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🌻Congress And The BoardBylaws

Simplified Bylaws

Article 1: Name

The name of this organization is Cyberia Computer Club (shortened to "Cyberia" in this document)

Article 2: Ideals and Purposes

members of Cyberia:

  • promote the use of free and open source software

  • promote the use of privacy preserving software

  • promote the use of accessible software

  • foster a respectful hacker culture

  • work to remove exclusive elements of hacker culture

  • perform charitable activity related to technology

  • agree and align with our Code of Conduct

Article 3: Location

The main office of Cyberia is located at $scott_house

Article 4: Membership

Section 1: Membership types

  • members

  • voting members

Section 2: Members

members of Cyberia:

  • may participate in all Cyberia-related activity

  • may not participate in any vote at Congress

  • may not make any proposal at Congress.

  • may invite other people to become members.

  • abide by the Ideals and Code of Conduct

Section 3. Voting members

voting members of Cyberia:

  • are guaranteed the same privileges as members

  • may vote at Congress

  • may make proposals at Congress

  • may invite any member to become a voting member

  • voting membership must be ratified by majority vote at Congress

Article 5: Congress

Section 1. Composition

  • Congress is composed of voting members

Section 2. Powers

Congress has the power to:

  • make decisions about Cyberia

  • change the bylaws and articles of incorporation

  • elect Officers and members of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Removal of members

  • Congress may elect to remove members or voting members in violation of the ideals or code of conduct

  • voting members who fail to attend 2 regular Congresses without excuse are removed as voting members

Section 4. Meeting Types

  • regular Congress

  • irregular Congress

Section 4a. Regular Congress

  • a Regular Congress occurs on the final Sunday of every third month (January, April, etc)

  • a Regular Congress may be rescheduled if the scheduled Sunday is some major holiday or a similar inconvenient event

  • Congress must notify all members of any changes to the Regular Congress schedule as soon as possible

Section 4b. Irregular Congress

  • The board may schedule an irregular meeting of Congress if there is a pressing matter

  • Voting members must be given notice of at least 5 days before an Irregular Congress occurs

  • Irregular Congress does not count as Regular Congress

Section 5. Quorum

  • The presence of at least half of the Voting Membership of Cyberia is required for Congress to proceed

Section 6. Rules of Order

  • Roberts rules of order are used at Regular & Irregular Congress

  • Electronic meetings are acceptable

Article 6: Branches

Section 1. Creation

  • Congress may create branches

  • On creation, a HEAD must be appointed

  • Congress may destroy branches

Section 2. HEAD responsibility

HEAD is responsible for the branch in these ways;

  • setting up the organizational structure

  • organizing events

  • reporting finances to the treasurer[1]

  • recording notes for the secretary[2]

[1]: unless otherwise decided by the treasurer
[2]: as decided by the secretary

Section 3. Branch Activity

  • The secretary may request an approximation of political activity from the branch

Section 4. Finances

  • Branches may request funding from the Treasurer or Congress

Article 7: Board of Directors

Section 1. Number and Qualifications

The board of directors must be composed of at least the following officers:

  • President

  • Secretary

  • Treasurer

Section 2. Governing Powers

  • The Board of Directors exists to legally advise Congress

Section 3. Election and Term of Office.

  • Board members are elected at Congress

  • Board members serve 1 year terms (Jan - Jan)

Section 4. Removal of Directors

  • Congress may remove Directors

Section 5. Regular Meetings

  • The board members shall meet at least once per year

  • If no date is agreed on, they shall meet on the last Sunday of the year

  • All board meetings are open to all members to watch

Section 6. Quorum.

  • The presence of at least half of the Directors of Cyberia is required

Section 7. Rules of Order

  • Roberts rules of order are used at Regular & Irregular Congress

Article 8: Officers

Section 1. Designation

There are 3 officers:

  • President

  • Secretary

  • Treasurer

Section 2. Election of Officers

  • Officers are elected by Congress

  • Officers are on the Board of Directors

  • Officers may not resign from the Board of Directors

Section 3. Removal

  • Congress may remove officers, provided there is a plan to replace them as soon as possible

Section 4. President Powers/Responsibilities

The President:

  • Logs / Documents thier work and processes in a public, discoverable location i.e. cyberia wiki

  • Acts as the "cheerleader" for Cyberia's ideals

  • Helps to motivate the membership

  • Helps establish philisophical direction

  • Works with Congress to fulfill obligations

  • May veto decisions made by Congress (vetos are overturned by a 60% vote from Congress)

  • Is the default chair

  • May appoint a different chair

  • Sets Congress meeting agendas

Section 5. Secretary Powers/Responsibilities

The Secretary:

  • Logs / Documents thier work and processes in a public, discoverable location i.e. cyberia wiki

  • Takes all of the minutes!

  • May appoint a different minute-taker

  • Maintains the records of Cyberia

  • Makes all meeting notes & non-private documents publically available

  • Maintains a list of voting members

  • Contacts voting members prior to Congress to clarify dates

Section 6. Treasurer Powers/Responsibilities

The Treasurer:

  • Logs / Documents thier work and processes in a public, discoverable location i.e. cyberia wiki

  • Prepared financial statements for Congress meetings

  • Disperses funds in accordance with Congress & tax code

  • Keeps non-private financial information public

  • Prepares & Submits an end of year financial report to Congress

  • May disperse up to $200 without approval, and shall report such expenses to Congress

  • May appoint branch cashiers - dedicated financial officers within a branch - if reporting can't be handled by the HEAD

  • Keeps all books and accounts

Article 9: Fiscal Management

Section 1. Fiscal Year

  • The fiscal year of Cyberia shall begin on the first day of January in each year

Section 2. Expenditures

  • All funds raised by Cyberia will be spent to further the ideals and purposes of Cyberia

Section 3. Execution of Cyberia's Documents

  • Congress must approve financial commitments, such as subscriptions or hirings

Section 5. Loans

  • Cyberia shall not give out financial loans, such as a car loan

  • Cyberia may loan out assets, provided that it's in the interest of Cyberia

Section 6. Deposits

  • Unutilized funds shall be deposited into the bank from time to time at the discretion of the treasurer

  • The treasurer is the signatory to all financial Cyberia accounts

Section 7. Conflict of Interest

  • Neither Cyberia nor its' members shall enter into any contract or transaction with (a) one or more of its directors, (b) a director of a related organization or (c) an organization in or of which a member of Cyberia is a director, officer or legal representative, or in some other way has a material financial interest unless:

1. That interest is disclosed or known to the Board of Directors and Congress.
2. Congress approves, authorizes or ratifies the action in good faith.
3. The approval is by a majority of Congress (not counting the interested director),

Section 8. Checks

  • All checks, drafts and other orders for payment of funds will be signed by the Treasurer

Section 9. Indemnity

  • Cyberia shall indemnify and hold harmless any Director, Officer, member, or employee from any suit, damage, claim, judgment or liability arising out of, or asserted to arise out of conduct of such person in his or her capacity as a Director, Officer, member, or employee except in cases involving willful misconduct.

  • Indemnification provided under this section shall comply with and follow the requirements as provided by statute.

  • Cyberia shall have the power to purchase or procure insurance for such purposes.

Section 10. Examination by members

  • Every director or member of Cyberia shall have a right to examine, in person or by agent or attorney, at any reasonable time or times, and at the place or places where usually kept, all books and records of Cyberia and make extracts or copies there from.

Section 11. Dissolution

  • Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a State or local government, for a public purpose.

  • Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Article 10: Code of Conduct

Section 1. Overview

Members of the Cyberia community are open, considerate, and respectful. Behaviours that reinforce these values contribute to a positive environment, and include:

  • Being open. Members of the community are open to collaboration, whether it's on patches, problems, or otherwise.

  • Focusing on what is best for the community of Cyberia. We're respectful of the processes set forth by Congress, and we work within them.

  • Acknowledging time and effort. We're respectful of the volunteer efforts that permeate the Cyberia community. We're thoughtful when addressing the efforts of others, keeping in mind that often times the labor was completed simply for the good of the community.

  • Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences. We're receptive to constructive comments and criticism, as the experiences and skill sets of other members contribute to the whole of our efforts.

  • Showing empathy towards other community members. We're attentive in our communications, whether in person or online, and we're tactful when approaching differing views.

  • Being considerate. Members of the community are considerate of their peers -- other Cyberia members.

  • Being respectful. We're respectful of others, their positions, their skills, their commitments, and their efforts.

  • Gracefully accepting constructive criticism. When we disagree, we are courteous in raising our issues.

  • Using welcoming and inclusive language. We're accepting of all who wish to take part in our activities, fostering an environment where anyone can participate and everyone can make a difference.

Section 2. Our Standards

  • Every member of our community has the right to have their identity respected

  • Cyberia is dedicated to providing a positive experience for everyone, regardless of age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion (or lack thereof), education, or socioeconomic status.

Section 3. Inappropriate Behavior

Examples of inappropriate behavior may include;

  • Harassment of any participants in any form

  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following

  • Logging or taking screenshots of online activity for harassment purposes

  • Publishing others' private information, such as a physical or electronic address, without explicit permission

  • Violent threats or language directed against another person

  • Incitement of violence or harassment towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm

  • Creating additional online accounts in order to harass another person or circumvent a ban

  • Sexual language and imagery in online communities or in any Cyberia-related venue

  • Insults, put downs, or jokes that are based upon stereotypes, that are exclusionary, or that hold others up for ridicule

  • Unwelcome sexual attention or advances

  • Unwelcome physical contact, including simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like "hug" or "backrub") without consent or after a request to stop

  • Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others

  • Sustained disruption of online community discussions, in-person presentations, or other in-person events

  • Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease

  • Other conduct that is inappropriate for an audience including people of many different backgrounds

Community members asked to stop any inappropriate behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Section 4. Consequences

  • If a participant engages in behavior that violates this code of conduct, Congress may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the organization and any of its' events with no reimbursement of any sort.

Article 11: Misc

Section 1. Open Documentation

Unless specified otherwise, the following shall be kept in a single, publically visible, online location:

  • Any non-private document approved, created by, or ratified by Cyberia's membership in the interests of Cyberia

Examples include:

  • All reports received by the board

  • All motions which Congress approves

  • All minutes

  • All finances

  • All reports received by Congress

  • All motions which Congress approves

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