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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b>Dear Friends,</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’m getting ready for the convention. How about you?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I've been thinking lately about our governing documents—specifically, the constitution and bylaws—and I wanted to share a few thoughts for your consideration.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It’s clear that every organization needs a solid foundation. Some things must be written down, and rightly so. We need to ensure that our structure is fair, that members are treated equitably, and that decisions are made in a transparent and consistent way. These protections form the backbone of our work and help us stay true to our mission.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But at the same time, I wonder if we sometimes go too far in trying to prepare for every possible challenge by locking it all into the bylaws. Each time we add a new restriction or prohibition—“the organization shall not” or “members shall not”—we limit the range of tools available to us, sometimes without knowing what future circumstances will require.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is value in standards, but there is also value in flexibility. We have to trust that we, in the present, can respond to situations as they arise. And just as important, we must trust those who come after us to do the same. If we burden the future with too many rules crafted in the past, we risk tying their hands and preventing the kind of creative problem-solving that every generation needs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So I encourage us to consider balance. Let us preserve the essential principles that guide us, but also allow room for judgment, for growth, and for the wisdom of those who will follow in our footsteps. After all, the strength of our organization has never been in our paperwork—it’s been in our people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Warmly,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>gwunder@earthlink.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>