Here are the Bylaws of the League of Women Voters of Vermont. This current version was last voted in June 2023.
ARTICLE I
Name
Sec. 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be League of Women Voters of Vermont, hereinafter referred to in these bylaws as LWVVT. The LWVVT is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of the United States, hereinafter referred to in these bylaws as LWVUS.
ARTICLE II
Purposes and Policies
Sec. 1. Purposes. The purposes of the LWVVT are to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government and to act on selected governmental issues.
Sec. 2. Political Policy. The LWVVT shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.
Sec. 3. Diversity Equity & Inclusion Policy. The LWVVT is fully committed to ensure compliance—in principle and in practice—with the LWVUS’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Sec. 1. Eligibility. Any person who subscribes to the purposes and policy of the LWVVT shall be eligible for membership.
Sec. 2. Types of Membership
a. Voting members. Citizens at least 16 years of age who join the League shall be voting members of a local League (if any), LWVVT and LWVUS; (1) those who live within an area of a local League may join that League or any other local League; (2) those who reside outside the area of any local League may join a local League or shall be state members-at-large; (3) a Vermont resident group who joins an out of state group shall pay annual dues to LWVVT and shall be state members-at-large; and (4) those who have been members of the League for 50 years or more shall be honorary life members excused from the payment of dues, (5) those who are students are defined as individuals enrolled full- or part- time with an accredited institution.
Sec. 3. Dues
a. Any member who fails to pay dues within three months after they become payable shall be dropped from the membership rolls.
ARTICLE IV
Local Leagues, Inter League Organizations and Member-at-Large Units
Sec. 1. Local Leagues
Members may be organized into local Leagues in order to promote the purposes of the League and to take action on local government matters. The LWVVT board will determine whether local leagues have fulfilled state League requirements. The Board of Directors of the LWVUS may rant full local League recognition to
groups that have fulfilled the requirements of their state board and those adopted by the national convention. The LWVUS board may withdraw recognition from any state or local League for recurrent failure to fulfill recognition requirements. Only one local League shall be recognized in any community.
Sec. 2. Inter-League Organizations
a. Members enrolled in local Leagues may organize inter-League organizations, hereinafter referred to as ILOs, in order to promote the purposes of the League and to take action on county, metropolitan or regional governmental matters.
b. The LWVUS board shall recognize ILOs that fulfill requirements adopted by the national convention. LWVVT shall provide guidance for ILOs within its area.
Sec. 3. Member-at-large Units. Member-at-large units may be formed by state Leagues in areas where circumstances dictate such organization. Rules and procedures for the formation and operation of such units shall be the responsibility of the state League..
Sec. 4. Disposition of Funds. In the event of recurring failure of a local League to meet standards, the board LWVVT board of directors shall recommend to the national board that it withdraw recognition from the local League. Upon dissolution, the funds of a local League shall be paid to the state League in which it was organized.
ARTICLE V
State League
Sec. 1. Organization. LWVVT is organized in order to promote the purposes of the League and to take action on state governmental matters.
Sec. 2. Recognition. LWVVT shall fulfill requirements adopted by the LWVUS national convention pertaining to recognition of State Leagues. The LWVUS board may withdraw recognition from any state League for recurrent failure to fulfill recognition requirements.
Sec. 3. Responsibility. LWVVT shall assume responsibility for organization and development of local Leagues, member-at-large units, the promotion of League program, financial development and such other matters as the LWVUS board may from time to time delegate to them.
Sec. 4. Disposition of Funds. Upon dissolution, the funds of LWVVT shall be paid to LWVUS.
ARTICLE VI
Officers
Sec. 1. Terms, Enumeration and Election of Officers. The officers of LWVVT shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer. They shall be voting members of LWVVT and shall be elected by the convention and shall hold office until the conclusion of the next regular biennial convention or until their successors have been elected and qualified.
Sec. 2. The President. The president shall preside at all meetings of the organization and of the board of directors or designate another person to do so; may in the absence or disability of the treasurer, sign or endorse checks, drafts or notes; shall be, ex-officio, a member of all committees except the nominating committee; shall have such usual powers of supervision and management as may pertain to the office of
the president; and shall perform such other duties as may be directed by the LWVVT board. In the event of the absence, disability, resignation, or death of the president, the vice-president shall assume the office. If the vice-president is unable to serve as president, the LWVVT board shall fill the vacancy from among the elected officers.
Sec. 3. The Vice President. The vice-president shall perform such duties as the president and the LWVVT board of directors shall direct.
Sec. 4. The Secretary. The secretary shall keep minutes of all Conventions, Councils and of all meetings of the Board of Directors of LWVVT; shall notify all officers and directors of their election; shall sign, with the president, all contracts and other instruments when so authorized by the LWVVT board and shall perform such other functions as may be incident to the office.
Sec. 5. The Treasurer. The treasurer or an appointed assistant shall collect and receive all moneys due, and be the custodian of these moneys, depositing them in a bank or banks designated by the board of directors, and shall disburse the same only upon the order of the board of directors. The treasurer shall present periodic statements to the board at the regular meetings and an annual report at the LWVVT Convention or Council. The books of the treasurer shall be submitted for an audit annually prior to the Convention or Council. The treasurer will keep a calendar of important dates and filing deadlines and maintain the legal status of LWVVT by filing annual tax returns, miscellaneous income forms, and biennial reports, in compliance with federal and state regulations. The consent of the LWVVT board and signatures of two officers shall be necessary to endorse, transfer and deliver any certificate of stock, bond, note or other security or property in the name and on behalf of LWVVT.
ARTICLE VII
The Board of Directors
Sec. 1. Number, Selection, Qualifications, and Term. The board of directors shall consist of the officers and not more than six directors elected by the Convention, and not more than six directors appointed by the elected members of the board. All directors shall be voting members of LWVVT. All members of the board of directors shall serve until the conclusion of the next regular biennial Convention or until their successors have been elected and qualified.
Sec. 2. Vacancies. Vacancies other than the presidency may be filled by vote of the remaining elected members of the board of directors, and shall serve until the close of the next regular biennial Convention.
Sec. 3. Powers and Duties. The board of directors shall have full charge of the property and business of the LWVVT with full power and authority to manage and conduct the same, subject to the instructions of the Convention. The board shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the program on selected government issues as adopted by the state Convention. The board shall create and designate such special committees as it may deem necessary. It shall accept responsibility delegated to it by the board of directors of the LWVUS for the organization and development of local leagues, for the carrying out the program, and for promotion in the local leagues of finance programs requisite to further the work of the League as a whole, including transmission of funds toward the support of adequate state and national budgets. In order to become fully recognized, a local league shall fulfill the requirements of the LWVVT board and the LWVUS board. The board shall perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws.
Sec. 4. Regular Meetings. There shall be at least five regular meetings of the board of directors annually. The president shall notify each board member of all regular meetings, in writing at least one week before any such meeting giving the time and the place of the meeting. No action taken at any regular meeting attended by a majority of the members of the board shall be invalidated because of the failure of any member or members of the board to receive any notice properly sent or because of any irregularity of any notice actually received.
Sec. 5. Special Meetings. The president may call special meetings of the board of directors, and shall call a special meeting upon the written request of five members of the board. Members of the board shall be notified of the time and place of special meetings in writing at least six days prior to such meeting, provided, however, that during a Convention the president may, or upon the request of five members of the board shall, call a special meeting of the board by handing the members of the board a written notice of the time and place of said meeting. In emergency situations where the board may need to take urgent action before six days’ notice can be given, the president may waive the six-day requirement for notice prior to a special meeting so long as every board member is notified of the meeting in advance, conditional upon a quorum’s being available.
Sec. 6. Electronic Voting. In the event that a decision must be made by the board between regularly scheduled meetings, and a special meeting is not practical, the decision may be made by electronic means, provided all board members have access to such means and the board has adopted discussion/debate procedures for such meetings.
Sec. 7. Absences. In the event a member of the board of directors is absent from two consecutive regular meetings of the board, without excuse, that office shall be declared vacant. A board member (or members) who participate by use of equipment which allows all participating persons to hear each other at the same time shall constitute presence of the bad member at the meeting.
Sec. 8. Quorum. A majority of the members of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum and a majority of the members in attendance at any board meeting shall, in the presence of a quorum, decide the action.
ARTICLE VIII
Convention
Sec. 1. Place, Date, and Call. A convention of the LWVVT shall be held biennially. The time and place of the convention shall be determined by the LWVVT board of directors. The president shall send a first call for the convention to the presidents of local Leagues and chairs of member-at-large units not less than four months prior to the opening date of the convention fixed in such call. Thereafter the board of directors may advance or postpone the opening date of the convention by not more than two weeks from the date fixed in the first call. A final call to convention shall be sent by the president to the presidents of the local Leagues and chairs of member-at-large units at least two months before convention.
Sec. 2. Special Convention: Purpose, Place, Date, Time, and Call. A special convention of the LWVVT called for a specific purpose may be held at any time the state board deems necessary. The secretary shall send, by e-mail or other means as appropriate, the call for a special convention to all LWVVT board members, local League presidents and members-at-large. The call for a special convention shall be sent at least three weeks prior to the convention date, giving the purpose of the convention, date, and time of the convention, and method by which the convention will be held.
Sec. 3. Composition. All members of LWVVT are entitled to attend the convention. The voting delegates are those as provided in Sec. 4 of this article.
Sec. 4. Qualifications of Delegates and Voting. Each delegate shall be a voting member enrolled in the LWVVT. Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote only at the convention even though the delegate may be attending in two or more capacities. Absence or proxy voting will not be permitted. The convention shall be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Sec. 5. Representation. Members of LWVUS who reside in Vermont and attend the convention are entitled to vote on business before the convention.
Sec. 6. Powers
a. Regular Convention. A regular convention shall adopt a program; elect officers, directors and members of the nominating committee; adopt a budget; and transact such other business as may properly come before it.
b. Special Convention. A special convention shall transact the business for which it was called. Other items of business may be considered provided that the proposed item of business is first approved for consideration by two-thirds vote (2/3) of those present.
Sec. 7. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the delegates registered at the convention.
ARTICLE IX
Nominations and Elections
Sec. 1. Nominating Committee. The nominating committee shall consist of three members. The chair and one member, who shall not be members of the board of directors, shall be elected by the convention. Nominations for these nominating committee members shall be made by the current nominating committee. Immediately after the convention the board of directors shall appoint one of its members to the nominating committee. Any vacancy occurring in the nominating committee by reason of death, resignation, or disqualification shall be filled by the board of directors. The president of LWVVT shall send the name and address of the nominating committee chair to the president of each local League and the chair of each member-at-large unit.
Sec. 2. Suggestions for Nominations. The chair of the nominating committee shall request, through the president of each local League and chairs of each member-at-large unit, suggestions for nominations for offices to be filled. Suggestions for nominations by local Leagues shall be sent by the president or secretary of such local League to the chair of the nominating committee at least three months before the convention. Any member may send suggestions to the chair of the nominating committee.
Sec. 3. Report of Nominating Committee and Nominations from the Floor. The report of the nominating committee for its nominations for officers, directors, and chair and two members of the succeeding nominating committee shall be sent to local Leagues and member-at-large units two months before the date of the convention. The report of the nominating committee shall be presented to the convention at the first session of the convention. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor by any member of the convention provided that the consent of the nominee shall have been secured.
Sec. 4. Election. The election shall be under the direction of the election committee appointed by the president on the first day of the convention. The election shall be by ballot, except than when there is but one nominee for each office it shall be in order to move that the secretary cast the ballot for every candidate. A majority of those present and voting shall constitute election.
ARTICLE X
Fiscal Administration
Sec. 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of LWVVT shall commence on July 1 of each year
Sec. 2. Budget. The LWVVT board shall submit to the convention for adoption a budget for the ensuing two fiscal years. This budget shall provide for the support of LWVVT. A copy of the proposed budget shall be sent to each LWVVT member at least two weeks in advance of convention.
Sec. 3. Budget Committee. The budget shall be prepared by a committee which shall be appointed for that purpose at least three months in advance of the convention or council. The treasurer shall be ex officio a member of the budget committee but shall not be eligible to serve as chair.
Sec. 4. Financial Support. Each local League shall make an annual per member payment to LWVVT in an amount to be determined at each convention. When two or more members reside at the same address in a common household, the payment determined by the convention shall be made for the first member: a payment equal to one-half the per-member payment shall be paid for each other member.
Sec. 5. Distribution of Funds Upon Dissolution. In the event of dissolution for any cause of the LVWVT, all money and securities which may at that time be owned by or under the absolute control of LWVVT shall be paid to the LWVUS. All other property of whatsoever nature whether real, personal, or mixed which may at that time be owned by or under the control of LWVVT shall be disposed of to such person, organization, or corporation for such public, charitable or educational uses and purposes as may be designated by the then board of directors of LWVVT.
ARTICLE XI
Program
Sec. 1. Principles. The principles are concepts of government adopted by the national convention and supported by the League. They are authorization for the adoption of national, state and local program.
Sec. 2. Program. The program of LWVVT shall consist of:
a. Action to protect the right to vote of every citizen,
b. Those governmental issues chosen for concerted study and/or action.
Sec. 3. Convention Action. The convention shall act upon the state program using the following procedures:
a. LWVVT members may make suggestions for state program to the LWVVT board of directors at least three months prior to the convention. Any proposal for the adoption by concurrence on the floor of the convention must be submitted to the LWVVT board at least six weeks prior to convention, and include background information, with pros and cons on the issue to the LWVVT board.
b. The state board shall consider all suggestions and shall formulate a proposed program to be recommended to the convention. This board recommended program shall be sent to the membership at least two weeks prior to the opening date of the convention.
c. A majority of those present and voting shall be required for adoption of subjects in the proposed program recommended by the state board of directors.
d. Any suggestions for state program submitted to the board of directors of the LWVVT at least three months before the convention but not recommended by the state board, may be adopted by the convention provided consideration is ordered by a majority vote and in a following session the proposal for adoption received a three fifths vote.
Sec. 4. Council Action. The council may change the program as provided in Article VIII, with the exception that such proposals be sent to the membership at least six weeks before the council meeting date.
Sec. 5. Member Action. Members may act in the name of LWVVT only when authorized to do so by the board of directors of LWVVT.
Sec. 6. Local League Action. Local Leagues may take action on state governmental issues only when authorized to do so by the board of directors of the LWVVT and/or LWVUS.
ARTICLE XII
National Convention and Council
Sec. 1. National Convention. The board of directors, at a meeting before the date on which the names of delegates must be sent to the national office, shall elect delegates to the convention in the number allowed LWVVT under the provisions of the bylaws of the LWVUS.
Sec. 2. National Council. The board of directors, at a meeting before the date on which the names of delegates must be sent to the national office, shall elect delegates to the council in the number allowed LWVVT under the provisions of the bylaws of the LWVUS.
ARTICLE XIII
Parliamentary Authority
Sec. 1. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and to which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.
ARTICLE XIV
Amendments
Sec. 1. Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a two thirds vote at any convention using the following procedures:
a. Proposal for change shall be submitted by any LWVVT member to the LWVVT board of directors at least three months prior to the convention.
b. All such proposed amendments together with the recommendations of the LWVVT board shall be sent to the membership at least six weeks prior to convention.
c. Failure of any member to receive such notice shall not invalidate amendments to the bylaws.
Amended 2023, 2021, 2017, 2007, 1999 and 1989.
Official copy as voted, June 2023.
