North Sound Chapter No. 74
American Institute of Parliamentarians

Bylaws | Standing Rules | Calendar
 

Bylaws

Name | Purpose | Members | Officers | Meetings | Executive Board
Committees | Dissolution | Parliamentary Authority | Amendment | Appendix

Article I - Name

Section 1. The name of this chapter shall be the North Sound Chapter, No. 74, of the American Institute of Parliamentarians, hereinafter referred to as the chapter and AIP.

Article II - Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of this chapter shall be to:

1. advance at the local level the goals and objectives of AIP as defined in its Action Program, a copy of which is appended to these bylaws; and
2. improve its members' knowledge and skills of parliamentary law as evidenced in various parliamentary authorities.

Article III - Members

Section 1. The membership shall be limited to members of AIP.

Section 2. Any person eligible for membership shall become a member by completion of the official application form and payment of annual dues to the chapter.

Section 3. Annual chapter dues shall be eight dollars, payable in advance on or before June 1 of each year. Members joining January through May shall pay fifty percent of the current annual chapter dues.

Section 4. On August 1, the treasurer shall notify each member whose dues are unpaid and if dues are unpaid by September 1, the member shall be dropped from membership.

Section 5. The fiscal year shall be from June 1 through May 31.

Article IV - Officers

Section 1. The elected officers of this chapter shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer.

Section 2. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the adopted parliamentary authority.

Section 3. At the regular meeting held in March, a nominating committee of three members shall be elected by the membership. The nominating committee shall elect its chairman. It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate one candidate for each elected office to be filled at the annual meeting in May. The nominating committee shall report at the regular meeting in May, at which time, nominations from the floor shall be permitted.

Section 4. The elected officers shall be elected at the annual meeting. Officers shall assume office at the end of the annual meeting at which elected and shall serve for one year or until their successors assume office. The result of the election shall be reported to AIP by June 10.

Section 5. Vacancies in office shall be filled by the executive board.

Article V - Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held on the second Monday of every odd-numbered month, unless otherwise ordered by the membership or the executive board.

Section 2. The regular meeting in May shall be the annual meeting, and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.

Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the president or the executive board, and shall be called upon the written request of two members. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call of the meeting.

Section 4. Notice shall not be required for meetings held at the usual time and place, as established by rule.  All notices shall be at least five days before the meeting, and may be by any reasonable means, including voice, voice-mail, postal mail, e-mail and facsimile.

Section 5. A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business.

Section 6. A member may participate in a meeting by, or the Chapter may conduct a meeting through, the use of any means of communication including but not limited to telephone and video conferencing, by which all members participating may simultaneously communicate with each other during the meeting. A member participating in a meeting by such means shall be considered present in person at the meeting. Actions taken at such a meeting, providing there is a quorum, shall be valid actions of the Chapter without further requirements. 

Article VI - Executive Board

Section 1. The members of the executive board shall be the elected officers.

Section 2. The executive board shall transact necessary business between chapter meetings and conduct other business as may be transferred to it by the membership.

Section 3. Meetings of the executive board shall be called by the president and upon the written request of two members of the Board.

Section 4. A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. The board may meet through the use of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all participating in the meeting can communicate with each other at the same time. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting.

Article VII - Committees

Section 1. There shall be the following standing committee: education; which shall have the customary responsibilities.

Section 2. Standing committee chairmen and members shall be elected by the chapter.

Section 3. Special committees may be appointed by the president, the executive board, or the chapter as deemed necessary to carry on the work of the chapter.

Section 5. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.

Article VIII - Dissolution

Section 1. This chapter may disband or dissolve by a two-thirds vote of the membership provided that a special meeting shall be called for that purpose and thirty days written notice shall be given to all chapter members and AIP headquarters.

Section 2. If dissolution is approved, the report of the vote, the chapter AIP charter, the chapter minutes book, and, after payment of all indebtedness, any remaining funds shall be sent to AIP headquarters within ten days following the special meeting.

Article IX - Parliamentary Authority

Section 1. The rules contained in the current edition of The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall govern this chapter in all cases in which they do not conflict with these bylaws and any standing or special rules the chapter may adopt. Meetings may be conducted according a different parliamentary authority by a four-fifths vote.

Article X - Amendment

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the chapter by two-thirds vote provided that at least thirty days written notice has been given to all members, or with a three-fourths vote of the entire membership without notice.

Proviso

The chapter number shall be inserted upon notice of assigned number by AIP national office.

History:
Adopted 2004-01-19.  Approved by AIP Bylaws Chairman on 2004-02-16.
Amended 2005-09-26 (Art. V, Sec. 1).
Amended 2007-01-07 (Art. V, Sec. 6).
 

Appendix
AIP's Action Program

The general purpose of the American Institute of Parliamentarians is to work for the improvement of parliamentary procedure to the end that decisions are made by parliamentary means rather than by violence or by dictatorial actions, and that mankind will learn to live in peace through effective implementation of sound democratic principles. The objectives of AIP are:

A.  Promote use of effective, democratic, parliamentary practices

1. Remove unneeded complications, confusing ambiguities, and archaic terminology from parliamentary usage:
2. Emphasize parliamentary law; sound democratic principles and skillful, ethical tactics;
3. Provide a clearing house for parliamentary problems;
4. Research parliamentary practices in various times and places, and in all types of organizations, and experiment with numerous techniques;
5. Study assemblies and committees of ordinary associates and of legislatures, city councils, business corporations;
6. Develop techniques for obtaining better understanding of parliamentary procedure and for building leadership;
7. Help and encourage sponsors of student organizations in the study and practice of proper parliamentary procedure;
8. Cooperate with all groups interested in the improvement of parliamentary procedure, to maintain friendly relationships, to share its knowledge and results of its research to the end that democracy will function better through procedure;

B.  Promote preparation and use of parliamentary literature

9. Publish a quarterly Parliamentary Journal, a scholarly, practical, interesting aid to AIP members;
10. Publish regular editions of a Parliamentary Directory as an aid to AIP members; and as a guide to organizations and individuals needing expert parliamentary service;
11. Maintain a parliamentary library of literature for reference, sale, circulation, and free distribution;
12. Publish a Parliamentary bibliography, parliamentary opinions, and other parliamentary materials;
13. Encourage various organizations and individuals to prepare and have published literature;
14. Provide editorial assistance to prospective authors of parliamentary material;

C.  Promote teaching of Parliamentary procedure

15. Encourage credit-bearing courses in parliamentary procedure in universities, colleges and law schools;
16. Encourage credit-bearing work in parliamentary procedure as part of other courses, at the elementary, secondary, and college levels;
17. Encourage non-credit courses in parliamentary procedure in public and private schools as part of their adult education programs;
18. Organize high school pupils, college students, and adults for the purpose of studying parliamentary procedure;
19. Encourage organizations to develop educational programs which include the study of parliamentary procedure;
20. Promote radio and television programs, articles and news items in newspapers and magazines, and discussion groups, workshops, and symposia;
21. Train and supply competent teachers of parliamentary procedure;

D.  Promote the training and certification of Parliamentarians

22. Develop advanced courses in parliamentary procedure to include methods of teaching and of serving as parliamentarians;
23. Maintain facilities for accrediting qualified members as Certified Parliamentarians (CPs) and as Certified Professional Parliamentarians (CPPs);

E.  Promote wider use of Parliamentarians

24. Distribute the parliamentary directory so that organizations and individuals may easily locate qualified parliamentarians;
25. Distribute information concerning the various services which parliamentarians are prepared to render, and the value of such expert services;

F. Maintain a representative, democratic organization

26. Maintain a membership of parliamentarians, educators, lawyers, legislators, and members of business, civic, labor, professional, trade, veteran, religious, service, and fraternal organizations, and welcome to membership interested persons regardless of age, color, creed, financial status, nationality, race, or sex;
27. Develop a sound system of representation in AIP's board, committees, and conventions;
28. Stimulate general membership participation, thus involving more persons in policy formation, and in activities that tend to develop leadership;
29. Promote effective techniques for the prevention of steamroller tactics, filibustering, and other undemocratic practices;
30. Emphasize procedures which protect the rights of the individual without hampering the proper interest of the majority;
31. Emphasize re-evaluation or practices to the end that there will be perennial development of our concepts and continuous strengthening of our FAITH in true democracy.

Standing Rules

Procedural Standing Rules

1. Seconding of motions shall not be required for their consideration until the membership exceeds twelve members. (Adopted 2003-11-17)

Administrative Standing Rules

1. Meetings shall be held at Martha Lake Covenant Church, 2721 164th St. SW, Lynnwood, Washington at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise ordered by the chapter or executive board, in which case notice shall be required. (Adopted 2004-01-19, amended 2007-01-07)

2. All officers shall present all records pertaining to the office to their successors within thirty days after leaving office. (Discussed on 2004-01-19, but not yet adopted)

Bylaws Calendar

• Jan 1 - New member dues for partial year become $4 (III.3)
• Jan 2nd Mon - Meet on third Mondays of Jan, Mar, May, July, Sep, Nov (V.1)
• March 2nd Mon - Elect 3 to nominating committee; committee elects its chairman (IV.3)
• May 2nd Mon - Meet (V.1); annual reports (V.2); nominating committee report; nominations from floor; elect officers; assume office after meeting (IV.3)
• June 1 - $8 dues due (III.3) for June 1 - May 31 membership year
• June 10 - Election results due to AIP HQ (IV.4)
• July 2nd Mon - Meet (V.1)
• Aug 1 - Treasurer notifies members with unpaid dues (III.4)
• Sept 1 - Member dropped if dues unpaid (III.4)
• Sept 2nd Mon - Meet (V.1)
• Nov 2nd Mon - Meet (V.1)