At its most recent meeting, UYSA's Constitutional Convention continued its work on the task of designing a new governing structure to carry the Association into the future. The Convention affirmed that the basic organizational unit would be the member organization (a term encompassing leagues and clubs). Member organizations would be the agent of player registration, and would be vested with 100% of the voting power at the State Council level.

The Constitutional Convention also revisited the organization of the Board of Directors, and decided to move forward with a slightly different proposal. Instead of having six directors elected from three geographic regions, the Convention decided to propose that six directors be elected from six geographic regions. These geographic regions would not be permanently established; rather, these regions would consist of roughly equivalent player populations and could be adjusted periodically to maintain an appropriate population balance. The goal is to balance the demands of geographic representation with voting equity.

Accordingly, the Constitutional Convention is currently proposing the following structure for the Association's Board of Directors, which would consist of the following eleven members:

1. Chairman of the Board--3 year term, elected by State Council
2. At-Large Representative---3 year term, elected by State Council
3. At-Large Representative--3 year term, elected by State Council
4. Region A Representative--2 year term, elected in odd years at AGM by Region A
5. Region B Representative--2 year term, elected in even years at AGM by Region B
6. Region C Representative--2 year term, elected in odd years at AGM by Region C
7. Region D Representative--2 year term, elected in even years at AGM by Region D
8. Region E Representative--2 year term, elected in odd years at AGM by Region E
9. Region F Representative--2 year tern, elected in even years at AGM by Region F
10. Independent Director--2 year term, nominated by Board, ratified by State Council in odd years
11. Independent Director--2 year term, nominated by Board, ratified by State Council in even years

The Board of Directors would thus consist of three types of directors: three members elected directly by the entire membership; six members elected by the membership within six geographic regions, to ensure adequate state-wide representation; and two members selected to bring independence and specialized experience to the Board.

The Constitutional Convention is next scheduled to meet on Friday, May 2nd at 7:30 PM at the Association's State Office. The meeting will begin by reviewing feedback regarding the proposal for independent directors (and whether to have directors elected by any particular components of the Association's membership). The Convention will then consider what administrative functions, if any, should be assigned on a regional basis. The Convention also hopes to discuss the powers of the Association's officers and directors. Time permitting, the meeting will also address conflict of interest policies governing the Board of Directors.

All members of the Association are invited to participate in the process. The Constitutional Convention meetings are open to the public, and you are also invited to provide written feedback. Please direct any comments to Paul C. Burke at pburke at rqn dot com.