Proposed Bylaws Amendments

Current Proposed Bylaws Amendments Oregon | Nevada NEVADA PREFACE: The below are submitted for motion to amend the bylaws, under the current Bylaws of The USGenWeb Project. This is a process following the procedures of the current Bylaws under the final section on amendment of the Bylaws. Please consider each one SEPARATELY, and NOT as a whole. NOTICE The State of Nevada agrees to support your submitted changes to the bylaws. Patricia A. Scott Nevada State Coordinator These Bylaws Proposals were submitted to the SW Regional Representative of the Advisory Board on 4/17/02. THIS is the final form of submission. Thanks to all who have worked on refining these proposals. 1 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #1, pertaining to Article I of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization shall be "The USGenWeb Project." The name, "The USGenWeb Project," and "The XXGenWeb Project" (where XX is the two-letter postal code abbreviation for each state) are service marks and reserved exclusively for The USGenWeb Project and any websites representing The USGenWeb Project. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization shall be "The USGenWeb Project." The USGenWeb Project has associated State sites/projects/organizations which will be designated by "GenWeb" preceeded by the two letter Postal designation for the State, (Example: California GenWeb Project would be "CAGenWeb".) Other Local designations shall follow the same naming pattern. 2 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #2, pertaining to Article II of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE II. PURPOSE Section 1. The USGenWeb Project is an organized group of volunteers working to create an online center for genealogical research by linking every county in the United States. The purpose of this organization shall be to gather genealogical and historical information for free online access by researchers Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE II. PURPOSE Section 1. The USGenWeb Project is an organized group of volunteers working to create an online center for genealogical research by establishing and maintaining a series of websites, Repositories, and genealogical resources, for the purposes of RESEARCH and EDUCATION, which encompass every State, County, Territory, Possession, District, Borough and Parish in the United States, for free online access by researchers. 3 Proposed as Amendment #3 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #3, pertaining to Article II, section 2 of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 2. This purpose shall be accomplished by presenting websites which shall be central repositories of historical and genealogical research data, donated either by the website Coordinator or other contributor. In presenting this information, the foundation of the organization shall be at the local websites (county, township, parish, town, etc.) which shall be linked to the state websites which shall be linked to the national website. The USGenWeb Project shall also provide a "digital library" called The USGenWeb Project Archives(SM). Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 2. This purpose shall be accomplished by a mutual linkage of websites which shall be central repositories of historical and genealogical research data. The National website shall link to each State website, each state website shall link back to the national website. Each local website within each State shall mutually link to the State website, or County website if intermediate levels are provided. Each state shall link to their respective County and Local websites as well as other intermediate level websites within that county. All recognized USGenWeb Project sites will have The USGenWeb Logo prominently displayed near the top of the dedicated USGenWeb Project page and will link to the national website. The USGenWeb Project shall also provide a Digital Archive (specifically "The USGenWeb Project Data Library") and other sites including but not limited to "Special Projects". 4 Proposed as Amendment #4 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #4, pertaining to Article III of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE III. STATUS AS AN ORGANIZATION The USGenWeb Project, as a group of volunteers participating in a not-for-profit organization, is considered to be an "Unincorporated Non-Profit Association." Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE III. STATUS AS AN ORGANIZATION The USGenWeb Project (as a group of volunteers participating as a not-for-profit organization) is considered to be an "Unincorporated Non-Profit Association" operating to provide educational and research resources freely to the general public. The Official contact address of The USGenWeb Project is via The USGenWeb Project website http://usgenweb.org/. 5 Proposed as Amendment #5 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #4, pertaining to Article IV of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP Section 1. The only requirement for membership in The USGenWeb Project is a desire to assist in gathering and disseminating genealogical and historical information for free online access by researchers. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP Section 1. The first requirement for membership in The USGenWeb Project is a desire to assist in gathering and disseminating genealogical and historical information for free online access by researchers. The second requirement is to be a sanctioned Coordinator, or assistant Coordinator, of a local, county, state, or "Special Project" website sanctioned by The USGenWeb Project. Minimum standards of "good standing" apply. "Good standing" is demonstrated by responding promptly to email, supporting researchers' efforts to find information, maintaining their website(s) with appropriate content, and serving as a good example of the guidelines and standards of The USGenWeb Project. 6 Proposed as Amendment #6 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #6, pertaining to Article V of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE V. COMPOSITION OF ADVISORY BOARD The Advisory Board membership shall consist of: the National Coordinator, four (4) State Coordinator Regional Representatives, eight (8) Local Coordinator Regional Representatives, one (1) representative each from The USGenWeb Archives Project, The USGenWeb Census Project, and The USGenWeb Tombstone Project, and beginning in 1999, one (1) at-large representative. All shall have voting privileges except the National Coordinator who shall vote only in the case of a tie. The regions from which State Coordinator and Local Coordinator Representatives are elected shall be decided by the Advisory Board on an annual basis. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE V. COMPOSITION OF ADVISORY BOARD The Advisory Board membership shall consist of fifteen (15) members : the National Coordinator, four (4) State Coordinator Regional Representatives, eight (8) Local Coordinator Regional Representatives, one (1) representative of sanctioned "Special Projects" known as "Special Projects Coordinator", and one (1) at-large representative. All shall have voting privileges except the National Coordinator who shall vote only in the case of a tie. The regions from which State Coordinator and Local Coordinator Representatives are elected shall be decided by the Advisory Board on an annual basis. 7 Proposed as Amendment #7 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #7, pertaining to Article VI of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE VI: DUTIES/QUALIFICATIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD Section 1. The Advisory Board shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws, and by accepted parliamentary procedures. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE VI: DUTIES/QUALIFICATIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD Section 1. The Advisory Board shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws, and by accepted parliamentary procedures.The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice Sturgis is the current adopted standard, in its latest edition, as revised by The American Institute of Parliamentarians, and as modified to meet the specific needs of this Project, by Procedures guidelines of the Project. 8 Proposed as Amendment #8 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #8, pertaining to Article VI Section 3, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 3. The responsibilities of the Advisory Board shall include: addressing any problem issues as they arise, aiding the state projects upon request, overseeing elections, advising and mediating, if necessary, any grievances or appeals, and appointing a Webmaster to maintain the national website. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 3. The responsibilities of the Advisory Board shall include: addressing any problem issues as they arise, aiding the state projects upon request, overseeing elections, advising and mediating. if necessary, any grievances or appeals, appointing a Webmaster to maintain the national website, the development of operating procedures, policies, guidelines and standing rules, including but not limited to, the adoption of external standards, and the adaptation of those standards to best suit the smooth operation of The USGenWeb Project. All Policies of The USGenWeb Project shall be approved by the Advisory Board, and posted as appropriate with the Bylaws, and are included as an extension of the Bylaws by reference. Modification of "External Documents" referenced in the Bylaws requires a 2/3 majority of the voting quorum of the Advisory Board. Section 1 (added) The name, "The USGenWeb Project," and "The XXGenWeb Project" (where XX is the two-letter postal code abbreviation for each state) are service marks and reserved exclusively for The USGenWeb Project and any websites representing The USGenWeb Project. Section 2.(added)Licensing: The Advisory Board maintains the right to license the use of the Project's name and Logos to Special Projects working in cooperation with, and under the bylaws of, The USGenWeb Project. Those sanctioned Projects agree to abide by these bylaws when they accept and use "The USGenWeb Project" name and logos for use on their sites. Unassociated Genealogy or History sites may use designated logos and the project name in websites in which the graphic and/or text are an active link to The USGenWeb Project. The license of the use of "The USGenWeb Project" name and associated images by subsidiary entities, and those who have no connection to the Project, may be revoked by the Advisory Board upon a vote of 2/3 of the entire sitting Advisory Board. 9 Proposed as Amendment #9 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #9, pertaining to Article VI, Section 6 of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 6. All members of The USGenWeb Project, excluding Look-Up Volunteers and Transcribers, shall be eligible to vote. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 6. VOTING CLASS: All members of The USGenWeb Project, as defined by ARTICLE IV, Membership, shall be eligible to vote, in all general referendums and elections. 10 Proposed as Amendment #10 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #10, pertaining to Article IX of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE IX. GUIDELINES/STANDARDS FOR WEBSITES/MEMBERS Section 1. All websites shall include prominent display of The USGenWeb Project logo on the home page. A state project logo may be required depending on the guidelines/standards in effect for that state. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE IX. GUIDELINES/STANDARDS FOR WEBSITES/MEMBERS Section 1. All USGenWeb dedicated websites shall include prominent display of The USGenWeb Project logo on the USGenWeb dedicated page, which shall be a clickable link to the national site. In addition a text LINK to the "USGenWeb Project" national site shall be on the linked USGenWeb dedicated page of the site. A state project logo may be required depending on the guidelines/standards in effect for that state. The USGenWeb dedicated page, at either the county or state level, is defined as the page which is recognized by USGenWeb Project and is mutually linked to the Project. 11 Proposed as Amendment #11 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #11, pertaining to Article X of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE X. COPYRIGHT Section 1. In The USGenWeb Project, copyright of websites resides solely with the creator of the web page(s). Their inclusion as part of The USGenWeb Project does not give any irrevocable right, implied or otherwise, to The USGenWeb Project to permanently use the material. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE X. COPYRIGHT POLICY SECTION 1. In The USGenWeb Project, copyright of website content resides solely with the original author of the material submitted. When content is submitted knowingly to a USGenWeb site for display and publication, A LIMITED (by the submitter (non-exclusive)) right to display that data is considered to be released by the submitter to USGenWeb for the purposes of redisplay on that website, and/or data repository storage of that data, as submitted, and as modified (coded for display) on said websites and/or data repositories. SECTION 2. The submitter is responsible to obtain permission to submit any material that may be covered by copyright, and the submitter is responsible to assure that no unauthorized copyrighted material is submitted. USGenWeb Project acknowledges that public display is and continues to be, unless revoked in writing by the submitter ( By Letter or Email), the intent of the submitter. SECTION 3. USGenWeb Project shall not be responsible for use of data posted to the websites and/or data repositories by members of the public. The submitter's Copyrights are not affected by inclusion on USGenWeb Project Websites or it's Repositories. The inclusion as part of The USGenWeb Project does not give any irrevocable right, implied or otherwise, to The USGenWeb Project to permanently use the submitted material. 12 Proposed as Amendment #12 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #12, pertaining to Article X, Section 2, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 2. In The USGenWeb Project, copyright to queries and any other data submitted to any state or local websites resides with the submitter. The submission of queries and other data to The USGenWeb Project implies that The USGenWeb Project may continue to post the material until/if such time the submitter requests removal. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 2. In The USGenWeb Project, copyright to queries and any other data submitted to any state or local websites, or any other USGenWeb Project archive or Mail list, resides with the submitter. The submission of queries and other data to The USGenWeb Project implies that The USGenWeb Project may continue to post the material until such time the submitter requests removal in writing. 13 Proposed as Amendment #13 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #13, pertaining to Article XI of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE XI. LOCAL PROJECTS Section 1. Each state organization shall provide local websites which reflect whatever divisional structure is appropriate for that state. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE XI. LOCAL PROJECTS Section 1. Each state organization shall through it's State Coordinator, have the power to decide which structure is best suited for developing and linking Local Sites to The USGenWeb Project. Each county should have a dedicated reference site linked. (County is defined as a County, Parish, or state designated District recognized as a political division within that state's jurisdiction.) Special jurisdictions are established for US Territories, Possessions, and the Federal District of Columbia. 14 Proposed as Amendment #14 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #14, pertaining to Article XI, Section 4, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 4. If a Local Coordinator can no longer perform their duties for any reason, those sections of the website submitted or donated by contributor other than the website Coordinator, shall remain with the website, unless the submitter(s)/contributor(s) indicates otherwise. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 4. Sites where the manager has been determined to be not available (abandoned, unresponsive) will be delinked and the data submitters contacted if possible for permission to repost the extant data on a new website, if contact or permission fails, the data shall not be transferred. 15 Proposed as Amendment #15 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #15, pertaining to Article XII, Section 3, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 3. It shall be the responsibility of each state organization to ensure that the state project is in compliance with the stated bylaws of The USGenWeb Project. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 3. It shall be the responsibility of the Advisory Board to ensure that each state project is in compliance with the stated bylaws of The USGenWeb Project. The State Coordinator should conduct periodic communication verifications to assure no sites are abandoned, and that they are being maintained on a regular basis. 16 Proposed as Amendment #16 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #16, pertaining to Article XII, Section 5, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 5. State projects are empowered to develop/adopt any additional rules/bylaws and guidelines, as appropriate, for their state so long as they do not conflict with these bylaws. State projects shall be highly encouraged to develop and adopt rules/bylaws that cover grievance procedures within the state Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 5. State projects are empowered to develop/adopt any additional rules/bylaws and guidelines, as appropriate, for their state so long as they do not conflict with these bylaws. State projects shall develop and adopt rules/bylaws/procedures that address grievances within the state organization. An appeals process to the Advisory Board shall be indicated to those who may have grievances. 17 Proposed as Amendment #17 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #17, pertaining to Article XII, Section 7, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 7. The state project shall have the responsibility to remove any links to county or local websites which fail to meet The USGenWeb Project/XXGenWeb Project established guidelines/standards. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 7. The state website manager shall have the responsibility to remove any links to county or local USGENWEB dedicated websites which fail to meet The USGenWeb Project/XXGenWeb Project established guidelines/standards. 18 Proposed as Amendment #18 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #18, pertaining to Article XII, Section 8, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 8. State Coordinators shall be elected to those positions by the local-level Coordinators within the state. Those State Coordinators and Assistant State Coordinators in place at the time these bylaws are adopted shall be exempt from election procedures, unless he/she/they are removed, resign, or are unable to perform their duties. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 8. State Coordinators shall be elected to those positions by the local-level Coordinators within the state. Election procedures shall be provided at the State organization level. 19 Proposed as Amendment #19 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #19, pertaining to Article XII, Section 9, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 9. State Coordinators and Assistant State Coordinators are subject to possible removal by a 2/3 vote of the Advisory Board and a 2/3 vote of the Local Coordinators within the state. A quorum of 75% of the Local Coordinators shall participate in order for the vote to be binding. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 9. State Coordinators are subject to removal by a 2/3 vote of the Advisory Board which shall occur after a 2/3 vote of the County Coordinators within the state. A quorum of 75% of the County Coordinators shall participate in order for the vote to be binding. If a State Coordinator is removed Interim State Coordinators will be selected by the State organization, the selection process will be supervised by the Regional Coordinator, or by the Elections sub-committee of The USGenWeb Project, as determined by the State organization's procedures and the State will advise the National Advisory Board of the Changes. State organizations will start the process to seat a new State Coordinator (seated within 30 days),unless there is a regularly scheduled election within 90 days. 20 Proposed as Amendment #20 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #20, pertaining to Article XIII, Section 1, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE XIII. SPECIAL PROJECTS Section 1. Special projects shall be established by The USGenWeb Project to promote the gathering of information in specialized areas. A Coordinator shall be appointed by the Advisory Board to organize the project and enlist volunteers. In addition, each special project shall have an Assistant Project Coordinator or other support team in place that can take charge in case the Project Coordinator becomes unavailable for a period of 30 days, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Special projects shall be repositories for public domain or research documents and shall provide an easily accessible website for online research by the genealogical community. A collection of links does not constitute a special project, although links to appropriate websites maintained by other individuals or organizations are encouraged. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE XIII. SPECIAL PROJECTS Section 1. Special projects shall be established by The USGenWeb Project to promote the gathering of information in specialized areas. A Coordinator shall be appointed by the Advisory Board to organize the project and enlist volunteers. In addition, each special project shall have an Assistant Project Coordinator or other support team in place that can take charge in case the Project Coordinator becomes unavailable for a period of 30 days, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Special projects shall be repositories for public domain or research documents and shall provide an easily accessible website for online research by the genealogical community. A collection of links does not constitute a special project, although links to appropriate websites maintained by other individuals or organizations are encouraged. The management of the Special project devolves to the Project Coordinator, who by virtue of USGenWeb Project sanction will submit to the Advisory Board, under the same circumstances as if they were a State Coordinator. 21 Proposed as Amendment #21 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #21, pertaining to Article XIII, Section 3, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 3. The staff members of The USGenWeb Archives Project, The USGenWeb Census Project, and The USGenWeb Tombstone Project shall each elect one Special Project Representative to serve as a voting member of The USGenWeb Project Advisory Board. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 3. The voting class of each individual Special Project shall be determined by their own internal Guidelines, Bylaws, and/or Project Structure that is in use at the time of their inclusion by The USGenWeb Project. If no such structure exists, then the contributing members of said Project shall be classified according to the standard used by The USGenWeb Project, (Staff/State/County/contributor), with the voting class being determined as County level and above. These voting members shall elect one Special Projects Representative to serve as a voting member of The USGenWeb Project Advisory Board. 22 Proposed as Amendment #22 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #22, pertaining to Article XIII, Section 4, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 4. Project Coordinators shall be elected to those positions by the project staff. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 4. After one year, Project Coordinators shall be elected to those positions by the project voting class. Special projects will be evaluated annually by the Advisory Board to determine if they have met the goals set upon initiation of the Project by the Advisory Board, and if the project is still required. The National Coordinator may disband and or delink a Special Project if the project is no longer active, fails to follow USGenWeb Project Bylaws or is non-functional, upon recommendatiion by the Advisory Board. 23 Proposed as Amendment #23 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #23, pertaining to Article XIII, Section 5, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 5. Project Coordinators are subject to possible removal by a 2/3 vote of the Advisory Board and a 2/3 vote of the project staff. A quorum of 75% of the project staff shall participate in order for the vote to be binding. Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 5. Special Project Coordinators are subject to removal by a 2/3 vote of the Advisory Board which shall occur after a 2/3 vote of the Project voting class within the project. A quorum of 75% of the voting class shall participate in order for the vote to be binding. If a Project Coordinator is removed by the Advisory Board, the National Coordinator will appoint, from the project voting class, a successor to hold the position until a special election for the Special Projects participants can be held. Proposed as Amendment #24 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #24, pertaining to Article XV of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE XV. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The USGenWeb Project shall be governed by accepted parliamentary procedure, except in those cases where such procedure conflicts with the existing bylaws of The USGenWeb Project. Shall be amended to read as follows: ARTICLE XV. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The USGenWeb Project shall be governed by accepted parliamentary procedure, except in those cases where such procedure conflicts with the existing bylaws of The USGenWeb Project.The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice Sturgis is the current adopted standard, in its latest edition, as revised by The American Institute of Parliamentarians. 25 Proposed as Amendment #25 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: Proposed as Amendment #25, pertaining to Article XVI, of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads ARTICLE XVI. AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by the membership of The USGenWeb Project through a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those members participating during the voting period. Section 2. Any state project may propose an amendment by sending their proposal to one or more of the Advisory board members representing their region and including the exact wording of the proposed amendment. Upon receipt of the proposed amendment, the Advisory Board representative(s) shall request the Webmaster to post the proposed change on the national website and the National Coordinator to post to the State-Coord-L List, and any other appropriate lists, for dissemination to the members. Section 3. The proposed amendment, with the sponsor's name and date of posting, shall remain posted for a period of at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual voting period of July 1-July 31. Any proposed amendment shall require a minimum of five (5) states as co-sponsors to command that it be placed on the ballot. State projects wishing to co-sponsor the amendment shall notify the Advisory Board and make an announcement on the USGenWeb-All Mailing List. Section 4. Voting on any proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be during the annual voting period of July 1-July 31 and a two-thirds (2/3) majority, of the members voting within that time frame, is required for the amendment to pass. Section 5. In the case of an urgent matter affecting the well-being of The USGenWeb Project, the Advisory Board may propose an amendment and disseminate it to the membership without the required co-sponsorship. In this case, the proposed amendment shall be posted to the national website and disseminated to the membership within two (2) business days. The proposed amendment shall remain posted for a minimum of three (3) business days. A special ballot shall be prepared and voting shall be for a period of five (5) business days. A two-thirds (2/3) majority, of The USGenWeb Project membership, voting within that time frame, shall be required for the amendment to pass. Section 6. Any proposed amendment, not obtaining the required co-sponsorship, may not be proposed again until the next regularly scheduled voting period. Any proposed amendment not obtaining the approval of the membership after appearing on the annual ballot three (3) times shall be considered a dead issue. Be changed to read as follows: ARTICLE XVI. AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by the membership of The USGenWeb Project through a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those members (of the General Membership) participating during the voting period. here are two paths to this vote; via the Bylaws committee(See sections 2-5 Below), OR via sponsorship of five (5) states, (See Section 6 below). Section 2. BYLAWS COMMITTEE: Any USGenWeb Member may propose an amendment by sending their proposal to one or more of the Advisory board members representing their region and including the exact wording of the proposed amendment. Upon receipt of the proposed amendment, the Advisory Board representative(s) shall refer the Proposal to the BYLAWS Sub Committee for evaluation and consideration. The Committee will evaluate the Proposal, and refer the report of their evaluations to the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board, by simple majority vote will determine if the recommendations of the Committee are to be accepted or rejected. Section 3. If the Proposed amendment is accepted, the Advisory board will direct the Webmaster to post the proposals on the Official website. The proposed amendment, with the sponsor's name and date of posting, shall remain posted for a period of at least thirty (30) days prior to the voting period set by the Advisory Board. Section 4. Voting on any proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be during the voting period set by the Advisory Board and a two-thirds (2/3) majority, of The USGenWeb Project members voting within that time frame, is required for the amendment to pass. Section 5. In the case of an urgent matter affecting the well-being of The USGenWeb Project, the Advisory Board may propose an amendment and disseminate it to the membership. In this case, the proposed amendment shall be posted to the national website and disseminated to the membership within two (2) business days. The proposed amendment shall remain posted for a minimum of three (3) business days. A special ballot shall be prepared and voting shall be for a period of five (5) business days. A two-thirds (2/3) majority, of The USGenWeb Project membership, voting within that time frame, shall be required for the amendment to pass. Section 6. STATE SPONSORSHIP: In lieu of Section 2 above, an alternate method for mandating a Bylaws amendment process may done by a total of FIVE (5) State Organizations jointly submitting a Proposed amendment to the Advisory Board. If FIVE (5) states have sponsored a Proposal the Advisory Board, without further action shall post and initiate a voting process by the membership as a whole, as if the Proposal had been submitted and approved by the Advisory Board as above. 26 Proposed as Amendment #26 I, Patricia A. Scott, State Coordinator for Nevada GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Nevada: I submit that the following section of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws be added: APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 TERMS. The following terms are defined for this document. The following terms are used within this document and in other places within this organization to be defined as indicated: Addendum: An added portion, a text extension that elaborates, adds, or specifies additional details. Advisory Board: The Elected representatives of the Local, State and Special Project Coordinators, who with the National Coordinator comprise the Executive Committee. Amendment: Any changes made to existing documents which do not replace the existing text in whole, but which may remove, delete, or change the text. Archive: Any stored information, electronic, or otherwise, designed to be accesssable for retrieval. Any collection of Documents, websites, and/or data. (The USGenWeb Archives Project (TM) is not inferred by this term, unless named in full.) Association: A group of people who have joined together for a common purpose. Unlike a corporation, an association is not a legal entity. The law may treat an association like a corporation, however, if it has been operating in a corporate manner -- for example, if it has a charter and shareholders. Author: In terms of copyright protection, either the person who creates the work, the person or business that pays another to create the work in an employment context or the person or business that commissions the work under a valid work for hire contract. Bylaw: The rules that govern the internal affairs or actions of a corporation or other form of organization. Normally bylaws are adopted by the shareholders of a profit-making business or the board of directors of a nonprofit corporation. Bylaws generally include procedures for holding meetings and electing the board of directors and officers. The bylaws also set out the duties and powers of a corporation's officers. Census: An official count of the number of people living in a certain area, such as a district, city, county, state, or nation. Collected work/Compilation: For copyright purposes, a work, such as a periodical, anthology or encyclopedia, in which a number of separate and independent works are assembled into one work. To create a collective work, permission must be obtained from the owners of the copyrights of the constituent parts (assuming such parts are not already in the public domain). Although the author of the compilation may not own the copyright to any of the individual parts, the creativity involved in selecting and organizing the constituent materials is in itself protected by copyright. Command: A mandate, a requirement to comply without further process. Commercial Use: Any use for financial renumeration, or promoting the payment for services rendered, products offered, or a reference to a location where such items are advertised or obtained. Contributor: A person who knowingly gives freely to an organization. Coordinator: The person designated by The USGenWeb Project to "manage" a mutually linked website or other resource as defined by the Bylaws. Copyright: A legal device that provides the owner the right to control how a creative work is used. A copyright is comprised of a number of exclusive rights, including the right to make copies, authorize others to make copies, make derivative works, sell and market the work and perform the work. Any one of these rights can be sold separately through transfers of copyright ownership. Copyright Owner: Under the Copyright Act of 1998, a term with two meanings. First, it refers to the person or entity listed as the owner in the U.S. Copyright Office, usually the original author or developer. Second, it refers to a person or entity to which an exclusive part of the copyright has been transferred in writing. Copyright Violation: Any unauthorized use of a copyrighted work other than fair use. Co-sponsor: In the case of a proposal submitted for approval or consideration, a equal level "peer" who also agrees to support the proposal. County: For purposes in The USGenWeb Project, any subdivision of a State, Territory, district or Possesion of the United States, as designated in the jurisdiction described, may also be Province, Parish, Borough, etc. Database: Any topic specific information presented as a single unit within a archive, or as a stand alone repository that is accessable to the designated users. Dedicated USGenWeb Page: Any Page within a Website presented as a USGenWeb Page, mutually linked to The USGenWeb Project. Domain: A combination of letters and numbers that identifies a specific computer or website on the Internet. In a URL, the Domain is the server address, usually followed by the specific portion of the data to be accessed. In Email addresses, it follows the @ symbol, example: @aol.com indicates that the recipient is a aol account holder, and that AOL delivers the mail to them. Emergent/Emergency: Any situation in which inaction would cause severe or fatal harm to the project. This also implies that TIMELY action is needed to prevent disastrous consequences, or to correct a grave situation. Good Standing: "Good standing" is demonstrated by responding promptly to email, supporting researchers' efforts to find information, maintaining their website(s) with appropriate content, and serving as a good example of the guidelines and standards of The USGenWeb Project. Home Page: The USGenWeb specifically linked page, recognized by links from and to the appropriate USGenWeb pages, and topic specific to a region or "special Project". Link: A connection via reference, or by Hypertext coding which when accessed will refer the user to the proper place. Local: Any level of administration below that of a STATE, ie: County, township, city, Parish, Etc. Logo: An Identifying image used to associate visually with a product, service, or Organization. May be a trademark , servicemark and may be copyrighted. Mail List: In our usage, any distribution system that electronically distributes communications by the means of subscribing to the distribution service. Majority: defined as 50% of a body plus one (1). National Coordinator: A position equivelant to Chief Executive Officer, or President in a Corporation. The Chair of the Executive Committee. Non-Profit: A legal structure authorized by state law allowing people to come together to either benefit members of an organization (a club, or mutual benefit society) or for some public purpose (such as a hospital, environmental organization or literary society). Nonprofit corporations, despite the name, can make a profit, but the business cannot be designed primarily for profit-making purposes, and the profits must be used for the benefit of the organization or purpose the corporation was created to help. Not-For-Profit: See Non-Profit. Organization: Any cohesive group of individuals joined for profit-making or nonprofit purposes. Parliamentary Authority: A set standard of procedures which act as guidelines for the management of an organization. These may be adopted in whole, partially or as a default in lieu of local guidelines and bylaws. Parliamentary Procedures: See Parliamentary Authority. Policy: Binding beliefs and procedures adopted by a governing Board. They have the wieght of rules. Project: Any of the "levels" in this organization, designated by having a Coordinator, usually a website, and a set goal or area of concentration. Each state has a Project, and each Local level is a project. Generlly can refer to the "USGenWeb" Project as a whole, or any level as a whole. Query: Any inquisitive postinG. usually referneced on a Mail list, a bulletin Board, or website, which referencs a requewest for additional information, relatedto the topic of that forum. Usually publicly accessable, and responses may be made directly or through the system. Quorum: A defined minimum level of attendence/participation, which is required to determine if adequate representation of the whole has been established. Reference: any statement or device which alludes to, or indicates another source, location or website, can be usewd as a interchangeable word for "source" when citing where information is found. Repository: Any place where information is stored for retrieval. The actual place where an item is located. Representative: A designated person in place to speak for a group with common interests, region, or goals. Service Mark: A word, phrase, logo, symbol, color, sound or smell used by a business to identify a service and distinguish it from those of its competitors. If the business uses the name or logo to identify a product, such as a camera, it is called a trademark. In practice, the legal protections for trademarks and service marks are identical. Special Project: A non-regional, specific topic area of USGenWeb Project. Sponsor: The primary submitter of a proposal. In the case of Bylaws amendments, a state organization. State: Any of the fifty (50) Unied states, or any territory, possession of the United States, including the District of Columbia. Submitter: The person who physically sends in a document or form of data. Supplement: A document or portion of a document that adds on to what is already stated. Usually provided information, procedures, and other additional information. Trademark: See Service Mark. URL: Uniform Resource Locator (URL) The Internet address of a Web page, file or other online resource. URLs usually contain a domain name and a description of the material sought. USGenWeb Project: The overall organization of websites interconnected from the local level through state level to a national website, the volunteers which comprise the organization, and collectively the data represented by the whole. Webmaster: Any person who programs a specific website. Website: A repository of Information on the Internet. Usually accessable through a URL address. WorldGenWeb A "sister" project of USGenWeb Project, whose focus is on the world as a whole. OREGON I, John Henry McCoy, State Coordinator for Oregon GenWeb Project, do hereby submit the following AMENDMENT for consideration by the voting membership of The USGenWeb Project, in compliance with the current Bylaws, it having been approved for submission by the coordinators in the State of Oregon: Proposed as Amendment, pertaining to Article II, section 2 of The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, which originally reads Section 2. This purpose shall be accomplished by presenting websites which shall be central repositories of historical and genealogical research data, donated either by the website Coordinator or other contributor. In presenting this information, the foundation of the organization shall be at the local websites (county, township, parish, town, etc.) which shall be linked to the state websites which shall be linked to the national website. The USGenWeb Project shall also provide a "digital library" called The USGenWeb Project Archives(SM). Shall be amended to read as follows: Section 2. This purpose shall be accomplished by a mutual linkage of websites which shall be central repositories of historical and genealogical research data. The National website shall link to each State website, each state website shall link back to the national website. Each local website within each State shall mutually link to the State website, or County website if intermediate levels are provided. Each state shall link to their respective County and Local websites as well as other intermediate level websites within that county. All recognized USGenWeb Project sites will have The USGenWeb Logo prominently displayed near the top of the dedicated USGenWeb Project page and will link to the national website. The USGenWeb Project shall also provide a Digital Library (specifically "The USGenWeb Project Data Library") and other sites including but not limited to "Special Projects".

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Contact Us! If you have comments about The USGenWeb Project or would like to report administrative-type problems, please email the National Coordinator. If you have a complaint regarding a specific web site which cannot be addressed by contacting the coordinator in charge, please include the URL address when emailing the National Coordinator. If you have comments and/or suggestions about this particular web site, please contact the Webmaster. © 2002 The USGenWeb Project