Amendments to the Amendments: A Brief Update

A reminder that the full membership of the Grand Rapids Christian Schools is voting on the Amended Articles and Bylaws put forward by the Board of Trustees at the annual meeting, March 15, 7pm, in the CAW. Those who are unable to attend can submit an absentee ballot by mail, fax, or in person. Note that absentee ballots are due to the GRCS administrative offices by 4pm on Monday, March 15.

It should be noted that, in response to the sorts of concerns voiced here, the Board of Trustees actually revisited one key issue in the time between the town hall meetings and their BOT meeting before the documents were distributed to the membership. In particular, they revisited the suggested amendment that would have concentrated the power to amend the articles and bylaws exclusively to the BOT. In the final version distributed to the membership, they add the following qualification and procedural step:

"The power to initiate amendments to the Restated Bylaws, other than the doctrinal basis set forth therein, is reserved exclusively to the Board of Trustees. Any such amendment that is approved by the Board of Trustees is subject to final approval by an affirmative vote of a majority of members present in person, by proxy, or by absentee ballot at a regular or special meeting of the members."

I appreciate the responsiveness of the BOT in this way. I don't think it allays all of our concerns, particularly given how the membership has been largely disenfranchised over the past decade. But I do want to go on record in recognizing this instance of responsiveness to some of our concerns.

Other concerns (articulated earlier) remain. Whatever the outcome of this process, it's very important that a wide representation of the membership take the time to vote on or by Monday, March 15 in order to take ownership of GRCS as, in Kuyperian terms, a "parent-run" society for Christian education (or, as the GRCS Bylaws articulates it: "The authority and responsibility for educating children resides in the parents or guardians of the children and not in the state or the church.").