Lonestar Mensa
Bylaws Committee
Resources

1. Mensa Constitution providing the nature of Mensa. a. Website copy. b. Primary source at Mensa in London: http://www.mensa.org/constitution2005.pdf

2. AML Certificate of Incorporation providing the purposes of AML. a. Website copy. b. Primary source at the AML National Office (NO), not online.

3. AML Bylaws. a. Website copy. b. Primary copy at the NO: http://insideaml.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=AML_Bylaws&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=14995

4. American Mensa (AML) Standing Rules of Order called Actions Still in Effect (ASIEs) which provide mandatory guidance one level below the AML bylaws. See item 5 of the ASIEs compendium: a. Website copy in PDF; b. primary copy at the national office: http://insideaml.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ASIEs&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=14994. See also ASIEs attached to the Minimum Standard Bylaws below.

5. Handbooks providing optional guidance on various topics that bylaws and ASIEs ideally should not conflict with: http://insideaml.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Handbooks1&Template=/Tagged
Page/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=13&ContentID=5338&CFID=601997&CFTOKEN=80270611

6. LSM bylaws: a. Website copy; b. primary copy in the Armadillo Literary Gazette, 2005, July pages 5-8 in PDF; http://www.lsm.us.mensa.org/pass/July05.pdf ;

7. LSM ASIEs. a Website copy b. primary copies on the LSM Website: http://www.lsm.us.mensa.org/pass/asie.htm

8. AML Minimum Bylaw Standard Requirements for Local Groups that must be follow in order for bylaws to be approved: a. Website copy. b. Primary copy at the NO: http://insideaml.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=MSB_Requirements&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=14997

9. AML Model Bylaws providing preapproved Local Group bylaws wording: a. Website copy. b. primary copy at the national office:
http://insideaml.us.mensa.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=MSB_Model_Bylaws&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=14999

10.AML Memo to local groups explaining latest Model Bylaws application: a. Website copy. b. primary copy at the NO, not available online.

11. ExComm informal guidance 2007 December 5:

a. We should try to complete our work so that the bylaws may be approved prior to the next LSM election cycle. This is a very optimistic goal since the bylaws must be reviewed at region level then by the national Bylaws Committee, then corrected, then vote on by our members, then approved by the Region Chair, by the Bylaws Committee, and by the AMC. Our last effort took two years.

b. To help the process along, we should pay close attention to the minimum standard bylaws (MSB) requirements and follow the model format. The AML Bylaws Committee members are familiar with that format and although they will approve any format that meets the minimum standard requirements, it takes then longer to sort through a strange format to be sure all the requirements are met.

c. The ExComm members have not excluded new approaches. To the contrary, our charter suggests that we consider ideas from the membership. One such idea the ExComm members discussed last night was the possibility of majority consensus voting on the ExComm rather than majority voting. (This is where over 50 percent must vote yes and no one vote no for an item to pass--everyone has a veto.) There was no opposition to it being considered.

d. We should simplify some of our processes. Roberts Rules are available in detailed form such as Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 10th ed., 2000, Da Capo Press, but also in the simpler form such as Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, In Brief, 2000, Da Capo Press, or maybe even Robert's Rules for Dummies. A simpler version might work well enough for all but the most difficult discussions. pps ppt

12. Papers on electronic voting.

a. Helen Siders, 2007 October 21, LSM Bylaws Proposed Modification

b. Steve Skelton, 2008 February 10, Electronic Voting

13. Draft ASIE2009-xx Elections Calendar

 

Updated: 2009 March 12 by Don Drumtra