Bylaws
BYLAWS
of the
MEMPHIS AREA GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION COUNCIL
(As Amended)
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Memphis Area Geographic Information Council, herein after referred to as MAGIC.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1
MAGIC is established to:
1. Stimulate and encourage the advancement of an interdisciplinary, professional approach to the
planning, design, operation, and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technology to meet the needs of public and private information providers and users;
2. Provide a forum to discuss the standardization of data collection techniques and commonly agreed upon standards of excellence for GIS users, and develop and promote a framework for mutual benefit, with the eventual goal of formulating data-sharing guidelines and standards;
3. Improve communication and coordination among the various professional disciplines who comprise the membership of MAGIC;
4. Bridge the gap between information producers and users;
5. Promote professional and educational development of the membership and interested parties by providing opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and information, for examination of GIS based technological solutions to the needs of management and for the transfer of GIS-based
technologies.
6. Promote and facilitate data sharing among MAGIC members and advocate communication with other GIS users’ organizations.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
1. Membership in MAGIC is open to individuals whose interests, background or experience are similar to the purpose of MAGIC as stated in Article II above.
2. Membership in MAGIC is limited to individuals and will not be extended to Associations, Institutions or Organizations.
3. Membership will not be denied because of race, creed, color or sex. Any Officer, Board Member, or other member who does so will be removed from membership by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors after a hearing before the board.
Section 2
To remain a member in good standing, members shall be required to pay annual dues in an amount as determined by the MAGIC Board Of Directors.
Section 3
A membership year shall match the fiscal year as determined by the MAGIC Board Of Directors.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
Section 1
The governing body of MAGIC shall be a Board Of Directors composed of fifteen (15) members in good standing, elected by the general membership. Directors shall serve a term of three years. There shall be a student Director in good standing, appointed by the Board at the January meeting. The student Director shall serve a 1 year term. The student Director must also adhere to expected duties as stated in Article V: Duties of Officers, Section 6.
Section 2
Elections shall be conducted at the January business meeting. Prior to the January meeting, the secretary shall inform the membership of their opportunity to submit name(s) for nomination as Directors of MAGIC. One third (1/3) of the members of the Board Of Directors shall be elected by the membership annually.
Section 3
The officers of MAGIC shall be a President, a Vice President (who shall be the President Elect), a Treasurer, and a Secretary. These officers shall be elected by the Board Of Directors from within the Board. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the parliamentary authority of the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, or any other parliamentary authority adopted by MAGIC.
Section 4
The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve for one (1) year or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the Annual Meeting. The Vice President (President Elect) shall assume the position of President at the close of the Annual Meeting.
Section 5
No officer shall hold more than one office at a time. President and Vice President shall not serve more than one consecutive term in the same offices. The persons filling the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may serve consecutive 1 year terms.
Section 6
The Board of Directors shall establish standing rules governing the nomination and election process in order to insure a fair and equitable election of members. Election shall be determined by a plurality of the
votes cast.
Section 7
An officer of MAGIC may be removed from Office by the unanimous decision of the Board of Directors for non-performance of duties as specified in these bylaws or as determined by the Board of Directors. The unexpired term of any office will be filled by the election of a qualified member by the Board Of Directors.
ARTICLE V: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 – President
The President shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the membership;
2. Appoint all MAGIC committees and their chairpersons;
3. Call meetings of the Board of Directors;
4. Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.
Section 2 – Vice President
The Vice President shall:
1. Be the designated President Elect;
2. Assist the President in the guidance and coordination of committee activities;
3. Assist the President in the development and implementation of activities associated with the goals and priorities of MAGIC;
4. Carry out other duties as assigned by the President or the Board of Directors;
5. In the absence of, or in the event of incapacity of the President, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the President.
Section 3 – Secretary
The Secretary shall:
1. Maintain an accurate list of members of the MAGIC;
2. Notify members and Board of Director members of meetings and prepare and report minutes;
3. Develop a quarterly newsletter and mail to each MAGIC member;
4. Carry out any other duties as assigned by the President or the Board of Directors.
Section 4 – Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
1. Receive and disburse funds;
2. Develop quarterly and annual financial reports;
3. Develop and file annual tax documents with state and federal governments;
4. Carry out any other duties as assigned by the President or the Board of Directors.
Section 5 – Other Duties:
The Officers shall perform other duties as required by these Bylaws or customary to their office.
Section 6 – Student Director 1. Student Director shall attend at least 75% of all Board Meetings 2. Student Director will have same voting power as elected Board of Director 3. Student Director must be at least a junior in undergraduate study 4. Student Director shall maintain a relationship with all other student members and coordinate all functions related to student activities within MAGIC 5. Student Director shall recruit and retain all student members as necessary.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Section 1
At least one meeting of the general membership of MAGIC will be held each calendar year.
Section 2
It shall be considered necessary to sponsor one MAGIC technical conference during each year; topics will support the purposes outlined in Article II of these bylaws. Yearly topics will be defined by the Board of Directors or a committee designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 3
The Board of Directors will determine the specifics of each Annual Meeting or special meeting.
Section 4
At all meetings of the general membership at which business is to be conducted and in balloting for the election of Board members, a quorum shall consist of a quorum of the Board of Directors as defined herein plus at least ten (10) percent of the members in good standing.
Section 5
Eight (8) or more Directors shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board of Directors and in determining a quorum of the membership. To accommodate schedules and ensure regular business continuity, a quorum of Directors can be established by means of conference call or proxy votes. Proxy votes will require written or e-mail notification prior to the meeting. Persons voting as proxy will notify Board Members at the beginning of the meeting. Upon a simple majority approval of the present Board Members, proxy votes will be allowed. Directors are cautioned to limit proxy voting to three (3) or less meetings per year. Attendance is preferred, showing a commitment to the advancement of MAGIC.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
The Chairpersons and Members of such other standing or special committees, as the Board of Directors shall deem as necessary, shall be appointed by the President. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
ARTICLE VIII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern MAGIC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rule case of order MAGIC or Board of Directors may adopt.
ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS OF BYLAWS
Any proposed amendment to these Bylaws may, after discussion at a MAGIC meeting, be adopted by a simple majority of the membership present subject to established quorum rules and provided that due notice of the proposed Bylaw amendment has been given to all members at least thirty days prior to the meeting at which action is scheduled.
MISCELLANEOUS:
From Robert’s Rules of Order:
The Bylaws should include all the rules that are of such importance that they cannot be changed in any way without previous notice.
A quorum refers to the number present, not to the number voting.
The quorum of an open meeting is the number present at the time, as they constitute membership at that time. This number is the majority of the members in good standing at a given meeting or informal meeting.
When a quorum is present, a majority of the votes cast is sufficient to pass a motion that is in order