Connecticut & Western Massachusetts Mensa ByLaws January, 2000

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September 2009: A process of updating the chapter bylaws is underway. Click here to view the proposed changes.

This copy of the Bylaws of the Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Chapter of Mensa is provided here for information only. Although this copy is an accurate representation of the original, this is not an official copy. Please consult an approved copy of the Bylaws for official business. In the event of any discrepancy between this Web document and the official printed Bylaws, the printed bylaws will control.

Links neither present nor possible in the official hardcopy version have been added for your convenience. What were large numbered paragraphs in the original have been broken up into more easily-read sections; the paragraph numbering has been retained, however.

Article One - Name and Purpose

1. The name of this organization shall be Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Mensa, (hereinafter referred to as "C&WM Mensa").
2. C&WM Mensa is a local group of American Mensa, Ltd. and is subject to the Constitution of Mensa, the bylaws of American Mensa, Ltd. and all resolutions adopted by the American Mensa Committee. (American Mensa, Ltd. and American Mensa Committee are hereinafter referred to as "AML" and "AMC" respectively.)
3. AML has granted a royalty free, non-exclusive license to C&WM 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 services and purposes of C&WM Mensa [one such logo is visible at the top left of this Page]. AML retains full ownership of the mark and logo and all statutory and common law rights in the mark and logo.

Article Two - Membership

1. Membership of C&WM Mensa shall be open to all members in good standing of AML in the geographic area assigned to C&WM Mensa by the AMC, or as otherwise assigned by AML.
2. Mensa members in good standing who are not members of C&WM Mensa are welcome to participate in the social activities of C&WM Mensa, but may not vote or hold office, nor may they participate in its business activities. The National Ombudsman, his surrogate and members of the AMC may be permitted to participate in the business affairs of C&WM in the discharge of their official duties.
3. Guests of members are welcome at social or business functions when the member is present, but are subject to the same exclusions as non-C&WM Mensans.

Article Three - Officers & Duties

1. The elected officers of C&WM Mensa shall be: Local Secretary ("LocSec"), Vice Local Secretary, Treasurer, Secretary and Member-at-Large. These officers shall constitute the Executive Committee ("ExComm") and shall be solely eligible to vote on matters before the ExComm.
2. The duties of the ExComm include, but are not limited to, approving (by majority vote):
   1. budgets;
   2. the replacement of an elected officer [an ExComm member] vacancy;
   3. the chairman and two members of a recall committee, if required.
3. The LocSec shall be the Chief Executive Officer and the liaison with other local groups and AML. The duties of the LocSec shall be to administer the business of C&WM Mensa in accord with the principles of Mensa. The LocSec will also appoint
   • the Editor of the newsletter [Media];
   • Area Coordinators;
   • Committee Chairpersons;
   • Committees;
   • and others in accordance with these ByLaws.

   The LocSec, with the majority consenting vote of the ExComm, shall appoint an interim replacement to serve out the balance of the term of office in the event of a vacancy, other than LocSec, in any of the elective offices.

   The LocSec may be referred to as "Chairman" or "President" when dealing with non-Mensan businesses to more clearly identify his position in the group. Similarly, the Vice LocSec may be referred to as "Vice Chairman" or "Vice President".

   The LocSec will notify the National Office of all election results and changes in the officers [ExComm members] in C&WM within two weeks of such changes.

4. The Vice LocSec shall assist the LocSec in the performance of his duties, act as the LocSec's representative during the LocSec's absence or disability, and succeed the LocSec if he is unable to serve out his term.
5. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial matters of C&WM Mensa, and shall submit to the Executive Committee [ExComm] a semi-annual financial report which shall also be published in the newsletter [Media]. The financial report shall contain schedules of income, expenses and balances for all funds under the control of C&WM Mensa, including RG [Regional Gathering], newsletter [Media], scholarship and other special funds. The report shall also include a listing of all equipment owned by the local group.
6. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all business meetings, maintain all (non-financial) records as required by C&WM Mensa and handle all formal correspondence at the direction of the LocSec.
7. The Member-at-Large shall assist other members of the ExComm in pursuit of their duties, assume the duties of vacant offices, if necessary, until such offices can be filled, and fulfill other duties as requested by the ExComm.
8. The term of office for all elected officers [ExComm members] shall be two calendar years, commencing on the January 1st following the election.

   The order of succession to the LocSec is Vice LocSec, Treasurer, Secretary, Member-at-Large.

   The term of office for all appointive officers shall expire at the end of the term of the current elected officers.

   Appointed positions may be removed by majority vote of the ExComm unless otherwise stated herein.

   Members may serve only two consecutive terms in the same position.

9. All officers [ExComm members] and appointees shall turn over all correspondence, minutes, records, financial records, bank accounts, office equipment and any other materials pertaining to their office to the newly-elected officers within 28 [twenty-eight] days following the determination of the newly elected officers [ExComm members]. Any officer leaving office prior to the end of the term of that office shall turn over all records and materials to the successor or the LocSec within 14 [fourteen] days.
10. All elected [ExComm members] and appointed officers shall be members in good standing of both AML and C&WM Mensa.
11. The LocSec, with the approval of the Executive Committee [ExComm], shall appoint an Ombudsman who will serve as mediator for disputes within the Chapter and shall be an arbitrator available to serve as a representative to a Regional Hearings Committee. The Ombudsman shall not be an elected Officer [an ExComm member], candidate for elected office nor serve on any committee during his term in office.
12. Any voting Officer [ExComm member] may be removed from [the original Bylaws document contains the typo "form" instead of "from" here] office for non-attendance at business meetings. Three consecutive unexcused absences shall constitute grounds for removal from office. A majority of the ExComm must vote in favor of such removal.

Article Four - Meetings

1. A business meeting of the Executive Board [ExComm] requires a quorum of the LocSec and two other board members in attendance. At least one general Executive Board meeting must be convened by the LocSec each quarter at a place and time to be announced in the newsletter [Media].
2. Special business meetings may be called at any time by the LocSec or by the Executive Committee [ExComm], or by a petition of at least 5% [five percent] of the members, based on the most recent membership roster provided by AML. The date, time, place and purpose of the special meeting shall be announced in the newsletter (or by direct mail), and no other business than that indicated in the notice may be acted upon.

Article Five - Elections

1. All elective officers [ExComm members] shall be elected by a plurality of votes of members voting for that office during that election. Sealed ballots shall be cast by mail on forms provided by the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. These forms shall be designed in such a manner as to insure easy removal of the voters' names without compromising the secrecy of the vote.
2. No later than May 1st of every even year, the LocSec shall appoint a Nominating/Election Committee [NomComm] of no fewer than three members (herein after referred to as "Nominating Committee" or "Election Committee" as warranted by the stage of election process).

   No member of the Nominating/Election Committee [NomComm] shall be an elected officer [an ExComm member] of C&WM Mensa, and none shall be nominated as a candidate for elective office [to become an ExComm member] unless he first resigns from the Nominating Committee [NomComm] and does not participate in such nomination.

   Members of the Nominating Committee [NomComm] will be announced in the June issue of the newsletter [Media] and all [Chapter] Members invited to offer suggestions to them.

   Election rules and/or regulations not covered by these By-Laws, if any, will be determined and published by the Election Committee [NomComm].

3. No later than July 1st the Nominating Committee [NomComm] shall, by majority vote, nominate one or more candidates for each elective office. The membership of C&WM Mensa shall be notified of these nominations in the August newsletter [Media], or by mail, posted no later than August 1st.
4. Any additional candidates may be added to the list of nominated candidates by petition signed by at least ten members of C&WM Mensa and delivered to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee no later than August 31st.
5. Candidates for elective office must confirm their willingness to serve before the ballots are distributed.

   Ballots shall be included in the October newsletter, or mailed to all members of C&WM Mensa no later than September 30th.

   With each ballot shall be provided descriptive literature for each candidate, not to exceed 100 words per candidate (such statement to have been submitted by the candidate to the Chairman of the Election Committee [NomComm]).

6. Completed ballots shall be returned to the Chairman of the Election Committee [NomComm], by the previously-set cutoff date, who will then convene the Election Committee [NomComm], at a time and place published in the October newsletter [Media], for a ballot counting.
7. The ballot count will be closed to everyone except the Election Committee [NomComm] and the candidates or their designated representatives.

   Sealed ballots will be checked against the current roster of C&WM Mensa members in good standing, the member's name will then be detached from the ballot to insure anonymity, and ballots will then be counted.

   Any ballot from a member not in good standing, or received after the cutoff date, will not be counted.

   The Election Committee [NomComm] must certify the ballot count and results to the LocSec by majority vote.

   Results of the election will be published in the next possible issue of the newsletter [Media].

8. Challenges must be made no later than ten (10) days after the ballot counting has been certified. Any actions taken by the Executive Committee [ExComm] between the election and the inauguration of the new officers [new ExComm members] will not be affected by the challenge.

Article Six - Removal [Recall]

1. Any elected officer [an ExComm member] may be considered for removal from office by a petition for removal for cause signed by at least 7% [seven percent] of the members of C&WM Mensa, based on the most current published membership roster at the time the petition is submitted.

   Any such petition shall include the following statement:

   "The undersigned each acknowledges and understands that deliberately making a false or misleading oral or written statement to the Recall Committee with regard to the proceeding before it may be an act inimical to Mensa for which sanctions may be imposed by an AMC Hearings Committee."

2. An original signed petition or a copy thereof shall be submitted to each member of the Executive Board [ExComm] by mail.

   The Executive Board [ExComm] must hold a business meeting within 15 [fifteen] days of the receipt of the petition and select a Recall Committee.

   Elected [ExComm members] or appointed officers may not serve on the Recall Committee.

3. The Chairman of the Recall Committee will submit a recall ballot to the next monthly newsletter [Media] along with a statement not to exceed 100 words describing the alleged causes for removal.

   The elected officer [ExComm member] subject to recall may issue a statement in his defense of no more 100 words to be published in the same issue of the newsletter [Media].

   Ballots will be returned to the Chairman of the Recall Committee no later than the 15th [fifteenth] calendar day of the month following the publication of the ballot in the newsletter [Media]. Any ballots received after that will not be opened nor counted.

4. Security and counting of ballots will convene in a closed session of the Recall Committee no later than fifteen (15) days after the due date of return of the ballots in a manner similar to that of the Election Committee described in Article Five, paragraph 7 above.
5. An elected officer [ExComm member] will be recalled upon the affirmative vote of 75% [seventy-five percent] of those voting.

   The count must be certified by a majority of the members of the Recall Committee and the ExComm notified immediately of the results.

   The results will also be published in the next possible newsletter.

   In the event of a recall the vacancy will be filled by succession or appointment, as appropriate.

6. The removal of appointed officers is made by the approval of a majority of the ExComm.

Article Seven - Financial Review

1. At the beginning of the term of office, the LocSec shall appoint a Financial Review Committee of three members, none of whom shall be an elected officer [an ExComm member], who shall review the records of the Treasurer at least twice annually (a minimum of four months apart), to determine that the financial matters are being properly administered and recorded. A financial review shall be held in January of each year.
2. The Chairman of the Financial Review Committee shall submit a report of each review to the LocSec within one month of the review.
3. The Financial Review Committee will review the financial record of the Regional Gathering [RG], if it was held, and submit a report to the LocSec for inclusion in the January issue of the newsletter [Media], or 90 [ninety] days after a Regional Gathering [RG] not held on C&WM Mensa's grandfathered third weekend in October.

Article Eight - Amendments

1. A proposed amendment may be proposed by a petition signed by 4% [four percent] of the members of C&WM Mensa, based on the most current membership roster at the time of the petition, or a majority of elected officers [ExComm].
2. Such proposals shall be submitted to the AMC for its approval, following which they shall be published in the next issue of the newsletter [Media]. A mail ballot shall appear in the newsletter [Media] issue following publication of the proposal. [The] Balloting deadline shall be no less than 90 [ninety] days following the first publication of the proposed amendment(s) in the newsletter [Media].
3. To become effective, an amendment shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those casting valid ballots, as well as the above approval of the AMC.