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ONA Proposes Dissolving Districts
The ONA Board of Directors has submitted a bylaws change proposal for ONA on behalf of the Governance & Dues Task Force* they commissioned in 2016. The task force was charged with creating recommendations to simplify the ONA dues structure and increase membership. Only one recommendation came forth from this task force - ONA could increase membership by dissolving the districts, and that the dissolution of the districts would both simplify ONA's dues structure and provide new members a slight decrease in annual dues. This bylaws change proposal effectively dissolves ONA's affiliation with MODNA and all the other districts throughout Ohio. Many of these districts, like MODNA, have been supporting and caring for registered nurses for 90+ years. If this proposal is passed - most, if not all of the districts, would then likely 'close up shop' and simply go away.
*
see related article on
History of Governance & Dues Task Force
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MODNA Leaders Opposed to
Dissolving Districts
The MODNA Board of Directors and members of our Strategic Planning Committee do not believe that dissolving the districts will help ONA increase membership. The decrease in dues would be marginal at best ($50.00). Many nurses can only be involved at their own regional, local levels - and without districts they would have no platform for professional involvement or sharing their voice. For those who do want to serve at a state level, districts afford members the opportunity to network and gain support for those positions. Many MODNA nurses who have gone on to become leaders at the state level or within ONA are quick to say that they got their start as an active member of their district.
#districtstrong
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Vote No to Dissolving Districts
The proposed ONA bylaws change calling for the dissolution of all districts will be voted on at this year's ONA Convention. The convention is scheduled for October 6-8
th at the Hilton Inn, Polaris. The vote will likely occur during the House sessions on either Saturday the 7
th or Sunday the 8
th. These are the two must attend days.
In order to participate in this landmark vote, you have to register with MODNA to serve as one of our convention delegates - in addition to registering for the convention later this summer. Only delegates get to vote. General convention attendees do not get to vote.
Please consider becoming a delegate. Deadline for delegate registration is
May 10, 2017. The required form to register you as a delegate is called 'Consent to Serve'.
You can find a copy of this consent here.
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Delegate Expense Reimbursement Increase
The MODNA Board of Directors has agreed to increase the monetary stipend offered to our Delegates who attend the 2017 ONA Convention. In the past, the association has offered each delegate a $50.00 stipend for each House session attended during the convention (there is one House session each day of the convention (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). This year MODNA delegates will b
e reimbursed for their convention registration fees. This reimbursement will continue to be paid immediately after the convention end, and will be paid out in a 'one-thirds fashion' - one third of the paid convention registration rate for each House session attended. Example, if the three day convention registration fee is $375.00, MODNA will reimburse each delegate $125.00 for each House session attended.
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Town Hall Meeting Scheduled
MODNA will be hosting a Town Hall style meeting at the OhioHealth Arthur G.H. Bing, MD Cancer
Center, 500 Thomas Lane, Columbus 43214 on
June
28
th at 6:00 pm to discuss the proposed changes in ONA's bylaws. ONA CEO Lori Chovanak will be on hand to answer questions and share the ONA Board's vision for ONA's future. Please plan to attend, you can send your RSVP for this meeting to
modna@modna.org
.
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ONA Dues Breakdown
Throughout the state, district dues range from $6 - $174 per year. MODNA's annual dues are $50.00. Two-thirds of ONA members currently pay an annual district dues rate between $30.00 and $60.00. Thus the proposal to dissolve districts in order to decrease dues (so membership can increase) will only marginally decrease ONA's dues rate. Currently the ANA portion of your annual ONA membership dues is $146.00.
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MODNA Board & Staff
Barb Welch, President
David Shields, 1
st Vice President
Paula Anderson, 2
nd Vice President
Christine Frank-Scott, Treasurer
Barbara Bradley, Secretary
Kim Ebright
Kathy Fernandez
Taryn Hill
Ferlinda Powers
Michelle Rubertino
Phyllis Scheiderer
Therese Snively
Marilyn Webster
Terry Pope, Executive Director
Shirley Funt, Office Coordinator
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History of the Governance & Dues Task Force
The Governance & Dues Task Force (G&DTF), commissioned by the ONA board held their first meeting in July 2015. The task force was originally formed in part due to an ONA bylaw change proposal that had been submitted by another district (and later withdrawn) earlier that year. That bylaws change proposal called for the districts to be re-organized into 4-6 like- sized regions. This proposal was intended to help strengthen the districts that were too small to provide many member services. The proposal was withdrawn, but the concerns remained. Several months later, a task force comprised of representatives from each district, the ONA board, and the E&GW Commission were called together to discuss ways to simplify the ONA dues structure and increase membership.
(see below)
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For the next 6 months, the G&DTF gave considerable time and serious discussion to a different version of the above described proposal for like-sized regions. The twist being that ONA would become a de-centralized organization with 4 regional outposts throughout the state. These regional outposts would take the place of districts or regions. ONA leadership later considered this proposal too expensive and was not supportive. During all of the G&DTF's discussions on the creation of regional outposts, many district representatives voiced their discomfort with the notion that dissolving the districts was the way to proceed.
This brings the G&DTF to July of 2016, with no agreed upon recommendation on how to simplify the ONA dues structure and increase membership. At the August, 2016 meeting of the task force, a member of the group made a motion that the task force at least agree to dissolve the districts and let ONA leaders determine the best operational structure for ONA. The motion to dissolve the districts was passed by those present. Districts were not notified ahead of time that task force member(s) would be called upon to vote on a recommendation to dissolve the districts. Districts did not get an opportunity to advise their representative on the G&DTF - who was making this monumental vote on behalf of their district, as to whether they should vote "yes" or "no" to this proposed recommendation. Unprepared, and having no authority to vote one way or the other, the MODNA representative on the G&DTF abstained from this vote.
The work of the G&DTF (a majority vote to dissolve the districts) was then presented to the ONA board in December 2016. The ONA Board approved the direction/work of the G&DTF. Also recognizing that unrest continued among many of the G&DTF members with regards to how ONA intended to fill the member engagement voids created when districts no longer existed, the ONA board approved three additional meetings of the G&DTF in early 2017.
The January meeting consisted primarily of a review of all the ONA bylaw changes that would be needed to dissolve all district responsibilities, rights, and affiliations within ONA's governance structure. This discussion also included a proposed 'electoral college' style selection of House delegates to replace district representation. Concerns were also voiced by many of the G&DTF members that ONA had no 'replacement plan' in place to meet member needs
when districts no longer existed. A memo to Lori Chovanak from an ONA attorney on the topic "Winding Up and Dissolution of Districts" was distributed to each attendee.
The February meeting involved another review of the ONA bylaw changes necessary to support the dissolution of districts. Timelines for district dissolutions were discussed. The ONA attorney was present to answer questions throughout the meeting. Member concerns continued to be expressed relative to whether district dissolution was the right direction and how ONA would replace all the various member engagement opportunities that many districts afforded their members.
March 29
th was the final meeting of the G&DTF. ONA CEO Lori Chovanak shared a plan she had recently proposed to the ONA board that would allow ONA to extend member services and engagement throughout the state. The plan calls for the creation of 4 new state-wide committees each with 45-50 members to help guide and facilitate ONA's programmatic work in continuing education, mentoring and leadership, membership engagement, and candidate forums/legislative ambassadors.
This link will take you to the chart illustrating proposed ONA governance structure. The ONA attorney was also present for questions district members might have related to dissolving districts.
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Tell Us What You Think
Send your comments to modna@modna.org
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