NLUG Constitution and By-Laws

Constitution and By-laws

1 Constitution

Article I: Name and Purpose

Section A: The organization shall be known as Nashville Linux Users Group or by the abbreviated NLUG.

Section B: The purpose of NLUG shall be the promotion of, contribution to, and education pertaining to the computer operating system commonly known as Linux, both within the organization and to the persons of the city of Nashville and its environs.

Article II: Qualification of Members

Section A: Membership in NLUG is open to any and all individuals. Members shall be divided into two categories, voting and Honorary.

Section B: Voting members shall be any persons who participate in any of the NLUG meetings, lectures, classes or other assemblages of members. voting membership status shall be conferred at the second meeting after application for membership has been received.

Section C: Honorary members shall be any persons who do not participate in any of the NLUG meetings, lectures, classes or other assemblages of members, excluding by electronic means, having been awarded membership by NLUG in recognition of contributions made to NLUG.

Section D: The membership list will remain confidential and the membership information on said list will not be lent, given, or sold for any purpose.

Article III: Election and Terms of Officers

Section A: The officers shall include the president, vice-president, secretary, and a treasurer.

Section B: Officers elected in the initial election shall hold office for six months. In subsequent elections, officers shall be elected for a one year term of office.

Section C: Should an Officer of NLUG leave office before the end of their term in office special elections may be called by the President, or next highest ranking available officer, for the purpose of filling the vacated office.

Article IV: Meetings of the Organization

Section A: Meetings will usually be held monthly, the time and place will be posted by electronic means.

Section B: The President may call a special meeting to accommodate presentations from Linux related vendors or personnel, to complete previously unfinished business, for Linux related educational or demonstration purposes.

Article V: How to Amend the Constitution

Section A: The constitution may be amended only by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all voting members present at a scheduled meeting.

Section B: Any amendments to the constitution introduced at a meeting shall not be called to a vote during the same meeting. Voting on all amendments will be automatically postponed until the next scheduled meeting.

Section C: Any amendments to the constitution introduced at a meeting shall be posted electronically for the purpose of examination by NLUG members and prospective members.

2 By-Laws

Article I: Members

Section A: Voting membership shall be open to anyone who specifies that they wish to become a voting member of NLUG, undertaking the responsibility which that entails, on the NLUG Membership Form.

Section B: Voting membership must be renewed annually.

Section C: There are no dues of any kind required of members.

Section D: There shall be no limit on the number of members.

Section E: The Secretary shall keep a list of all voting members for the purpose of roll call.

Article II: Officers

Section A: Officers shall be nominated from the floor and be elected by ballot. A plurality vote shall be necessary to elect.

Section B: The president shall preside over all meetings. The president shall attend to all of the business of NLUG, or delegate any aspect of NLUG business to the vice-president, or to appoint a committee to carry out any one particular aspect of NLUG business. The president shall oversee the disbursement of funds from the treasury and no funds shall be disbursed without his prior approval.

Section C: The vice-president shall preside over meetings in the absence of the president. The vice-president shall attend to any business delegated by the president; or appoint a committee to carry out such business. If the President should resign or otherwise leave office the vice-president shall maintain the office of the president until new elections are called.

Section D: The secretary shall keep the minutes of all NLUG meetings. The minutes for each meeting shall be posted by the secretary on the Internet for the personal edification of both voting and honorary members.

Section E: The treasurer shall collect and keep account of all money, and to pay, from the treasury, any and all debts incurred by the NLUG, as authorized by the president. The treasurer is required to make at least one annual report.

Section F: No officer shall receive compensation for their services. Officers and members alike shall not receive reimbursement for expenses in the execution of NLUG business except when prior approval is given by the president.

Article III: Committees

Section A: The committees shall be chaired by a committee chairperson as appointed by the president and approved by a majority vote. The committee chair may then appoint as many members to that committee as they wish.

Section B: The president shall, at any time, appoint the following standing committees:

  1. Web site Committee; shall include the webmaster and oversee the administering and content of the NLUG web site.
  2. Listserv Committee; shall include the listserv-administrator and oversee the NLUG electronic mailing list sever.
  3. Steering Committee; shall include the members of NLUG who wish to contribute to and organize the planning of, the monthly NLUG meetings.
  4. FAQ Committee; shall include the members of NLUG who wish to contribute to and organize the planning of, the NLUG Frequently Asked Questions.

Section C: Committee meeting shall be held at the discretion of the committee chair.

Article IV: Parliamentary authority

Section A: All meetings of this organization shall be conducted under commonly accepted parliamentary procedures.

Article V: Quorum

Section A: Twenty voting members of this organization shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI: Amendments

Section A: The by-laws may be amended only by a two-thirds vote taken of all voting members present at a scheduled meeting. If a quorum is not present the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting. If, at the second meeting a quorum is still not present, the amendment shall pass or fail by simple majority of those voting NLUG members present. If a quorum is present at the first or second meeting after the by-laws were amended, the amendment can be brought back to the floor and will pass on a two-thirds majority vote.

Section B: Any amendments to the by-laws introduced at a meeting shall not be called to a vote during the same meeting. Voting on all amendments will be automatically postponed until the next scheduled meeting.

Section C: Any amendments to the by-laws introduced at a meeting shall be posted electronically on the World Wide Web for the purpose of examination by NLUG members and prospective members.

1/26/99
REV: CFD, 7/25/99
CFD, 9/30/99
CFD, 10/15/99
CFD, 10/27/99
CFD, 11/17/99