Bylaws
Article I
Officers
Section 1. President: The
President shall serve as Chair of the Board of Directors, and shall be the
principal executive officer of Military Reporters and Editors. Subject to the
control and direction of the Board of Directors, the President shall in general
supervise the business and affairs of MRE, and shall ensure that all orders and
resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect. The President
shall preside at all meetings of MRE. With the Secretary or any other proper
officer of MRE, authorized by the Board of Directors, the President may sign and
execute any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments which the
Board of Directors has authorized to be executed or has delegated to his or her
discretion to execute on behalf of MRE, except in cases where the signing and
execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by
these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of MRE, or shall be required by law
to be otherwise signed or executed. In general, the President shall perform all
duties incident to the Office of the President, shall supervise all programs of
MRE, shall act as the primary spokesman for the organization, and have such
other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
Section 2. Vice President:
The Vice President, in the absence of the President or in the event of the
President's inability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the
President. When so acting he or she shall have all the powers of, and be subject
to all the restrictions upon, the President. The Vice President shall perform
such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from
time to time prescribe. The Vice President shall serve as Membership Chair,
responsible for recruiting members, verifying their qualifications for
membership in the appropriate class, and proposing applicants for membership to
the Board of Directors. As Membership Chair, the Vice President shall maintain
the official roster of MRE members.
Section 3. Secretary: The
Secretary or a designee under the direction of the Secretary shall be
responsible for and supervise all elections and all issues put to a vote of the
Active members, shall keep the records of MRE, shall attend all meetings of the
members and of the Board of Directors, and shall record all the proceedings of
the meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall
see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the Constitution and
these Bylaws or as required by law or directed by the Board of Directors, and
shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
The Secretary shall cause the posting of official notices on the MRE web
site as may be necessary for the information of members. The Secretary shall
have custody of any corporate seal of MRE, and shall have the authority to affix
the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed it may be attested
by the signature of the Secretary. The Board of Directors may give general
authority to any other officer to affix the seal of MRE and to attest the
affixing by such officer's signature. The Secretary may attest all instruments
signed on behalf of MRE by the President or Vice President. The Secretary shall
in general perform all duties incident to the Office of Secretary and such other
duties as the Board may from time to time prescribe.
Section 4. Treasurer: The
Treasurer shall be the custodian of all corporate funds and securities of MRE,
shall see to the discharge of all financial obligations of MRE, shall have
general charge of MRE's finances, shall see that full and accurate accounts of
receipts and disbursements are kept in books belonging to MRE, and shall see
that all moneys and other valuable effects are deposited in the name and to the
credit of MRE in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of
Directors. The Treasurer shall see that funds of MRE are disbursed as ordered by
the Board of Directors and that proper vouchers are taken for such
disbursements. The Treasurer shall render to the President upon his or her
request to the Board, at its regular meeting or when the Board requests, an
account of all financial transactions of MRE and of the financial condition of
MRE. The Treasurer, in coordination with the President, shall prepare an annual
operating budget for consideration by the Board of Directors, and shall perform
all other duties incident to the Office of Treasurer and such other duties as
the Board may from time to time prescribe.
Article II
Board of Directors
Section 1. First Meeting
of Each Board: The first meeting of each newly elected Board of Directors shall
be held immediately after the annual meeting, and no notice of such meeting
shall be necessary in order to constitute the meeting legally, provided a quorum
is present. In the event such meeting is not held at that time, such first
meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice
given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board, or as shall be
specified in a written waiver of notice signed by all of the Directors.
Section 2. Regular
Meetings: Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such time
and place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board. The Board shall
meet at least once each year, in addition to the meeting specified in Section 1,
above.
Section 3. Special
Meetings: Special Meetings of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof
shall be held whenever called by the President or the chair of such committee,
as the case may be. Notice of the meeting shall be mailed to each Director or
committee member, addressed to him or her at home or usual place of business, at
least two weeks before the day on which the meeting is to be held, or shall be
sent to him or her at such place by facsimile, email or other similar device, or
be delivered personally or by telephone. The notice shall state the date, time
and place of the meeting and the purpose thereof, except as otherwise expressly
provided by law or
MRE's Constitution or these
Bylaws.
Section 4. Required Vote:
Except as otherwise provided by law or by MRE's
Constitution or by these Bylaws,
the vote of a majority of those Directors entitled to vote present at any duly
called meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of
Directors. The vote of a majority of the voting members of any committee at any
duly called meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of that
committee.
Section 5. Presumption of
Assent: A Director of MRE who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors
at which action on any matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the
action unless his or her dissent is entered in the minutes of the meeting or
unless he or she files a written dissent to such action with the person acting
as secretary of the meeting before adjournment, or forwards such dissent by
registered mail to the Secretary of MRE within two business days after the
adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a Director
who voted in favor of such action.
Section 6. Telephone
Meetings: Members of the Board of Directors or any committee designated by the
Board of Directors may participate in a meeting of the Board or such committee
by means of a conference call telephone or by means of communication by which
all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear one another, and such
participation shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 7. Action Without
a Meeting: Unless otherwise restricted by law or by MRE's Constitution or by
these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the
Board of Directors or of any committee composed exclusively of Board members may
be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board or the committee, as the
case may be, participate in voting by email or subsequent successor
technological means. Such writing or writings shall be submitted to the
Secretary of MRE and filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board or
committee.
Section 8. Committees of
Directors: The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees,
including an executive committee, each committee to be composed exclusively of
Board members. The President, as Chair of the Board of Directors shall appoint
the members and chairmen of such committees. If a member of a committee shall be
absent from any meeting, or be disqualified from voting thereat, the committee
chairman may appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the
meeting in the place of such absent or disqualified member. Except as restricted
by law, any such committee, to the extent provided in a resolution of the Board
of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the
Board in the management of the business and affairs of MRE, and may authorize
the seal of MRE to be affixed to all papers which may require it. Each committee
shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board of
Directors.
Section 9. Other
Committees: With the approval of the Board of Directors, the President may
appoint one or more additional committees, each committee to consist of such
members or alternate members, with Directors or non-Directors, as the President
and the Board shall determine. Except as restricted by law, by MRE's
Constitution or by these Bylaws, each such committee shall serve at the pleasure
of the Board of Directors and shall have such power and authority as provided in
a resolution of the Board, except that no such committee shall have the
independent power to bind MRE or act in its name. Members of such committees
shall not be considered legal agents of MRE unless specifically appointed as
legal agents by the Board.
Section 10. Trusts: The
Board of Directors, at its discretion, may establish such trusts and appoint
such trustees to hold assets of MRE as it shall deem in the best interests of
MRE.
Section 11. Employees: On
behalf of MRE, the Board of Directors may employ or authorize the employment of
such persons and under such terms and conditions, including such compensation,
as it shall deem in the best interests of MRE.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. The Board of
Directors shall consider all applications for membership presented by the
Membership Chair. In approving an application for membership, the Board of
Directors shall make a determination that, in its judgment, the applicant's
professional qualifications and character warrants his or her election to one of
the classes of membership. Approval of applicants shall be by a majority of
those members of the Board voting; however, as provided in the Constitution,
approval of honorary members shall be by vote of three-fourths of those members
of the Board entitled to vote.
Board approval of an application
for membership becomes effective only upon payment of such dues as may be
established by the Board from time to time. Any meeting of the Board of
Directors for the election of members shall be closed to all members who are not
Directors or officers.
Section 2. The Board of
Directors shall have full authority to pass upon the qualifications of all
applicants for membership in any classification, and, upon proper
representation, to transfer a member from one classification to another, and it
shall duly record all such transfers in its minutes.
Section 3. When an Active
member gives up news media work and enters another vocation, he or she shall
promptly notify the Membership Chair, who shall strike the name from the
membership roster.
Section 4. Members who
have resigned from MRE while in good standing may be reinstated at the
discretion of the Board of Directors. Members who have been suspended for
failing to satisfy a financial obligation to MRE may be reinstated at the
discretion of the Board of Directors and upon payment of all amounts owing to
MRE. A reinstatement fee shall be set by the Board of Directors and may be
waived by the Board.
Article IV
Fees and Dues
Section 1. The Board of
Directors shall set dues and other fees as provided by the Constitution and
these Bylaws. Any proposed changes in dues or fees shall be posted on MRE web
site and members must be notified by mail or email. Any increase in dues shall
not be effective until after the next duly called meeting of Active members.
Section 2. The Board of
Directors, by a vote of two-thirds of those Board members entitled to vote, may
for sufficient cause, waive the dues of any member for up to one year.
Section 3. The Board of
Directors shall set the billing periods and the dates for payment of dues and
other fees or bills, and shall impose such penalties or sanctions for
delinquencies in payment, including possible suspension or expulsion, as it
shall deem appropriate, and shall have the power to waive any such penalties or
sanctions at its sole discretion. Any member delinquent in payment of dues or
fees shall not be considered a member in good standing.
Article V
Meetings
Section 1. Annual,
periodic and special meetings of the membership shall be scheduled by the Board
of Directors as required by the Constitution, with notice as provided therein.
An annual meeting shall be held each year, at which time the terms of all
elected MRE officers and Directors shall begin.
Section 2. Only Active
members shall be entitled to vote, and each Active member shall be entitled to
one vote on each matter put to a vote.
Section 3. When a quorum
is present at any duly called meeting, all matters shall be determined, adopted
and approved by the vote (which need not be by written ballot) of a majority of
those members present, entitled to vote and actually voting on the matter,
unless the proposed action is one which by law, by articles of incorporation or
by MRE's Constitution and Bylaws, a different vote is specified or required, in
which case such provisions will govern. Any matter so adopted and approved shall
be the act of the members of MRE.
Section 4. The order of
business at the annual meeting of members shall be as follows: reading of the
minutes of the last meeting, report of the officers, report of the Board of
Directors, installation of officers, old business, and new business. The Board
of Directors shall decide the order of business at all special meetings of
members.
Article VI
Nominations and Elections
Section 1. Elections shall
be held annually, on a date to be set by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Nominations.
Within six months after election, the President shall appoint a Nominating
Committee of no fewer than five Active members. This committee shall nominate at
least one Active member for each MRE office and Board of Directors seat that
will be open in the following year. The Nominating Committee may request
materials from candidates to verify qualification for Active membership status.
The Nominating Committee shall consider the diversity of MRE membership in media
employment, market size, geographic representation, gender and ethnicity.
Nominations may also be made by petition, requiring the signatures of at least
ten Active members for a candidate to be placed on the ballot. Nominations by
the committee and by petition must be received by the Secretary no later than 45
days prior to an election. Candidates placed in nomination shall have the right
to withdraw their names by written notice to the Secretary. The Secretary shall
not place on the ballot the name of any person who is not a member in good
standing.
Section 3. Ballots.
Elections shall be conducted by mail. The nominations shall be arranged in
alphabetical order under headings designating the positions for which the
nominees have been nominated, and the ballot shall indicate on its face, under
the title of each position, the number of candidates to be elected to each such
position. A copy of the ballot shall be posted on MRE's web site and mailed to
each member entitled to vote in the election not later thirty days prior to day
of the election. No member shall be precluded from writing on the ballot the
name of any member in good standing and eligible to hold the position for whom
the member desires to vote. The Secretary shall see to the printing and
publication of ballots and the means for conducting an election, and shall be
responsible for and supervise all elections and issues put to a vote of the
members. All questions relating to MRE elections, including questions about the
validity of ballot, shall be determined by the Secretary, subject to appeal to
the Board of Directors, whose decision shall be final. No member shall be
qualified to vote who is delinquent in any financial obligation to MRE,
including dues for the current billing period.
Section 4. Counting. The
votes shall be counted on the date set for the election, and at least two
members of the Board of Directors shall be present when the votes are counted.
When the number of candidates to be elected to any office is more than one, the
candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes shall be declared elected in
order until the number of candidates to be elected is filled. When only one
candidate is to be elected to any office, a majority of the votes cast shall be
required for election. If no candidate has a majority, a run-off election
between the two candidates having the highest numbers of votes shall be held
within the thirty days following the initial election day. Written notice of
such a run-off election shall be posted on MRE's web site and mailed to Active
members no later than three days after the initial election. The results of each
election shall be posted on the MRE web site immediately.
Article VII
Contracts, Grants, Loans,
Checks and Deposits
Section 1. Contracts:
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted by law, the Board of Directors may
authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract
or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of MRE, and
such authority may be general or confined to specific instances and instruments.
Section 2. Loans: Unless
authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors, no loans shall be
contracted on behalf of MRE and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in
the name of MRE, except indebtedness incurred for goods or services purchased,
leased or otherwise acquired on account in the ordinary course of MRE's
business. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
Section 3. Checks, Drafts,
Etc.: All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or
other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of MRE, shall be signed by
such officer or officers, agent of agents of MRE and in such manner as shall
from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. Deposits: All
funds of MRE not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the
credit of MRE in such banks, trust companies and other depositories as the Board
of Directors, or, if the officers are so authorized by the Board, the officers
may direct. For the purpose of deposit and collection for the account of MRE,
checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money which are payable to the
order of MRE may be endorsed, assigned and delivered by any officer of MRE.
Section 5. The Board of
Directors, by a two-thirds majority vote, is authorized to accept grants,
donations and gifts of in-kind services if the board determines that the
financial support futhers the ability of MRE to achieve its mission, without
compromising the independence of the association.
Article VII
General Provisions
Section 1. Execution of
Financial Instruments: All checks or demands for money and notes of MRE shall be
signed by such officer or officers or other such person or persons as the Board
of Directors may from time to time designate.
Section 2. Fiscal Year:
The fiscal year of MRE may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Seal: The Board
of Directors may by resolution adopt a corporate seal which shall have inscribed
thereon the name of MRE, the year of its organization and the jurisdiction of
incorporation. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be
impressed or affixed or otherwise reproduced.
Section 4. Voting
Securities of Other Corporations: The President or any other authorized officer
or Director shall have the authority to vote on behalf of MRE those securities
of any other corporation which are owned or held by MRE, and may attend meetings
of members or execute and deliver proxies for such purpose.
Section 5. Form of
Records: Any records maintained by MRE in the regular course of its business,
including its books of account and minutes books, may be kept on or be in the
form of magnetic tape , magnetic or optical disk, photographs, microphotographs,
or any other information storage device, provided that the records so kept can
be converted into clearly legible written form within a reasonable period of
time. MRE shall so convert any record so kept upon the request of any person
entitled to inspect same.
Section 6. Fidelity Bonds:
MRE may secure the fidelity of any or all of its officers, employees or agents
by bond or otherwise. Any or all of the officers or agents of MRE may be
required to give bond for the faithful discharge of his, her or their duties in
such form, for such amount, and with such sureties as may be determined by the
Board of Directors. The cost of all bonds secured by MRE shall be borne by MRE.
Article VIII
Notice
Section 1. Notice
Procedure: Whenever notice is required to be given to any Director or member by
law or by MRE's Articles of Incorporation, by MRE's Constitution or by these
Bylaws, such notice shall be deemed to have been given to each person entitled
to notice when mailed to each person so entitled, or when posted on MRE web site
and emailed to each member who has provided the Membership Chair with a valid
email address.
Section 2. Waivers of
Notice: Whenever the giving of any notice is required by law, by MRE's articles
of incorporation, by MRE's Constitution or by these Bylaws, a waiver thereof, in
writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, either before
or after the event of which notice is required, shall be deemed equivalent to
notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute waiver of notice of
such meeting, except when the person attends such a meeting for the express
purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any
business at such meeting because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened,
and, having objected, the person takes no further active part in the meeting.
Neither the business to be acted on nor the purpose of any regular or special
meeting of the members, Directors or members of a committee of Directors need be
specified in any written waiver of notice, unless so required by law, by MRE's
articles of incorporation or Constitution or by these Bylaws.
Article IX
Amendments
These Bylaws may be altered or
amended under rules and procedures set forth in the Constitution of MREs.
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