MIDWEST WRITERS GUILD WRITERS AND POETS ---------------------------------------------- BYLAWS ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 1 NAME 1.1 The name of this organization is the Midwest Writers Guild of Evansville, Indiana (hereafter MWG). MWG was established on November 14, 2006, in Evansville, Indiana. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 2 PURPOSES 2.1 The purposes of MWG are: 2.1.1 To promote, encourage, and represent writers in the U.S. Midwest. 2.1.2 To inform the public about Midwest writers. 2.1.3 To promote and encourage student writers. 2.2 Consistent with these purposes, the activities of MWG include, but are not be limited to, the following: 2.2.1 Conducting membership meetings on a monthly basis or as necessary. 2.2.2 Conducting at least one book fair per year. 2.2.3 Conducting at least one writing and one poetry contest per year. 2.2.4 Conducting at least one lecture and one reading per year. 2.2.5 Maintenance of a website where MWG members may show their work. 2.2.6 Interacting with businesses, organizations, mass media, and the general public to promote MWG members and events. 2.2.7 Providing opportunities for students through MWG sponsored writing events. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP 3.1 A member of MWG may be any person who is a writer or is interested in writing, in its promotion, appreciation, and understanding. 3.2 Membership in MWG is open to all adults who subscribe to the purposes set forth in these bylaws and who pay the annual dues. 3.3 MWG will maintain a membership roster containing the name and address of each member. MWG will also maintain such books and records as may be required by law and are consistent with the purpose of the bylaws. 3.4 Membership in MWG will cease when a member fails to pay annual dues or submits a written resignation to the Board of Directors. Termination of membership shall be recorded in the membership roster. All rights and privileges of a member will cease upon termination of membership. 3.5 Changes in membership dues must be recommended and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. 3.6 Membership dues will fund the operations and activities of MWG, including but not limited to administrative services, promotion, meetings, special projects, website maintenance, and publications. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 4 RIGHTS & PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP 4.1 Each member has voting rights in all matters submitted to the general membership, including election of the Board of Directors. The President only votes to break a tie. 4.2 Each member in good standing is eligible for nomination, election, or appointment to all MWG board positions and committees. 4.3 Any member may submit nominations for the Board positions, provided that the nominee is a member of MWG and indicates a willingness to serve. The names of the nominees will be posted on the MWG website and listed on ballots. 4.4 Each member may post examples of their writing not to exceed five-thousand (5,000) words on the MWG website, so long as the material meets certain minimum guidelines for content as determined by the Board of Directors. Each member may post a link to his/her website on the MWG website. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 5 ELECTED OFFICERS 5.1 The Board of Directors contains four elected officers and five appointed officers. The elected officers are: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. 5.2 Elected officers receive no compensation for their service. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 6 APPOINTED OFFICERS 6.1 The Board of Directors contains five appointed officer positions: Public Relations Director, Events Director, Website Director, Student Affairs Director, and Special Projects Director. Each appointed officer serves as the Chair of a corresponding committee. 6.2 Appointed officers receive no compensation for their service. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 7 DUTIES OF OFFICERS 7.1 The President will preside at meetings of the officers, Board of Directors, and the general membership, and will represent the MWG and its purposes to other organizations and the general public. The President will supervise the operations of MWG in a judicious and diligent manner. 7.1.1 The President will report to the general membership at least once annually on the state of the organization. This report will appear on the MWG website or in a printed document sent to all members. 7.1.2 The President will be responsible for scheduling and arranging all MWG meetings. In filling this and any other MWG responsibility, the President may call upon other officers, members of the Board of Directors, and such ad hoc committees as the President may wish to appoint, for assistance. 7.1.3 The President, upon approval by majority vote of the Board of Directors, is responsible for appointing non-elected officers. 7.1.4 The President may propose an annual budget for approval by the Board of Directors, authorize disbursements from the treasury, and delegate such authority as needed for a limited time to members in charge of special projects. 7.2 The Vice President will assist the President and will act as President pro tem whenever the President is absent, has resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of that office. 7.3 The Secretary will prepare meeting agendas, record minutes of meetings, and preserve records of the actions of MWG. The Secretary will maintain the membership roster containing the name and address of each member. The Secretary will print and distribute ballots, collect completed ballots, and tally votes for MWG officer nominations and elections. The Secretary will call on other members to assist in these duties as necessary. 7.4 The Treasurer will collect membership dues and other fees as necessary, manage the MWG bank account, pay bills and fees, and provide a printed and oral summary of the financial state of the organization at the request of the Board of Directors. The signature of the President and the Treasurer will be required on all checks. The Treasurer will maintain such financial records as may be required by law and are consistent with the purpose of the bylaws. 7.5 The Board of Directors is the primary policy-making body of the MWG. It will review procedures and policies of MWG and revise them as needed to fulfill the organization’s purposes most effectively. The Board of Directors will meet at least once per year, at the call of the President. The purpose of this meeting will be for business transaction, budgeting, events planning, etc. Other members may attend or be asked to assist the Board of Directors during these deliberations. Between formal meetings, Board members may be consulted by mail, electronic mail, or telephone as necessary. Decision of the Board of Directors will be determined by majority vote of those voting, providing there is a quorum of five members. 7.6 The Public Relations Director will serve as the Chair of the Public Relations Committee, contribute to outreach efforts to attract new members, draft press releases, and act as liaison to businesses, organizations, the mass media, and the general public. 7.7 The Events Director will serve as Chair of the Events Committee, find suitable sites for events and meetings, organize and schedule events such as book fairs, book signings, writing contests, readings, and lectures. 7.8. The Website Director will serve as the Chair of the Website Committee and oversee the production and content of the website. The Website Director will manage the placement on the website of written material submitted by members. The Website Director will maintain the website in a judicious and diligent manner. 7.9 The Student Affairs Director will serve as the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee, organize outreach efforts to students in high schools and universities to encourage participation in MWG events. 7.10 Special Projects Director will serve as the Chair of the Special Projects Committee, to carry out assignments as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors and the members, or to assist other committees as necessary. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 8 NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS 8.1 The President, Vice President, and at least one other member will review officer nominations received from the Secretary and be responsible for preparing the slate of candidates for each office held in a calendar year, and for determining each candidate's willingness to serve. Nominations will be requested at the December membership meeting. A candidate may be nominated by any MWG member, provided the candidate indicates a willingness to serve. The Board of Directors may nominate additional candidates. The names of the candidates will be posted on the website in a timely fashion. 8.2 Voting will be conducted at the first January membership meeting. When the ballots are collected the Secretary will count the votes and announce the results to the members. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 9 TERMS OF OFFICE 9.1 New officers take office at the first January meeting upon disclosure of the election results by the Secretary. 9.2 The term of office for each elected officer is one year. 9.3 Elected officers may hold a position for no more than four consecutive years. 9.4 The term of office for each appointed officer is one year. 9.5 Appointed officers may hold a position indefinitely. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 10 REMOVAL OR RESIGNATION FROM OFFICE 10.1 If an officer of the MWG fails to carry out the duties of office, or carries them out in a way clearly detrimental to the interests of the MWG, a written request to remove that individual from office may be submitted to the Board of Directors by any MWG member. If a member of the Board of Directors presents this request as an official motion and if the motion is seconded, then a bill of particulars must be presented, in writing, to the officer in question by the Board of Directors member who sponsored the motion to remove. The officer will then be given reasonable time to read and consider the bill of particulars and prepare copies of a written response. The Board of Directors will then consider the bill of particulars and hear the officer's response. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board of Directors, excluding the officer in question, will vote on the motion. At least two-thirds of the full membership of the Board of Directors must vote in the affirmative for the motion to be accepted. If the motion does pass, the officer in question will at that point be removed from office and will surrender to the Board of Directors all documents related to that office during her or his tenure. If the officer removed is the President, the Vice President will assume the duties of the office. For any other elected officer, the President will appoint a replacement to serve until the next election by the general membership. For appointed officers, the President, upon the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Directors, will appoint a replacement who will serve out the term and be eligible for reappointment. 10.2 If the President resigns before the completion of her or his term, the Vice President will assume the duties of the office and appoint a Vice President until the next election by the general membership. If the Vice President or another elected officer resigns before the completion of her or his term, the President will appoint a replacement to serve until the next election by the general membership. If an appointed officer resigns before that individual's term is completed, the President, upon the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Directors, will appoint a replacement who will serve out the term and be eligible for reappointment. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 11 MEETINGS 11.1 Informal membership meetings will be held monthly for information exchange and discussion. Topics for discussion can be proposed by any member. 11.2 Formal meetings concerning the transaction of MWG business by the Board of Directors may be held in conjunction with the monthly meetings, or at other times as necessary and appropriate. Topics for discussion in formal meetings will be pursuant to the items contained on the Meeting Agenda as submitted by the Secretary. In such cases, general members present can vote on items presented by the Board of Directors, so long as the votes are not in conflict with procedures established elsewhere in the bylaws. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 12 MEETING AGENDAS 12.1 Items will be discussed at meetings according to an agenda prepared in advance by the Secretary. Members will propose items for the agenda by contacting the Secretary no later than twenty-four (24) hours before the next scheduled meeting. Items will be discussed in the order that they were recorded on the agenda by the Secretary. 12.2 Agenda items may be removed or tabled if a motion to do so is received and seconded. A two-thirds majority vote by the officers present is required to remove or table an agenda topic. 12.3 Motions from the floor to discuss new items will be received only after the all items on the meeting agenda have been addressed, removed, or tabled. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 13 AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS 13.1 These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors. 13.2 Any amendments to the bylaws thus approved will be reported to the general membership in a timely fashion. ---------------------------------------------- ARTICLE 14 DISSOLUTION 14.1 MWG may be dissolved upon recommendation of a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors and approval by mail ballot of two-thirds of the MWG's members who vote on the question of dissolution. At least one month must be allowed for return of all ballots. 14.2 The President, Vice President, and Secretary shall form the Dissolution Committee and carry out all tasks necessary to concluding the business of the MWG, including, but not limited to, archiving MWG records and papers; notification to the general membership of the MWG's dissolution; and termination of the website. 14.3 In the event of dissolution, all assets remaining after liabilities have been met shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Internal Revenue codes. ---------------------------------------------- LAST UPDATED DECEMBER 20, 2006 ---------------------------------------------- Return to Midwest Writers Guild ---------------------------------------------- All Rights Reserved