Bylaws

ACTIVE DRAFT

Our intention now (2006-06-04) is to remove the process of ratifying standards to the TDWG Process (which will be proposed as a standard itself), and to limit the scope of the Bylaws to other procedural matters, including voting.

Voting rights are given to individual and institutional members. Each member is entitled to one vote within that category. Significant decisions about the organization (changing the constitution, dissolution) should require a majority (defined as >50%?) in each class of membership; i.e., a majority of indvidual members and majority of institutional members. Any voting procedure should afford all members sufficient opportunity to vote by an expedient manner, but should not unduely impede decision making.

A decision requiring a vote should be announced via the organizations normal communication medium, and open for a minimum of 90 days. An individual's vote should never be made public, but mechanism should guarantee that only entitled members can vote and vote only once.

Voting Procedures

Previously, voting procedures were addressed in:

Article 3. Membership

"Members in good standing are entitled [...] to participate in all votes. "

"*voting* rights, are suspended if the membership fee is two years in arrears."

Article 4. Meeting

Each member, whether institutional or individual, shall normally be entitled to a single vote on each motion. Individuals attending the meeting and voting by combination of multiple membership, or as a delegate for another voting member, are limited to three votes on each motion. Institutional members shall be represented by a member of staff or other delegate designated in writing. Prior to the opening of the meeting institutions and projects must notify the Secretary as to whom will be representing their organizations during votes.

Article 6. Officers

"Secretary [...] organizes votes."

Article 8. Amendments

This constitution may only be altered by a two-thirds majority of the membership voting by postal vote. [...] In order to be acted upon in either case, the text of the proposed alteration, and ballots for those members entitled to vote, must be dispatched to the membership at least sixty days before the annual meeting. Ballots must be returned by members to the Secretary prior to the tally of the vote at the annual meeting.

By-laws may be adopted, altered, or repealed by a majority of the membership voting by postal vote, upon written proposal by the Executive committee dispatched to the membership at least sixty days before the voting deadline.

For the purpose of this Article, the words "postal *vote*" may also mean a vote by electronic means (the concrete procedure to be specified beforehand by the executive committee).

Article 9. Dissolution

Dissolution of TDWG can only be enacted by a two-thirds majority of the members voting at a meeting, summoned for that specific purpose by the Executive Committee at least 180 days in advance, and by a two-thirds majority of institutional members voting at that same meeting.

BY-LAWS

"The annual meeting may then recommend the standard for adoption, whereupon the standard will be submitted to the membership for ratification by postal vote. A two-thirds majority of voting members and a two-thirds majority of voting institutional members is required to ratify the standard."

Each member, whether institutional or individual, shall be entitled to a single vote on any motion.

-- StanleyBlum - 04 Jun 2006