Member Document Archive

2015 Annual Meeting Agenda

The New Deal Cafe will hold its annual membership meeting at the cafe on Sunday, May 17th at 1:00pm. Sign-in and payment of annual dues begins at 12:30pm. Reports will be presented. Elections will be held for 2 positions on the Board of Directors and 3 positions on the Audit Committee.

Proposed Agenda

  1. Approval and Prioritization of Agenda
  2. Welcome by the Board President
  3. Approval of Minutes of the 2014 Annual Meeting
  4. Reports
    1. Board of Directors Report
    2. Financial Report
    3. Audit Committee Report
  5. By-laws Amendments
  6. Election of Officers (Board of Directors and Audit Committee) — No later than 3:30pm
  7. Committee/Other Reports
    1. Art Committee Report
    2. Music Committee Report
    3. FONDCA Report
  8. New Business
  9. Adjournment and Farewell

Proposed 2015 New Deal Cafe Bylaw Amendments (Changes)

Voting will also take place on four proposed bylaw changes.

Note: These bylaws were proposed by the Audit Committee and are intended to reflect bylaw proposals in item 6 of the 2014 Audit Committee Report.

The New Deal Cafe Board of Directors has endorsed these bylaw proposals.

Proposed Bylaw Change #1: Audit Committee

Under Article VII Committees, insert a new Section 1 (and renumber the subsequent section(s)):

ADD text in bold and italics.


Section 1. Audit Committee

  1. The Audit Committee shall consist of 3 members who shall serve a 1-year term. Terms begin and end upon certification of election by the membership. The Audit Committee shall elect a chair. No officer, employee, or director of the Corporation shall be eligible to serve on the Audit Committee.
  2. The functions of the Audit Committee shall be to review and evaluate: (a) the financial statements and audit reports of the Corporation; (b) its accounting system, accounting procedures, and operating budget,; (c) policies and practices followed with respect to financial accounts and reserves; (d) financial policies and practices; and (e) pursuant to the policies established by the Board and the Bylaws, the various operations of the Corporation in order to determine management’s effectiveness in administering the affairs of the Corporation economically and efficiently.
  3. The Audit Committee may make such reports and recommendations to the Board of Directors and to the membership of the Corporation as it may deem appropriate, and shall make an annual report to the membership of the Corporation concerning its findings, and its operations throughout the year, and such report shall contain an accounting of any Audit Committee expenditures throughout the year. Any reports to the membership other than at the regular annual meeting of the members of the Corporation shall be mailed or delivered no later than thirty days after presentation to the secretary or to the business office of the Corporation.
  4. Vacancies on the Committee shall be filled by the remaining membership of the Committee, after notice of the vacancies is publicized by the Audit Committee and a two week period is provided for submission of suggested names of candidates to the Committee.
  5. Members of the Audit Committee shall have the right to attend all regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors of GHI and all subsidiary corporations, including executive sessions, and shall be furnished with copies of all minutes. They shall also be given access to all books and records of the Corporation. The Audit Committee shall have the right to consult with all Corporation attorneys, auditors, and accountants.

Proposed Bylaw Change #2: Bylaw Amendment Proposal Deadline

Revise Article IX Amendments as follows:

ADD text in bold and italics.

These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote at any membership meeting provided that the text of the proposed amendment shall have been included in the notice of the membership meeting. On action by the Board of Directors, or on the written request of any 10 members at least 7 days prior to the appropriate News Review deadline, the secretary shall include the proposed amendment in the notice of the next membership meeting. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the membership from amending a proposed amendment at a membership meeting.

Proposed Bylaw Change #3: Dues Payment Required to Vote

Revise Article III Membership, Section 1. Qualifications as follows:

ADD text in bold and italics.

Section 1. Qualifications

  1. Membership is open to all who pay the minimum membership fee of $50. Levels of membership include Patron $500, Sponsor $150, and Member $50. Only members 18 and older who are active members by virtue of paying the dues for the current year or having them waived may vote in cooperative elections. Each individual may hold only a single membership. Employees of the Café are deemed members after six months paid employment, when they fill out an application for membership. Those who are employed during a given membership year have their annual dues waived and are considered active members for that year.
  2. Renewing active membership in the Cooperative requires payment of $25 annual dues. The membership year begins the day of an annual meeting and ends the day before the following annual meeting. Payment of the membership fee makes a person an active member for the membership year for which said fee is paid. Members incur no ongoing liability for any periods in which their membership is not active.

Proposed Bylaw Change #4:

Proposed Modification of Special Rules of Order

DELETE text in bold and italics in its entirety.

ANNUAL MEETINGS: The Board of Directors shall make strong efforts to schedule the annual membership meeting in the second half of January.