Dear John Whittenberger Society Members,
I look forward to seeing many of you this fall at our 2025 Biennial Reunion. If you haven’t already, I urge you to register early and book your hotel room at the Biddle Hotel with the special rate code of JWS25. Special thanks to the Biennial Planning committee, most of which are volunteers—for working to fill our weekend with both fan favorites and new activities alike. I can’t wait to see what they’ve cooked up for us.
For the past several years, your JWS Advisory Board members have discussed an amendment to our JWS Constitution to clarify questions from alumni regarding term limits.
The Current Language (Article VII. Section II). The voting members shall not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. (11/20/87 Amendment)
Some have translated the current language means that an alumni may serve a total of eight years (or two terms) in their lifetime. Others have thought they may serve eight years consecutively, but after an “off period” may serve again.
Regardless of how one reads it—the message was clear to your Advisory Board—our alumni need more clarity while balancing core values:
- Retaining robust volunteer membership.
- Creating a clear “roll off” period, so that students have access to many alums and the board is populated with both fresh and seasoned members at any given time.
- Allowing alumni members to serve in different eras of their life—after all, an alum who serves in their 30s may have very different skills to offer than in their 70s. We wouldn’t want to turn a great candidate away in a different era of their life.
Proposed Amended Language. The voting members shall not serve more than a total of eight (8) years, in a sixteen (16) year period. Each voting member’s sixteen (16) year period begins at the start of the voting member’s first term. Following a break in service of at least eight (8) years, the eligibility period is renewed.
Practically speaking, the proposed amendment wouldn’t change how we most often operate. It would simply clarify common scenarios that many board members already choose including:
- Serving two terms consecutively (8 years) and then rolling off
- Serving one four-year term, taking a break, then serving another four-year term.
In both circumstances, alumni would be allowed to return after a two-term break. We recognize that digesting amendment language may not be top of mind for most folks. For those interested and available, we will discuss and bring the issue to a vote, in accordance with our bylaws, on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at our next JWS Business Meeting as part of our upcoming Biennial weekend.
Please send any comments or suggestions based on these recommendations to jws1909@iu.edu.
With warmth,
Anne M. Kostyo
President, John Whittenberger Society
Leave a Reply