The Maryland NOW Annual State Conference will be held via Zoom on Saturday, May 21. It will begin at 10:00 am and end at 4:00 pm with a break for lunch. A file of conference materials will be sent electronically to all registered participants on Thursday, the 19th, and will include an agenda, officer and task force reports, and information about our conference speakers.

In addition to state business and a review of 2021, a panel discussion will explore what’s coming up for us in the 2022 Election Cycle, and whether the Democratic party can remain in control of the U.S. House and Senate.. Rep. Ariana Kelly will discuss the 2022 legislative session in Annapolis, including a review of the abortion legislation which passed, was vetoed by Gov. Hogan, with his veto being overridden. It is now law.

Conference registration can be accessed HERE!

If you have specific questions about the conference please send us an email HERE!

Please check back to this web page for more information about the conference.

Maryland NOW Bylaws Revision to be Considered

Note: This proposed bylaw will be voted on at our conference on Saturday, May 21st.

A major overhaul of Maryland NOW’s bylaws is in progress. At this time, however, the Executive Committee has asked that this year the conference consider a proposed change to the secretary’s position responsibilities to be voted on and to take effect immediately. A more comprehensive set of changes will be proposed over the next year or two.

A lot has changed since1972 when our bylaws were written. The way we need to function in an electronic age has created new duties to be carried out by our leadership – both within the Executive Committee and by Committees and Task Forces. Communication with our membership and the general public via electronic media is but one area that needs to be addressed. Responsibilities for membership recruitment and retention were never assigned to a member of the Executive Committee, and this has become of the utmost importance at this time.

This past year, a member of our Young Feminist Task Force, Kate Schumacher, agreed to take this general proposal on a “trial run” and has worked as if these responsiblities were actually already a position. She has offered valuable feedback to us on what will work and what won’t. Based on her recommendations, the following proposed revision will come before the conference to amend the secretary’s position as follows:

CURRENT LANGUAGE

Article IX.  Officers
Sec. E.  Secretary shall:

1. Record the minutes of all State Council meetings and send copies to Council members and chapter presidents.
2. Assist the presiding officer on voting matters at meetings and conferences.
3. Assist the President(s) in preparation of correspondence.
4. Maintain a roster of State Council members and chapter presidents.
5. Serve as Chair of the Maryland NOW Political Action Committee when designated by the State President(s).

PROPOSED LANGUAGE

Article IX. Officers

Sec E. Secretary – Records and Communications shall:

1. Coordinate recordings of Maryland NOW Council and Conference meetings for distribution and/or online storage, and maintain chapter and state leadership records with National NOW.
2. Maintain files of any correspondence generated on behalf of the organization, the council, and the Executive Committee in online storage.
3. Post information, action alerts, and notices on social media platforms designated by Maryland NOW to make the organization more visible to the general public.
4. Maintain membership recruitment and retention programs, as well as communication with new members and individuals interested in Maryland NOW, follow up with any membership problems, and help place interested individuals in various chapters, committees, and task forces.
5. Work with a member(s) of the Executive Committee to send electronic mail notices to various MD NOW mailing lists regarding legislative, action, or news posts as well as to write content for Maryland NOW’s website.
6. Serve as the Chair of the Maryland NOW Political Action Committee when designated by the State President(s).