My fellow Guild members:
I’ll get right down to it — I, Linnea Capps, will be stepping down as president of the Furry Writers’ Guild.
The Guild finds itself at a crossroads. We have launched many new initiatives over the past year, and have been planning even more, working toward formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit (alongside new membership benefits). This would require more involvement not only from Guild members but a massive investment of my own time and energy as president.
Unfortunately, I was recently diagnosed with a clinical case of burn-out. I’ll be okay with time to rest, but it has become clear I cannot continue to sacrifice my health this way. I am sorry to everyone this will disappoint, but I hope you’ll understand.
Our amazing staff (as well as many former presidents) have stepped up when needed to ensure that the Guild could continue to function. Unfortunately, with a lack of volunteer help and no other candidates for president, it is uncertain that there will be an enduring foundation for the Guild to expand its operations. It is thus infeasible to continue with these initiatives until such a foundation can be established.
With this in mind, let’s discuss what this means for the Guild going forward.
In accordance with the by-laws, we have gone through each current officer to accede to the presidency, with all declining the role. This leaves the Guild with no president and the by-laws lacking a way to deal with this situation. We have made our best effort to pass on the torch as fairly as possible. As such, beginning today, May 21st, 2021, the Furry Writers Guild will begin a special vote for an election of a president and vice president.
For a period of two weeks from May 21st, 2021 to June 4th, 2021 any Guild member may declare themself as a candidate for these positions. Candidates should announce their candidacies via the forums in the Guild Election section.
In the event that a new president is not elected, the remaining officers will form an interim committee with the intent to sustain our current services while constructing a plan for the Guild’s next steps. I will be staying on until after whatever transition takes place and am here to answer questions.
Before I close, I want to say one last thing — anyone considering running for president needs to understand the undertaking they are signing up for. Please reach out to me or other previous presidents to get an idea of what this entails. The end of our two-week period will be on June 4th, 2021. We’ll update everyone with any voting details as necessary then.
Sincerely,
Linnea “LiteralGrill” Capps
President of the Furry Writers Guild
Furry Writers’ Guild 