Group Bylaws
Central Oklahoma Mensa’s official bylaws, as published in the November 1999 Mensokie.
BYLAWS
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CHAPTER,
AMERICAN MENSA, LTD.
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE
1. The name of this organization shall be CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA.
2. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA is a local group of American Mensa, Ltd., and is subject to the Constitution of Mensa, the Bylaws of American Mensa, Ltd., and the resolutions adopted by the American Mensa Committee. American Mensa, Ltd. is herein abbreviated as “AML†and the American Mensa Committee as “AMC.â€
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA shall be open to all members of AML in good standing in the geographic areas assigned to CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA by the AMC, or as otherwise assigned by AML.
2. Mensa members in good standing who are not also members of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA are welcome to participate in the social activities of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA, at the discretion of the host or hostess, but may not vote or hold office in CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MLENSA, nor may they participate in business activities of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA unless they be the national Ombudsman or his designate, members of the AMC in the discharge of their responsibilities, or at the invitation of the Executive Committee of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS AND DUTIES
1. The governing body of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA shall be an Executive Committee consisting of five elected officers (Local Secretary, Deputy Local Secretary, Treasurer and two officers with unspecified titles).
2. The Executive Committee, by majority vote, shall appoint all other staff deemed necessary to administer the business of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA, but any staff so appointed shall not be permitted voting privileges on the Executive Committee.
3. At their first meeting after taking office, the elected members of the Executive Committee shall elect from among themselves their Local Secretary, Deputy Local Secretary, and Treasurer.
4. The Local Secretary shall be the chief executive officer and the liaison with other local groups and with AML. The Local Secretary shall relay information to and from the local group in a timely fashion. He or she shall notify AML within two (2) weeks of the results of elections, and of changes in the officers of the local group.
5. The Deputy Local Secretary shall assist the Local Secretary, preside over meetings in the absence of the Local Secretary, and succeed to the office of Local Secretary if that office becomes vacant. The Deputy Local Secretary shall also be responsible for keeping minutes of the business and Executive Committee meetings.
6. The Treasurer shall be responsible for financial matters of the local group, including the finances of the local group newsletter, and shall submit to the Executive Committee a semi-annual financial report which shall also be published in the local group newsletter. The financial report shall contain schedules of income expenses and balances for all funds under the control of the local group, including RG, scholarship and other special funds. The Treasurer shall submit to the Local Secretary quarterly the actual statements from banks and any other institutions where the group’s money is deposited, or cause a statement to be sent directly to the Local Secretary or his or her designee, the latter having to be a second officer of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA. The Treasurer may assist the Editor in the preparation and submission of any postal forms that might be required.
7. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA shall have an annual financial review conducted during the month the local group’s elected officers take office. This review shall be conducted by someone who was not involved in the issuing or collecting of money during the review period, and shall include viewing actual statements from banks and any other institutions where the local group’s money is deposited.
8. The Executive Committee of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA will appoint an Ombudsman to pursue local resolutions of disputes and will appoint one or more Arbitrators to pursue resolutions of disputes in other groups.
9. The Editor of the local newsletter shall not be concurrently a member of the Executive Committee, but shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
10. The Editor shall edit the local group’s newsletter. The Editor shall publish notices of meetings and programs, required ballots, results of business meetings and elections, amendments to the bylaws and related discussions and ballots, the semi-annual financial reports, and shall prepare and publish Post Office forms if required. The Editor may be removed by majority vote of the Executive Committee. The outgoing Editor must turn over all files and equipment in good order to the incoming Editor no later than 15 days after the outgoing Editor leaves office.
11. The two Executive Committee members with duties unspecified in these bylaws shall perform duties as agreed upon by the Executive Committee.
12. The Executive Committee may appoint members to fulfill responsibilities as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.
13. The terms of office of elected officers shall be one year from September 1st to August 31st, or until installation of a properly qualified successor, except in the case of resignation, or removal from office as provided in Article III (16).
14. The term of office for all appointed officers and positions expires at the end of the term of office of the current elected officers. Appointed staff, positions, and committees are appointed by the Executive Committee as provided in ARTICLE 111(2), and may be removed from office by majority vote of the Executive Committee unless otherwise stated herein.
15. All officers and appointees shall turn over all files, office equipment and materials pertaining to their offices to either their successor, the current Local Secretary, or another member of the Executive Committee, no later than four weeks after leaving office. Failure to turn over the files, equipment and other materials of office may be considered an act inimical to the Society.
16. Elected members of the Executive Committee may be removed from office for cause by unanimous vote of all other voting members of the Executive Committee or by recall election. A recall election may be called by a petition citing the reason for such action, and signed by 10% of the membership of the local group as listed on the most recent membership roster provided by AML. The balloting provisions of a regular election shall apply except that a recall election must be held within 60 days of presentation of a properly qualified petition at either a regular or special meeting of the local group, and the dates set forth in Article V shall be adjusted accordingly.
17. Any Executive Committee member missing three regularly scheduled meetings may lose his seat at the discretion of the majority of the remaining Executive Committee members.
18. The Executive Committee shall select a replacement for any Executive Committee member who resigns, or who is removed or recalled. A simple majority of all voting members of the Executive Committee constitutes a quorum to transact business.
19. All officers and appointees shall be current members in good standing of AML and of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
1. The Executive Committee shall meet at least every two months with no less than one week’s advance notice being given to the membership. These meetings shall be open to all members of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA.
2. Regular meetings or activities may be held at such times as may be appropriate; however a regularly scheduled meeting must be held at least once a quarter. Notice of meetings and activities shall be published in the newsletter.
3. Special business meetings may be called at any time by the Local Secretary or by the Executive Committee, or upon receipt of a petition signed by 10% of the membership of the local group, using the most recent membership roster provided by AML as a measure of membership count. The date, time, place and purpose of the special meeting shall be announced in the local group newsletter (or by direct mail), and no other business than that indicated in the notice may be acted upon.
ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS
1. No member of the Nominating Committee or Election Committee may be a voting member of the Executive Committee or a candidate in the upcoming election. The same members may comprise the Nominating and Election Committees.
2. No later than April 15th of each year, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three members which shall, no later than the deadline for the June issue of the local group newsletter, nominate one or more candidates for each opening on the Executive Committee. The membership of the local group shall be notified of these nominations in the June issue of the local group newsletter, or by mail posted no later than June 1st.
3. No later than July 1st the Executive Committee shall name an Election Committee of three members who shall be responsible for conducting the election, receiving and counting the ballots, and certifying the results. The Election Committee shall determine, and cause to be published, those election rules and regulations not covered by these bylaws.
4. No later than June 30th additional nominations may be made by petition signed by five (5) members of the local group and delivered to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee.
5. Ballots shall be printed in the August issue of the local group newsletter or mailed to all members of the local group, but in either case posted no later than August 1st. The ballots must be returned to the Chairman of the Election Committee and received no later than August 20th. Ballots received after that date shall not be counted. A plurality of votes cast for each office shall constitute election. The Chairman of the Election Committee shall certify the results of the election to the Local Secretary and shall have the election results published in the September issue of the local group newsletter. Votes which are tied shall be determined by the Chairman of the Election Committee by a flip of a coin.
6. Ballots must be placed inside a sealed envelope which is then placed inside a second mailing envelope on the outside of which the voting member’s name and address must be clearly legible.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by a petition signed by twenty (20) members of the local group. Such proposals shall be submitted to the AMC for approval, following which the proposals, shall be published in the next issue of the local group newsletter. A mail ballot shall appear in the issue of the local group newsletter that follows publication of the proposal as approved by AMC. Balloting deadline shall be no less than 90 days following the first publication of the proposed amendment(s) in the local group newsletter. To become effective, an amendment to these bylaws shall require an affirmative vote of the majority of those casting valid ballots, as well as the above approval of the American Mensa Committee.
ARTICLE VII: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND RULES OF ORDER
1. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, shall govern the local group in all cases to which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these bylaws.
2. Rules of Order for the Executive Committee and for those matters concerning the local group which are not specified in these bylaws may be adopted by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VIII: MENSA NAME AND LOGO
American Mensa, Ltd. (AML) has granted a royalty free, non-exclusive license to CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA for the use of the mark “Mensa†and a logo, consisting of a globe over a stylized “M†within a border, in connection with the non-commercial uses of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA. AML retains full ownership of the mark and logo and all statutory and common law rights in the mark and logo.
ARTICLE IX: RATIFICATION AND ADOPTION
Upon approval by the AMC and upon ratification of the membership of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA, these bylaws shall become the sole and official Bylaws of CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MENSA, superseding all previous versions. These bylaws become effective upon filing with the national Bylaw Committee and national office.