What happened to the old IEAG (International Egg Art Guild) ?
Dear Readers,
I want to thank you for taking the time to ask what happened to the old IEAG (International Egg Art Guild) as there has been some confusion regarding the IEAG Facebook site. The IEAG at one time was a great resource for egg artists. However, in 2022, it was sadly obvious that this once great guild had fallen onto hard times. Their membership consisted of only a handful of officers, their IRS non-profit tax-exempt status had been revoked, the magazine was discontinued, the website was taken down, and they owed thousands of dollars to their members, the magazine publisher and a former website builder. To date, the IEAG is no longer an organization but merely a Facebook group that still falsely proclaims it is a "non-profit association of artists, artisans, and craftspeople who work with natural eggs". I myself tried very hard to bring this great old guild back in 2022 without success. You may read the details below if desired and I have added links to show these documents in blue. We want everyone to be aware that Egg Art International has no association with this Facebook group. We pride ourselves on promoting all types of egg art worldwide, raising the quality of the art to the highest level, and developing public interest in the art through education, exhibition, and sharing. We want to thank our thousands of members for making EAI a great organization!
Sincerely,
Leslie Lisdell M.D. and the Team at Egg Art International
2-6-2024
Here is a Synopsis and Timeline thru 3-12-23 to help you understand exactly what happened to the IEAG.
1. January 2019: The IEAG magazine (for members only) announcement by President Jennifer Stevens Klinger stated, “since there were no nominations for president, they (President and Secretary) would continue another two years”. Jennifer Stevens Klinger (JS) had been elected in 2017.Members had no knowledge of a call for nominations, until after the fact, as this information was never relayed to the members as outlined in the IEAG By-Laws seen below.
Jennifer Stevens Klinger failed to follow proper procedure under the By-Laws essentially making herself president for the next two years.
IEAG By-Laws: # 6 ELECTIONS
The Nomination Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board during the second (2nd) year of office of the current Board for the purpose of nominating the next President.
1. All voting for the office of President shall be by written ballot mailed to the officer designated by the President to receive them, in time to arrive in said officer’s hands at least thirty (30) days before the annual meeting. The members of the Executive Board shall be the tellers who count the ballots and determine the results according to the majority of ballots received.
2. The official ballot shall be included in the Newsletter that is mailed at least three (3) months before the date of the annual meeting.
2. July 2019: the IEAG officers announced in the IEAG magazine these proposed By-Law changes: “Add 5aiii "person ineligible to hold office if publish or promote an egg art magazine". (*this was specifically designed to keep an egg art publisher from holding an officer position). Delete 5Bii “officers may not be appointed for more than 2 consecutive terms.” which would allow officers to hold positions indefinitely. This announcement was found on page 3 of the IEAG magazine. No subsequent announcement or notifications were sent to members or publicized. See By-Law 5Bii below.
IEAG By-Laws: # 5 TERM OF OFFICE
5B. Term of office
1.Term of office for each officer shall be two (2) years, unless sooner terminated by death, incapacity, resignation, or removal.
2.Officers may be elected or appointed to no more than 2 consecutive terms. An officer who has served all or part of two (2 consecutive terms shall be ineligible for re-election for One (1) year.
Again, Jennifer Stevens Klinger violated By-Law #14 regarding changing of any By-Laws outlined below. Members never received this information via published newsletter, email, or magazine announcements.
IEAG By-Laws: # 14 AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
14.Amendments to the By-Laws – The By-Laws can only be amended by a vote of the entire membership. Changes must be printed in the Newsletter twice, the second printing to contain a voting ballot to be mailed to the Board. Majority of all votes received will determine the Amendment.
In summary, Jennifer Stevens Klinger broke several By-Laws in order to not only keep her position as president, but to retain the position indefinitely.
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3. On Feb.1,2021 Jennifer Stevens Klinger sent an email to all members announcing the suspension of the magazine as well as the continuation of the Joan Huff Egg Educational Fund*. No membership dues were returned nor was any of the money from Joan Huff's patterns used for any educational fund. There was no statement that all memberships would be suspended.JS has repeatedly stated in writing that there were no longer members (click to see documentation) -only the past presidents, herself, and Debbie Poster.
4. On 7-6-22 and 10-25-22 Dr. Lisdell (Dr. L) sent a Facebook message to Jennifer Stevens Klinger inquiring if the Masters program was still in place as she had two eggs needing to be judged. She also offered help to update the website as it was outdated.NO REPLY.
5. Late October 2022: Dr. L discovered that the IEAG website (internationaleggartguild.com) was taken down. Furthermore, it was discovered that the IEAG nonprofit tax status (EIN 52-1356542) had been revoked by the IRS. Jennifer Stevens Klinger had failed to file the appropriate tax forms since 2018 and as a result, the IRS revoked the non-profit status. Dr. L notified Linda Ruth (past president and Master program director) and Debbie Peters Botts (secretary) of both issues.
6. November 7, 2022. Dr. L spoke with Jennifer Stevens Klinger and offered to rebuild the site. Dr. L spent 177 + hours and approximately $300 for monthly maintenance, URL, photo, and miscellaneous purchases.
7. November 18, 2022: Jennifer Stevens Klinger Facebook messaged Dr. L asking if she “would be interested in being the president". Click here to see Facebook message. Dr. L stated she would consider taking an interim presidency position only until elections could be held. Jennifer Stevens Klinger stated that "an interim position would not be possible since the only IEAG members are myself, Debbie Peters Botts (VP/secretary) and the past presidents". She stated that “the ones voting now on the presidency would be the same ones in the Spring and it would be for a two-year term”. Again, Jennifer Stevens Klinger failed to follow proper procedure.
Jennifer Stevens Klinger continued thru various emails and Facebook messages to state she did not want previous members to be called members. This would hamper any activities she would engage in as the “president”.
8. November 19, 2022 - January 23, 2023: Mutiple emails and Facebook private messages from Jennifer Stevens Klinger to Dr. L regarding additions to the website, and Q&A's for the president position. Jennifer Stevens Klinger stated she would make the announcement on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, about herself and Dr. L's role in the IEAG as well as some add-ons to the website. The website had recently been made public in order to test emails, coupons and other functions. No public disclosure was made of the URL as it was not finalized, and there still needed to have Jennifer Stevens Klinger add-ons to it.
9. January 25, 2023: Dr. L received an email from Jennifer Stevens Klinger demanding Dr. L "cease and desist" and turn over member information (there was none). She found the website in a google search and happened upon it. Jennifer Stevens Klinger never contacted Dr. L to find out that the website was undergoing final functionality checks. Linda Ruth (who had been supportive of Dr. L in taking the president role) called Dr. L. Dr. L explained the final functionality checks were being done, but Linda Ruth still demanded that Dr. L take the website down and apologize to Jennifer Stevens Klinger. Dr. L made the decision that based on the "cease and desist" email, Jennifer Stevens Klinger controlling behavioral issues, multiple By-Law manipulations, monetary issues, tax issues, defaming of other artists, ideology that suppliers were detrimental and considered as competition, etc. that continuing to engage with these parties was not in alignment with her own ethical beliefs. Dr. L notified her attorney and formed the "Commitee for the Preservation of the IEAG" and announced that the website built for the IEAG was up. Dr. L still had a glimmer of hope that perhaps Jennifer Stevens Klinger and Linda Ruth would "come to their senses" and embrace the change so matters could be dealt with privately. Linda Ruth started posting the new website was fake and caused unnecessary fear among the egg art community. A fury of false allegations were posted on multiple Facebook sites by Jennifer Stevens, Linda Ruth and Debbie Peters Botts forcing Dr. L's attorney to send out an official Cease and Desist letter to stop the slanderous remarks.
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10. January 29,2023 Jennifer Stevens Klinger and Debbie Peters Botts announced the dissolution of the IEAG. On 2-18-23 Jennifer Klinger Stevens and Debbie Peters Botts announced the IEAG would now function as a "repository" for all the IEAG's assets which were to be donated to a non-profit per the By-Laws # 18 below. A few weeks later that announcement was removed after fraud allegations. It saddens us that such a great asset such as the IEAG fell into such disrepair. Again, Egg Art International is committed to making sure those great artist's memory and work will continue to be honored thru our work supporting all styles of egg artists worldwide. To date, as of this writing, none of the IEAG property and money has ever been donated as required by their bylaws stated below.
IEAG By-Laws: # 18 Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the IEAG, the Executive Board shall pay out or make provisions for the distribution of all the assets of the IEAG, exclusively for the purposes of the IEAG, in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes (e.g. to a public library for the purchase of Eggshell Art books), as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) as the Executive Board shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the County in which the principal officer of the IEAG is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations which said Court shall determine and organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
* As of August 2024, no money or patterns donated by Joan Huff to the IEAG were ever used to set up this fund or returned to Joan's family. Egg Art International set up this scholarship in 2024.See information here.