Bylaws and Amendments

As Ratified by the General Membership
Saturday, April 10, 2010

INTENT

ARTICLE I. NAME AND STATUS

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. General
Section 2. Exceptions to the Age Limit
Section 3. Termination of Membership

ARTICLE IV. GROUP ACTIVITIES
Section 1. Munches
Section 2. Meetings
Section 3. BDSM Play Parties
Section 4. Other Activities

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
Section 1. Enumeration of Officers
Section 2. Eligibility for Office.
Section 3. Election, Appointment, and Length of Term
Section 4. Duties of Officers
Section 5. The Executive Committee and Its Duties and Powers
Section 6. Committees

ARTICLE VI. FINANCE
Section 1. Financial Status
Section 2. Collection of Funds
Section 3. Routine Disbursements
Section 4. Non-routine and Extraordinary Disbursements
Section 5. Total Monthly Expenditures

ARTICLE VII. INTERNET ACCESS AND SERVICES
Section 1. Establishment and Purpose of Internet Access and Services
Section 2. Content and Editorial Authority and Responsibility
Section 3. Listing of Other Groups
Section 4. Advertisements and Listing of Commercial Sites

ARTICLE VIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1. Termination of Memberships
Section 2. Cancelation of Group Activities and Planning of Non-Routine Group Activities
Section 3. Tabling of Issues
Section 4. Election of Officers
Section 5. Impeachment of Elected Officers
Section 6. Creation and Dissolution of Additional Offices
Section 7. Authorization of Non-Routine and Extraordinary Financial Disbursements
Section 8. Amendment of the Bylaws
Section 9. Additional Parliamentary Authority

AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

INTENT

The intent of these bylaws is to define the group, its membership, its purpose, and its activities, to establish guidelines for the running of the group, and to provide methods to help ensure that the purposes of the group and the conditions of membership that allow for the fulfilling of the group's purposes are and continue to be met.

The name of this organization shall be Satyricon, and it shall be an unincorporated, not-for-profit group with the option of incorporating for not-for-profit status with the State of Wisconsin if the needs of the group demand it and the resources of the group permit it.

The purposes of Satyricon shall be as put forth in its Statement of Purpose. Specifically, Satyricon shall exist to provide a social, support, and educational forum open to people of all genders and orientations in the BDSM community and to support the free and open exploration of peoples' basic sexuality by providing an open, accepting, and non-judgmental atmosphere.

Section 1. General.
(a) Eligibility for Membership. Membership in Satyricon shall be open to all individuals with an interest in BDSM, regardless of gender, race, orientation, or creed, who are at least 18 years of age. Initial and continued membership are both predicated on adherence to the principles outlined in Satyricon's Membership Statement, specifically, accepting the responsibility to maintain an open and non-judgmental setting, abstaining from BDSM play and blatant sexual overtures at meetings and munches, allowing for the announcement of events that are of interest to members of the community, honoring other members' right to confidentiality, and agreeing that BDSM activities can and must be risk aware and consensual.
(b) Membership Defined. A member is defined as any individual who has attend a meeting and who has a current, signed Membership Statement on-file with the group. A member is considered inactive if he or she has not attended a meeting in the past six months. All members are considered to be in good standing except as provided for in Article VIII, Section 1, Paragraph (d).

Section 2. Exceptions to the Age Limit.
The executive committee may make an exception to the age limit on an individual basis as outlined in Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (b) hereof.

Section 3. Termination of Membership.
A membership may be terminated as outlined in Article VIII, Section 1.

Section 1. Munches.
Munches will be held on a regular basis throughout the calendar year and are open to the general public. If at all possible, the munch should take place in the same location and at the same time each month. A munch may be canceled as outlined in Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (a).

Section 2. Meetings.
(a) General. Meetings shall be held on a regular basis throughout the calendar year and are open to anyone who has attended a munch or who is accompanied by a member who is in good standing. The structure of any given meeting is up to whoever is running the meeting, be it the president or his or her designee. All meetings must, however, include opportunities for announcements and for the presentation of any new business which a member wishes to bring before the group. A meeting may be canceled as outlined in Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (b).
(b) Annual Meeting. The regular meeting in March shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports, and so on.

Section 3. BDSM Play Parties.
(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, "BDSM play" refers to BDSM activities and interactions engaged in primarily for the gratification and enjoyment of the participants, and "BDSM play party" refers to a gathering of people for the purpose of engaging in BDSM play.
(b) Policy. Satyricon meetings and munches are not play eventsa. Note that education of and on BDSM techniques at meetings and workshops are not prohibited by this section.

Section 4. Other Activities.
Additional activities not covered above, such as workshops, may be held according to Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (c). Once planned, such activities may be canceled as outlined in Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (d).

Section 1. Enumeration of Officers.
(a) Voting Officers. At a minimum, the voting officers of Satyricon shall consist of a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. The office of Secretary-Treasurer may be divided if desired. Each officer shall receive one vote. If the office of Secretary-Treasurer is divided, both the Secretary and the Treasurer shall each receive one vote.
(b) Immediate Past Officer. When possible, a member of the immediate past executive committee who was a voting officer and is not currently holding another office shall serve as the Immediate Past Officer to help provide continuity. The Immediate Past Officer is generally not a voting officer but may place a tie-breaking vote when necessary and a conflict of interest is not involved.
(c) Additional Officers. Additional offices, such as a historian or a librarian, may be created as outlined in Article VIII, Section 6, Paragraph (a).

Section 2. Eligibility for Office.
(a) Eligibility for President. To be eligible to run for the office of president, one must have been an active member in good standing for a minimum of six months, must not have a record of having been impeached from any Satyricon office at any time, must have a record of regular attendance at meetings prior to the election, must be present for the election, and must commit to regular attendance at all the meetings of the upcoming year.
(b) Eligibility for Offices Other than President. To be eligible to run for offices other than president, one must have been an active member in good standing for a minimum of four months, must not have a record of having been impeached from any Satyricon office in the previous twelve months, must have a record of regular attendance at meetings prior to the election, must be present for the election, and must commit to regular attendance at all the meetings of the upcoming year.
(c) Eligibility for Immediate Past Officer. The office of Immediate Past Officer is open only to people who served as voting officers on the immediate past executive committee. Thus a person may not hold the office of Immediate Past Officer in two consecutive years. Implicit in these criteria are that the person is an active member in good standing and has a record of regular attendance at meetings prior to taking office. Furthermore, the person must not have a record of having been impeached from any Satyricon office in the previous twelve months. As with any office, the person must commit to regular attendance at all the meetings of the upcoming year.

Section 3. Election, Appointment, and Length of Term.
In general officers shall be elected as in Article VIII, Section 4, and all terms are for one year beginning at one annual meeting and ending at the next. Appointment of the Immediate Past Officer is conducted as in Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (f).

Section 4. Duties of Officers.
(a) Duties of the President. The president's principle duties are to organize and oversee the group's munches and regular meetings--see Article IV, Section 1 and Article IV, Section 2--and to ensure that they take place. The president also functions as the main contact person for the group and is responsible for making sure that all requests for information are answered, as well as moderation of all electronic forums. These duties may be delegated, but ultimate responsibility rests with the president. The president also has the authority to place a tie-breaking vote when necessary and when there is no immediate past officer or when there is an issue before the executive committee on which the immediate past officer can not vote. The president's duties as a voting member of the executive committee may not be delegated.
(b) Duties of the Vice President. The Vice President's principle duty is to advertise and promote Satyrcon meetings and events. The Vice President is also responsible for seeing to the upkeep of the website. These duties may be delegated, but ultimate responsibility rests with the Vice President. The Vice President's duties as a voting member of the executive committee may not be delegated.
(c) Duties of the Secretary. The secretary's principle duties are to maintain all group paperwork, to include the keeping and filing of signed membership statements and to ensure adequate copies of any group documents needed for group activities, and to provide minutes for meetings and other group activities. Although the keeping of minutes and ensuring of adequate copies of documents may be delegated, the ultimate responsibility rests with the secretary. The duty to keep and file signed membership statements is the secretary's alone and may not be delegated. Also, the secretary's duties as a voting member of the executive committee may not be delegated.
(d) Duties of the Treasurer. The treasurer's principle duties are to collect donations and other fees, to track group finances, and to ensure that group bills are paid and reimbursements are made in a timely manner. The treasurer must also be prepared to provide a financial statement every three months, to include the annual meeting. Although these duties may be delegated, ultimate responsibility rests with the treasurer. The treasurer's duties as a voting member of the executive committee may not be delegated.
(e) Duties of the Immediate Past Officer. The duties of the immediate past officer consist of providing continuity with the previous executive committee and giving guidance to the present executive committee as needed. Although a non-voting officer, the immediate past officer does have the authority place a tie-breaking vote when necessary.
(f) Duties of Additional Officers. The duties of additional officers are as defined when the office is created.

Section 5. The Executive Committee and Its Duties and Powers.
(a) Executive Committee Defined. Together the officers enumerated in Article V, Section 1 comprise the executive committee which will make decisions on a democratic, majority basis with each officer receiving one vote as outlined in Article IV, Section 1.
(b) Waiver of Membership Age Limit. The executive committee has the authority to waive the age limit for membership on an individual basis provided the committee members feel that it is in the best interests of both the group and the individual involved, for example an adolescent dealing with BDSM issues who is referred by a therapist or legal guardian. The contact for the therapist or guardian must be an active elected officer.
(c) Reinstatement of Memberships. At its discretion, the executive committee has the authority to reinstate the membership of someone whose membership has been terminated but may do so no less than one year after the final vote of termination--see Article VIII, Section 1, Paragraph (c).
(d) Cancelation of Group Activities. At its discretion, the executive committee has the authority to cancel group activities. It is, however, preferable that munches and meetings be canceled by a simple majority vote of the general membership as outline in Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (a) and Article VIII, Section 2, Paragraph (b).
(e) Planning of Non-routine Activities. At its discretion, the executive committee has the authority to plan activities not covered in Article IV--e.g., instructional workshops.
(f) Appointment of Immediate Past Officer. Following the election of a new executive committee at an annual meeting, the members of the new committee shall nominate a voting officer of the immediate past executive committee. If this nomination is accepted, then that person is appointed as immediate past officer. The nomination shall be by a simple majority of the members of the new committee. In the event of a tie, the new president has the authority to place the tie-breaking vote.
(g) Removal of Immediate Past Officer. In the event that the executive committee finds itself either unhappy or unable to work with the immediate past officer, that person may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the voting members of the executive committee. To avoid a conflict of interests, the immediate past officer does not have the authority to place the tie-breaking vote in the event of a tie. In the event of a tie, the president as the authority to place the tie-breaking vote. If the immediate past officer is removed, that position on the executive committee remains vacant until filled at the next annual meeting. Since the duties of the office are not well-defined, and a removal is at the discretion of the executive committee and not of the membership as a whole, removal is not considered an impeachment.

Section 6. Committees.
Committees may be appointed by the executive committee as necessary.

Section 1. Financial Status.
As set forth in Article I, Satyricon shall be a not-for-profit group.

Section 2. Collection of Funds.
The funding of Satyricon shall rest on donations from the members. The collection of said donations shall be done by the treasurer, or his or her designee, at each regular meeting and as appropriate at other group activities.

Section 3. Routine Disbursements.
Routine disbursements include space rental fees for Satyricon activities, the cost of advertising and promoting events, the cost of photocopying newsletters and other group documents, the cost of maintaining a post office box, and the cost of maintaining an email account and website. Provided that each individually is not in excess of $100 in any given month, routine disbursements do not require approval of the general membership prior to payment and may be paid directly by the treasurer.

Section 4. Non-routine and Extraordinary Disbursements.
Any non-routine disbursement or disbursement in excess of $100 must be approved as outlined in Article VIII, Section 7.

Section 5. Total Monthly Expenditures.
Monthly expenses, either routine or non-routine, totalling over $200 must be approved as outlined in Article VIII, Section 7.

Section 1. Establishment and Purpose of Internet Access and Services.
Satyricon shall establish and maintain both an email address and a website for the group provided that the financial resources of the group permit it. The purpose of these shall be to help people find out and learn more about Satyricon and to provide another venue to help build and enhance a sense of local BDSM community in the Madison, Wisconsin area, and to provide that community with an on-line forum for discussion and education on BDSM-related topics and for sharing people's BDSM-related perspectives and creative endeavors.

Section 2. Content and Editorial Authority and Responsibility.
(a) Editorial Authority and Responsibility. As put forth in Article V, Section 4, Paragraph (b), the website is the responsibility of the Vice President. Although the Vice President may delegate responsibilities and tasks pertaining to the website, the final editorial judgment and authority and the responsibility for maintaining the website rest with the Vice President, with respect to the wishes of the owner of the account it is posted under.
(b) General Content. Selection of material for inclusion on the website is made at the discretion of the website's editorial staff. In general, the person submitting the work must be the original author or artist of the work. An exception may be made if someone spots an interesting, pertinent article in a newspaper or other published source. In keeping with the purposes of the website outlined in Article VII, Section 1 hereof, it is expected that the website will consist primarily of articles and works submitted by Satyricon members. Exceptions to the policy may be made if the editor, or editorial staff, feels such an exception is in the interest of the group and is in keeping with the purposes of both the website and Satyricon as a group. No unattributed material may placed on the website unless it is known to be in the public domain or the author or artist created it specifically for the Satyricon website and does not desire attribution.
(c) Pornographic Material. Although it is permitted to archive old newsletters on the website, and to separately archive specific contributions made to the newsletter, the mass archiving of pornographic images, stories or other material is not permitted.

Section 3. Listing of Other Groups.
At the discretion of the website's editorial staff, references to and information on other groups may be listed provided that those groups behave in a way consistent with Satyricon's own purposes and bylaws and provided that the listing is preceded by the following disclaimer:

"Inclusion of a group in this list should be seen neither as an endorsement nor as a recommendation of that group. If it comes to the attention of Satyricon's executive committee that a group listed is behaving in a way inconsistent with Satyricon's own purposes and bylaws, however, that group will summarily be removed from this listing. Likewise a group may not be listed at all."

Section 4. Advertisements and Listing of Commercial Sites.
No advertisements of any sort, either personal or commercial, shall be allowed on Satyricon's website. At the discretion of the website's editorial staff, references to businesses and links to commercial sites may be listed provided that they are reputable and treat their customers well and provided that the listing is preceded by the following disclaimer:

"Inclusion of a business in this list should be seen neither as an endorsement nor as a recommendation of that business. However, if it comes to the attention of Satyricon's executive committee that a business is not reputable or does not treat its customers well, that business will summarily be removed from this listing. Likewise a business may not be listed at all."

Section 1. Termination of Memberships.
(a) Criteria for Termination. Should a member regularly fail to adhere to the principals of membership as outlined in Article III, Section 1, that person's membership may be terminated.
(b) Initiation of the Termination Process. At a regular meeting, any member in good standing may present evidence of another member's regular failure to adhere to the principles of membership outlined in Article III, Section 1 and may make a motion that that person's membership be terminated. The accused member must be present and has the right to make a statement. For the process to proceed, this motion must be seconded.
(c) Completion of the Termination Process. Completion of the termination process requires a two-thirds majority vote in favor at the two consecutive regular meetings immediately following the motion to terminate the person's membership. Both the person who made the initial motion and the person accused of failing to adhere to the membership principles outlined in Article III, Section 1 must be present at both these meetings, and both parties have the right to make a statement with the right to final statement going to the accused. If either party is not present at one of these meetings, or if a two-thirds majority vote in favor is not attained, the termination process fails.
(d) Member Not in Good Standing. If the termination process continues past the initiation phase outlined in Article VIII, Section 1, Paragraph (a), the accused, although still a member, is no longer considered a member in good standing. This designation persists until either the termination process is completed, in which case the accused is no longer a member, or until the termination process fails, in which case the accused is again considered a member in good standing.

Section 2. Cancelation of Group Activities and Planning of Non-Routine Group Activities.
(a) Cancelation of Munches. A munch may be canceled at the discretion of the executive committee per Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (d). A munch may also be canceled by a simple majority vote of the general membership at either a munch or meeting preceding the munch to be canceled. The later is to be preferred.
(b) Cancelation of Meetings. A meeting may be canceled at the discretion of the executive committee per Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (d). A meeting may also be canceled by a simple majority vote of the general membership at either a munch or meeting preceding the munch to be canceled. The later is to be preferred.
(c) Planning of Non-Routine Activities. Activities not covered in Article IV, such as workshops, may be held at the discretion of the executive committee as in Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (e), or by the approval of a simple majority of the members present at a regular meeting.
(d) Cancelation of Non-Routine Activities. A non-routine activity may be canceled at the discretion of the executive committee per Article V, Section 5, Paragraph (d). A non-routine activity may also be canceled by a simply majority vote of the general membership at either a munch or meeting preceding the activity to be canceled.

Section 3. Tabling of Issues.
If an issue arises that any member feels cannot be resolved within the context of the activity during which the issue arose, in particular a regular meeting, that member may move to table the issue. Once such a motion has been made, a vote must be taken to determine whether the issue is to be tabled or not. A simple majority vote in favor of continuing the discussion is required to prevent the tabling of the issue.

Section 4. Election of Officers.
(a) General. Nominations for and election of officers shall take place at the annual meeting in March of each year. The process of nomination and election shall take place for each officer separately and shall occur in the following order: President, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, unless the office of Secretary-Treasurer has been divided in which case the nomination and election of the Treasurer shall follow that of the Vice President and that of both the Secretary shall follow that of the Treasurer. Following the nomination and election of the officers enumerated Article V, Section 1, Paragraph (a), the nomination and election of any additional officers will take place following the chronological order in which the offices were created.
(b) Nomination and Election. To be nominated and run for office, a member must meet the eligibility criteria set forth in Article V, Section 2 and be present at the meeting at which the election is taking place. Members interested in running for office may nominate themselves if they wish. Members may also be nominated from the floor by another member, in which case the nomination must be accepted. Each person running for office may make a brief statement with the incumbent speaking first, if he or she is running for re-election, and others speaking in the order in which they were nominated. Following the candidates' statements, voting shall take place by ballot with the office going to the person who receives the most votes. In the event of a tie for office, the ballot vote shall be repeated until an officer has been elected.
(c) Initial Nomination and Election of Officers. The initial process of nominating and electing officers shall take place at the regular meeting that immediately follows the meeting at which these bylaws are ratified and shall follow the procedure outlined in Article VIII, Section 4, Paragraph (b) above.

Section 5. Impeachment of Elected Officers.
(a) Criteria for Impeachment. Should an officer regularly fail to meet the duties of his or her office as outlined in Article V, Section 4, or in the amendment creating the office, that officer may be impeached.
(b) Initiation of the Impeachment Process. At a regular meeting, any member in good standing may present evidence of an officer's regular failure to meet the duties of his or her office as outlined in Article V, Section 4, or in the amendment creating the office, and may move that that officer be impeached. The accused officer must be present and has the right to make a statement. For the process to proceed, the motion must be seconded.
(c) Completion of the Impeachment Process. Completion of the impeachment process requires a two-thirds majority vote in favor at the regular meeting immediately following the motion to impeach the officer. The person who made the initial motion must be present at this meeting, and both this person and the officer accused of failing to meet the duties of his or her office have the right to make a statement with the right to final statement going to the accused. If the person who made the initial motion is not present, or if a two-thirds majority vote in favor is not attained, the impeachment process fails.
(d) Election of a New Officer. Should the impeachment process succeed, a new officer must be elected following the nomination and election procedure outlined in Article VIII, Section 4, Paragraph (b).

Section 6. Creation and Dissolution of Additional Offices.
(a) Creation of Additional Offices. Should the needs of the group demand it and the resources of the group permit it, additional offices may be created by making an amendment to the bylaws using the procedure in Article VIII, Section 8. The wording of the amendment must include both the title of the new office and a description of what that office's duties will be. If the amendment passes, a new officer must immediately be elected to fill that position following the nomination and election procedure outlined in Article VIII, Section 4, Paragraph (b) hereof. Following the initial election, additional officers are governed by the same election and impeachment procedures as other elected offices--see Article VIII, Section 4 and Article VIII, Section 5.
(b) Dissolution of Additional Offices. In the event that an office was created at some time in the past which the resources of the group can no longer support or for which there is no longer a current need and a future need is unlikely, that office may be dissolved by making an amendment to the bylaws using the procedure in Article VIII, Section 8. If the amendment passes, the office is immediately dissolved. Note that dissolution of an office is not an impeachment of the person holding that office at the time, and following the next election at an annual meeting that person is eligible to serve as Immediate Past Officer.

Section 7. Authorization of Non-Routine and Extraordinary Financial Disbursements.
Any non-routine disbursement or disbursement in excess of $100 requires the authorization of a simple majority of the members present at a regular meeting no more than three months prior to the dispersal of the funds.

Section 8. Amendment of the Bylaws.
Amendments can be made to the bylaws by the following procedure:
(a) At a regular meeting, any member in good standing may make a motion that they would like to amend the bylaws and provide a rough wording of the amendment. For the process to proceed, this motion must be seconded.
(b) At least two weeks prior to next meeting, a final, official draft of the amendment shall be posted to the website and sent out over the email mailing list for members to review. Printed copies of the amendment must also be available by email to anyone who wishes to view them in writing. If the final wording is not made available in time, the procedure must begin anew at the next regular meeting. It is the responsibility of the person proposing the amendment to make sure that the official wording is available in time.
(c) Provided the final, official draft of the amendment has been made available as directed above in Article VIII, Section 8, Paragraph (b), a two thirds majority vote of those present at the meeting and in favor of the amendment is required for the amendment to pass. If the amendment does not pass on the first vote, it may be discussed and voted on once more. If the amendment does not pass on the second vote, the amendment does not pass.

Section 9. Additional Parliamentary Authority.
In general these bylaws, and any amendments to them, shall be the authority on procedural matters. Should a dispute arise regarding a procedural matter that is not covered by either the bylaws or the amendments, the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall be the authority.

Amendments to Satyricon's bylaws are made according to the procedure outlined in Article VIII, Section 8 thereof.

1. In the event that an elected officer is absent from meetings for three months without contact with another Satyricon officer, the officer will be considered to have voluntarily resigned from office. On the third month of non-attendance, the remaining Satyricon officers may elect another person to fill the position. This person must meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in Article V, Section II.

(Amendment passed at the June, 2002 meeting)