Table of Contents
- Article I – NAME, PURPOSE
- Article II – MEMBERSHIP
- Article III – MEETINGS
- Article IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Article V - CAUCUSES
- Article VI – COMMITTEES
- Article VII – AMENDMENTS
Article I - Name, Purpose
Section 1: The name of the organization shall be The Prometheus Project.
Section 2: The Prometheus Project is organized as a political action committee to pursue social justice measures through public involvement, representation, and unification of minority groups under this common cause.
Section 2: The Prometheus Project is organized as a political action committee to pursue social justice measures through public involvement, representation, and unification of minority groups under this common cause.
Article II - Membership
Section 1: Membership is open to the public and is determined by approval of the council up to and/or including written petition for membership. All new memberships must be voted on and approved by the Board of Directors
Section 2: Members shall voluntarily disclose which caucuses they wish to be considered a member of as follows: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, Disabled, Hispanic, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Other Race, Religion, Seniors, Veterans, Women, and/or Allies.
Subsection a: The Prometheus Project prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. The Prometheus Project also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all functions and facilities.
Subsection b: Allies cannot be considered any other minority.
Section 2: Members shall voluntarily disclose which caucuses they wish to be considered a member of as follows: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, Disabled, Hispanic, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Other Race, Religion, Seniors, Veterans, Women, and/or Allies.
Subsection a: The Prometheus Project prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. The Prometheus Project also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all functions and facilities.
Subsection b: Allies cannot be considered any other minority.
Article III - Meetings
Section 1: Monthly Meetings. The date of the regular monthly meetings shall be set by the Board of Directors who shall also set the time and place.
Section 2: Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
Section 3: Yearly Convention. The date of the regular yearly convention shall be set by the Board of Directors who shall also set the time and place.
Section 4: Notice. Notice of each meeting shall be given to each voting member, by e-mail, not less than two weeks before the meeting, except for Section 2.
Section 5. Meeting Cancellations and Rescheduling. No meeting of the Prometheus Project may be cancelled once it has been announced by the Executive Committee Secretary to the general assembly. Emergency situations such as hazardous weather warnings shall be allowed as an exception. A meeting may be rescheduled for no less than two weeks later and must be accompanied by a notice to the Secretary as soon as possible so that the secretary can make the announcement of the rescheduling no less than one week prior.
Section 6. A meeting may be considered aborted after a period of thirty minutes since the time of the start of the meeting if a quorum is not reached.
Section 2: Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
Section 3: Yearly Convention. The date of the regular yearly convention shall be set by the Board of Directors who shall also set the time and place.
Section 4: Notice. Notice of each meeting shall be given to each voting member, by e-mail, not less than two weeks before the meeting, except for Section 2.
Section 5. Meeting Cancellations and Rescheduling. No meeting of the Prometheus Project may be cancelled once it has been announced by the Executive Committee Secretary to the general assembly. Emergency situations such as hazardous weather warnings shall be allowed as an exception. A meeting may be rescheduled for no less than two weeks later and must be accompanied by a notice to the Secretary as soon as possible so that the secretary can make the announcement of the rescheduling no less than one week prior.
Section 6. A meeting may be considered aborted after a period of thirty minutes since the time of the start of the meeting if a quorum is not reached.
Article IV - Board of Directors
Section 1: Board Role, Size, Compensation. The Board is responsible for overall policy and direction of the organization, and delegates responsibility for day-to-day operations to the executive committee. The Board shall have up to thirteen, that being the number of minority caucuses, and not fewer than five members. The board receives no compensation other than reasonable expenses as voted on.
Subsection a: Temporary board members shall be elected at the first meeting set for June 1st, 2012 and may consist of fewer than four members until a permanent board is elected at the first yearly convention
Section 2: Meetings. The Board shall meet at least once per month at an agreed upon time and place.
Section 3: Board Elections. The Board of Directors will be elected at the yearly convention. It will consist of one representative elected from each caucus as defined in Article II, Section 2. Only disclosed members of said caucus are eligible to elect said official.
Subsection a. In the case of a tie, the vice-chair (or temporary chair) shall cast the tie-breaking vote.
Subsection b. All votes shall be cast by secret ballot.
Subsection c. No votes by proxy shall be allowed
Subsection d. No member may occupy more than one seat on the Board of Directors at any given time.
Subsection e. Elections for each board member shall be done in the following, alphabetical, order, one at a time: Allies, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, Disabled, Hispanic, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Other Race, Religion, Seniors, Veterans, Women.
Subsection f. Elections shall be determined by a majority 51% vote.
Section 5: Terms. All Board members shall serve one year terms, but are eligible for re-election.
Section 6: Quorum. A quorum must be attended by at least forty percent of the Board members before business can be transacted or motions made or passed.
Section 7: Notice. An official Board meeting requires that each Board member have written notice two weeks in advance.
Section 8. Officers and Duties. There shall be four officers of the Board consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Their duties are as follows:
Subsection a. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall convene regularly scheduled Board meetings, shall preside or arrange for other members of the executive committee to preside at each meeting in the following order: Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
Subsection b. Duties of the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair will chair committees on special subjects as designated by the board. The Vice-Chair also presides as a tie-breaking vote in the event of a contested motion or election.
Subsection c. Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of Board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all board meetings, sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each Board members, and assuring that corporate records are maintained.
Subsection d. Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall make a report at each Board meeting. Treasurer shall chair the finance committee, assist in the preparation of the budget, help develop fundraising plans, and make financial information available to Board members and the public.
Section 9: Vacancies. When a vacancy on the Board exists, nominations for new Board members may be received from present Board members by the Secretary two weeks in advance of a Board meeting. These nominations shall be sent out to Board members with the regular Board meeting announcement, to be voted upon at the next Board meeting. These vacancies will be filled only to the end of the particular Board member's term. Further nominations shall be in order on the day of the election from the constituent group filling the vacancy.
Section 10: Resignation, Termination and Absences. Resignation from the Board must be in writing and received by the Secretary. A Board member shall be dropped for excess absences from the Board if s/he has three unexcused absences from Board meetings in a year. A Board member may be removed for other reasons by a three-fourths vote of the remaining directors.
Section 11: Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board shall be called upon the request of the Chair or one-third of the Board. Notices of special meetings shall be sent out by the Secretary to each Board member postmarked two weeks in advance, when possible.
Subsection a: Temporary board members shall be elected at the first meeting set for June 1st, 2012 and may consist of fewer than four members until a permanent board is elected at the first yearly convention
Section 2: Meetings. The Board shall meet at least once per month at an agreed upon time and place.
Section 3: Board Elections. The Board of Directors will be elected at the yearly convention. It will consist of one representative elected from each caucus as defined in Article II, Section 2. Only disclosed members of said caucus are eligible to elect said official.
Subsection a. In the case of a tie, the vice-chair (or temporary chair) shall cast the tie-breaking vote.
Subsection b. All votes shall be cast by secret ballot.
Subsection c. No votes by proxy shall be allowed
Subsection d. No member may occupy more than one seat on the Board of Directors at any given time.
Subsection e. Elections for each board member shall be done in the following, alphabetical, order, one at a time: Allies, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, Disabled, Hispanic, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Other Race, Religion, Seniors, Veterans, Women.
Subsection f. Elections shall be determined by a majority 51% vote.
Section 5: Terms. All Board members shall serve one year terms, but are eligible for re-election.
Section 6: Quorum. A quorum must be attended by at least forty percent of the Board members before business can be transacted or motions made or passed.
Section 7: Notice. An official Board meeting requires that each Board member have written notice two weeks in advance.
Section 8. Officers and Duties. There shall be four officers of the Board consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Their duties are as follows:
Subsection a. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall convene regularly scheduled Board meetings, shall preside or arrange for other members of the executive committee to preside at each meeting in the following order: Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
Subsection b. Duties of the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair will chair committees on special subjects as designated by the board. The Vice-Chair also presides as a tie-breaking vote in the event of a contested motion or election.
Subsection c. Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of Board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all board meetings, sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each Board members, and assuring that corporate records are maintained.
Subsection d. Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall make a report at each Board meeting. Treasurer shall chair the finance committee, assist in the preparation of the budget, help develop fundraising plans, and make financial information available to Board members and the public.
Section 9: Vacancies. When a vacancy on the Board exists, nominations for new Board members may be received from present Board members by the Secretary two weeks in advance of a Board meeting. These nominations shall be sent out to Board members with the regular Board meeting announcement, to be voted upon at the next Board meeting. These vacancies will be filled only to the end of the particular Board member's term. Further nominations shall be in order on the day of the election from the constituent group filling the vacancy.
Section 10: Resignation, Termination and Absences. Resignation from the Board must be in writing and received by the Secretary. A Board member shall be dropped for excess absences from the Board if s/he has three unexcused absences from Board meetings in a year. A Board member may be removed for other reasons by a three-fourths vote of the remaining directors.
Section 11: Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board shall be called upon the request of the Chair or one-third of the Board. Notices of special meetings shall be sent out by the Secretary to each Board member postmarked two weeks in advance, when possible.
Article V - Caucuses
Section 1: Complete listing of caucuses, alphabetically. Allies, American Indian/Inuit, Asian, Black, Disabled, Hispanic, LGBT, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Other Race, Religious Minority, Seniors, Veterans, and Women
Section 2. Structure. Each caucus shall be comprised of all disclosed members from said caucus. Each caucus shall be lead by a Primogen. In the absence of the Primogen, the elected Director from the Board of Directors to represent said caucus shall serve as the Primogen with the title: Whip. The elected Director does not typically oversee the happenings of the caucus as this is the job of the Primogen.
Section 3. Primogen. An elected Primogen shall serve as the point of contact for said caucus. This individual is immediately a part of the Membership committee and works to recruit and drive membership for their constituent group and all activities and mobilizations of said caucus. Generally it is the Primogen’s duty to ensure all members of their caucus receives information and organization in a timely and efficient manner.
Section 4. Whip. The whip is not an elected position but is filled by the currently elected Director for said caucus. The duties of the Whip mirror those of the Primogen but only take effect in the absence of said Primogen.
Section 5. Section 4: Primogen Elections. One member from each caucus shall elect one representative who does not currently serve any other elected office to be the Primogen of their caucus. The election for Primogen shall adhere to Article 4, Section 3, Subsections a, b and c. Only members from the caucus may vote save for in the case of Section 3, Subsection a.
Subsection a) Term of office shall begin immediately following the adjournment of the annual convention and continuing for one year until a successor is elected and certified.
Section 6. Terms. All Primogen shall serve one year terms, but are eligible for re-election.
Section 7. Special Elections. In the absence of a Primogen, a special election will be held to elect a new Primogen to finish the duration of the originating Primogen’s term. This shall be elected by the caucus body
Section 8. Quorum. For orders and issues regarding the work of the caucuses, a quorum will be reached when 40% of the membership of said caucus is present.
Section 9. Size. A caucus may be constituted by a minimum of one member with no maximum membership.
Section 10. Meetings. Caucuses do not have any rules or laws regarding frequency of meetings save that they follow the prescribed rules found in Article III. In Article III, for the purposes of caucus work, the duties of the chair shall be replaced by the duties of the Primogen.
Section 2. Structure. Each caucus shall be comprised of all disclosed members from said caucus. Each caucus shall be lead by a Primogen. In the absence of the Primogen, the elected Director from the Board of Directors to represent said caucus shall serve as the Primogen with the title: Whip. The elected Director does not typically oversee the happenings of the caucus as this is the job of the Primogen.
Section 3. Primogen. An elected Primogen shall serve as the point of contact for said caucus. This individual is immediately a part of the Membership committee and works to recruit and drive membership for their constituent group and all activities and mobilizations of said caucus. Generally it is the Primogen’s duty to ensure all members of their caucus receives information and organization in a timely and efficient manner.
Section 4. Whip. The whip is not an elected position but is filled by the currently elected Director for said caucus. The duties of the Whip mirror those of the Primogen but only take effect in the absence of said Primogen.
Section 5. Section 4: Primogen Elections. One member from each caucus shall elect one representative who does not currently serve any other elected office to be the Primogen of their caucus. The election for Primogen shall adhere to Article 4, Section 3, Subsections a, b and c. Only members from the caucus may vote save for in the case of Section 3, Subsection a.
Subsection a) Term of office shall begin immediately following the adjournment of the annual convention and continuing for one year until a successor is elected and certified.
Section 6. Terms. All Primogen shall serve one year terms, but are eligible for re-election.
Section 7. Special Elections. In the absence of a Primogen, a special election will be held to elect a new Primogen to finish the duration of the originating Primogen’s term. This shall be elected by the caucus body
Section 8. Quorum. For orders and issues regarding the work of the caucuses, a quorum will be reached when 40% of the membership of said caucus is present.
Section 9. Size. A caucus may be constituted by a minimum of one member with no maximum membership.
Section 10. Meetings. Caucuses do not have any rules or laws regarding frequency of meetings save that they follow the prescribed rules found in Article III. In Article III, for the purposes of caucus work, the duties of the chair shall be replaced by the duties of the Primogen.
Article VI - Committees
Section 1: The Board may create committees as needed, such as fundraising, arrangements, etc. The committee shall appoint a Chair and Secretary by a simple majority vote.
Section 2: The four officers of the Board of Directors serve as the members of the Executive Committee. Except for the power to amend the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall have all of the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the intervals between meetings of the Board of Directors, subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors.
Section 3: Finance Committee. The Treasurer is chair of the Finance Committee, which includes three other Board members. The Finance Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing fiscal procedures, a fundraising plan, and annual budget with staff and other Board members. The Board must approve the budget, and all expenditures must be within the budget. Any major change in the budget must be approved by the Board or the Executive Committee. The fiscal year shall be the calendar year. Annual reports are required to be submitted to the Board showing income, expenditures and pending income. The financial records of the organization are public information and shall be made available to the membership, Board members and the public.
Section 4. Membership Committee. The duties of the membership committee are to plan for and execute membership recruiting strategies up to and including speaking to tributary organizations for differing caucus groups, generating advertisement methods for recruitment and creating general strategic plans and goals for matriculation of additional members. The membership is, at a minimum, comprised of each Primogen currently serving a caucus and may extend to as many members as deemed necessary by the elected Chair of the committee.
Section 5. Candidate and Legislative Affairs Committee. The duties of the Candidate and Legislative Affairs Committee are to establish and promote legislation and candidates which promote the values of The Prometheus Project. In doing this, members will draft support and prioritization proposals for the Board of Directors to approve. Furthermore, this committee shall also develop questionnaires, host debates and furnish questions for said debates. This Committee shall also act as the lobbying arm of The Prometheus Project. This committee shall work with the Membership Committee to sponsor volunteer activities relevant to candidates and legislation.
Subsection a. Meetings are closed to the Public. Basic membership shall include the Chair of the Platform Committee and one individual elected from each subcommittee within the Platform Committee. Membership may be granted to others with approval from the Chair of this committee.
Section 6. Platform Committee. Annually, a platform shall be written and adopted by the Platform Committee. This platform shall include a statement of issues. This statement of issues shall be divided into subcommittee reports, which must be approved by the entirety of the platform before being adopted as part of the platform after leaving the subcommittee, congruent to the currently existing caucuses and titled accordingly.
Subsection b. The purpose of this is to drive our organization in ensuring social justice for all persons and help the board of directors to understand the pertinent issues facing each minority group for future planning. Subcommittees shall be formed by the relevant caucus membership and shall not include outside involvement from any other caucus. A member who sits on multiple caucuses may contribute to multiple caucus reports as they are able and their own time permits. Once the subcommittee report has been delivered, the body of the Platform Committee as a whole shall vote on said report.
Section 7. Rules Committee. The Rules Committee shall work in consultation with the other committees to produce fair and efficient rules for the yearly convention and other committee work. In addition, said committee shall have the responsibility for the counting of all ballots taken during the convention process and the conducting of such elections as shall take place.
Section 8. Arrangements Committee. The arrangements committee shall be responsible for arranging the space and all facets of all of the board meetings, membership meetings, special meetings and the annual convention but not the meetings of each individual committee and caucus. They will work with space planning, venue booking, credentialing, etc.
Section 9. Quorum. Typical Quorum for committee work, except for platform, is 40%. Platform, because of its nature of incorporating all membership is 25%.
Section 10, Temporary Chairs and Secretaries. A temporary chair and secretary shall be chosen from the Board of Directors for each of the subcommittees except for the finance committee which is chaired by the Treasurer. A temporary secretary shall be chosen from the board of directors.
Section 2: The four officers of the Board of Directors serve as the members of the Executive Committee. Except for the power to amend the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall have all of the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the intervals between meetings of the Board of Directors, subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors.
Section 3: Finance Committee. The Treasurer is chair of the Finance Committee, which includes three other Board members. The Finance Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing fiscal procedures, a fundraising plan, and annual budget with staff and other Board members. The Board must approve the budget, and all expenditures must be within the budget. Any major change in the budget must be approved by the Board or the Executive Committee. The fiscal year shall be the calendar year. Annual reports are required to be submitted to the Board showing income, expenditures and pending income. The financial records of the organization are public information and shall be made available to the membership, Board members and the public.
Section 4. Membership Committee. The duties of the membership committee are to plan for and execute membership recruiting strategies up to and including speaking to tributary organizations for differing caucus groups, generating advertisement methods for recruitment and creating general strategic plans and goals for matriculation of additional members. The membership is, at a minimum, comprised of each Primogen currently serving a caucus and may extend to as many members as deemed necessary by the elected Chair of the committee.
Section 5. Candidate and Legislative Affairs Committee. The duties of the Candidate and Legislative Affairs Committee are to establish and promote legislation and candidates which promote the values of The Prometheus Project. In doing this, members will draft support and prioritization proposals for the Board of Directors to approve. Furthermore, this committee shall also develop questionnaires, host debates and furnish questions for said debates. This Committee shall also act as the lobbying arm of The Prometheus Project. This committee shall work with the Membership Committee to sponsor volunteer activities relevant to candidates and legislation.
Subsection a. Meetings are closed to the Public. Basic membership shall include the Chair of the Platform Committee and one individual elected from each subcommittee within the Platform Committee. Membership may be granted to others with approval from the Chair of this committee.
Section 6. Platform Committee. Annually, a platform shall be written and adopted by the Platform Committee. This platform shall include a statement of issues. This statement of issues shall be divided into subcommittee reports, which must be approved by the entirety of the platform before being adopted as part of the platform after leaving the subcommittee, congruent to the currently existing caucuses and titled accordingly.
Subsection b. The purpose of this is to drive our organization in ensuring social justice for all persons and help the board of directors to understand the pertinent issues facing each minority group for future planning. Subcommittees shall be formed by the relevant caucus membership and shall not include outside involvement from any other caucus. A member who sits on multiple caucuses may contribute to multiple caucus reports as they are able and their own time permits. Once the subcommittee report has been delivered, the body of the Platform Committee as a whole shall vote on said report.
Section 7. Rules Committee. The Rules Committee shall work in consultation with the other committees to produce fair and efficient rules for the yearly convention and other committee work. In addition, said committee shall have the responsibility for the counting of all ballots taken during the convention process and the conducting of such elections as shall take place.
Section 8. Arrangements Committee. The arrangements committee shall be responsible for arranging the space and all facets of all of the board meetings, membership meetings, special meetings and the annual convention but not the meetings of each individual committee and caucus. They will work with space planning, venue booking, credentialing, etc.
Section 9. Quorum. Typical Quorum for committee work, except for platform, is 40%. Platform, because of its nature of incorporating all membership is 25%.
Section 10, Temporary Chairs and Secretaries. A temporary chair and secretary shall be chosen from the Board of Directors for each of the subcommittees except for the finance committee which is chaired by the Treasurer. A temporary secretary shall be chosen from the board of directors.
Article VII - Amendments
Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended when necessary by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Secretary to be sent out with regular Board announcements.
These Bylaws were approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors of The Prometheus Project on June 1st, 2012. The revised bylaws were ratified by the Board of Directors of The Prometheus Project on June 5th, 2012. They have been amended since. Most recently on June 29th, 2012.