Wyoming Council of the Blind By-Laws (2004)

Article I. Name
 The name of this organization shall be Wyoming Council of the Blind.
Article II. Purposes
 The purposes of this non-profit membership organization are to strive for the betterment of our communities.
A. By representing blind and visually impaired persons in the state of Wyoming.
B. By providing a forum for the views of the blind and visually impaired persons in the state of Wyoming.
C. By elevating the social, economic and cultural level of the blind and visually impaired.
D. By improving education and rehabilitation facilities.
E. By broadening vocational opportunities.
F. By encouraging and assisting the blind and visually impaired, especially the newly blind and visually impaired, to develop their abilities and potentials, and to assume their responsible places in their communities.
G. By cooperating with public and private entities and agencies of and for the blind and visually impaired.
H. By providing for the free exchange of ideas, opinions and information about impaired persons.
I. By assisting in the improvement of the employment and general welfare of the blind people through affiliation with the American Council of the Blind.
J. And to do any lawful thing in furtherance of blind and visually impaired persons.
K. For every paid membership, the Wyoming Council of the Blind shall submit appropriate dues to the American Council of the Blind.
Article III. Voting and dues
A. Regular membership in this organization shall be open to any person residing in Wyoming who is 18 years or older, providing that at all times a majority of all voting members must be blind or visually impaired. Dues for regular membership will be set at $15.00 (fifteen dollars.) Associate membership dues will be set at $25.00 (twenty-five dollars) minimum.
B. Junior members may be anyone blind or visually impaired under 18 years of age. Dues shall be $4.00 (four dollars) per year, with $1.00 (one dollar) going to the American Council of the Blind, and $3.00 (three dollars) remaining with the Wyoming Council of the Blind. Payment of dues shall entitle junior members to voice and voting privileges.
C. Each voting member of this organization who attends a membership convention shall be entitled to one vote.
D. Associate, supporting and sustaining membership shall be open to any interested individual, association, firm or corporation.
E. Dues for voting members in this organization shall be set by the membership, except that the Board of Directors may adjust the dues to keep members of this organization in good standing with the American Council of the Blind. Membership dues are payable before March 1.
F. The amount of dues payable by associate, supporting and sustaining members shall be fixed by the Board of Directors of this organization.

Article IV. Board of Directors terms and elections
A. Officers of this organization shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer, and their terms shall be for two years. President and Vice President shall be elected in even-numbered years. Secretary and Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years. President and Vice President shall be blind or visually impaired. Secretary and Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer may be sighted, visually impaired or blind.
B. In addition to the officers, this organization shall have six directors elected for two-year terms. Three will be elected in even-numbered years, and three will be elected in odd-numbered years. The directors, along with the officers shall compose the Board of Directors of this organization. They shall conduct the business from convention to convention. Members of the Board of Directors must be voting members, and the majority of the board must be blind or visually impaired.
C. The membership will elect two alternate board members, one to elected in odd-numbered years and one elected in even-numbered years, serving two-year terms. The alternate board members may be appointed by the Board of Directors to sit in at board meetings to constitute a quorum.
Article V. Board of Directors’ and Officers’ powers and duties
A. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of this organization between annual conventions, provided that they shall not take any official action in conflict with any existing policy or decision made by the membership.
B. The officers shall perform the usual functions of their offices as prescribed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, which shall govern all proceedings of this organization.
C. The secretary shall furnish each member of the Board of Directors a summary of all official actions taken at the annual convention, and at regular or special meetings.
D. The treasurer shall maintain a role of all members in good standing. He/she shall make a financial report at each membership convention and at each meeting of the Board of Directors. He/she shall be bonded for an amount fixed by the Board of Directors.
E. All checks issued by the treasurer shall be countersigned by the president and/or a board member as designated by the Board of Directors.
Article VI. Conventions and hearings
A. This organization shall hold an annual convention of the membership. The times and place of annual conventions shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.
B. A quorum at any annual convention shall consist of members in good standing, no less than 10% (ten percent.)
C. At the request of at least three board members, the president must call a special meeting.
D. The membership shall be notified in writing of the time and place of each annual convention at least 30 days prior to the date of any such convention.
E. The members of the Board of Directors shall be notified of the time and place of each meeting of the Board of Directors. Meetings of the Board may be held by conference telephone with a member on the phone simultaneously.
Article VII. Non-profit status
A. This shall be a non-profit organization and it shall qualify to tax exempt status as provided by law.
B. No part of the net earnings of this organization shall inure to the benefit of, or distributed to its members, directors, officers or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered, and to make payment and distributions in the furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or any corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
Article VIII. Legislation
No substantial part of the activities of this organization shall consist of attempting to influence legislation except as permitted by Section 501 (H) of the Internal Revenue code.
Article IX, Dissolution
Upon dissolution of this organization, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision, distribute all of the assets of the organization to the American Council of the Blind or any successor organization thereto, or in the event of the prior dissolution of such organization, to one or more other non-profit organization within Wyoming or the United States of American having purposes similar to those of this organization, serving blind or visually impaired persons, and qualifying under Section 501 © of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or any corresponding provision of any future United Stated Internal Revenue law.
Article I. Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a vote at the state convention by two-thirds of the voting members attending.
1993 Amendments by consensus
If a vacant seat occurs between conventions, the Board of Directors may appoint to fill that position until the next convention. The membership will elect an individual to fill the remainder of the term.

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