A lack of transparency results in
distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.
— Dalai Lama
Usually, I address topics of interest to the greater Feldenkrais and somatics communities in my blog. Today, I’m writing about an urgent governance issue affecting the professional Feldenkrais teacher organization in Canada, Mexico, and the United States:
The Board of Directors of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America (FGNA) recently provisionally approved bylaws amendments that would:
- Decouple the election cycle from the Annual Meeting, removing the requirement that nominations be presented at the Annual Meeting.
- Remove the 30-day mailing requirement for ballots following the Annual Meeting.
- Move all nomination and election procedures from the Bylaws into FGNA Policies.
These changes will be automatically adopted without a membership vote unless at least 35 members object by tomorrow, February 26th.
While the Nominating Committee requested the first two changes, which offer logical flexibility for conference scheduling, the third change was added by the Board. It would make a significant change: shifting these procedures from the Bylaws to Board-controlled Policies removes them from the membership’s direct oversight and places them under the Board's direct control.
When colleagues asked me what this change would mean, I couldn’t answer. That’s because the consolidation of control lacks transparency; this change comes without any explanation of why it's necessary or how it benefits the general membership.
I’ve been so busy teaching over the past two weeks that I haven’t had a chance to reply to the questions I’ve received. Since our chance to respond vanishes in less than two days, I decided to write this post publicly to state my discomfort with approving a policy change when the long-term consequences are unclear. I encourage fellow FGNA members not to let inaction determine our future, but instead to join me in requesting more information by calling for a vote.
How to Object:
To require the Board to explain its reasoning and put this to a formal vote, please send an email:
- To: membership@feldenkraisguild.com
- Subject Line: Bylaws Amendment Opposition
- Deadline: 11:59 PM ET, Thursday, 26 February 2026.
If you also believe that transparency is necessary for the healthy functioning of any organization, don’t let this slip by. Please join me in proactively safeguarding our rights and requesting a vote.
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