Week Ending: August 28, 2005

In recent years, members have increasingly felt disenfranchised with the direction of NSP and the responsiveness of the Board to voiced concerns and desires. Today, members no longer have any member rights and capability to guide or control the destiny of NSP in a manner that is member responsive.

The new Member Petition introduces Amendments to the NSP Article of Incorporation, which will return a democratic capability to members by changing member voting rights, the Board nomination process, the Board term limits and member rights, if successfully passed.

Members from every NSP Division, over 4000 in total, have now signed the Petition. In addition, the membership elected line officers from five NSP divisions have voted to support the Petition and the associated Member vote. Those Divisions are Eastern, Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, European and now Intermountain, which represent approximately 50% of all NSP members. This impressive Member support for the Petition effort was obtained in just five weeks, with only limited email capability to members of the other divisions.

The success of the Petition now mandates a member vote on the proposed amendments. On August 1, the NSP Board responded to membership with an email that expressed no favorable response to the member request for a vote and offered counter claims based on partial truths and misinformation.

To insure that member rights, entitled by the Petition are met, and to move forward with the member vote in a professional manner, an outside law firm was retained to represent the rights of NSP members.

Member and NSP counsels have since been negotiating the legal aspects and merits of an Amendment vote, in a professional manner with the hope the two sides could quickly reach an acceptable agreement regarding the member Amendment vote.

Since the BOD annual meeting, NSP has been working on similar resolutions of change. As an open minded effort, member counsel has offered NSP the opportunity to introduce any alternative amendment(s) into the proposed amendment vote as desired.

To date, NSP has not offered any support to allow a member vote to the proposed petition amendments including, and in spite of the offer to include any alternative NSP proposals developed by NSP subcommittee efforts.

If members are concerned with the Boards continued unresponsive ways, please send them a message* and appeal to allow the member vote by asking the following:

> Even if the Colorado State Statute Petition Law did not exist, what justification can the Board ethically and morally have to deny a Petition amendment vote, requested by over 4000 members?

> What would be wrong to have members express their desires with a member vote?

The Patroller Committee Team supports the Petition and a Member vote on the proposed amendments. Members should be aware, that once the Petition was successful, the Division officers who filed the Petition have a duty to their line officers that authorized the action, to work towards offering members that vote.

It’s our desire to keep you posted as we hear more news!!

Let your voice be heard, write* the Board of Directors. Make sure you’ve signed the Petition (if you haven't) and please read up on the issues. Of course reach out to your fellow Patrollers and encourage them to do the same.

* Messages can be easily sent to the Board by utilizing the “Send a Message to National” capability on Patrollercommittee.org.

Eastern Division Website has posted all Petition documentation, the NSP E-News of August 1 and a copy of the Colorado State Statute.

* Colorado State Statue 7-130-103. Amendment of articles of incorporation by board of directors and members. (1) Unless articles 121 to 137 of this title, the articles of incorporation, the bylaws, or the members or the board of directors acting pursuant to subsection (5) of this section require a different vote or voting by class, the board of directors or the members representing at least ten percent of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the amendment may propose an amendment to the articles of incorporation for submission to the members.

(4) The nonprofit corporation shall give notice, in accordance with section 7-127-104, to each member entitled to vote on the amendment of the members' meeting at which the amendment will be voted upon. The notice of the meeting shall state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to consider the amendment, and the notice shall contain or be accompanied by a copy or a summary of the amendment OR SHALL STATE THE GENERAL NATURE OF THE AMENDMENT.