The SAM message sent by email today (1/14/2019) states:

The SAM Board has unanimously voted to propose a change to the bylaws; the change is summarized at the end of this email, and also appears in the upcoming Bulletin.

SAM’s bylaws may be “altered, amended, or replaced, and new bylaws may be adopted, by a two-thirds majority vote at any meeting of the Board of Trustees, subject to ratification by the members of the Society by a two-thirds majority vote cast by members present or by signed proxy during a meeting at which there is a quorum present providing that notice of such meeting indicates that an amendment or amendments of the bylaws will be acted upon at the meeting and indicates the general nature of the proposed amendment or amendments.” (https://www.american-music.org/page/Bylaws) If you are not attending the NOLA conference and want to send a signed proxy, please send your vote to secretary Leta Miller, leta@ucsc.edu, who will bring the proxy votes to the meeting and include them in the count.

It seems to me that given the availability of secure voting online (such as is already used for electing board members and officers), votes involving changes to the By-Laws to should also be made online. This would allow all members to participate in making important decisions involving SAM practices without having to involve proxies.