History of Tortuga Award
The Tortuga Award originated in 2004 when Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS) recognized the need to formally acknowledge the tremendous professional accomplishments and contributions of its members. Annually, this award is given to a MALCS member who has used her expertise, experience and commitment to support and advance the MALCS mission. The Tortuga Award is a token of appreciation for scholars and administrators have made a difference in their respective academic and administrative fields, cleared the educational path for many women of color and gender non-conforming peoples, and whose work established and enhanced MALCS.

Past recipients include:

2013 Norma E. Cantú
2012 Gloria Cuadraz
2011: Lupe Gallegos-Diaz
2010: No award presented
2009: Karen Mary Davalos
2008: Rusty Barcelo
2007 Brenda Child
2006: Inés Talamantez
2005 Norma Alarcón
2004 Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell & Elisa L. Facio [inaugural recipients}

Annually, there are two awards that are presented at our annual MALCS Institute. The first award acknowledging the work of a local person is nominated and determined by the Summer Institute Site Committee. The Site Committee determines the criterion for nomination. The second award acknowledges the work of a MALCS member and is determined by the Executive Committee.

Nominations for MALCS Tortuga Award
Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS) invites nominations for the 2014 Tortuga Award. The award recognizes the achievements, and contributions of members of MALCS. To ensure the special quality of the award, the nominee must be a member of MALCS. Nominations can only come from MALCS members. The nomination must be limited to the nominee’s CV, a two-page letter of nomination describing how the candidate meets the criterion, and two additional letters of support written by other MALCS members.

To be considered for the Tortuga Award, nominating letters should speak to these criteria:
1. A commitment to interdisciplinary Chicana, Latina, Afro-Latina, Native American and Indigenous feminist scholarship, cultural productions, and activism (belief in the scholar-activist model).
2. A member’s history of involvement and significant contribution to the MALCS organization.

The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, July 1, 2014.

Please submit an electronic nomination packet (CV, nomination letter, and two letters of support) to Jessica Lopez Lyman, MALCS Recording Secretary, at gro.sclamobfsctd-94a4d2@acissej/archive-2017.

MALCS 2014: Proposal for Changes to the Bylaws

from: Mónica F. Torres, Ex-Oficio

(Downloadable version: 2014 by-laws resolutions_MALCS)

At the business meeting of the 2013 MALCS Summer Institute at Columbus, Ohio, a resolution was passed that proposed two changes to the bylaws and two actions in the operating practices of the organization. These are listed below. Voting on the changes proposed by the resolution will take place at the business meeting at the 2014 MALCS Summer Institute in Española, New Mexico.

Recommendation 1: That we change Article VIII, Section 6.B.6. This article/section deals with the functions of the Executive Committee and the duties of the officers. The change recommended below alters the section on the duties of the Chair-Elect.

FROM

. . . call a meeting of the Executive Committee for the purpose of determining whether the Chairperson is unwilling or unable to perform the duties of the Chair; such a meeting must be called in writing with no less than five (5) days notice, and only when the Chair-Elect has a good cause to believe that the Chairperson is unable or unwilling to perform the duties of the Chair;

TO

. . . call a meeting of the Coordinating Committee for the purpose of determining whether the Chairperson is unwilling or unable to perform the duties of the Chair in accordance with Article XI of these Bylaws; such a meeting must be called in writing with no less than five (5) days notice, and only when the Chair-Elect has a good cause to believe that the Chairperson is unable or unwilling to perform the duties of the Chair in accordance with Article XI of these Bylaws; the Chair-Elect shall solicit perspectives of relevant MALCS Committees and allow Coordinating Committee members to express their views on the questions and vote on the question.

Recommendation 2: That we add an item to Article XI, “Article XI. Termination of Elected and Appointed Positions.”

FROM

Membership on the Executive Committee/Coordinating Committee shall terminate upon occurrence of any of the following events.

1. Replacement of the member in an election.
2. Written resignation of the member.
3. Failure to pay annual dues.
4. If and when the Executive Committee determines that the member has, in a material way and to a serious degree, obstructed the goals and purposes of the organization.

TO

Membership on the Executive Committee/Coordinating Committee shall terminate upon occurrence of any of the following events.

1. Replacement of the member in an election.
2. Written resignation of the member.
3. Failure to pay annual dues.
4. If and when the Executive Committee determines that the member has, in a material way and to a serious degree, obstructed the goals and purposes of the organization.
5. Member is seriously incapacitated or has established a pattern of 1) neglecting to call or attend meetings or 2) not responding to communications of members or other leaders and that either 1) or 2) has prevented the organization from conducting its business.

Recommendation 3: That we make these changes known to MALCS members on the members’ listserv as soon as possible after the Summer Institute.

Recommendation 4: That our expectation of those elected and appointed to national leadership positions is that they will work to resolve conflicts and disagreements that arise among them.