Fraternity-Testvériség, 2008 (86. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2008-07-01 / 3. szám
7. Between Conventions, the branches may originate legislation, except for amendments to the By-Laws, in the following manner: if the majority of the adult members of the branch, present and voting, accept the matter proposed for legislation, the same shall be forwarded to the Chair of the Board, who shall bring it before the Board of Directors. If the majority of the members of the Board of Directors agree to refer the proposed legislation in the form of a motion to the branches, the Chair of the Board of Directors, in consultation with the President, shall forward a copy of the motion to each branch for its vote. Any such motion shall include the date upon which the proposed legislation is to become effective. Each branch shall hold a meeting to vote on the motion within thirty (30) days from the date of mailing of the copy of the motion by the President. The vote of each branch is determined by the majority of the adult voting members present and voting at the meeting. The vote of each branch may be only “yes” or “no”, because a branch does not have the right to change the motion. The branches shall send the results of the vote taken to the President within sixty (60) days after the meeting. In the event results of the vote of any branch are not received in a timely fashion hereunder, such branch shall be deemed to have cast a “no” vote. The President shall acknowledge the receipt thereof and immediately report the results to the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and the branches. MEETINGS Procedure - Discussion - Quorum - Voting 8. There are two kinds of meetings of the Federation: regular and special. Regular meetings are those prescribed in these By-Laws: Conventions, meetings of the Board of Directors, meetings of the Executive Committee, and branch meetings. Special meetings are called pursuant to the appropriate provisions of these By-Laws. 9. The Chair of the Board of Directors will preside at the Convention, Board of Directors meetings, and Executive Committee meetings. The President of the branch shall preside at branch meetings. The Presiding Officer may vote only in the event of a tie vote, or when his vote may have an effect upon the outcome of the motion. It is the duty of the Presiding Officer to order a secret ballot if ten percent (10%) of the members present request it. A member may speak only once on a question. The Presiding Officer may grant him the right to speak a second time only if he has been personally challenged. The maker of the motion shall have the right of the closing remarks in the discussion. 10. The Convention, the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee or branches have the right to act only if the following quorum of the respective membership is present: a) Fifty percent (50%) of the members of the Convention; b) A majority of the members of the Board of Directors; c) Two (2) out of three (3) members of the Executive Committee; d) At least five (5) voting members at the annual and regular meetings of the branch; e) Five percent (5%) of the voting membership at any special meeting. If the quorum is not present at the first meeting of a branch for the election of delegates to the Convention, a second meeting shall automatically be called one week later at the same location and time. Those present, regardless of number, shall constitute a quorum. 11. The calculation and tally of any votes taken at any meeting, or in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 herein, shall be based upon the actual number of legal votes cast. Abstentions, blank ballots, unretumed ballots, illegal ballots and/or illegible ballots shall not be deemed to be legal votes, and shall not be taken into consideration in determining the total number of votes cast, nor the number constituting a majority (or, where applicable, a two-thirds count) of the votes cast. 12. Nothing contained within the By-Laws shall prohibit or preclude the Board of Directors and/or the Executive Committee from meeting via means of telephone and/or video conference and taking voice votes at such meetings, and/or voting via mail and/or facsimile transmission without meeting, or use of such telecommunication technology in connection therewith as may now exist or shall be developed in the future. The decision to use any such alternate mode of meeting and/or voting shall be made on a case-by-case basis as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, with the concurrence of the Board of Directors. Standards and procedures for the use of such alternate modes of meeting and/or voting shall be promulgated from time to time by the Board of Directors in conformity with the provisions of these By-Laws and the laws of the United States of America and of the various States in which the Federation is authorized to conduct business. Nothing contained in this provision shall be deemed to controvert the requirement of in-person regular meetings of the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 31 herein. THE CONVENTION Time - Place - Aim - Membership 13. The Federation shall hold a Convention every four (4) years in September and/or October. The time and place shall be designated by the Board of Directors. The Convention shall receive reports of the preceding four (4) years, shall decide upon actions for the future, and shall encourage and foster fraternal ism. In order to postpone a Convention, the consent of sixty-five percent (65%) of the members of the Convention is required. 14. The membership of the Convention is constituted of the regular members of the Board of Directors and the elected delegates of the branches. The elected delegates shall constitute no less than two-thirds of the voting members of the Convention. Each member of the Convention is entitled to one vote. 15. The Board of Directors shall determine and designate the number of guests and other persons to attend the Convention. Election of Delegates 16. Each branch having a minimum voting insurance membership of 225 shall send one delegate to the Convention. Page 2 By-Laws 2008 Edition
