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Unity, Peace, and Harmony |
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Bylaws |
ARTICLE I ORGANIZATION
Section 1: Name. The name of the organization shall be Forum of Muslims for Unity, hereinafter referred to as Forum.
Section 2: Name Change. The Board of Directors may at its pleasure change the name of the organization by consensus or a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting.
Section 3: Non-Profit Organization: Forum is a non-profit organization and is authorized to perform functions in accordance with Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or its successor statutes). Forum may not engage in activities that are inconsistent with that provision of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
Section 1: Purpose. The purpose of this organization is to enhance unity, tolerance, understanding, and compassion amongst all Muslims and promote peace, justice, freedom, and harmony of humankind through creating public awareness of Islam and celebrating the cultural and ethnic diversity of Muslims.
ARTICLE III GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership. Membership in this organization shall be open to all Muslims and anyone who agrees with the Purpose of the Forum, as described in Article II, Section 1. Members may attend any or all Forum activities, including meetings of the Coordinating Body and Committees. In order to become a Member of the Forum, one must fill out and submit a Membership Form.
ARTICLE IV DUES AND FINANCE
Section 1: Dues. There shall be no dues for membership in this organization.
Section 2: Contributions. Anyone may voluntarily sponsor the activities of the Forum in general and/or specific activities of a particular Committee.
ARTICLE V MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1: Annual Meetings. The regular annual membership meeting of this organization shall be held every year as decided by the Board of Directors. The Facilitator of the Board of Directors shall inform every member by e-mail, as it appears in the membership list, a notice specifying the time and place of such annual meeting. Annual meetings shall inform Members of the activities of the organization and solicit their input. No decisions shall be made at the general membership meetings and therefore no voting structure is required for such meetings.
Section 2: Special Meetings. Special meetings of this organization may be called by the Board of Directors when it deems it necessary. Notices of such meeting shall be e-mailed to all Members at their addresses as they appear in the membership list. No other business but that specified in the notice may be transacted at such special meeting without the unanimous consent of all present at such meeting.
ARTICLE VI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: Structure. The Board of Directors (BOD) shall consist of Members who meet the requirements in this Section, and will be headed by a Facilitator and two Co-Facilitators. Only members of the Coordinating Body who declare themselves as Muslim in the membership application and have attended at least 75% of the previous 12 months BOD meetings are eligible to apply for a Director position. Such application must be received by June 15 of each year and must be approved by the BOD unless the BOD has concerns that the applicant has previously engaged in criminal activity and/or activities that are contrary to the mission of the Forum. The BOD shall consist of all approved applications for the Director position with at least 5 Directors for a one-year term starting July 1 to June 30. The number of Directors for the one-year term is fixed by the number of approved applications for the Director position and the BOD may replace any departing Director during the one-year term by a member of the Coordinating Body that meets the criteria specified in this Section. The BOD may set a limit on the maximum number of Directors for the following BOD if necessary.
Section 2: Elections. Facilitator and two Co-Facilitators of the BOD shall be elected by consensus or a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting for a specified term not to exceed one year. The BOD shall also elect the Treasurer by consensus or a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting for a specified term not to exceed one year. Ideally, the Facilitator and at least one Co-Facilitator shall be of opposite genders. Only in the absence of participation from one gender can the Facilitator and both Co-Facilitator be chosen from the same gender. BOD shall elect a Spokesperson from among the Directors for a term not to exceed one year.
Section 3: Decisions. The BOD shall be responsible to coordinate the activities of the Forum, and shall be the final authority to make decisions and approval of all Forum policies and activities, through consensus or a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting.
Section 4: Meetings. The BOD shall meet at least 6 times in one calendar year and preferably once a month, with prior announcement of the meeting schedule to all Members. The Facilitator shall facilitate all meetings. In the event of the absence or inability of the Facilitator to exercise his or her duty, a Co-Facilitator shall become acting Facilitator of the BOD meeting.
Section 5: Quorum. The quorum for a BOD meeting shall require the participation of at least 40% of all Directors. Physical presence at or teleconferencing into the BOD meeting is required for voting and quorum. In urgent situations where prompt decision making is essential, the BOD may hold meetings through conference calls or other electronic means.
Section 6: Records. The Co-Facilitators shall keep the minutes and records of the organization in appropriate books.
Section 7: Funds. The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all monies belonging to the organization and shall be solely responsible for such monies or securities of the organization. He or she shall deposit in a regular business bank any sum exceeding $200. The Treasurer must be one of the persons who shall sign checks or drafts of the organization. Treasurer shall render at stated periods as the BOD shall determine a written account of the finances of the organization and such report shall be affixed to the minutes of the BOD meeting. Treasurer shall exercise all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and keep thorough and complete records of all transactions of funds to comply with the required State and Federal laws and regulations, including tax laws. Withdrawal of funds from the Forum Bank Account will require the signatures of the Facilitator and Treasurer.
Section 8: Media Communication. The Spokesperson shall be responsible for mass media communications regarding the Forum. However, the Spokesperson shall consult the BOD for guidance on the subject and content of any communication, especially when it relates to sensitive issues that might impact the image of the Forum or the community at large. When the Forum organizes an event involving the greater community, the lead person for the event or an individual designated by the lead person and the Spokesperson shall act jointly as the spokespersons for that event.
ARTICLE VII COORDINATING BODY
Section 1: Structure. The Coordinating Body shall consist of Members of all Committees who have attended at least 3 of the previous 12 Coordinating Body meetings.
Section 3: Decisions. The Coordinating Body provides input to the BOD and has no separate decision making authority.
Section 4: Meetings. Every BOD meeting that is open to all Members shall also function as a Coordinating Body meeting.
ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES
Section 1: General. A number of committees may be formed to advance the purpose of this Forum. Any Member of the Forum can volunteer to become a member of one or more committee(s). Only Muslim members of the Committee who have attended at least 3 of the previous 12 Committee meetings may vote in any Committee decisions. Each Committee shall be responsible for maintaining liaisons and coordinating their activities with programs of the existing institutions that correspond closest to their activity. Each Committee shall have the discretion to choose its own specific projects and programs consistent with that Committee’s responsibilities.
Section 2: Structure. Each Committee is led by a Committee Facilitator and Co-Facilitator elected for a specified term not to exceed one year by the Committee from Member volunteers for those positions. In the event that the Committee is unable to decide on a Committee Facilitator and/or Co-Facilitator, the BOD shall select them from Member volunteers.
Section 3: Decisions. All votes shall be by voice for all Committee meetings. All decisions at the Committee require consensus for approval and, if full consensus is not possible, then a vote of two-thirds or more of those Committee members present and voting. Any vote taken at the Committee level can be appealed to the BOD. Decisions taken at the BOD supersede decisions at the Committees.
Section 4: Funds. Funds donated to the Forum constitute General Body Funds. Funds donated to a particular Committee earmarked for a specific cause remain in the account for that Committee for those specific activities. If the BOD decides to borrow money from that fund for urgent needs, it must be returned from the General Body Funds.
Section 5: Communications Committee. This Committee will be responsible for all external communications (e.g. press releases, media coverage, etc.) and facilitating internal communications; maintaining website, email lists, Member information, etc.
Section 6: Public Awareness Committee. This Committee will be responsible for promoting public awareness of Islam through organizing educational programs at schools and religious and other institutions, and participating and holding conferences, seminars, interfaith discussions, etc. Such educational programs should be approved by the BOD.
Section 7: Unity Committee. This Committee will be responsible for promoting unity, tolerance, and cooperation amongst Muslims through organizing social events such as joint Eid festivities, picnics, camping, and programs to facilitate mutual understanding.
Section 8: Youth Activities Committee. This Committee will be responsible for organizing activities that lead to mutual respect, bonds of friendship, and a sense of belonging between members of the community, particularly among the youth of the Muslim community.
Section 9: Cultural Committee: responsible for celebrating the cultural and ethnic diversity of Muslims throughout society, preferably through organizing and participating in cultural activities.
Section 10: Civil Liberties and Political Affairs Committee. This Committee will be responsible for promoting social, economic, and political ideals of Muslims in the society, particularly through participation in political processes. In addition, this Committee will be responsible for defending personal freedoms and civil liberties and fighting wrongful persecution and discrimination based on race, religion, and gender, particularly those directed towards the Muslim community. This Committee will accomplish its goals primarily through coordination with local and national organizations with similar objectives.
Section 11: Other Committees. Additional committees, subcommittees, and working groups may be created on an ad-hoc basis as necessary and for the necessary duration at the request of any member or group of members.
ARTICLE IX PARLIMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1: Forum meetings will be conducted based on Robert’s Rules of Order as described in Addendum A.
ARTICLE X GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1: Amendment of Bylaws. These By-Laws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to at a BOD meeting that meets quorum requirements through consensus or a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting.
Section 2: Communication. All communication within the Forum will be done via e-mail.
Section 3: Voting By Ballot. As a general rule, all votes shall be by voice for all BOD and Committee meetings. If it is decided to use ballot for voting purposes, ballots shall be provided and there shall not appear any place on such ballot that might tend to indicate the person who cast such ballot.
Section 4: Order of Business. All BOD meetings and Committee meetings shall follow the following order: 1. Signing attendance sheet. 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of the Minutes of the preceding meeting (Minutes will be distributed prior to the meeting via e-mail). 4. Business on Agenda items. 5. Approval of Agenda for next meeting. 6. Adjournments.
Section 5: Salaries. No Member shall for reason of his or her office be entitled to receive any salary or compensation. The BOD shall hire and fix the compensation of any and all employees which they in their discretion may determine to be necessary for the conduct of the business of the organization. However, no member, officer, or other person closely affiliated with the Forum shall be authorized to receive any money or thing of value from the Forum. No member shall be paid by the Forum either as employee or independent contractor.
Section 6: Code of Conduct. Each Member is required to conduct himself or herself in manner conducive to the advancement of the mission of the Forum and conducive to maintaining the civility within the Forum. Conduct that are nonconductive to the mission of the Forum include public criticism of decisions made by the Forum, of fellow Members, of the Forum’s accounting practices, and of religious beliefs and practices of fellow Members. Any criticism of Forum decisions and accounting practices should be addressed to the BOD along with suggested improvements. Individual Members should refrain from responding directly to public emails critical of the Forum, but rather should refer such emails to the BOD for an official response, if necessary.
Section 7: Expulsion. A Member may be expelled from the organization for violation of the Code of Conduct, for conduct disruptive of Forum purpose, for misconduct, for illegal activity, or for dishonesty. The BOD may expel a Member on a vote of two-thirds or more of those Directors present and voting at a BOD meeting that meets quorum requirements. Notice of the proposed expulsion shall be sent to the Member by e-mail, or the Member may be personally notified by the Facilitator. The Member has a right to appear before the BOD and present a defense, if the Member so chooses.
Section 8: Dissolution: The assets of the Forum are permanently dedicated to exempt purposes. In case of the dissolution of the Forum, or distribution of its assets for any reason, the assets of the Forum shall be distributed to other tax exempt entities. |
