From The Secretary’s Desk

Hey everyone!  Ridayah here.  I’m on the board of directors for Minnesota Furs, and we wanted to start using the site to update you all what we’ve been doing.  Here’s the teal deer version:

• Helping the convention prepare for the very first Furry Migration!
• MNFurs will become a full 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit!
• Preparing for the very first Minnesota Furs election; candidacy is open; see inside!

First off, the board has been keeping in close contact with the convention head and planners for Furry Migration!  Several board members have taken active rolls in the planning of the convention; from consuite and events to hotel.  The board is eager to see Furry Migration be the con that you all deserve.  Tied into this is of course volunteering yourselves for the convention and with MNFurs in general.  We have begun work on a series of additions to the website with more information and resources for those both running events and those wanting to volunteer.  We’ll be sure to post about them when they’re ready for you all.

One big thing the board had to do was figure out what level of nonprofit we would be.  Nonprofits come in all sorts of varieties, from churches, to sporting teams, charities, and many more.  Each of these have a distinct set of rules and laws that have to be followed, and their own application processes.  While we are already according to the IRS a nonprofit group, to maintain that status we have to specify what kind we will be.  After much talk and deliberation the board decided earlier this year that MNFurs will become a full 501(c)3 nonprofit.  That makes MNFurs a charitable nonprofit.

For you members of the community, this means something big.  It means your donations to MNFurs are tax deductible!  But as you can expect there’s a lot to be done to become a full charitable nonprofit organization.  The paperwork is literally a stack of paper, and it’s all gotta be filled out and submitted.  For a few on the board that’s eating up a lot of resources to get it done.

The last big item is that we are currently preparing for our very first election.  Coming up at the end of March, those of you with 20 volunteer hours will be eligible to help select two new board members.  Our elections rotate, with 2 board members being voted on in even numbered years, and 3 board members being voted on in odd numbered years, with board members serving 2 year terms.  This helps prevent a loss of vision for the group, and keeps a few skilled board members around to help train anyone new.

This year, Legonnare and Zmeydros have their seats up for re-election.  Three candidates have already submitted their names to run for these seats.  Drake, Zepaw, and Legonnare have all stated they will be running for these seats in 2014.  Make sure to ask them about their plans for the future of MNFurs and why you should vote for them!

For those of you whom may be interested in running for the board, you must have 20 volunteer hours by the end of February.  Preferably by the end of January to allow for the board secretary (who handles such things) a chance to make sure you have 20 hours and send out notice if necessary.  If you wish to run simply send an email to secretary@mnfurs.org stating your fur name, your real name, and your desire to run for the board.

For everyone who will be voting, in about January/February a time and place will be set for the end of March for the first election.  At this time every candidate must be present and those who make it will be allowed to vote at that meeting.  For those that are eligible to vote but cannot make it, pre-voting will be available roughly one week beforehand, and an absentee balloting will be allowed for extennuating circumstances such as military service or serious injury.  In the next two months those eligible to vote and those within a few hours of eligibility will be notified, so get volunteering!  If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to send them to volunteers@mnfurs.org and/or secretary@mnfurs.org.

And that should cover the big items of what the board has been up to lately.  Please let us know if you like this sort of bulletin so we know if this is a good way to reach you all!  We love your feedback, comments, and criticisms!