The CPNO Board has proposed two amendments to the bylaws, to be voted on at General Meeting on July 20, 2026. The full text of each proposed change is shown below. Members may review the current (Before) and proposed (After) language side by side. For comments, suggestions, or questions, please email president@candlerpark.org.
Amendment 1: Officer Election Process
Articles affected: Article IV, Sections 4, 5, and 6. In summary, this amendment changes the officer nomination and election timeline, extending voting to our usual electronic ballot as a Substantive Motion open for vote for a day after the meeting (Article VI §9(b)), and moves all floor nominations to the October Regular Meeting.
Article IV, Section 4 — Nominations
| Current Text (Before) | Proposed Text (After) |
|---|---|
| The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for each Office at the Regular Meeting in October. Members may nominate other candidates from the floor at the Annual Meeting. | The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for each Office at the Regular Meeting in October. Members may nominate additional candidates from the floor at the same Regular Meeting in October. The floor nomination period for each Office shall remain open until the close of the Regular Meeting in October. Following the close of nominations, the Secretary shall compile the full slate of nominees for all Offices and shall include the complete slate in the notice of the Annual Meeting in November as required by Article VI, Section 4 and Section 5(b). |
Article IV, Section 5 — Elections
| Current Text (Before) | Proposed Text (After) |
|---|---|
| Members shall elect Officers by ballot at the Annual Meeting in the order in which they are listed in Section 1 of this article. Balloting for each Office shall immediately follow the close of nominations from the floor for that Office, and the Chair shall announce the results of the election for that Office before calling for nominations from the floor for the next Office.
In all Officer Elections, the candidate receiving the most votes for each Office shall be elected. In the event of a tie vote for any Office, the winner shall be determined by a game of chance. In the event there is only one candidate for a given Office and there are no nominations from the floor, then and only then, the requirement for election by ballot for that Officer may be suspended. This may be done by a motion to elect by acclamation, properly seconded, and voted on by a show of hands. |
The election of Officers shall be a Substantive Motion as defined in Article VI, Section 9(b) and shall be subject to the previous notice requirements of Article VI, Section 5. The full slate of nominees, as compiled by the Secretary following the Regular Meeting in October, shall constitute the text of the Substantive Motion for purposes of Article VI, Section 5(b), and its inclusion in the notice of the Annual Meeting shall satisfy the previous notice requirement.
At the Annual Meeting in November, the President shall present the slate of nominees for each Office, open the floor for discussion on the candidates, and close debate before the voting period commences. No additional nominations shall be accepted at the Annual Meeting. Voting shall proceed by electronic ballot distributed to all Members of record and shall remain open for one calendar day following the Annual Meeting, as provided in Article VI, Section 9(b). In all Officer elections, the candidate receiving the most votes for each Office shall be elected. In the event of a tie vote for any Office, the winner shall be determined by a game of chance administered at the Regular Meeting in December. In the event there is only one candidate for a given Office, that candidate shall appear on the ballot and shall be elected upon receiving at least one vote. |
Article IV, Section 6 — Term of Office (first sentence only)
| Current Text (Before — first sentence) | Proposed Text (After — first sentence) |
|---|---|
| If an Officer is elected at the Annual Meeting, the term of Office shall begin on the first day of the year following the election.
(Remainder of Section 6 unchanged.) |
If an Officer is elected by the process described above, the term of Office shall begin on the first day of the year following the election.
(Remainder of Section 6 unchanged.) |
Amendment 2: Microphone & Floor Access Procedures
Article affected: Article IX, Section 2. This wordy but simple update replaces the current gaining-the-floor provision with separate requirements for in-person and virtual participants, mandating microphone use in-person and muting protocols for virtual attendees at hybrid meetings. The scope is extended from just “Members” to all “Members and other participants,” since we frequently have non-members in attendance.
Article IX, Section 2 — Gaining the Floor
| Current Text (Before) | Proposed Text (After) |
|---|---|
| A Member seeking the floor shall raise his or her hand, wait to be recognized by the Presiding Officer, and then rise in place before speaking. Members who are unable to stand may remain seated. | A Member or other participant (hereafter, “participant”) seeking the floor shall raise his or her hand, wait to be recognized by the Presiding Officer, and then, upon recognition:
(a) In-Person Participants. A participant attending in person shall proceed to the microphone before speaking. A participant who is unable to stand or unable to approach the microphone due to a physical limitation shall remain seated, and the Presiding Officer or a designee shall ensure that a microphone is brought to that participant before he or she speaks. (b) Virtual Participants. A participant attending virtually shall use the hand-raise or equivalent function of the meeting platform to seek recognition and shall remain muted until recognized by the Presiding Officer. Upon recognition, the virtual participant shall unmute before speaking and shall return to muted status upon the conclusion of his or her remarks. (c) General. No participant shall speak before being recognized by the Presiding Officer and before complying with the applicable requirements of this section. The Presiding Officer may decline to recognize or may interrupt any participant who speaks without complying with this section. |
Quick Note on Bylaws Amendment Adoption
Both these amendments are subject to Article XIV’s adoption requirements: Board recommendation, approval by two-thirds of votes cast or a majority of Members of record (whichever is less), and written notice including the full text of the amendment. Both are subject to Article VI §5(a)(4) previous-notice requirements as bylaws amendments.