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BY-LAWS OF
Denver Costume & Cosplay Society (DCCS)
(Established
2007)
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1, Registered office.
The registered office of the Corporation shall be located in the
State of Colorado.
Section 2, Other offices. The
Corporation may also have other offices at such other places
either within or outside the State of Colorado as the members
may determine from time to time or the business of the
Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
CHAPTERS
Section 1, Organization. The
Corporation shall be organized into chapters in defined
geographic areas. Each and every member of the Corporation shall
be a member of one or more of the chapters approved by the
Corporation. The chapter or chapters to which any member of the
Corporation shall belong shall be within the sole discretion of
that member, provided that the member is affiliated with one of
the approved chapters of the Corporation.
Section 2, Addition of
chapters. New chapters shall be approved by the members at a
meeting of the members, or by the Board of Directors at a
meeting of the Board.
Section 3, Authority of the
Board. The Board is authorized to prescribe such reasonable
rules and regulations for the approval of chapters as it
determines to be in the best interests of the Corporation.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1, Becoming a member.
Persons become members of the Corporation by becoming members of
one or more of its chapters. Any person who has paid the dues of
the Corporation and, if applicable, the local chapter shall be a
member. The local chapter shall promptly inform the
Secretary/Treasurer of the new member's name and address. The
local chapter shall present to and review with each new member
the By-Laws of the Corporation.
Section 2, Determining the
total membership. From time to time, the Board of Directors
shall determine by resolution the total membership of the
Corporation, on the basis of a list prepared by the
Secretary/Treasurer.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
Section 1, Meetings. All
meetings of the members shall be held at such place within or
without the State as the Board of Directors may fix or determine
from time to time. One or more persons may attend by means of
conference telephone or similar communication equipment by means
of which all persons participating in the meeting may
communicate with each other.
Section 2, Annual meeting. An
annual meeting of the members shall be held at such time as the
Board
of Directors shall set.
The members shall conduct such business as may properly brought
before the meeting and they shall receive the President's annual
report. Members shall be in good standing with the Corporation
to vote at the annual meeting.
Section 3, Special meetings.
Unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the Articles of
Incorporation, the President, a majority of the Board of
Directors, or twenty-five percent (25%) of all the members may
call for a special meeting or meetings of the members for any
purpose or purposes by delivering a written request to the
Secretary/Treasurer of the Corporation. Such request shall state
the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. On receiving
such a request, the Secretary/Treasurer shall call a special
meeting of the members to be held at such time, not less than
forty-five (45) nor more than sixty (60) days thereafter, as the
Secretary/Treasurer shall fix. If the Secretary/Treasurer
neglects to issue such a call within ten (10) days of receiving
the request to do so, the person or persons making the request
may issue the call.
Section 4, Notice of meetings.
A written notice of every meeting of the members shall publicly
posted to electronic forums of the Corporation at least
forty-five (45) days prior to the meeting, unless a greater
period of notice is required by statute. The notice shall
specify the place, date, and hour of the meeting and the general
nature of the business to be conducted at it. Notice to each
member shall have been deemed to have been received if such
notice is served on or mailed to the Director representing each
chapter. Each Director shall be responsible to provide such
notice to the members in such chapter.
Section 5, List of members. At
least ten (10) days before each meeting of members, the
Secretary/Treasurer or designee shall make a complete list of
all the members, stating the address of each. The list shall be
subject to inspection by any member at any time during usual
business hours. In addition, any member may inspect it at the
meeting.
Section 6, Business transacted
at a special meeting. At all special meetings of the members,
business transacted shall be limited to the purposes stated in
the notice.
Section 7, Quorum. At all
meetings of the members, a quorum shall consist of all members
present or represented by proxy.
Section 8, Record date. The
Board of Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date
for determining the number of members of the Corporation, or of
the members entitled to receive patronage refunds or the
allotment of any rights, or for any other proper purpose. The
date shall not be more than thirty (30) nor less than eleven
(11) days prior to the date on which the members' meeting is to
be held or on which the particular action is to be taken.
Section 9, Vote. At any
meeting, the vote of a majority of all the members present or
represented by proxy shall decide any question, unless the
question is one on which a different vote is required by express
provision of the applicable statutes, the Articles of
Incorporation, or these By-Laws, and cannot be simply modified
by these By-Laws. In such cases those express provisions shall
govern and control the decision of the question, unless the
provision is statutory and has been legally modified by the
Articles of Incorporation.
Section 10, Voting and proxies.
A member of the Corporation may vote, in person or by proxy, at
any meeting of the members. Each member shall be entitled to
cast one vote on all matters that are subject to a vote of the
membership. Every proxy must be dated and signed by the member
or by such member's attorney-in-fact. No proxy shall be valid
after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the day it is
executed, unless the text of the proxy provides otherwise. The
member executing a proxy may revoke it at any time, except where
an irrevocable proxy is permitted by law and the proxy
affirmatively states that it is to be irrevocable.
Section 11, Consent to action.
Whenever a provision of statute, of the Articles of
Incorporation, or of
these By-Laws requires or
permits the members to vote at a meeting of the members in
connection with any corporate action, the Corporation may
dispense with the meeting and vote if a majority of all the
members consents in writing to taking such corporate action or
actions. The written consent of a majority of all the members
may be signed in several counterparts so long as the required
majority vote for the consent is complied with. The consent
shall be filed with the record of members' meetings.
ARTICLE V
DIRECTORS
Section 1, Board of Directors.
The Corporation's Board of Directors shall conduct the
Corporation's business and manage its property, except as
otherwise provided by statute, the Articles of Incorporation, or
these By-Laws. The Board shall be composed of one (1) individual
member from each chapter of the Corporation chosen annually by
that chapter to be a Director, plus the Officers of the
Corporation. To be eligible to be a member of the Board, a
member of the Corporation shall be at least eighteen (18) years
of age. The total number of members of the Board shall be equal
to the number of existing chapters, plus the number of elected
officers of the Corporation. The number shall be increased to
include a Director from each newly established chapter or
decreased to reflect the dissolution or termination of a
chapter, but in no event shall be less than one (1) Director
plus the Officers of the Corporation. A decrease in the number
of Directors shall not affect the tenure of office of any
Director then sitting on the Board. An Officer of the
Corporation may not also serve as a chapter representative. Each
Director chosen by a chapter shall hold office until such
Director's successor is chosen and qualified, or until such
Director dies or resigns or is removed.
Section 2, Waiver of meeting or
vote. Whenever a provision of statute, the Articles of
Incorporation, or these By-Laws requires or permits the members
of the Board to vote at a meeting of the Board, the meeting and
vote may be dispensed with if all the members of the Board
consent in writing to such corporate actions being taken and
those consents are filed with the records of meetings of the
Board. The consents may be executed in more than one
counterpart.
Section 3, Removal of Board
members. Any member of the Board may be removed with cause, at
any time, by a majority vote of all the members of the
Corporation. Any member of the Board may resign at any time.
Such resignation shall be made in writing and delivered to the
Board, the President, or the Corresponding Secretary of the
Corporation. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, a
resignation shall take effect immediately upon its tender to the
Corporation.
Section 4, Vacancies of
Directors. Vacancies of Directors as well as newly created
directorships that result from an increase in the number of
chapters shall be filled by the chapter from which the vacancy
has occurred or from the new chapter, as the case may be. Each
person so chosen shall be a Director until the chapter chooses
the Director's successor, or the Director dies, resigns, or is
removed by vote of all the members.
Section 5, Actions of the
Board. The Board of Directors may exercise all such powers of
the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as
statute, the Articles of Incorporation, or these By- Laws do not
direct or require be exercised or done by the members.
Section 6, Meetings of the
Board. The Board of Directors may hold regular and special
meetings, either within or outside the State of Colorado. One or
more members of the Board may participate in a meeting of the
Board or of a committee of the Board by means of a conference
telephone or similar communications equipment which permits all
persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each
other. The Board shall keep minutes of its meetings and a full
account of its transactions.
Section 7, First meeting of the
Board. The first meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held
at such time and place as the members shall fix at the time such
members of the Board are chosen. No
notice to the newly
chosen Board of that meeting shall be necessary in order legally
to constitute the meeting if a majority of the whole Board is
present. If the members fail to fix the time or place of the
first meeting of the new Board of Directors, or if that meeting
is not held at the time so fixed, the Board may meet at such
time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as
provided in this Article for meetings of the Board of Directors,
or as shall be specified in a written waiver signed by all of
the members of the Board.
Section 8, Regular Board
meetings. The Board of Directors shall hold a regular annual
meeting concurrently with the annual meeting of the members of
the Corporation, beginning with the 2007 annual meeting of the
members. The Board may also hold other regular meetings, without
notice, at such time and place as it determines in a resolution
adopted at a duly convened meeting, or by unanimous written
consent of the members of the Board.
Section 9, Special Board
meetings. The President may call a special meeting of the Board
by delivering five (5) days' notice to each Board member, either
personally, by mail, by telegram, or by electronic mail. At the
written request of three (3) members of the Board, the President
or the Secretary/Treasurer shall call a special meeting in the
same manner and on the same notice, to be held not less than
twelve (12) days from delivery of such a request. If the
President and/or the Secretary/Treasurer fails to call a
meeting, pursuant to a proper request, within five (5) days of
the request to do so, the Board members making the request may
give notice of the meeting themselves.
Section 10, Quorum at Board
meetings. At all meetings of the Board, a majority of the Board
members in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business. The acts of a majority of the Board members present
at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the acts of
the Board of Directors, unless otherwise specifically provided
for by statute or by the Articles of Incorporation, with
provision that such voting requirements may not be modified by
these By-Laws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the
Board, the Board members present may adjourn the meeting from
time to time without notice other than the announcement of the
meeting, until a quorum is present.
Section 11, Committees. The
Board of Directors may designate, by a resolution or resolutions
adopted by a majority of the whole Board, one or more
committees, each to consist of three (3) or more members of the
Corporation designated by the Board. The Board also may
designate one or more members of the Corporation as alternate
members of any committee, to replace any absent or disqualified
committee member at any meeting of the committee. Each such
committee shall have and exercise the authority of the Board of
Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the
Corporation to the extent provided by resolution or these
By-Laws and allowed under Section 7-128-206 of the Colorado
Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act. Each committee shall keep
regular minutes of its proceedings and report them to the Board
when required. In the absence or disqualification of any member
of a committee or committees, the member or members thereof
present at any meeting who are not disqualified from voting,
whether or not they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint
another member of the Corporation to act at the meeting in the
place of any absent or disqualified committee member.
Section 12, Directors not to be
salaried. Directors, as such, shall not receive any stated
salary for their services to the Corporation.
Section 13, Board members'
assent to or dissent from actions. A member of the Board who is
present at a meeting of the Board which acts on any corporate
matter shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken
unless such Board member's dissent is entered in the minutes of
the meeting or unless the Board member files a written dissent
to the action with the person acting as Recording Secretary of
the meeting before its adjournment or forwards the dissent by
registered or certified mail to the Corresponding Secretary of
the Corporation immediately after the adjournment of
the meeting. A Board
member who voted in favor of the action does not have this right
to dissent.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
Section 1, How officers are
chosen. The Officers of the Corporation shall be a President, a
Vice- President, and Secretary/Treasurer. They shall be elected
annually by the Board of Directors at the Board's regular annual
meeting. The Board shall elect as Officers the members of the
Corporation chosen for each office by the members of the
Corporation in good standing present or represented by proxy at
the annual meeting of the members. The Board may also choose
additional Vice-Presidents and one or more Assistant Secretaries
and Assistant Treasurers. The same person may hold any two or
more offices, except those of President and Vice-President, but
no Officer shall execute, acknowledge, or verify any instrument
in more than one capacity. To become an Officer of the
Corporation, a member must be at least eighteen (18) years of
age.
Section 2, Other officers and
agents of the Corporation. The Board may appoint any other
officers and agents as it deems necessary, or delegate to the
President the power to make such appointments. The Standing
Rules of the Corporation also may empower the President to
appoint officers and agents of the Corporation. Those other
officers shall not be Officers of the Corporation, and the
creation of such other officers by the Board or by the President
shall not increase the number of Officers on the Board of
Directors of the Corporation. The Board shall designate the
terms of office and the powers and duties of each such officer
or agent unless the Standing Rules provide otherwise with
respect to a particular officer or agent.
Section 3, Officers not to be
salaried. The Officers of the Corporation, as such, shall not
receive any stated salary for their services to the Corporation.
Section 4, Removal of Officers.
The Officers of the Corporation shall hold office from the date
of their election until the election of Officers at the next
annual meeting, or until their successors are chosen and
qualify. At any time, the Board may, by the affirmative vote of
a majority of the Board members, remove any officer it elected
or appointed. However, in no event will such removal affect the
terms of any existing employment contract or other agreement for
compensation under which a removed officer may have been
employed. The Board shall fill any vacancy occurring in any
office of the Corporation.
Section 5, Duties of Officers
of the Corporation. In addition to the duties prescribed in
these By- Laws, each Officer of the Corporation shall have any
additional duties, not inconsistent with these By- Laws, that
either the Standing Rules or the Board of Directors may
prescribe.
THE PRESIDENT
Section 6, Duties.
(a) The President shall be the
chief executive officer of the Corporation, shall preside at all
meetings of the Board and members, shall have day-to-day general
and active management powers over the business of the
Corporation, and shall see that all orders and resolutions of
the members and Board are carried into effect. (b) The President
shall have authority to sign and execute, in the name of the
Corporation, all authorized deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts,
or other instruments. The President shall annually prepare a
full and true statement of the affairs of the Corporation,
including a Balance Sheet and Operating Statement; submit it at
the annual meeting of the members of the Corporation, and file
it within twenty (20) days thereafter at the principal office of
the Corporation in the State of Colorado, with a duplicate of it
at the principal office outside the State, if any.
THE VICE-PRESIDENTS
Section 7, Duties. The
Vice-President, or if there are more than one, the
Vice-Presidents, shall, in the order determined by the Board,
perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President in
the President's absence or disability, and shall perform such
other duties and have such other powers as the Board may
prescribe from time to time.
THE SECRETARY
Section 8, Duties.
(a) The Secretary shall attend
all meetings of the Board and members and record all the
proceedings of the meetings of the Corporation in a book to be
kept for that purpose, and shall perform like duties for
committees of the Board of Directors when required. In the
absence of the Secretary at any meeting, the President may
designate an alternate to serve as Secretary for that meeting.
(b) The Secretary may sign, with the President or a
Vice-President, any instruments and/or deeds of conveyance of
the Corporation. In general, the Secretary shall perform all
duties ordinarily performed by a secretary of a corporation and
such other duties as the Board of Directors or the President,
subject to the Board's control, may assign from time to time.
(C) The Secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all
meetings of the Board and members and shall perform such other
duties as the Board may prescribe. The Secretary shall keep in
safe custody the records and the seal of the Corporation. When
authorized by the Board, the Secretary shall affix the seal to
any instrument requiring it; when so affixed, it shall be
attested by the Secretary's signature, or by the signature of an
Assistant Secretary. ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Section 10, Duties. The
Assistant Secretary or, if there are more than one, the
Assistant Secretary shall, in the order determined by the Board,
perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary in
the absence of the Secretary, and shall perform such other
duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may
prescribe from time to time.
THE TREASURER AND ASSISTANT
TREASURERS
Section 11, Duties of the
Treasurer.
(a) The treasurer shall have
the custody of the corporate funds and receipts, shall keep full
and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books
belonging to the Corporation, and shall deposit all monies and
other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the
Corporation in such depositories as the Board may designate. (b)
The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as the
Board may order, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements,
and shall render to the President and the Board, at its regular
meetings or when the Board so requires, an account of all the
Treasurer's transactions and of the financial condition of the
Corporation. (c) If the Board so requires, the Treasurer shall
give the Corporation a bond, in such sum and with such surety or
sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board, for faithfully
performing the duties of the Treasurer's office and for
restoring to the Corporation, in case of the Treasurer's death,
resignation, retirement, or removal from office, all the
Corporation's books, papers, vouchers, money, and other property
in the Treasurer's possession or under the Treasurer's control.
(d) The Treasurer may sign, with the President's prior
authorization, any instruments and/or deeds of conveyance of the
Corporation for an expenditure of over five hundred dollars
($500.00), and the Treasurer may sign other instruments and/or
deeds of conveyance of the Corporation provided that the
President or another officer
endorse a copy of each instrument or deed of conveyance before
the end of the fiscal year. In general, the Treasurer also shall
perform all the duties ordinarily performed by a treasurer of a
corporation, and such other duties as the Board of Directors or
the President may assign.
Section 12, Duties of the
Assistant Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer or, if there are
more than one, the Assistant Treasurers, in the order determined
by the Board, shall, in the absence or disability of the
Treasurer, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the
Treasurer, and shall perform such other duties and have such
other powers as the Board of Directors may prescribe from time
to time.
ARTICLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1, Fiscal year. The
fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on the first day of
January in each calendar year and end on the last day of
December of each calendar year.
Section 2, Seal. The seal of
the Corporation is the same as the impression affixed in the
margin of this page.
Section 3, Amendments. A
majority vote of all of the members of the Corporation may
alter, amend, repeal, or add to these By-Laws, provided that a
written notice has been sent to each member at least forty-five
(45) days before the start of the annual or special meeting at
which such actions will be considered. The notice shall state
the alterations, amendments, additions, or changes that are
proposed. This notice may be waived in accordance with these
By-Laws.
Section 4, Waiver of notice.
Wherever these By-Laws or any statute entitle every member of
the Corporation or of the Board to notice of any regular or
special meeting of the Corporation or the Board, respectively,
the meeting may be held without giving such notice, if
seventy-five percent (75 %) of all the members of the
Corporation or every member of the Board waives, in writing,
that respective requirement. Such written waiver may be executed
in one or more counterparts so long as the requirements for a
three-quarters majority vote of all the members and a unanimous
vote of all the Board members have been complied with.
ARTICLE VIII
RULES OF CONDUCT
Section 1, General rules of
conduct.
(a) DCCS members and
non-members are expected to conduct themselves in an adult and
congenial manner at all activities/events/functions sponsored by
the DCCS, as their individual actions are representative of the
DCCS as a whole. This also stands when discussing or
representing the DCCS by any means on the Internet. (b) The DCCS
strives to provide a friendly and welcoming environment for all
members, and would expect them to be respectful of others at all
times. Section 2, Public gatherings and private events.
(a) All participants will
behave in a manner appropriate to the setting. Things such as
being loud in a quite area, running down crowded sidewalks, and
generally being rude and disrespectful to those around you will
not be tolerated. We want you to have fun, but not at the
expense of other people. (b) Your costumes will be location
appropriate. At all times, girls must have their chests and
lower body covered, while guys must always have their lower
torsos covered. Good rule of thumb: if you wouldn't wear it to a
swimming pool, don't wear it to the gathering. For nicer
locations, such as restaurants, hotels and other places, a much
higher degree of dress is required. If you have any
questions if your costume is
appropriate, please contact one of the board members.
(c) Props must be location
appropriate. No live steal in highly populated areas. Any
fire-arm-type weapons must have an orange cap on the nozzle.
Please do not bring any props if the board informs you that the
gathering will be in a place with no props. If you bring an
inappropriate prop, you will be asked to put it in your car. If
you do not have a car or some other place to put it away, a
board member will store it for you for the duration of the
event. (d) The board members are in charge at any gathering.
Please listen to them and do what they ask of you. We try to
keep a hands off approach as much as possible but we also don't
want a few bad apples ruining it for the entire group. ARTICLE
IX
DISPLINARY ACTIONS
Section 1, Violations of the
Rules of Conduct. Any violations of the the afore stated Rules
of Conduct will result in the following actions:
(a) First Violation – A
verbal warning will be given by a member of the Board of
Directors or an Officer of the Corporation. (b) Second Violation
– A written warning will be given by a member of the Board of
Directors or an Officer of the Corporation. (c) Third Violation
– A verbal and written notice will be given by a member of the
Board of Directors or an Officer of the Corporation and the
individual(s) will not be eligible to attend the next event or
activity held by the organization. (d) Fourth Violation – A
verbal and written notice will be given by a member of the Board
of Directors or an Officer of the Corporation that their
membership has been revoked for a period of one year. After the
membership revocation period, the member may petition the Board
of Director's for membership at the next annual meeting. In the
event the individual is not a member of the DCCS, they will be
banned from any DCCS activities for a period of one year. (e)
Any violation of the Rules of Conduct may also result in the
individual being asked to leave immediately if the violation
cannot be corrected or if the violation will result in the
disruption of the enjoyment of others, or will cause the DCCS to
be portrayed in a bad light.