CENTRAL OHIOANS FOR PEACE, INC. BY-LAWS
Table of Contents
Committees of Central Ohioans for Peace, Inc. value a consensus building and problem solving process. Full consensus is not required; Robert's Rules of Order apply as a last choice.
"Standing" Committees are permanent committees.
1. MEETINGS: The membership of COFP, Inc. meets regularly at a publicly announced location and time.
2. TASKS:
a. Approves minutes of prior membership meetings and conducts other business as necessary and appropriate.
b. Approves new Project Committees based upon discussion of written Project Proposals.
c. Appoints members to Recurring Committees.
d. Approves disbursements of funds of $100 or less by motion.
e. Approves Board appointments to vacant Board positions.
1. PROCEDURES:
a. The Board of Directors of COFP, Inc. is composed of Voting Members who are elected for one-year terms at the Annual Meeting held in December. Terms begin January 1st and end December 31st. Nominations and elections will be conducted by the Election Committee.
b. Action minutes will be kept of Board meetings and will be available upon request to any member of COFP, Inc.
c. The monthly stated meeting of the Board of Directors will be held at a location open to the membership of COFP, Inc. Voting and Associate Members are welcome to participate in Board deliberations, but may not vote on Board actions.
d. The Board of Directors may not make formal decisions without a majority of the members in agreement. Consent of absent Board members may be obtained in writing for specific motions.
e. Emergency Board meetings may be called by any member of the Board if necessary. This special meeting will consider only the issue which prompted the emergency meeting.
f. A Board position may become vacant if, during the one-year term, the Board Officer resigns, is absent without communication for two consecutive months, or is recalled by the membership at a Special Meeting. The Board will appoint a Voting Member to fill the vacant position. If the Voting Member agrees to serve, the members of COFP, Inc. will vote to approve or disapprove the appointment.
g. Subcommittees may be formed to assist the members of the Board with their respective responsibilities. Subcommittees can be created by a motion approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors.
2. RESPONSIBILITIES:
a. Sets the date for Annual General Membership Meeting.
b. Calls for the appointment of Recurring Committees, including the Election Committee, the Goals and Priorities Committee, and the Anniversary Celebration Committee, if any.
c. Receives and reviews proposals and reports from Project Committees.
d. Evaluates expenditures in view of goals and priorities.
e. Facilitates membership participation in COFP, Inc. activities.
f. Acts to develop functions which may become the primary responsibility of a Board member or a Recurring Committee.
g. Manages and facilitates other activities of COFP, Inc.
3. OFFICERS:
a. PRESIDENT: Facilitates Regular Meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors. Serves as the organizational executive as the need arises. Serves as an intra-organizational liaison for all functions of COFP, Inc. not otherwise designated to other members of the Board. Assists Board members in recruiting assistance when needed.
b. VICE PRESIDENT/ACTIVISM COORDINATOR: Assists the membership in planning and implementing activism campaigns for COFP, Inc., including vigils, protests, demonstrations, and tabling at public events. Serves as the primary liaison to the Board for activism project committees. Facilitates Regular Meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors in the absence of the President.
c. SECRETARY: Records or designates someone to record the actions and decisions made by the Board and the membership of COFP, Inc. Composes regular meeting agendas with suggestions from the Board. Coordinates informational support for COFP, Inc., including Historical Functions, Web Page Management, and Public Relations.
d. TREASURER: Formally receives income and controls deposits and disbursements of COFP, Inc. funds. Reports regularly to Board and Membership on disbursements relative to established goals and priorities.
e. RECRUITMENT/MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: Gets contact information from visitors to meetings and tabling activities; follows up with a "Welcome" packet containing meeting and program schedules and other material. Keeps an up-to-date membership list.
f. EDUCATION COORDINATOR: Assists the membership in planning and implementing educational programs for COFP, Inc., both for internal and external educational activities. Serves as the primary liaison to the Board for education project committees.
Temporary Committees have time-limited functions and dissolve upon the completion of the task for which they were created.
Recurring Committees are Temporary Committees convened annually to serve recurring functions of COFP, Inc. Voting or Associate Members are appointed to Recurring Committees by the members at a Regular Meeting.
1. ELECTION COMMITTEE
The Election Committee is a Recurring Committee of the membership. It is composed of three (3) Voting Members of COFP, Inc., who will be appointed each September at a Regular Meeting of the general membership. No incumbent member of the Board of Directors may be a member of this committee. No nominated member of the Election Committee will be available for nomination for the Board.
a. Tasks:
1) Facilitates the Nomination process for positions on the COFP, Inc. Board of Directors, with the advice and consent of the general membership.
2) Facilitates the conduct of the annual Election of the Board of directors. Absentee and written proxy balloting prior to the Annual Meeting is permitted.
3) Counts and reports the results of the Election balloting to the Annual Meeting.
b. Nomination Procedure:
1) Each Voting member of COFP, Inc. may nominate one candidate for each Board position. Each Board Nominee must be a current Voting Member.
2) Nominations must be received by a date to be determined by the Election Committee, and may be submitted in writing to any member of the Election Committee.
3) After the Nominations are closed, nominees will be contacted by a member of the Election Committee to obtain the nominee's acceptance of one of the positions for which s/he has been nominated.
4) Further nominations are only allowed "From the Floor" at the Annual Meeting for positions for whom a nominated member could not be found.
2. GOALS AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE
The Goals and Priorities Committee is appointed by the Board and convened to develop Goals and Budget priorities no later than March 1st of each year. This committee includes the Treasurer on an ex officio basis. The Treasurer provides the Committee with a detailed breakdown of previous year(s) income and expenditures. Other members of the Goals and Priorities Committee represent the different types of education, activism, and other activities in which COFP, Inc. may participate during the following calendar year. This statement of organizational goals and budgetary priorities is a planning and evaluation instrument.
Project Committees carry out specifically defined projects, and dissolve upon completion of the defined Project. Project Committees are composed of and recruited by the Members participating in the specific project.
1. FORMATION:
a. COFP, Inc. members who would like to create a Project Committee must first create a written Project Proposal, which is presented to the Board for evaluation of how it supports the Purposes of COFP, Inc., and the Goals and Priorities of the organization.
b. When the Board is satisfied that the Project Proposal is complete, the Board recommends the Project to the membership at a Regular Meeting.
c. When the membership approves the Project Proposal, the Project Committee has been formed.
d. Additional Members may join the Project Committee at the discretion of the originally approved Members. Being a Member of a Project Committee requires substantial participation in furthering the work of the Project.
2. PROJECT PROPOSAL: The following sections must be addressed in the written Project Proposal.
a. PURPOSE OF PROJECT:
1) What is the goal of this Project?
2) How does it reflect the mission, budgetary goals, and legal limitations of COFP, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) organization?
b. RELATIONSHIP TO COFP, INC.'S PURPOSE AS STATED IN THE CONSTITUTION:
1) How does this project advance the interests of COFP, Inc., especially in terms of education, activism, and recruitment?
2) On what basis should the performance and results of this Project Committee be evaluated? When has the Project been completed?
c. COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND BUDGETS:
1) Who are the members of the Project Committee?
2) Who will be the Project Manager? Who will serve as the Project Committee's liaison on the Board of Directors?
3) Which people or skills are necessary to support the project?
4) What tasks must be performed?
5) How much will it cost? Where will the funding come from?
These By-Laws shall be adopted by a vote of Two-Thirds of the Voting Members present at a Special Meeting called for that purpose (or if permitted, by mail or by written proxy), notice of which shall be given at least Ten (10) Days prior to such meeting. These By-Laws may be amended, repealed, or supplemented, or new By-Laws may be adopted by vote of Two-Thirds of the Voting Members present at a Special Meeting called for that purpose, notice of which shall be given at least Ten (10) Days prior to such Meeting.
By-Laws Adopted December 13, 2004
Copyright 2008 Central Ohioans For Peace. All Rights Reserved.
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