Vote, Vote and Vote Again

Beginning in November, ASHI’s voting members (ASHI Certified Inspectors and Retired Members in good standing) should be prepared to vote on the three following separate, but equally important, issues:

• Amending the ASHI Bylaws prescribing how the society is governed.

  The draft proposal is posted on the ASHI website, Members Only, Publications, Board Meeting Materials & Reports. Read a report from the Governance Task Force on Page 28, comments from the president on Page 38, and an overview from the council speaker on Page 29. As this publication went to print, the Bylaw Committee was reviewing the proposal for the Board.

• Adopting two sets of Auxiliary Standards of Practice, which address services other than traditional home inspections.

  The first two of these auxiliary standards are The Standards of Professional Practice for Predrywall Inspections (PD Standards) and The Standards of Professional Practice for Swimming Pool and Spa Inspections (Pool Standards). To view the draft auxiliary standards, visit www.ashireporter.org or the Downloads and Forms section of the Members Only website. To read FAQs, go to Page 18.

• Electing ASHI Officers and Certification Committee Members for 2011.

  If the amendment to the governance Bylaw passes, it will take effect with the elections for 2012. See below for information about the election of leaders for 2011. 

ASHI’s Annual Elections

Officers: Officer nominations closed Aug. 15 and the matrices submitted by ASHI Certified Inspectors seeking an officer’s position for 2011 were turned over to the Officers Nominating Committee.
The committee is charged with identifying and naming candidates who meet ASHI’s leadership requirements for the offices of president-elect, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Those who submitted matrices meeting the submission requirements, but were not slated by the committee, may have their names placed on the ballot by petition.

Petitions: After the Nominating Committee names its candidates, a petition of 10 percent of ASHI Certified Inspectors in good standing can cause the name of a qualified ASHI Certified Inspector to be added to the ballot for a specific office. Petitions must be presented on a special form available only from ASHI Headquarters and require the name (printed) and the signature of each petitioner, as well as the office in which the petitioner would serve, if elected. The form must be received by mail or fax at headquarters at least 10 days prior to the distribution of the ballots. Staff will verify the validity of the petition prior to placing the name of a candidate for office on the ballot. Ballots will be mailed to ASHI Certified Inspectors and Retired Members by Nov. 1, 1010.

Campaigning: Campaigning positively by or about any candidate is permissible as long as no ASHI assets are used. Staff, Nominating Committee and Election Committee members shall not participate in campaigning. Nominees or petition candidates for an officer or board of director position may purchase mailing labels or lists of qualified voting members’ contact information from headquarters at cost. Negative campaigning (against candidates or nominees) is not permitted. The Election Committee should preview campaign statements or materials in advance if there is any uncertainty about the appropriateness of their contents.

Certification Committee members:
Certification Committee member nominations closed Aug. 15. The committee shall consist of seven voting members serving a staggered two-year term with a limit of two terms. No member of the Board of Directors (except for ex-officio non-voting members) or members of the Education Committee may serve on the Committee. “The first Certification Committee shall be exempt from Bylaw 8.2.7.c., second sentence as follows: The first serving members of the Certification Committee may simultaneously include serving ASHI board members and officers. As the committee term of each initial member of the Certification Committee expires or terminates, the replacement Certification Committee Member shall be subject to 8.2.7.c, second sentence so that he/she shall not simultaneously serve as both a Certification Committee Member and as a member of the board or as an ASHI officer.”

1. Each year, two ASHI Certified Inspectors will be nominated by the Officers Nomination Committee and elected by secret ballot of the membership in the manner stated in 7.2.2. Petition candidates are eligible in the manner stated in 7.2.4.

Directors: The Directors Nominating Committee is charged with creating a slate of five new, non-officer board members and one alternate from the matrices received from ASHI Certified Inspectors in good standing who served a minimum of one year on the Council of Representatives for a term beginning no later than Oct. 1, 2009.

Nominations closed Aug. 15, 2009. Ballots will be mailed to council representatives on Nov. 1, 2010.

Deadline for Award Nominations Nears

Nominations for the Philip C. Monahon and John Cox Awards close Oct. 1, 2010.

Monahon Award Criteria: The recipient must be an ASHI Certified Inspector who is dedicated to the goals and ideals of ASHI as stated in ASHI’s Code of Ethics and, as a member, has rendered outstanding contributions to ASHI for a minimum of five (5) years. Contributions consist of time, talent or expertise that has been beneficial to the society, its members and the general public that ASHI ultimately serves.

Cox Award Criteria: The recipient must be an ASHI Certified Inspector who has rendered outstanding service to an ASHI chapter, either over a period of years or under circumstances that are special and may not occur again. Each chapter may submit the name and biography of one individual for the John E. Cox Award.

Forms: Nomination forms for both awards are on www.HomeInspector.org. Log in as a member and go to the Members section, Documents and Forms. If you’d like a nomination form faxed to you, call 847-759-1620 or e-mail hq@ashi.org.

The ASHI Chapter Enterprise Award: For this competition, ASHI chapters are categorized according to size. The chapter in each of two categories with the highest percentage of registered members to attend InspectionWorld is awarded a Chapter Enterprise Award, which includes $750. There are a few additional guidelines, but the purpose of the award is simple – to encourage chapter members to participate in InspectionWorld together. Find the story behind the award and complete guidelines here.

Questions? Contact Russell Daniels at russelld@ashi.org.

Announcing a Scholarship Program in Memory of Tom Byrne

Although the program is still being finalized, Carson Dunlop & Associates and The ASHI Foundation are pleased to announce the decision to award a scholarship in memory of Charter ASHI Member Tom Byrne.

Name: The Tom Byrne Memorial Scholarship

What: The recipient receives a refund for his or her completed ASHI@HOME Training System, currently valued at $3,500.
The prize is awarded to the person who has earned the highest overall marks on the 10-course ASHI@HOME Training System in a to-be-announced 12-month time period. The recipient must be pursuing a career in home inspection.

Awarded: Past-president John Paluczuk will announce the first winner at the 2011 InspectionWorld Conference.

 The recipient does not have to attend the conference.