Fancy Mouse Breeders’ Association By-Laws

Contents

Article I : Name
Article II: Mission Statement
Article III: Views
Article IV: Object
Article V: Ethics
Article VI: Membership
Article VII: Dues
Article VIII: Voting
Article IX: Amendments to the Bylaws
Article X: Officers
Article XI: Election of Officers and Terms of Office
Article XII: Trustees
Article XIII: Show Officials
Article XIV: Standards
Article XV: Clubs and Chapters
Article XVI: Sabbatical/Leave of Absence
Article XVII: Vacancies
Article XVIII: Impeachment
Article XIX: General Meetings
Article XX: Dissolution

ARTICLE I:

NAME

  1. The name of the organization shall be Fancy Mouse Breeders’ Association, Inc., and will be taking steps to become an Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) non profit/tax exempt organization, hereinafter referred to as the FMBA.

ARTICLE II:

MISSION STATEMENT

  1. The FMBA shall support and educate breeders, caregivers, exhibitors, and other mouse enthusiasts, and promote the humane treatment of mice.
  2. The FMBA mission statement shall be achieved through the accomplishment of the following goals. The FMBA shall:
    1. Sponsor shows and support the exhibition of mice at those shows.
    2. Educate regarding the humane keeping, breeding, and exhibiting of mice.
    3. Create, adopt, and maintain the standards by which mice will be judged.
    4. Compile and maintain a breeder listing, member/stud records, and show records.
    5. Create and maintain online resources for membership and owner education.

ARTICLE III:

VIEWS

  1. The FMBA does not as a club possesses a view on, for or against:
    1. Culling mice,
    2. Feeding mice to other animals, or
    3. Owning reptiles or other mouse-eating animals.
  2. The views of the members are their own and do not reflect any policy of the FMBA.

ARTICLE IV:

OBJECT

  1. The objects of the FMBA shall be to promote the responsible keeping, breeding, and exhibiting of mice (Mus musculus); to publish the definition of the accepted varieties as the recognized standards; and to adopt these standards for varieties as they present themselves. The FMBA will support the exhibition and exhibition competition for the purpose of advancing and promoting the interest in mice.
  2. The FMBA will also work to urge responsibility in the keeping, breeding, showing, and selling of mice. The FMBA will encourage responsible husbandry of mice including, but not limited to:
    1. careful and conscientious attention to selling/giving of surplus animals,
    2. attention to local laws with regard to mouse keeping,
    3. breeding to protect lines from deleterious genetic defect, and
    4. providing mice with the complete nutrition and adequate housing.

ARTICLE V:

CODE OF ETHICS

  1. Members should conduct themselves at all times so as to set an example of good sportsmanship and cooperation. All FMBA members are expected to treat each other professionally, based on mutual respect, trust, and individual dignity. The FMBA does not tolerate any form of harassment. Members who behave in a manner contrary to this Code of Ethics will have their behavior brought before the Board for disciplinary action. No person shall use the FMBA member/mailing list or social mediums for inappropriate, injurious, or non-FMBA related business. Member(s) found doing so shall be expelled.
  2. The FMBA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to selection of volunteers and vendors and provision of services.

ARTICLE VI:

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership Eligibility

  1. Membership is open to all who subscribe to the views, objects, and bylaws of the FMBA. By paying membership dues, members accept these bylaws and are contractually bound by them.

Section 2. Classification of Members

  1. The FMBA shall have two classes of members. These are Full and Junior as outlined herein. All members must be in good standing as described within these bylaws and must abide by all FMBA standing rules and regulations also included in these bylaws. The term “member” when used hereinafter shall mean member in good standing unless otherwise indicated.
    1. Full Members: Full members, referred to henceforth as “members” except when differentiating between Full and Junior members, shall bear the responsibility for the direction and operations of the FMBA by their right to vote for Officers and Committee members, as well as any motions brought before them by the Executive Board.
    2. Junior Members: Junior membership shall be available to individuals under sixteen. Junior membership shall require the written consent of at least one parent or guardian of the applying minor. Junior members shall pay one half of the full membership dues in effect at the time of their application. Junior members will have access to FMBA member services, save that junior members shall not have voting privileges until attaining the age of sixteen. After the members sixteenth birthday, and upon their annual due date, they will become a member, and shall pay the full membership dues in effect at that time.

Section 3. Privileges of Members

  1. A member is considered to be “in good standing” if they have paid their dues, have not been suspended or expelled, and have not resigned.
  2. All members are entitled to participate in and to attend all FMBA sponsored events and functions, including but not limited to shows, meetings, meetups, and chapter events.
  3. Members who are paid in full are entitled to listing on the FMBA website, including such information as stud name, logo, location, breeder name(s), varieties bred, etc.
  4. Members are entitled to receive monthly issues of the FMBA Newsletter via email, and to contribute to that Newsletter at the discretion of the Editor.
  5. Members may vote in general elections, and may run for offices as described elsewhere.

Section 4. Suspension and Expulsion

  1. Any member of the FMBA found to be in violation of the objects, ethics, or rules of the FMBA is subject to expulsion by the Executive Board.
  2. Members believed to be in violation of the FMBA standards shall be subject to suspension until the Executive Board can review the facts and circumstances.
  3. In any case in which the conduct of the member shall, in the opinion of the Executive Board, be determined to be contrary to the objectives of the FMBA, the Executive Board will have the authority to suspend that member’s privileges until a review can be made. A review shall be conducted as soon as administratively feasible.
  4. A hearing will be held to review the facts in the case. Upon completion, the status of the member will be determined by a majority vote of the Board. If the grounds are unfounded, the member may be returned to membership. If the member is found in violation of the FMBA standards, the Board may vote to suspend or expel the member from the FMBA, based on the severity of the charges.
  5. Members shall be permitted a summary of the review of the actions which precipitated the action and the presentation of the evidence to those actions.  
  6. Members may file a written appeal of the Board’s decision by notifying the Secretary in writing within ten business days of the Board’s decision. Such appeal shall include a complete explanation of the reasons for believing that the decision of the Board is unreasonable and/or unsubstantiated.
  7. The President (or Vice President in the event of absence of the President) shall have the authority to convene an Executive Board meeting for the purpose of hearing or reviewing an appeal, or denying the application for appeal. An application for appeal shall not unreasonably be denied.
  8. A suspended, expelled, or resigned member may not vote or participate in any meeting, show exhibition or competition, be allowed to judge, have access or use of the FMBA membership and/or mailing lists, or have any of the rights, privileges, or benefits of membership. If such member has in his possession at the time or suspension or expulsion any paperwork or other properties, that person shall be responsible for the immediate return of all items to the Secretary, and forfeit any right or benefit associated with said items.
  9. Individuals re-applying for membership after an expulsion hearing will require Board approval before their membership application will be accepted, if that hearing ended with either a resignation or an expulsion. Such reapplication will not be accepted within one full year of the original hearing.

ARTICLE VII:

DUES

  1. Application for membership must be accompanied by the fee for one year. All fees are payable in advance to the Treasurer at the time of application for membership or renewal. No person shall become a member until after such dues have been paged (checks have cleared). The Board reserves the right to reject any application for membership or renewal. The Board also has the right to revoke privileges of members or deny privileges to non-members, as it deems necessary for the welfare of the FMBA.
  2. Memberships up for renewal will be notified by email. Members not renewing within 2 weeks of their expiration date shall be dropped from the records. Persons whose memberships have lapsed will not be able to vote. Dues shall not be prorated for a membership/calendar year. Membership is carried on basis of a calendar year.
  3. If the membership of any person ceases for any reason, and is re-accepted into membership by the Board, the period of membership shall count from the date of re-acceptance only, unless waived by the Board.
  4. Any necessary change in dues schedule for any class of membership shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board.

ARTICLE VIII:

VOTING

  1. Voting privileges shall be reserved for members only. Ratification of any proposal, unless otherwise specified, shall be made by a majority vote of the voting membership at the time ratification is being considered, provided a quorum of eight members are present. Voting shall be made by e-mail any other medium approved by the Executive Board prior to the motion for a vote.

ARTICLE IX:

AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

  1. Any proposed amendment must be dated and submitted to the FMBA Executive Board after being endorsed by at least ten percent of the current members. The proposal must be submitted in writing to the President for a substantive review, as well as clarification, grammatical, and syntax review.
  2. Suggested amendments to these bylaws must first be reviewed and authorized by the Trustees by a unanimous vote.
  3. After the substantive review, if accepted by the Executive Board and Trustees, and at their discretion, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the membership for review and discussion no less than thirty days before it is to be voted upon. It may be presented to the membership at a special Internet chat meeting, through e-mail, or by Postal Service mail. Ratification of the amendment shall be made by the affirmative majority vote of the voting membership present at the Internet chat, or respondents.
  4. If the Executive Board determines that the proposed amendment is not substantive in nature or not in the best interest of the FMBA , the proposed amendment shall not be presented to the membership and shall be returned to the parties who submitted such proposed amendment with a written explanation outlining the reasons for declination.
  5. In the event that the amendment deals directly with the sections of the bylaws regarding the Executive Board, the amendment may be presented to the Trustees rather than the Executive Board.

ARTICLE X:

OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers

  1. Governing officers of the FMBA shall form the body of the Board. Such governing officers shall include:
    1. President:
      1. The President shall:
        1. preside over the meetings of the membership and of the Board,
        2. call for general membership and Board votes,
        3. approve projects/activities,
        4. oversee activities of other board members,
        5. act as social media liaison for the club, and
        6. inform the membership of changes or progress on committee and Board projects.
    2. Vice President:
      1. The Vice President shall:
        1. preside over Board meetings in the absence of the President,
        2. call for Board votes in the President’s absence,
        3. maintain the physical stock associated with shows, and
        4. plan show exhibitions in coordination with local contacts, including,
          1. siting a venue for the show,
          2. arranging accommodations for members, exhibitors, and vendors,
          3. assigning individuals as needed for setup, tear-down, and insuring the events proceed as scheduled.
      2. If the President resigns, takes a Sabbatical, or is unable to serve out their term the Vice President will assume the role of Acting President.
    3. Secretary:
      1. The Secretary shall:
        1. preside over Board meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President,
        2. call for Board votes in the absence of the President and Vice President,
        3. maintain minutes and records of meetings and approved motions,
        4. maintain current list and contact information of Board members,
        5. maintain the FMBA website, updating it at least fortnightly as needed,
        6. maintain the files on the FMBA Facebook group,
        7. maintain the points system for members,
        8. prepare an annual report of show results for the Editor, and
        9. review the Newsletter before sending it to club members.
      2. For the purposes of show exhibitions, the Secretary shall:
        1. receive all entries for the show, pet class, and other events the day of the show,  
        2. split sections as described in the Show Standard Procedures, and
        3. assign Judges to sections and events.
      3. In the event the Secretary is not able to attend a show, or has a conflict of interest, their show-related duties fall to an appointed Show Secretary.
      4. The Secretary shall perform any other duties customary with this office.
    4. Treasurer:
      1. The Treasurer shall:
        1. maintain the club’s financial accounts,
        2. manage payments to vendors and locations,
        3. prepare annual financial reports for the FMBA general membership,
        4. prepare any necessary annual government filings which may be required,
          1. and in preparing such government filings, the Treasurer at their sole discretion may utilize the services of a reputable CPA or accountant on a fee for services basis,
        5. collect dues and deposit said dues, contributions, and any other remuneration payable to the FMBA, and
        6. keep records of all FMBA finances, transactions, and accruals of all tangible assets of the FMBA,
          1. and in so doing shall report these transactions and records to the members and the Board as they occur.
      2. The Treasurer shall perform any other duties customary with this office.
    5. Editor:
      1. The Editor is responsible for the FMBA Newsletter, to be sent to all paying members monthly via email in PDF format.
      2. The Editor is responsible for assembling the Newsletter, with content including but not limited to
        1. show results,
        2. upcoming or recent officer elections,
        3. member-submitted content,
        4. overviews of recent online discussions,
        5. and mouse-related happenings.
        6. Show results are required in the first subsequent issue, up to and including selected judges’ notes.
      3. The Editor has the right to edit member-submitted content for length, spelling/grammar, and tone. Inappropriate and defamatory content will not be accepted, and will be deleted prior to publication.
      4. Events advertised in the Newsletter that are FMBA or Local Charter events are included at no cost to the advertiser.
      5. Vendors and non-FMBA events may request that an ad be placed in the Newsletter at a rate of $10 per quarter-page per issue. Members may place ads for their studs (not for events or sales) at a rate of $5 per quarter-page per issue.
      6. The December issue is to include top winners for the year, major milestones, and any other yearbook-type contributions as submitted by the membership or generated by the Editor.
  2. The Board shall hold meetings as deemed necessary by the President or by motion made by any Board member and approved by the President.  Meetings shall be conducted by Internet chat, teleconferencing or any other medium approved by a majority of the Board, provided it is reasonably accessible to all.
  3. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor shall form the Executive Board.
  4. Officers may form committees as needed with approval from the Board by majority vote, and may assign members to those committees on an as-needed basis. They may delegate duties to these committees, provided they do not put club funds or sensitive member information at risk, but are ultimately responsible for ensuring that these duties are completed and a timely and proper manner.
  5. Officers moderate the club’s Facebook presence as part of a team with Trustees. Moderation of a member of the page, excepting spam or violence which can be acted upon immediately, should be brought to the attention of available admins so that an agreed-upon solution can be reached.

Section 2. Voting

  1. Any decisions made by the Board shall require a majority vote of the Board members. The vote may be taken by any means which is acceptable to the members of the Board including proxy vote.

ARTICLE XI:

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND TERMS OF OFFICE

Section 1. Terms

  1. The term of office for each of the Board officers shall be for one year. The officers may succeed themselves if so elected, up to a maximum of three consecutive terms in a single position, four consecutive terms across all positions. Should an officer hit their term limit, they are not permitted to run in the following election. Elections shall be held in November for the next term of office. The new officers assume office on January 1 of the year for which they were elected.

Section 2. Eligibility

  1. Eligibility for the Board shall be open to members that have been in good standing for at least one year, be at least eighteen years of age, have been actively participating in show and other events of the FMBA during that time, be breeding fancy mice toward a standard, and have the necessary skills to do the duties expected by the FMBA.
  2. FMBA Board members may not hold a Board and/or Office position in any other clubs dealing with mice.
  3. FMBA Board members may only hold one Board position in a given term.
  4. Board members appointed to fill vacancies on the Board may be excepted from these eligibility requirements.

Section 3. Nominations

  1. All nominations shall be opened in September and shall close in October.

Section 4. Voting

  1. Voting for officers will be held in November. The voting shall be conducted as outlined in Article VIII.

ARTICLE XII:

TRUSTEES

  1. There shall be as many as five FMBA trustees. As Founders of the Fancy Mouse Breeders’ Association, Tara Simmons and Margaret Laigaie form the first Board of Trustees. A Trustee’s term shall be for the earlier of
    1. Resignation
    2. Removal or
    3. Life.

Section 1. Eligibility

  1. Eligibility for the Board of Trustees shall be to any member of the Executive Board who has served for no less than three years total, at which time their names will be added to a list of possible Trustees. The current Trustees shall vote from time to time, as needed, for new Trustees.
  2. A unanimous vote is required to add a new Trustee.

Section 2. Role of the Trustees

  1. Trustees shall exercise supervisory control over the then existing Board.
  2. If the Trustees agree, through a unanimous vote, that the FMBA has become compromised, the Trustees shall have the authority to step in, dissolve the board and assume the leadership.
  3. The Trustees will select a Spokesperson for the Trustees to impart the results of these votes. The Trustees shall always act in the best interest of the FMBA and consistent with the spirit of these bylaws.
  4. Trustees are part of the moderating team for the club’s Facebook presence, following the same rules as described in X.1.5.

Section 3. Removal & Impeachment of a Trustee

  1. All Trustees shall be FMBA members in good standing. If a Trustee’s FMBA membership lapses, or they are inaccessible to the Board of Trustees for greater than one month without taking a Sabbatical; that Trustee shall be considered to have resigned their position. In such a case, nothing shall prevent the reinstatement of a former Trustee by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees. Trustees may be impeached.

ARTICLE XIII:

SHOW OFFICIALS

Section 1. Judges

  1. There shall be judges for the sanctioned exhibition shows, pet and youth classes.
    1. Official Judge
      1. Prerequisites: An official judge must have judged each section at least once and have experience as a Probationary Judge in at least 3 FMBA Shows, not including virtual shows. Must have approval by majority of the combined Official Judges and Board members.
    2. Head Judge: At any show with multiple Official Judges, one such judge should be nominated by the Secretary to the position of Head Judge. The Head Judge is responsible for holding Judge’s Meetings before and after the event and collecting the judges’ notes about the show for the Secretary in the event that a steward is not present. In event of a dispute over judging, the Head Judge’s vote may act as a tiebreaker. At shows with no Official Judges, the Secretary may assign these duties to Probationary Judges, save that Probationary Judges must come to a consensus vote.
    3. Probationary Judge
      1. Prerequisites: Previous experience as a judge for another mouse club, OR Consistently successful at show; winning high honors, OR Served as a Steward. Need not meet requirements for time spent breeding, exhibiting, or as a member.
      2. Training: A Probationary Judge is considered to be in training. They must partake in all training offered by the FMBA, save any offered at shows they do not attend. Virtual shows qualify as training, but do not qualify towards status as an Official Judge.
      3. Officiating: A Probationary Judge must have their scoring reviewed by an Official Judge. In the absence of an Official Judge, a panel of three Probationary Judges may preside over a section.
    4. Guest Judge
      1. Prerequisites: A person recognized as an experienced Official Judge by another mouse club and has FMBA Board approval. Need not be a FMBA member.
      2. Officiating: A Guest Judge must have their scoring reviewed by an Official Judge. Guest Judges may not judge an entire show without an Official Judge present.
    5. Youth Judge
      1. Prerequisites: A Youth Judge may be any member in good standing, with at least thirteen years of age, competent enough to handle a mouse, judge fairly without bias, and have the approval of the Board.  Served as a Steward to an Official Judge during at least one show.
      2. Training: A Youth Judge is considered to be in-training. They must partake in all training offered by the FMBA, save any offered at shows they do not attend.
      3. Officiating: A Youth Judge must have their scoring reviewed by an Official Judge.
    6. Pet Judge
      1. Eligibility: A Pet Judge may be any member in good standing, with at least eighteen years of age, competent enough to handle a mouse, and judge fairly without bias, and have the approval of either the Show Registrar, or the Board. Need not meet requirements for time spent breeding, exhibiting, or as a member. The Pet Judge may judge only the Pet Class.

Section 2. Eligibility of Judges

  1. All eligibility requirements apply to Official Judges, with all other types of Judges having exemptions for some categories of eligibility. Any member in good standing, with at least eighteen years of age, must have at least two years’ practical breeding experience of mice, have exhibited in three FMBA shows in the past two year period, have been a member of the FMBA for two years, and be nominated by an Official Judge or Board member.

Section 3. Classification of Show Officials

  1. Show Secretary
    1. The Show Secretary shall be responsible on the day of the event for recording all awards and certificates earned, photographs of winners, act as a liaison between the Judges and the Exhibitors, including sectioning off an adequate judging area, and to call for mice to be benched at the appropriate times. In the absence of the Secretary on the day of the show, the Show Secretary shall have all the responsibilities and duties of a Secretary, and may draft mice for the show.  
  2. Steward
    1. A Steward shall be responsible for assisting a judge with note taking, communicating with the Show Secretary, and pulling sections for judging.  A steward is forbidden to speak about any details concerning a mouse, or offer opinions within earshot or a judge, unless specifically asked. Nor talk to anyone, other than the Show Secretary about prizes, awards or certificates earned until all results are announced. Stewards may ask questions of the judge they are stewarding for in order to clarify their notes. Stewards are responsible for turning in judges’ notes to the Secretary.
  3. Health Inspector
    1. A Health Inspector shall be responsible for health screening all animals that enter the hall the day of the show including, but not limited to, animals brought in by Members, Exhibitors, and Vendors. At their discretion they may accept or reject any individual animal, a cage of animals, or any/all animals traveling together from the event hall, in accordance with the official rules for health inspection as listed on the FMBA website. Animals or cages may also be marked as appropriate to indicate non-contagious issues.  The Health Inspector does not check their own animals. The Show Secretary (or their designee) checks the Health Inspector’s animals.

ARTICLE XIV:

STANDARDS

  1. Standards as they exist at the start of the club are ratified separately from the bylaws by a majority vote of members.
  2. Additional standards may be brought to the Board by a group of three member-breeders who have agreed upon a written standard for a new variety. Upon a Board vote, this new variety is accepted as a provisional standard for a period of up to two years.
  3. If that period elapses without the provisional standard being formalized into a permanent standard, the provisional standard is void. Nothing prevents the standard from being re-presented to the Board at this point, though the Board should carefully consider a re-presented provisional standard.
  4. Provisional standards may be entered into shows, but may not win top honors (BIS, BOS, BOA). They are to be included in the Unstandardized section, even if an insufficient number of entries warrant the section being included at a show.
  5. Before a provisional standard may be accepted into the standards on a permanent basis, that variety must see at least twelve unique entries at FMBA shows by at least three breeders at at least three shows, where a unique entry is defined as being a single mouse.
  6. Upon a provisional standard meeting the above requirement, the standard is to be voted upon by a group comprising of all Official Judges, Board members, and Trustees, with a majority vote being sufficient to formalize the standard. Judges who have judged the variety and members who have shown the variety will be heard before a vote takes place.

ARTICLE XV:

CLUBS AND CHAPTERS

  1. All chapters of the Fancy Mouse Breeders’ Association, Inc., must operate within the basic framework of all rules and regulations of this association and are autonomous to the FMBA, by virtue of being governed by their own rules and by-laws (self-governing), save as described herein.
    1. Any member of this association in good standing may organize a chapter composed of breeders in their region for the purpose of creating interest and advancing the fancy. Upon submitting a charter for the chapter to the Board, the Board will discuss the charter with the prospective chapter members prior to voting. A majority vote of the Board approves the chapter.
    2. Local chapters shall have a minimum of five FMBA members in order to renew the chapter every two years. FMBA members may belong to only one local chapter.
      1. Chapters denying membership to FMBA members in their region may be questioned about this behavior, with possible repercussions up to and including revoking the charter of the chapter.
    3. No charter will be granted to any chapters within a region where a chartered club exists without the approval of the FMBA Board, who shall make a thorough investigation before issuing approval. If any local chapters becomes inactive or has insufficient members to qualify for a charter, its charter may be revoked by the Board. If for some reason the region has a need for an additional local chapters, the FMBA Board may grant an additional charter if deemed to be in the best interest of its members. The Board may also ask that a chapter split its region in order to form new chapters.
    4. Local chapters organize meets, swaps, and pet class only shows. These events should be held at a central location, or as preferred by the chapter’s members. Events may be focused toward educational outreach, trading between breeders, hosting fun shows, member outings, or other such things as decided by the chapter’s members.
      1. Any awards, ribbons or prizes awarded are to be provided by the hosting local chapter. Any awards or ribbons earned will not be recognized by the FMBA for credit towards the points system.
      2. Chapter events must follow FMBA event guidelines, including quarantine requirements, allowing any/all FMBA members to attend, and a ban on blacklisting at such events.
      3. Local chapters may coordinate official FMBA shows with the approval of the Secretary.

ARTICLE XVI:

SABBATICAL/LEAVE OF ABSENCE

  1. Absences of three or fewer days by Board members do not require Board notification. A notice to the Board is required for an absence of more than three days. Sabbatical, for duration of up to two months, can be requested by a Board member needing to be temporarily relieved of their responsibilities.
  2. A Board member may take no more than four months of sabbatical per calendar year. If a Board member requires more than four months sabbatical, said Board member may instead resign their position. In such a case, nothing shall prevent the reinstatement of a former Board member by a majority vote of the Board.
  3. Upon notification of a Board member’s sabbatical, the Board may assign the missing Board members responsibilities to any willing member of the Board, or to other persons as deemed necessary and approved by the Board in a majority vote.
  4. Should the President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer resign their position, they may not run for that same position within the calendar year they resigned their office without a majority vote of the Board in approval.

ARTICLE XVII:

VACANCIES

  1. If single vacancies exist on the Executive Board, such vacancies may be filled by the remaining Board members by a majority vote. The Board may choose from any member of the FMBA. Any member so elected to the Executive Board shall serve out the remaining term of the Board member they replaced.
  2. In the event of multiple vacancies on the Board, a special election will be held as soon as possible to fill the positions for the remainder of the current term. Nominations for special elections will be open for a period of one week, and the electees take office immediately.

ARTICLE XVIII:

IMPEACHMENT

  1. Any Board member may be brought up on charges by any two members in writing presented to the President for review and presentation. This is voted upon by the membership as otherwise described. Should the Secretary be charged as prescribed, the charges should be given to any other officer as agreed to by the Board.
  2. Trustees may be brought up on charges by any two board members in writing presented to another Trustee for review and presentation. This is voted upon by the other Trustees with a unanimous vote required to remove a Trustee.

ARTICLE XIX:

GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. A general meeting of all members in good standing will be held at least once annually at a time and date determined by a majority vote of the Board. Members will be notified of meeting dates, times and agendas by e-mail or any other method practical at least thirty days before the meeting. Such meetings shall be held by Internet chat or any other medium proposed by the Board and approved by a majority vote of the voting membership body.  
  2. Forty percent of the members, rounded up, may form a quorum.
  3. Motions by members must be made in advance of any membership meeting by notifying the President in writing of the motion. Notification must be received at least ten days before the membership meeting.

ARTICLE XX:

DISSOLUTION

  1. In the event of dissolution, should the FMBA be a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit at this time, all the remaining assets and property of the FMBA shall after necessary expenses thereof be distributed to another organization, preferably one exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or corresponding provisions of any subsequent Federal tax laws, or to the Federal government, or state or local government for a public purpose upon approval of a Justice of the Supreme Court of the relevant state.