Bylaws

Imperial Sovereign Queen City Court

of the Buckeye Empire All of Ohio, Inc

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OLD VERSIONS OF BYLAWS

THE IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN QUEEN CITY COURT OF THE BUCKEYE EMPIRE, INC., ALL OF OHIO

BY-LAWS, AS OF May 18, 2011

ARTICLE I: NAME

The voted name of this corporation shall be as follows: THE IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN QUEEN CITY COURT OF THE BUCKEYE EMPIRE, INC., ALL OF OHIO.

For the remainder of this document, all references to this organization shall be “The Court.” This includes references to the organization’s name and its membership composition of all paid members.

ARTICLE II: NATURE

The Court is an incorporated non-profit organization of the State of Ohio. It adheres to all federal, state and local laws, including those of the Internal Revenue Code, and of the State of Ohio, as a 501(c)(3) organization. Records and documents of the Court are public, consistent with state and federal laws governing public domain. The fiscal year of the organization is January 1 to December 31, and its purposes are defined as follows:

·To raise funds for contribution to and in support of any and all charitable [minimum 501(c)(3)] causes upon suggestion of the reigning monarchs and approval of the Board of Directors.

·To represent the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities, and all concerned individuals, in support of community functions.

·To create recreational, charitable and cultural activities.

ARTICLE III: PURPOSE / FUNCTION OF THE BY-LAWS

The purposes of the by-laws are as follows:

·To serve as the governing document of the Court.

·To provide the Board of Directors with an avenue by which to run the Court’s short-term and long-term operations.

·To establish continuity and consistency in the Court.

·To protect the integrity of the Court.

It is impossible for these by-laws to contain stipulations for every situation. Answers to some question and concerns will rely on tradition, common sense, good judgment and practicality in upholding and furthering the goals and objectives of the Court. Therefore, incidents that arise over issues not covered in these by-laws should be brought to the Board for determination and decision, as should matters of by-laws interpretations. In addition, the Board of Directors shall publish event-specific or topic-specific guidelines / stipulations to supplement these by-laws and to ensure the continued integrity of the organization.

These by-laws may be amended annually (May). All proposed amendments must be submitted in writing at least 30 days prior to the by-laws committee meetings to the President. All amendments will be presented to the general membership present at the posted meeting. Any amendment accepted and approved must have a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership present.

ARTICLE IV: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

The Court shall be comprised of all persons within the realm, who are no less than 21 years of age and who owe no allegiance to any other monarchical society. ~~(Since most functions are in bar establishments it is suggested that the age be 21 years of age, but a youth membership is highly suggested to be formed.)~~ For the purposes of new membership, this realm is defined geographically as follows: all counties in Ohio; Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky; and Switzerland, Ohio, Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson and Ripley counties in Indiana. This can include all others who wish to participate in its activities. Membership in the Court shall not be restricted on the basis of sexual orientation, sexual affectation, race, age, religion, national origin, political affiliation, gender or HIV status.

Section 1. Membership Qualifications

The Court is an equal opportunity non-profit organization. Anyone within the realm may join (the realm as established above). Anyone outside the realm may petition to the Board of Directors for membership by stating that he/she is not a member of any other monarchical society and he/she will display all respect, honor and protocol to any monarchical society he/she may reside in or that governs his/her area. Such petitions will be accepted for review by the Board of Directors up to 48 hours prior to monarchical or board elections. The Board of Directors will decide upon any such petitions and notify said petitioner of their decision in a timely manner within no more than 30 days and at least 24 hours prior to monarchial or board elections.

Section 2. Fees

A nominal fee will be charged for membership to be decided and approved by the Board of Directors annually. At the beginning of a Reign, if fees are to be changed for reasons deemed necessary by the Board of Directors then it will be discussed and voted on at the first Board of Directors meeting and voted on by the general membership present at that meeting.

A membership in the Court may also be extended to a person under the following conditions:

1. A person who shows the need (or lack of means) to pay the fee may present to the Board of Directors, in writing, an application for membership.

2. An individual displaying interest and involvement beyond normal expectation may be bestowed a non-voting membership by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Fiscal Year

Membership is annual and is based upon what month a member joins the Court, and said membership will expire annually at the end of that month. Exception: During the month in which monarchial elections are held, all memberships for that month will expire the day before elections, and they must be renewed on the day of elections in order for the member to be able to vote.

Section 4. Privileges and Powers Retained by the General Membership

A paid member of the Court has all of the voting rights within the Court’s executive system. Non-members may not vote or have any rights on the executive system.

A. The Court shall retain the power to elect the Emperor and Empress.

B. The Court shall retain the power to elect the Board of Directors.

C. A member of the Court shall retain the right to petition the Board of Directors at any time.

D. Any member of the Court may attend any Board meeting at any time; however, that member may not speak unless recognized by the Board and may not vote.

E. Any member of the Court may attend any General Membership meeting and exercise his/her privileges of discussion and vote.

Section 5. Severing/Suspending of Membership Privileges

A. A Court member may have his/her membership suspended and/or severed if he/she specifically disrupts or goes against the purposes and/or goals of the Court including, but not limited to:

1. Making negative public statements about the Court or making public statements

discouraging non-members from becoming members,

2. Violations to the purpose and principles of the organization set forth by its

Protocol & Bylaws manuals,

3. Conduct which brings discredit to the organization

4. Misrepresentation of the organization and/or its purpose and principles,

5. Insubordination within the framework of the Court,

6. Creation of dissention within the membership,

7. Unethical use of property, tangible and intangible of the I.S.Q.C.C.B.E. (Example: Improper use of titles(s), unauthorized use of mailing list(s), unauthorized contact with the organizations, charities and/or sponsors,

8. Misappropriation of funds.

This procedure is outlined as follows:

1. The Membership Chair must first be advised of the complaint or situation. In the event of a complaint or situation concerning the Membership Chair, any notification or correspondence should be addressed to the President.

2. The Membership Chair [or President] will notify the general membership of a special meeting for suspending and/or severing membership. The notification to the general membership must be at least 30 days prior to the special meeting.

3. Any person of the general membership under consideration for having his/her membership suspended or severed shall be provided the opportunity to present his/her position to both the Board and the general membership, prior to their respective voting on this issue. This will be done at a special meeting of the General Membership and the accusers. The meeting will be held according to Roberts Rules of Order and all accusers and other persons who wish to speak will send a request to the ISQCCBE President and Membership Chairperson no less than 24 hours prior to this meeting. Agenda for said meeting will be posted and time limits will be enforced. Meeting will adjourn when all parties have had their say and General Membership present have voted.

4. The Board of Directors must reach a decision on the status of the membership in question by a 2/3 vote.

5. The Board must then call for a 2/3 vote of the general membership present in order to suspend or sever that member’s privileges.

6. This same procedure shall be followed in order to reinstate a suspended membership. A severed membership cannot be reinstated.

7. If a person is suspended, a certified letter and copy of such letter given to the membership chair to be placed in the minutes will contain the reason(s) for suspension as well as the date/time frame of said suspension. If person is to be re-evaluated or suspension removed, a letter will be revised and submitted for the records.

B. Should any current member so choose to resign his/her membership, he/she may do so by submitting a letter in writing stating his/her desire to be removed from the Court membership and reasons why to the Membership Chair. At this time all rights, privileges and titles are suspended. The Membership Chair shall present the request at the next scheduled business meeting to the Board of Directors. After discussion, the Board of Directors must offer the person in question a 30 day cooling off period, and opportunity to eradicate the request. After 30 days, if the request is still active, it shall be accepted without discussion.

If said person’s request to resign his/her membership is eradicated and said person should submit a second request at any time in the future, it shall be accepted without discussion. All accepted requests to terminate membership shall be permanent and irrevocable.

Section 6. Business Membership

The purpose of business membership is to establish business endorsement and corporate sponsorship. The Court shall adopt a crown seal (approved by the Board of Directors) to appear in business and organizational advertising to show support of the Court so as to induce court members to support those businesses and organizations.

Section 7. Membership, Monarchical Titles and Court / Award Titles

A. The elected (current-reigning) monarchs have their own titled Court, which runs from coronation to coronation, unless stated otherwise in the by-laws. Persons holding titles in their court may be non-members, but they have no voting rights or privileges within the executive system. Likewise, there may be paid members not given a place in the reigning Court - these persons would not have the rights and privileges in the reigning Court, such as walks or titles.

Any titled person within the Court is permitted to use his/her title in any function in which he/she is participating. One who is participating in a Court-sanctioned function must realize that all tips raised must go to the Court. One who participates in a benefit for any other group or organization must realize that all monies raised on one’s part go to that group or organization unless otherwise specified by that group or organization. Any Court-titled person who participates in a function that is a non-charitable function and uses or promotes his/her title must realize that any monies raised are to be disbursed to a charity. All titles bestowed by the ISQCCBE are only permitted use during an ISQCCBE sanctioned event. Use of titles outside an ISQCCBE function could be grounds for severing of membership. Sanctioned events consist of those approved by the Reigning Monarchs and/or the Board of Directors.

B. Any contestant for Court pageants or competitions (including, but not limited to, Miss Queen City, Entertainer of the Year, Miss Magical Makeover, etc.), must reside in the realm and must be a dues-paying Court member, and must abide by rules and regulations of the event as determined by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Composition of the Board of Directors

The members of the Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to in this document as “The Board” consists of the following:

President

Vice-President

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership Chairperson

Reigning Emperor (or Regent)

Reigning Empress (or Regent)

College of Monarchs

Member At Large

Votes on the Board shall consist of the following:

President - 1 vote only in event of a tie

Membership Chairperson - 1 vote

Vice-President - 1 vote

Reigning Emperor - 1 vote

Secretary - 1 vote

Reigning Empress - 1 vote

Treasurer - 1 vote

Member At Large - 1 vote

College of Monarchs - 1 vote

The College of Monarchs consists of 1 vote (total). If only one past monarch is present and a vote is needed, then he/she will vote as a whole (1) vote. (Same if 2,3,4,5,6,7, etc., are present - the number present will vote together as a whole).

The officers shall be elected by secret ballot at the October general membership meeting of the Court. Their term of office shall begin at the adjournment of that meeting and will last according to the terms of office described in these by-laws. Officers shall perform duties described in Robert's Rules of Order.

Section 2. Election to the Board of Directors

A. Nominations for officers to the Board, except for the position of College Representative, shall be held at the general membership meeting in September, with election by secret ballot at the general membership meeting in October. Nominations for Board positions will be closed at the end of the September general membership meeting, unless a Board position has no nominees. In that case nominations for that Board position will be re-opened at the October general membership meeting. Any member seeking election to the Board of Directors must reside in the realm, be current in dues payment, and in good standing with the organization.

B. Any nominee for the office of President must have attended six (6) general membership meetings in the past twelve (12) months and been a court member for the last twelve (12) months. Any nominee for the office of Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Chairperson or Member at Large must have attended three General Membership meetings in the last twelve (12) months and been a court member for the last twelve (12) months. When nominated, each candidate for a Board position will receive and acknowledge a description of the duties for the office they are nominated by the current President.

C. No person may join the Court as a new member on Board of Directors’ Voting Day. Joint campaigning for Board positions is prohibited.

D. Terms of Office

	President: One year
	Vice-President: Two years (alternating with the Membership Chairperson)
	Secretary: Two Years (alternating with the Treasurer)
	Treasurer: Two Years (alternating with the Secretary)
	Membership Chairperson: Two years (alternating with the Vice-President)
	Empress: One year
	Emperor: One year
	Member At Large: One year

E. A simple majority vote of the membership present shall be required to determine the results of each position. Voting shall be by secret and shall be controlled by the sitting secretary or treasurer and one court member not running for office. If both the secretary and the treasurer are ineligible to control the voting (e.g., both running for Board positions or due to vacancies), the existing President shall designate Court members to oversee voting. If only one nominee exists for an office at the time of voting, that person is automatically elected to that position.

F. A tie result for a Board position shall be handled in the following manner:

·If two people running for office are tied, the General Membership who are in attendance and voted, excluding any member tied for said office, shall break the tie.

·If three or more people are running for office and the highest vote recipients result in a tie, all non-tie candidates are eliminated and the general membership who are in attendance and voted, shall re-vote on the tied candidates.

G. For any office in which personnel changes occur, the out-going officer must submit all office documents and materials relative to that position to the in-coming officer within 7 days of the personnel change. Additionally, the out-going officer will conduct a transitional training meeting for the in-coming officer as necessary and determined in consultation between the two persons.

H. No person may hold more than one Board of Director’s position at a time.

I. Members of the College of Monarchs who are elected to Board positions must forfeit their fractional vote for the terms of their office.

J. A person being nominated for Board positions can only run for one position.

K. All elected members of the Board of Directors (excluding Monarchs) will take office officially at the end of the October Board of Directors/General Membership meeting.

Section 3. Term Limitations

A. The position of President can be held for four (4) consecutive terms.

B. The position of Vice-President can be held for two (2) consecutive terms.

C. The position of Secretary can be held for two (2) consecutive terms.

D. The position of Treasurer can be held for two (2) consecutive terms.

E. The position of Membership Chairperson can be held for 2 (two) consecutive terms

F. The position of Member At Large can be held for 4 (four) consecutive terms.

G. The position of Empress can be held for 1 (one) consecutive term

H. The position of Emperor can be held for 1 (one) consecutive term.

Section 4. Powers of the Board of Directors

A. The Board shall conduct all official Court business as directed by the general membership.

B. The Treasurer with Board approval shall ensure that all tax forms and incorporation renewal documents (as well as other necessities pertaining to the continued successful business operation of the Court) are completed and filed / executed within established time limits. A copy of these documents shall be available for review by any person of the general membership as well as forwarded to the agent for the corporation.

C. The Board shall form an audit committee for each reign. This committee would consist of (1) a College member, (1) Member at Large elected by the board members, (1) board member, and the treasurer in office during the reign being audited. This cannot be either of the reigning monarchs due to a conflict of interest.

1) An audit is to be performed every quarter (no exceptions)

2) The audit committee must keep minutes of their findings and present them at the next board meeting

3) Any findings will be answered at the next board meeting

4) All audits must be completed 30 days after the reign has closed

5) Books will not be allowed to be closed until approval by the audit committee.

6) Everything should be finalized by the November board meeting.

D. Receipts are required for all expenses. Said receipts must be from legitimate/licensed business enterprises (cash or credit card receipts) and labeled with the reason for the expenditure. This will protect the treasurer and the Court and provide the necessary checks and balances.

1) Receipts must be received 7 days prior to the board meeting; with an original going to the treasurer (it is recommended that the requestor keep a copy of the receipt). This gives protection to doing all checks and balances.

2) Allow a 10 day grace period to have checks mailed after the request is received by treasurer. This is especially good protection at high volume times.

3) The audit committee would be the other part of the check and balance.

E. The Board shall accept and disburse Court monies using the Court’s checking account. Monies shall be disbursed only in the form of a check from the Court’s account. No residents of the same household, nor lovers, nor significant others, though they may hold signatory authority on a Court account, may countersign a check on the Court's account(s). Said check will require the signatures of two unrelated individuals.

F. The Board may purchase certificates of deposit or other savings / investment instruments, and liquidate said assets as deemed necessary by the Court.

G. The Board shall oversee the nature of, place of, and time of any Court function, excluding Coronation. This previous sentence includes the reigning Emperor and Empress and supports their right and the assumption of all that they are the Chief Fundraising coordinators of the Court with the assistance and reinforcement of the Board of Directors.

H. The Board may impeach any member of the Board. This must be done in a meeting held specifically for that purpose and the reason(s) discussed and evidence presented at that time. The Board Member in question must be notified of the time and place of the hearing and the nature of the charges against him. Said notification must be by United States Mail, certified. The Board member in question shall have thirty (30) days to respond. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Board members - except the Board member in question - must be carried and the removal is immediate.

I. The Board shall accept the resignation of any Board member at any time. Resignations should be submitted in writing by mail or email to the President. The Board must then appoint a replacement until the next scheduled board meeting.

· If the new board members remaining term is less than one year, that person will simply hold that position until the next election.

· If the remaining term is more than one year, an announcement of the opening will be sent to the general membership either by bulk mail, email or inclusion in the monthly newsletter. At the next board meeting the president will open nominations for that position on the board to all in attendance. Each nominee must be verified to be in accordance with all requirements set forth in this Article. The President shall call for discussion and after it is closed call for a vote on the position(s). The vote shall consist of the Board and general membership in attendance following Subsection E in Section 2 of this Article.

J. In the event of the resignation, death or impeachment of the President, the Vice-President will assume the position and the duties of the office of President. If the Vice-President declines this responsibility, then the Board shall appoint a replacement to fulfill the remaining unexpired term.

K. In the event of the resignation, death or impeachment of the Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair or Member at Large, the Board shall appoint a replacement to fulfill the remaining unexpired term. In the event of the resignation, death or impeachment of the College of Monarchs representative, the College of Monarchs shall appoint a replacement to fulfill the remaining unexpired term.

L. The monthly Distinguished Order of the Buckeye Empire Award will be granted exclusively by the President of the Board. The current reigning Emperor and Empress hold the right to make recommendations to the President. No other recommendations from any other party shall be honored. A Court member may be named as the monthly recipient of the DOBE only once during a reign. This designation must be reserved - and granted - for that Court member who, during that month, has demonstrate exemplary commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to the Court through a variety of means, including participation in Court activities, and attendance at Court functions.

M. Monthly and after each reign the treasurer will publish a financial report, which will include the breakdown of total expenses, income, total gross and total net. The November report will show the final expenses, income, total gross, and total net of the past reign. Should the date/month of Coronation be changed, the Board will adjust the final reporting to an appropriate quarterly schedule.

N. A person elected to the Board (including the reigning Emperor and Empress or the Regent Monarch) is expected to attend all Board meetings and general membership meetings unless otherwise excused. Board members may be excused by notifying the President at least one (1) hour in advance of the scheduled meeting. If the President needs to be excused from a meeting, he/she must notify the reigning Emperor, Empress, and Vice President within this time frame. A Board member who has 3 unexcused absences from meetings during his/her term of office shall be resigned from that position: that position will then be filled by the Board in accordance with these by-laws.

O. The Board President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair and a member of the College of Monarchs should be in attendance at one Court event per month (in addition to meetings).

P. The President or President Designee shall read, prior to each Board Meeting (which includes executive sessions) all bullet points of Article II: Purpose and Article III: Purpose/Function of Bylaws. This will also include the first paragraph of Article III.

Section 5. Powers / Duties of the College of Monarchs

A. Any namesake awards must pass the College of Monarchs before presentation to the Board for approval. . The existing namesake awards will stand: Lydia Grant (Humanitarian Award), Nita Miler (outstanding volunteer from a selected charity), Miss Buffy (outstanding contributor to the HIV+ community). The initiation of namesake awards must be presented by a member of the College of Monarchs or by a current member of the Board.

B. The College of Monarchs will govern all matters concerning protocol. A Protocol Manual will be established and put on the ISQCCBE website ~~for 30 days~~. Any ~~questions or suggestions~~ changes will be sent to the College of Monarchs as well as the Board of Directors ~~President~~. ~~A special meeting will then be held and such issues discussed and reviewed.~~ The Board of Directors will then vote for approval of this manual. No changes will be made without Board of Directors knowledge. The College will govern all matters and make such matters known to the General Membership. Each reign shall appoint a member of the College of Monarchs to serve as Minister of Protocol.

C. The College of Monarchs and Board of Directors will be responsible for the execution of Coronation Week events. Coronation theme will be determined by the reigning monarchs. At the discretion of the College, this may also include Coronation Week events. Meetings will be held by the College of Monarchs and Board of Directors to establish a dollar amount to be spent. There will be a high and low dollar amount to work within a framework. These meetings will be held quarterly and the dollar amounts will be adjusted as necessary with Board of Directors approval.

D. The College of Monarchs shall determine a storage location for the Court’s Crown Jewels, wardrobe awards, and all other non-individual Court items. Any properties, objects, materials or other goods paid for the by I.S.Q.C.C.B.E., Inc., All of Ohio, will become property of the corporation and are not to be sold or disposed of without approval of the College of Monarchs and the Board of Directors. At the end of each reign, the College will be responsible for giving a detailed inventory of said items to the Board and it will be put in the permanent records.

E. The growth of the International Court System now necessitates scheduled meetings and conferences of its members as a whole and by division. The I.S.Q.C.C.B.E. belongs to the International Court System, which has scheduled meetings and cooperative projects including Parliament. The I.S.Q.C.C.B.E. shall fully participate in all of these meetings and projects when able. The Board of Directors shall appoint meeting / conference delegates and chairs for events and projects.

F. The College of Monarchs may schedule college meetings as needed and shall report/submit minutes on these meetings within 30 days after the meeting. Failure to submit the printed minutes to the Secretary of the Board shall result in suspension of all meetings until such a time as the minutes are submitted. Any meetings held during such suspension shall be deemed as invalid and considered as never held. Any votes taken are null and void.

G. Members of the College of Monarchs consist of those individuals who have been elected as Emperor or Empress, who have completed their reign, who have stepped down and who are in good standing with the Court. They must be current Court members in order to possess voting rights at the Board, College and Membership meetings. In addition, College members must be in good standing with the Court and be current dues-paying members who reside in the realm in order to be offered a regent monarch position if that condition arises. The regent monarch position can only be filled by a College of Monarchs member in good standing.

H. The College of Monarchs ~~has the right to hold~~ will hold quarterly meetings with the Reigning Monarchs. If said meeting has issues that are discussed more than twice, those issues will be brought to the General Membership to review the issue.

I. In reference to admission to the College of Monarchs see the ISQCCBE Protocol Manual (Article II, Section C.)

J. After the Reigning Monarchs appoint the committee chairs for Coronation, the College and the Board will appoint one of their own members to be assigned to oversee each committee chair.

ARTICLE VI: ELECTION OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS

Section 1. Qualifications / Application and Campaigning Procedures

A. Applications will be made available 70 days prior to Coronation. Candidates for Monarch must also meet the following qualifications:

1. The candidate must have participated in six (6) fund raisers and have been the host of four (4) fund raisers in the past twelve (12) months (July 1 of the previous year to June 30 of the current year.)

2. The candidate must have been a member of the Court for at least twelve (12) months prior to the submittal deadline of applications and have attended six (6) general membership meetings in the past twelve (12) months (July 1 of the previous year to June 30 of the current year.)

3. The candidate must have attended and walked at least two (2) out-of-town coronations in the past twelve (12) months.

4. The candidate must have resided within the Realm for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the submittal deadline of applications.

5. Approved applicants who are current Board members must resign from their Board position prior to the start of campaigning.

B. Applications must be postmarked at least 43 days prior to ~~Coronation~~ Election Day. All completed applications must be accompanied by an application fee per applicant (check or money order made out to the I.S.Q.C.C.B.E., Inc., All of Ohio). The amount of this fee shall be set by the Board of Directors and approved by the general membership. All applications must be completed and returned with check or money order to the I.S.Q.C.C.B.E., Inc., All of Ohio mailing address. All application fees will be returned to any applicant who does not pass the interview for approved candidacy.

C. Interviews for candidacy will be held within the window of 41 to 48 days prior to Coronation.

D. All applicants must meet the approval of the Review Committee, which will determine if applicants meet eligibility guidelines as stipulated in the by-laws. This review committee shall also determine each candidate’s suitability for the position, including (but not limited to) general character, conduct, code of ethics, integrity and ability to fulfill the requirements of the position. The review committee shall incorporate these and other objective and subjective methods of determining candidates’ eligibility; candidates must be approved by a majority vote of the review committee.

E. The College of Monarchs will form the Review Committee at the general membership meeting that occurs before the date that candidate interviews occur. This committee shall consist of the following:

1. All members of the Board not seeking a monarchical position;

2. All members of the College of Monarchs not seeking a monarchical position;

3. Three members of the general membership, elected by the general membership, none of whom are seeking a monarchical position.

The College of Monarchs (excluding any College member seeking a monarchical position) reserves the right to determine if any member of the Review Committee shall constitute a conflict of interest. Any interviewing committee member found to possess a conflict of interest will serve in full capacity as a committee member, but will abstain from voting for that office and for all candidates of that office - e.g., a committee member is found to possess a conflict of interest with a candidate for Empress; that member may participate in all interviewing committee processes except voting on all Empress candidates.

F. Campaigning will officially begin ~~35 days prior to Coronation~~ 22 days prior to Election Day at 12:01AM is and shall commence until the end of voting on voting day. No campaigning may be done on voting day inside of the voting venue. Campaigning may be done outside of the venue in a way not obstructing traffic to or from said venue. All approved candidates must adhere to a dollar campaign limit, as determined by the Board, who will determine this limit no later than 120 days prior to Coronation. This includes any donations such as newspaper ads, videos, TV, or radio ads, etc. All campaigning materials used by candidates for campaigning must be approved by the campaign committee (if any) or by the Board before use by the candidates.

G. Termination / Disqualification of candidacy occurs if substantiated proof of one or more of the following is brought to the Board’s attention on or before election day:

1. Evidence of prior campaigning;

2. Non-submittal of campaign receipts before elections begin;

3. Evidence of joint campaigning;

4. Breach organizational by-laws.

5. Evidence of expenses that exceed the amount set by the Board.

6. Disqualification of a candidate shall require two-thirds of all voting members of

the Board.

H. All money raised by a candidate must go through the Court treasury, and must go to a charity that is, at minimum, a 501(c)(3) organization, as specified by the candidate. In cases where the charitable organization specified is not a designated charity of the current reign, the candidate must obtain approval of the Board of Directors.

I. An individual who has served as an elected monarch may run for an elected monarchical position after one year has elapsed, measured from that individual’s step-down Coronation.

J. The reigning monarchs may not endorse and/or campaign for any monarchical candidates.

K. The Reigning Emperor & Empress shall receive up to six (6) Out-of-Town Coronation

ads per reign with an annual cap decided by the Board of Directors beginning with

Reign XIV.

Section 2. Election Procedure

A. The Emperor and Empress shall be elected based on the highest number of votes by the general membership. No person may join the Court as a new member on Voting Day. Potential new members may join by completing an application, paying the required fees and submitting to the campaigning Emperor/Empress candidate or Membership Chair no later than 2:30 AM (i.e. Sunday morning) the day of voting. Any membership applications and fees collected by the campaigning Emperor/Empress candidate must be submitted to the Membership Chair no later than 12 PM (noon) the day of voting to be considered valid.

B. ~~Elections will be held 13 days prior to coronation, and will be overseen by an independent auditor procured by the Board.~~ Voting will take place the 4th Sunday in August each year between the hours of 4 PM and 8 PM. The location of voting will be announced at the June Board/General Membership meeting. All persons wishing to vote must present a valid picture ID at the time of voting.

C. The Board shall be responsible for the conditions and execution of absentee voting for monarchical candidates, and shall make such option available to all qualified Court members. This procedure is as follows: Persons wishing to request an absentee ballot must be a Court member for at least 90 days prior to Voting Day. Requests must be in writing and must be mailed to the Court P.O. Box and may be requested and postmarked between 30 and 20 20 and 30 days prior to voting. Upon receipt of this request, the Membership Chair will mail a ballot with a self-addressed stamped envelope, addressed to the independent auditor. This ballot must be postmarked at least 10 days prior to voting to be considered valid. The independent auditor shall hold the sealed absentee ballots and show them, still sealed, to the candidates and the College of Monarchs representative on Voting Day. The Membership Chair shall notify the Independent Auditor as to the number of absentee ballots mailed.

C. The Board shall monitor the conditions and execution of absentee voting for monarchical candidates, and shall make such options available to all qualified Court members. These procedures are as follows:

1) Persons wishing to request an absentee ballot must be a Court member for at least 90 days prior to Voting Day. Requests must be in writing and must be mailed to the Court P.O. Box to the attention of the Membership Chair and postmarked at least 30 days prior to the 4th Sunday in August. Upon receipt of this request, the Membership Chair will verify the request for absentee ballot is from a qualified member. An envelope addressed to the independent auditor will be included with the absentee ballot. The returned ballot must be postmarked at least 5 days prior to the 4th Sunday in August and received by the Tuesday prior to Coronation to be considered valid. The Membership Chair will send an e-mail weekly to the Monarchial Candidate(s) indicating the number of absentee ballot(s) mailed to qualified members. It is the responsibility of the qualified member requesting the absentee ballot to follow through to ensure the request has been received by the Court. These inquiries can be either by phone, e-mail or by personal contact to the Membership Chair.

2) Voting by Provisional ballot. A Provisional ballot is used to record a vote if a qualified member’s eligibility is in question and the voter would otherwise not be permitted to vote. The content of a Provisional Ballot is no different from a regular ballot, but is cast “provisionally” until election officials can verify the voter’s eligibility to vote.

Once voting is completed, the sealed/locked ballot box will be picked up in person by the Independent Auditor as presented by the Membership Chair. The candidates are allowed to be present during this transaction. The Independent Auditor will take the sealed/locked ballot box to their offices to be held until Coronation. The Independent Auditor will provide the election results in a sealed envelope to a representative of the College of Monarchs at Coronation. The actual ballots will be turned over to the Membership Chair for preservation.

All ballots shall be preserved for 60 days following the determination of the election results. All ballots shall be preserved, in tact, by The Membership Chair. All ballots including absentee ballots, provisional ballots and disqualified ballots must be preserved for that period of time.

~~D. At the conclusion of the Coronation ceremonies, the ballots will be handed over to the Membership Chairperson representing the Board.~~

D. Contesting the Election

Any confirmed member who voted in the specific election can contest the election. Contact the Membership Chairperson if you believe there was a problem with the election. Such cases must be based on identifiable grounds. An election contest must be filed no later than 7 days after Election Day. The complaint must be specific in order to be investigated. General complaints will be considered groundless and not considered by the Court.

Once an Election complaint is filed, the Membership Chair will acknowledge the complaint and notify the President within 24 hours. Within 48 hours of receiving notice, the President will call an Executive Session with the Board of Directors. The person who filed the complaint must attend the Executive Session as well.

Merits of the complaint will be investigated and presented at the Executive Session by the Membership Chair. The Board will render a decision at the Executive Session based on the facts presented. The Board of Directors must reach a decision on the matter by a 2/3 vote of those present. Full Disclosure of the compliant and findings will be shared with the General membership at the next meeting following Coronation.

E. In the event that a monarchical position has no candidates, the vacated position shall revert back to the College of Monarchs (in descending order, skipping over the monarchs who most recently have stepped down). Should a previous monarch accept the responsibility, he/she shall be known as regent monarch for that reign. In the event that a monarchical position remains vacated, that title and number shall always remain vacated.

F. In the event of a tie, the independent auditor should notify the Board President on the Wednesday prior to Coronation. If two or more candidates running for a monarchical position are tied, the highest number of vote recipients who tied shall be voted on again by those members in attendance at Coronation. Other candidates will not be included in this vote.

G. In the even there is only one candidate for a monarchical position, a yes/no vote will be implemented; the candidate must receive more “yes” votes than “no” votes to be elected.

Section 3. Duties and Powers of the Emperor and Empress

A. The reigning Emperor and Empress must make at least five public appearances at a fundraising event per month together as Emperor and Empress excluding Entertainer of the Year (EOY) and Monarchial Candidate Month. Any out of town Court business/appearance will count as 2 monthly appearances. In the Event that a regent is appointed, the Regent Monarch must actively participate in 3 fundraisers per month.

B. The reigning Emperor and Empress must make at least two out-of-town coronation appearances during their reign. The reigning Emperor and Empress are responsible for all coronation gifts, to be paid for by the treasurer. A maximum price per gift shall be determined by the Board prior to the purchase of any such gifts. If a Regent Monarch is appointed in the first 6 months of a reign, the Regent Monarch must attend one out-of- town coronation. If appointed after March 15th, the Regent Monarch is not required to attend any out-of-town coronations that reign.

C. The reigning Emperor and Empress or the Regent Monarch must coordinate at least two major fund raisers during their reign. Additionally, the reigning Emperor and Empress have the option to request to be involved in any Court-approved fund raiser.

D. The reigning Emperor and Empress must designate a designated charity(ies) as approved by the Board. Any deviation to the originally approved charity(ies) must be presented to the Board at a Board of Directors meeting and approved by the Board. In the event that one regent is appointed, the elected Monarch will choose the charities of his/her choice with Board of Directors approval.

E. The reigning Emperor and Empress may establish / bestow any individual, organization or group title. Each reigning monarch may also bestow one lifetime title. The reigning monarchs may also revoke any title that they establish or bestow.

F. The reigning Emperor and Empress have the right to choose their Coronation theme and the right to select Coronation particulars relating to their “stepping down” coronation, including dais guests, attendants and command performers. In the event that one Regent is appointed, the elected Monarch will choose the Coronation theme

G. All royal proclamations must be approved by a majority vote of the College of Monarchs before the reigning monarchs can announce them. Each reigning monarch is limited to two (2) proclamations. If a Regent Monarch is appointed, the Regent Monarch will receive one (1) proclamation still to be approved by the College of Monarchs.

I. Monarchial heirs apparent must be approved by the College of Monarchs. In the event of resignation or impeachment of a reigning monarch, the heir apparent named by that monarch shall assume the position as regent, maintaining the same number. If no heir-apparent has been named, or if the heir-apparent declines this responsibility, then the regent position shall be offered in descending order to the members of the College of Monarchs, skipping over the monarchs who have most recently stepped down. A monarch who resigns or is impeached is not awarded the title as a permanent title, and is not awarded the monarchial designation of number. In the event of the death of a reigning monarch, he/she shall be posthumously awarded his/her monarchical number and place in the roster of permanent titles. The regent shall share the number and maintain the word “regent,” so as to distinguish the two.

J. The reigning monarchs hold the power to appoint committee chairs and vice-chairs. All chairs and vice-chairs must be approved by majority vote of the Board.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1. Frequency / Type of Meeting

A. General Court meetings will be held once a month. The date and place of these meetings will be announced and noted at the adjournment of the preceding meeting. The Board of Directors Meeting and the General Membership Meeting will henceforth be combined into one meeting with the business of the Board of Directors as the first items on the agenda with the business of the General Membership to immediately follow.

B. The General Membership will be notified of any changes to the Board of Directors/General Membership Meetings (date, time, location) by posting the change on the official website of the I.S.Q.C.C.B.E.

C. The President, Secretary or Board/College-designated member of the College of Monarchs may call an executive session or a special board meeting. Such meetings require at least a 48 hour advance notice, and all Board/College members must be advised at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting’s time, place and purpose. This notification is not required; however, if the executive session or special board meeting is to immediately follow a regular membership meeting.

Special board meetings must be open meetings. Executive sessions, however, are closed meetings and may occur only if the purpose pertains to personnel matters, property issues, court/legal actions, collective bargaining, confidential matters, security arrangements or county hospitals’ trade secrets. Issues arising during an executive session that require a vote of the Board of Directors may be discussed, but the voting must be tabled until the next regularly scheduled board meeting or until the next special board meeting. Minutes of executive sessions or special board meetings must be made available to the Court’s membership at the next regular meeting.

D. A Town Meeting may be requested by any general member by submitting a request to the Member at Large or President to be placed on the agenda. The request will be brought up at the next General Membership meeting and voted on by all general embers present if a town meeting is necessary.

E. Meetings shall be held in accordance with the Sunshine Laws of the State of Ohio, as regulated by the State Office of the Attorney General. Meetings shall be conducted in adherence to Robert's Rules of Order (modern edition) in all cases where they are not inconsistent with these by-laws.

ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION OF THE CORPORATION

Dissolution of the corporation may be introduced by any member of the Board of Directors, and this procedure will be followed:

1. The Board of Directors and College of Monarchs must be immediately notified. A meeting of the Board of Directors and College of Monarchs will be called solely for the discussion of dissolution. This meeting must be called within 30 days of notification.

2. A 2/3 vote of the College members present at this meeting shall identify that dissolution is recommended. A 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors in favor of dissolving the corporation is required for this action to occur.

3. A vote of the Members will then be called upon all members able to vote will be asked to do so 30 days after the board vote to approve Dissolution of the corporation. A 2/3 vote of the general membership in favor of dissolving the corporation is required for this action to proceed.

4. Should dissolution of the corporation be voted upon, the Board of Directors will then appoint three individuals to execute the dissolution, to occur within 30 days of the date of decision. This execution shall be conducted in accordance with local, state and federal laws, and in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. Remaining funds and assets of the corporation are to be liquidated and distributed to a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, in accordance with these by-laws, before the date of the final dissolution of the corporation.

5. If the corporation is dissolved, permanent title holders in good standing at the time of dissolution shall continue to be afforded all courtesies, respect and the right of recognition at functions of the International Court System, unless such representation or identification is inconsistent with the ICS.

THE IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN QUEEN CITY COURT OF THE BUCKEYE EMPIRE, INC., ALL OF OHIO

BY-LAWS, AS OF May 19, 2010

ARTICLE I: NAME

The voted name of this corporation shall be as follows: THE IMPERIAL SOVEREIGN QUEEN CITY COURT OF THE BUCKEYE EMPIRE, INC., ALL OF OHIO.

ARTICLE II: NATURE

·To raise funds for contribution to and in support of any and all charitable [minimum 501(c)(3)] causes upon suggestion of the reigning monarchs and approval of the Board of Directors.

·To represent the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities, and all concerned individuals, in support of community functions.

·To create recreational, charitable and cultural activities.

ARTICLE III: PURPOSE / FUNCTION OF THE BY-LAWS

The purposes of the by-laws are as follows:

·To serve as the governing document of the Court.

·To provide the Board of Directors with an avenue by which to run the Court’s short-term and long-term operations.

·To establish continuity and consistency in the Court.

·To protect the integrity of the Court.

ARTICLE IV: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

The Court shall be comprised of all persons within the realm, who are no less than 21 years of age and who owe no allegiance to any other monarchical society. (Since most functions are in bar establishments it is suggested that the age be 21 years of age, but a youth membership is highly suggested to be formed.) For the purposes of new membership, this realm is defined geographically as follows: all counties in Ohio; Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky; and Switzerland, Ohio, Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson and Ripley counties in Indiana. This can include all others who wish to participate in its activities. Membership in the Court shall not be restricted on the basis of sexual orientation, sexual affectation, race, age, religion, national origin, political affiliation, gender or HIV status.

Section 1. Membership Qualifications

Section 2. Fees

A membership in the Court may also be extended to a person under the following conditions:

1. A person who shows the need (or lack of means) to pay the fee may present to the Board of Directors, in writing, an application for membership.

2. An individual displaying interest and involvement beyond normal expectation may be bestowed a non-voting membership by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Fiscal Year

Section 4. Privileges and Powers Retained by the General Membership

A paid member of the Court has all of the voting rights within the Court’s executive system. Non-members may not vote or have any rights on the executive system.

A. The Court shall retain the power to elect the Emperor and Empress.

B. The Court shall retain the power to elect the Board of Directors.

C. A member of the Court shall retain the right to petition the Board of Directors at any time.

D. Any member of the Court may attend any Board meeting at any time; however, that member may not speak unless recognized by the Board and may not vote.

E. Any member of the Court may attend any General Membership meeting and exercise his/her privileges of discussion and vote.

Section 5. Severing/Suspending of Membership Privileges

A. A Court member may have his/her membership suspended and/or severed if he/she specifically disrupts or goes against the purposes and/or goals of the Court including, but not limited to:

1. Making negative public statements about the Court or making public statements

discouraging non-members from becoming members,

2. Violations to the purpose and principles of the organization set forth by its

Protocol & Bylaws manuals,

3. Conduct which brings discredit to the organization

4. Misrepresentation of the organization and/or its purpose and principles,

5. Insubordination within the framework of the Court,

6. Creation of dissention within the membership,

8. Misappropriation of funds.

This procedure is outlined as follows:

4. The Board of Directors must reach a decision on the status of the membership in question by a 2/3 vote.

5. The Board must then call for a 2/3 vote of the general membership present in order to suspend or sever that member’s privileges.

6. This same procedure shall be followed in order to reinstate a suspended membership. A severed membership cannot be reinstated.

Section 6. Business Membership

Section 7. Membership, Monarchical Titles and Court / Award Titles

ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Composition of the Board of Directors

The members of the Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to in this document as “The Board” consists of the following:

President

Vice-President

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership Chairperson

Reigning Emperor (or Regent)

Reigning Empress (or Regent)

College of Monarchs

Member At Large

Votes on the Board shall consist of the following:

President - 1 vote only in event of a tie

Membership Chairperson - 1 vote

Vice-President - 1 vote

Reigning Emperor - 1 vote

Secretary - 1 vote

Reigning Empress - 1 vote

Treasurer - 1 vote

Member At Large - 1 vote

College of Monarchs - 1 vote

Section 2. Election to the Board of Directors

B. Any nominee for the office of President must have attended six (6) general membership meetings in the past twelve (12) months and been a court member for the last twelve (12) months. Any nominee for the office of Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Chairperson or Member at Large must have attended three General Membership meetings in the last twelve (12) months and been a court member for the last twelve (12) months. When nominated, each candidate for a Board position will receive and acknowledge a description of the duties for the office they are nominated by the current President.

C. No person may join the Court as a new member on Board of Directors’ Voting Day. Joint campaigning for Board positions is prohibited.

D. Terms of Office

	President: One year
	Vice-President: Two years (alternating with the Membership Chairperson)
	Secretary: Two Years (alternating with the Treasurer)
	Treasurer: Two Years (alternating with the Secretary)
	Membership Chairperson: Two years (alternating with the Vice-President)
	Empress: One year
	Emperor: One year
	Member At Large: One year