Daniel Hayes]

When I started consulting with Ricard Brown, the professional 
parlimentarian that attend the April 13th SCC meeting with me.  He 
noticed references to a "Board of Directors" and he kept asking me "What 
the heck are they talking about? There is no reference to a Board of any 
sort in your by laws..and an Executive Board, which you may opt to have 
in the future, is something very specific, and you don't have one."  He 
just wrote this up specifically for me to share with the members of the 
SCC. Richard Brown wrote,

"Basically, both state law and your bylaws say that the party is 
governed by a State Central Committee and that is what it is and what it 
should be called. A board or executive committee is something else. you 
don't have a "board" or executive committee now, but you might in the 
future. If you ever do, then all these references to a "board" that 
doesn't even exist are gong to be very confusing."

He then expounded in the IM not intended for general consumption but 
that I am including, because I think it makes the point even better, the 
following:

"For short, they can refer to it as the SCC.
Everybody knows what that is and it eliminates confusion. If they say 
"the Board decided to do such and such", the question is, "WHAT 
BOARD"?????
As I read over the past chairman's email exahanges, I was constantly 
stumped by references to "the Board'. I kept wanting to scream, "WHAT 
BOARD??? WHO IS ON IT??? WHO SET IT UP??? WHAT IS THE AUTHORIZATION FOR 
IT???"


I think we need just K.I.S.S. that euphemism goodbye and call it what 
state law requires us to. The concept it is only for internal 
communications, what sense does that make? If its just for us..why 
bother? Richard noticed people in the SCC meeting calling it verbally 
"the Board" outside of our internal communications.  It just causes 
confusion and confusion is anathema to good communication and hinders 
growth. Not sure what we need to do to make this happen, but we need to 
follow state law and if we want to call it something different, then I 
suggest we start lobbying the state legislature to change the state law 
from calling it the State Central Committees to the Happy Fun Cruise 
Group. However, until that time I suggest keeping it simple, SCC.
If we need to hold a vote on this we can do that on our next conference 
call, but we really don't need to spend a bunch of time on this but it 
IS important for legal purposes and I'd rather not have to pay a 
Parlimentarian $50-$250 to handle it. I'd say we got at least $50 of 
advice for free. If I have to send him researching laws the meter starts 
ticking.  I think we have better things to do and to spend our money on.
  I think the Media Relations Officer at the direction of the Chairman 
if he agrees and deems it so, can simply change back the name of the 
mailing group since it is what is authorized by our by laws and state 
law. If not, SCC conference call vote or agenda item for the next SCC 
Quarterly meeting or we could get the Secretary and a bunch of us on the 
Stategic Planning meeting call and hash it out.  Please keep the 
Preambles of all responses to under 3 pages.

Daniel Hayes
Jefferson Parish Representative to the Happy Fun Cruise Group of the 
Libertarian Party of Louisiana