Bylaws of Madtown Moms

Est. July 2004

ARTICLE 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GROUP

Section 1.  Name

The name of this local support group shall be Madtown Moms.

Section 2.  Guidelines

a)       No part of the support group's activities shall consist of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the group shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign, including the publishing or distribution or statements, on behalf of any candidate for public office.

b)       The support group shall be a nonprofit organization and not organized or operated for the private gain of any person.  It shall not carry on any activities not permitted by corporations except from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Should Madtown Moms disband or cease its activities, all assets remaining after the payment of any debts or liabilities must be immediately distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation which has previously established its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE 2.  PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES

SECTION 1.  PURPOSE

The purpose of this support group shall be:

a)       to provide a support group for mothers who choose to stay at home to raise their children;

b)       To provide a forum for topics pertinent to children, child-raising, homemaking, personal improvement and the family;

c)       To engage in activities to enrich the lives of children in the community;

d)       To undertake and complete at least one charitable, humanitarian or social welfare project related to children each year.

SECTION 2. PRINCIPLES

The principles of this support group shall be:

a)       That, for women who choose it, raising children is an important and fulfilling full-time job;

b)       That a family's decision for a mother to stay at home to raise the children often involves considerable financial sacrifice.

c)       That there is no one right way to raise children, but that a major reason for the members to come together is their desire to seek out mothers with a common concern for raising their children in the best possible and most healthful way.

ARTICLE 3.  MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the support group is open to any mother.

A member in good standing is defined as one who has paid current dues, or whose dues have been waived or reduced by the Executive Board, and who has a current liability waiver on file with the club.

Only members in good standing may hold office, participate in club activities, meetings, programs, parties, committees or activity groups, and be eligible to vote.

SECTION 2.  ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS

Madtown Moms may establish associate memberships for reduced dues to apply to special situations.  Associate memberships shall be non-voting and may have limited rights to attend Madtown Moms functions.

At no time may associate memberships be used to segregate the support group for financial reasons.  Any mother qualified for full membership, who desires full membership, but is unable to meet her financial obligation, may ask for her dues to be waived or reduced by the Executive Board.

Each associate membership will be addressed and voted on, on a case by case basis by all members in good standing at a membership meeting.

ARTICLE 4.  MEETINGS

SECTION 1.  MEETINGS

Regular business meetings of the Madtown Moms shall be held monthly on a day to be specified by the Executive Board.  Any and all business of the support group shall be conducted at the regular monthly business meeting.  A quorum of members shall be whatever members attend the meeting, provided said meeting was announced to all members in good standing at least one month in advance.  If the meeting was not announced to all members in good standing at least one month in advance, then the quorum shall be a majority of the members in good standing.

In addition to the regular business meetings, the Executive Board may schedule park days or other get-togethers for the membership, but no business may be conducted at any time other than at the regularly scheduled monthly business meetings.

The Executive Board, may, however, hold a special business meeting for matters too imperative to wait for the next business meeting, if all members have been notified either by telephone, mail or email in advance of the meeting.  No motions concerning disbanding the local support group or removing officers may be made or voted on at special business meetings.

SECTION 2.  MEETING TIMES

The majority of group functions, including monthly membership meetings, shall be held at times most convenient to the majority of the members in good standing.

SECTION 3.  ATTENDANCE OF CHILDREN AT MADTOWN MOMS FUNCTIONS

Members' children shall be welcome at all functions when accompanied by the member parent.  Children of a non-Madtown Moms member may only attend public functions and only with a signed liability waiver.  Guests of a member/parent hosting an event are the responsibility and liability of that member.

Parents are responsible for the actions and safety of their children at all times.  Madtown Moms Is not responsible for the actions or safety of any children at any time.

Parents may be required to remove disruptive or ill children from meetings or activities.  The final decision of whether a child is disruptive or ill rests with the Executive Board, which shall use the same criteria for all children.  The Executive Board may, if it so wishes, require a doctor's written statement attesting to the health of any child.

Nursing of infants and toddlers is perfectly acceptable at any support group function and shall not be discouraged in any way.

SECTION 4.  NO SMOKING POLICY

Because many people, especially infants, children and pregnant women, are sensitive to cigarette and other smoke, and because of current evidence attesting to the health hazards of second-hand smoke, no smoking shall be permitted at any indoor meeting or activity and consideration for non-smokers shall be expected at outdoor functions.

ARTICLE 5.  FISCAL YEAR AND DUES

SECTION 1.  FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of Madtown Moms shall be from July 1 to June 30.

SECTION 2.  DUES

Dues for new members shall be collected on a yearly basis, with each member paying the current fee and receiving membership for one year from the date of their joining.  Dues for renewing members shall also be collected on a yearly basis, with each member paying the current fee and receiving membership for one year from the date their renewal was due.

SECTION 3.  AMOUNT OF DUES

The dues for Madtown Moms shall be set by the Executive Board with the approval of a majority vote at a regular business meeting.  Dues should be reasonable to cover the expenses of the group and should never be set so high as to intentionally exclude any potential members.

SECTION 4.  WAIVING OF DUES

No mother may be denied membership in the local group because of financial hardship.  If a member cannot meet her financial obligation to the group, she may ask the Executive Board for special consideration.  The Executive Board should consider each request individually and should waive or reduce the dues of any member who is unable to meet her financial obligation.

If the Executive Board, by a majority vote, decides to waive or reduce the yearly dues of a member, that member shall be accepted into the group for that year as a member in good standing, with all the rights and privileges thereof.  Information about which members, if any, have had their dues waived or reduced is confidential to the Executive Board.

Any criteria used by the Executive Board in determining whether or not a member can meet her financial obligation must be applied to all members without bias or discrimination.

SECTION 5.  PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS

Prospective members may attend two public events before they pay their dues, but they may not vote or participate in activity groups until they have paid their dues.

SECTION 6.  ROSTER OF MEMBERS

A roster, consisting of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all members in good standing shall be prepared by the Membership Vice-President and distributed at least once a year to all members in good standing.  Additional information may be included in the roster at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Only the names of members in good standing may appear in the roster and only members in good standing may have access to the roster.  The roster may be used for club business only and may not be used for business, political or religious purposes.

SECTION 7.  ADDITIONAL FEES

The Executive Board, with the approval of a majority vote at a regular business meeting, may levy additional fees to cover program costs, such as room charges, speakers' fees or child care if necessary.

ARTICLE 6.  OFFICERS

SECTION 1.  OFFICERS

The elected officers of Madtown Moms shall be the President, Administrative Vice-President, Membership Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

SECTION 2.  PRESIDENT

The duties of the President shall be:

a)       To preside at meetings;

b)       To act as liaison with other organizations and the community;

c)       To organize the local group's activities with the help of the Administrative Vice-President, Executive Board and Committee Chairpersons.

SECTION 3.  ADMINISTRATIVE VICE-PRESIDENT

The duties of the Administrative Vice President shall be:

a)       To assist the President in fulfilling her duties;

b)       To assume the duties of the President when she is not available;

c)       To coordinate the service project detailed in Article 2, Section 1, paragraph d.

d)       Coordinate all Madtown Moms philanthropic events and charity donations.

SECTION 4.  MEMBERSHIP VICE PRESIDENT

The duties of the Membership Vice President shall be:

a)       To promote membership in the group;

b)       To publicize the group in the community, and to coordinate such publicity with the President who is the group's liaison with the community;

c)       To assist the Treasurer in the collecting of dues;

d)       To coordinate hospitality at the meetings;

e)       To compile a roster of all members to be distributed at least once a year.

SECTION 5.  SECRETARY

The duties of the Secretary shall be:

a)       To coordinate or prepare any correspondence necessary for the support group in cooperation with the President;

b)       To take minutes of business, special and Executive Board meetings, and to keep those minutes in a notebook available for review by members and the Executive Board;

c)       To coordinate and distribute the Madtown Moms newsletter.

SECTION 6.  TREASURER

The duties of Treasurer shall be:

a)       To be responsible for all funds of the group, and to deposit all such funds in the name of the group in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected by the Executive Board.

b)       To maintain financial records of the group and to keep those records available for review by the President, the Executive Board, and all Madtown Moms members in good standing.

c)       To receive and legally disperse any funds as directed by the Executive Board, and to give proper vouchers and receipts for any transactions.

d)       To prepare and present a financial report to the Executive Board and members of the group at least once a year, and to prepare any other financial reports as may be required by the Executive Board.

SECTION 7.  TERMS IN OFFICE

The term of each office shall run for one year, concurrent with the fiscal year.

ARTICLE 7.  EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1.  EXECUTIVE BOARD

The governing body of Madtown Moms shall be called the Executive Board, consisting of the elected officers.

The Executive Board shall meet as needed on the call of the President.

Three officers shall constitute an Executive Board quorum, with the following exception:  if for any reason there are vacancies in two or more of the offices, then a quorum shall be a majority of however many offices are currently filled.

SECTION 2.  DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall coordinate the activities of the group with Committee Chairpersons.  Any program or activity requiring an expenditure of Madtown Moms funds must first be reviewed by the Executive Board which will, by a majority vote, either decline or accept the program for forwarding to the membership as a whole for consideration.  Any program, activity, or expenditure accepted by the Executive Board for forwarding to the membership as a whole shall be taken to the membership for voting at the next regular business meeting.

ARTICLE 8.  COMMITTEES

SECTION 1.  COMMITTEES

The President may form any committees which she finds necessary to direct the various functions of the group in the fulfillment of its purpose and shall appoint the chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Board.  Committee members may be appointed by the chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Board.

The work of the committees shall be planned and presented to the Executive Board for approval before any action is taken.

The President is a member of any and all committees.

The President may remove any committee chairperson from their post with the approval of the Executive Board.  Committee members may be removed by the chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE 9.  ACTIVITY GROUPS

SECTION 1.  ACTIVITY GROUPS

An activity group is defined as members joined together in similar interest areas.  Only members in good standing may participate in an activity group.

Activity groups must submit their plans to the Executive Board for approval before action is taken.

ARTICLE 10.  NOMINATING COMMITTEE AND ELECTIONS

SECTION 1.  NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of five members, including a chairperson, and shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board.  A call for volunteers for the committee shall be announced at the March business meeting.  Members of the Nominating committee will not be eligible to run for any officer's post.

SECTION 2.  NOMINATIONS

A call for members who wish to run for election of any officer's post shall be announced at the March business meeting.  The nominating committee shall consider all members who express an interest in running for election, but shall not be limited to those members when preparing the slate of officers.

The nominating committee shall present a slate of officers at that April business meeting.  The slate of officers shall consist of at least one candidate for each office.  After the slate has been presented, additional nominations from the floor may be made and seconded by members in good standing, but only at the April business meeting.

SECTION 3.  ELECTIONS

The nominating committee shall conduct the election at the May business meeting.  Members of the nominating committee or the Executive Board shall count the votes.  Candidates receiving a majority of votes cast by members in good standing present at the May business meeting shall be declared elected.  No proxy votes shall be allowed.  If there were no nominations from the floor at the April business meeting and the slate of officers contains only one candidate for each post, then the slate of officers as presented by the nominating committee may be accepted by a show of hands.

ARTICLE 11.  VACANCIES ON EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1.  VACANCIES

Vacancies on the Executive Board shall exist on the resignation or removal of any officer.

A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board, with the following exceptions:  (a)  if there is a vacancy in the office of the President, that post shall be filled automatically by the Administrative Vice President;  and (b) if there are vacancies in all the offices, then Madtown Moms members in good standing shall either appoint the officers or shall appoint a representative to run an election at the next business meeting.

SECTION 2.  REMOVAL OF ELECTED OFFICERS

Elected officers may be removed from office only for cause.  Valid reasons for removal shall be:

a)       The officer has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court or has been convicted of a felony;

b)       The officer has failed to uphold the Bylaws;

c)       The officer has failed to perform her duties of office.

In cases of reasons (a) or (b), the Executive Board shall declare the office vacant.  Filling the vacant office shall follow the procedure outlined in Section 1 of this Article.

In case of reason (c), Madtown Moms shall use the following procedure for removal of the officer in question.

1)       A proposal to remove an officer for failure to perform her duties of office may be  brought before the Executive Board by any member in good standing.  The proposal shall be considered by the Executive Board and if approved by the Board, shall be presented to the membership at the next business meeting.  If the officer is not present at the Executive Board meeting, she shall be notified immediately of the charges and impending motion for removal.  If for any reason she cannot be notified, the following steps shall be delayed until she is so notified.  Notification shall be considered to have occurred if either (1) the officer has been told of the charges by telephone at least 5 days before the business meeting, or if (2) a letter detailing the charges has been mailed to the last known address of the officer at least 10 days before the business meeting;

2)       At the business meeting, the proposed motion to remove the officer in question shall be announced to the membership, with a specific list of the incidents in which she allegedly failed to perform her duties of office.  No vote or discussion of the motion shall be made at this meeting, but an announcement shall be made that a discussion and vote on the motion shall be conducted at the next business meeting.

3)       At the next month's business meeting, the motion to remove the officer in question shall be presented and debated according to Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.  The motion and its specific list of incidents must not be changed from that presented to the membership at the previous meeting or the process of removal must begin again at Step 1.  Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot and shall require a three-fourths vote of the members in good standing present at the meeting to pass.  No absentee or proxy votes shall be allowed.

If the Executive Board refuses to consider a proposal of removal for an officer for failure to perform her duties of office, or it the Board decides not to present the motion to the membership, a petition containing the names of fifty percent of the total membership in good standing presented at a business meeting shall require that the Executive Board immediately continue the procedure for removal of the officer.

SECTION 3.  REMOVAL OF APPOINTED POSITIONS

Any appointments made by the Executive Board may be removed by a majority vote of the membership in good standing.

ARTICLE 12.  RULES OF ORDER

SECTION 1.  RULES OF ORDER

All meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order, Revised., except when doing so would be inconsistent with these Bylaws or special rules of order.

The President may appoint a parliamentarian to be in attendance at the business meetings or at other meetings to advise the President.

ARTICLE 13.  PROGRAMS

SECTION 1.  PROGRAMS

Madtown Moms shall not support, affiliate with or participate in any political party or campaign, nor with any religious group or cause.  Nor shall it participate in any cause not directly related to children, family or the home.  It may, however, participate in charitable programs sponsored by other groups, if those programs relate to children, family or the home.

No outside organization may participate in any Madtown Moms program or activity unless approved in advance by the Executive Board and a majority of the members in good standing present at a regular business meeting.

ARTICLE 14.  AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1.  AMENDMENTS

Because of the nonprofit status of Madtown Moms these Bylaws may be amended only in the following procedure:

1)       Any Madtown Moms member may give its proposed amendment to the Executive Board, who will review it to see how it will affect the non-profit status, goals and principles, and it's applicability to the group.  As a matter of policy, no changes jeopardizing the non-profit status or goals and principles shall be approved by the Executive Board.

2)       Only those amendments reviewed and approved by the Executive Board shall be presented to the membership.

3)       All Madtown Moms members in good standing will then vote on the proposed amendment within any time specifications presented by the Executive Board.  If three-fourths of the members in good standing present at a regular business meeting vote in favor of the amendment, then that amendment shall be adopted.  If less than three-fourths of the members in good standing present at a regular business meeting vote in favor of the amendment, then the amendment shall not be adopted.

ARTICLE 15.  SPLITTING THE GROUP

SECTION 1.  SPLITTING THE GROUP

In the event that the group becomes too large, divided by geography, or for some other reason thinks that it may be beneficial to become two groups, the procedure to split would be as follows:

1)       The Executive Board would present the pros and cons of having two independent groups in the greater Madison area at a regular business meeting.

2)       All Madtown Moms members in good standing will then vote on the proposal to split the club.  There must be a three-fourths majority vote to approve a split.

3)       In the event of a split the treasury will be split, with the percentage split being determined b the percentage of overall members in each group.

4)       The new group will be welcome to use or adopt the Bylaws set forth here by the original Madtown Moms group, but will be their own legally and financially independent group.

5)       Non-profit status of any split off from Madtown Moms will have to be obtained by a separate filing and separate non-profit number.  The name must be changed, but may include Madtown Moms in some form if desired.

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