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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MANSFIELD
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. Name.
Section 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be the League of Women Voters of Mansfield. This local League is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of the United States and of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
ARTICLE II. Purpose and Policy.
Section 1. Purpose. The purpose of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall be to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government.
Section 2. Policy. The League of Women Voters of Mansfield may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest in conformity with the Principles of the League of Women Voters of the United States. It shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.
ARTICLE III. Membership.
Section 1. Eligibility. Any person who subscribes to the purpose and policy of the League shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Types of Membership. The membership of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall be composed of voting members and associate members.
a. Voting members shall be those citizens at least 18 years of age who are enrolled in the League of Women Voters of Mansfield.
b. Associate members shall be all other members.
ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors.
Section 1. Number, Manner of Selection, and Term of Office. The Board shall consist of the Officers of the League, six or seven elected Directors, and the appointed Directors, who shall not exceed the number of the elected Directors Three or four Directors, the number to be determined by the Board, shall be elected by the general membership at each Annual Meeting and shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors have been elected and qualified. The elected members of the Board shall appoint such additional Directors, not to exceed the number of elected Directors, as they deem necessary to carry on the work of the League. The terms of office of the appointed Directors shall be two years and shall expire at the conclusion of the second following Annual Meeting. Any position on the Board may be shared; each position retains one vote.
Section 2. Qualifications. All elected or appointed Officers and Directors must be voting members of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield.
Section 3. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors by reason of resignation, death, or disqualification of an Officer or elected member may be filled until the next Annual Meeting by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by a Board member. Three consecutive absences from a Board meeting shall be deemed a resignation. A temporary vacancy due to a valid prolonged absence may be filled by appointment by the President and confirmation by a majority vote of the Board of Directors; the appointee shall exercise all the privileges, duties, and responsibilities of the position during the temporary appointment.
Section 4. Powers and Duties. The Board of Directors shall have full charge of the property and business of the organization, with full power and authority to manage and conduct same, subject to the instructions of the general membership. It shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the programs as adopted by the National Convention, the State Convention, and the Annual Meeting. The Board shall create and designate such special committees, as it may deem necessary.
Section 5. Meetings. There shall be at least four regular meetings of the Board of Directors annually. The President may call special meetings of the Board of Directors and shall call a special meeting upon the written request of five members of the Board.
Section 6. Quorum. A majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7. Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the President, the Vice Presidents, the Secretary, and the Treasurer, with power to transact emergency business, when it is not feasible to call a Board meeting. Any action taken by this committee must be submitted to the next Board meeting for approval.
ARTICLE V. Officers.
Section 1. Enumeration and Election of Officers. The officers of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall be: President or Presidents; First Vice-President or, in the event there are Co-Presidents, the position of First Vice-President need not be filled; Second Vice-President; Secretary; Treasurer. These officers shall be elected for a term of two years by the general membership at the Annual Meeting and take office at the beginning of the fiscal year. The President, First Vice-President and Secretary shall be elected in odd numbered years. The Second Vice-President and Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years. People holding co-positions may be elected in alternating years.
Section 2. The President. The President shall have such powers of supervision and management as customarily pertain to the office; shall preside at all meetings of the organization and of the Board of Directors, or designate another person to do so; shall be, ex-officio, a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee; may sign or endorse checks, drafts, and notes in the absence of the Treasurer; and shall perform such other duties as the Board may direct.
Section 3. The Vice-Presidents. The two Vice-Presidents, in the order of their rank, shall, in the event of the absence, disability, resignation, or death of the President, possess all the powers and perform all the duties of that office, until such time as the Board shall elect one of its members to fill the vacancy. In the event that neither Vice-President is able to serve in this capacity, the Board of Directors shall elect one of its members to fill the vacancy. The Vice-Presidents shall perform such other duties as the President and the Board may designate.
Section 4. The Secretary. The Secretary shall keep minutes of the Annual Meeting and of all meetings of the Board of Directors; shall notify all Officers and Directors of their election; shall sign, with the President, all contracts and other instruments, when so authorized by the Board, and shall perform such other functions as may be incident to the office.
Section 5. The Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due; shall be the custodian of these moneys; shall deposit them in a bank designated by the Board of Directors; and shall disburse the same only upon order of the Board. The Treasurer shall present statements to the Board at their regular meetings and an annual report to the membership.
ARTICLE VI. Financial Administration.
Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall commence on the first day of July and conclude on the thirtieth day of June.
Section 2. Dues. Dues shall be set annually by the Board of Directors and voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting. Dues shall be payable on October 1st. Dues for those on limited income shall be set at one-half of the annual dues. Any members who fail to pay dues by November 30th shall be dropped from the membership rolls.
Section 3. Budget. A budget for the ensuing fiscal year shall be submitted by the Board of Directors to the Annual Meeting for adoption. The budget shall include support for the work of the League as a whole.
Section 4. Budget Committee. A Budget Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting to prepare a budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The treasurer and Finance Chairman shall be members of the Committee, but the Treasurer shall not be eligible to serve as Committee Chairman. The proposed budget shall be sent to all members one month before the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE VII. Meetings.
Section 1. Membership Meetings. There shall be meetings of the membership each year, including general meetings in addition to the Annual Meeting.
Section 2. Annual Meeting. An Annual Meeting shall be held between May 1 and June 30, the exact date to be determined by the Board of Directors. The Annual Meeting shall:
(a) Adopt a local program for the coming year;
(b) Elect Officers and Directors and members of the Nominating Committee
(c) Adopt an adequate budget, and
(d) Transact such other business as may properly come before it.
Section 3. Quorum. At least 15% of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum of all meetings of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield.
ARTICLE VIII. Nominations and Elections.
Section 1. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of five members, two of whom shall be members of the Board of Directors. These members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at the first Board meeting of the fiscal year. The Chairman and two members, who shall not be members of the Board with which they serve concurrently, shall be selected at the Annual Meeting. Nominations for these offices shall be made by the current Nominating Committee. Nominations for Officers and Directors may be sent to the Nominating Committee by any voting member. No one shall be nominated for any office whose consent has not previously been secured. Any vacancy on the Nominating Committee shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Report of the Nominating Committee and Nominations from the Floor. The report of the Nominating Committee of its nominations for Officers, Directors, and members of the succeeding Nominating Committee shall be presented to the Annual Meeting. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor by any voting member providing the consent of the nominee shall have been secured.
Section 3. Elections. The election shall be by ballot, provided that when there is but one nominee for each office, the Secretary may be instructed to cast the ballot for every nominee. A majority of those qualified to vote and voting shall constitute an election.
ARTICLE IX. Program.
Section 1. Program. The Program of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall consist of (a) action to protect the right to vote of every citizen and (b) those governmental issues chosen for concerted study and action.
Section 2. The Annual Meeting shall act upon the Program using the following procedures:
(a) The Board of Directors shall consider the recommendation sent in by the voting members two months prior to the Annual Meeting and shall formulate a proposed program.
(b) The proposed program shall be sent to all members one month before the Annual Meeting. A list of the non-recommended items submitted two months in advance of the Annual Meeting shall be sent to the membership concurrently.
(c) A majority vote of voting members present and voting at the Annual Meeting shall be required for adoption of subjects in the proposed program as presented to the Annual Meeting by the Board of Directors.
(d) Recommendations for program submitted by voting members two months prior to the Annual Meeting but not recommended by the Board of Directors may be adopted at the Annual Meeting provided that: (1) the Annual Meeting orders consideration by a majority vote, and (2) the Annual Meeting adopts the item by a majority vote.
(e) Changes in the Program, in the case of altered conditions, may be made provided that: (1) there is Board consideration and approval, (2) information concerning the proposed changes has been sent to all members at least two weeks prior to a general membership meeting at which the changes are to be discussed, and (3) final action by the membership is taken at a succeeding general meeting.
Section 3. Member Action. Members may act in the name of the League of Women Voters only when authorized to do so by the appropriate Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X. National Convention, State Convention, and Council.
Section 1. National Convention. The Board of Directors, at a meeting before the date on which the names of the delegates must be sent to the national office, shall elect delegates to that Convention in the number , or less than the number, allotted to the League of Women Voters of Mansfield under the provisions of Article IX, section 4 of the Bylaws of the League of Women Voters of the United States.
Section 2. State Convention. The Board of Directors, at a meeting before the date on which the names of the delegates must be sent to the state office, shall elect delegates to the Convention in the number, or less than the number, allotted to the League of Women Voters of Mansfield under the provisions of Article VIII, Section 4, of the Bylaws of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
Section 3. State Council. The Board of Directors, at a meeting before the date on which the names of the delegates must be sent to the state office, shall elect delegates to the Council in the number , or less than the number, allotted to the League of Women Voters of Mansfield under the provisions of Article IX, Section 2, of the Bylaws of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
Section 4. Vacancy in the Delegation. If, after the election by the Board of the delegate(s), a vacancy remains or occurs in the delegation to the National Convention, State Convention, or State Council, the President shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy.
ARTICLE XI. Parliamentary Authority.
Section 1. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Roberts’ Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws.
ARTICLE XII. Amendments.
Section 1. Amendments. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those members qualified to vote and voting at the Annual Meeting, provided the proposed amendments were submitted in writing at least one month in advance of the meeting.
ARTICLE XIII. Distribution of Funds on Dissolution.
Section 1. Distribution of Funds on Dissolution. In the event of a dissolution for any cause of the League of Women Voters of Mansfield, all moneys and securities owned by the League of Women Voters of Mansfield shall be paid to the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
(amended at Annual Meetings April, 1987; May, 1990; May, 1993)
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