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MOQBA Bylaws

Article I — Name

The name of the organization shall be “Missouri Quizbowl Alliance”, officially abbreviated “MOQBA”.

Article II — Purpose

The Missouri Quizbowl Alliance promotes greater participation in high-quality quizbowl activities throughout Missouri. The organization shall incorporate under Missouri statutes for not-for-profit corporations. Specific objectives of the organization include:

  1. Organizing and directing quizbowl tournaments.
  2. Establishing quality standards for quizbowl tournaments and promoting tournaments that align with the established standards.
  3. Providing relevant resources and advice to coaches and participants.
  4. Recognizing students who demonstrate excellence in competition or other contributions to quizbowl.

Article III — Membership

Section 1. Individual Membership Criteria

Individuals are eligible for membership in the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance if they meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Members shall be at least eighteen years of age.
  2. Members shall have completed their secondary education such that they are no longer eligible to compete in high school quizbowl tournaments.
  3. At the time membership is granted, a member shall reside within the state of Missouri or within reasonable proximity of the state border such that he or she may be actively involved in the corporation’s activities conducted within the state. Once granted membership, a member shall remain eligible, regardless of residence, if he or she maintains sufficient involvement in the activities of the organization as determined by the membership.
  4. Members shall demonstrate consistent support for high-quality quizbowl and the desire and ability to constructively contribute to the corporation’s activities.

Section 2. Membership Classes

  1. The corporation shall have two classes of members: active and inactive.
  2. Each active member shall be entitled to one vote in all matters decided by a membership vote. Inactive members are ineligible to vote and do not count toward quorum requirements.
  3. An active member becomes inactive by delivering written notice to the Secretary with a justification for inactivity and the length of the expected inactivity not to exceed twelve months.
  4. An inactive member may become active at any time by delivering written notice to the Secretary with a justification for returning to active member status.
  5. Upon expiration of an inactivity period, an inactive member shall have thirty days to submit notice to become active or to request an additional inactivity period not to exceed twelve months. If no action is taken within this thirty day period, the member shall be considered to have voluntarily resigned his or her membership in the organization.
  6. Requests to renew a member’s inactive status shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Admission of Members

  1. At least once per operating year, the Secretary shall call for members to nominate candidates for new membership. The Secretary shall specify a period of no less than three days and no more than seven days for nominations and discussion.
  2. Any active member may move to open an additional nomination period at any time, which must be seconded and thirded by other active members.
  3. Eligible individuals may be nominated for membership by any current active member. Nominations must be seconded by another active member.
  4. Following the nomination and discussion period, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email a new member ballot consisting of the names of all seconded candidates eligible for a vote. Members shall have until 11:59 PM Central Time on the seventh day following the send date to cast a “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” vote for each individual.
  5. Following the voting period, nominees receiving “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” votes from more than half of the active membership and more “Yes” votes than “No” votes shall be offered membership. Nominees failing to meet these thresholds will not become members, but will remain eligible for nomination in the future.
  6. The President, or another member designated by the President, shall extend invitations for membership to each nominee approved by the current membership.

Section 4. Membership Dues

No dues shall be charged for membership.

Section 5. Membership Records

  1. The corporation shall maintain a list containing the name, physical address, and email address of each current member. The list shall contain a record of the dates each person was granted membership and any dates the member was considered inactive.
  2. The corporation shall maintain a list of former members containing the dates membership was granted, terminated, and any dates the member’s active status changed.

Section 6. Termination of Membership

A person’s membership shall terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

  1. The member delivers a written notice of resignation to the President or Secretary.
  2. The member was considered active during an operating year in which he or she either did not participate in any activities conducted by the corporation or did not serve on the staff of any quizbowl tournament meeting the organization’s quality standards, unless he or she resumes sufficient participation or begins an inactive status period within the following thirty day period.
  3. The member is removed by a vote of the membership as prescribed in Section 8 of this article.
  4. The Board of Directors unanimously determines that the member has engaged in conduct severely detrimental to the purpose or reputation of the corporation.

Section 7. Demonstration of Cause for Member Removal

If a motion to terminate a person’s membership is initiated by the membership or the Board of Directors:

  1. The member shall be notified no less than fifteen days before the proposed effective date of termination.
  2. Members proposing the termination must show cause justifying the motion for removal.
  3. The corporation shall provide the member an opportunity to provide testimony to challenge the proposed removal, orally or in writing, no less than five days before the effective date of termination.

Section 8. Removal of Members by Vote

  1. Any active member may move for the removal of another member by notifying the President or Secretary.
  2. The proposed termination shall be presided over by the Secretary, unless the Secretary is the subject of the proposed member removal, in which case the President shall preside.
  3. The presiding officer shall notify the active membership of a motion for removal and provide a period of no less than seven days for discussion. The member proposed for removal shall be provided notice and an opportunity to be heard during this period as prescribed in Section 7.
  4. Following the discussion period, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email a member removal ballot consisting of the names of all individuals proposed for removal. Members shall have until 11:59 PM Central Time on the seventh day following the send date to cast a “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” vote for each individual’s removal.
  5. Following the voting period, if a member receives “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” votes from more than half of the active membership and at least twice as many “Yes” votes than “No” votes, and the member has been given the necessary notice and opportunity to be heard, that person’s membership shall be terminated.

Article IV — Board of Directors

Section 1. Composition

  1. The officers of the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance shall be the President, Secretary, and Director of Outreach, which shall constitute the Board of Directors.
  2. Any active member may be elected to the Board of Directors.
  3. No person may concurrently hold more than one office.

Section 2. Term of Office

  1. Officers shall be elected to serve a term of four years, unless a shorter term is specified at the time a vote is conducted. Terms shall end on the final day of the operating year.
  2. An officer may be re-elected to the same position an unlimited number of times.
  3. A term may end before the designated end date upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
    1. The officer’s membership in the corporation is terminated per the provisions in Article III.
    2. The officer becomes an inactive member per the provisions in Article III.
    3. The officer delivers a written notice of resignation to the President or Secretary.
    4. The officer is removed by a vote of the membership as prescribed in Section 4 of this article.

Section 3. Election

  1. The secretary shall call for members to nominate candidates for officer positions in either of the following circumstances:
    1. No later than thirty days before either an officer’s term expires or the effective date of an announced vacancy.
    2. No later than seven days after an office is vacated or the announcement of an effective date of vacancy made less than thirty days in advance.
  2. The secretary shall specify a period of no less than three days and no more than seven days for nominations and discussion.
  3. Any active member may be nominated for any office by another active member and seconded by a third active member.
  4. Following the nomination and discussion period, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email an officer election ballot consisting of the officer positions being filled and the candidates for those positions. Members shall have until 11:59 PM Central Time on the seventh day following the send date to cast a vote, for each position, naming one candidate or registering an “Abstain” vote for that position.
  5. Following the voting period, if a candidate receives more than half of non-”Abstain” votes, that candidate shall be elected. If no candidates receive more than half of the votes for an office, a second election shall occur between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the first election.

Section 4. Removal by Member Vote

  1. Any active member may move to remove an officer from the Board of Directors by notifying the President or Secretary. The motion must be seconded by another active member.
  2. The proposed removal shall be presided over by the Secretary, unless the Secretary is the subject of the proposed removal, in which case the President shall preside.
  3. Once a proposed removal is seconded, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email a notice that an officer removal vote is scheduled to begin no less than ten days following the send date of the email. Members, including the officer proposed for removal, shall discuss the proposed removal during this period.
  4. Following the discussion period, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email an officer removal ballot consisting of the names of the officers proposed for removal. Members shall have until 11:59 PM Central Time on the seventh day following the send date to cast as “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” vote for each individual’s removal.
  5. Following the voting period, if an officer receives at least twice as many “Yes” votes than “No” votes, that officer shall immediately be removed from office.

Section 5. Duties of President

The President shall:

  1. supervise the conduct of business of the corporation.
  2. preside at the meetings of the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance.
  3. serve as the organization’s official liaison with other quizbowl organizations such as the Missouri State High School Activities Association and the Missouri Academic Coaches Association.
  4. preside over voting proceedings as prescribed by these bylaws or when the Secretary is unable to do so.

Section 6. Duties of Secretary

The Secretary shall:

  1. maintain copies of corporate documents as required by law, including:
    1. articles of incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect.
    2. bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect.
    3. the minutes of all meetings of members and records of all actions approved by the members for the past three years.
    4. a list of the names and current addresses of the current Board of Directors.
    5. the list of the names and current addresses of current members, and the list of former members.
    6. the most recent corporate registration report delivered to the secretary of state.
  2. maintain the corporation’s financial accounts, including:
    1. accurate financial records of all income and expenses.
    2. paying authorized expenses in a prompt manner.
    3. delivering invoices in a prompt manner for tournament entry fees and other services rendered directly by the corporation.
    4. providing the membership with an annual report on the financial condition of the corporation.
  3. preside over voting proceedings, except where otherwise specified by the bylaws.
  4. see that all notices are duly given in accordance with these bylaws or as required by law.

Section 7. Duties of Director of Outreach

The Director of Outreach shall coordinate the corporation’s activities related to encouraging increased participation in high-quality quizbowl, such as:

  1. identifying schools that have limited participation in high-quality quizbowl events.
  2. developing activities for the organization to pursue to encourage greater participation in high-quality quizbowl events.
  3. identifying potential hosts for events supported by the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance.
  4. advising hosts of supported events on best practices for successful quizbowl events.

Article V — Meetings

Section 1. Annual Meeting

  1. The corporation shall hold an annual meeting of all active members between July 1 and August 31.
  2. The Board of Directors shall announce the time and location of the annual meeting to the active membership no less than thirty days and no more than sixty days prior to the meeting.

Section 2. Special Meetings

  1. The corporation shall hold a special meeting of members in any of the following cases:
    1. The meeting is called by the Board of Directors
    2. At least five percent of active members deliver written notice to the Board of Directors calling for a meeting and describing the purposes for the meeting.
  2. The Board of Directors shall announce the time and location of the special meeting to the active membership no less than ten days and no more than sixty days prior to the meeting.

Section 3. Quorum and Voting

Unless otherwise specified by the bylaws:

  1. At least one-third of the active membership shall constitute a quorum for any votes conducted at a meeting of members.
  2. A motion voted on by active members present at a meeting passes if it receives more “Yes” votes than “No” votes.

Article VI — Committees

Section 1. Designation and Purpose

The Board of Directors may designate regular or special committees to coordinate specific functions or projects of the corporation.

Section 2. Membership

  1. The chairperson and membership of each committee shall be designated by the Board of Directors.
  2. Each committee shall have a minimum of three members.
  3. Each committee shall have at least one member from the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Meetings and Actions of Committees

  1. Meetings of a committee may be called by its chairperson with at least five days notice to all committee members.
  2. Meetings shall be open to all active members of the corporation regardless of membership in the committee.
  3. More than half of a committee’s members must be present at any meeting.
  4. Each member of the committee is entitled to one vote on matters voted on by the committee. A motion voted on by committee members passes if more than half of the committee membership registers a “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” vote and the motion receives more “Yes” votes than “No” votes. For votes conducted at a meeting, voting members present at the meeting who do not register a vote for a particular motion will be considered to have voted “Abstain”.
  5. All committees shall provide the Board of Directors minutes of all meetings and a summary of all actions taken by the committee within fifteen days of each meeting or action. The committee or Board of Directors shall make these reports available to the membership of the entire corporation.
  6. Committee business may be conducted without a formal meeting by email or other communication methods approved by the Board of Directors.

Article VII — Finances

Section 1. Operating Year

The operating and fiscal year of the corporation shall be August 1 to July 31.

Section 2. Expenses

  1. All expenses and reimbursements paid by the corporation shall be authorized by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
  2. The Board of Directors may authorize specific expenditures or a general budget for expenses for a particular activity.
  3. Members incurring expenses on behalf of the corporation shall not exceed any authorized dollar amount or use funds for any unauthorized purpose.

Section 3. Deposits

All funds of the corporation shall be deposited in a corporate bank account or accounts designated by the Board of Directors.

Article VIII — Amendments to Bylaws

Section 1. Proposal

An amendment to these bylaws may be proposed by any active member. A proposed amendment shall be delivered to the Secretary typewritten with all deletions in brackets and all additions in italics.

Section 2. Voting Procedure

  1. Upon receipt of a proposed amendment, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email a notice of the proposed amendment with the text of the proposed changes. A seven day period of discussion shall follow.
  2. Following the discussion period, the Secretary shall deliver to all active members via email a bylaw amendment ballot consisting of all amendments under consideration. Members shall have until 11:59 PM Central Time on the seventh day following the send date to cast as “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” vote for each proposed amendment.
  3. Following the voting period, if an amendment receives receives “Yes”, “No”, or “Abstain” votes from more than half of the active membership and at least twice as many “Yes” votes than “No” votes, that amendment shall be adopted.

Adopted August 23, 2016