Effective December 19, 2013
ARTICLE I — Name
I.A The name of this organization shall be Orange County Mensa (hereinafter referred to as OC Mensa).
I.B OC Mensa is a not-for-profit local group of American Mensa Limited (hereinafter referred to as AML) and is subject to the Constitution of Mensa, the Bylaws of AML, and the resolutions adopted by the American Mensa Committee (hereinafter referred to as AMC).
I.C AML has granted a royalty-free, non-exclusive license to OC 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 OC Mensa. AML retains full ownership of the mark and logo and all statutory and common law rights in the mark and logo.
I.D The Minimum Standard Bylaws for Local Groups of AML are implicitly included in these bylaws. The minimum requirements are enforceable even if they are not explicitly contained in these bylaws. If there is a conflict between these bylaws and the Minimum Standards, the Minimum Standards take precedence.
I.E Conflict of interest rules stated in the Bylaws of American Mensa shall also be applicable to OC Mensa and the members of the OC Mensa Board.
ARTICLE II — Purpose
II.A The purpose of OC Mensa is to encourage social contacts among and mental enrichment of its members.
ARTICLE III — Membership
III.A Membership in OC Mensa shall be open to all members of AML in good standing in the geographic area assigned to OC Mensa by the AMC, or as otherwise assigned by AML.
III.B All members of OC Mensa shall enjoy equal rights and privileges within this organization.
III.C All Mensa members in good standing are welcome to participate in the social activities of this organization at the discretion of the host or hostess. Mensa members in good standing who are not also members of OC Mensa may participate in the business affairs of OC Mensa at the invitation of the Board of Directors of OC Mensa. The National Ombudsman, his/her surrogate, and members of the AMC may participate in the business affairs of OC Mensa in the discharge of their official duties. Otherwise, only members of OC Mensa may vote, hold office in OC Mensa, or participate in its business affairs.
ARTICLE IV — Board of Directors
IV.A The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the management of all affairs of OC Mensa, authorize expenditures of the organization’s funds, and perform other such acts consonant with these Bylaws as it deems necessary for the organization.
IV.B The Board of Directors shall consist of Officers of OC Mensa as enumerated in Article V, Section B.
IV.C Financial aspects
IV.C.1 The Board of Directors may not perform any acts that would obligate OC Mensa in excess of the balance of the treasury or $2,500, whichever is less, without first considering the results of an advisory vote of the general membership.
IV.C.1.a Any proposed expenditure of $2,500 or more shall be announced in the issue of the newsletter that contains announcement of the Board meeting at which such proposal is to be subjected to a vote. Such announcement shall be in addition to any mention of such proposal in published minutes of Board meetings.
IV.C.2 An advisory vote as described above is not required for expenditures of a Regional Gathering or Annual Gathering providing such expenditures are within a budget which has previously been approved by the Board.
IV.C.3 OC Mensa shall comply with federal financial reporting requirements.
IV.D The Board may from time to time adopt Standing Orders establishing general rules and policies. Standing Orders shall not violate Bylaws, shall require a simple majority vote of the Board for enactment, and shall remain in effect until modified by later Board action.
ARTICLE V — Officers
V.A All officers must be current members in good standing of AML. An officer is defined as a person who is given a title with specific responsibilities.
V.B The Board Officers of the OC Mensa Board of Directors shall be: President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Communications Officer. The Board Officers must be members in good standing of OC Mensa.
V.C Miscellaneous Provisions
V.C.1 All Board Officers except Parliamentarian shall be elected by direct vote of the members of OC Mensa.
V.C.2 No individual may be elected to the office of President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Communications Officer for more than two consecutive full terms. No individual shall serve as Parliamentarian for more than two consecutive full terms. An officer serving nine or more months of a term shall be deemed to have served a full term.
V.C.3 The outgoing President shall automatically become the Parliamentarian.
V.C.3.a Should the outgoing President be unable or unwilling to serve, a Parliamentarian shall be appointed by majority Board vote. The Board shall first consider the two previous past Presidents, considered in reverse order of service.
V.C.3.b All candidates for Parliamentarian shall have previously served at least one term on the Board. Individuals who have resigned from Board positions within the past twelve months shall not be considered.
V.C.3.c When the immediate past President is serving as Parliamentarian, s/he shall be titled Past President.
V.C.4 Any former officer who has left office as a result of removal under the provisions of Article V, Section E 1 of these Bylaws is not eligible for appointment as Parliamentarian.
V.C.5 During the inability, refusal to perform, or absence of any officer of OC Mensa, the President may appoint another officer to temporarily assume those duties, but the replacing officer shall have no power to cast the vote of the replaced officer. Such appointment shall not exceed three months.
V.C.6 Each person serving on the Board shall have one vote in matters before the Board, regardless of the duties being performed.
V.C.7 All Board Officers are eligible for appointment to the Editor and Webmaster positions as well as all committees, except where specifically precluded elsewhere in these Bylaws.
V.D Terms of office
V.D.1 The term of office of all elected Board officers shall be for one year, or until resignation, removal from office, or the election or appointment of a properly qualified successor, whichever occurs first. The term of office for all elected Board officers shall begin April 1 following their election and continue until March 31 of the following year.
V.D.2 The term of office for the Parliamentarian shall begin April 1 if the outgoing President serves in that position or at the time of appointment if another person serves in that position, and continue until March 31 of the following year.
V.D.2.a In the case where there is no outgoing President because the President during the previous term was reelected for another term, the Parliamentarian during the previous term shall continue for another term if that person has not reached the term limit of two consecutive terms as Parliamentarian.
V.D.2.b In the case where the outgoing President is unable or unwilling to serve as Parliamentarian, the outgoing Parliamentarian shall continue to serve until a new Parliamentarian is appointed as described in paragraph V.C.3.a. However, a Parliamentarian serving in such an interim position shall not have a vote on the Board if s/he has reached the term limit of two consecutive terms as Parliamentarian.
V.D.2.c If the President should resign or otherwise be removed from office before the end of his/her term, the current Parliamentarian shall retain his/her office, and not be replaced by the resigning President.
V.E Removal of Board Officers
V.E.1 Board officers may be removed from office by 2/3-majority vote of the general membership pursuant to the procedures and schedule in Article X of these Bylaws. The attempt to remove a Board officer may be initiated by either 2/3 majority vote of the existing Board, excluding the officer in question, or by a petition signed by at least 50 members of OC Mensa. At least 30 days shall elapse between publication of notice of attempted removal and publication of the ballot for removal. Publication of removal notices, ballots, and statements must be made in the newsletter. Except as provided herein, the officer is entitled to publish an unedited statement not to exceed 500 words in the same issue of the newsletter as the ballot. The proponents of removal shall have the same right.
V.E.2 A Board-appointed Parliamentarian may also be removed from office by 2/3 majority vote of the full Board, excluding the officer in question, if written notice is given to all Board members 15 calendar days before the meeting at which removal will be considered.
V.E.3 Any Board officer’s failure to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board without justification acceptable to the majority of the Board shall immediately remove that officer from office.
V.F Duties of Board Officers
V.F.1 President
V.F.1.a Shall be the chief executive officer of OC Mensa and shall chair Board meetings.
V.F.1.b Shall be the chief point of contact between AML and OC Mensa and shall pass information from and to both groups in a timely manner.
V.F.1.c Shall be the official voice of OC Mensa in its interactions with groups or individuals outside OC Mensa.
V.F.1.d Shall seek candidates to be the chairs of all committees as needed.
V.F.1.e May be reimbursed for not more than $50 of expenditures per month upon only the Treasurer’s approval of receipts.
V.F.1.f Shall seek an Ombudsman to serve OC Mensa.
V.F.1.g Shall be responsible for the official correspondence of OC Mensa.
V.F.1.h Shall notify AML (through the National Office) and the Regional Vice Chairman for the local group within two weeks of the results of each election, or of changes in elected or appointed officers, within two weeks of each election or change.
V.F.1.i Shall comply with all requirements and procedures of the AMC and/or AML as set forth in the Local Secretary’s Handbook, monthly mailings, etc.
V.F.2 First Vice-President.
V.F.2.a Shall assist the President as required.
V.F.2.b Shall assume the duties of the President in that person’s absence.
V.F.2.c Shall immediately and automatically become President in the event that office becomes vacant.
V.F.2.d Shall be liaison to those committees and appointed offices designated by the Board.
V.F.3 Second Vice-President.
V.F.3.a Shall assist the President and First Vice-President as requested.
V.F.3.b Shall assume the duties of First Vice-President in that person’s absence.
V.F.3.c Shall become First Vice-President in the event that office becomes vacant.
V.F.3.d Shall be liaison to those committees and appointed offices designated by the Board.
V.F.4 Treasurer
V.F.4.a Shall be responsible for the collection, custody, and accounting of all of OC Mensa’s funds.
V.F.4.b Shall render financial statements to the Board at each regularly scheduled Board meeting and shall render a semi-annual financial statement to the general membership. The Treasurer shall submit the semi-annual statements to the Editor by the deadlines for the November and May issues of the newsletter. The November statement shall reflect financial activities for the six months ending September 30 and the financial position of OC Mensa on September 30. The May statement (prepared by the Treasurer whose term ends the preceding March 30) shall reflect the six and 12 months ending March 31 and the financial position of OC Mensa on March 31. All published financial statements shall contain schedules of income, expenses, and balances for all funds under control of OC Mensa, including RG and/or AG, scholarship and other special funds.
V.F.4.c Shall provide the President or the President’s designee (who must be a voting Board officer other than the Treasurer) with statements at least every three months. The statements shall be those issued by every institution with which OC Mensa’s funds are deposited. All accounts shall 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.
V.F.4.d Shall make disbursements as directed by the Board.
V.F.4.e Shall be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date inventory, including serial numbers, acquisition date, and cost of the fixed assets of OC Mensa.
V.F.4.f Shall chair the Budget Committee which shall prepare a budget for OC Mensa and submit it for approval to the Board at its May meeting.
V.F.4.g Shall, if necessary, assist the Editor or Communications Officer with the preparation and submission of any postal forms that may be required.
V.F.5 Secretary
V.F.5.a Shall maintain all records and standing procedures of OC Mensa except those specifically assigned to another officer by these Bylaws or by the Board.
V.F.5.b Shall take and maintain the minutes of all Board meetings and provide the Editor with a summary of such minutes, in time for publication in the next following newsletter. Such summary (“mini-minutes”) shall include any corrections affecting any previously published mini-minutes, all motions voted on and the results thereof, the Treasurer’s report on cash received and disbursed, and ending balance.
V.F.5.c Shall maintain the full minutes of special Board meetings called under the provisions of Article XIII, Section C and provide the Editor such minutes in time for publication in the next following newsletter.
V.F.5.d Shall maintain the complete text of all Standing Orders.
V.F.6 Communications Officer
V.F.6.a Shall coordinate the activities of the Editor, Webmaster, and any other positions created for the printed and electronic dissemination of news and general information to the OC Mensa membership.
V.F.7 Parliamentarian
V.F.7.a Shall provide the Board of Directors with advice on matters under discussion.
V.F.7.b Shall act as parliamentarian to the Board at Board meetings.
V.G Vacancies in office where succession is not otherwise provided for in these Bylaws shall be filled by majority election by the Board. A replacement for an elected officer is considered to be an elected officer whose term of office ends with the next regular elections.
V.H All officers shall surrender to their successors all records of their office and any other property of OC Mensa in their possession within 10 days of their successors assuming office.
ARTICLE VI — Editor
VI.A Shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Board. The term of office shall begin on a date designated by the Board and end concurrently with the appointing Board’s term of office, or at such time as the Board decides, by majority vote, to terminate the appointment, or upon the resignation of the Editor.
VI.B Shall be responsible for publication of the newsletter.
VI.C Shall have general editorial control of the newsletter; however, the Board shall retain the right to compel the Editor to include items it deems necessary.
VI.C.1 Must publish the “Mini-Minutes” of the Board meetings submitted by the Secretary.
VI.C.2 Must publish all official submissions by the Treasurer.
VI.C.3 Must publish results of any OC Mensa election, including number of votes for each candidate or issue, as submitted by the Election Committee Chair. The Election Committee Chair shall submit such results by the newsletter deadline following the election.
VI.C.4 Must publish all official submissions from the National or OC Mensa Ombudsman. These official submissions (marked “for publication” and relating to the Ombudsman’s official duties) shall be given the highest practicable priority for publication.
VI.C.5 Must publish newsletter items as specified elsewhere in these Bylaws.
VI.D May establish such newsletter staff as desired, and shall have control over such staff regarding appointment, duties, or removal.
VI.E Shall be responsible for all OC Mensa-owned equipment and software used in the production and distribution of the newsletter.
VI.F Shall be responsible for liaison with the U.S. Postal Service and shall ensure compliance with all postal regulations and maintenance of OC Mensa’s mailing permit.
VI.G Must develop and present a budget for the newsletter to the Board for approval within 30 calendar days of assuming office. Any variance in excess of $25 from such budget must be submitted to the Board for discussion and action at the next Board meeting after the variance occurs.
ARTICLE VII — Webmaster
VII.A Shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Board. The term of office shall begin on a date designated by the Board and end concurrently with the appointing Board’s term of office, or at such time as the Board decides, by majority vote, to terminate the appointment, or upon the resignation of the Webmaster.
VII.B Shall be responsible for the design and maintenance of OC Mensa’s website. OC Mensa retains ownership of this website, its design, and its contents.
VII.C Shall be responsible for the maintenance of OC Mensa’s domain name registration, and official OC Mensa member email addresses and/or email forwarding.
ARTICLE VIII — Ombudsman
VIII.A Shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Board. The term of office shall begin on May 1 and end on April 30.
VIII.B Shall serve as mediator for disputes within OC Mensa, serve as an arbitrator on Regional Hearings Committees if requested by a duly authorized representative of AML, and perform such other duties as may be required of all local group ombudsmen by American Mensa.
VIII.C Upon request by the Ombudsman, the President or Secretary shall give the Ombudsman copies of the agenda, complete minutes, and everything else circulated to members of the Board. The Ombudsman shall have the same right to address the Board as any Board member.
VIII.D Shall cooperate with the National Ombudsman, shall accept matters from the National Ombudsman which relate to OC Mensa, and shall refer to the National Ombudsman such matters which relate to the national rather than the local scene.
VIII.E Shall be given any material concerning any matter received for review and decision. It is the duty of all members of OC Mensa to cooperate with the Ombudsman, as it is the right of each member to request the services of the Ombudsman.
VIII.F Shall refrain from publicly and/or officially supporting any candidate for elective office in OC Mensa, and shall refrain from publicly and/or officially taking a position on any matter to be submitted to the electorate which does not directly affect the office of Ombudsman. The Ombudsman may not run for elective office nor serve in any position on the Board of OC Mensa. The Ombudsman may not be a member of either the Nominating or Election Committee.
ARTICLE IX — Committees
IX.A The standing committees and their general duties shall include:
IX.A.1 MEMBERSHIP. Shall be responsible for recruitment and initial contacting of new and prospective members and maintaining an up- to-date membership list as received from AML.
IX.A.2 PROGRAM. Shall be responsible for arranging and conducting the general meetings of OC Mensa and the timely submission of these calendar entries monthly to the appropriate person.
IX.A.3 PUBLICITY. Shall be responsible for all public relations matters for OC Mensa as pertaining to the events and functions of the organization.
IX.A.4 FINANCIAL REVIEW. Shall review the books and records of the group during the month of April and shall report findings to the Board at its May meeting. No one may serve on the Committee who was involved in the issuing or collection of money during the review period. The review shall include viewing original statements from all institutions where the group’s funds are or have been deposited. The Committee shall also review the books and records for other functions of OC Mensa upon request by a simple majority of the Board.
IX.B REGIONAL GATHERING. Shall be responsible for forming and operating the next Regional Gathering as charged by the Board of Directors. The term of office of this Committee shall expire when the Regional Gathering committee submits its final report to the Board, and such report shall be submitted within 90 calendar days following the completion of the Regional Gathering for which it was responsible.
IX.C The chairs of all Committees shall be appointed by the Board. Such persons shall serve concurrently with the appointing Board unless otherwise stated in these Bylaws. Unless otherwise specified, the term of office of Committee chairs shall expire with the Board that appoints them.
IX.D Temporary committees may be established by a simple majority of the Board of Directors as necessary.
IX.E All Committee Chairs and other appointees shall turn over to their successors or the President all records of their offices and any other property of OC Mensa in possession of their committees within 10 calendar days of their successors assuming office.
IX.F Should any member of OC Mensa be appointed to chair a specific Annual Gathering, such term shall not expire until the chair submits its final report to AML following the Annual Gathering, and such report shall be submitted within 90 calendar days after the conclusion of that Annual Gathering, or until OC Mensa is notified that some other Mensa group has been selected to host such Annual Gathering, whichever occurs first.
IX.G Committee Chairs and Ombudsman may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of the full Board, or as specified in Article V, Section E 1 of these Bylaws. Committee chairs and Ombudsman may also be removed from office by a simple majority of the Board, if they are serving a Board which did not appoint them.
IX.H The Board may appoint one of its members to attend and participate in any OC Mensa committee meetings, with the exception of the Nominating and Election Committees.
ARTICLE X — Elections
X.A Nominations.
X.A.1 Nominations for President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Officer shall close on the last Wednesday of January of each year.
X.A.2 The December issue of the newsletter shall contain a notice advising the general membership of these nominating procedures, the names of all members of the nominating and election committees and the guidelines for the candidates’ statements allowed by Article X.B.2 a of these Bylaws.
X.A.3 Nominating petitions must be in writing over the signatures of not fewer than 15 members of OC Mensa.
X.A.4 Nominating Committee.
X.A.4.a The Board of Directors shall establish and appoint a nominating committee of at least 3 members of OC Mensa who are neither officers nor candidates for office in the election for which they are serving. The names of the members of this committee shall be furnished to the Editor by the Second Vice-President in time for publication in the December issue of the newsletter.
X.A.4.b The duties of this committee shall be to receive and verify nominating petitions from the general membership, to ensure that there is at least one candidate for each office, and to verify that all candidates are willing and qualified in accordance with these Bylaws to hold office. The nominating committee may also nominate one or more candidates for each office. Each candidate nominated by the Nominating Committee shall be notified of nomination in writing over the signatures of a majority of the Nominating Committee.
X.A.4.c The nominating committee shall deliver the names of all nominees to the Election Committee Chair and the Editor in time for publication in the March issue of the newsletter. No indication shall be made as to the method of nomination of any candidate. No individual may run for more than one office at a time.
X.B Election Procedures.
X.B.1 Unopposed Candidates
X.B.1.a In the event that only one person is nominated for a given position, and therefore has no opponent, that person shall be considered elected to the position at the end of the nominating period.
X.B.1.b In the event that none of the people nominated has an opponent, and therefore all are considered elected at the end of the nominating period, no election will be held unless there is the need to vote on changes to these Bylaws.
X.B.2 Editor’s Responsibilities.
X.B.2.a The Editor shall provide reasonable and equal space in the March issue of the newsletter for unedited campaign statements by all nominated candidates as received from the Election Committee Chair. Such statements shall be delivered to the Chair of the Election Committee by each candidate in accordance with established deadlines. The Editor must publish guidelines for candidates’ statements in the December issue of the newsletter. All statements must be printed in the same size and style of type.
X.B.2.b When ballots are to be a part of the newsletter, the Editor must publish the ballot as submitted by the Election Committee Chair.
X.B.3 Balloting Procedures.
X.B. 3.a Voting may be done either by mailed ballots or via a combination of both an electronic voting system and mailed ballots. Mailed ballots must be mailed to the general membership by March 1 of each year. If electronic voting is used, access to the voting system must be provided to the general membership by March 1 of each year.
X.B.3.a.1 The Board shall annually determine whether voting will be done electronically in addition to mailed ballots. For mailed ballots, the Board shall determine whether the ballot will be mailed separately, included as an insert to the newsletter or be a part of the newsletter itself.
X.B.3.b The deadline for voting shall be the last Friday of March which falls before March 30. In order to be counted, all mailed ballots must be received by the election committee no later than the deadline date. The Election Committee shall specify, on the ballot, the rules for returning ballots. All electronic votes must be cast by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline date.
X.B.3.c Proxy voting shall not be allowed.
X.B.3.d All opposed candidates shall be listed on the ballots, by office, in alphabetical order by last name.
X.B.3.e Write-in votes shall not be allowed.
X.B.3.f All challenges to elections must be made in writing within 15 days of the vote-counting and shall be decided by OC Mensa’s Ombudsman.
X.B.4 Election Committee.
X.B.4.a The Board of Directors shall establish an Election Committee of at least 3 members of OC Mensa who are neither officers, members of the Nominating Committee, nor candidates for office in the election for which they are serving. The Election Committee shall conduct the election in accordance with these Bylaws. The names of the members of this committee shall be published in the December issue of the newsletter.
X.B.4.b The Election Committee has the sole responsibility for creating, distributing, receiving and counting ballots in accordance with these Bylaws, and certifying the results of the election. The ballot shall not be released by the Election Committee until the Nominating Committee Chair has reviewed and approved it for compliance with these Bylaws. Any disagreement shall be decided by the Ombudsman. The Election Committee shall provide the Board of Directors with the certified election results not later than March 31 of each year. The time and location of ballot counting must be published in the March issue of the newsletter and shall be open to all members of OC Mensa.
X.B.4.c The Election Committee shall maintain a record, by name, of all members of OC Mensa to whom it distributed a ballot or gave access to electronic voting. The Election Committee is further responsible for ensuring that this procedure retains the privilege of secret ballot.
X.B.4.d The Election Committee shall ensure that all persons casting ballots are members of OC Mensa and that no member casts more than one ballot.
X.B.4.e It is the responsibility of the Election Committee Chair to solicit the candidates’ statements and to transmit such statements to the Editor in time for publication, and to verify, prior to printing, that the statements are published in accordance with these Bylaws.
X.B.5 Election results.
X.B.5.a A plurality of votes cast for each office shall constitute election.
X.B.5.b Votes that are tied shall be determined by the Election Committee chair by a flip of a coin.
X.C Terms of office for Board officers shall be as stated in Article V, Section D.
ARTICLE XI — Publication
XI.A OC Mensa shall have an official monthly publication. Its purpose shall be to serve the membership of OC Mensa through the dissemination of information and news about the organization and other items of general interest. A calendar of all OC Mensa events shall be included in each issue. The Board is the publisher of this publication. If an electronic version of the newsletter is created, OC Mensa shall observe the preferences of members regarding how their newsletters are to be delivered (electronically or printed), as filed with AML. The Board may, at its discretion, send printed copies of the newsletter in addition to the electronic version to members who would otherwise get only the electronic version.
XI.B OC Mensa shall observe the preferences of members for data suppression and publications, as filed with AML, when publishing a local group roster or membership directory/register.
ARTICLE XII — Website
XII.A OC Mensa shall have an official website. Its purpose shall be to serve the membership of OC Mensa through the dissemination of information and news about the organization and other items of general interest.
XII.B The Board shall have full authority over the content of the website.
ARTICLE XIII — Meetings
XIII.A Any one or more Board members may participate in a Board meeting by means of telephone, on-line conference, or similar communications equipment that allows all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time. Such participation shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
XIII.B Regular meetings of the OC Mensa Board of Directors shall be held at least once every other month. The time and location and/or means of electronic access for these meetings shall be designated by the Board through notification in the organization’s newsletter and website.
XIII.C Special meetings of the OC Mensa Board of Directors may be called at any time, either by the President or a majority of the organization’s Board officers. All Board officers must be notified of these meetings, and remote participation by Board officers using electronic means must be accommodated. Special meetings of the Board may also be called by a petition signed by at least 50 members of OC Mensa. The fully amended and approved minutes of such special meetings shall be reported in the newsletter. No business shall be conducted except that business for which the special meeting was called. All motions considered during these special meetings require the approval of a majority of all Board officers, not just a majority of those participating, for approval.
XIII.D A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
XIII.E All meetings of the OC Mensa Board of Directors shall be open to all members of the organization.
XIII.F Each meeting agenda shall have open time during which members of OC Mensa may address the Board. Each member’s address may be restricted to a reasonable time limit at the discretion of the meeting chairperson.
XIII.G Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the governing procedure for the conduct of all meetings. The Parliamentarian shall determine which edition shall be used.
XIII.H Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, a simple majority of those voting shall prevail on all questions.
XIII.I Regular meetings of the OC Mensa membership shall be held. Such meetings may be open houses or other events (but not Board meetings) as adopted by majority vote of the Board, and shall be held at least once every other month.
ARTICLE XIV — Amendments
XIV.A Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by either the Board of Directors or by a petition signed by at least fifty members of OC Mensa. Such proposals shall be published in the next issue of the newsletter after approval has been received as provided for in Article XIV, Section B. A mail ballot shall appear in an issue of the newsletter at such time as to allow at least 90 calendar days between publication of the proposal and the deadline for receipt of ballots. An amendment to these Bylaws shall require a 2/3-affirmative vote of all valid votes cast and the approval of the AMC.
XIV.B Any proposed changes to these Bylaws shall be submitted to, and approved for balloting by, the AMC prior to publication in the newsletter.
XIV.C Voting Procedures.
XIV.C.1 Balloting shall be conducted in accordance with Article X, Section B 3 of these Bylaws with the following exception: All dates mentioned in those sections shall be superseded by those dates designated in Section A of this Article.
XIV.C.2 The Election Committee Chair shall immediately notify the President of election results and shall submit the results to the Editor by the next newsletter deadline after vote-counting. The Editor shall publish the results in that issue. The President shall within two weeks after vote counting file duly passed and approved amendments with AML. Approved amendments shall take effect on the date stated by the Bylaws Committee of AML.
