Kinfolkology Board Vote: DF Interim Governance Proposal
As a Member Organization of the Descendants Forum (DF), Kinfolkology has been asked to vote on a proposed interim governance structure for the Forum. This form is intended to allow members of Kinfolkology’s Board of Directors to review the proposal and help determine how Kinfolkology will cast its organizational vote.
What is being proposed?
The DF Governance Committee has proposed the creation of a new Executive Committee to serve as the Forum’s interim governing body until a permanent governance structure is formally developed and adopted.
Under the proposal, the Executive Committee would have nine members:
the chairs of each of the seven DF Inaugural Committees; and
two at-large members.
Each Inaugural Committee Chair would hold a seat on the Executive Committee for the duration of their term as chair.
The two at-large seats would be open to Descendants affiliated with DF Member Organizations and Descendants serving on the DF Advisory Council. If more than two people are nominated, the seven Inaugural Committee Chairs would vote to select the two at-large members.
What are we voting on?
The current vote concerns whether the DF should adopt this proposal as the basic framework for its interim governance structure.
It is important to distinguish this from approval of a complete or permanent governance system. Many details of the interim model—including the precise roles, responsibilities, authorities, and duties of the Executive Committee, DF Inaugural Committees, and DF Member Organizations—have not yet been fully delineated.
If the proposal is approved, the newly constituted Executive Committee would work in partnership with the DF Governance Committee to further develop and refine those aspects of the interim governance model.
In other words, the question presently before Member Organizations is essentially:
Should the Descendants Forum establish the proposed nine-member Executive Committee as the basic framework through which the Forum will be governed on an interim basis while a more fully developed governance structure is established?
How will Kinfolkology's vote be determined?
Kinfolkology, like each DF Member Organization, casts one organizational vote on the proposal.
The purpose of this form is to solicit the views of Kinfolkology’s Board of Directors so that our organizational vote reflects the Board’s collective decision rather than the preference of any one individual.
Please review the proposal before responding.
Click Here to View the Full DF Interim Governance Proposal.
Once you have reviewed the proposal for DF interim governance, please use the form below to indicate whether you believe Kinfolkology should vote to approve or reject the proposed interim governance framework. If you’d like, please also feel free to share comments, concerns, or qualifications that you would like considered in connection with Kinfolkology’s vote. (I will copy and paste them into the DF voting form.)
If at all possible, please submit your response as soon as possible, as Kinfolkology’s organizational vote must submitted to the Descendants Forum by October 1, 2026.