Missouri Ozark Mensa Bylaws
Missouri Ozark Mensa has a set of bylaws that define the purpose of the organization, to guide the actions of the Steering Committee and members including voting rights, the makeup and responsibilities of the Steering Committee, including the Ombudsman, election procedures, and member rights and responsibilities.
Article 1: Name and Purpose
1. The name of this organization shall be Missouri Ozarks Mensa, the acronym for which shall be MOM
2. MOM 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 hereinafter abbreviated as "AML", and American Mensa Committee as "AMC".
Article II: Membership
1. Membership in MOM shall be open to all members of AML in good standing in the geographic area assigned to MOM by the AMC or as otherwise assigned by AML.
2. Mensa members in good standing who are not also members of MOM are welcome to participate in the social activities of MOM at the discretion of the host or hostess. The National Ombudsman, his surrogate, and members of the AMC shall be permitted to participate in the business affairs of MOM in the discharge of their official duties.
3. MOM shall observe the preferences of members for data suppression and publication, as filed with AML, when publishing a local group roster or membership directory/register, except when the member has given specific permission for the data to be published locally.
Article III: Governing Bodh of MOM/Officers and Duties
1. The governing body of MOM shall be the Steering Committee
(aka, ExCom). The Steering Committee shall consist of the voting
members including:
(a) the following elected officers: Local
Secretary/President (hereinafter, LocSec); Assistant Local
Secretary/Vice President (hereinafter, Assistant LocSec);
Recorder/Secretary, Treasurer, and At-Large Members (one per two
hundred local members or a fraction thereof), and;
(b) the following appointed officers: Program Coordinator,
Membership Officer, Publications Officer, and Webmaster. The
Steering Committee will also include such other officers as
additionally listed below, who will be non-voting members. No more
than one half of the voting members of the Steering Committee may be
appointed officers.
3. The Assistant LocSec shall assist the LocSec, preside over meetings in the absence of the LocSec, and succeed to the office of LocSec should that office become vacant.
4. The Recorder shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of the business and Steering Committee meetings.
5. 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 Steering 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's Report shall also include a listing of all equipment owned by the local group. The Treasurer shall provide original statements from banks and other financial institutions to the LocSec (or designee) at least quarterly. The Treasurer shall make available all financial records for the annual financial review, which shall be conducted during the month of April by an individual not involved in the issuing or collecting of money during the review period. The Treasurer may assist the Editor in the preparation and submission of any postal forms that might be required.
6. The Mediator/Arbitrator shall be responsible for pursuing the resolution of local disputes and of disputes within other groups.
7. The Program Coordinator shall be responsible for arranging for local group activities and shall coordinate with and advise the officers and the Editor of these activities.
8. The Membership Officer shall be responsible for publicity, public relations, and recruitment programs.
9. The Publications Officer shall hold overall responsibility for the local group newsletter and all other publications, including website publications, and shall, with the consent of the Steering Committee, appoint the Editor. The Publications Officer may also serve as Editor.
10. The Editor shall edit the local group newsletter. The Editor shall publish notices of business 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 the Steering Committee or upon petition signed by one-third of the members of the local group as listed on the most recent membership roster received from AML. The outgoing Editor must turn over all files in good order to the incoming Editor no later than 15 days after the outgoing Editor leaves office.
11. The Webmaster shall provide inputs to the Publications Officer regarding the website and, under the guidance of, and with the cooperation of the Publications Officer, design the website, make whatever changes to the general site format and layout are requested, and update content as provided by the Publications Officer.
12. The Testing Coordinator shall be responsible for the administrative details of the local group's testing program and shall act as the liaison between the proctors and the local group as well as between the prospects and the proctors. The Proctor Coordinator, in addition to the responsibilities of the Testing Coordinator, shall also administer supervised tests to prospects. This position is appointed on the national level.
13. Other (non-voting) appointed positions of the local group may include but are not limited to: Scholarship Coordinator, S.l.G.H.T. Coordinator, Area Coordinators for outlying groups of members, and Coordinators for other activities as deemed necessary.
14. The term of office of elected officers shall be one year, from April 1st to March 31st, or until installation of a properly qualified successor, except in the case of resignation or removal from office as provided in Article Ill (17).
15. 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 officers, positions, and committees are appointed by the Losec (or, in the case of the Editor, the Publications Officer) with the approval of the Steering Committee and may be removed from office by a majority vote of the Steering Committee unless otherwise stated herein.
16. All officers and appointees shall turn over all files, office equipment and materials pertaining to their offices to either their successor(s), to the current LocSec, or to another member of the Steering Committee no later than four weeks after leaving office unless otherwise stated herein.
17. Elected members of the Steering Committee may be removed from office by unanimous vote of all other voting members of the Steering Committee or by recall election. A recall election shall be called by a petition citing the reason for such action and signed by ten (10) percent 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 sixty (60) days of presentation of a properly qualified petition at either a regular or special meeting of MOM and the dates set forth in Article V shall be adjusted appropriately. Voting members of the Steering Committee may be removed from office, after three consecutive absences from Steering Committee or business meetings, by majority vote of all other voting members of the Steering Committee.
18. The Steering Committee shall select a replacement for any Steering Committee member who resigns or who is removed or recalled. A simple majority of all voting members of the Steering Committee constitutes a quorum to transact business.
19. All officers and appointees shall be current members in good standing of AML and of MOM.
Article VI: Meetings
1. 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.
2. Special business meetings may be called at any time by the LocSec or by the ExCom and shall be called upon receipt of a petition signed by ten (10) percent 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.
MISSOURI OZARKS MENSA
814 E. Weldon Drive
Nixa, MO 65714
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