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New Boise Order
Club By-Laws

Definition:
The New Boise Order (NBO) is a not-for-profit organization formed by residents of Southwest Idaho who are fans of the Star Wars series of films. It is an un-official club and is in no way affiliated with George Lucas, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Twentieth Century Fox, or any affiliate thereof. It is, however, the official chapter of FANFORCE.NET for the Southwest Idaho area.

Mission Statement:
The goal of the New Boise Order is to provide local fans with opportunities to meet other fans who reside in Southwest Idaho. The opportunities may include but not limited to online activities, club meetings, other fun activities and a way of providing a connective matrix to other FanForce Chapters in the surrounding area. In addition, the NBO will perform functions to benefit the community and local charity organizations such as, but not limited to fundraisers, toy drives, food drives, etc.

Membership Requirements:
Membership in the NBO is open to all individuals regardless of age, religion, gender, creed, physical handicap, or national origin. An official member or a member in good standing is defined as anyone who has completed the membership form, attended three consecutive meetings, and paid his or her membership dues. In addition, every member will be required to serve on at least one club committee or perform at least one club duty. In order to balance the workload, members are asked to take on small tasks to help with club operations. Some examples of these tasks include, but not limited to: membership on committees such as meeting setup, refreshments, cleanup; Club Treasurer; Club Secretary; Newsletter Publisher; and much more. In addition, we ask that all members participate in our charity events whenever they occur. Lastly, members in good standing are entitled to one vote in any election or when policy is presented to the membership. Proxy voting is allowed for Leadership Elections and By-law Amendments. The President is to set rules for proxy voting one month prior to elections.

Special Requirements for Younger (Minor-aged) Members:
Although membership in the NBO is open to anyone, children under the age of 18 must have permission of a legal parent or guardian to join. This requires the parent or guardian to: Review the NBO by-laws; sign a NBO under-age membership policy. In addition, members under the age of 18 must have an adult accompany them to all NBO functions and events unless previous arrangements have been made with NBO officers. Lastly, minor-aged members are not eligible to hold any elected office.

Membership Fees (Dues):
Membership dues are $4.00/month or $36.00 for a year (due in January of each year). Families can join for $60.00/year (up to 3 children under age 12). Anyone joining during the year will be pro-rated to the following January. Membership dues pay for club expenses such as: meeting room rentals; refreshments; supplies (plates, cups, spoons, etc.); printing; paper; and postage for the newsletter; website hosting; help support special club events and more!

Club Officials/Officers:
The purpose of officials/officers is to keep the NBO organized and orderly, help in the advancement of the club, and to plan its activities. It is also to serve the will of the membership. Any member of the club is encouraged to advise the Officers on policy they deem as being important. The NBO organizing body will be comprised of the following offices: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer. A member can hold more than one office, but only have one vote. Only official members of the age of 21 or older can hold an office. NBO officers shall perform the following duties:

President (Elected)
· Oversee the planning and execution of all club activities and events using Parliamentary Procedure.
· Maintain the club membership database or designate someone to do so.
· Create club committees as deemed necessary.
· Enforce NBO by-laws
· Maintain NBO website or designate a Webmaster.
· Act as City Representative (CR) to FANFORCE.NET
· Presides over disciplinary council
· Other duties as deemed necessary by members of the NBO
· City Representative unless designated as a separate person or entity by the President.
· President’s vote is only valid or used in the case of breaking a tie vote.
· Has access to the NBO Leadership sign-on for meeting announcements and/or other official club business.

Vice-President (Elected)
· In cooperation with the President, oversee the planning and execution of all club activities and events (using Parliamentary Procedure).
· Coordinate all public relations efforts with Public Relations Officer
· Appoints Public Relations officer if not elected
· In the case of the President’s resignation, act as President until club members can elect a new President
· Perform the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence from any club event or activity.
· Enforce NBO by-laws.
· Cooperate with club committees and provide any support possible to said committees.
· Sits on disciplinary counsel.
· Other duties as deemed necessary by members of the NBO.
· Has access to the NBO Leadership sign-on for meeting announcements and/or other official club business.

City Representative (Designated by President if chosen to be a separate position.)
· Serves as liaison between the New Boise Order and FANFORCE.NET
· Prepares announcements for posting on the FANFORCE boards and uses NBO Leadership sign-on when deemed necessary by the President or Vice- President.
· Enforce NBO by-laws on boards as sees fit and given permission from FANFORCE.NET.

Club Treasurer (Elected)
· Collect and track paying of membership fees using Excel spreadsheets.
· Pay for any expenses incurred by the club from club funds co-signed by President.
· Keep an accurate record of all financial transactions using an Excel spreadsheet and approved register.
· Give a monthly report of monetary records and transactions.
o Including but not limited to: club balance to date, total amount dues received, total amount in expenses paid, and total of dues outstanding.
· Other duties as deemed necessary by members of the NBO, President, or Vice-President

Club Secretary (Elected)
· Call for meeting agenda items and compose meeting agendas in outline format in cooperation with the President or Vice President no later than one week prior to actual meeting.
· Keeps and records minutes of monthly meetings using a detailed outline format and post them to the club’s electronic message board as a brief summary.
· Records attendance using provided Excel spreadsheets.
· Coordinates announcements of meetings and events at the request of the President or Vice President or the result of a monthly meeting or club event.
· Provides all documentation needed by the NBO such as but not limited to meeting agenda, membership applications, NBO Info Sheets, and NBO business info cards.
· Sits on disciplinary counsel.
· Distributes Membership ID Cards.
· Other duties as deemed necessary by members of the NBO, President, or Vice-President.

Senior Public Relations Officer (Elected)
(Additional Public Relations Officers may be appointed by Vice-President if necessary)
· Coordinate all public relations efforts with Vice-President.
· Maintains contact with outside organizations and/or businesses for promotion of the NBO and/or special events – charity or otherwise.
· Maintains New Member/welcome letter and other promotional material.
· Coordinates promotional events and activities.
· Conducts new prospective members follow-up or appoints club members to do so.
· Acts as public liaison in the best interest of the club
· Responsible for all official press releases to the media or general public with the approval of the President and Vice-President when necessary.
· Passes on important information to Vice President to post on boards through the NBO Leadership sign-on.

As noted above, all offices will be elected positions and should be filled at all times. However, any official member, aged 21 or older, may be an “Acting” Officer, filling any vacated office by volunteering or by being appointed to it by the President. The “acting Officer” keeps said office to the end of its original term as if the position was never vacated. At the end of said term, the “acting Officer”, or any other official member, aged 21 or older, can be officially nominated and voted into official office.

All officer terms are two years in length. The election of new officers will occur in June every two years, starting with June 2003. Nominations for offices will be held in March and debate or campaigning for nominations in April of the same year. Any official member, aged 21 or older, may be nominated for any office. Voting will be in May and the new officers will take office in June. In the event of a tie, a run off will be held the following month.

Rules of Impeachment
Individuals holding the offices of President and Vice-President will hold said position until the end of the term, such time as they resign, or are removed from office by a majority vote of the entire club. Any club member may call for such a vote at any club meeting. However, the President and/or Vice-President of the New Boise Order cannot be impeached without just cause. The reasons for such an action should be of sound judgment and probable cause. Charges will be presented to the general membership for a period of debate followed by voting based on the facts of said debate. A 2/3 majority will be required for removal. If the President is removed, the Vice-President is made “Acting” President and holds office to the end of the term as previously described and appoints a new “Acting” Vice-President. If “Acting” President is then removed, process continues until original term is up and an official member, aged 21 or older, can be nominated and voted into office.

Voting
Voting for motions presented at monthly meetings by:
· Simple Majority
· Show of Hands

Voting for Leadership Elections by: (proxy voting allowed)
· Simple Majority
· Secret ballots

Voting for Amendments to By-Laws by: (proxy voting allowed)
· 2/3 vote required to pass amendment
· Show of hands

Member Responsibilities:
To remain a member in good standing, a member of the New Boise Order MUST:
· Make a reasonable effort to attend NBO events and activities.
· Attend three consecutive meetings to be considered an official member.
· Have a completed, signed “Application for Membership” form on file.
· Remain current on membership dues.
· Always act in the best interest of the NBO.
· Keep a current hard copy of these by-laws for personal review. (A date is printed on each copy and will be supplied by the Secretary, President, or Vice-President only. It will be recorded in the minutes each time the by-laws are updated and re-printed.)
· Serve on at least one committee or perform at least one club duty.
· Keep an open mind in regards to other members and their opinions, especially regarding the Star Wars Films, the Expanded Universe (books, comics, role-playing games, etc) characters, fanfilms, and other Star Wars related topics.
· Respect other members’ opinions and requests regarding spoilers.
· Respect other members’ opinions or beliefs regarding non-Star Wars topics, views or thoughts expressed in meetings, club events, or on the message boards.
· Refrain from using profanity during NBO activities, events, meetings or message boards.
· Have fun and enjoy the NBO

In addition, a member of the New Boise Order must NOT:
· Condone, endorse, or participate in any activities that infringe on any copyrights held by Twentieth Century Fox, Lucasfilm, or any other entity.
· Condone, endorse, or participate in any illegal activities.
· Misrepresent the NBO by making statements to the public, media, or other entities or individuals regarding NBO activities and/or opinions.
· Release any NBO records, documents, or property to the media, individuals or any other entity.
· Post, publish, or e-mail profane, inappropriate, offensive, or objectionable material (including but not limited to pornographic material) to any online discussion groups, chat rooms, forums, e-mail lists, etc. related to the NBO, FANFORCE.NET, Lucasfilm or any of their members.
· Have more than one FanForce sign-on (unless in a leadership position that specifically uses or has access to the NBO Leadership sign-on for official NBO business.)
· Condone, endorse, or participate in any other activities deemed inappropriate by the officers of the NBO.
· Appear at any NBO event or activity under the influence of any illegal and/or controlled substance, including but not limited to alcohol.
· Threats of any kind to another member.
· Committing violent acts on another member (self defense excluded).
· Repeated and/or unwanted verbal or sexual advances on another member.

Expulsion and/or Reprimand of Members:
While it is hoped that no member of the New Boise Order should be disciplined or expelled, failure to meet the above conditions may result in the member being disciplined. Punishment can range from being suspended for a minimum of two months to being banned or expelled from New Boise Order membership, club activities, leadership positions, and/or posting on the boards for a period of not less than one (1) year. The Disciplinary Counsel is to determine the severity of the charge or misconduct and prove or disprove guilt.

NBO members are required to approach a member of the Disciplinary Counsel (DC) if they witness misconduct by another member, in whole or in part, being real or imagined, and feels it necessary to have that member disciplined or removed. If any member deems it necessary to have a member removed due to personality issues, in whole or in part, being real or imagined, said member must also approach the DC with his or her complaint so a resolution can be made. Failure at being responsible and fair to go through the proper channels can also be considered as misconduct and will be disciplined as well.

The Disciplinary Council is comprised of the President, Vice President, and Secretary. The DC will hear from all parties involved in said matters and come to a resolution behind closed doors. It then decides a punishment based on the verdict and on the severity of charge. Should a member of the DC be charged or involved in the dispute, the President will pick another member to sit in the council from other members in office. If the President is charged or involved in the dispute, process falls to the “Rules of Impeachment” section of these by-laws under Club Officers.

If the behavior or conduct of the offending member doesn’t improve after he or she has been disciplined and/or if problems escalate, the President or Vice-President may contact the New Boise Order’s Regional Representative (RR) for advice and support. Only the President and Vice-President are authorized to contact the RR in regard to disciplinary issues. Personal contact to the RR is acceptable only if you are not involved in a disciplinary action in any way. Again, failure to go through the proper channels can also be considered as misconduct and will be disciplined as well.

Club Committees/Special Projects:
As deemed necessary, the President may assemble committees to address issues such as, but not limited to, club activities, events, membership, officers, or club business. Committee members will be chosen from those in good standing. The President will determine the lifespan of a committee at the time the committee is formed.

The following permanent committees have been formed:

(None at this time)

During work on a club special project (Charity Drive, fan film, event committee, etc) or during service on a committee, all members involved in the project should follow the direction of the project lead. In addition, the project lead will be the only member to schedule and coordinate activities related to the project.

Dissolution of the Club:
The officers are responsible for the liquidation of all club assets, settlement of any debt, a general public announcement stating the dissolution, and taking the club website down.

Amendments:
These by-laws may be amended/changed at any time that the members of the New Boise Order or the New Boise Order officers see fit. Amendments will be noted here for a minimum of six months, as well as being included in the body of these by-laws under their appropriate sections. After the six-month duration, if no new addition or subtraction has occurred, it is removed from here and is considered as part of the by-laws as a whole.

February 21st, 2004: All amendments were presented, discussed, and voted on at the meeting. All official members were in attendance therefore no proxies were needed or used. Each heading was amended to include or delete as follows:

Presidential Duties:
· Oversee meeting using Parliamentary Procedure
· President’s Vote is only valid or used in the case of breaking a tie vote.
· President has access to NBO Leadership sign-on for meeting announcements and/or other official club business.
Vice Presidential Duties:
· Vice President has access to NBO Leadership sign-on for meeting announcements and/or other official club business.
Secretary Duties:
· Compose meeting agenda outline no later than one week prior to actual meeting and has it approved by the President or Vice President.
· Records meeting minuets… and posts to FanForce Boards using a detailed outline format.
· Records Attendance… using provided Excel spreadsheet.
· … Announcements… at the request of the President or Vice President or the result of the monthly meeting.
· Provides documentaion… such as but not limited to meeting agenda, membership applications, NBO info sheets, and NBO business info cards
· Distribute Membership ID cards
Secretary Deleted Items:
· Perform duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence from any club meeting or event.
Treasurer Duties:
· Keep track of all financial activity…. Via Excel spreadsheets.
Treasurer Deleted Items:
· Distribute Membership ID cards
PR Officer Duties:
· Passes on important information to Vice President to post on boards through official sign-on.
City Rep. Duties:
· Has access to NBO leadership sign-on when deemed necessary by the President or Vice President.
Membership Responsibilities: (members in good standing must…)
· Keep an updated/current hard copy of the by-laws for personal review. (Date will be on each copy & will be supplied by Secretary, President or Vice President only.)
· Have a completed “Application for Membership” form on file and keep it updated with any necessary changes.
· Respect other members’ opinions regarding non- Star Wars topics, views, or beliefs expressed in meetings, at any club event, or on the message boards.
(Members in good standing must not….)
· Have more than one FanForce sign-on (unless in a leadership position that specifically uses or has access to the NBO Leadership sign-on for official NBO business.)

** The above amendments will be up for review in August 2004. If no additions, subtractions or changes occur in this time of the above amended by-laws, it is understood to become part of the NBO by-laws as a whole and is removed from this heading/section.**