Our group represents a vast number of marginalized groups: women, LGBTQIA+, people of color, differently abled, immigrants and more. The presidential election last week has shaken us all to our core. We, like you, are fearful of all the changes that will be hitting us, friends, and our community. The next 4 years could potentially reverse so much of the progress that many of us have celebrated.
Our own small community must now have an election of our own, choosing new or returning officers for the LSM board. Your elected board members help create and maintain safe spaces for all of our members – both educationally and socially. Now, more than ever, we need a safe place of our own with people who understand us.
LSM is at a critical point of our revival. We have come back with a vengeance. But in order to grow, we need volunteers to step up to help all of us take a break from the world and celebrate the warmth, the laughter and, of course, the kink that lives in our hearts. Please consider nominating yourself for a position on the board – because without the help of many hands, LSM and our safe space could cease to exist.
*Please come to this Friday Night’s Meeting, November 18th @ 8:00 @ the LGBT Center, where we will be accepting nominations live.*
Other ways to nominate:
Respond via email: [email protected]
Snail mail: LSM c/o The LGBT Center, 208 W. 13th St., NY, NY 10011 by November 21, 2016
Who is Eligible for Nomination?
You must be a member in good standing by the end of our January 21, 2017 meeting. A member in good standing has 1) filled out and returned the Membership form, 2) paid dues or requested a waiver and 3) attended a Member Orientation. If you are not already a member, and you fit our gender policy, you can fulfill all three of those requirements at our January meeting – Toy Bags and Orientation! Obviously, to actually serve on the Board, you must be an LSM member.
What is the LSM Gender Policy?
The Lesbian Sex Mafia is open to all women 18 years of age or older including gay, straight, bi, and transsexual and intersexed women who live their daily lives as women, and all female-born transgender persons who have a connection with and respect for the women’s community.
What Should I include in the Email Nomination?
Nominee’s name, email, position running for on the board, and a brief candidate statement. The statement will be included in the ballot sent to the membership.
What is the Time Period during which the Winners will be Serving?
January 23, 2017 – January 31, 2018
What are the Open Positions?
Chair or Co-Chairs
● Chairs and develops the agenda for LSM board meetings.
● Ensures proper scheduling of all LSM events.
● Coordinates the smooth integration of the various activities and committees.
● ‘President’ for purposes of incorporation.
Treasurer
● Maintains LSM’s bank account
● Receives and disburses LSM funds
● Supplies regular financial reports including yearly financial statements.
● Maintains incorporation status and apprises Officers of related requirements.
● Collects door fees at monthly workshops and coordinates merchandise and ticket sales.
● ‘Treasurer’ for purposes of incorporation.
Secretary
● Keeps and distributes meeting minutes.
● Records changes in policies and procedures.
● Keeps monthly minutes and distributes them to Board of Directors electronically.
Picks up mail at the P.O. Box at The Center.
● ’Secretary’ for purposes of incorporation.
Communications/ Media Officer
● Sends out monthly meeting announcement to LSM email lists (announcements,
membership, media) and party organizers.
● Posts monthly meeting information to social media, including, but not limited to Fetlife, (LSM group and others, creating events) GoMag, and Facebook.
● Establishes and maintains contacts and reciprocal relationships with other leather or
BDSM groups and businesses and keeps LSM members apprised of member discounts
and reciprocal arrangements with the above.
Membership Officer(s)
● Compiles, maintains and updates lists and mailing information for Pledges, Active and Inactive Members, and those declined Membership.
● Tracks dates and attendees of Orientation and Safety workshops.
● Supplies approved names/contact information to Treasurer.
● Supplies names of all women declined for membership to Treasurer.
● Schedules and coordinates Orientation/ Safety Meetings.
● Conducts Safety portion of meetings and provides pledges with a history of LSM as well as the membership process and benefits.
● Distributes Safety Manual electronically or via snail mail.
● Creates a written documentation of decisions to decline or withhold membership and
supplies these to the Secretary as appropriate.
Party Coordinator
● Coordinates LSM play parties.
● Develops and promotes social gatherings with input from LSM officers and members.
Archivist
● Saves all LSM materials, public relations, calendars and promotional materials.
● Copies data to Cd-Rom and when available coordinates appropriate materials to be sent to the Leather Archives and the Lesbian Herstory Archives.
Webmaster
● Maintains the website, internet hosting, domain names sites and subscriptions.
● Maintains the Queernet email listservs (announcements, members, etc.)
● Arranges to update domain name and hosting on a regular basis.
● Updates the website’s calendar and various links with input from other officers.