APSE Executive Committee Members will begin voting Friday on proposed changes to APSE bylaws, introducted by former APSE president Gary Potosky. This vote will take place over a seven-day period and instituted immediately if the changes are agreed to by the Executive Committee in a vote.
Email ballots to vote will be dispersed on Friday, July 29. The voting will take place over the following week. The results will be tabulated beginning Aug. 8 and announced as soon as possible afterward. Approval by 75 percent of the eligible voters who respond is needed for the changes to pass.
The purpose of these proposed changes is to bring our bylaws up to date with the challenges and realities facing our members in 2022 and beyond.
Thank you for your contributions.
Jorge Rojas, APSE president
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Under 2. MEMBERSHIP (Section B, paragraph 6):
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B. The following are eligible to become individual members of APSE. Individual members are not eligible to vote and may not hold office, except as noted below, but may serve on committees.
6. Writers and editors employed by national sports publications that publish on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
New (second paragraph)
B. The following are eligible to become individual members of APSE. Individual members are not eligible to vote and may not hold office, except as noted below, but may serve on committees.
6. Writers and editors employed by national sports publications that publish in print on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, or publish daily or regularly within a week on an affiliated website.
Explanation: Specifies membership guidelines for websites with no print editions.
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Under 3. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Section B, paragraph 3):
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B. The Executive Committee consists of the president, three vice presidents, regional chairs, The Associated Press representative and past presidents of APSE. Each has one vote in matters before the committee.
The APSE secretary-treasurer (if appointed), convention coordinator (if appointed) and executive director will attend Executive Committee meetings in an advisory capacity. The general sports editor of The Associated Press (or a designated representative) and The Associated Press Managing Editors (APME) sports committee chair (or an APME representative appointed by APME in place of the sports committee chair) also may attend Executive Committee meetings in an advisory capacity.
Committee chairs appointed by the president are obligated to attend Executive Committee meetings or to appoint another committee member to represent them at such meetings.
New (third paragraph)
Committee chairs appointed by the president are encouraged to attend or contribute to Executive Committee meetings, in person or virtually, or to appoint another committee member to represent them in these duties.
Explanation: “obligated” is no longer realistic in today’s industry with slashed travel budgets and staff. Plus, adds components of virtual participation, also a realistic expectation.
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Under 3. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Section B, paragraph 9):
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The Executive Committee may conduct votes via email or other electronic means if the president determines that the subject of the vote cannot wait for a scheduled meeting. At least 10 days prior notice must be given on the APSE website. For such votes, the Executive Committee shall consist of the president, vice presidents, the Associated Press representative and region chairs, as well as past presidents.
New
The Executive Committee may conduct votes via email or other electronic means if the president determines that the subject of the vote cannot wait for a scheduled meeting, including those conducted virtually. At least 10 days prior notice must be given on the APSE website. For such votes, the Executive Committee shall consist of the president, vice presidents, the Associated Press representative and region chairs, as well as past presidents.
Explanation: clarity that any meeting can be conducted virtually
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Under 3. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Section D, paragraph 4):
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D. The second vice president is elected each year by the general membership, with each member organization having one vote.
Candidates for second vice president will include the third vice president (in those years when the third vice president is completing a term of office) and outgoing regional chairs (unless one or more declines to run or is serving an additional two-year term as the result of a procedure described below).
The Executive Committee may nominate as many as four additional candidates for second vice president at a meeting during the winter workshop (described below).
Any APSE member may nominate a candidate for second vice president by composing a petition and obtaining the signatures of representatives of 15 member newspapers who acquiesce in the nomination of said candidate. The petition must be presented to the president by March 15.
New
D. The second vice president is elected each year by the general membership, with each member organization having one vote.
Candidates for second vice president will include the third vice president (in those years when the third vice president is completing a term of office) and outgoing regional chairs (unless one or more declines to run or is serving an additional two-year term as the result of a procedure described below).
The Executive Committee may nominate as many as four additional candidates for second vice president at a meeting during the winter workshop (described below).
Any Executive Committee member may nominate a candidate for second vice president by presenting the nomination via voice or in writing to a member of the Executive Committee, and having the nomination seconded by a different member of the Executive Committee, in the period beginning with the closing meeting of the winter conference, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on March 15.
Explanation: Replaces the existing obsolete language above in how second vice president candidates are nominated.
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Explanation: Specifies what constitutes a smallest member organization.
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Under 3. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Section E, paragraph 2):
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Candidates for third vice president must be from APSE’s smallest member organizations, as defined by the Executive Committee. In even-numbered years, three candidates will be nominated by a committee of regionally diverse small-circulation members appointed by the APSE president. In addition, the Executive Committee may nominate as many as three additional candidates for third vice president at a meeting during the winter workshop.
New
A nomination for third vice president may be made by any member from a small-circulation organization by presenting the nomination via voice or in writing to a member of the Executive Committee, and having the nomination seconded by a different member of a small-circulation organization, in the period beginning with the closing meeting of the winter conference, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on March 15.
Explanation: Clears up language about how a third vice president is nominated.
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Under 3. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (Section F, paragraph 4):
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F. Vacated Offices. In the case of resignation or removal of the president, the first vice president will become president immediately and will retain that office for the remainder of the APSE year as well as the following year.
In the case of an unexpired vacancy in a vice presidential position(including such vacancy created by the first vice president’s becoming president), the president will appoint an interim vice president to serve until the executive committee meeting at the end of the next convention (except for the third vice president, whose succession under these circumstances is described below). At the time of normal succession, each elected vice president will move up to the next-highest vacant organization office as provided above.
Interim first and second vice presidents automatically will become candidates for vacant organization offices for the following year. In no case may an interim first or second vice president succeed to a higher office, nor may said interim vice president serve past the interim term, except by the prescribed election process.
An interim third vice president will serve the remainder of the two-year term. If less than one year remains in the term, said interim third vice president will automatically become a candidate for that office at the expiration of the term.
At the time of the regular organization election, all vacant vice presidential positions will be filled as provided above, except that each member organization may vote for as many candidates for first or second vice president as there are vacant positions (positions other than that of second vice president having been created by resignation or removal described above). The candidate receiving the most votes for first or second vice president will fill the highest vacant office and the candidate receiving the second-most votes will fill the second-highest office, etc.
New (fourth paragraph)
An interim third vice president will serve the remainder of the two-year term. Said interim third vice president will automatically be nominated to become a candidate for that office at the expiration of the term.
Explanation: Eliminates the time frame obligation.
To be added after paragraph ending in “expiration of the term” and before paragraph starting with “At the time of the regular”
In the third vice president’s final year in office, the third vice president may choose to withdraw from candidacy for second vice president in order to seek election to an additional term as the third vice president.
The third vice president must declare intention to seek election to an additional term prior to nominations being accepted for second vice president or third vice president during the closing meeting of the winter conference.
No person shall be elected to the office of third vice president more than three times, and no person who initially held the office of third vice president on an interim basis shall be elected to the office of third vice president more than twice.
End add
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Under 4. DUTIES (Section A, paragraph 4):
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A. The president presides over the Executive Committee and general membership meetings. The president will make appointments as prescribed in the APSE bylaws and such other appointments as necessary to conduct the business of the organization. At the direction of the Executive Committee, the president will appoint committees to carry on the business of APSE. These committees will make reports to the Executive Committee, and their actions will be reported on the APSE website.
The president is also responsible for planning and organizing the convention, with the assistance of the convention coordinator or executive director. The president may appoint such committees as necessary to fulfill these duties or to assist the convention coordinator.
The president — following advice of the Executive Committee or such other committees that have been appointed for this purpose — will determine the agendas and programs for the convention.
The president will attend the annual APME convention. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the president may attend or name members to attend conventions of other national professional journalism organizations as official representatives of APSE.
New (fourth paragraph)
At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the president or other national officers may attend conventions of other national professional journalism organizations as official representatives of APSE.
Explanation: With slashed travel budgets and staff in the industry, it’s not realistic to require anyone to travel to other national conventions beyond APSE.
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Under 4. DUTIES (Section I, paragraph 4)
I. Regional chairs and vice chairs. Chairs serve two-year terms and are succeeded by vice chairs.
Terms of the Atlantic Coast, Southeast, Southwest and Western regional chairs expire in odd-numbered years. Terms of other regional chairs expire in even-numbered years. Time of succession coincides with the succession of organization officers. Duties of regional officers are described below.
The method of election of vice chairs, which occurs every two years unless it is necessary sooner because of resignation, will be determined by regional membership with the approval of the APSE president.
In the event of a vacancy in a regional chair, the vice chair will succeed immediately. If less than a year remains in the original term of office, the ascending new chair will serve the balance of the term and all of the following two-year term. If more than a year remains in the term, the new ascending chair will serve only until the end of the original term, and an election for a new vice chair will be held, with such vice chair to succeed the new chair at the end of the original two-year term.
New (fourth paragraph)
In the event of a vacancy in a regional chair, the vice chair will become interim regional chair immediately and serve out the rest of the term. A vice chair will be named at the earliest possible time by the interim chair or the APSE president, also for the rest of the term. Elections for chair and vice chair will be conducted for the following term.
Explanation: Unreasonable to require interim chairs or vice chairs to commit to an additional two-year term (see reasoning of staff and budget cuts above). New language allows interims to serve out existing terms and decide what to do next.
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5. MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS (Section A, paragraph 1):
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A. The Executive Committee will meet at least four times a year (times of such meetings described below). The general membership will meet at the beginning of the annual convention, which is to take place in late spring or early summer. The general membership may also meet at the end of the annual convention if the president deems the need for such a meeting.
New
A. The Executive Committee will meet at least four times a year (times of such meetings described below). The general membership will meet at the beginning of the annual convention, which is to take place in late spring or early summer. The general membership may also meet at the end of the annual convention if the president deems the need for such a meeting.
Explanation: Changes three times a year to four times a year.
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Under 5. MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS (Section B, paragraph 1):
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B. Executive Committee meetings will take place:
1. At the end of the annual convention.
2. At least once during the winter meeting.
3. Immediately before the general membership meeting at the beginning of the convention.
New
B. Executive Committee meetings will take place:
- At the beginning and end of the winter meeting.
- At the beginning and end of the summer conference.
Explanation: Clarifies when Executive Committee meetings actually take place.
