BYLAWS OF Rochester Area MENSA

ARTICLE I.          NAME AND PURPOSE

1.   The name of this organization shall be Rochester Area Mensa.

2.       Rochester Area 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".

ARTICLE II.         MEMBERSHIP

1.   Membership of Rochester Area Mensa shall be open to all members of AML in good standing in the geographic areas assigned to Rochester Area Mensa by the AMC, or as otherwise assigned by AML.

2.   Mensa members in good standing who are not also members of Rochester Area Mensa are welcome to participate in the social activities of the local group at the discretion of the host or hostess.  The National Ombudsman, his surrogate, and members of the American Mensa Committee shall be permitted to participate in the business affairs of the local group in the discharge of their official duties.

3. Rochester Area Mensa 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.

ARTICLE III.   OFFICERS & DUTIES

1.       The governing body of Rochester Area Mensa shall be an Executive Committee consisting of three officers (Local Secretary, Deputy Local Secretary, and Treasurer), plus four additional members elected at-large. All officers, whether elected or appointed, must be current members in good standing of AML and of the local group.  An officer is defined as any person who is given a title with specific responsibilities. 

2.       The Local Secretary shall be the chief executive officer and the liaison with other local groups and with AML. He or she shall be charged with being the chief point of contact between AML and the local group.  By agreeing to be LocSec, the LocSec agrees to pass along information to and from the group in a timely fashion.  The LocSec shall notify AML and the RVC for the local group within two weeks of any changes in the officers of the group during the term.

3.       The Deputy Local Secretary shall assist the Local Secretary, preside over meetings in the absence of the Local Secretary, and immediately and automatically 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.

4.       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 also maintain a listing of all equipment owned by the local group. The Treasurer may assist the Editor in the preparation and submission of any postal forms that might be required.  The Treasurer shall submit to the LocSec at least 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 LocSec or his or her designee (who must also be an elected member of the Executive Committee).  All accounts must be separate accounts in the name of the group, and shall have more than one signatory so that funds can be accessed in the temporary absence of the treasurer.

5.       The Executive Committee may appoint officers as deemed necessary, including an Editor,  to conduct the business of Rochester Area Mensa

6.       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 the Executive Committee or upon petition signed by one-third of the members of the local group. 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.

7.       The Executive Committee shall appoint an ombudsman, who shall serve as mediator for disputes within the local group and shall be an arbitrator available to serve as a representative to a Regional Hearings Committee. The ombudsman can not be a member of the Executive Committee.

8.       The terms of office of elected officers shall be two years from May 1st to April 30th, or until installation of a properly qualified successor, except in the case of resignation, or removal from office as provided in Articles III (9) or (10).

9.       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 Executive Committee, and may be removed from office by majority vote of the Executive Committee unless otherwise stated herein.

10.   Elected members of the Executive Committee may be removed from office for cause by unanimous assent 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 appropriately.

11.   The Executive Committee shall select a replacement for any Executive Committee member except for the LocSec who resigns, or who is removed or recalled or has moved up to the position of LocSec in accordance with III.3. A replacement for an elected officer is considered to be an elected officer whose term of office ends with the next regular election. 

12.   All elected and appointed officers shall turn over all files, office equipment and materials pertaining to their offices to either their successor(s), to the current Local Secretary, or to another member of the Executive Committee no later than four weeks after leaving office unless otherwise stated herein.

13.   An annual financial review will be conducted during May of each year.  The Executive Committee shall appoint someone to conduct the review who was not involved in the issuing or collecting of money during the previous year.  The review shall include viewing actual statements from banks and any other institutions where the group's money is deposited.

ARTICLE IV.    MEETINGS

1.       Regular meetings or activities may be held at such times as may be appropriate; however a regularly scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee, and a membership activity, must beheld at least once a quarter. Notice of meetings and activities shall be published in the newsletter, or otherwise sent to each member. A simple majority of all voting members of the Executive Committee constitutes a quorum to transact business. General members may speak on any matter being considered by the Executive Committee, when recognized by the Loc Sec, but may not vote.

2.       Special business meetings may be called at any time by the Local Secretary or by the Executive Committee, and shall be called 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 or reported in the local group newsletter (or by direct mail). No other business than that indicated in the notice calling the meeting may be acted on.

3.       All business meetings of Rochester Area Mensa, and the Executive Committee, shall be held within the geographical limits of the group as assigned by the AMC.

ARTICLE V.          ELECTIONS

1.       No member of the Electoral Committee may be a voting member of the Executive Committee or a candidate in the upcoming election.

2.       No later than January 15th of each even numbered year, the Executive Committee shall appoint an Electoral Committee consisting of three members which shall, no later than the deadline for the March 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 the committee and nomination procedure in the February issue of the local group newsletter.

3.       The Electoral Committee shall be responsible for conducting the election, receiving and counting the ballots, and certifying the results. The Electoral Committee shall determine, and cause to be published, those election rules and regulations not covered by these bylaws.

4.       No later than March 15th additional nominations may be made by petition signed by ten (10) members of the local group and delivered to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee.

5.       In the event there is a candidate for each elected office and only one candidate is identified for each office as of the closing of petitions, those candidates shall be declared elected without balloting.

6.       Ballots shall be printed in the April issue of the local group newsletter or mailed to all members of the local group, but in either case posted no later than April 1st. The mail ballots must be returned to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and received no later than April 20th. Ballots received after that date shall not be counted. A plurality of valid votes cast for each office shall constitute election. Votes which are tied shall be determined by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee by a flip of a coin. The Chairman of the Electoral Committee will certify the results of the election to the Local Secretary and shall have the election results published in the next possible issue of the local group newsletter.

7.       Any challenges to the election must be made in writing to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and received by May 15.  Any such challenges will be ruled on by the Ombudsman no later than May 31. Any actions by the Executive Committee while a challenge is pending are not affected by the outcome of any such challenge.

8.       The outgoing LocSec shall notify AML and the RVC for the local group of the results of the election. This notification must take place within two weeks of the election.

ARTICLE VI.    AMENDMENTS

1.   Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by a petition signed by twenty (20) members of the local group submitted to the Executive Committee. Such proposals shall be submitted first, by the Executive Committee, to the AMC for its approval to ballot.  After approval to ballot has been received, they 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 and shall be sent to every member of the local group.  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 final approval of the American Mensa Committee, and filing of revised bylaws with the Bylaws Committee.

ARTICLE VII.   MENSA LOGO & NAME

1.   American Mensa, Ltd. (AML) has granted a royalty free, non- exclusive license to Rochester Area 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 Rochester Area Mensa. AML retains full ownership of the mark and logo and all statutory and common law rights in the mark and logo.

ARTICLE VIII.  PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE & 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.