Dear ILR Members,

A lot has changed since our last e-Bulletin and the ILR Board wants to bring everyone up to date with the changes on the ILR Board.

We announced on May 28, 2009, that the ILR Board election had been a tie, and according to the bylaws, late ballots were counted to determine the winner. The winner by a four-vote margin was Father Ryan Scott. The ILR bylaws state that the new board member joins the board on the first official board call after the election; originally, that meeting would have been the Face-to-Face on June 29, 2009. However, the board discovered on June 3, 2009, that there was an internet petition in place asking for a recall election and scheduled a board call for June 8, 2009. Father Ryan was installed on the ILR Board and the board reviewed section 5.10 of the bylaws that states that the membership may request an election to recall a director by a petition signed by 5% of the members. The board discussed what would be necessary if and/or when the recall petition would be filed. The observation was made that the ILR Board and the ILR office could not be involved in this or any petition until it was received in the ILR office. No further action was taken on the matter. For more information, see the posted ILR Board minutes for June 8, 2009, at www.lamaregistry.com

On the afternoon of June 10, 2009, Father Ryan Scott submitted his letter of resignation from the ILR Board of Directors. It was reviewed and accepted by the rest of the ILR Board. The Board respects his decision to put the functions of the ILR and its’ members as a priority and by his resignation, it was his choice to save the membership the financial and emotional cost of a recall election. The remaining members of the ILR Board thank Father Ryan for his past efforts on behalf of the llama community and wish him the best in his future endeavors.  

The ILR Board referenced the following from the ILR bylaws for the open board position:
 

Section 5.8 Vacancies. A vacancy occurring in a directorship shall be filled by the remaining directors in accordance with the following provisions: A. The Board shall fill the vacancy by appointment of the first runner-up at the last election of directors if there are more than six (6) months left to serve before the next election of directors. However, if the first runner-up declines the position, the vacancy will remain open until the replacement can be elected by the members at the next election of directors.

In accordance to this, the new ILR Board member is Bill Safreed. Bill has been notified and has accepted the position and will join the ILR Board at the Face-to-Face in late June. Bill will also become the ILR Board representative on the Performance Committee for the ILR-SD.

These recent events have been unprecedented in the history of the ILR, and however unpredicted and unpleasant, fell within the limits of the bylaws. The ILR Board will continue to operate within these limits and respect the input of the membership for guidance and direction as we continue to strive for a strong llama industry. As always, we welcome your thoughts, comments and concerns at [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ILR Board: Mark Smith‑President, Mary Jo Miller-Vice President, Kathi McKinney-Treasurer, Kristy Brown-Secretary