With
the whole of the Seed Library of Los Angeles and its future depending
on us, let us all hold ourselves not to “who's right” but to
“what's right.” Especially “what's right for the seeds.”
This sentiment is expressed in our Mission Statement, which is read
at the beginning of every Venice meeting (and we encourage reading at
all meetings of SLOLA branches). It is hoped that all consider the
preservation of these seeds as our first directive. It is
the reason SLOLA was created in the first place.
This
wide assortment of proposals could pass on a single vote, but I think
we'll find that we have to consider it in parts. Initially I provide
everyone with SLOLA's history, especially as it concerns elections
and how we have worked in the past. I also explore other ideas that I
would like us to put into place in order to better achieve the goals
of our Mission Statement.
This
paper is to provide details on the integration of our new branches
and the delineation of the paths of communication and the
responsibilities between branches. There are changes to SLOLA's
bylaws and this paper presupposes the bylaws will be changed
eventually to support these new circumstances. Such changes to the
bylaws will be presented in a separate proposal later this year. It
costs money to change our bylaws and so I suggest that when we have
decided a number of different changes, we then move to amend our
bylaws and handle them all at once.
SLOLA
Venice
Venice
is the home of the organization, housing the Board for SLOLA as a
whole, yet we rely on, and honor, input from other groups of SLOLA
members, which we are calling “branches.” The officers at
Venice, comprising “The Board” of the Seed Library of Los Angeles
are, as follows:
Elected:
Chair
Vice
chair
Treasurer
Secretary
The
bylaws also provides for the Immediate Past Chair to be a voting
Board Member to provide continuity to the organization.
The
elected officers and the Immediate Past Chair are the only board
members that count toward quorum, except as we would amend below.
Every motion can be debated by everyone. More input is more desirable
than less .
Appointed
– or, more usually, Volunteers
Seed
Librarian
Best
Practices Chair
Outreach
Chair
Membership
Chair
Branch
Chair(s)
While
these “appointed positions” are on the board, their lack of
presence does not affect the quorum. They may vote on all
propositions that are not fiduciary in essence (i.e. disbursing
funds). Although, both chairs that SLOLA has had so far, have been
open to hearing from these other board members and have allowed them
to vote on all measures, including money matters, although strictly
speaking, the bylaws require only the votes of those elected for
money matters. It is assumed that these appointed positions are also
for a two year span, but lack of qualified volunteers has kept people
at these positions for years.
Proposed
new officer: Library coordinator The concept of this position is
keeping communication open between all the branches. For
example, people in WSFV should know about special events at the other
branches. Our current situation has made it painfully clear that
counting on the chair to exclusively deal with the branch
collectively can lead to burnout engulfing the chair in assorted
distractions. As I write this, I am considering the appointee as
Venice person, but any branch could supply the person.
The
Library Coordinator would be an appointed position. They will
attend meetings at all branches, help with inventory needs, and see
that seeds are being saved according to SLOLA's Best Practices and
that meetings act within and to the heart of the SLOLA Mission
Statement. The concept is that this position provides guidance and
suggestions as regards seeds, best practices and other details that
can be helpful. This person would be in addition to
the Branch Representatives, discussed next.
Each
branch may determine what offices they need and may have more than
the following list, but in no case less than:
Seed
Librarian(s)
Representative
to the SLOLA Board or the Branch Chair
The
Representative from each branches will attend meetings on the 3rd
Saturday of each month at the Venice branch. They will be voting
members of the Board voting for the benefit of their membership, a
point which will require a change in our bylaws. This person
will need to be elected as they should be able to vote on fiduciary
matters. Furthermore, this person must appoint a second for
themselves (or the branch could make it another elected position), in
order that illness or other dispensations that prevent the
Representative from attending the regular meeting, there is a
designated person to represent that constituency. Because this would
then be the only person to carry the branch's needs to the whole
board, this back up person will be given the right to vote when the
elected person is unavailable and only at those times. This would be
another change to our bylaws.
These
other branches may also have their own board of directors but how
individual branches structure their own operation is not germane to
this document. It is clear that a document is needed that should
lay out some parameters to make this as transparent as possible.
Branches
shall meet once per month, excepting December when Branches have the
opportunity to be “dark” for the month. Note: the bylaws call
for elections to be held in December, but since the Venice SLOLA does
not meet in December, we will have to change something about that in
the very near future. I suggest we make January or February in the
odd years our election event. This will need to also be a part of our
bylaw changes.
Elections
SLOLA
Venice will elect their officers as soon as we can fix a date and the
vote will be decided by whoever shows up – it was felt then, and I
think there is merit to it, that those who show up are the ones
interested in the affairs of SLOLA and therefore are the ones
entitled to vote. I will move that we make this our voting method.
Because
there have been a number of people who have joined and were not given
a chance to sign the Safe Seed Pledge at that time, a dilemma has
been created because the very definition in our bylaws of a “member”
includes such a requirement, we can be solve this by every person who
is allowed to vote is afforded the opportunity to sign the safe seed
pledge. Because this document contains the very essence of our jobs
as seed savers, please ask folks to actually read the document rather
than just glance at it.
Branches
will have seeds on hand to be checked out, at the minimum, on the
days of the meetings – and are encouraged to find ways of having
additional checkouts on a regular basis.
In
addition, a special Seed Librarian School is envisioned to fulfill
the need of qualified librarians so they
A.
Know the system we use and make inventory inquiries and can check in
seeds
B.
Understand the life cycles of our various plant families and be able
to advise on selections for beginners
C.
Keep accurate and precise information
D.
Order seeds as needed and appropriately
Librarians
are urged to consult with other librarians and experienced gardeners
and seed savers in choosing the seeds they put in their libraries.
It
is anticipated that different branches will assist other libraries
and we will all work together as best as we can.
Seed
Inventories and Librarians
(I
will lay out a curriculum for seed librarians in another document to
follow.) Each branch will have their own seed inventory. This needs
to be implemented as soon as possible. Without separate seeds, we are
not fulfilling our mission. Each branch should be developing their
own inventory of seeds for their area. SLOLA funds should go toward
purchasing seeds for each branch. Seeds to be in our inventories
should be prioritized along these lines:
A.
Locally grown seed
B.
Seeds with a personal or familial story or connection
C.
Seeds experienced growers in the area suggest as good OP varieties
D.
Seeds from the Ark of Taste listing by Slow Food USA
E.
Free seeds
Those
seeds we are saving from the top three categories above, should never
be allowed to run completely out because they might be in limited
supply, they even might be the very last of that variety. If seeds in
short supply are given out, they must be given only to people who
understand the importance of these seeds who have a track record and
will bring back more than they are given. Even then, back ups should
be kept.
Seed
librarians are encouraged to meet with other librarians and discuss
sources for seeds and solve inventory etc problems with input from
experienced members. We would like some uniformity in terms of
labeling and classifying seeds in a comprehensive manner (and there
are problems that will need to be solved) , but each library should
have an amount of money to spend on an initial order. I am suggesting
$100 to 150, but this amount is arbitrary. Do note, that in the
execution of your duties as an officer of SLOLA, you are entitled to
be reimbursed up to $50 on SLOLA related expenditures. This would be
a good way to keep your library stocked. It is important that you
have seeds to give away, although we know that's not the real reason
we are here! Librarians are encouraged to find free seeds from
retailers or wholesalers. Free seeds must not make up a large percent
of your inventory though. Those seeds were made available to you
because they didn't sell and are not the best kind of seeds to try to
create a sustainable seed library with. By our third year into the
library, the prospect of thousands of rejected seeds filled me with
dread and I am proud to say that a large percentage of our seeds are
from returns or are seeds we have purchased. When we purchase seeds
vs. free seeds, we get to stock what we think will do best here and
that is much more in alignment with our mission statement.
Please
note, at this time it is probably best if we give out some difficult
to save seeds without an expectation that we will get viable seed
back. At this time, Best Practices at Venice has decided to not
expect seed returns from any Brassica or corn as both are
extremely difficult to save even for experienced seed savers.
Libraries are encouraged to communicate growing successes and
problems with other branches.
Finally,
in all of this, I see so much more cooperation needs to happen
between branches especially between chairs and librarians.
I
am not going to make the suggestion now that we have one or two
meetings per year that take place at one branch at a time, where we
can gather as a whole to “show off” our branch and make new SLOLA
friends. But that time will have to come after our feet are on the
ground.
Submitted
16 February, 2019,
David
King, Founding Chair
Motions
that are included in this paper include:
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Elections will be held at once and
established to be held in January of odd numbered years – each
satellite branch will have an elected Representative to the SLOLA
Board in Venice and a chair. (This person can also be the chair
of the chapter or it may be two different people. Elected officials
in any SLOLA branch will serve for two years and can be elected for
two terms of two years. The seed librarian is appointed by this
person.)
I
ask it to be moved and voted: That no one is allowed to vote in our
general elections without signing the Safe Seed Pledge document as
written on our official membership application.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Each branch to elect their own “chair”
person though we do not care what it is called as long as it is
printable. Each SLOLA branch other
than Venice, will designate one person to be their representative of
that group, allowing that authority can be transferred to another
individual if necessary, to insure that branch will be represented.
While more than one person may be designated to be the
representative, only one can vote for each branch.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: The current SLOLA elections going
forward are held in our tradition, as follows – SLOLA Venice will
elect the Chair for Venice and all other officers as Venice has had
in the past.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Each individual SLOLA group will elect
their office holders, in conjunction with Venice's election
schedule - the format and composition is up to that branch, we
suggest at minimum a Chair who also serves as the representative to
the Venice Board.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: SLOLA Venice creates an ambassador
position that will coordinate between all the branches to be
appointed by the Venice Chair.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Each branch will have it's own
inventory – though branches may trade seeds between branches
and and they use the SLOLA inventory system.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Branches without an inventory should
draw a request up and submit it as an expense which SLOLA will pay
for (the initial inventory should cost somewhere in the $100 and
$150 range – this vote should include the figure agreed upon at
the meeting this comes up for approval).
I
ask it to be moved and voted: Librarians stocking inventory do
diligent work in finding local seed companies and companies that are
wholly organic. It is preferred to use companies that do not
sell F1 hybrids which should never be in our inventories. It
is further suggested that librarians look for OSSI certified
seeds (Open Sourced Seed Initiative). I will offer a list of such
companies in short order.
I
ask it to be moved and voted: That each officer of every branch has
the phone numbers and email addresses of every other office in every
SLOLA branch to facilitate more cooperation and communication.
