September 23-25th 2011 saw NYS Women Inc. members from all over New York State gather in Lake Placid, NY for the Fall Board meeting and a Special Member Meeting at the High Peaks Resort. Members of the host District XI, Carrie Locatelli, Bev Sprague and Linda Provo welcomed attendees while Mother Nature participated with an offering of glorious fall foliage. The Executive Committee met on Friday to prepare for items on the agenda for both the Board of Directors Meeting and a Special Members Meeting scheduled for Saturday. The District Directors and Assistant Directors also met Friday for a briefing. Proposals that were being brought forth for membership vote were presented to the Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, and approved to move to the member meeting. The items under consideration focused on proposals set forth by the Strategic Planning Committee to change the method of governance from “District” to “Region, as well as the Bylaws and Manual of Instructions Committees.

Bylaw changes passed at the Member meeting are:

• ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP
  SECTION 1(c) Member-at-large: Individuals, who support the mission and objectives of NYS Women, Inc. who joins as a member-at-large shall receive all membership benefits.
• ARTICLE VII: DUES
  SECTION 1: Dues are payable upon acceptance and renewable annually.
• ARTICLE XIV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  SECTION 4. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held either face to face or in Electronic/technical format at least twice a year.
  a) As scheduled by the President or
  b) At the request of eight (8) members of the Board of Directors.
  
  SECTION 5: At the written request of the President, a vote of the Board of Directors may be taken by mail or electronic/technical means.
• ARTICLE XVII: STATE CONFERENCE
  SECTION 4: At the written request of the President, a vote of the members may be taken by mail or electronic/technical means. A majority vote shall have the force and effect of a vote taken at a conference or special meeting.
• ARTICLE XX: AMENDMENTS
  SECTION 2: All proposed amendments shall be sent in writing to the state president with a copy to the Bylaws chair at least one month before a Board Meeting.
  
  SECTION 3: The bylaws chair, or the bylaws chair’s designee, shall present all proposed amendments to the Board of Directors at a Board Meeting.
• ARTICLE IX: REGIONAL ORGANIZATION (effective July 1, 2012)
  SECTION 1: The state shall be divided into regions. The regions shall be the conduit between chapters and the state organization. An appendix and map shall be attached to the bylaws identifying the boundaries and counties included in each region.
  
  SECTION 2: The Board of Directors shall have the authority to change the number of regions and the boundaries of each region. In addition, the following housekeeping changes have to be made:
• ARTICLE XI; NOMINATIONS SECTION 3: STRIKE THE WORDS THE CLOSE OF WINTER THIS WOULD NOW READ A BOARD MEETING. 
• ARTICLE XIV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS SECTION 3: f) STRIKE THE WORDS FALL AND WINTER THIS WOULD NOW READ A BOARD MEETING. 
• ARTICLE XVI: STANDING COMMITTEE SECTION 5: STRIKE THE WORDS THE STATE WINTER THIS WOULD NOW READ A BOARD MEETING.

Additionally, members approved an official NYS Women Inc. membership pin, changes to the Manual of Instructions, and observing the month of October as “New York State Women in Business Month”.

Attendees were inspired by presentations that included , Monica Florian Slaunwhite, a local domestic violence advocate for women, who spoke of her work helping victims of domestic violence and workshops conducted by Sylvie Nelson, who coordinates Public Relations for the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce, presenting marketing our chapters and Parliamentarian, Clare Sullivan, presenting an informative workshop on Parliamentary Procedure.

The Board of Directors reconvened on Sunday, where it was moved and seconded that a Special Members meeting be held at the 2012 Winter Board Meeting scheduled to take place on March 2-4, 2012, at the Radisson Hotel, in Corning, NY.