BYLAWS

 

Of

 

NAMI of Kalamazoo (KALAMAZOO AREA AMI-SHARE; ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL)

 

Adopted

 

 

 

ARTICLE I - NAME CLASSIFICATION

 

Section 1.         NAME

 

            The name of this organization shall be NAMI of Kalamazoo; aka (Kalamazoo Area AMI-Share) (Alliance for the Mentally Ill).

 

Section 2.         CLASSIFICATION

 

            This organization is a nonprofit, nonstock, membership basis corporation organized and operating under the provisions of Michigan Public Act 1962 of 1982, as amended.

 

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

 

            The purpose of NAMI of Kalamazoo shall be to promote the understanding of mental illness through education and community involvement; to provide information and encouragement to those persons concerned with mental illness; to promote community awareness and appropriate actions regarding the special needs of mentally ill persons; to promote suitable living situations and rehabilitation services for the mentally ill; to promote the concept that mental illness should be accepted as any other serious physical illness; to help remove the stigma of mental illness; to foster and engage in any other actions or endeavors designed to improve the condition or circumstance of the mentally ill and their relatives.

 


ARTICLE III – GUIDELINES

 

            Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, all assets of the corporation shall be held for the aforementioned purposes and no part of said assets or net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers or other private persons except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by (a) a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law), or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).

 

ARTICLE IV – OFFICE LOCATION

 

            The organization shall have and continuously maintain an office within the County of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, at a location determined by the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE V – MEMBERS

 

Section 1.         DEFINITION OF MEMBERSHIP

 

            Any individual or organization who pays the annual dues established by the Board of Directors shall be an active member of NAMI of Kalamazoo.

 

Section 2.         VOTING PRIVILEGES

 

            Each member has the right to one vote on the election of Directors, and on any issue or resolutions that may be submitted to the general membership by the Board of Directors. Votes may be cast in person or by mail.

 

Section 3.         TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

 

            Any membership may be terminated at any time by the member or by any two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

 


ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

 

Section 1.         ANNUAL MEETING

 

            The annual meeting of the corporation shall take place in January of each year. The Board of Directors shall determine the time and place of the annual meeting.

 

Section 2.         SPECIAL MEETINGS

 

            Special meetings of the members of the organization may be called by the President or by a majority of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3.         NOTICE OF MEETINGS

 

            Notice of the time and place of the annual meeting or of any special meeting shall be mailed to each member entitled to vote at least 7 days but no more than 30 days preceding the date of such meeting. Such notice shall be mailed to the member address currently on file with the Society.

 

Section 4.         QUORUM

 

            At all meetings of the general membership of NAMI of Kalamazoo, the members present shall constitute a quorum.

 

Section 5.         ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

            The order of business at the annual meeting of the general membership of the Society shall be as follows:

 

a.                   The reading of notice and proof of mailing.

b.                   Reading of minutes of last preceding meeting.

c.                   Reports of Officers.

d.                   Reports of Committees.

e.                   President’s address.

f.                     Election of Directors.

g.                   Transaction of old business.

h.                   Transaction of new and miscellaneous business.

i.                     Adjournment.

 

In the absence of any objection, the presiding officer may vary the order of business at his or her discretion.

 


Section 6.         PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

 

            At any annual or special meeting of the organization, at any Board of Directors’ meeting, or at any committee meeting, Roberts’ Rules of Order shall govern the meeting where not inconsistent with these Bylaws.

 

ARTICLE VII – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.         AUTHORITY

 

            The business, affairs and property of NAMI of Kalamazoo shall be managed by a Board of Directors composed of all of the officers (4) and (at least three directors (3) to a maximum of (6) at large directors) who shall be voting members in good standing of the organization.

 

Section 2.         TERM OF OFFICE

 

            Board members shall be elected annually at the January membership meeting by a simple majority of the registered members present. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by a majority vote of remaining members of the Board until such time as a successor may be elected.

 

Section 3.         MANNER OF ELECTION

 

At a regular meeting of the Board preceding the annual meeting by at least thirty (30) days, a committee shall be established to nominate the new Board members. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent nominations from the floor.

           

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.         MEETINGS

 

            The Board of Directors shall meet on a regular basis as established by the Board. The President or a simple majority of the Board may call a special meeting at any time. Advance notice of at least forty-eight (48) hours shall be given to all Board members.

 

Section 2.         QUORUM

 

            A quorum at any meeting of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the Directors presently in office.

 

Section 3.         COMMITTEES

 

            The Board of Directors shall have the authority to appoint committees, as they deem necessary from time to time to carry out the business of the organization. Members on the committees may be selected from the regular membership or from other community sources to accomplish the task of the committee.

 

ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS

 

Section 1.         OFFICERS

 

            The officers of this corporation shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

Section 2.         TERMS OF OFFICE

 

            All officers shall be elected for a one-year term.

 

Section 3.         ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

            Officers shall be elected by the membership at the annual meeting, immediately following the election of the Board of Directors. In the event any office shall become vacant during the term, that office shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board.

 

Section 4.         PRESIDENT

 

            The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Alliance and shall preside at all meetings of the Board and of the Alliance. He or she shall be a member, ex officio, of all other committees, and shall have the authority to sign such papers as may be required in the sale of the securities or other assets belonging to the alliance or in connection with the settlement of estates or trusts in which the alliance has an interest. The President may vote on all matters of the Alliance business but is required to vote when such vote will affect the outcome.

 

Section 5.         VICE PRESIDENT

 

            The Vice President shall conduct board meetings in the absence of the President, but shall not assume the other duties of the President.

 

Section 6.         SECRETARY

 

            The Secretary shall keep minutes of the Board meetings, keep attendance records and perform such duties as are incident to this office or as may be required by Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.         TREASURER

 

            The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds belonging to or under the control of the alliance and shall expend or authorize the expenditure of the same in accordance with the direction of the Board. The Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing the maintenance of all financial records of the alliance.

 

Section 8.         REMOVAL

 

            An officer may be removed from office by a simple majority of the Board of Directors whenever in its judgment the best interests of the alliance would be served thereby. A Board member may be recalled by a majority of the members. An officer who has been removed from office is not eligible for reappointment to that or any other office during the remainder of the term for which the officer was removed.

 

ARTICLE X – FINANCIAL MATTERS

 

Section 1.         FISCAL YEAR

 

            The fiscal year of the corporation shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year.

 

Section 2.         CONTRIBUTIONS

 

            All dues shall be used to advance the general objects of the corporation and all contributions shall be likewise used, unless otherwise directed by the donors.

 

Section 3.         ACCOUNTING

 

The Treasurer shall keep an accounting of the receipts and the disbursements and shall make an annual report to the membership and reports at all board meetings. All funds of the alliance shall be deposited at least monthly in a bank that is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

 

            Any proposed amendments to these bylaws shall first have been submitted to the Board of Directors by any member and approved by a two-thirds vote of the Directors. (Proposed changes shall be printed and circulated to all members one month in advance of the next regular meeting. A simple majority vote at either of the next two regular meetings held after the review period is sufficient to adopt the proposed change.) Amendments approved by a majority of votes cast shall be adopted by the organization.

 

ARTICLE XII – NONDISCRIMINATION

 

            The Directors, officers, members, committee members, employees and persons served by this corporation shall be dealt with entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex or marital status. No discrimination shall be practiced by this Alliance, which is forbidden by the laws of the United States or by the laws of the State of Michigan as they presently exist or are hereafter amended.

 

ARTICLE XIII – INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 1.         INDEMNIFICATION

 

            The Alliance may, pursuant to action by its Board of Directors, indemnify to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by the laws of the State of Michigan any person or persons, and their heirs and legal representatives, who are made or threatened to be made a party to an action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that such persons are or were directors, officers, employees or agents of the corporation or serve or served any other enterprise at the request of the corporation.

 

Section 2.         FINANCIAL CONDITION

 

            In discharging his or her duties, a Director or an Officer, when acting in good faith, may rely upon the opinion of counsel for the Alliance, the report of an independent appraiser selected with reasonable care by the Board or financial statements of the organization represented to him or her to be correct by the President or the Treasurer or stated in a written report by an independent public or certified public accountant or firm of such accountants to reflect fairly the financial condition of the alliance.

 

ARTICLE XIV – DISSOLUTION

 

            In the event of dissolution of the NAMI of Kalamazoo, aka-Kalamazoo Area AMI-Share (Alliance for the Mentally Ill), any assets remaining after all accounts have been settled shall be donated to the State NAMI Michigan offices, provided that at the time of distribution the State NAMI Michigan holds an unrevoked determination letter that it is an organization described in Section 501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as heretofore or hereafter amended or the equivalent provisions of any future Internal Revenue Code. In the event that the State NAMI Michigan is not in existence or does not hold such valid unrevoked letter, the remaining assets shall be donated to an organization selected by the Directors, which holds such a determination letter. Such dissolution shall be decided upon by a three-fourths vote of the Directors present at a meeting called for such purpose.

 


ATTESTATION:

 

            The undersigned duly elected President and Secretary of Kalamazoo Area AMI-Share (Alliance for the Mentally Ill) hereby attest that on the 13th day of May, 1989, these bylaws were adopted in this form, without amendment, by a majority of the membership at a meeting held on that date.

 

                                                                        ___________________________________

                                                                        President                                                         

 

 

                                                                        ____________________________________

                                                                        Secretary

 

 

Date of Attestation: ____1989_____________

 

 

SUBSEQUENT AMMENDMENT:

 

            These bylaws were first amended after adoption on ___January 2002_____.

 

Attest:                                                              ___Michael D. Kenny__________

                                                                        President                                                         

 

 

                                                                        __Andrew Sloan_______________

                                                                        Secretary

 

 

Date of Attestation: ___February 2002______________

 

(Note: If the bylaws are amended before adoption at the outset, the attestation clause should be altered and the bylaws should be re-written in amended form. The second attestation should not be used until and unless the bylaws are subsequently amended.)