[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] Last minute issue for tomorrow's meeting.

[Richard Bunn]

Dear Fellow Alexandria Radio Club Members,
                I do NOT plan to attend tomorrow’s meeting, but I did get the President’s e-mail where he plans to have a vote on moving the club to 501(c)3 status.  This will allow those who donate to the club to take some portion of that donation off their taxes. There was also a promise made by a former city emergency manager of grants to the club “IF we were a 501(c)3 organization.
The last proposed change of our charter and by-laws had a few items that bothered me
1 – Vacancies on the Board of Directors would be filled by the remaining Board of Directors.  (i.e. Not a vote of the membership) SO, you will NO LONGER get to vote for any club officers.
2 – The Board members may be compensated (paid). Some of you might remember that I asked a member of the Vienna Wireless Association (they are a 501(c) 3, if they have “compensated a board member and he said that “NO, not ever”.  Then why would we have these clauses in the changes?  The lawyer who put this together (last time) said it was REQUIRED by his malpractice insurance provider.  If we were United Way or ASPCA, this might be done, but we ARE a club.  And if they do not plan to take any compensation WHY PUT it into the by-laws.  Change the word to “reimbursement”.
3 – With the new tax laws, If a ham donates equipment to the club, They CAN, if you pass this, take the CURRENT VALUE off of your taxes.  But look carefully at that law.
The current by-laws require that a FINAL COPY be given to the membership with enough time to review and discuss the changes before a vote can be taken.   I would suggest that a vote be postponed until the members have 30 days to look over a FINAL draft and if changes are made then all members be given an additional 30 days to review and vote on a FINAL with member inputs.
There is an alternative, we could become a 501(c)7, donations to the club would NOT be tax deductible.  But the club would be tax exempt.
Ask yourself how the club benefits and who benefits from the changes proposed.  Another point, NVFMA was a 501(c)3 and dropped it and is now filing as a 501(c)7 due to the paperwork involved.  Another point to keep in mind, If the city gives the club a grant, who will work to do the work to meet what the city is paying for?  What services or work will the city expect and who will be responsible for the execution of that work?

Rick Bunn
Life member Alexandria Radio Club
N4ASX