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ACBL UNIT 128 BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
Organization Name and Description
Section 1. The name of this organization is the Florida Unit of the American
Contract Bridge League, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the UNIT.
Section 2. The American Contract Bridge League is hereinafter referred
to as the ACBL.
Section 3. The UNIT is organized as a not for profit corporation under
the laws of the State of Florida and has such powers and obligations as provided in the laws of the State
of Florida for non-profit corporations.
Section 4. The UNIT:
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(a) Is a subsidiary of the ACBL;
(b) Is subject to regulation by District 9 of the ACBL, hereafter referred
to as the DISTRICT;
(c) Recognizes the ACBL as the parent organization, having authority and
control over Tournament Bridge.
(d) Exists under the sanction of the ACBL, functions within the jurisdiction
of the ACBL, and complies with the bylaws and regulations of the ACBL.
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Section 5. The UNIT is a member unit of, and is subject to regulation by,
District 9 of the ACBL, hereinafter referred to as the DISTRICT.
ARTICLE II
Objectives of the Organization
Section 1. The general objectives of this organization are:
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(a) To preserve and promote the best interests of the tournament form of
the game of Contract Bridge or any modifications that may be developed
in the future;
(b) To exercise all legal powers and to perform all duties of a Florida
Corporation in pursuit of the forgoing or related powers and duties.
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Section 2. Specific powers and duties of the UNIT are:
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(a) To cooperate with and assist the ACBL and the DISTRICT in the promotion
and conduct of Duplicate Contract Bridge Tournaments conducted by the ACBL
or the DISTRICT within the geographical boundaries of the UNIT;
(b) To conduct Duplicate Contract Bridge Tournaments under its own auspices;
(c) To prescribe rules of eligibility for participation in tournaments
under its own auspices or those of affiliate clubs.
(d) To act as the governing authority of the ACBL and to schedule and supervise
Duplicate Contract Bridge Tournaments conducted by clubs running games
sanctioned by the ACBL within the geographical boundaries of the UNIT:
(e) To process reports of dishonest, unethical, or improper conduct by
participants in sanctioned games, UNIT events, or tournaments under its
jurisdiction, and to discipline members of the UNIT guilty of such conduct
in a manner fully consistent with the ACBL Disciplinary Regulations.
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ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. A member of the UNIT is a member of the ACBL, residing in the
jurisdiction of the UNIT, until changed.
Section 2. Membership dues shall be the sum designated by the ACBL and
payable as provided in its regulations. The UNIT may assess additional
fees as necessary.
Section 3. A member shall be considered to be in good standing if required
dues for the current year are paid and the member is not under suspension
by either the ACBL or the UNIT.
Section 4. A member of the UNIT may be censured, suspended, or expelled
only in accordance with the ACBL Code of Disciplinary Regulations.
ARTICLE IV
Administration of Organization Affairs
Section 1. All affairs of the UNIT shall be controlled by the Board of
Governors. ACBL regulations shall be deemed regulations of the UNIT.
Section 2. The business affairs of the UNIT shall be administered by the
Executive Manager in compliance with these Bylaws and the directives of
the Board of Governors.
Section 3. The geographical territory of the UNIT is divided into AREAS
to provide proportionate representation of the membership on the Board
of Governors. These AREAS and the number of Board members elected from each AREA are:
Area 1. (two members)
| Commonwealth of Puerto Rico |
| Territory of the Virgin Islands |
| Miami-Dade County |
| Monroe County |
Area 2 . (two members)
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Glades County
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Highlands County
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Martin County
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Okeechobee County
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Palm Beach County
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St. Lucie County
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Area 3. (two members)
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Alachua County
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Baker County
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Bradford County
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Clay County
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Columbia County
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Dixie County
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Duval County
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Flagler County
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Gilchrist County
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Hamilton County
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Lafayette County
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Lake County
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Levy County
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Madison County
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Marion County
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Nassau County
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Putnam County
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St. Johns County
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Suwannee County
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Taylor County
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Union County
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Volusia County
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Area 4. (two members)
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Citrus County
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Hernando County
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Hillsborough County
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Pasco County
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Polk County
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Sumter County
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Area 5. (two members)
Area 6. (one member)
Manatee County (except those zip codes within Unit 102) and Sarasota County (except those zip codes within Unit 102).
Area 7. (two members)
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Charlotte County
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Collier County
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DeSoto County
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Hardee County
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Hendry County
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Lee County
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Section 4. A candidate for election to the Board of Governors must be a
resident of the AREA for which representation is sought at the time the
candidate is placed on the ballot. A subsequent move from that
AREA shall not invalidate the candidacy nor deprive an elected Board member
of completing the term.
Section 5. The Board of Governors may periodically review the division
of the UNIT into AREAS and the number of Board Members elected from each
AREA in order to maintain approximately equal proportionate representation
and shall propose Amendments hereto as necessary for this purpose.
Article V
Board of Governors
Section 1. The UNIT Board of Governors shall consist of:
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(a) Voting members, who shall be members of the UNIT, elected by the membership
in accordance with the procedures described in ARTICLE XI; and
(b) Non-voting members, designated by these Bylaws or appointed by the
President with the approval of the board. Non-voting members shall have
all privileges of voting members of the Board, except to initiate, second,
or vote on motions before the Board.
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Section 2. The voting members of the Board shall:
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(a) Elect the UNIT officers, and have the power to remove those officers,
and to remove the appointed non-voting members as described in ARTICLE VI of these Bylaws;
(b) Hire employees, or independent contractors, define their duties and
authority, and oversee their performance;
(c) Determine and implement the UNIT's policies;
(d) Approve the dates, locations, and management of all Tournaments conducted
and promoted by the UNIT;
(e) Conduct its meetings in accordance with ARTICLE IX and ARTICLE X;
(f) Initiate amendments to these Bylaws in accordance with ARTICLE XII;
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Section 3. Elections for the Board of Governors shall be held biennially,
in even numbered years, commencing in the year 2006, at the last Regional UNIT tournament of that calendar year, and be supervised
by an Elections Committee, in accordance with the provisions of ARTICLE
XI.
Section 4. The term of each member duly elected shall be four years. At
least one member of each AREA shall be elected at each biennial election,
except Area 6, whose representative shall be elected in the non-Leap year,
e.g.2006, 2010, etc)..
Section 5. In the event of a vacancy on the Board of Governors, the Board
shall elect a successor from the membership of the AREA of the UNIT from
which the vacancy arose for the remainder of the term.
Section 6. A Member of the Board of Governors may be removed from office
by two-thirds of the members of the Board in attendance at a regular or
special meeting, if it is determined that said member has:
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(a) Failed to maintain membership in the UNIT;
(b) Been absent from two consecutive Board meetings without good and sufficient
reason,
(c) Engaged in conduct inimical to the best interest of the UNIT, DISTRICT,
or Tournament Bridge.
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Section 7. The Board of Governors shall meet on the last day of the tournament,
at which the election for board members has been held or on any day during
the tournament if no election is contested. The Board will receive and
certify the election results reported by the Elections Committee, report
the results to the ACBL, and cause the results to be published. The Board
will then seat the newly elected members. Upon attaining a quorum, the
new Board shall elect officers for the following two years.
Section 8. The Board of Governors shall elect UNIT officers from among
its own members. The UNIT may have a President, a Vice-President, a Recording
Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary and a Treasurer.
Section 9. Elected and appointed Board members shall be reimbursed for
per diem expenses and transportation expenses for those meetings that they
attend at rates determined from time to time by the Board. Except for expense
reimbursement, Board members will receive no remuneration. They may
however, hold an office or position as employee or independent contractor
which receives compensation.
ARTICLE VI
Organization Officers
Section 1. The President shall:
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(a) Preside at all meetings of the UNIT Board of Governors and the annual
meeting of the UNIT membership;
(b) Appoint all committees and, except when these Bylaws specify otherwise,
serve on them as an ex-officio member;
(c) Appoint, from members of the Board, or the immediate past Board President,
the UNIT Representatives to the DISTRICT Board of Directors;
(d) Exercise general supervision over the activities of the UNIT and perform
other duties that are prescribed by the Board of Governors or are incidental
to this office;
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The President may not hold the office for more than two terms consecutively (except in the case of completing the unexpired term of an
officer that has resigned or is no longer in office). The President will
receive reimbursement of expenses related to the performance of the duties
of the office, which includes tournament expense reimbursement, but shall
receive no salary for this office.
Section 2, The Vice-President shall:
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(a) In the absence or incapacity of the President, assume the President's
duties;
(b) Perform other duties that the President or Board of Governors may assign.
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The Vice-President will receive reimbursement of expenses related to the
performance of the duties of the office, but shall receive no salary
for this office.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall:
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(a) Attend all regular and special meetings of the Membership and Board
of Governors and record and keep the minutes of those meetings;
(b) Keep copies of all contracts to which the UNIT is a party;
(c) Receive and file the reports of all officers and Committees;
(d) Maintain a roster of UNIT members and keep records of all tournaments
and other UNIT activities;
(e) Perform other duties that are prescribed by the Board of Governors
or are incidental to this office.
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The Recording Secretary will receive reimbursement of expenses related
to the performance of the duties of the office, which includes tournament
expense reimbursement, and may also receive a salary for these duties as
determined by the Board of Governors.
Section 4. The Corresponding Secretary shall:
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(a) Attend all regular and special meetings of the Membership and Board
of Governors:
(b) Send meeting notices to the members of the Board of Governors and effect
the publication of notices of the Membership;
(c) Handle all official and such other correspondence as may be required
by the President, the Board of Governors, or the Executive Manager;
(d) Complete and file all UNIT reports that the ACBL requires;
(e) Perform other duties that are prescribed by the Board of Governors
or are incidental to this office.
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The Secretary will receive reimbursement of expenses related to the performance
of the duties of the office, and may also receive a salary for these duties
as determined by the Board of Governors.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall have the care, custody of, and responsibility
for all funds and securities and all property of the UNIT, and shall deposit
the funds in such bank as may be approved by the Board of Governors. The
Treasurer shall:
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(a)Keep accurate books of account of all receipts and disbursements:
(b) Attend all regular and special meetings of the Membership and Board
of Governors;
(c) Submit a financial report at the regular meetings of the Board of Governors
and such other times as may be required by the President or the Board of
Governors;
(d) Perform all such legal and other duties as may be incidental to the
office:
(e) Obtain and submit a professional review of the UNIT’s financial records;
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The Treasurer will receive reimbursement of expenses related to the performance
of the duties of the office, and may also receive a salary for these duties
as determined by the Board of Governors. The Treasurer may hire a controller and/or other staff to assist him/her with the approval of
the majority of the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE VII
Employees and Independent Contractors
Section 1. The Executive Manager shall be an ex-officio member of the Board
of Governors and shall:
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(a) Be the business manager of the UNIT, administering the affairs of the
UNIT in compliance with procedures established by the Board of Governors;
(b) Attend the annual Membership meeting and all meetings of the UNIT Board
of Governors;
(c) Be responsible for tournament supplies and equipment of the UNIT.
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The Executive Manager will receive reimbursement of expenses related to
the performance of duties, and may also receive a salary and benefits for these duties as determined by the Board of Governors.
Section 2. The Publications Coordinator shall, in compliance with specifications
set forth by the Board of Governors:
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(a) Edit the UNIT's part of the DISTRICT publication, and/or the UNIT’s publication,
which shall include tournament results, review of UNIT meetings, local
news, and such other material as may be appropriate.
(b) Assist with the printing and distribution of the DISTRICT publication
and/or the UNIT publication.
(c) Receive a salary for these duties as determined by the Board of Governors.
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Section 3. The UNIT Legal Counsel shall be an ex-officio member of the
Board of Governors and shall:
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(a) Attend all meetings of the Board of Governors.
(b) Be a member of the Florida Bar ;
(c) Advise the Board of Governors with regard to the legal aspects of matters
under consideration by the Board..
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The UNIT legal counsel will receive reimbursement of expenses related to
the performance of duties prescribed by the Board or President, and may
also receive a salary for these duties as determined by the Board of Governors.
The rate of pay shall be established annually by the Board and Legal Counsel.
ARTICLE VIII
Committees
Section 1. There are two categories of UNIT Committees:
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(a) Standing committees defined by these Bylaws;
(b) Temporary (or ad hoc) committees, created by the President or Board
to address specific matters.
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Section 2, The membership of each committee includes any ex-officio members
specified by these Bylaws and other UNIT members as appointed by the President.
Section 3. The budget for each committee is determined by the UNIT Board
of Governors.
Section 4. The internal rules of procedure of any committee are determined
by the chair of the committee in accordance with directives of the Board
of Governors.
Section 5. The Executive Committee shall consist of the UNIT Officers and
the immediate past president. This Committee shall advise the President
on matters of immediate urgency, and shall act for the Board when an emergency
meeting of the Board is not practical. The President is the Chair of the
Executive Committee.
Section 6. The Education Committee promotes the development and education
of bridge within the UNIT and works in cooperation with the DISTRICT education
liaison and novice coordinator.
Section 7. The Membership Committee is to increase membership by seeking
new members and encouraging present or former members to renew or reinstate
their memberships.
Section 8. The Election Committee shall be comprised of at least three
and no more than seven members appointed by the President (with the approval of the board),
a majority of whom are members of the Board of Governors not then running
for re-election, and the remainder of whom are from the general membership
of the UNIT. The President is not a member of this Committee. The Committee
shall be constituted so that no two members are from one AREA of the UNIT.
The functions of the Committee shall be:
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(a) To seek candidates for the Board of Governors in the absence of any
applications for an AREA;
(b) To certify candidates for the ballot,
(c) To conduct and supervise all aspects of the elections as described
in Article XI of these Bylaws.
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ARTICLE IX
Quorum and Rules of Order
Section 1 Fifty percent of the elected (voting) membership of the Board of Governors shall constitute a quorum for that
body. Thirty regular members in good standing shall constitute a quorum
for the annual Membership Meeting or for special Membership Meetings.
Section 2. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall be accepted as the governing
authority for this organization in all matters not specifically covered
by the Bylaws or by Standing Rules adopted by the Board of Governors.
ARTICLE X
Meetings
Section 1. The annual membership Meeting of the UNIT shall be held during
the last Regional Tournament within the geographical boundaries of the
UNIT each year, the time and place to be specified by the President of
the UNIT, with the approval of the board, and publicized in the official
UNIT publication or within the UNIT pages of the DISTRICT publication,
and at the tournament site. The published time or place of the meeting
may be modified by the President with the approval of the board. The meeting
shall be chaired by the President of the UNIT or designated representative.
Section 2. A special UNIT Membership Meeting may be called by a petition
signed by at least 50 members from each of at least 5 AREAS, or by a majority
vote of the UNIT Board of Governors, or by the President with the approval
of a majority of the Executive Committee. Notice of the time and place
of any special Membership Meeting shall be given by mail or by publication
at least thirty (30) days before such meeting and shall include the agenda
of matters to be taken up at such meeting. Only items included in the published
agenda may be acted upon at a special Membership Meeting. Special Membership
Meetings may include bylaws amendments as long as the provisions of Article XII, Section 2 are met.
Section 3. Thirty (30)regular members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for any Membership
Meeting.
Section 4. The Board of Governors shall hold its annual meeting during
the last Regional Tournament within the geographical boundaries of the
UNIT each year. Additional meetings of the Board of Governors may be held
at the discretion of the President.
ARTICLE XI
Election Procedures
Section 1. Elections for the Board of Governors shall be held in even numbered
years beginning in the year 2002. The term of each member duly elected
shall be four years.
Section 2. Only members of the UNIT may run for the Board of Governors.
Each Member of the UNIT desiring to be a candidate for the Board of Governors
of the UNIT shall file a written declaration of candidacy with the Recording
Secretary of the UNIT on or before May 20 preceding each election hereafter.
The declaration must contain the candidate's name, address, and AREA within
the UNIT and an expressed desire to become a member of the Board to represent
that AREA. A candidate must be a resident of the AREA for which representation
is sought at the time of application. A subsequent move from the AREA shall
not invalidate the candidacy nor deprive the elected Board member of the
privilege of serving the remainder of his or her term, unless so voted
by the Board of Governors.
Section 3. If more candidates apply for a position on the Board of Governors
than there are available positions in that AREA, all applications shall
be referred to the Election Committee to reduce the number of candidates
to two candidates per AREA.
Section 4. Any candidate who runs unopposed shall be automatically elected.
Section 5. The biennial election of members of the Board of Governors shall
be held during the last UNIT sponsored Regional tournament of the year.
Section 6. The election shall be by written ballot. Only members of the
UNIT in good standing may vote.
(a) Rules for Voting:
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1. A voting booth manned by employees and/or volunteers shall be open from thirty minutes before game time until game time in
the first session of major events and from thirty minutes before game time
until game time in the second session of major events during four consecutive
days ending on the next to the last day of the tournament. Measures shall
be instituted to assure that only members of the UNIT vote and that only
ballots of members of the UNIT are counted. All ballots shall be deposited
in the ballot box which shall remain intact until the voting has been completed,
at which time three members of the election committee (and a representative
of any candidate running for election may witness the counting of the ballots)
shall total the ballots, reporting the results to the Recording Secretary
of the UNIT. The Recording Secretary will then post the results in the
playing areas of the tournament and publish them promptly in the official
UNIT publication or in the UNIT pages of the DISTRICT publication, and
on the UNIT web site.
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(b) Rules for Absentee Voting
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1. Members in good standing may vote by absentee ballot.
2. Official absentee ballots shall not be printed in the official publication
in the September issue preceding the election, but a slate of candidates
with a statement from each candidate, limited in size, shall be published
in that issue. Official absentee ballots shall, upon receipt of a written request be
mailed to members who live in the UNIT but do not plan to attend the fall
elections.. Every member may receive an absentee ballot for personal use
by written, request from the Corresponding Secretary of the UNIT. Absentee
balloting shall be by official ballot only. No duplicates shall be accepted.
3. Each ballot must be returned to an address specified by the Election
Committee, which may include a UNIT post office box, which shall be designated
in the official publication, and must be received by the UNIT at that address
only at least 14 days before the beginning of the tournament during which
the elections are conducted.
4. Each absentee ballot must be sealed inside an envelope. This envelope
must be placed inside another envelope that must contain, hand printed,
the member's name, address and ACBL membership number. Additionally, each
member voting by absentee ballot must affix his or her signature across
the flap of the outer envelope after sealing the envelope.
5. Any ballots received that are not in strict compliance with these regulations
will not be counted and will be destroyed.
6. The Corresponding Secretary of the UNIT or designated agent will secure
the ballots until delivering them, in person, to the Election Committee
for tallying all ballots at the conclusion of the election period.
7. The UNIT is not responsible for delays in the mail. Any ballots not
received in compliance with the deadlines will not be considered. No ballot
will be returned to any member in any instance.
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ARTICLE XII
Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by either the membership
or the Board of Governors.
Section 2. The membership may propose amendments by a petition signed by
not less than 10% of the members in good standing.
Section 3. The Board of Governors may propose amendments at any regular
or special meeting of the Board of Governors, provided that notice in writing
has been given at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting announcing
the intention to propose amendments to the Bylaws. The concurrence of two-thirds
of all Board members present and voting shall be required to propose an
amendment.
Section 4. Proposed amendments shall be published in the pages of the official UNIT and/or DISTRICT publication at least 30 days prior to their
consideration by the membership.
Section 5. Proposed amendments may be considered by the membership at the
annual Membership Meeting, or at a special membership meeting called by
the President, with the approval of the board.
Section 6. A majority of the membership quorum shall be required to approve
a proposed amendment. In the absence of a quorum of the membership, the
Board of Governors shall be empowered to approve proposed amendments by
two-thirds vote at the next regular or special meeting.
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