Election season is about to begin. Don’t be alarmed. There is no intention to introduce politics into this publication. In this case, the election is to decide the latest members of the Audi Club’s Board of Directors. All Audi Club members in good standing are eligible and encouraged to vote for three candidates to fill three positions that will be open this year.
Nomination online form HERE. You can also mail in a nomination form to Audi Club North America, PO Box 948, Hershey PA 17033-0948. Form HERE.
Term
The Audi Club Board of Directors is a volunteer board of nine individuals elected to serve staggered three-year terms. Each year three of the nine board positions are up for election, as members of the board complete their term of service. Board members may serve up to two consecutive three-year terms, and upon completion of the second term, they become ineligible to serve another consecutive term. After another three years, they are eligible to run again.
If, for any reason, a director is unable to finish his or her term, the remaining board members may appoint an individual to complete that term by two thirds vote.
Board terms of service begin on January 1 of the next year following election. Terms of service end on December 31.
Eligibility
Members of Audi Club North America are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors once they are continuous club members for at least two years prior to the election. Those eligible are active members, family members, and associate members. Members may be located in either the United States or Canada. Members located outside the United States and Canada become eligible upon reestablishing their location in North America.
It is the board member’s responsibility to assure that their membership remains in place and current through their term of service.
Responsibilities
Audi Club North America is a nonprofit charitable organization authorized under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. As such, members of the Board of Directors are legally and financially responsible for the conduct of the nonprofit’s activities. In general, each of the directors is expected to:
- Bring to the board unique ability and perspective and apply their ability and perspective to board decisions, functions, and activities
- Ensure prudent use of all assets of the club, including financial assets, physical assets, people, and goodwill (duty of due care)
- Make decisions in the best interest of the club, not in his or her self-interest (duty of loyalty).
- Ensure that the organization obeys applicable laws and acts in accordance with ethical practices (duty of obedience)
- Ensure that the club adheres to its stated corporate purposes, and that its activities advance its mission. (duty of obedience)
Each member of the Audi Club North America Board of Directors is expected to serve in a management capacity. There are four positions elected by the Board of Directors that are officers of the Board: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Each of these positions has specific duties described in the Audi Club North America Bylaws: www.audiclubna.org/bylaws.
There are five recognized regions in North America, and each of the remaining Board members is expected to represent the club chapters in one region, serving as advocate, liaison, representative, and business organizer. The five regions include:
- Northeast U.S. Region
- Midwest U.S. Region
- West/Pacific U.S. Region
- South U.S. Region
- Canada
The club chapters in each region are displayed on the Audi Club North America web site at www.audiclubna.org. Members of the Board of Directors are also expected to liaise with and participate in club committee work. The standing and ad-hoc committees of the Board are established by the Board.
Meetings
The Board of Directors meets monthly via phone or video conference on the last Tuesday of each month. If there is a holiday on that date, the Board will reschedule the meeting at their discretion. The Executive Director is expected to attend each Board meeting as a non-voting participant. Others may also be invited to attend either on an as-needed basis or routinely.
The Board meets in person annually during the first quarter of each year at a location selected by the Board. The agenda is established by the Board, and usually includes at least strategy, annual goals, and budget. The annual meeting may replace one of the scheduled monthly meetings, although it will take place over a weekend from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.
The Board typically meets in person at least twice each year with Audi of America at a time and location convenient to them.
Election Process
The election will be conducted electronically and monitored/managed by an independent third party. The Audi Club Central Business Office will issue the ballots, and the independent third party will receive the completed ballots, count, and confirm each vote against the club membership list, tally the votes, and send the election results to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will contact all candidates with the election results and notify the Board of Directors of completion of the election process and the results of the election.
Members of the club will be individually contacted by email to begin the voting process. Candidate bios and voting procedures will be made available on the audiclubna.org website. For those members for whom the club does not have email contact information and/or access to the internet, written notices of the election, candidate bios, and voting instructions will be sent to their address on record.
The current Board of Directors strongly encourages each member to review the candidate qualifications and to vote for three. This process happens only once each year, and now is the time for us all to engage.
Nomination online form HERE. You can also mail in a nomination form to Audi Club North America, PO Box 948, Hershey PA 17033-0948. Form HERE.
