Article 1
MEMBERSHIP
1.0
The membership of the association shall be comprised of all members
in good standing who have paid their current annual fee no less than 15
minutes prior to the start of the meeting at which they desire to vote.
No proxies shall be allowed. Annual membership fees are payable at or
before the annual meeting, held at noon during the Fall Festival each
year, and shall not be prorated. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of
the voting members present. Withdrawal of members from any meeting shall
not cause failure of a duly constituted quorum at that meeting.
1.1
Membership is open to any person, 18 years or older, who fills out a
current membership application and who agrees with and affirms the
purpose of this organization as spelled out in our articles of
incorporation, article 2. Membership is not transferable or assignable.
1.2
Junior membership, without a fee or the right to vote, is open to
individuals under the age of 18, with the written consent of a parent or
legal guardian. Participation in TAWN activities and input in the monthly
meetings are encouraged.
Article 2
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
2.0
The Officers and Directors of this corporation shall hold office for
a term of one year, or until their successors are elected. Terms shall
begin at the close of the annual meeting. These positions are unpaid. A
minimum of one year of active TAWN membership prior to being elected
shall be required. Candidates for President shall have served a minimum
of one year on the Board prior to election to this office. One duty of
all members of the Board of Directors is to attend the cauldronluck
meetings, in order to be available to membership and to understand their
concerns. More than one absence without prior notification to the Board,
or a total of three for any reason during a year in office, shall
constitute automatic resignation from the board. Any exceptions to this
policy must be made only for extreme circumstances, and then only with
the consent of the membership. Active members whose schedules do not
allow attendance at the Sunday noon meetings are urged to volunteer in
other capacities. Board members must be willing and able to represent
TAWN publicly as needed.
The duties of the Officers shall be as follows:
2.1
The President/Coordinator is the primary spokesperson for the
organization. Duties include presiding at TAWN meetings, both of the
general membership at the monthly cauldronlucks and of the Board of
Directors. The position requires both tact and impartiality, as the
office holder must competently separate her/his choice of spiritual paths
from the mandate to encourage diversity and religious self expression
among TAWN members. Mediation and leadership skills are crucial, as is
reliability. Time commitments vary monthly, usually exceeding 20 hours,
and include assisting members with networking and crisis intervention as
required.
2.2
The Secretary picks up mail from TAWN's post office box (downtown
station) , then answers it, forwards to Tapestry
editor(s) any
submissions, and forwards other mail to the President or appropriate
Board members. For "standard" inquiries there is a small packet of
information that can sometimes be sent without a cover letter. Other
inquiries require more particular responses; copies of such are kept and
forwarded to the President, and then filed in the archives. Inquiries to
particular individuals or covens are forwarded to that person or group.
2.3
The Treasurer has duties that include, but are not limited to, full
responsibility for the financial statement reporting of TAWN funds,
tracking all income and expenses incurred by TAWN, and being a signatory
on the TAWN checkbook. Time commitments vary monthly, but at least 10-15
hours monthly must be allotted.
Article 3
COMMITTEES, APPOINTEES, and ORGANIZERS
3.0
The President may appoint committees and event organizers as
necessary to implement the purposes of the corporation. All positions
held shall be voluntary and unpaid. This does not, however, prohibit
reimbursement for actual expenses, or payment for professional services
rendered that are contracted for separately from any duties as a TAWN
volunteer.
3.1
The Editor of the TAWN newsletter Tapestry shall be chosen by the
board, with approval by the membership at a regular meeting, from
volunteers within the organization. Selection shall be for a term of two
years, with successive terms allowed. The Editor is responsible for
publication and primary mailing of the newsletter, and shall be
responsible to the membership, through the Board, for administration of
editorial policies and budget.
3.2
The Historian(s) shall be appointed by the board from volunteers
within TAWN. The Historian(s) shall keep a permanent record of all
meeting minutes, publicity, and history of the association, and file all
correspondence.
3.3
The Scribe shall be appointed by the board from volunteers with in
TAWN. The Scribe shall record proceedings at the monthly and annual
meetings, shall provide a copy of same to the TAPESTRY editor for
inclusion in the newsletter, and shall provide a copy to the Historian.
Article 4
TAPESTRY NEWSLETTER
4.0
The official newsletter of TAWN shall be called Tapestry
4.1
Editorial policy shall be set by the Board, with approval by the
membership, with the current Editor consulted prior to any changes. The
Editor shall be allowed significant discretion as to the contents,
appearance, format, and length of the newsletter, however certain
policies must apply:
4.11
All copyright laws shall be observed, and membership in the
Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance shall be maintained by TAWN from general
revenues. Proofreading of the issue prior to publication shall be done by
a volunteer from, or appointed by, the Board.
4.12
All issues must include a table of contents, a schedule of upcoming
TAWN meetings and events, a map showing the location of the
cauldronlucks, list of current Board members, minutes of the monthly
meetings since the last issue (unless unavailable from Scribe), and a
deadline for submissions to the next issue. Tapestry shall provide a
forum for members to discuss Pagan-related issues in a respectful and
non-inflammatory manner.
4.13
The newsletter budget shall be set by the Board (with membership
approval) as part of the budget planning for the organization. The Editor
shall be informed of any changes not less than 45 days prior to the next
issue to be impacted. Allocation of allotted funds are at the discretion
of the Editor. Receipts or proofs of service are to be provided to the
TAWN Treasurer for all expenditures.
4.14
Submissions to the newsletter from the membership shall be actively
encouraged. The Editor shall acknowledge all submissions by phone, fax,
e-mail, or post card. Costs for any post cards shall be covered from
TAWN's general budget. "Problem" submissions shall be discussed, first
with a Board liaison and then, when deemed necessary, with the author.
Contributors who do not subscribe shall receive a complimentary issue
when their submission is published.
4.15
Any changes to the established publication frequency of Tapestry is
to be approved in advance by the board.
ARTICLE 5
ELECTIONS AND REMOVALS
5.1
Members of the Board of Directors are elected to one year terms at
the annual meeting at Fall Festival. Re-election is permitted. The
President/Coordinator's position shall be elected separately by the
membership. The other positions on the Board , up to 6, shall be elected
from a slate of candidates determined at the August cauldronluck. Paper
ballots shall be distributed at the TAWN table, or by prior arrangement.
The newly elected Board shall fill other officer positions from among
themselves. New terms begin at the conclusion of Fall Festival.
5.2
Any documents or records that are in the possession of outgoing Board
members or other volunteers, that are related to the performance of their
office, shall be surrendered to a member of the current board at or
before the October cauldronluck meeting.
5.3
Any Board member may be removed from their position, for cause, by a
vote of 2/3 of the voting members at any cauldronluck meeting, providing
that the Board member is present and/or has been notified of the pending
action no less than 14 days prior to that meeting. This is to provide the
Board member to have the opportunity to defend their position prior to
any vote. Should the question ever arise about expulsion of a member from
TAWN, the procedure shall be the same.
5.4
Any vacancies on the board may remain unfilled unless the count of
Board members falls below 3. In said event, volunteers to fill the
remaining portion of the term may be sought and elected at any
cauldronluck. If the President/Coordinator's position is vacated
mid-term, the Board must choose an existing Board member to assume the
vacancy.
Article 6
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
6.0
These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting by a 2/3 majority
vote. Proposals for amendments may be initiated by the Board, or brought
up by a member at any monthly cauldronluck, to be voted on at a following
meeting.
Article 7
MEETINGS
7.0
The Annual Meeting is held at noon on the Saturday closest to the
Fall Equinox. This shall be incorporated into the Fall Festival sponsored
by TAWN.
7.1
Monthly meetings of the membership, held as part of regular
cauldronlucks, are held at noon on the second Sunday of every month,
except that the May meeting (in deference to Mother's Day) is on the
third Sunday.
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TAWN Articles of Incorporation
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