Rotary Council on Legislation 2013 Summary Report to District 5010 Rotarians

Rotary Council on Legislation 2013 Summary Report to District 5010 Rotarians Overview The Council on Legislation (COL) is Rotary s legislature. Meeting in the spring every three years, the Council is made up of one representative from every Rotary District. John Germ served as the chair of the 2013 Council held in Chicago on April 22 to 26, and Carolyn Jones served on the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Gayle Knepper was D5010 s Council representative. The purpose of the Council is to consider proposals by Rotary clubs, districts and the RI Board for changes in the way Rotary operates at every level of the organization. Club proposals must first be endorsed by the district to be forwarded to the Council. During the week, COL delegates considered 149 proposals that addressed the policies that govern Rotary International and its member clubs of which 56 were adopted. The proposals reflect a wide range of issues of interest to Rotarians around the world. A total of 376 items of proposed legislation were received by Rotary International, of which some were consolidated due to similarity in topic, withdrawn by the proposer or were referred to the Board of Directors for consideration in advance of the Council. The legislation adopted will become effective on 1 July 2013 and the RI Manual of Procedure MOP updated, except in the event of 5% or more votes from clubs opposing the action (see page 2). Types of Legislation A. Enactments Proposals to amend the RI Constitution, the RI Bylaws, or the Standard Rotary Club Constitution are known as enactments. Changes must be approved by a vote of at least 2/3 of the delegates. B. Resolutions Proposals in form of a resolution do not seek to change the RI constitutional documents but express an opinion or make a recommendation to the RI Board. They ask the RI Board to do something. Changes may be approved by a simple majority vote. If the resolution would require or request an administrative act that is within the discretion of the RI Board or the general secretary, the issue may be handled through a memorial to the Board. A memorial is a request to the Board for action on a specific matter. In many cases where amending the constitutional documents is not necessary, the proposer's purpose can be more efficiently and quickly accomplished by a memorial. The RI Board hears memorials at every meeting. COL Legislation Action Highlights During the 2013 Council on Legislation, delegates:! Approved a US$1-a-year increase in per capita dues that clubs pay to Rotary International, starting in 2014-15. The increase was proposed by the RI Board based on a five-year financial forecast that showed if there were no dues increase, RI s deficit would grow to $9 million in 2018 and reduce the General Surplus Fund below the level required in the RI Bylaws. The Council action raises annual per capita dues paid to RI to $54 in 2014-15, $55 in 2015-16, and $56 in 2016-17. Dues for 2013-14 are $53.! Increased the number of clubs that can take part in pilot projects to 1,000, up from the previous limit of 200. The RI Board uses pilot projects, which last for up to six years, to test new ideas, methods, and organizational frameworks for clubs. Pilot clubs that take part in these experiments are fully functioning Rotary clubs that are exempt from some requirements in the Standard Rotary Club Constitution.! Approved a measure allowing Rotarians outside the United States and Canada to receive an electronic version of their official Rotary regional magazine if available. Rotarians in the US and Canada received the digital version option as a result of the 2010 Council.! Approved a measure for the secretary to be an official member of a club board and a measure that a club board may have one or more vice presidents.! Approved a measure to eliminate minimum level of semi-annual club dues paid to RI and defeated a measure to increase the minimum level of dues paid. 2013 Council on Legislation Summary Report May 5, 2013 1

! Approved a measure for honorary club members to wear a Rotary emblem.! Approved changing the name of Rotary s Fifth Avenue of Service, currently called New Generations, to Youth Service to clarify whom is being served and through use of terminology felt to be more universally understood.! Approved allowing a district to have an unlimited number of e-clubs, removing a previous restriction of two e- clubs per district. It was also approved to provide E-Clubs with the ability to set regional boundaries if they so desire.! Approved a measure to circulate the club s official membership report to RI to club members.! Approved a measure creating the office of vice governor, who would fill in if the governor becomes unable to serve. The vice governor would be selected by the district's nominating committee from among the district's past governors.! Approved a proposal to simplify the process for a former member of a club to rejoin the club and a measure to exempt the member from paying another admission fee.! Approved a proposal that requires a person to be a club member for at least one year at the time he/she is nominated for club president, except with service otherwise approved by the Governor.! Approved a measure to give clubs more discretion on termination of members for non-attendance at consecutive meetings.! Approved a measure providing clubs with the ability to extend a leave of absence for over 12 months for medical reasons and to exempt from attendance calculations.! Approved a proposal to modify the rule of 85 by removing the required age of 65.! Approved a measure that provides for satellite clubs, whose members meet at a different time and location from their parent club and who are also considered members of the parent club.! Approved a measure allowing participation in club projects, events and activities to count toward club attendance requirements. The measure amends the Standard Rotary Club Constitution to provide that a member must attend or make up at least 50 percent of club regular meetings or engage in club projects for at least 12 hours in each half of the year, or a combination of both.! Removed the travel reimbursement policy from the RI Bylaws, allowing the RI Board of Directors to develop a policy that is flexible, able to address emergency travel situations and take advantage of cost-savings due to changing transportation fares.! Approved a proposal that would permit persons to hold membership who had interrupted their employment or who had not worked outside the home.! Approved a resolution to request the Board to consider proposing a new category of membership, Associate Memberships, to the next Council.! Defeated two measures that would have allowed clubs to meet less frequently. Final Report of Action and Club Opposition to Legislation After the Council ends, representatives will receive revised constitutional documents and a Report of Action that includes the legislation that passed at the Council. The Report of Action also includes a form clubs can use to register opposition to any approved legislation. Clubs will be notified of the Report of Action and the opposition process as soon as the documents are available. Review COL Action with Your Club and Consider a Proposal for the 2016 Council Discuss the Council process and actions taken with your club at its next assembly. If you would like more information or help in planning this assembly, please contact me. In addition, we ask your club discuss your interests and concerns about Rotary and what changes you feel would make Rotary better and more effective worldwide, and consider submitting a resolution for the 2016 Council on Legislation. Please contact me to discuss the process and the changes you would like to suggest, and I will assist your club with development of the proposed legislation. I will also be sending additional information and guidelines for submission later this year. Proposed legislation from clubs will be due approximately February 1, 2014 so it can be approved for submission at the District Conference business meeting in May 2014 Questions? More Information? Please contact me at any time for more information, with questions or to assist your club with its Assembly discussing the Council on Legislation process, legislation decisions or to discuss the possibility of submitting a proposal for the 2016 Council on Legislation. Gayle Knepper Past District Governor/COL Representative 907.351.8076-907.345.2044 - rotary5010@ak.net 2013 Council on Legislation Summary Report May 5, 2013 2

2013 COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION VOTING RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL) Summarized below is report of actions adopted by the 2013 Council and items referred to the Board of Directors by the COL delegates for consideration. The official voting results, the Report of Action, will be posted online as soon as it is available. To download all voting results (including legislation rejected or withdrawn) and copies of the legislation as proposed, go to www.rotary.org, search COL Voting Results and follow the links or contact Gayle Knepper, D5010 Council Representative, rotary5010@ak.net. COL Voting Results A = Adopted; AA = Adopted as amended; = Referred to the Board Number Title Action Yes Votes 13-01 To amend the provisions for club reports A 311 174 13-02 To provide that the club secretary shall be a member of the board A 285 211 13-03 To amend the provisions for club officers A 13-06 To amend the qualifications for club president A 293 184 13-08 To exempt former members of a club from a second admission fee A 330 158 13-12 To amend the attendance provisions to include service requirements AA 340 165 13-13 To revise attendance requirements R 204 309 13-14 To amend the provisions for non-attendance A 381 128 13-22 To amend the provisions for excused absences A 415 96 13-23 To amend the provisions for excused absences A 337 132 13-27 To amend the provisions for RI officers excused absences AA 347 159 13-28 To amend the provisions for calculating attendance records A 265 218 13-32 To provide for satellite clubs AA 370 130 13-41 To allow certain former scholars to be active members 13-43 To allow people who have not worked or interrupted their work to be active members No Votes AA 359 165 13-48 To amend the provisions for termination of membership A 389 131 13-49 To amend the provisions for transferring and former Rotarians A 13-51 To amend the provisions for transferring and former Rotarians AA 260 258 13-52 To amend the provisions for transferring and former Rotarians AA 403 108 13-53 To allow honorary members to wear the RI emblem A 448 59 13-54 To remove the limitation on the number of e-clubs in each district A 295 220 13-58 To change the term district assembly AA 288 226 13-62 To revise district conference voting procedures A 317 177 13-64 13-65 To add a fifth part to the Object of Rotary to include the involvement and development of youth To add a fifth part to the Object of Rotary to include the development of service and leadership in youth 13-69 To amend the fifth Avenue of Service A 308 205 Tabled 2013 Council on Legislation Voting Report Summary (unofficial) 1

13-71 To fill a vacancy in the position of Trustee of The Rotary Foundation A 13-76 To revise the qualifications for membership on the nominating committee for president 13-77 To amend the provisions for voting by ballot-by-mail for president W 13-81 To revise the qualifications for membership on the nominating committee for director AA 366 149 AA 252 247 13-86 To revise the duties of a governor A 292 225 13-90 To create the title of governor-designate AA 306 197 13-93 To amend the ballot-by-mail specifications A 448 64 13-95 To amend the provisions for election of a governor at a district conference A 261 245 13-98 To amend the provisions regarding concurrences to challenges AA 332 154 13-100 To amend the provisions for vacancy in the office of governor AA 306 209 13-101 To amend the provisions for repeated election complaints from a district A 331 166 13-102 To amend the provisions regarding election complaints AA 350 134 13-103 To increase the number of clubs that may participate in a pilot project from 200 to 1,000 clubs A 447 69 13-104 To revise the provision for locality of an e-club A 276 231 13-106 To amend the provisions for discipline for cause of a club AA 426 90 13-109 To revise the Board s authority to change district boundaries A 288 229 13-111 To establish procedures to assist new districts A 323 191 13-112 To amend the terms of reference for the Operations Review Committee A 469 47 13-113 To amend the terms of reference for the Strategic Planning Committee AA 469 50 13-114 13-119 To amend the powers of the Board to include oversight of the RI Strategic Plan To allow clubs not in the United States or Canada to decide if the Rotary magazine will be distributed as a print copy or through the Internet A 319 199 A 410 95 13-120 To remove the travel reimbursement policy from the RI Bylaws A 343 175 13-121 To revise the travel reimbursement policy 13-122 To revise the travel reimbursement policy 13-123 To revise the travel reimbursement policy 13-125 To revise the travel reimbursement policy 13-126 To increase per capita dues A 13-128 To eliminate the minimum semiannual dues paid by each club A 264 244 13-130 To reduce or waive per capita dues in the event of natural disasters A 348 156 13-134 To revise the dues payable by RIBI and to eliminate the RIBI contribution to the unrestricted net assets of RI A 378 120 13-200 To revise the target General Surplus Fund calculation A 400 83 13-136 To remove the provisions regarding regional conferences of RI A 462 41 13-138 To revise district endorsement of club legislation and conference voting to include district resolutions meetings 2013 Council on Legislation Voting Report Summary (unofficial) 2 A 13-141 To amend the definition of defective legislation A 334 174

13-149 To revise the procedure for nominating Council representatives A 335 172 13-150 To amend the provisions for electing a Council representative A 329 180 13-153 13-154 13-157 13-166 13-167 13-168 13-182 13-183 To request the RI Board to consider proposing legislation to the next Council on Legislation to introduce a new category of membership: associate membership To request the RI Board to consider creating the status of Friends of Rotary To request the RI Board to consider encouraging the adoption of the second Object of Rotary as the guiding principle for vocational service To request the RI Board to consider adding peace and conflict resolution activities to the areas of International Service To request the RI Board to consider establishing RI New Generations Service Day To request the RI Board to consider designating the Rotary Leadership Institute as an RI affiliate or as a structured program of RI To request the Trustees to consider making grandchildren of Rotarians eligible for Foundation awards programs To request the Trustees to consider granting an exception to the eligibility guidelines for grants for families affected by disasters A 284 219 R 218 293 A 264 240 A 397 109 A 254 251 A 332 181 A 313 184 2013 Council on Legislation Voting Report Summary (unofficial) 3