EXPLANATIONS: The following bylaws show
revisions, additions in red; notes about the
changes in purple, and deletions in
strikethrough.
EPIC BYLAWS and PROCEDURES
Revision
History
Adopted July 24, 1998
Revised October 23, 1998
2nd Revision, April 1, 2000
3rd Revision, July 7, 2001
4th Revision, August 28, 2003
5th Revision, April 7, 2007
6th PROPOSED Revision, December
23, 2008
Article 1
Name
This organization shall be known as EPIC, the Electronically
Published Internet Connection, more commonly known as EPIC.
Article 2
Purpose
EPIC shall be a professional
organization of published authors and industry-related professionals. EPIC shall be a strong voice for electronic publishing.
Furtherrmore, EPIC shall set and maintain high standards for member authors and
industry-related professionals in order to give credence to and establish and
maintain legitimacy in electronic publishing.
Article 3
Location
The principle physical location and base of
operations for EPIC shall be in the municipality/city of Portland, in the State
of Oregon until such time the Board of Directors shall determine it shall be
moved.
Article
4
Unique
Nature of EPIC
Whereas
EPIC is an Internet Connection in which the members do not meet face to face on
a regular basis, let it be fully understood that most organization business
shall be conducted via e-mail or an
online chat session.
A.
The term "taken by ballot" used within this document is
defined as:
1.
A voting ballot posted to the organization on the website or via the
listserv.
2.
Votes shall be sent privately to the Secretary and/or designated
tally
taker(s). Votes shall be recorded on the
website and counted by the web master.
a.
No one shall count a ballot for which he/she is running with opposition.
3. The period
allowed in which to vote shall be five days.
4.
The Secretary or designated
tally taker(s) Web Master shall post the
results on the website and/or listserv.
B.
All official records of EPIC, with the exception of paper
documents and snail mail received, shall be kept on disk with a back up copy.All official
records of EPIC shall be kept on appropriate
electronic file with a back up copy.
Article 5
Membership
Membership shall consist of
authors and publishing/e-publishing industry professionals meeting standards
set within EPIC's Policies and Procedures.
A. EPIC members shall receive no remuneration except as
repayment of reasonable expenses incurred by them in the course of performing
duties on the behalf of EPIC and/or the Board of Directors. Receipts must be provided
in to the Treasurer prior to repayment.
B.
Authors.
1. Authors
who are published by an electronic publisher, "published" being
defined as being the author of a work for sale by an electronic publisher. For
purposes of initial membership qualification, "the work" is defined
as a book-length work of literature, non-fiction or fiction, of over 30,000
words, except in the case of fiction or non-fiction for young children (ages 1
to 10). A novella or short story included in an anthology is also considered
acceptable. However, a body of newspaper or magazine articles, or other
journalistic works produced in either print or electronic formats, does not
qualify the applicant for membership Authors who
are published by an electronic publisher. Published is defined as the author of
a work for sale by an electronic publisher. For purposes of initial membership
qualification, "the work" is defined as a book-length work of
literature, non-fiction, or fiction, short story, novella, or children's
fiction or non-fiction published by an established epublisher that is available
for purchase in at least two venues, including the publisher itself and one
online retail outlet, not including the author's personal web site. A body of
newspaper or magazine articles, or other journalistic works produced in either
print or electronic formats, does not qualify the applicant for membership. For contracted authors, see 5.B.3, below.
Authors who qualified for membership under previous bylaws are grandfathered
under this Bylaw.
2. Authors who are print-published, and expressing an interest in electronic publishing, "print-published" being defined as being the author of a work for sale by a traditional publisher. For purposes of initial membership qualification, "the work" is defined as a book-length work of literature, non-fiction or fiction, of over 30,000 words, except in the case of fiction or non-fiction for young children (ages 1 to 10). A novella or short story included in an anthology is also considered acceptable. However, a body of newspaper or magazine articles, or other journalistic works produced in either print or electronic formats, does not qualify the applicant for membership.
3. The EPIC
Membership Committee may, at its discretion require verification from the
contracting publisher, or require the person applying for membership to furnish
the Committee with a copy of the contract.
4. Persons
who are contracted with an electronic publisher will be considered EPIC members
contingent upon actual publication of their contracted work, with the
understanding their EPIC membership will not
continue if the contracted work is not published due to the author cancelling the contract.
5. When a
contracted work is published and available for sale, the contingency provisions
will no longer apply.
6. Authors
who have self-published and made available for sale qualifying material, defined
as a book-length work of literature, non-fiction or fiction, of over 30,000
words, except in the case of fiction or non-fiction for young children (ages 1
to 10) Authors who have self-published and made
available for sale qualifying ebook material, defined as a book-length work of
literature, non-fiction or fiction, short story,
novella, or children's fiction or non-fiction that is available for purchase in
at least two venues, including the author's personal web site and one online
retail outlet.
7. All
members must be at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in the author's
country of residence, whichever is the higher.
8. Author members have all rights and privileges of membership,
including, but not limited to, the right to vote, participate on the EPIC Biz
and Social group lists, and submit entries for the EPIC Award, Quasar, and Ariana
awards. [moved from
elsewhere]
C.
Industry Members
1.
Publishers
a.
Publishers who have published and made available for sale qualifying
material, defined as a book-length work of literature, non-fiction or fiction,
of over 30,000 words, except in the case of fiction or non-fiction for young
children (ages 1 to 10). Publishers who specialize in shorter works may qualify
with a body of works published of no more than 6 works, totaling collectively
at least 30,000 words ePublishers who have
published and made available for sale qualifying eBook material, defined as a
book-length work of literature, non-fiction, or fiction, short story, novella, or children's fiction or non-fiction
that is available for purchase in at least two venues, including the publisher
itself and one online retail outlet, not including the author's personal web
site.
b.
Publisher Industry membership is an individual membership and the
publisher's representative must be the owner, President, CEO, Senior Editor, or
other officer of the company.
2. Literary
Agents
a.
Literary Agents who are either members of AAR or who agree to follow the
AAR Canon of Ethics as a condition of EPIC membership.
b. Literary Agents must be willing to represent eBooks.
3.
Cover Artists
a.
Cover Artists who have produced at least three book covers used in published
epublished titles by a publisher eligible
for EPIC membership.
4.
Book Editors
a.
Book Editors who have edited at least three manuscripts published by an publisher
epublisher eligible for EPIC membership.
5.
Typesetting and Layout Designers
a.
Typesetting and Layout Designers, subject to the eligibility
requirements for book editors and artists.
6.
Publicists
a. Publicists who represent at least one electronically
published author or publishing house are eligible for EPIC membership.
7. Industry
members have all rights and privileges of membership, including the right to
vote.
Article
6
Board
of Directors
EPIC's Board Members, herein referred to as
"Board," shall consist of active members of good standing. The
official offices held within this Board shall be President, Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and three (3) Members
at Large. Official meetings may only be held if a quorum (50% plus 1) of the
Board is present.
A. Board members shall receive no remuneration for acting as
such except as repayment of reasonable expenses incurred in the normal course
of their duties.
B. The
President shall act as principal spokesman for EPIC and shall preside at all
board and business meetings. In addition, the President shall appoint, with the
approval of the board, all committee chairpersons, serve as an ex officio
member of committees, and oversee the running of the organization.
1. The President shall chair all Board meetings. If the
President is unavailable, the Vice President shall preside.
2. The President shall hold quarterly Board meetings, attended
by all Board members and committee chairs.
3.
The President shall post a monthly quarterly update of EPIC activities, either on EPIC's web
site or as a group post.
4. The President shall not serve as chairperson of any
committee.
C.
The Vice President shall act on the President's behalf in the
event of the President's absence and shall perform other duties as directed by
the President.
1. The Vice
President shall assume the Presidency if for any reason the President cannot
fulfill the term for which he/she was elected. A new Vice President shall be
elected to fill the unexpired term, as per Article 8 of these bylaws.
2. The Vice President shall not chair any major committee. A
major committee is defined as one which requires a great deal of time, such as
the annual conference, EPIC Award or New Voices committees.
3. The Vice President may chair a small committee. A small
committee is defined as one of short duration, requiring a limited amount of
time.
4. The Vice President shall chair a Bylaws Revision committee
every two years in the even year, i.e. 2008, 2010.
D.
The Secretary shall keep a record of EPIC's business meetings and
of all official EPIC correspondence with persons, entities, and organizations
outside EPIC. The Secretary shall write correspondence at the request of the
President.
1. The Secretary
shall record the monthly Treasurer's report in EPIC's official records.
2.
The Secretary shall post minutes and correspondence, either on EPIC's web
site or as a regular group post.
3. The Secretary shall see that all necessary general books
and/or records of EPIC, required by the Bylaws of EPIC or by any applicable
statute or law, are regularly and properly kept and backed up.
E.
The Treasurer shall open a bank account in his/her local area will use the previously established bank account and conduct
business by snail mail in the most
efficient manner possible.
1.
The Treasurer shall obtain the proper account for a non-profit
organization and signature cards and/or resolutions.
2.
The Treasurer shall collect dues and email receipts to the members.
3.
The Treasurer shall post a reminder for members to pay dues in the months
that members' renewals are due.
4.
The Treasurer shall pay bills when presented, with the approval of one
or more members of the board, unless the bill is a
budget item.
No check may be issued without a receipt.
5.
The Treasurer shall prepare a budget, which shall be approved by the
Board, and presented to the membership for approval. The vote shall be taken by
ballot.
6. The Treasurer shall file an annual report to the Oregon
Secretary of State.
7. The Treasurer shall file required documents with the IRS to
maintain EPIC's non-profit status.
8. The Treasurer will maintain the membership roster until such
time as a Membership Chair is established. The membership roster is for the
sole use and purposes of EPIC. It may not be reproduced and distributed or sold
to outsiders or used for any reason other than for the members of EPIC to know
and be able to get in touch with each other.
9. The Treasurer will track task budgets and oversee all
expenses for the task signed off by the committee chair for that task.
10. The
Treasurer must monitor expenditures in order to alert a committee chair and/or Board
members when they approach their budgetary limits. All expenditures made by
committees and/or the Board must be reported to the Treasurer, preferably with
receipts, in order to track costs correctly.
11. The
Treasurer shall see that all necessary financial books and/or records of EPIC
required by the Bylaws of EPIC, or by any applicable statute or law, are
regularly and properly kept and backed up.
12. The
Treasurer must reside in the United States since EPIC business utilizes US
funds.
13. EPIC's
financial records shall be audited every even year. The audit shall take
place during June covering the previous fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). Refer
to Article 15 for Audit.
F.
The immediate past-president, if not
elected to another Board position, shall act for one year as an ex officio
Member of the Board. The immediate past-president does not have voting rights
in regards to any/all Board decisions.
G. The Webmaster
shall maintain EPIC's web site and
be qualified to do so.
1.
The Webmaster should be an eligible
member of EPIC, if possible.
2.
The Webmaster shall maintain EPIC's web page or delegate someone to do
so, under a biannual contract decided
and agreed upon by the Board. Any changes to this agreement shall require a two
(2) week advance notice to the Board.
3. The Webmaster does not have voting rights in any/all Board
decisions.
H. The
Listserv Manager ("List Maven") receives applications for membership,
processing those whose qualifications for membership are not in question,
forwarding to the Membership Chairman those which require further information.
The Listserv Manager maintains EPIC's roster of members. subscribes new members to
the EPIC Biz and Social lists, and assists members with access issues on the
EPIC lists.
1. The List Maven does not have voting rights in any/all Board
decisions.
2. The
Listserv Manager shall advise new members of their options concerning the
membership list, maintain the data and post an updated list periodically [moved to Treasurer, who is actually doing this work]
I. The List Moderators ("List Cops") moderate the EPIC
Biz and Social group lists.
J. Members at Large.
1. Three members at large shall be elected to the Board. The
Members at Large shall have voting rights, and are responsible for attending
all Board meetings and providing input to the business of EPIC.
Article 7
Terms of Office
A.
President and Vice-President shall each serve a term of one year.
B.
Secretary and Treasurer, by virtue of the nature of their duties, shall
serve a term of two years. Secretary shall be voted in every odd voting year
(i.e. 2009, 2011, etc.) and Treasurer every even year (i.e. 2008, 2010).
C.
Members at Large shall serve a one year term.
D.
No officer may serve more than two consecutive terms in any office and
no one shall serve on the Board for more
than four out of five consecutive years.
E.
In the event any member of the Board cannot fulfill his/her term of
office another qualified member shall be elected to fulfill the term with the exception of
the President who shall be replaced by the Vice President in the event he/she
cannot fulfill his/her term.
Article
8
Committees
The Board shall establish organizational positions and
committees as deemed necessary to serve the needs of EPIC. These shall include,
but not be limited to: Webmaster, List Maven/Listserv Manager, Public Relations
Liaison, Chat Director, EPIC Award Chair, and New Voices Chair.
A. Organizational positions and Committee Chair positions shall
consist of EPIC members in good standing, and shall meet at least one of the
minimum requirements of membership.
B. Organizational positions and/or committee Chairs shall be
included in any/all Board meetings, unless otherwise indicated as a closed
Board session by the President. They shall not have voting rights in regards to
any/all Board decisions.
C. If any committee chair does not attend three (3) consecutive
quarterly meeting, refuses to provide a status report, nor sends a
representative, the Board may remove the chair from the committee and appoint a
new chair.
D. Each Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, chosen by the
Board, and committee members, recruited by the Chair. A committee shall exist
only so long as it serves a current useful purpose. A committee may be
dissolved by the Board if, in the Board's opinion, it no longer serves a
current, useful purpose.
E. All Chairs shall report directly to the Board and shall
fulfill their specified responsibilities to the best of their abilities. As
necessary components of the organization's core functions, they do not hold
elected positions nor are there limitations for time served in these positions.
F. Organizational positions and/or committee chairs for the annual
EPIC conference, EPIC Award contest, and/or New Voices contest shall not retain
their positions while concurrently holding any Board position, nor shall they
run for elected office without first obtaining a qualified replacement for
their position.
G.
EPIC Conference. The Conference chair
shall be approved by the Board following discussion of approved sites and
acceptance of one, proposed by EPIC members willing to host the conference.
1.
To host the annual conference, the group
proposing to host must include someone willing to serve as chair and must
include enough local committee members to undertake the task. No Board member
may be Conference chairperson.
2. The expectations of the conference chair and committee are
laid out in EPIC's Policies and Procedures manual.
3. The EPIC conference chairperson shall not hold another
committee chair in the same year as he/she chairs the EPIC Conference.
H.
Membership Chairman. The Membership Chairman, assisted by
the Membership Committee and Listserv Manager, shall receive those membership
applications which require further processing as determined by the Listserv
Manager
1. The
Membership Chairman shall notify the applicant as to whether or not their
application was accepted.
2. The
Membership Chairman shall post a notice on the listserv to advise the
organization of new members, and post a notice to both the Membership Secretary
and the President. (This duty of the Membership Chairman is currently delegated
to the List Manager.)
3.
The Membership Committee shall prepare, with the approval
of the board, a welcome packet of EPIC information to be posted to new members.[removed – no membership committee in existence at this
time]
I. Public
Relations (PR). The PR committee shall promulgate positive information to the
media regarding EPIC, EPIC's members, and epublishing the organization's members, and epublishing. All press
releases and/or other statements must have prior approval from the Board.
J. New Voices Chair. New Voices Chairperson is responsible for
the organization, publicizing, and judging of a contest for young writers.
1. The New Voices chairperson shall not hold another committee
chair in the same year as he/she chairs the New Voices contest.
2. The New Voices committee shall set the rules and procedures
for the annual contest, and be responsible for providing clear and concise
explanations regarding contest guidelines and contest information to entrants.
K.
EPIC Awards Chair. The EPIC Awards chairperson is
responsible for producing the annual published works contest, which focuses
exclusively on electronically published material.
1.
The EPIC Awards Chair shall not hold another
committee chair in the same year as he/she chairs the EPIC Awards.
2. The EPIC Awards Judging Coordinator may not enter the contest in
the same year as holding this position.
3. Core EPIC Award Committee members (Chair, Judging Coordinator) may
not judge the contest the same year as holding committee positions.
4. The EPIC Award committee shall set the rules and procedures for
the annual contest, be responsible for providing clear and concise explanations
regarding contest guidelines and contest information to entrants.
5. The EPIC Award committee shall form a sub committee to handle the
annual Quasar Awards, a competition focused
on the diversity of ebook cover artists.
a. The Quasar committee shall
set the rules and procedures for the annual contest and be responsible providing
clear and concise explanations regarding contest guidelines and contest
information to entrants.
L. Chat Director.
The Chat chairperson shall schedule speakers for EPIC chats, post reminders of
chat times to members, ensure chat rooms are available.
1.
Chat sessions shall be scheduled at a time and place convenient to the member
majority wishing to participate. Consideration shall be given for the difference in time
zones.
M. Historian. The Historian is responsible for gathering and
assembling the historical records of EPIC in both electronic and physical form.
1.
The historical records shall include the
names of office holders, conference and committee final reports, membership
lists, bylaws changes, pictures of organization and member events and/or
anything significant to the past and/or future of EPIC.
2. A sampling of the historical archives shall be available for
viewing on EPIC's web site.
3. Two copies of any physical archives shall be made; one copy
with the current Webmaster and one with the current historian.
a. The physical archives shall be passed by hand or ground shipped
as the Webmaster and Historian positions and responsibilities are transferred
to the next Webmaster and/or Historian.
b. Electronic documents and/or records shall be stored at a
secure location, chosen by the Board and accessible to the Historian. Copies of
any/all non-electronic documents and/or records shall be stored at a site
separate from the Board Members' home, office, etc.
N. Additional
committees may be appointed by the Board as the need arises. The duties of any
committees of a long term or permanent nature shall be added to this section of
the bylaws with the approval of the membership.
Article 9
Contests and Awards
A.
EPIC shall hold an annual contest, known
as the EPIC Awards. The contest focuses exclusively on electronically published
books
1. The EPIC Awards shall be announced and presented at the
annual member conference.
B.
EPIC shall hold an annual contest, known
as the Quasar Awards. The contest focuses exclusively on electronically
published book covers.
1. The Quasar Awards shall
be announced and presented at the annual member conference.
C.
EPIC shall hold an annual contest for
young writers, known as EPIC's New Voices Competition. The contest promotes the
works of junior high/middle school and high school aged authors (approximately
10 to 19 years of age).
1.
New Voices Awards shall be presented at
the annual member conference.
D.
The Patricia Lucas White Service Award
shall honor exceptional service to the organization and its members.
1.
Nominees for this award shall be made and
voted on by the membership.
2. The award shall be announced and presented at the annual member
conference.
E.
The Friend of E-Publishing Award shall be
given to a person(s) not an EPIC member, who significantly promotes the
electronic publishing industry.
1. The recipient(s) of the Friend of E-Publishing Award shall be
chosen by the Board of Directors, based on input from the EPIC
membership
Article 10
Elections
A.
Nominations for elected office shall be made during the last two weeks
of March (15-31) of each year.
B.
The person nominated must consent to have his/her name placed on the
ballot.
1.
Nominated persons must meet the requirements for office as set out in
the bylaws.
C.
The Secretary Webmaster
shall post the ballot to EPIC's website during the first week in April.
1.
Voting will take place for a period of five days, via ballots posted to EPIC's website.
2. Ballots
shall be posted privately to the Secretary and/or designated tally taker(s)
At the conclusion of the voting period the Webmaster shall post the ballot results.
D.
After a week of transition, two(2) weeks for the
Treasurer, during which the records shall be transferred, the new
officers shall assume their duties.
E. A Director or Committee chair shall disclose any conflict, or
potential conflict, as soon as he/she recognizes the conflict. If
self-disclosure is not revealed, the President or any Member of the Board, can,
prior to voting on a specific matter in which a potential conflict of interest
exists, inquire whether any Member of the Board desires to abstain from voting
because of a conflict of interest. If no conflict of interest is disclosed and
the President or any other Member of the Board states their opinion is that
such a conflict exists, the President shall immediately call for a vote of the
Board to determine whether the challenged Director and/or Committee Chair
remains in a conflict of interest. If the challenged Board Member refuses to
abstain from the deliberations or voting as requested and a majority presents a
vote that requires abstention by the challenged Director and/or Committee
Chair, that Director or Committee Chair shall not be permitted to vote.
Article 11
Conducting
EPIC Business
Section A. An EPIC business meeting is defined as the
President posting an agenda of items to be discussed.
The President
and Board shall set the agenda prior to a business meeting.Members who
wish to put an item(s)on the agenda may post the President prior to the
meeting.
The
President shall post a reminder that the agenda is being set.
Section B. EPIC shall "meet", defined as the President posting
that a business meeting is in session, for official business at least once a
year during the first week in April for the election of officers or at the
discretion of the President and/or Board.
Any member
may request that the President call a business meeting.
Section C. Agenda items shall be numbered.
Members are
encouraged to be careful to post the item's number as points are made so
that the group may follow the thread of discussion.The agenda shall
be open for discussion for a period of five days. All motions,
consequential and inconsequential as deemed by the bylaws or the Board,
shall remain open for voting for the period of five days, following the
period of discussion.
Section D. EPIC business may be discussed during chat sessions and a
summary of the discussion shall be posted to the entire membership for further
discussion.
A person
present during chat shall be designated to make notes and post the
summary.No votes may
be taken during chat sessions.
A. An EPIC business meeting is any official meeting, in person,
through teleconference, or chat utilizing a posted agenda.
B. A majority of directors (50% plus 1) shall form a quorum for
the transaction of EPIC business.
C.
The Board shall meet quarterly to discuss
EPIC business, hear from committee chairs, and report to the membership.
1. Quarterly business meetings shall be held within the last
month of each quarter.
D. The President and Board shall set the agenda prior to any
business meeting.
1. General business meetings shall take place on the EPIC Biz
group list
2. Members who wish to put an item(s) on the agenda shall
contact the President prior to the meeting.
3. Agenda items shall be uniquely identified (numbered, bullets,
etc).
4. The agenda shall be open for discussion for a period of five
days.
5. Addenda to the agenda shall be accepted up to three (3) days
prior to the date of the meeting.
6. The President shall post a reminder that the agenda is being
set within at least six (6) days prior to the date of the meeting.
7. The President shall coordinate time and date for the business
meeting with members of the Board. Once set, the date and time shall be posted
to EPIC's membership groups.
8. All motions shall remain open for voting for a period of five
(5) days, following the period of discussion.
E.
The Board of Directors shall present a
report at an Annual General Meeting, held during the annual EPIC member conference.
1.
This report shall detail the following:
a.
The assets and liabilities, including the
twelve-month fiscal period prior to said meeting;
b.
The principal changes in assets and
liabilities, including during said fiscal period;
c.
The listing of revenue and/or receipts of
EPIC’s unrestricted and restricted purposes during said fiscal period, and;
d.
The expenses or disbursements produced by
the organization EPIC, both general and restricted to particular purposes,
during said fiscal period.
2. This report shall be filed in the financial and general
records of EPIC and a copy thereof entered in the minutes of the proceedings of
the Annual General Meeting.
3.
Any reports or announcements for the next
EPIC annual conference, other EPIC business, and necessary Q & A sessions
will be made during the Annual General Meeting.
4.
No votes may be taken at the annual
member conference, other than those introduced at the Annual General Meeting.
5.
All reports presented at the Annual
General Meeting shall be posted on the web site.
F.
EPIC shall "meet" on the EPIC Biz
group list at least once a year during the first week in April for the election
of officers or at the discretion of the President and/or Board.
G. Any member may request that the President call a business
meeting.
H.
EPIC business may be discussed during
chat sessions and a summary of said discussion shall be posted to the entire
membership for further discussion.
1. A person present during the aforementioned chat shall be
designated as Secretary pro tem to make notes and post the chat summary.
2.
No votes shall be taken during chat
sessions, unless the chat session is an official Board meeting.
Article 12
Method
of Voting
Section A. All motions must be seconded by a post from at least one
member.
Motions and
seconds will be accepted in the order received by the President.
Section B. Votes of an inconsequential nature, defined as nothing that
will cause the person voting unease if the entire organization knows their
vote, or not specifically deemed consequential in this article, section C,
shall be taken by a simple yes post. If any member raises a serious objection,
the vote shall be taken by ballot. The results shall be announced in five days.
Section C. Votes on matters deemed consequential, which shall include the
election of contested offices, any matter which requires the expenditure of EPIC
funds, and bylaws changes shall be taken by ballot.
Section D. In the case of a tie vote a run-off election shall be held
between the top two vote-getters.
Should the
run-off election produce a tie, an out-going officer, using the honor
system, shall toss a coin. The person whose name is first on the ballot
shall be heads and the second name is tails.
A. All motions must be seconded by a post from at least one
member.
1.
Motions and seconds shall be accepted in
the order received by the President.
B.
In the case of a tie vote a run-off
election shall be held between the two nominees with the most votes
1.
Should the run-off election produce a stalemate,
an out-going officer, using the honor system, shall toss a coin. The person
whose name is first on the ballot shall be heads and the second name shall be
tails. [revised, some sections have been
moved to other articles where they fit better]
Article 13
Finances
A.
Dues in the amount of $30.00 (thirty dollars US) shall be collected
annually during the anniversary on the first day
of the anniversary month of a member's joining EPIC. The Treasurer will post a list of impending members dues the
month before their specific anniversary month.
B.
Dues shall be considered past due sixty (60) days following the last
day of the anniversary month first day of
the assigned anniversary month. A past due notice, for those who have not yet
paid, will be posted after the first day of the anniversary month, then again a
month past the anniversary month.
1.
A reinstatement fee of $5.00 (five dollars US) shall be assessed on
dues paid after a member reaches past due status[changed
– there is no way to collect the $5 fee] Failure to pay dues shall
result in loss of membership.
2. Failure
to pay shall result in loss of membership membership
fees after three (3) warnings, whether verbal and/or written, shall result in
removal from EPIC's membership roster and a wait period of six (6) months prior
to re-applying for membership.
3. After sixty (60) days past due, a member must wait six (6)
months before re-applying for membership, regardless of upcoming or current contests
and/or conferences. Waivers to this penalty period are not disallowed without prior
Board approval, and then only in special circumstances (death, natural
disasters).
C. Dues for new members are owed upon being received into EPIC's
membership. Membership is not conferred until payment is received.
D. Once paid, dues are non-refundable.
E.
Dues shall be used to pay for the annual member conference, a web site, designated
Webmaster fees, public relations expenditures, EPIC's New Voices awards, as
well as other expenditures deemed necessary by the Board to facilitate the operation of EPIC as an
organization.
F. Other than EPIC's New Voices Competition, all contests shall
be self sustaining.
G. Dues
may only be changed only by a vote of full membership and a change to EPIC's Bylaws.
H.
Except as noted below, no expenditure of dues or other EPIC funds shall
be authorized without prior approval of EPIC's membership, either by prior approval
in regards to the budget, or vote taken by ballot.
1.
No funds may be budgeted for moneys not in the treasury, beyond dues
expected from the current membership.
2. The Board
is authorized to approve expenditures of no more than $250 (two hundred and
fifty dollars US) to enable the Board to pay small expenditures such as
postage, office supplies, phone calls, etc, expended to carry out EPIC
business. Said small expenditures shall not exceed $1000 (one thousand dollars
US) during the April 1 to March 31 term of office of the board necessary to operate EPIC as an organization. Reimbursements
of sundry items (postage, office supplies, phone calls, etc.) may be expended without
membership approval when used for the interest of EPIC. This said, no small
expenditures shall exceed $1000 (one thousand dollars US) during the period
lasting from April 1 to March 31 of the term of office for the Board.
I.
The fiscal year shall run from April 1 to
March 31.[changed per IRS suggestion]
Article 14
Audit
Section A. EPIC's financial records shall be audited once a year.
The audit
shall take place during June.
Section B. The auditor shall be appointed by the Board from within the
membership.
Section C. The checkbook register, receipts and other pertinent
information shall be snail-mailed to the auditor no latter than June 7.
The auditor
shall post the results to the board as soon as the audit is complete, but
no later than June 25. The results shall be posted to the membership by
July 1.The auditor
shall snail-mail the documents to the new treasurer before July 1.
A. EPIC's financial records shall be audited every other year. The
audit shall take place during the month of June covering the previous fiscal
year (April 1 – March 31).
B. Every two years, the auditor shall be appointed by the Board
from within EPIC's membership, unless outside auditors are deemed necessary by
the Board.
C. Every four years, the auditor shall be hired from an outside
company in lieu of appointment from within the EPIC membership.
D.
The Treasurer shall email the electronic
checkbook register, in the form of a Quicken file, or appropriately organized
spreadsheet, receipts and other pertinent information to the auditor no later
than June 7 of the audit year.
E. The auditor shall post the results to the Board as soon as
the audit is complete, but no later than July 20 of the audit year.
F. The results shall be posted to EPIC's membership by July 31
of the audit year.
G. The auditor shall mail the recorded and audited documents to
the newly elected Treasurer prior to July 31 of the audit year.[revised to change when audits
occur and who will audit, adjusted fiscal year per IRS suggestion, added
clarification]
Article 15
Removal
of Officers
A.
Officers who are deemed negligent in their duties may be voted out of
office by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of EPIC members via vote taken by ballot.
B.
Any officer may be removed from office for committing any of the
violations listed in Article 17.
C.
Any member may press charges of negligence.
1.
Charges must be seconded before action may be
taken.
2.
Evidence must be presented with the charge to the Board.
D. The President shall
appoint an ad-hoc committee to examine the charge and determine whether the
charges are factual.
1.
The committee will then bring a report to the membership through the Board,
with a recommendation of either acquittal or removal.
E.
In the event the officer in question is
the President, then the Vice President shall form the ad hoc committee and shall
be the person to whom the ad hoc committee reports.
F. In the event that the entire Board is accused, the immediate past-President
shall form the ad hoc committee and be the
person to whom the committee shall report.
1.
If the immediate past-President is not
available, another past president shall form the ad hoc committee and be the
person to whom the committee shall report.
G.
The officer(s) in question shall be
notified of ballot results via private communication prior to any announcement
to general membership.
Article 16
Removal
from Membership
A.
Members who fail to pay renewal of annual dues shall be automatically
removed from EPIC's membership, without further
notification, once their dues become sixty (60) days in arrears. See
Article 14 above.
B.
Authors may be removed from membership for the following reasons:
1.
Plagiarism
2.
Misrepresenting membership qualifications.
3.
Persistent posts of a defamatory or offensive nature, further defined in the EPIC Policies and Procedures.
4.
Misuse of EPIC property an/or records
5.
Illegal conduct, defined as not abiding by the provisions of EPIC's
bylaws, during an EPIC election
6.
Forwarding or otherwise reproducing listserv postings in part or as a whole
outside EPIC membership without prior permission of the person who originally authored
the post
7.
Disseminating outside EPIC membership all or any part of a log from an
EPIC chat without prior permission from the Board.
8.
Distributing by sale or gift, any portion of the EPIC roster to outside
parties
C.
Industry members may be removed for the
above reasons or for conducting business in an unethical manner.
Article 17
Changes
to Bylaws
A. EPIC's Bylaws shall be reviewed every two years by a
committee chaired by the Vice President.
B.
Any member may propose bylaws changes to the Board.
C. Changes to EPIC's Bylaws shall be presented to the Board
prior to being presented to the membership.
D. Upon
approval by the Board, the President shall present the proposed bylaws to the
membership.
1.
In the event the Board does not approve the updates, but membership chooses
to vote on the changes, a vote by ballot must be taken
2. A vote shall be taken by ballot to acknowledge and accept
EPIC's updated bylaws.
Article 18
No
liability of Members and EPIC
Section A. The property of the members shall not be subject to the
payment of debts of this organization. Nor shall any members be held
responsible for decisions made by them in the best interest of the
organization. Any private property may not be subject as payment in any suit
against EPIC.
Section B. EPIC shall not be held responsible for anything posted on the
listserv by any individual members.
A.
Every Director and officer of EPIC and/or
their heirs, executors, administrators and other legal personal representatives
shall, from time to time and at all times, be indemnified and saved harmless by
EPIC from and against:
1.
any liability and all costs, charges and
expenses sustained or incurred in respect to any action, suit or proceeding shall
be proposed or commenced against a Board Member for or in respect of the
execution of duties of office: and
2.
all other costs, charges, and expenses
that a Member of the Board may sustain or incur in respect to the affairs of
EPIC except by his/her own willful neglect or default.
B.
No Member shall be liable for the acts,
receipts, neglects, or defaults by any other director or Member of this
organization, nor shall they be held responsible for any loss, damage, or
expense happening through the insufficiency or deficiency of properties and/or
equipment acquired by order of the Board, or on behalf of EPIC.
C.
No Member shall be accountable for any
loss, whether it be monetary or dealing with property, occasioned by damage or
misfortune which may happen in the execution of the duties of his/her
respective office or trusts or in relation thereto, unless the same shall
happen by or through his/her own willful act or default.
D. Any act which reflects or counteracts any/all stipulations
set down in these Bylaws, and/or the affiliated Policy and Procedures, shall be
deemed invalid or ineffective by reason of subsequent ascertainment.
E.
The Board may rely upon the accuracy of
any statement or report prepared by EPIC’s auditors, and shall not be
responsible or held liable for any loss or damage resulting from acting upon
such statement or report.
F.
No private property may be subject as
payment for any suit levied against EPIC. Members shall not be subject to the
payment EPIC’s debts nor shall any Member be held accountable for decisions
made for this organization...
G. EPIC and its Membership shall not be held responsible for
correspondence, statements, or postings to electronic sites, including, but not
limited to, blogs, groups, lists, and/or loops, by individual Members. [legal stuff to protect EPIC]
Article 19
Dissolution
A. EPIC may be dissolved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by the
Membership.
B.
All creditors shall be paid prior to the dissolution of the
organization.
C.
Any remaining funds shall be donated to not-for-profit organization(s)
chosen by EPIC members.
Article 20
Bylaws, Resolutions and Amendments
A. Additions, amendments, or alterations to the Bylaws shall be
made by a simple majority vote by the EPIC membership, and these Bylaws shall
become effective immediately upon their adoption by the Board.
B. The Board may, with proper notice, propose additions, amendments,
and/or alterations to the Bylaws. This Bylaw does not apply to proposed
amendments authorized by the Board covered elsewhere in the EPIC Bylaws.
C. When approved by the Membership and the Board, this draft
shall here forth be regarded as the constitution of EPIC. Previous versions are
thereto repealed.
