 |
Guidelines for Chapter Organizers
Template for bylaws
If any of the terms of this model draft are inconsistent with applicable local
law, the chapter will be expected to comply with local law and notify
ISOC of such discrepancies.
Annotation conventions:
*...* Mandatory phrases
[....] Replace wording with your chapter information
(....) Additional comments and clarification of text
If you have any further questions, please contact chapters at isoc.org
Bylaws of the [ your chapter name ] Chapter of the Internet Society
Article I. - Name
- * This organization shall be called the [ your chapter name ] Chapter of the Internet Society.*
Article II. - Purpose
(Each chapter shall have an explicit statement of purpose, which shall not
be inconsistent with the purpose set forth in the ISOC Articles of Incorporation,
and shall clearly indicate that the Chapter is organized as a not for
profit organization under applicable law.)
- [Chapters
of the Internet Society serve the Society's purposes by serving the
interests of a segment of the global Internet community through a local
presence, focus on local issues and developments, and use of local languages.]
- This Chapter will serve persons who live or work in [your geographic area.]
- * This Chapter is chartered by the Internet Society. These bylaws neither supersede nor abrogate any of the Bylaws of the Internet Society that regulate chapter affairs.*
Article III. - Membership
(The provisions of this section must conform to the member ship provisions
specified in the Internet Society Bylaws Article V, Section1, which
state: The chapter shall have two classes of members: Organizational
Members and Individual Members)
- * All members of a chapter shall also be members of the Internet Society. Membership is not necessary, however, for participation in activities of the society or its chapters.*
- *All individuals and organizations falling within the defined scope of the chapter shall be eligible for membership without discrimination.*
>
- * Membership in the Chapter shall be open to all ISOC members in the locality served by the Chapter upon request and payment of any local dues, as determined by the Executive Committee.*
- [Student membership shall be open to all full-time students; student membership
dues shall be determined by the Executive Council, but shall not exceed 75 percent of regular member dues.]
Article IV. - Officers
-
The officers of this Chapter shall be: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.
(Some chapters combine the offices of Secretary and Treasurer into one position.
Other offices, such as Second Vice Chair or Program Chair may also be
established in this article. Whatever offices are defined, there should
be a corresponding section in the next article, Duties.)
(Provisions for filling vacancies left by resignations should be included in this
article. Provisions for limiting the number of terms a person can serve
in a position may also be included in this article.)
-
The officers shall be elected at the annual Election (or Business) meeting. They shall take office on [ date ] and serve for [ define term of office.]
(It is recommended that the Chapter's election be held at the last or next
to last meeting of the Chapter's fiscal year or by mail ballot with
the results announced at the Election meeting. This provides for or
a period of transition from the outgoing Council to the incoming Council.
Although it is discouraged, there are several Chapters that specify
the term of office as Election meeting to Election meeting as indicated
in the following:)
(Alternate: They shall take office immediately upon election and serve until their successor is elected.)
Article V. - Duties of Officers
- The chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading the Chapters
and managing its activities in accordance with the policies and procedures
of the Internet Society and these bylaws. The Chair shall preside at
all meetings of this Chapter and of its Executive Council. [With
the advice of the Chapter's Executive Council, the Chair shall appoint
all members of committees of this chapter and all Committee chairmen.]
- The Vice Chair shall preside at meetings in the absence of the Chair.
- The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all Chapter and Executive Council meetings. Other duties of the Secretary include:
(Some reporting to ISOC Headquarters is required by ISOC Policies include:
an annual activity report (Document 94-253), officer information, and
an annual financial report. It is common to assign the duties
for the first two of those to the Secretary.)
- Preparation of the Annual Chapter Report for presentation to the Chapter at the Annual Election Meeting.
- Preparation of the Chapter's Activity Report and submission of this report to ISOC Headquarters.
- Notification to ISOC Headquarters of any changes in the elected officers of the Chapter.
- Submission of any proposed amendment to the ISOC Membership Team for approval.
(As noted, in Article XI of these sample bylaws, proposed amendments must be approved before they can be submitted to the Chapter's membership for a vote.)
The Treasurer shall collect dues, pay all bills, and maintain the Chapter's financial records. Duties of the Treasurer shall also include:
- Preparation of the Chapter's Annual Financial Report for presentation to the Chapter at the Annual Election meeting.
- Completion and submission of the Annual Financial Report to ISOC Headquarters.*
(This is a mandatory report - it is required by ISOC Document 94-253)
Article VI. - Executive Council
The Executive Council shall consist of the present Chapter officers, the immediate Past Chair, the chairmen of the Chapter's standing committees and up to Members-at- Large.
(Some Chapter Councils consist of the current officers, the Past Chair, the chairmen of all committees, and representatives to other organizations. This structure is in lieu of any Members-at-Large.)
The term of the members of the Council shall coincide with the terms of the officers. They shall take office on the first day of the fiscal year and serve for one year.
Article VII. - Standing Committees
- The Standing Committees of the Chapter shall be [List committee in your Chapter, i.e.;Program, Arrangements, Education, Membership, Publicity, etc.]
(The
number and functions of committees is determined by your Chapter activities
and goals. Think about what you want to do this year and the in the
foreseeable future and establish standing committees that correspond
to those activities and the corresponding assignment of duties. Then
define the general duties of the committees.)
-
The Program Committee
shall plan and make arrangements for the technical programs of the Chapter's
meetings in accordance with the membership's interests and the aims
of the Chapter as set forth in Article II.
[Include
the descriptions of the other standing committees here.]
Article VIII. - Temporary Committees
- With the advice of the Chapter Executive Council, the Chair may appoint such temporary committees as appropriate.
- A Nominating Committee, consisting of at least three members of this Chapter, at least two of whom shall not be members of the Executive Council, shall be appointed by the Chapter Chair at least two months prior to the Election meeting.
(Some Chapters assign this function to the Past Chair, if available, as the
person with no other required duties who knows what all the jobs required.
You can also include when the slate of officers must be presented. The
Committee can also be responsible for identifying people who may serve
on the various committees.)
- [An Audit Committee shall be appointed by the Chapter Chair at the close
of the fiscal year to assure the accuracy of the accounting of the Chapter's
funds for the year. This Committee should also verify the accuracy of
the Financial Report prepared by the Treasurer for submission to ISOC.]
(Descriptions
of other Temporary Committees should be included in this Article.
Article IX. - Meetings
- *The Chapter shall hold meetings only in places that are open and accessible to all
members of the Society.* Meetings shall be held as planned by the Program
Committee.
(You may have additional local government requirements about openness to
the public and accessibility for the handicapped.)
- The Annual
Business meeting shall be held at the last meeting of the program [
your chapter fiscal ] year. At this meeting,
the Secretary and Treasurer each shall present a report. Also, the election
of officers shall be held.
(This
ties to Article IV, Officers, and their election. If you choose an alternative
there, this section should correspond. For Chapters that conduct their
elections by mail ballot, this section could read: Also, the Chair shall
announce the results of the election of officers for the coming year.)
- * Notices
of the place and time of all meetings shall be distributed to all members
at least one week prior to any meeting, by Internet mail or by oral,
telegraphic, or other written notice,duly served on or mailed .*
(Your chapter may want to define how many meetings their will be each year.)
Article X. - Disbursements and Dues
- Disbursements from the Treasury for Chapter expenditures shall be made by the Treasurer with authorization of the Executive Council and shall be included in the minutes of its meetings.
- Dues shall be fixed annually by the Executive Council.
Article XI. - Amendment and Voting Procedures
- *All proposed changes to these Chapter Bylaws shall have been approved by the ISOC Membership Team before being presented to the Chapter membership for a vote.*
- No official business of the Chapter shall be conducted unless a quorum of the Chapter is present.
- A quorum
of the Chapter shall be defined as [ xx ]
percent of the voting membership of the Chapter or [ at
least 10 ] members, which ever is greater.
- A simple majority of the members present and voting shall be required to carry a motion.
(To vote on the Bylaws, the Chapter should have a quorum (50% of the members
present unless specified otherwise) and the action will be passed by
a plurality of affirmative votes (majority of those voting yea or nay.))
- Officers will be elected by a plurality of votes cast. If the election is conducted by mail ballot, sufficient ballots must be returned to have constituted a quorum.
(If
elections are conducted by mail ballot, specific procedures should be
included here, especially ballot preparation, how ballots are distributed,
and how long the membership has to return the ballots.)
Article XII. - Dissolution of the Chapter
- Dissolution of this Chapter by consent of the members shall consist of unanimous
agreement of all its officers together with a majority vote at a meeting
which has been publicized in advance to all members of the Chapter for
the purpose of taking this vote.
- Should this Chapter be dissolved, its assets shall be transferred to [organization.]
(Please
include a plan for the dissolution of the chapter and where any remaining
funds will be transferred.)
|
Donate Now
