Name and Purpose
The name of the organization is the Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice (referred to in these bylaws as "BNCPJ").
Originally formed after September 11, 2001, BNCPJ was involved in opposing the war in Iraq that started in March of 2003. BNCPJ seeks to promote peaceful solutions to local, national, and global conflict and injustice. We sponsor educational presentations, forums for free and open discussion, and community activities in order to foster debate and action, as well as engage our fellow citizens in the challenging and continuing work of seeking justice and establishing peace. BNCPJ activities are based on member interests and are not mandated by these bylaws. Current activities include:
Members strive to work cooperatively with each other as we work on issues of progressive activism. Individuals continually work to truly listen to the concerns and interests of other members. We also enjoy having fun with each other with dinners, parties, dances, and just doing silly things.
Membership
Application for voting membership shall be open to any resident in the Central Illinois area who is supportive of the organization’s purpose stated in Section 1.2. By majority vote the board is authorized to accept membership.
The amount required for annual dues shall be $35 for adults and $12 for college students and children. Continued membership is contingent upon dues being paid in full. The Board may approve a reduced membership fee for an individual member with a simple majority vote.
Each member of BNCPJ is eligible to vote at all Meetings of Members as defined in Article III provided they have been a member for eight (8) weeks prior to the meeting. By majority vote, the Board is authorized to waive this requirement for any member. Each member is permitted to chair up to two (2) committees that report to the Board. Members have the right to serve on committees of their choice with the approval of the committee chair. Members can use BNCPJ membership resources such as listservers and library.
Any member may resign by filing a written resignation with the Secretary. A member can have their membership terminated by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board.
Meetings of Members
Regular meetings of the members shall be held monthly at a time and place designated by the Board Chair. The responsibility for being chair of the monthly meetings will be rotated among the Board.
An annual meeting of the members shall take place in the month of October. The Board Chair will designate the specific date, time, and location. At the annual meeting the members shall elect the directors and officers, receive reports on the activities of BNCPJ, and vote on issues of importance to BNCPJ as presented by the Board. The Board Chair, Co-Chair, or a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors may call a special meeting. A petition signed by ten percent (10%) of the voting members or five (5) members, whichever is greater, may call a special meeting.
Notice of the annual or special meeting shall be given to each voting member, by email, not less than fourteen (14) days before the meeting. Members without email will be notified by postal mail.
A quorum for member meetings shall be one-fourth (1/4) of the total number of members or fifteen, whichever is smaller.
All issues to be voted on shall be decided on by a simple majority vote of those present at the meeting, except if stated otherwise in the Bylaws.
Annual member meetings will be conducted according to the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, and moderated by the Board Chair or their designee.
Board of Directors
The Board is responsible for overall policy and direction of BNCPJ. The Board makes all financial decisions for BNCPJ. If a budget is require the Board is responsible for developing the budget; all expenditures must be within the budget. The fiscal year shall be the calendar year. The Board approves the formation of any committee. The Board authorizes individuals to perform special tasks for the organization that are not typically performed by committees. These tasks might include, but are not limited to a) Press contact, b) Webmaster, or c) Demonstration coordinator.
The Board shall have a total of seven (7) members, consisting of four (4) Officers, and three (3) at-large Directors. The Board receives no compensation.
There shall be four (4) officers of the Board consisting of a Chair, a Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers shall be members elected at the October Member Meeting. Their duties are as follows:
Shall convene regularly scheduled Board meetings and preside or arrange for another officer to preside at each meeting. The Chair or their designee is responsible for writing and distributing the meeting agenda.
Will assist the Chair in the execution of their duties.
Shall be responsible for keeping records of Board actions, including taking minutes and attendance at all board meetings, distributing copies of minutes, and issuing announcements for annual or special member meetings.
Shall make a report to the Board every three months. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and recording membership dues. The Treasurer is responsible for distributing BNCPJ funds as agreed to by the Board.
Will assist in planning and running the monthly member meetings.
All Board members shall serve one-year terms, but are eligible for re-election. No board member shall serve consecutively for more than four and one-half years.
When a vacancy on the Board exists, the Secretary may receive nominations for new members from present Board members two weeks in advance of a Board meeting. These nominations shall be sent out to Board members to be voted upon at the next Board meeting. All vacancies will be filled only to the end of the particular Board member's term.
Resignation from the Board must be in writing and received by the Secretary. A Board member shall be dropped for excess absences from the Board if he or she has two unexcused absences from Board meetings in a year. A Board member may be removed for other reasons by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the remaining directors.
The Board shall appoint a nominating committee in August responsible for developing nominees for Board elections in October. This committee shall have four (4) members. The Nominating Committee will strive to choose the three (3) Directors and the Treasurer and Secretary from BNCPJ committees so ideally each committee will have a representative on the Board. The slate of candidates shall be presented at the Annual Meeting election. Additional candidates may be nominated from the floor. The committee will strive to choose candidates for election so that no more than four of the seven Board members are new to the Board in any given year.
Meetings of the Board
The Board shall meet at least quarterly.
Special meetings of the Board shall be called upon the request of the Chair or Co-Chair.
A quorum of two-thirds (2/3) the Board membership (5 members) is required before business can be transacted or motions made or passed.
At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair and Co-Chair may equally share the duties of Chair so that for all practical purposes joint Board leadership will exist. When issues are brought to a vote, and a majority vote is required, whoever is convening the Board may vote only to break a tie. All members vote including the Chair and Co-Chair when more than a majority vote is required.
The Board will strive to make decisions by reaching consensus. Here consensus means that although an individual member may not agree that the decision reached is the best decision, the decision does not violate any of their fundamental principals or beliefs. Although not the primary means for making decisions, the Board is empowered to make decisions using Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised at the will of the Chair or Co-Chair. Robert's Rules of Order may also be invoked by a simple majority vote of the Board.
Meetings of the Board and all committees shall be open to members. Sessions of a meeting may be closed only as to issues of a particularly sensitive nature. Such closed sessions can included both discussion and decision-making.
Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended when necessary by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Secretary fourteen (14) days prior to the Board meeting.