By Laws

By-Laws of T.A.W.N.

revised per August, 2006 amendments

ARTICLE 1: MEMBERSHIP

1.01 The Membership of the Network shall be composed of all Members in good standing who have completed, signed, and submitted a Membership Application and have paid their current annual dues no less than 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting at which they desire to vote. A Membership term is from Fall Festival to Fall Festival. Resignation from TAWN Membership must be in writing, signed and delivered personally to any Board Member or by mail to TAWN’s Post Office box.

1.02 A Member “in good standing” is a Member against whom there is no pending action pursuant to Article 4. If any Member has a complaint or grievance against any other Member, the aggrieved Member shall first attempt to resolve the difficulty with the other Member, and if satisfaction cannot be so achieved, the aggrieved Member shall bring his or her complaint to the Board; and should the difficulty be unresolvable by the Board or their delegates, the Board will present the aggrieved Member’s complaint to the Membership at the earliest meeting consistent with Article 3.10.

1.03 The procedure for the expulsion of any Member from TAWN for cause shall, if Article 1.02 is not applicable, be the same as the removal protocol for Officers and Board Members, as described in Article 3.10. Expelled Members may not reapply.

1.04 Memberships are not transferrable; scholarships may be available at contributing Members’ discretion.

1.05 Annual Membership dues can be paid at any time and will be prorated from the immediately preceding Annual Meeting to the next Annual Meeting.

1.06 A quorum at any meeting shall consist of the voting Members present. Withdrawal of Members from any meeting shall not cause failure of a duly-constituted quorum at that meeting.

1.07 Proxies are not allowed; however, absentee voting may be arranged through a Board Member.

1.08 Membership is open to any person 18 years or older who completes, signs, and submits a current Membership Application, pays the annual Membership dues, affirms the purposes of the Network as spelled out in TAWN’s Articles of Incorporation (Article 2), and agrees to act in accordance with TAWN’s By-Laws and Code of Ethics (attached hereto for reference). A person 16 or 17 years of age, who meets all the other qualifications, may join TAWN as a teen Member, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of Membership. However, in addition to the Application for Membership, they will need to submit written permission from a parent or guardian which states that they may join TAWN and attend TAWN events, and that TAWN is absolved of any special responsibility based on their age. TAWN will verity, preferably in person or by telephone, that the purported signature is genuine.

2.01 Monthly meetings of the Membership shall be held as part of regularly scheduled Cauldronlucks.

2.02 Cauldronlucks shall be scheduled for the second Sunday of every month, time to be determined by a vote of the Membership, except that in the month of May, the Cauldronluck shall be held on the third Sunday.

2.03 As specified in the Articles of Incorporation, the Annual Meeting is held at noon on the Saturday nearest to the Autumn Equinox, as part of the Fall Festival.

3.01 Officers and Directors are expected to be familiar with a follow the “job descriptions” spelled out in the Membership and Volunteer Handbook; failure to observe those guidelines is a cause for removal from office.

3.02 The Coordinator and other Board Members shall be elected from a slate of candidates nominated at the July and/or August Cauldronlucks. The Officers and Directors of this Networking, including its Coordinator, are elected at the Annual Meeting held at the Fall Festival, and shall hold their unpaid positions for a term of one year or until their successors are elected; terms shall begin at the close of the Annual Meeting.

3.03 The Coordinator shall be elected specifically; other positions on the Board of Directors shall include a Secretary and a Treasurer, and shall be filled by the Board from among its elected Members.

3.04 Paper ballots shall be distributed to Members, collected and counted during the Annual Meeting, and the election results announced by the close of the Meeting, at which time the newly re/elected Coordinator and Board assume their offices.

3.05 Any TAWN-related documents or records in the possession of an outgoing Coordinator, Board Member, or other Volunteer, shall be turned over to a Member of the current Board at the Fall Festival, or otherwise prior to the October Cauldronluck.

3.06 The Board of Directors shall never be composed of more than seven members, or of less than three. Any vacancies occurring on the Board for any reason may be left unfilled unless the count of Board Members would thereby fall below three. Should the number of Board Members fall below three, the Coordinator and/or remaining Board Members shall select and appoint a third from volunteers among the Members, and this appointee will serve until the next Annual Meeting, at which time s/he may retire or choose to run again.

3.07 Should the Coordinator’s position become vacant during any given term, the remaining Members of the Board of Directors shall choose one of their number to fill the vacated position until the next Annual Meeting, at which time s/he may retire or choose to run again.

3.08 Candidates for the position of Board Member must have at least one year’s experience as active TAWN Members; candidates for the position of Coordinator must have a minimum of one year’s experience as a Member of the Board (and better it be if this experience is less than three years old) prior to being elected.

3.09 No one shall serve for more than four consecutive years, or for more than two consecutive years as Coordinator.

3.10 Any Board Member (including the Coordinator) may be removed from their position for cause, by a vote of 2/3 of the voting Members at any Cauldronluck meeting, providing that:

3.10(a) said Board Member is present, and/or has been notified of the pending action no fewer than 14 days prior to that meeting; and

3.10(b) said Board Member has the opportunity to rebut any assertions or accusations made against him/her in the same forum(s) in which they are made.

3.11 More than one absence from a Cauldronluck without prior notification to the Board, and/or good cause, or total of three absences in one term of office, shall constitute automatic resignation from the Board. Exceptions may be made with the assent of the Board and Membership.

3.12 Minimally, the Coordinator is the chief spokesperson for TAWN, and presides at Cauldronlucks, the Annual Meeting, and Board meetings; and the Coordinator is a signer on TAWN’s bank account.

3.13 Minimally, the Secretary is responsible to pick mail from TAWN’s Post Office box regularly, and to answer or forward said mail as s/he deems appropriate; to keep (file and/or archive accessibly) copies of all TAWN correspondence; and to keep the Minutes of the Board meetings.

3.14 Minimally, the Treasurer has full responsibility for TAWN’s finances, including the collection, recording, banking, expending, and reporting of TAWN’s income to the Board and Membership. The Treasurer is a co-signer on TAWN bank account and it is his/her responsibility to keep the bank’s records, including the signature card, up to date.

4.01 The Coordinator or his/her delegate may appoint committees and/or event organizers as necessary, from the Membership or by invitation of the Board, to implement the Network’s purposes and the Membership’s decisions. All appointed positions are unpaid; reimbursement may be made for actual expenses and for separately contracted professional services.

4.01(a) Receipts must be presented to the Treasurer when reimbursement of expenses is requested.

4.01(b) Separately contracted professional services will be paid or reimbursed by TAWN only if approved beforehand by the Board.

4.02 Committee Chairs, event Organizers, and other Appointees, including those listed in 4.03 below, are expected to be familiar with and follow the “job descriptions” spelled out in the Membership and Volunteer Handbook; failure to observe these guidelines is a cause for removal from an appointed position.

4.03 The following appointed positions shall be standing and filled by Volunteers from the Membership, any/all of whom will work in consultation with the Board of Directors:

4.03(a) A Scribe, who shall record the Minutes of the monthly Cauldronlucks and the annual meeting, and who shall provide, within 10 days of the meeting, finalized, proof-read copies of the Minutes to the newsletter Editor(s), the Webmaster/mistress, and the Historian.

4.03(b) An Open Ritual Director, who shall call for and coordinate volunteer leaders, from the Membership or by invitation of the Board, of TAWN-sponsored open Sabbats and Esbats, and keep a record of open rituals conducted, including copies of all required paperwork.

4.03(c) An Historian, who shall keep a permanent record of all meeting Minutes, publicity material, scrapbooks and other memorabilia, and all available documents and items pertaining to the history of TAWN.

4.03(d) A Webmaster/mistress, who shall be responsible for the publication, up-dating, link and banner maintenance (including exchanges and requests) and general maintenance of the site. (See Article 4.07.)

4.03(e) A Tapestry Editor(s) who shall be responsible for the appointment of his/her/their volunteer staff, and for the publication and primary mailing of TAWN’s newsletter, and for the contents and organization of any on-line edition. (See Article 4.04.)

4.03(f) A Public Education Chair, who shall be responsible for securing class locations and recruiting presenters, and scheduling classes that shall be open to the public, and for publicity for said classes.

4.03(g) A Moon School Director, who shall be responsible for developing, supervising, and facilitating the implementation of curricula; and recruiting and supervising the training and performance of Moon School teachers.

4.03(h) A Phone Line Manager, who shall be responsible for recording messages to the information line, which shall include the dates and times of up-coming Cauldronlucks, open rituals, and adult/public education classes, fund raisers, and such other TAWN events as s/he is given notice of by Members and are confirmed by the Board.

4.03(i) A Ramada Clean-up Manager, who shall be in charge of scheduling, supervising and conducting ramada clean-ups at least twice monthly. This involves a) obtaining cleaning supplies, paint, and tools as needed, and submitting receipts for any expenses/necessary reimbursements; b) scheduling and supervision of special ramada events such as repainting; and c) obtaining, completing, copying for TAWN and submitting to Tucson Clean and Beautiful the required forms and records.

4.04 The official newsletter of the Tucson Area Wiccan-Pagan Network shall be called “Tapestry.” Editorial policy shall be set by the Editor(s), in consultation with the Board; the Editor(s) shall enjoy significant discretion as to the content, format, length, and appearance of the newsletter, within the following parameters:

4.04(c) All submissions to the newsletter will be acknowledged (by e-mail, telephone, or in writing) within one week or receipt.

4.04(d) Authors/artists will be advised of any and all changes made to their submission; changes beyond basic grammar and spelling will be made only in consultation with the submitters.

4.04(e) “Problem” submissions will be remanded to the authors/artists, and/or, at the Editor(s)’ discretion, brought to the Board’s attention.

4.05 The newsletter Editor(s) shall be responsible for soliciting, collecting, verifying when possible, and the proofing and editing of information and articles for the newsletter, and for presenting them in a legible and consistent format; and for the maintenance and up-dating of a list of subscribers and the expiration dates of subscriptions.

4.06 “Tapestry” shall be funded from TAWN’s general revenue. The newsletter budget shall be set by the Board and confirmed by the Membership at a regular meeting.

4.06(a) Allocation of the budgeted funds are at the discretion of the Editor(s).

4.06(b) The Editor(s) shall be informed of any budgetary changes at least 45 days prior to the submission deadline of the first issue to be impacted by a Board decision.

4.06(c) “Tapestry” shall be a quarterly newsletter, issued at the September, December, March, and June Cauldronlucks, and mailed to subscribers not present at the Cauldronluck within two business days after the Cauldronluck.

4.06(d) Whether or not “contributor’s copies” will be given to non-subscribing contributors will be at the discretion of the Editor(s), in consideration of resources available.

4.07 The official address of TAWN’s website shall be www.TAWN.org. Editorial policy shall be set by the Webmaster/mistress in consultation with the Board; the Webmaster/mistress shall enjoy significant discretion as to the content, format, length and appearance of the website, within the following parameters:

4.07(c) All submissions to the site will be acknowledged (by e-mail, telephone, or in writing) within one week or receipt.

4.07(d) Authors/artists will be advised of any and all changes made to their submission; changes beyond basic grammar and spelling will be made only in consultation with the submitters.

4.07(e) “Problem” submissions will be remanded to the authors/artists, and/or, at the Editor(s)’ discretion, brought to the Board’s attention.

4.07(f) The Webmaster/mistress shall make up-dates within one week of being given material that needs preparation for inclusion on the website, and within 48 hours of receiving “insert-ready” files.

4.07(g)5 the full version of Minutes from the most recent Cauldronluck, as these become available from the Scribe

4.08 The Webmaster/mistress shall be responsible for soliciting, collecting, verifying when possible, and the proofing and editing of information and articles for the website, and for presenting them in a legible and consistent format.

4.09 The website shall be funded from TAWN’s general revenue. The budget shall be set by the Board and confirmed by the Membership at a regular meeting

4.10 The Webmaster/mistress shall bring to the attention of the Board, and the Membership if necessary, and difficulties s/he encounters with the site host or ISP, if said difficulties persist longer than 36 hours.

4.11 Any change of server or ISP may be made only with the Board’s approval and by a vote of a 2/3 majority of the Membership at a regular meeting if the problem has been persistent and/or the current hosts unresponsive.

5.01 All payments for TAWN-sponsored events shall me made to TAWN and received only by the Treasurer or his/her agent, who must be a TAWN Member in good standing.

5.02 An annual audit of TAWN’s financial records shall be conducted by a Volunteer (not the Treasurer) from the Membership.

5.03 The annual audit shall be started within a month of Fall Fest, and completed within the next 30 days; and the results reported to the Treasurer upon completion, and to the Membership as soon as possible, but no later than the December Cauldronluck.

5.04 In cooperation with the Treasurer, the Secretary of the Board shall be responsible for the provision of any tickets or vouchers required for any TAWN-sponsored event.

5.05 Tickets or vouchers for admission to or participation in TAWN-sponsored events may be sold or otherwise distributed by agents of TAWN, who are accountable to the Treasurer.

6.01 Proposed amendments to TAWN’s By-Laws may not contradict or conflict with TAWN’s Articles of Incorporation.

6.02 Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by any TAWN Member in good standing.

6.03 Amendments to the By-Laws may be effected by a 2/3 majority vote at any regular meeting that follows a meeting at which said amendment has been proposed and discussed.

6.04 For cause and at the discretion of the Board and/or Membership, any By-Law may be suspended in particular circumstances by a 2/3 majority of either or both bodies.

TAWN’s Code of Ethics (attached here for reference) is not a part of the By-Laws, but is binding on members pursuant to the Membership Application. The Code applies to behavior at any TAWN event, with any TAWN Member(s), and in all cases where a Member or Volunteer is doing TAWN’s work or representing TAWN in any way, officially or just because s/he’s known to be a TAWN Member.

1. No Member of TAWN will knowingly disrespect or misrepresent TAWN or any of its members. All Members will treat one another and their various Traditions and practices respectfully.

2. Members appearing at a TAWN function shall be clean and sober. During events and at rituals, attention will be focused on the Member or Guest who has the floor and/or is facilitating.

3. Civil and criminal laws will be obeyed at all TAWN events and in the performance of TAWN duties. Events sponsored by TAWN are alcohol-free, and clothing is required.

4. No Member of TAWN shall use his/her TAWN membership or personal association with TAWN to manipulate, coerce, or force anyone else’s beliefs, understandings, or behaviors.