2019 District 7030 Conference Subject Council on Legislation 2019 held in Chicago 14-18 April, 2019 Presenter PDG Tony Watkins Date 27 April, 2019

538 Credentialed Delegates

Enactments considered at COL 2019 117 Proposed 15 Withdrawn 55 Rejected 47 Adopted NOTE: Any enactment adopted becomes effective on July 1, 2019 A 2/3 majority is needed to amend RI Constitution otherwise a simple majority.

Important Legislation Passed Admission of Rotaract clubs to RI membership Per Capita dues Authorize RI Board to change RI’s tax status Provision for making up an absence Amend provisions on membership Amend term of club President Amend provision for terminating a club Amend provisions regarding membership in clubs Allow RI Board to propose urgent enactments Modernise and streamline RI ByLaws and Club Constitutions

To admit Rotaract clubs to RI membership This enactment was proposed by RI President Barry Rassin. The first time a sitting President has ever proposed an item. This enactment did not get the 2/3 majority needed and after much discussion amongst delegates outside of the Council chamber, It was re-introduced the following morning and obtained 74%.

It should be noted that: Rotaract clubs will still have their standard Constitution but will receive greater support from RI. b) Rotaractors will not be considered Rotarians. c) Rotary clubs will still sponsor Rotaract clubs. d) No dues for Rotaractors has as yet been considered by RI board.

To increase per capita dues Each club shall pay to RI per capita dues for each of its members as follows: US$34.00per half year in 2019-2020, US$34.50per half year in 2020-2021, US$35.00per half year in 2021-2022, andUS$35.00per half year in 2022-2023 and thereafter. Such dues shall remain constant until changed by the council on legislation.

To authorize RI Board to take appropriate action to change RI’s tax status Under this change RI could obtain several benefits such as a) discounts from vendors b) reduction in taxes c) eligibility in corporate sponsorship/funding d) opportunities for tax benefits for US taxpayers e) helping to stabilise membership dues

To amend the provisions for making up an absence To amend Article 12 of Standard Rotary Club Constitution so that a member is NOT restricted to 14 days before or after the regular meeting BUT if within SAME YEAR the member does a make-up by usual methods. It is expected that this measure would provide motivation for increased member participation in projects.

To amend the provisions on membership To amend Article 4 of RI By Laws on limitations on membership in Clubs by adding the following sentence: “Each Club shall endeavor to build a well-balanced membership that celebrates Diversity”

To amend the term of Club President To amend Article 13 section 5 of standard Club Constitution. This amendment relates to the case where a successor has not been duly elected then the term of current President shall be extended for one year ONLY.

To amend the provisions for terminating the membership of a club This amendment to Article 3 of By Laws of RI allows the Board to terminate a club upon the request of the Governor if its membership falls below six members.

To amend the provisions regarding membership in clubs This amendment allows public officers to be Rotarians in their original classification.

To allow the RI Board to propose urgent Enactments to the Council on Resolutions The Council on Resolutions is conducted annually and is convened through electronic communication. This amendment of RI By Laws would allow the Board to bring urgent enactments to Council on Resolutions rather than wait for Council of Legislation.

To modernise and streamline the By Laws of RI and Standard Club Constitution without making any substantive changes Every 3 years the COL meets and makes changes to the constitutional documents. Each change is independently drafted and adopted. The last time the RI Bylaws underwent a comprehensive review was 1995 and 2001 for Club Constitution. The changes are cosmetic, removing redundancies and improving readability and access by Rotarians.

It has been a privilege to represent District 7030 at COL 2019 It has been a privilege to represent District 7030 at COL 2019. I wish to thank PDG Roger for giving me this opportunity. It is a unique experience to serve on the Legislative arm of RI.