The elections will be held
October 15 – November 15, 2015
Current Olympia Food Co-op bylaws allow only for member notification of the annual meeting and Board of Director elections through mailings via the U.S. Post Office. With the use of so much paper, and over 15,000 members to notify, these mailings are costly for both the environment and the Co-op. Electronic notification would greatly reduce these costs and allow the Co-op to become more paperless. However, this change in how Olympia Food Co-op sends out these notifications requires a change in our bylaws.
It is therefore proposed that the Olympia Food Co-op bylaws be amended to read, with additions underlined:
An annual meeting of the membership shall be held each year. The place, day, and hour of the meeting shall be mailed to all active members, or sent by electronic mail to those active members who have consented to receive the notice electronically, at least 10, but not more than 50 days, prior to the meeting.
To receive notice of the annual meeting electronically, members must submit a request in writing, either electronically or on a paper form available from the Cooperative, indicating their consent and designating the electronic mail address at which they wish to receive such notice. In addition, notice of the meeting shall be posted at the Cooperative at least 10 days prior to the annual meeting. The purpose of the annual meeting is to provide an opportunity for the Board and members to discuss the activities of the Cooperative. The Board shall establish the agenda for the annual meeting in a manner that allows for members to propose agenda. (Article II Section 6 of the Olympia Food Co-op Bylaws)
Request to go paperless will also be included on the Olympia Food Co-op Membership form.