Approved by the General Membership June 09, 2010.

ARTICLE I – Name

1. The name of this organization shall be the Worcester Emergency Communications Team, Inc., abbreviated as W.E.C.T., herein referred to as the Organization.
   
   

ARTICLE II – Purpose

1. The Organization shall consist of parties interested in the recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur radio service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
   
   

ARTICLE III – Membership

1. Membership in the Organization is only available to persons aged eighteen (18) years or older.
   
   
2. For the purpose of this article, event shall be defined as any meeting, activation, Organization sponsored public service event, acting as net control for an Organization’s net, training event, or field day. The Board may decide to count an item not listed as an event if the membership is notified of such a decision at least one week prior to the event.
   
   
3. There shall be two classes of membership: associate member and full member.
   1. The Board shall consider for associate membership anyone who shows an interest in amateur radio and emergency communications whom has not obtained their amateur radio license. Interested persons must complete and submit to the Board an application for membership. Associate members are elected to the Organization by the Board from the submitted applications. Associate members must participate in at least one (1) event per year in order to maintain associate membership status. The membership of any member failing to participate in at least one (1) event per year shall be terminated on the day following one full year of inactivity. The automatic termination of membership may be overridden by the Board when deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances.
      
      
   2. Upon notification to the Board, an associate member in good standing who receives their amateur radio license from the FCC shall automatically become a full member as of the date the license is issued.
      
      
   3. The Board shall consider for full membership anyone who shows a genuine interest in amateur radio and emergency communications whom also holds a valid amateur radio license issued by the FCC. Interested persons must complete and submit to the Board an application for membership. Full members are elected to the Organization by the Board. Full members must participate in at least two (2) events per year in order to maintain full membership status. The membership of any member failing to participate in at least two (2) events per year shall be terminated on the day following one full year of inactivity. The automatic termination of membership may be overridden by the Board when deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances.
4. In matters where a member’s character comes into question the Board shall give the member notice of an impending investigation. Any further action shall continue according to the provisions of Robert’s Rules.
   
   

Article IV – Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of a Chairman and four (4) Directors-At-Large, herein referred to as Directors.
   
   
2. The President of the Organization shall be the ex-officio Chairman of the Board.
   
   
3. Directors shall be elected by the club as defined in Article VII for a term of two (2) years.
4. The Board of Directors may appoint full members to Organization manager positions as they deem necessary, provided that the Board may not appoint to a manager position, without the approval of a quorum, any member who has been removed from their position as an officer, manager or director within the previous two (2) years.
   
   
5. The Board of Directors shall be the sole authority on establishment of M.O.U.’s with served agencies, either by direct action or by the action of their appointee(s). No member or officer may enter into negotiations for, or establish, an M.O.U. unless under the direction of the Board of Directors.
   
   
6. The Board of Directors shall ensure the proper operation of the Organization’s management on a daily basis provided their actions are not in conflict with the Organization’s by-laws or federal, state, or local law.
   
   
7. If a Director, during their term, becomes employed as a manager in a served agency, or the Board of Directors establishes an M.O.U. with an agency which a Director is employed as a manager, they must disclose such appointment to the general membership as soon as practically possible.
   
   

Article V – Officers

1. The Organization shall solicit and elect four (4) elected officer positions. Each of these officers shall serve for a term of two (2) years from the date they take office.
   1. President – The President is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Organization and shall be the primary representative of the Organization to any outside entities. He shall serve as ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall preside over all Board of Directors and general meetings.
      
      
   2. Vice-President – The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in their absence and shall assist the President in the performance of their duties as requested.
      
      
   3. Treasurer – The treasurer shall be responsible for tracking and managing all fiscal matters of the Organization. The treasurer shall co-ordinate with other officers and the Board of Directors to authorize expenditures and ensure all bills in the Organization’s name are paid in a timely manner. The treasurer can approve incidental expenditures provided the dollar amount does not exceed one-hundred (100) dollars; the treasurer must notify the entire Board of Directors, via e-mail, within twenty-four (24) hours of the expenditures and seek approval from the Board before they can make additional incidental purchases. The treasurer shall assume the responsibilities of the Secretary in their absence if a Secretary pro tempore has not been established.
      
      
   4. Secretary – The Secretary is responsible for handling all correspondence between the Officers and Directors and the Organization. The Secretary shall keep necessary records including attendance and meeting minutes. The Secretary shall e-mail out, or otherwise make available, a draft of the meeting minutes of any open meetings within forty-eight (48) hours; the approved version shall be made available within forty-eight (48) hours of their approval. The Secretary is responsible for receiving and sending QSL cards on behalf of the Organization.
2. The Organization’s officers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Organization. They shall have the authority to ensure the smooth running of the club on a daily basis provided their actions are not in conflict with the Organization’s by-laws, the orders of the Board of Directors, or federal, state, or local law. They shall recommend the appointment of managers to the Board of Directors.
   
   
3. No officer or manager shall also serve as a member of the Board of Directors except as indicated above in article IV section 1 item a.
   
   
4. If an Officer or Manager, during their term, becomes employed as a manager in a served agency, or the Board of Directors establishes an M.O.U. with an agency which an Officer of Manager is employed as a manager, they must disclose such appointment to the general membership as soon as practically possible.
   
   

ARTICLE VI – Elections

1. Elections shall occur yearly and take place before the last day of June. The same procedure shall be used for elections of the Officers and the Board of Directors.
   
   
2. Nominations shall only be accepted at the general meeting preceding elections. Notice of the nomination meeting must be given at the general meeting preceding nominations, or at an earlier meeting, provided that the Organization is given at least two (2) weeks notice of the date of nominations. Any full member of the Organization may nominate any other full member of the organization by announcing, when recognized in turn, the nominee’s name and position nominated for. Nominees must either accept or decline their nomination within forty-eight (48) hours. Any Officer or Director who is nominated for a position, and whose current term does not end in conjunction with the next election, must agree to vacate their current position should they be elected to a different position. Associate members, non-members, and members who are employed as a manager within a served agency may not be nominated for any elected position. The Secretary shall keep in his minutes a record of all nominations including the candidate’s name, the position nominated for, the nominator, and whether the nominee accepted or declined the nomination, or was not present at the meeting. At the conclusion of nominations the Secretary shall, within seventy-two (72) hours, e-mail out the list of accepted nominations to the Organization.
3. Candidates and members shall conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner at all times during elections. Elections for the officers shall begin with the office of the President and continue down in order of rank. When elected to a position, the candidate is no longer eligible for any remaining positions he was nominated for. Each candidate shall be afforded no more than two (2) minutes to present their candidacy for the position; candidates running for more than one position shall be granted a separate two (2) minute period to present for each position they are nominated for as needed. Candidates will be afforded a period to answer questions from members about their candidacy immediately following their speech.
   
   
4. After all candidates for a position have presented the election for that position shall occur by secret ballot. Each full member shall be permitted to cast one vote which shall be either the name of a candidate, the word abstain, or the word no; ballots containing anything else shall be considered as a vote of no.
   
   
5. Candidates win by receiving a simple majority provided that no candidate shall win by a margin of less than the greater of two (2) votes or five (5) percent. Should no candidate receive a majority the candidate with the lowest number of votes shall be eliminated and a runoff election shall occur except that, under no circumstances shall the elimination of a candidate be allowed if such an elimination would result in less than two (2) candidates remaining for that position.
   
   
6. Absentee ballots must be submitted to the Board of Directors in a sealed envelope or in an email message to the Board by the night preceding the elections. Votes should be in the form of a separate list of names, and/or “No” for each office. This list shall be ordered such that the most desired name is first and the least desired name is last.  At the elections, the designated counters shall submit a vote for highest ranked name on the list for the current position after excluding names whom are no longer on the current ballot. If all the nominees listed for a given position are no longer candidates, and the absentee vote does not list “No” after the candidates, the absentee vote will count as an abstention.
   
   

Article VII – Removal of Officers/Directors

1. Any Officer or Director may choose to relinquish his position at any time by tendering a letter of resignation to the President of the Organization, or, in the case of the President resigning, the Board of Directors. Such resignation shall be effective as of the date requested by the officer, provided that this date is not after the end of their present term. The officer in question may withdraw their resignation prior to its effective date provided the Board of Directors does not object.
   
   
2. The Board of Directors may remove or replace any appointed manager as they deem necessary. Should the Organization’s officers wish to remove an appointed manager without the approval of the Board of Directors, they must bring their request to the general membership to request a vote of no confidence under the provisions of paragraph.
   
   
3. Should the general membership become aware of misconduct or issues with the performance of any Officer or Director any member may, at an open meeting, call for a vote of no confidence in that officer. Once seconded, the motion shall require a two-thirds majority of a quorum to pass. Should a quorum not be present at the meeting, the entire membership shall be made aware of the motion and the motion shall be tabled until the quorum is present. Should such a motion be tabled the Board of Directors may, at their discretion, restrict the duties of that officer until a vote is taken.
   
   
4. Should any officer position become vacant outside of its normal term a special election shall occur no more than two (2) months following the position’s vacancy. The membership shall be provided no less than two (2) weeks’ notice of the special election. The Board of Directors may appoint any full member as an interim officer to fill a vacant position provided that any officer holding another position, any leadership member of a served agency, or any former officer forcibly removed from their position within the previous two (2) years may not be appointed.
   
   

Article VIII – Meetings

1. Meetings of the general membership shall occur no less than one (1) time per calendar quarter. All general meetings shall be open to all members and guests and shall be announced to the Organization at least two (2) weeks in advance. In the event that the membership desires an additional meeting to discuss an urgent business matter, a quorum of members may petition the Board of Directors for such. Upon receipt of such a petition, the Board must schedule a general meeting no less than two (2) but no more than three (3) weeks from the date of receipt.
   
   
2. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall occur as deemed necessary by its members, provided that they occur no less than four (4) times per calendar year. All meetings of the Board shall be announced to the Organization at least two (2) weeks in advance, except when extenuating circumstances require an urgent meeting; closed meetings must still be announced. Urgent meetings must be announced as soon as the Board becomes aware they are scheduling a meeting. Meetings of the Board shall be open to the Organization’s membership, however the Board can vote to close meetings should discussion of sensitive matters need to take place.
   
   

Article IX – Amendments

1. Amendments to these by-laws must be proposed in writing at a general meeting at least two (2) weeks prior to the date which the amendment will be voted on. The Secretary shall include in the meeting minutes the full text of the proposed amendment. The amendment shall require at least a two-thirds of the voting membership to pass.
   
   

ARTICLE X – Parliamentary Authority

1. For the purpose of Organization business, a quorum shall be defined as thirteen (13) percent of the voting membership.
   
   
2. The rules contained in the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th Edition shall govern procedure at all meetings where applicable and they are not in conflict with these by-laws of the Organization.
   
   

ARTICLE XI – Temporary Provisions

1. For the purpose of the June, 2010 elections nominations shall be solicited via e-mail. All nominations must be submitted to the Board of Directors via e-mail no later than June 22, 2010. Nominees shall have twenty-four (24) hours to notify the Board if they wish to decline their nomination. The secretary shall e-mail out the list of nominees on June 24, 2010. Absentee ballots shall be submitted by 9 AM on June 26, 2010. Elections shall take place on June 26, 2010.
   
   
2. The offices of Vice-President and Secretary shall be elected only for a one year term.
   
   
3. The two Directors receiving the highest number of votes shall serve a two year term; the other two elected shall serve a one year term.
   
   
4. This article shall be removed on July 1, 2010 without action required by the assembly.