Bylaws

2010-05-04T17:31:23Z

Twright0: Updated with bswolf's amendment

{{true}}

These are the official (but not the canonical) bylaws of the KGB organization. They are very important.

=ARTICLE I. NAME AND OBJECTIVES=

==Section 1. Name==
The name of the organization shall be [[KGB]].

==Section 2. Objectives==
The objectives of the organization shall be:
* to promote a spirit of fellowship among its [[members]].
* to take an active and positive role in campus life.

==Section 3. No Profit==
The organization shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder or residue from dues, donations, or other sources of income to the organization shall inure to the personal benefit of any member or individual.

=ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS=

==Section 1. Standing Definitions==
The terms defined as follows shall be considered standing definitions:

===a. Majority===
A majority shall be defined as a number greater then one-half (1/2), or fifty percent (50%), of the total.

===b. Organization Quorum===
A quorum of the organization is required in order to hold meetings as set forth in Article IV, Sections 1 and 2, and shall be either a majority of the voting members or seventy-five percent (75%) of the active members.

===c. Board Quorum===
A quorum of the Board is required in order to hold meetings set forth in Article IV, Sections 3, 4, and 5, shall be a majority of the Board members.

===d. Written Petitions===
All written petitions shall bear the signatures of either ten (10) members, or twenty percent (20%) of the voting membership, whichever is greater.

===e. Member in Good Standing===
A [[members|member]] is in good standing whose [[dues]] are current and whose other monetary obligations to the organization are fulfilled
# within sixty (60) days of the obligation's creation, or
# by the Annual Meeting (as defined in Art. VI, Sec. 2)
whichever comes first unless such obligations are created within seven (7) days prior to the Annual Meeting, in which case clause 2 shall not apply.

===f. Voting Member===
A voting [[members|member]] is a member in good standing who has attended at least one (1) previous meeting.

===g. Mailing===
A mailing may be by physical or electronic means. Such mail must be individually addressed to each recipient, and may not only be to a single central bulletin board or other medium.

===h. Active Member===
An active [[members|member]] shall be a voting member who has attended at least one of the three (3) previous regular organization meetings as set forth in Article IV, Section 1 of these bylaws.

===i. [[Annual meeting|Annual Meeting]]===
The annual meeting is the meeting at which the officers shall be elected for the ensuing year, and at which other significant business is conducted in accordance with these bylaws, and is described in Article VI, Section 2 of these bylaws.

===j. Random Process===
A random process shall be any method of choice which assigns an equal probability of selection to each option.

===k. [[Duck]]===
Anything that looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.

===l. Zombie Dollar===
One zombie dollar is the equivalent of the fee assessed members with a body temperature equal to or less than fifty (50) degrees Fahrenheit, as defined in Article III, Section 2 of these bylaws.

==Section 2. Provisional Definitions==
All terms not previously defined as standing Definitions shall be defined according to the current edition of MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY.

=ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP=

==Section 1. [[Members|Membership]]==
Each individual voting member shall have one (1) vote. Each member shall receive one (1) copy of any notices, publications or other distributed documents of the organization.

==Section 2. Becoming a Member==
Any person whose dues have been paid to the Treasurer and whose body temperature is above fifty (50) degrees Fahrenheit shall be considered a member. However, the second requirement can be waived for the fee of six (6) dollars.

==Section 3. [[Dues]]==
Membership dues for the next year shall be suggested annually by the [[Executive Board]] in March, and approved or changed by the voting membership at the April meeting. Dues shall be payable on or before the thirtieth day of September each year.

==Section 4. Termination==
Memberships may be terminated voluntarily:
===a. Resignation===
Any member may resign from the [[KGB|organization]] upon written notice to the [[Recording Secretary]].

===b. Lapsed Memberships===
A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's [[dues]] remain unpaid thirty (30) days after the deadline for payment of dues. However, the [[Executive Board]] may grant an additional thirty (30) days grace period to such delinquent [[members]] in exceptional cases. In no case may a person be entitled to vote at any
[[KGB|organization]] [[meetings|meeting]] whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting, or who are sixty (60) days in arrears of other monetary obligations to the organization.

==Section 5. Refund of [[Dues]]==
Membership [[dues]] will not be refunded either wholly or in part for any reason save extreme circumstances as determined by the membership.

==Section 6. Benefits of Membership==
All [[members]] in good standing shall receive all benefits of membership except as stipulated in the bylaws.

=ARTICLE IV. [[Meetings|MEETINGS]] AND VOTING=

==Section 1. Regular Organization [[Meetings]]==
Regular [[meetings]] of the organization shall be held as directed by the Executive Board. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed to the membership at least six (6) days prior to the date of the first such meeting of each semester by the Corresponding Secretary through the official organization newsletter or by other mailing, as well as upon any change in the announced time.

==Section 2. Special Organization Meetings==
Special [[meetings]] of the organization may be called by the [[President]], or by a majority vote of the members of the [[Executive Board]] who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board, or by the [[Recording Secretary]] upon receipt of a written petition. Written notice of such [[meetings]] shall be mailed by the [[Corresponding Secretary]] at least three (3) and not more than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose(s) of the meeting, and no other organization business may be transacted thereat.

==Section 3. Regular [[Executive Board]] [[Meetings]]==
Regular [[meetings]] of the [[Executive Board]] shall be held as directed by the Board, with a minimum of two (2) such meetings per semester. Notice of such [[meetings]] shall be mailed to the membership at least six (6) days prior to the date of the first such meeting of each semester by the [[Corresponding Secretary]] and upon any change in the announced time. Such [[meetings]] shall be closed to non-members of the organization unless the individual(s) should be specifically invited by the [[Executive Board|Board]], in which case the cause for the non-member presence shall be the first order of business, and after which the non-member may be asked to leave the meeting.

==Section 4. Special [[Executive Board]] [[Meetings]]==
Special [[meetings]] of the [[Executive Board]] may be called by the [[President]], or by the [[Recording Secretary]] upon the receipt of a written petition signed by at least three (3) members of the [[Executive Board|Board]]. Notice of such [[meetings]] shall be given to the membership at least five (5) days prior to the meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business may be transacted thereat. In addition, all restrictions in Section 3 of this article shall apply to special meetings of the [[Executive Board|Board]].

==Section 5. Emergency [[Executive Board|Board]] [[Meetings]]==
Emergency meetings of the [[Executive Board|Board]] may be called by the [[President]] or [[1st VP|First Vice-President]] and may be held by phone. Notice of such [[meetings]] shall be given to the officers at least one (1) day prior to the meeting. Any majority decision reached will be entered into the minutes of the next regular [[Exec|Board]] meeting.

==Section 6. Voting==
Each voting [[members|member]] shall be entitled to one (1) vote at any regular meeting of the [[KGB|organization]] at which the member is present. Absentee voting will be permitted only for elections. Absentee ballots must be submitted to all the election proctors at
least twelve (12) hours in advance of the commencement of the [[Annual meeting|Annual Meeting]], and may be submitted by electronic mail or in person.

=ARTICLE V. [[:category:Officers|OFFICERS]] AND REPRESENTATIVES=

==Section 1. [[Executive Board]]==
The [[:category:officers|officers]] of the [[KGB|organization]] shall constitute the [[Exec|Executive board]]. The power necessary for the general management of the organization's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board, except as follows.

===a. Supremacy of the Organization===
The Board shall be subject to the orders of the organization, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the organization, and the organization may countermand any decision of the board by a majority vote, thus opening up the question for consideration by the organization.

===b. Distribution of Funds===
The Board shall not distribute the organization's funds except as directed by the organization.

==Section 2. [[:category:Officers|Officers]]==
The organization officers, consisting of the following, shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the organization and its meetings and the [[Exec|Board]] and its [[meetings]].

===a. [[President]]===
The President shall preside at all [[meetings]] of the [[KGB|organization]] and of the [[Exec|Board]], and shall have the duties and powers normally applicable to the office of President in addition to those provided for in these bylaws.

===b. [[1st VP|First Vice-President]]===
The First Vice-President shall be in charge of fellowship and shall actively recruit new [[members]].

===c. [[2nd VP|Second Vice-President]]===
The Second Vice-President shall be in charge of organizing fellowship activities.

===d. [[Corresponding Secretary]]===
The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence pertinent to the [[KGB|organization]] other than the correspondence reserved for the [[Recording Secretary]] and [[Treasurer]]. The Corresponding Secretary shall be the Editor of the organization [[Pravda?|Newsletter]].

===e. [[Recording Secretary]]===
The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all [[meetings]] of the [[KGB|organization]] and of the [[Exec|Board]] and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the organization. The Recording Secretary shall keep a roll of the [[members]] of the organization with applicable information, including attendance at meetings of the general body; furthermore, the Recording Secretary shall carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws, and shall have the duties and powers normally applicable to the office of Secretary, except for those duties and powers assigned to another officer by these bylaws. In the absence of the Recording Secretary, the duties and powers thereof shall be executed by the Corresponding Secretary, or in the absence thereof, the most senior officer present not presiding over the meeting.

===f. [[Treasurer]]===
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all [[Treasury|moneys]] due or belonging to the organization, and shall deposit the same in a bank satisfactory to the [[Exec|Board]], in the name of the [[KGB|organization]]. The Treasurer's books shall be open at all times to the inspection of the Board, and the Treasurer shall report to the Board and the general [[members|membership]] at every meeting the condition of the organization's finances. At the [[annual meeting]], the Treasurer shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous fiscal year. During the month of September the Treasurer shall mail to each member a statement of [[dues]] for the ensuing year. The Treasurer shall disperse funds as directed by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for filing all financial forms applicable to the organization. In the absence of the Treasurer, the [[Recording Secretary]] shall record allocations made or debts incurred by or to the organization; however, the Recording Secretary shall not disburse or collect moneys, unless authorized so to do by the Board.

===g. [[Sergeant at Arms|Sergeant-at-Arms]]===
The Sergeant at Arms shall assist in preserving order as the chair may direct, and other duties as set forth in the standing rules of order.

==Section 3. [[:category:officers|Officer]] Requirements==
All Officers of the [[KGB|organization]] shall be voting [[members]] who are [[Activities fee|Activities Fee]]-paying students.

==Section 4. Vacancies==
Any vacancy of an [[:category:Officers|officer]] position occurring on the [[Exec|Board]] during the year shall be filled for the unexpired term of office by a majority vote of all the remaining members of the Board by the second regular [[meetings|meeting]] of the board following the creation of such vacancy.

==Section 5. Recall of [[:category:Officers|Officers]]==
Any officer may be recalled for misconduct or dereliction of duty. A written petition, stating the reason(s) for recall, shall be filed with the [[Exec|Board]]. Written notice of such a petition shall be mailed to the membership. At the next regular [[meetings|meeting]] at least six (6) days after the mailing, a hearing on the matter will be held and a two-thirds (2/3) vote will be required to sustain the recall.

==Section 6. Seniority==
Seniority of offices is: [[President]], [[1st VP|First Vice-President]], [[2nd VP|Second Vice-President]], [[Corresponding Secretary]],
[[Recording Secretary]], [[Treasurer]], and [[Sergeant at Arms|Sergeant-at-Arms]].

=ARTICLE VI. [[KGB|ORGANIZATION]] YEAR, [[Annual meeting|ANNUAL MEETING]], [[Elections|ELECTIONS]]=

==Section 1. [[KGB|Organization]] Year==
The organization's fiscal year shall begin on the first day of September and end on the thirty-first day of August. The organization's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the [[elections|election]] at the [[annual meeting]] and shall continue
through the election at the next annual meeting.

==Section 2. [[Annual meeting|Annual Meeting]]==
No later than the last meeting in the month of December the [[Exec|board]] shall set the date for the Annual Meeting. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of April of each year. At the Annual Meeting the Officers for the ensuing year shall be elected by
secret, written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with Section 4 of this article. They shall take office immediately upon the conclusion of the election and each retiring [[:category:Officers|officer]] shall relinquish all properties and records relating to that office within fifteen (15) days after the [[elections|election]].

==Section 3. [[Elections]]==
The color of elections shall be [[purple]].

===a. Proctors===
For the duration of the [[elections]] at the [[Annual meeting|Annual Meeting]], a set of at least three proctors shall preside and keep order at the meeting. Ballots shall be counted by at least two proctors. Proctors shall be ineligible to run in that year's elections. Proctors shall be voting members of the organization except as discussed in section VI.3.b.

===b. Normal Proctor Selection===
At least two weeks prior to the [[Annual meeting|Annual Meeting]], a slate of at least three consenting [[members]] shall be nominated as proctors at a meeting of the [[Exec|Board]]. A member shall not be nominated if any member of the Board objects. At any meeting of the general body thereafter prior to the Annual Meeting, the slate may be modified or approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. At any such time, if it has not yet approved a slate of proctors, the organization may elect to request proctors from an external source with a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

===c. Emergency Proctor Selection===
If, at the Annual Meeting, less than three approved proctors are in attendance, the [[members|general body]] shall again have the opportunity to modify and approve the slate of proctors. If no proctors have yet been approved, after at least two failed votes to approve the current slate of proctors the chair may declare an impasse. In such an impasse, five present members not presently nominated for office shall be selected as proctors by random process; or, if five such members cannot be found, five members from the total attendance shall be so selected, but shall remain eligible for election.

===d. [[Elections|Election]] Procedure===
The election of each [[Officers|officer]] shall be concluded before the election of the next begins, and these elections shall be held in order of the chain of command. Write-in ballots or other invalid ballots shall be considered as abstentions. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast for each office shall be declared elected. In the case of an all-way tie, an additional round shall be run. Should the tie repeat, the winner shall be decided by the proctors of the election by random process. Otherwise, candidates shall be eliminated by the following method:

# Sort candidates into tiers of people with the same number of votes.
# Starting with the lowest ranking tier, remove tiers from the running in increasing order of rank until removing another would bring the total number of votes removed above 1/3. If there are no tiers with a number of votes below 1/3, remove the lowest ranking tier.
# If more than one candidate remains, run another round.

The winner shall be announced by the election proctors. Vote totals shall not be announced. The ballots shall be destroyed upon completion of the elections.

==Section 4. Nominations==
No person may be a candidate in an [[KGB|organization]] [[elections|election]] who has not been nominated or who is not a voting organization [[members|member]] in good standing. During the last quarter of the official year the Executive Board shall select a [[NomCom|Nominating Committee]] consisting of four (4) members willing to so serve, not more than one (1) of whom shall be a member of the [[Exec|Board]]. The [[Recording Secretary]] shall immediately notify the committee members of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairperson for the committee and it shall be this person's duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before March 1. Once the first meeting has been held, the membership of this committee cannot be altered by the board. No person who has served on the Nominating Committee will be eligible to run in that year's elections.

===a. Duties of the Nominating Committee===
The committee shall encourage as many able members to nominate themselves for offices as possible. If any office has no nominations for candidates, one (1) week before nominations are closed, Nominating Committee shall nominate one (1) person to that position, and after securing the consent of each person so nominated, shall immediately report their nominations to both the [[RecSec|Recording]] and [[CorSec|Corresponding]] Secretaries in writing. Nominating Committee is to do everything in its power to maintain the appearance of neutrality.

===b. Membership Notification of the Report of the Nominating Committee===
Upon receipt of the [[NomCom|Nominating Committee]]'s report, the [[Corresponding Secretary]] shall on or before April 1, notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.

===c. Ad hoc Nominations===
Additional nominations may be made at any meeting after the report of the nominating committee and before the [[annual meeting]] by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his or her name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, the proposer shall present to the Recording Secretary a written statement of the candidate's willingness to be so nominated. A voting member may be nominated and run for more than one (1) office, but shall only be allowed to hold one (1) office.

===d. Membership Notification of the Final List of Nominees===
Upon finalization of the nominations and at least three days before the annual meeting, the [[Corresponding Secretary]] shall notify each member in writing of the list of candidates.

===e. Exclusion of Other Nominations===
Nominations cannot be made at the [[annual meeting]] or in any manner other than as provided for in this section.

=ARTICLE VII - [[Committees|COMMITTEES]]=

==Section 1. Ordinary [[Committees]]==
The Board may each year appoint standing ordinary committees to advance the work of the organization. Special ordinary committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board.

==Section 2. Revision of Ordinary [[Committees]]==
Any ordinary committee appointment may be terminated by the Board upon written notice to the appointee, and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated.

==Section 3. Extraordinary [[Committees]]==
The organization may appoint extraordinary committees to advance the work of the organization. Each such committee has an owner, who must be a member in good standing of the organization. The owner appoints and replaces the chair of the committee as deemed
appropriate.

==Section 4. Ownership of Extraordinary [[Committees]]==
The owner of an extraordinary committee is determined by auction, the proceeds of which are payable to the organization. In the event of a vacancy in ownership of an extraordinary committee, the organization may fill the vacancy by auction.

==Section 5. Voluntary Transfer of Ownership of Extraordinary [[Committees]]==
The owner of an extraordinary committee may transfer the ownership of the committee to another member in good standing by notifying the Recording Secretary.

==Section 6. Records of [[Committees]]==
The [[Recording Secretary]] shall maintain a record of the membership of all ordinary committees and of the ownership of all
extraordinary committees.

=ARTICLE VIII. [[Disciplinary action|REPRIMAND, SUSPENSION, AND EXPULSION]]=

==Section 1. Responsibility==
Any member of the organization shall be held accountable for any conduct considered injurious to the organization or its purposes and objectives. The gravity of such conduct shall first be considered at a hearing before the [[Executive Board]]. Considering said charges of conduct, the Board may, at its discretion, enforce any of the following punitive actions:

===a. Reprimand===
The [[Exec|Board]] may reprimand the [[members|member]] for minor offenses, which can include, but shall not be limited to, written reprimand, verbal warning, restitution, or organization service.

===b. Suspension===
For offenses of a more serious nature, the [[Exec|Board]] may suspend membership privileges of the [[members|member]] for any length of time, up to the next [[Annual Meeting]] of the organization.

===c. Expulsion===
Considering the most heinous of offenses, the [[Exec|Board]] may propose to the [[KGB|organization]] [[members|membership]] expulsion of the member. The [[KGB|organization]] shall then vote at the next [[Meetings|Regular Meeting]] of the [[KGB|organization]], and the proposal for expulsion shall require a two-thirds (2/3) [[voting|vote]] for approval.

==Section 2. Notice of charges==
Any [[members|member]] so charged shall be given written notice of said hearing at least ten (10) days prior to that hearing, and such [[members|member]] shall have the right to be present at said hearing for the purposes of defense.

==Section 3. Appeal of reprimand or suspension==
Any [[members|member]] affected by Section 1, Parts (a) and (b), of this Article, shall have thirty (30) days to appeal said proceedings. Written notice of appeal shall be presented to the [[Recording Secretary]]. The [[Exec|Board]] shall then, in turn, present the matter to the [[voting]] [[members|membership]] at the next Regular organization [[meetings|meeting]]. An affirmative two-thirds (2/3) [[voting|vote]] shall be required to sustain the actions of the [[Exec|Board]].

==Section 4. Reinstatement==
Any person whose membership is terminated according to Section 1 of this article must present his or her application for reinstatement to the [[Executive Board]] for approval prior to being [[voting|voted]] upon by the general membership.

=ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY=

The rules contained in the current edition of [[Robert's Rules of Order|ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER NEWLY REVISED]] shall govern the [[KGB|organization]] in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these [[Bylaws]] and any special rules of order the [[KGB|organization]] may adopt.

=ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS=

==Section 1. Proposal of Amendments==
Amendments to these [[bylaws]] may be proposed by the [[Executive Board]] or by written petition addressed to the [[Recording Secretary]]. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the [[Exec|Board]] and must be submitted to the [[members]] with the recommendations of the [[Exec|Board]] by the [[Recording Secretary]] for a [[voting|vote]] within thirty (30) days of the date when the petition was received by the [[Recording Secretary]].

==Section 2. Approval of Amendments==
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) [[voting|vote]] at any regular or special [[meetings|meeting]] called for the purpose, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each [[members|member]] at least six (6) days prior to the date of the meeting.

=ARTICLE XI. DONATIONS=

The [[KGB|organization]] may accept donations in the form of money, equipment or other property to be used for the exclusive benefit of the [[members|membership]], provided however, that all contributions and donations to the organization shall be subject to approval by the [[Exec|Board]].

=ARTICLE XII. DISSOLUTION=

The organization may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the [[voting]] [[members]] in good standing. In the event of the dissolution of the [[KGB|organization]], whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the property of the organization nor any proceeds thereof nor any assets of the [[KGB|organization]] shall be distributed to any [[members]] of the [[KGB|organization]]. After payment of the debts of the [[KGB|organization]], its property and assets shall be given to a similar organization or sold and the money donated to a charitable organization selected by the [[Executive Board]].

=ARTICLE XIII. SUGGESTED ORDER OF BUSINESS=

==Section 1. [[KGB|Organization]] [[meetings]]==
At [[meetings]] of the [[KGB|organization]], the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

# Reading and correction of the [[minutes]] of the last regular [[KGB|organization]] [[meetings|meeting]] and any special [[meetings]] or [[Exec|Board]] meetings held in the interim
# Reports of [[officers]]
# Reports of [[committees]]
# [[Old business]]
# New business
# [[Elections]] (at [[annual meeting]])
# Actual Real Relevant Announcements Pertaining to the Business of KGB as an Organization.
# [[Schmucks|Open floor]]

==Section 2. [[Exec|Board]] [[meetings]]==
At [[meetings]] of the [[Exec|Board]], the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority [[voting|vote]] of those present, shall be as follows:

# Reading and correction of the [[minutes]] of the last regular [[Exec|Board]] [[meetings|meeting]] and any special [[meetings]] or [[KGB|organization]] [[meetings]] held in the interim
# Reports of [[officers]]
# Reports of [[committees]]
# [[Old business]]
# New business

KGB Wiki - User contributions [en]

Members

Bylaws