BIRTH OF SEANC DISTRICT47

SEANC had a baby, thanks to Larry Cope and the SEANC Board of Governors.

Larry, a Department of Labor employee, with prior service as Chairman of SEANC District, a 2,400 member district, sought changes in his districts leadership and accountability. When he was unable to accomplish his goals within the district, he sought another approach and started the New District Formation process with a letter to the SEANC President. After conferring with SEANC staff and state leadership on February 8-9, he continued working towards organizing a new district in the Central Region by gaining the blessings of the SEANC Board of Governors and had the SEANC President notify the affected districts. Larry scheduled a meeting on February 20, 2002, at SEANC headquarters to determine the interest of other SEANC members to organize a new district, select buildings/units to solicit initial transfer members, review SEANC's organizing policy (bylaws and policies/procedures), and name the Oversight Committee. Ronald Still, Department of Environment ... and Edna Todd, Department of Commerce, pledged support for the new district.

On March 6, multiple petitions were submitted to SEANC headquarters starting the count down for success.

Unfortunately the doctor discovered Larry had cancer and between the disease and the cure, he was out of action a great deal until his death on October 19. The organizers failed to meet their deadline and requested the Board of Governor's grant another year to complete the formation. This was done in Spetmerb 2002.

This second year was all the time required, because the organizers recruited enough new members to meet the goal and the district was approved to begin operations on October 1, 2003. As a result, the SEANC bylaws were changed to ban extensions in organizing time.