BYLAWS

SAN GABRIEL WRITERS’ LEAGUE 2001

Proposed Revisions 2003
(2001 text to be deleted is highlighted in red text.)

Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the San Gabriel Writers’ League, hereinafter referred to as the “League”.

Article II. Mission and Purpose.

Section 1. The San Gabriel Writers’ League shall encourage all area writers at all skill levels and in all genres by providing a forum for encouragement, mutual support, and education. The League shall provide informative and stimulating programs and other opportunities for writers to learn, to share work and experiences, and to share information on marketing opportunities for writers.

Section 2. The League shall be educational and non-profit. It shall not propagandize, attempt to influence legislation, nor participate in any political campaign. However, individual members have the freedom to participate in any cause without fear of League censure.

Section 3. The League shall engage speakers, create programs, hold conferences, retreats, or workshops, and sponsor other writing-related activities that inform, educate, and promote networking with the goal of advancing growth and success for individual writers.

Section 4. The League shall maintain affiliation with the Writers’ League of Texas, bringing to San Gabriel Writers’ League members the benefits of the association and fulfilling the obligations entailed in preserving that link.

Article III. Authorization

Section 1. The League’s name, property or funds shall not be used or committed without prior approval by the Executive Board.

Section 2. The annual budget shall allow for all standing financial obligations of the League and a prescribed amount for operating funds.

Section 3. Funds derived from League sponsored conferences and workshops shall be accounted or separately from operating funds and shall become seed money for future similar events. The League’s budgetary year shall be April 1 to March 31. The League’s fiscal year shall be December 1 to November 30.

Article IV. Membership

Section 1. Membership in the League is open to all who wish to pursue the purposes of the League. Any such person may become a voting member by paying the required annual membership fee or by being awarded an honorary membership.

Section 2. There shall be no adverse discrimination of members on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. No person is to be excluded from membership, service, or holding office, for any of those reasons.

Section 3. Honorary membership may be awarded by the Executive Board for an annual period or for life. These memberships recognize individuals for outstanding service to the League, and shall entitle the individual to all benefits of regular members.

Section 4. Members shall enjoy the privilege of full participation in League activities, some reductions or discounts in sponsored events, and full participation in all elections and referendums.

Section 5. Dues are set by recommendation of the Executive Board and vote of the membership. The membership fee is due on January 1 for the calendar year. For new members, the fee is prorated quarterly as such members enter the League for the first time during the calendar year. Members previously enrolled who renew during the year shall pay the full membership fee.

Section 6. The membership roll shall be revised on March 1 of each year to remove the name of any person who has not paid the annual dues for that calendar year. The mailing list shall reflect such changes as well. No person delinquent in payment of dues shall be entitled to vote in elections or referendums or on any issues necessary to the function of League business. Such persons shall not enjoy benefits of League membership.

Section 7. The membership roll with addresses and phone numbers shall be kept confidential by the League and individual members, and used strictly for League business purposes.

Article V. Executive Board

Section 1. The affairs of the League shall be managed by an Executive Board, hereinafter referred to as the “Board”. The Board shall establish policy and procedures and otherwise operate the League in accordance with these Bylaws. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the current elected membership of the Board

Section 2. The board shall consist of not more than seven (7) members elected by the membership.

a. The four (4) officers of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer elected for one-year terms to perform the duties prescribed in Article VII, below. If re-elected, they may serve only two consecutive terms in a particular office, but are eligible for election to other offices.

b. An out going President may choose to continue on the Board for one year. If s/he does not, a Member-at-large shall be elected to fill that place.

c. A Newsletter Editor and Writers’ League of Texas Liaison shall be elected by the membership or appointed by the Board. These two officers may be re-elected to serve unlimited consecutive terms. All Board members shall have equal voting rights and influence on quorum requirements.

Section 3. The Board shall serve as a nominating committee, or may appoint a nominating committee to prepare a slate of proposed officers to be presented at the October meeting, at which nominations from the floor shall be taken. Names placed in nomination shall be published in the November newsletter.

Section 4. Elections shall be held at the regular November meeting, at which additional nominations may be made from the floor. Election shall be by vote of a simple majority of members present and voting. Officers so elected shall be installed at the regular December meeting and begin functioning as an Executive Board. The newly installed presiding officers shall present a plan for the coming year in March and a proposed budget for approval of by the membership at the regular January April meeting.

Section 5. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled for the remainder of the term by majority vote of the Board. A member of the Board may resign by written notice to the President or Secretary. The Board shall have the power to declare any position vacant if its holder fails to perform the duties required by the Bylaws or assigned by the membership or the Board.

Section 6. Any member may place a request for recall of any officer on the agenda of a regular meeting of the membership. The membership may determine by majority vote of those present and voting to refer the issue to an ad hoc committee. The member requesting recall must state reasons for the action. The officer in question must have an opportunity to answer the accusation.

Article VI. Meetings

Section 1. Monthly general membership meetings shall be held at a time and place specified by the Board. Members shall receive notification of any changes in time, place, or date of regular meetings whenever possible.

Section 2. A plan for scheduling meetings of the Executive Board and general membership shall be determined by the incoming Board. Such matters as the time, place, and frequency of Board meetings, notification procedures, and other particulars for carrying out the goals of the League, shall be determined through agreement among a majority of the members of the Board. Board meetings shall be scheduled to coordinate with deadlines for the monthly newsletter whenever possible.

Section 3. Agenda items for Board meetings may be submitted to the President or the Secretary at any time by any member of the League. The President may call a special or emergency meeting of the Board, subject to approval via telephone poll or e-mail of the majority of Board members. Otherwise, an item may be held for discussion at the next regular Board meeting.

Section 4. Any member may submit agenda items for general membership meetings. The membership shall determine by a majority vote of those present and voting whether to refer the matter to the Board or to a committee, or to move for immediate action.

Section 5. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the authority for parliamentary procedures for meetings of the Board and the general membership.

Section 6. There shall be no absentee or proxy voting by Board members or by general membership with the exception of polling Board members by telephone or e-mail to establish the need for an emergency meeting of the Board.

Section 7. Any member may call for a secret ballot on a vote of the Board or the general membership; otherwise a voice vote shall be used.

Article VII. Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall provide leadership and supervision for all functions of the League; arrange the place of meetings of the Membership and the Board, on the dates and times set by the Membership and the Board; preside at meetings of the Membership and the Board; appoint committees as authorized in Article VIII; sign checks when the Treasurer is unavailable to do so. The President may write a monthly column for the newsletter.

Section 2. The Vice President shall exercise the powers of President during that officer’s absence or inability to act. The Vice President shall serve on the Program Committee to establish honoraria for program speakers and to coordinate such commitments with the Treasurer and work within the budget allocated.

The Vice President shall submit information about upcoming programs for each monthly newsletter and shall work with the Publicity Chair to arrange news releases and announcements to publicize League activities. The Vice President may write a column for the monthly newsletter.

Section 3. The Secretary shall keep minutes of proceedings of Board meetings and the regular monthly meetings. A summary of The minutes of membership meetings shall be submitted to the Newsletter Editor for monthly publication. The Secretary shall keep all minutes and official correspondence and otherwise maintain written records of League activities.

The Secretary shall also function as Historian to compile a file of clippings about League activities and members, or may request that the President appoint a League Historian. The Secretary shall function as Hospitality Chair by writing a welcoming note to new members, or may request that the President appoint a League Hospitality Chair.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for supervising the collection and disbursement of League money and shall oversee the accounts of the League and its financial condition. That officer shall collect and promptly deposit all League money in a bank approved by the Board, preserve all bank records, and keep itemized records of all receipts and expenditures. The Treasurer shall receive and pay all bills and sign checks except as provided in Section 1 above.

A budget committee made up of the President, the Treasurer, and the incoming Treasurer or a member of the Board appointed by the President shall prepare a proposed budget for the next budgetary year to submit to the Board at its December March meeting for its approval and submission to the January April Membership meeting for adoption. The Treasurer must advise the Board and Membership if a proposed expenditure is not in the budget and when available funds are insufficient for that purpose. See Article VIII for the Treasurer’s relation to the Audit Committee.

Section 5. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for publishing a monthly newsletter, and shall designate a deadline date for submission of articles. Determining suitability of material for publication is the province of the Newsletter Editor.

In selecting copy for the newsletter, the Editor shall give priority to the [summary of membership meetings] minutes, reports of actions of the Board, and statements from the President and other officers. The Editor shall then allocate space for announcements of upcoming events, reports of League activities, and members’ success stories. Paid ads shall be printed after the previous features have been allocated space. Next, the Editor shall consider writings submitted by members as space allows. The Editor may also consider writing of interest to League members submitted by nonmembers for printing as space allows. The Newsletter shall be sent to all current members of the League.

Section 6. The Writers’ League of Texas Liaison shall provide a link between San Gabriel Writers’ the League and Writers’ League of Texas other writers’ organizations throughout the United States. The Liaison shall stay informed on the activities of both these organizations in order to maintain a relationship for their mutual benefit and the benefit of members of both organizations. The Liaison shall apprise League members of benefits and activities to which they are entitled through affiliation and shall encourage League members to contribute their support to the Writers’ League of Texas.

Article VIII. Organization

Section 1. As needed, with the advice and consent of the Board, the President shall be responsible for appointing committees or individual coordinators

a. to promote, supervise, and coordinate each basic function of the League and

b. to attend to other needs and objectives as they arise. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: Community Involvement, Membership, Directory, Historian, Hospitality, Programs, Retreats, Special Interest Groups, Student Outreach/Mentoring, and Workshops.

Section 2. At the time of each appointment or reappointment, each committee and coordinator shall set specific objectives and procedures to achieve the goals and objectives established by the President, Board, or Membership, and to report these promptly to the Board.

Section 3. The Membership shall have the power at any regular or called meeting to direct the President and Executive Board to add new functions or to abandon old functions and the organization for them.

Section 4. Following the November election, a Budget Committee made up of the President, the Treasurer, the outgoing Treasurer, and the Program Coordinator shall prepare a proposed budget to submit to the Board at its December April meeting for its approval and submission to the January April membership meeting for adoption.

Section 5. Each December March, an audit committee shall be formed to examine the books of the Treasurer and report to the Board. The Treasurer shall be an ex officio member without vote.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1. Any member may propose an amendment to these Bylaws by placing an item on the agenda of the Board or a meeting of the general membership. The Membership shall determine by majority vote of those present and voting to refer the issue to the Board, a Bylaws Committee, or to move for immediate action.

Section 2. All proposed amendments shall be referred to the Board to ensure that the proposed amendment does not conflict with other provisions of the Bylaws. The Board shall be authorized to redraft any proposed amendments in order to resolve such conflicts.

Section 3. After review by the Board as in Article IX, Section 2, the Secretary shall send a copy of the proposed amendment to the Newsletter Editor, who shall publish information about the proposed amendment in the newsletter for two consecutive months. At the meeting following the second publication of the proposed amendment, upon favorable vote of the majority of members present and voting, the amendment shall be adopted.

Article X. Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of the League, the assets of the League after all obligations are paid shall be distributed to [The Writers’ League of Texas, or in the event that AWL is not operative, to] the Georgetown Public Library, or to an appropriate nonprofit organization to be determined by the Executive Board.

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