Newspaper Page Text
r Deetmb*r 7, 1994
From Behind (he Curtain —
Talking
bout theIBC
(Ver the last few weeks independent business owners from oil around
the Afhens-CJorke County area hove been meeting to form on Independent
Busrtess Coundl . We started with the premise that anybody who owns a smal
business doesn't hove time to be involved with an organization that has a
traditional structure So from the beginning we ve tried to create an organiza
tion that would give its members the opportunity to be heard and counted
even if they could never moke a single meeting After a number of meetings a
Mission Statement and By-laws have been approved Here they are:
The IBC Mission Statement
The independent Business Council
exists to help its members grow and
flourish Accordingly the council will
work to
1 Promote on awareness of member
businesses and the products and
services that they offer
2 Facilitate access to information to
enable member businesses to raise
and enhance their level of profes
sional and business performance
3 Increase awareness of the common
needs and positions of member
businesses
4. Support the efforts of member busi
nesses
5 Advocate the nterests, concerns
and viewpoints of member busi
nesses to government, other busi
ness organizations and to the com
munity at large
6.. Create and maeitam a forum by
Much member businesses can com
municate thee needs and form, by
consensus, opinions and positions
that the IBC can communicate to
government, busemss organizations
and to the community at large
The IBC By-laws
ARTICLE 1. Membership
SECTION 1 Qualifications — The
membership of the IBC shal be mode
up of independent business members
Each business is limited to one mem
bership For purposes of membership
an independent business shall be de
fined as: Any sole propnetorship. part
nership. corporation or independent
contractor that holds a business kense
in Arhens-Oarke County or o business
license in a surrounding county that
shares a border with Athens-Clarke
County Any member business that is a
corporation must have their registered
headquarters in Athens-Clarke County
or a surrounding county that shares a
border with Athens-Clarke County
SECTION 2 Admission — Any business
that meets the membership qudrfica-
tions shall be considered an octive
member of the IBC when they register
with the Secretary of the IBC ond pay
their dues to the Treasurer of the IBC
SECTION 3 Dues — Begmnng Dues for
the IBC is set at S25 per year Dues can
be increased by a two-thirds maforrty
vole of the membership
ARTICLE 2. MEETINGS
SECTION 1 Regular Meetings —
Meetings of the IBC shall be held twice
a month at rotating locations Notifica
tion of date, time and future meeting
sites will be given at eoch meeting for
the next four meetings Notification of
regular meetings along with copies of
the minutes of eoch meeting wiH be
delivered to aN active members
SECTION 2 Special Meetings — Spe
cial meetings of the IBC can be called
by the Organizing Committee Mem
bers must be given a 46-hour notifica
tion of the date. time, location and rea
son for a special meeting to be caled.
New issues can be raised at special
meetings and ba*ots can be prepared
for the membership to vote on Voting
must follow the process outlined in Ar
ticle 4.
ARTICLE 3. Committees
SECTION 1 Standing Committee —
The Organizing Committee is the only
chartered standing committee impan
eled by the by-laws of the IBC Other
standing committees can be impan
eled by a two-thirds mqority vote of the
aetke membership
SECTION 2. Organizing Committee
— The Organizing Committee is re
sponsible for. setting the agenda of IBC
meetings, facilitating the meetings,
sending ballots, minutes of meetings,
special committee reports and any
other needed communications to
members, reporting results of ballots
to the membership and the community
at large and any other duties that ore
necessary to run the organization
Membership to the organizing commit
tee will consist of the elected officers of
the organization ond any other mem
bers of the IBC who are willing to join
ond work on the committee
SECTION 3 Special Committees —
Any members of the IBC can pin to
gether to form a special committee to
study any issue and mefce a report on
that issue avariable to the fufl member
ship of the IBC Once a report has been
given the specid committee can form
a survey question to be placed on a
batot After a vote on the issue is taken,
the special committee wil work with the
organizing committee to draft the mi
nority and mcnonty reports and to com
municate those results to the member
ship and the community at large
ARTICLE 4. VOTING
SECTION 1 Eligibility — Each member
business shall be entitled to one vote
on eoch item on a ballot Only member
businesses who have paid their dues
in full will be eligible to cast a vote
SECTION 2 Elections — Officers.
Boord Members ond Chairs of stand
ing committees will be elected by a
simple majority of voting members
Changes or amendments to the IBC by
laws or mission statement must be ap
proved by a two-thirds majority of vot
ing members
SECTION 3 Membership surveys —
The membership of the IBC can be sur
veyed for the organization's opmons on
issues focmg Athens-Clarke County
and the business community Eligible
members will be asked to cast a vote
that indicates whether they support,
oppose or have no opinion about any
issue placed on a bafcrt Results wi be
commumcated to the membership and
the community at large by both a ma
jority and a minority report that will
show the percentages of voting mem
bers who supported, opposed or had
no opinion about the issue Comments
that indicated the reasons behind the
vote wil also be included in the minor
ity and majority reports
SECTION 4 Process — Voting wi be
a two meeting process At a meeting
an item (election, by-law change or sur
vey question) can be placed on a ballot
by a simple majonty vote of the mem
bership present at a meeting Ballots
wi be created and delivered to octive
members of the IBC by the Organizing
Committee in advance of the next
meeting At that meeting a final call for
returned ballots will occur Members
can vote dunng the meeting when the
final call for ballots is mode or in ad
vance of the meeting Members who
wish to vote n odvance of a meeting
can deliver their completed ballot by
fax. mail or in person to the Secretary
of the IBC before the beginning of the
IBC meeting where a final call for the
ballot will be made.
ARTICLE 5. Board of Directors
SECTION 1 Composition of Boord —
The elected officers of the IBC shall
make up the Board of Directors The
elected officers of the IBC wi be mem
bers of the Organizing Committee upon
their election
SECTION 2. Meetings — Meetings of
the Officers/Bocrd of Directors will oc
cur as part of the f egular meetings of
the Organizing Committee Any octive
member of the IBC is welcome to join
the Organizing Committee and partici
pate in their meetings and the decision
making process
ARTICLE 6. Officers
SECTION 1 Officers Enumerated —
The elected officers of the IBC shall be
a president, a vice-president, a secre
tary and a treasurer, eoch of whom
shall be an active member of the IBC
and shall serve the organization for a
term of one year or until her or hts suc
cessor is duly elected by the member
ship Officers are elected by a simple
maiority vote of the membership
Elected officers serve voluntarily and
wi not be compensated by the IBC for
their service Officers are accountable
to the full membership and can be re
moved from office by a two-thirds ma
jority vote of the membership
SECTION 2 President — The President
is the executive officer of the IBC The
President shad act for and in behalf of
the membership of the IBC Duties in
dude: presiding at meetings, sitting on
the organizing committee, signing
documents authorized by the member
ship and any other executive powers
or duties that the membership may
presenbe.
SECTION 3 Vice-President — The
Vice-Resident is the co-executive of
ficer of the IBC The Vice-President shall
act for and in behalf of the member
ship of the IBC Ojties indude sitting
on the organizing committee, assum
ing any of the duties of the President
when that person is unable to preform
them and any other co-executive pow
ers or duties that the membership may
prescribe
SECTION 4 Secretory — The Secre
tary is responsible for all records and
correspondence of the IBC Duties in
clude; recording the minutes of meet
ings. maintaining a record of those
minutes, registering members in the
IBC and maintaining a list uf current
members, sitting on the organizing
committee, passing out. collecting and
tabutatmg ballots and any other pow
ers or duties that the membership may
prescribe
SECTIONS Treasurer — The Treasurer
is responsible for all funds and invest
ments of the IBC The Treasurer shall act
for and in behalf of the membership of
the IBC CX/ties include: care and cus
tody of all funds, maintaining a bank
account, paying bills and debts of the
IBC reporting the status of income and
expenditures to the membership on a
monthly basis and any other powers or
duties that the membership may pre
scribe
The next meeting of the IBC will be at 3 pm Wednesday. Dec 7. at
Boneshakers on Honcock across from the Gvic Center construction site Any
body is welcome to come.
Sunday, Dec 11. the BC will be hosting a Christmas party at the Mognolia
Terrace (a bed & breakfast Inn under renovation) at 277 Hill St . just off Prince
Avenue The porty will begin around 6. It is a potiuck. so bring a dish to share
Also, we are asking anybody who comes to bring a wrapped or unwrapped
toy that we can pass on to this Salvation Army or Toys for Tots Again, anybody
Is welcome to come
If you have any questions about the IBC you can cdl ony of the following
folks: Richard Giardim. Gty Bar • 546-7612 / Melanie Hayes. Local Color •
543-7392 / Hugh Christian. WRfC • 549-6222 / Jared Bailey, Engine Room •
353-3800 / Dennis Greenia. Flagpole Magazine • 549-9523. They can tell
you more about the IBC
If you would like to join the IBC the process is simple Melanie Hayes, from
Local Color, is the acting Secretary/Treasurer Just stop by her shop at 105
College Ave. register and pay your dues ($25) If you can't make it down to
her shop, you can mail your registration information (your name, business
name, oddress. work & home phone numbers) and your dues, to the IBC at
P0 Box 327. Athens. GA 30603 You can also register at the meeting on the
7th or the party on the 11th See you there
Dennis F Greenia
Publisher. Flagpole Mogazne
Recollections
♦
HOLIDAY SALE
All Fossil Watches - $40 each
(values to $75)
d>