Vytas Maciūnas

A New Board of Directors for the Year 2000

Vytas Maciūnas is the Vice President of Organizational Affairs of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc.

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Elections to the Lithuanian American Community, Inc. (LAC, Inc.) Board of Directors and U.S. delegates to World Lithuanian Community Council (WLCC) will be held in LAC, Inc. chapters throughout the United States on May 13^th and 14^th and May 20^th and 21^st.

This will be the 16^th Board of Directors elected since the creation of the LAC, Inc. The 10^th Council of delegates is being formed for the World Lithuanian Community.

Everyone of Lithuanian descent (*see paragraph at the end of the article for details), at least 18 years of age, living in the United States, and who is registered in a LAC, Inc. chapter can vote in the elections in person or by mail for the LAC, Inc. Board of Directors and for the U.S. delegates to the World Lithuanian Council. If your name is not on the list of members maintained by LAC chapters, you can still vote. You can either advise the local chapter election committee in writing that you wish to vote and request ballots in the mail, or show up at the announced polling places on the voting dates announced above to register and vote.

The LAC, Inc. by-laws were recently changed; so that from January 1, 2000, spouses of LAC, Inc. members who are not of Lithuanian descent are also entitled upon their request to register in a LAC, Inc. chapter. They can also receive full rights and privileges granted by LAC membership, including the right to vote in LAC elections and be elected to LAC, Inc. offices. Participation in the World Lithuanian Council is still restricted to persons of Lithuanian descent by the World Lithuanian Council Constitution.

As a practical element, however, a working knowledge of Lithuanian language is an important requirement for being selected to LAC Board of Directors and the World Lithuanian Council, as the Lithuanian language remains the official and necessary unifying language for all deliberations.

Candidates to the LAC, Inc. Board of Directors and U.S. delegates to the World Lithuanian Council must be nominated by at least 10 registered LAC members from the LAC region, which encompasses the LAC chapter. All candidates must be duly nominated by March 30^th, 2000.

The LAC Board of Directors serves a three-year term. There is typically one physical meeting each year. The first meeting of the 16^th LAC Board of Directors will be held in Hartford, Connecticut during the fall of 2000, at which time the President of the National Executive Committee, who represents the LAC organization, will be elected for a concurrent three year term. Subsequently, the elected President forms a committee of about 15 members, which is subject to approval by the Board of Directors, to implement the goals and objectives of the LAC organization. All members of the Board of Directors are expected to be able to pay their own expenses. However, the expenses are generally considered to be tax deductible; since the LAC, Inc. is a non-profit organization.

The delegates to the World Lithuanian Community Council serve a term of three years. There is only one physical council session during the three years; as matters throughout the three years can be handled by mail and ever more electronically. The first and only planned World Lithuanian Community Council session (also know as the Seimas) will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania beginning on August 16^th and ending on August 20^th. The Seimas will be held in the conference facilities of the Parliament of Lithuania.

The LAC Board of Directors consists of 60 elected representatives and nine LAC Regional Chairpersons. All 60 representative positions are to be voted on.

There are 32 U.S. delegates to be elected, plus the LAC, Inc, National President and Lithuanian Youth Association National President, for a total of 34 delegates representing Lithuanians living in the United States at the World Lithuanian Community Council.

The LAC elections' rules provide for a very democratic election process. The numbers of representatives elected from each region is actually adjusted based on the proportional distribution of voters throughout the various LAC regions. Hence, an LAC region increases its representative count with increased numbers of people voting in the election. A similar procedure is used to determine the U.S. delegates to the WLCC.

The initial distribution of LAC Board of Directors and U.S. delegates to WLCC, i.e. prior to any adjustment based on changing voting demographics, is as follows:

Mid West Region – LAC, Inc. Chapters

1^st region -- Brighton Park, Cicero, Melrose Park, Lemont, Springfield, "Krantas" (newly-arrived Lithuanian-American chapter), Marquette Park
2^nd region -- East Chicago, Indianapolis, Michiana
3^rd region -- Waukegan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, East St. Louis
4^th region -- Colorado, Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux City, Houston, Alaska, San Antonio, Hot Springs

Michigan Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing

Ohio Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Buffalo, NY, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Pittsburgh

Boston and Surrounding Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Boston, Brockton, Cape Cod, Kennebunkport, Providence, Worchester

Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, Putnam, Waterbury

New York Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Bushwick, Great Neck, Manhattan, Queens, "Versmė" (newly-arrived Lithuanian-American chapter),

1^st region -- Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Scranton
2^nd region -- Elizabeth, Newark, Paterson

Florida and Surrounding Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Atlanta, Gulf Coast, Daytona Beach, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Sunny Hills

Western Region -- LAC, Inc. chapters

Arizona, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Washington State

Each LAC region and the LAC chapters form election committees to run the elections. The National LAC, Inc. Election Committee was affirmed by the current LAC Board of Directors and the National Executive Committee as required in by-laws. The National LAC Election Committee is as follows:

Albinas Karnius -- chairman
Angelė Karnienė -- vice chairwoman and secretary
Loreta Kynienė -- treasurer
Liutaveras Siemaška -- member
Address: 6927 - 14th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33710-5323.
E-mail: AnKarnius@aol.com
Telephone and fax: 727 - 347 - 3717

* Everyone of Lithuanian descent, and non-Lithuanian spouses, living in the United States are encouraged to get to know the candidates and vote. If you know someone who you think would be a good representative either on the LAC Board of Directors or as a U.S. delegate to the World Lithuanian Council, consider getting a group of people (at least 10) and nominating him/her. If you have a working knowledge of the Lithuanian language, consider running yourself. The candidate consent and nominating petition form are enclosed for your use.

All candidates must be dutifully nominated by submitting the consent and nomination petition form to the LAC Region Election committee at the aforementioned address by March 30^th, 2000.

Contact your local LAC chapter and your local LAC chapter election committee for additional information. A listing of all chapters and independent areas follows. Keep this list on hand as the year develops and so do the events and activities!