Wordcraft Circle

Bylaws

PREAMBLE
In the name of the People of the sovereign Native nations and tribes, we do adopt these bylaws which are governed by and subject to the provisions contained within the Articles of Incorporation of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, hereafter referred to as Wordcraft Circle, for the regulation of the internal affairs and members as well as its relations with others.

ARTICLE I - Code of Ethics
Section 1. All Wordcraft Circle members shall abide by the Wordcraft Circle Code of Ethics as follows:

I pledge to:

actively support the vision of Wordcraft Circle to ensure that the voices of Native writers and storytellers -- past, present, and future -- are heard throughout the world

willingly share my knowledge about the craft of writing and storytelling with those who aspire to be storytellers and writers

conduct myself in public in a manner which brings honor to Wordcraft Circle.

ARTICLE II - Membership
Section 1. There shall be two classes of members: Native and non-Native who shall be voting members. Wordcraft Circle does not discriminate on the basis of sovereign Indigenous Native nation/tribal affiliation, degree of blood quantum, national origin. race, color, creed, disability, lifestyle, or sexual orientation.

Section 2. There shall be three categories of members within each class: Regular, Elder, or Student.

Section 3. An individual general known to be from a sovereign Indigenous Native nation/tribe or has an ancestor who was an enrolled or non-enrolled member of a United States federal, non-federal, recognized or non-recognized American Indian nation or tribe or Alaska Native, or Native Hawai'ian, or Canadian status or non-status First Nation, or Indigenous People of the world who state on the application for membership form the sovereign Indigenous Native nation/nations with which the individual is affiliated or is descended shall be identified as Native.

Section 4. An individual who does not state on the membership application form the name of the sovereign Indigenous Native nation/nations with which the individual is affiliated or does not otherwise qualify under the provisions of Article 11 Section 3 of these bylaws shall be identified as non-Native.

Section 5. The qualifications of applicants for membership shall be considered by a Membership Status committee consisting of a Chairperson and two or more members, each of whom shall be members in good standing of Wordcraft Circle, who shall be appointed by the National Director. The Membership Status committee shall make such investigations as it deem expedient before submitting its recommendation concerning the granting of membership for approval or rejection to the National Director. In the event the National Director over-rides the recommendation of the Membership Status committee, the final decision to approve or reject an applicant shall be made by a unanimous vote of the National Caucus.

Section 6. A voting Native/non-Native member in good standing shall be a member whose dues are not more than three (3) months delinquent and who completes and returns an annual update form. Only members in good standing shall be eligible to hold office or receive any Wordcraft Circle publication at the expense of Wordcraft Circle. The National Director may waive any provision in this section.

Section 7. Application for membership shall be on a form and must be accompanied by the full amount of dues for the calendar year. The National Director may waive the payment of all or part of the dues.

Section 8. Immediately upon approval of an applicant for membership, the name, address and all other information on the application shall be entered in the roster of members.

Section 9. Membership may be terminated for cause, after an appropriate hearing, by three/fourths (3/4) majority vote of the National Caucus.

Section 10. Membership fees for members shall be set by the National Caucus and approved by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE III - Voting
Section 1. Only Native/non-Native members in good standing shall be entitled to vote.

Section 2. All voting shall be by ballot and shall be by mail, electronic (email) transmission /web or facsimile (FAX).

Section 3. The National Director or her/his designee shall tabulate all votes and submit the results to the board of directors for final review and approval. Upon approval by a majority vote of the board of directors, the National Director shall announce the results.

ARTICLE IV - Dues
Section 1. Dues, if any, shall be set by a resolution of the National Caucus which shall be voted on by members in good standing of Wordcraft Circle. The National Director shall submit the results to the board of directors for final review and approval. Upon approval by a majority vote of the board of directors, the National Director shall announce the results.

Section 2. Dues, if any, may not be increased or special assessments imposed without the consent by a vote of a three-fourths (3/4) majority of members in good standing approving such an increase or special assessment. The National Director shall submit the results to the board of directors for review and final approval. Upon approval by a majority vote of the board of directors, the National Director shall announce the results.

ARTICLE V - Meetings
Section 1. A general meeting of the membership may be held each year, if feasible, upon at least three (3) days notice for the purposes stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 2. The board of directors shall meet at least once each calendar year upon three (3) days notice for the purposes stated in the notice of the meeting and all matters shall be incorporated in the Official Minutes of Wordcraft Circle.

Section 3. The National Caucus may meet from time to time as determined by a majority vote of the elected members of the National Caucus. No action taken by the National Caucus shall be binding on Wordcraft Circle unless reviewed and approved by a majority vote of the board of directors.

ARTICLE VI - Financial
Section 1. The fiscal year shall begin January 1st of each year.

ARTICLE VII - Board of Directors
Section 1. There shall be a board of directors as provided in the Articles of Incorporation.

Section 2. Control of all Wordcraft Circle property, funds, records, functions, and operations shall be vested in the board of directors, which, excepted as specifically restricted by these bylaws, shall initiate, adopt, and cause to be executed, such rules, regulations and measures, not inconsistent with applicable law, as necessary or expedient for carrying out the vision and purposes of Wordcraft Circle, and for protecting and promoting the interests and welfare of its members.

Section 3. The officers of Wordcraft Circle shall be members of the board of directors who shall select from among themselves a President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer. The powers and duties shall be as determined by a unanimous vote of the board of directors which shall be incorporated in the Official Minutes of Wordcraft Circle.

Section 4. All original and copies of records shall be maintained at the physical location of the Registered Office of Wordcraft Circle as provided in the Articles of Incorporation and shall be open for inspection to the general public during normal business hours.

Section 5. No document shall be official or binding on Wordcraft Circle unless it is signed by two members of the board of directors, one of whom shall be the National Director.

ARTICLE VIII - National Caucus
Section 1. There shall be a National Caucus as provided in the Articles of Incorporation.

Section 2. The National Caucus shall consist of a maximum of sixteen (16) members in good standing, not including the National Director, one-half (1/2) of whom shall be women and one-half (1/2) men and of the total, three-fourths (3/4) must be Native as defined by these bylaws, who shall be elected by the members in good standing of Wordcraft Circle and shall serve for a term of two (2) years or until their successors are qualified and elected. Those elected may stand for re-election and if elected may succeed themselves on the National Caucus.

Section 3. In the event of the resignation or death of a member elected to serve on the National Caucus, the National Director may appoint a Wordcraft Circle member in good standing to serve the unexpired term.

Section 4. The National Director shall be the Chair of the National Caucus and shall preside at all meetings of the National Caucus conducting and directing all deliberations carried on through written correspondence, telephonic conference calls, electronic (email/web) transmissions. In the absence or temporary incapacitation of the National Director, a member of the board of directors shall act in her/his stead.

Section 5. The National Caucus is specifically empowered to recommend to the board of directors:

A. Execution of contracts

B. Employment of legal counsel and public accountants

C. Institution of legal proceedings when deemed to be the only available recourse for safeguarding the assets of Wordcraft Circle, or for the recovery of property, funds, or record which have been wilfully misappropriated or wrongfully withheld.

D. Special elections be held or votes requested from the general membership whenever necessary to the welt-being of Wordcraft Circle

E. Establishment of committees, boards, councils, and chapters for such a period of time as may be deemed necessary.

Section 6. The National Caucus shall be specifically denied the power to so obligate Wordcraft Circle as to unreasonably or dangerously impair its financial stability or the vision and purposes for which it is organized.

Section 7. The National Director may appoint a Caucus Nominating committee consisting of a Chairperson and two or more committee members all of whom shall be members in good standing. The Caucus Nominating committee shall recommend two (2) candidates, one woman and one man, from the roster of members in good standing for each of the Caucus positions to the National Director. The National Director or his/her designee shall confirm that the individuals nominated are members in good standing and have accepted nomination. The nominees shall provide a biographical profile, a recent photograph, and a statement citing the reason(s) for seeking to be elected to the National Caucus to the National Director or her/his designee. When a nominee has accepted the nomination and provided the biographical profile, photo, and statement, the National Director shall publish on the Wordcraft Circle website the name, photo, biographical profile and statement for access and to be voted for by members in good standing. Nominees who do not provide the necessary information by the date the voting begins shall not be eligible to be voted for by the members in good standing.

ARTICLE IX - National Director
Section 1. There shall be a National Director as provided in the Articles of Incorporation who shall be the Chief Executive / Administrative Officer of Wordcraft Circle. The National Director shall be a member of the board of directors.

Section 2. The National Director shall sign all contracts, agreements, or other documents including contracts authorized by action of the board of directors and binding upon Wordcraft Circle.

Section 3. The National Director is authorized to sign checks drawn upon all banks or institutions in which funds of Wordcraft Circle are on deposit.

Section 4. The National Director shall report on the financial state of Wordcraft Circle to the board of directors and may provide such report to the National Caucus and general membership from time to time or as directed by a majority vote of the board of directors.

Section 5. The National Director shall appoint, with the approval of the board of directors, an Associate National Director, Regional Directors, and other positions, not inconsistent with Law or these bylaws for a period of time as determined by the National Director to ensure the well-being of Wordcraft Circle.

Section 6. The National Director shall continue in his/her position until she/he resigns or dies. In the event the National Director resigns or dies or becomes incapacitated and unable to perform the duties of the office, the board of directors shall conduct a search to replace him/her.

ARTICLE X - Election Procedures
Section 1. The National Director or her/his designee shall tabulate ballots for all voting by members in good standing, the National Caucus, and the board of directors and shall record the results in the Official Minutes of Wordcraft Circle.

Section 2. Access to ballots for National Caucus elections shall be available to members in good standing for viewing at the registered office of Wordcraft Circle provided that a request is submitted in writing within thirty (30) days after the results have been announced.

ARTICLE XI - Amendments
Section 1. The Articles of Incorporation and bylaws may be amended, repeated, altered in part, or new bylaws may be adopted by the board of directors and executed by the National Director and the board secretary /treasurer. Such bylaws shall be void until filed with the New Mexico State Public Regulation Commission - Corporation Bureau.

ARTICLE XII - Approval
The foregoing bylaws were approved by a unanimous vote at a meeting of the board of directors held April 24, 2002 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Articles and Bylaws were filed and approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission - Corporation Bureau on May 2, 2002.