GEE Proposed Bylaws Change

AAUW-Walla Walla members gathered on April 23, 2024, for an important discussion about Great Explorations in Education's proposed bylaw changes. 

Currently, everyone who is a member of AAUW-Walla Walla (AAUW-WW) is also a member of Great Explorations in Education (GEE), a separate charitable organization. Our branch is an advocacy organization, not a charitable organization under the IRS rules. (We're a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, while GEE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

GEE puts on the Great Explorations (GE) event for students in grades 5–7 and is staffed predominantly by AAUW volunteers. The biannual GE event in spring recruits a stellar group of scientists — all of whom are women — in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) fields. The GE program is an important part of AAUW-WW’s education and advocacy mission.  

In 2023, GEE’s Board approved several fundamental bylaw changes, primarily to bring these into conformance with changes to the state of Washington's nonprofit corporation laws and regulations. The proposed change includes eliminating the "members" classification — eliminating members as the ultimate source of governance of the GEE organization follows a trend among charitable organizations. This is not a required change under Washington State regulations but does make running a charity simpler. Most charitable organizations no longer have members, unless their purpose is to serve their members. Membership approval of the bylaw changes is required, which means AAUW-WW members need to vote on the proposed changes.

The changes to GEE bylaws do not affect AAUW-WW, whose bylaws are not being changed. It does mean a change in the connection between GEE and AAUW-WW, which established GEE to accept donations which could not be made to AAUW-WW. 

The GEE bylaws will continue to require the majority of the GEE Board be AAUW-WW members in good standing, and that the GEE nominating committee be entirely comprised of AAUW-WW members.

A committee consisting of AAUW-WW and GEE representatives met in the first quarter of 2024 to review these changes. The committee recommended the membership approve these bylaw changes, including the elimination of AAUW memberships in GEE. The AAUW-WW Board reviewed this recommendation and concurs. As a result, a joint meeting of AAUW-Walla Walla and GEE took placed on April 23.

VIEW THE APRIL 23 PRESENTATION  

If you are attending the May 22 AAUW Spring Social, voting will happen at the GEE meeting convened immediately following the Social.

You may also vote using this proxy form, or by copy/paste the form into an email, complete it and send it to Ruth Ladderud at ladderud@pocketinet.com. Proxy votes must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 22, 2024.

If you have questions, please contact Ruth Ladderud via email.

GEE Resources

  • Please review the GEE Proposed Bylaws here

  • A committee of AAUW-Walla Walla and GEE representatives met twice, on January 3 and January 30, 2024. The purpose of the January 30 meeting was to review the summary from the January 3 meeting, to more fully understand the effect of the proposed revisions to the GEE bylaws on the AAUW-WW/GEE relationship, and to make recommendations to the AAUW-WW Board about next steps.

    The notes summarizing the January 3 meeting were slightly edited and approved by the committee on January 30.

  • View a copy of the April 23 GEE Bylaws presentation. CLICK HERE

  • For an overview of the EYH/GE events, please click here.

  • Please click here to review the GEE 501c3 document.

  • Please click here to view the GEE current articles of incorporation and current bylaws.

  • Click here to view a spreadsheet of GEE’s current and past board members.

  • The following are considerations the GEE board and GE planning committee wrestled with prior to deciding to include boys in the GE event. View Resource