Cincinnati PC User Group

Bylaws

The CINCINNATI PC USER GROUP, shall be referred to as the "CPCUG".

Article 1: Membership

Membership is restricted to individuals only. Companies, corporations, etc. cannot be enrolled as members of the CPCUG.

With the exception of the voting privilege, membership privileges of the individual enrolled as a member of the CPCUG extend to the members of his or her immediate family.

Article 2: Dues

Annual dues for regular membership shall be proposed by the Board of Directors and approved by a majority of mail ballots received from the membership.

The name of any CPCUG member who has not paid his or her dues within 30 days of the due date shall be removed from the general membership roster.

Article 3: Officers

All officers shall be elected from the general membership according to the procedures set forth in Article 11 of the Bylaws.

General responsibilities of CPCUG officers are to:

• Conduct day-to-day CPCUG business.
  
• Preserve the assets of the CPCUG.

Specific duties of the CPCUG officers are as follows:

• The President shall:
  • Serve as the chief executive officer of the CPCUG.
  • Be responsible for the general conduct of the CPCUG.
  • Conduct all Board of Directors meetings and other special meetings as called by the Board of Directors.
  • Appoint directors as required.
  • Designate committees and appoint committee chairmen as required.
  • Call Executive Committee meetings.
• The Vice President shall:
  • Serve in place of the President in his or her absence.
  • Serve as President for the remainder of the President's term if the office of the President is vacated.
  • Manage the activities of the Special Interest Groups to include monitoring their status within the CPCUG. (See Article 5.)
  • Conduct an annual inventory of capital assets.
• The Secretary shall:
  • Maintain and archive records of CPCUG business.
  • Document decisions made by the Board of Directors.
  • Notify appropriate members of scheduled meetings.
  • Be responsible for official correspondence.
• The Treasurer shall:
  • Maintain CPCUG financial records for the current fiscal year.
  • Records shall include all receipts and disbursements for the CPCUG.
  • Ensure that an independent audit of the CPCUG is conducted annually.
  • Reimburse members for general CPCUG expenses and capital expenditures.
  • Publish an annual financial report of the CPCUG.
  • Provide financial reports of the CPCUG to the Board of Directors at least quarterly.

Removal of an officer from his or her elected position can be accomplished by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors.

The officer in question has the right to present a case for consideration and final resolution by the general membership. Notice of these proceedings shall be published in the newsletter at least thirty days in advance.

Article 4: Board of Directors

General duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors include:

• Establish policy for the CPCUG.
  
• Approve the CPCUG budget.
  
• Make public any oral or written communication on behalf of the CPCUG.
  
• Sponsor meetings in the name of the CPCUG.

Specific duties of the Board of Directors include:

• Establish the amount of membership dues.
  
• Recognize, approve, and facilitate the formation of new Special Interest Groups.
  
• Confirm the President's appointments of directors and committee chairmen.
  
• Appoint officers to fill unexpired terms of office whenever the office becomes vacancy.
  
• Recommend officers for removal from their elected positions.
  
• Remove officers from their elected positions by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting.
  

The following guidelines shall apply to the Board of Directors meetings:

• Regular meetings shall be held monthly or as otherwise determined by the Board.
  
• All members of the Board of Directors will be notified of the time and place of Board meetings at least five working days prior to the meetings unless meetings are scheduled for the same time and place each month.
  
• Special meetings may be held at the request of any four members of the Board. Notification requirements as in Section 3b remain in effect.
  
• Upon majority consent of the Board members, an emergency meeting can be called without advanced notice.
  
• If the CPCUG general membership has not adopted an official position on a CPCUG matter, any public statement or position held by the Board of Directors shall be clearly labeled as that of the Board alone.
  

Article 5: Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are formed to support the purposes of the CPCUG in a specific area of interest which has not already been addressed or which needs greater emphasis.

Membership in SIGs is limited to all members of the CPCUG.

A SIG chairman is chosen from members of the SIG. Specific duties and responsibilities of the SIG chairman include.

Presenting the appropriate documentation to the Board of Directors so that the Board may formally recognize the SIG. (See Section 4 below.)

Maintaining an up-to-date roster of active SIG members.

A SIG becomes a recognized unit with the CPCUG when the following takes place.

• A meeting is held to discuss the formation of the SIG.. All interested parties are invited.
  
• The following documentation is presented to the Board of Directors:
  • A SIG charter which includes:
    • An outline of the purposes, interests, and activities of the proposed SIG.
    • Identification of the SIG chairman.
    • An estimate an analysis of any expenses or anticipated revenue associated with the activities of the SIG.
    • A description of the SIG for the CPCUG newsletter.
• The Board of Directors votes and formally recognizes the SIG.

In order for a SIG to maintain its status as a recognized SIG, the following is required:

• The SIG chairman must submit SIG membership rosters at least annually.
• The SIG chairman or a designated representative must attend at least one of the Board of Directors' meetings during the course of each year.
• The SIG must perform one of the following functions during the course of each year:
  • Provide an article for the CPCUG newsletter at least once each quarter.
  • Schedule at least one SIG meeting each quarter.

Article 6: Directors

Subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint the following directors:

• Program Director
• Education Director
• Membership Director
• Newsletter Editor
• Software Library Director
• Publicity Director
• Web Master

The President may appoint additional directors for particular tasks subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

Directors serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Duties and responsibilities of the directors shall be defined by the Board of Directors.

Article 7: Committees

The President shall designate committees for short term projects.

Subject to conformation by the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint committee chairmen.

Duties and responsibilities of the committees are defined by the President.

Article 8: Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is composed of all CPCUG officers.

The President may call meetings of the Executive Committee to handle day-to-day CPCUG business and discuss issues prior to presentation at the Board of Directors meetings.

Article 9: Quorum

A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of 33% of the Board members, of which at least one is an officer.

At any general meeting, the general members present and 33% of the Board members shall constitute a quorum.

Article 10: Parliamentary Conduct

Unless otherwise specified, Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the procedures of the CPCUG for all CPCUG meetings.

The Board shall appoint a Parliamentarian.

Article 11: Elections

The Board shall appoint a nominating committee during the month of February to identify a slate of candidates.

Elections shall be held for CPCUG officer positions during the month of May.

Elections to office shall be by popular vote.

Elections shall be by ballot distributed to all members.

Each membership in good standing may cast one vote.

Article 12: Financial Management

The fiscal year of the CPCUG shall commence July 1 and end on June 30.

All CPCUG activities that conduct regular financial transactions shall operate within a budget approved by the Board of Directors.

All CPCUG activities that utilize CPCUG finances shall provide the Treasurer the following:

• A proposed budget of anticipated income and expenditures.
• A monthly financial statement.

All capital asset purchases exceeding $50 must be approved by the Board.

All capital asset purchases exceeding $500 must be approved by a majority vote of the general membership.

General CPCUG expenses shall be reimbursed by the Treasurer. Receipts for all expenditures must be provided.

A financial statement disclosing the current fiscal condition of the CPCUG shall be published within the first four months of each fiscal year.

Article 13: Amendments

A general or special meeting shall be called by the Board of Directors for the purpose of amending these Bylaws. An official mail ballot, when authorized and approved by the Board of Directors, shall constitute a special meeting for the purpose of amending these Bylaws.

All memberships may cast one vote on the proposed amendments.

These Bylaws shall be amended only by a two-thirds votes of those present and voting at the meeting designated in Section 1 of this Article.

Notice of proposed amendments must be published to all general members prior to the meeting designated in Section 1 of this Article.