Vegetarian Society of the District of Columbia, Inc.
Bylaws
(Rev. 1997)

Article I. Name

The name of the society shall be "The Vegetarian Society of the District of Columbia, Inc." The Society shall abide by the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) definition of vegetarianism, namely, "vegetarianism is the practice of living without the use of meat, fish, or fowl, with or without the addition of eggs and dairy products."

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the Society shall be educational, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It shall uphold the standards of vegetarianism, healthful living, and compassion through these aims and activities:

To educate various interested organizations and individuals, as well as the general public, regarding the values of vegetarianism;
To foster a general attitude of reverence for life, and kindness to animals, by not eating them or otherwise abusing or exploiting them;
To establish a local information center for educational public service in the cause of vegetarianism;
To investigate, research, and disseminate factual information regarding scientific, environmental, health, ethical, economic, and other aspects of vegetarianism;
To utilize all lawful means, publication, media, public meetings, lectures, discussions, literature distribution, and seminars to promulgate the views and aims of vegetarianism; and
To assist and encourage other vegetarian organizations with similar purposes on local, national, and international levels, through time, funds, and dissemination of information.

Article III. Membership

The membership shall be unlimited in number.
Any person shall be considered a member of the Society upon payment of membership dues.
In exceptional cases, payment of dues may be waived or replaced by hours of work for the Society.

Article IV. Board of Directors and Officers

The Board of Directors will be a working Board consisting of up to eleven members. The Board members shall be equal in stature and shall serve as Officers or Coordinators, as the needs of the Society demand.
The Officers shall consist of the President, Vice-president, Treasurer, Correspondence Secretary, and Recording Secretary. The duties of the Officers, which may be adjusted from time to time as the Board deems necessary, shall be as follows:
1. President - The President shall provide leadership and direction to the Society. The President shall call and preside over Board meetings, consult on a continuing basis with other Board members regarding both ongoing and new initiatives, and make important decisions that need to be made between Board meetings.
2. Vice-president - In addition to acting for the President in his/her absence, the Vice-president shall assist with the responsibilities assigned to the President. In addition, the Vice-president shall assist in the coordination of volunteers.
3. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall maintain the accounts of the Society according to accepted accounting practices. The Treasurer shall record and deposit income from dues, sales, etc., and record and pay all legitimate bills. The Treasurer shall report the recent expenses and income of the Society to the Board. The Treasurer shall prepare a yearly financial statement which will be available for review by the membership at large after its approval by the Board.
4. Correspondence Secretary - The Correspondence Secretary shall prepare Society correspondence at the request of the President, Vice-president, or the Board. He/she shall answer written inquiries from the general public; such answers may be made without seeking Board approval. The correspondence secretary shall bring other correspondence (e.g., to the press, other vegetarian organizations, or government officials) to the Board or the President for advice and consent.
5. Recording Secretary - The recording Secretary shall take minutes at all Board meetings and shall distribute a copy of the minutes to all Board members.
The Board shall have general supervision of the Society. The board shall meet at least six times per year and shall hold an annual general meeting.
The Board shall be elected by ballot to serve for two years. The Board members' terms of office shall begin on June 1.
The Board meetings shall be open to all Society members; however only Board members may vote at Board meetings. The vote of an absent Board member submitted in writing, or conveyed verbally to the Board member presiding over the meeting shall be counted. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
All Board members must be members of the Society and be vegetarian. Any Board member who ceases to be a member of the society or a vegetarian shall be deemed to have resigned. Any Board member who has missed three consecutive regular meetings of the Board may be dismissed by vote of the Board.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the procedures at the Society meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order which the Society may adopt.

Article V. Election Procedures

Elections shall be held in even numbered years.
Any vegetarian member may run for election to the Board.
The Board will be elected by the general membership. The fully elected Board will elect the Officers and other coordinators. A vegetarian member must be a Board member to be elected as President or Vice-President.
A ballot containing the names of the candidates shall be provided to all Society members by May 1. The ballot may be accompanied by position statements submitted by the candidates of a length and format prescribed by the Board.
Each member shall be entitled to cast one ballot. In the case of a family membership, two family members shall be entitled to cast ballots. Each ballot shall provide for the casting of votes for up to eleven candidates.
The ballots shall be returned by May 20. In the case of a contested election, the Board shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of not less than two members, not standing for elections themselves. The Election Committee shall count the ballots and shall declare Board members those candidates receiving the most valid votes, by May 31. The new Board members shall assume office on June 1.
If unavoidable delays are encountered in the election procedure, the old Board members shall continue in office until their successors are elected and the above dates shall be adjusted accordingly.
The Board may fill an interim vacancy on the Board until the next regular election by a 2/3 vote of all members of the Board.

Article VI. Amendment of the Bylaws

Proposed bylaw amendments may be submitted by petition of 12 vegetarian members or by the Board at any time.
Proposed bylaw amendments submitted by petition of 12 vegetarian members prior to November 1 of any year and amendments proposed by the Board will be scheduled for a vote no later than the next annual general meeting.
Voting on bylaw amendments may be conducted at the annual general meeting upon the vote of 3/4 of the members present. Otherwise, voting on bylaw amendments shall be conducted by mail. In either case, a majority of those voting shall amend the bylaws.

Vegetarian Society of the District of Columbia, Inc. Bylaws (Rev. 1997)