MAMMOTH LAKES FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
STANDING RULES
I. MEMBERSHIP
1.0 The Mammoth Lakes Friends of the Library, hereinafter referred to as the ML Friends, is a public benefit corporation. Membership is open to any person or group interested in the purpose of the organization and willing to conform to the Bylaws, Standing Rules, Guidelines, Procedures, and Policies of the ML Friends. A member is a volunteer who has paid their annual dues during the fiscal year or completed a minimum number of volunteer hours. ML Friends is in the process of seeking a determination as to its tax-exempt status from both the state and federal governments. If such determinations are received, d Dues will be are tax deductible under an advance ruling of the Internal Revenue Service through September 30, 2008, when a final determination will be made. (Amend. 3/11/2008)
I.1 TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Following are the membership types and relevant membership contributions:
. Lifetime $1,000 One-time payment
Club 100 $100 Annually
Patron $50 Annually
Family $25 Annually
Individual $10 Annually
Honorary No dues required
Supporting 12 hours volunteer time min. annually
I. 2 PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP
1.2.1 Right to Vote: Each member receives one vote on matters submitted to the members for approval.
1.2.2 Participation: All members may participate in meetings and activities.
1.2.3 Newsletter: All members shall receive the newsletter as described in “Records and Reports, 1.4.7.”
1.2.4 Honorary Members: Honorary members may be chosen in recognition of outstanding service to the ML Friends and the library. It is a lifetime honor conferred on those to whom a special tribute is deemed appropriate. Dues are not required. Honorary members shall be selected from recommendations of the President and approved by a vote of the Board of Directors.
1.2.5 Copying Discount: All members except supporting members shall receive a reduced copy fee at the library.
I. 3 REGULAR MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
1.3.1 Schedule: Regular monthly meetings will be held at 1 p.m. at the Office of the Mono County Superintendent of Schools Library on the second Tuesday of each month. The first regular meeting of each fiscal year shall also be known as the annual meeting. (Amended 3/11/08)
1.3.2 Revisions to Regular Meeting Schedule: The regular monthly business meeting dates and or times may be changed by announcing the change in a mailing to the members no less than 14 days (20 if other than 1st class mailing) and no more than 90 days prior to the meeting. In the event of special circumstances, such as a major storm, the President, or in her absence, any two members of the Board may cancel a meeting.
1.3.3 Quorum: Ten (10) members or 20 percent of total memberships, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum for general membership meetings.
1.3.4 Medium of Voting: Each member attending a meeting shall have one vote. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted. Participation may be by telephone/teleconference and shall be considered as if the member were present. Cost incurred for telephone/teleconference participation shall be paid by the requesting party.
1.3.5 Vote Count: The President may determine that a roll call or written vote is necessary or a member may so demand before the vote is taken. Roll call or written votes shall be tallied by the Secretary. The results of the tally shall be reported in writing to the President, who shall announce them to the members.
I. 4. Records and Reports
1.4.1 Permanent Records: The signed Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Standing Rules shall be kept in a permanent record book. A permanent file shall be kept for all filings with the Secretary of State, Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Franchise Tax Board (FTB), Mono County, and any other regulatory body for which filings are required. Insurance policies and/or records of attempts to obtain liability insurance for the Board and its agents shall be included. Such records shall be maintained in a cabinet in the Mammoth Lakes library.
1.4.2 Financial Records: Financial records shall be kept in accordance with standard accounting practices and shall comply with legal requirements as specified in the Legal Requirements Handbook. The Treasurer shall report to the membership with monthly statements comparing budget to actual and shall make the current year’s books of original entry available within a reasonable timeframe to members upon request. Support for tax audits shall be kept in a metal file cabinet at the Mammoth Lakes library for at least three years prior to the date of the latest filing or as otherwise required by law. The outgoing Treasurer shall extract information for the expiring fiscal year from the basic records of entry and shall oversee the preparation of the tax returns for that fiscal year. The Treasurer shall turn over the basic books of entry to the incoming Treasurer on a timely basis.
1.4.3 Minute Books: Minutes shall be kept for regular monthly meetings of the membership and for board meetings. These minutes shall be maintained permanently. Regular monthly meetings shall be joint meetings of the Board and membership. Board actions taken at membership meetings should be specified as such in the joint minutes. The Board quorum and membership quorum shall be specified if actions are taken by either body.
1.4.4 Action Log: A log of all actions taken by either the membership or the Board shall be established, numbering the action for reference purposes, showing the date the action was taken, a space for follow-up notes and a column for initials or name of the person determining that no further action need be taken. This log shall be reviewed by the keeper of the log prior to each meeting. Items that must be addressed at the meeting should be reported to the President prior to each meeting. Whenever action by the members shall be taken at the meeting, notice shall be provided in accordance with Section 7.2 of the Bylaws.
1.4.5 Procedure Books: Procedure books are to be established for each office and committee. Each book will contain a copy of the Bylaws and Standing Rules and a job description at a minimum. Job descriptions shall be revised by the outgoing committee chairman or officer at the end of each fiscal year and reviewed by the President and Vice President before distribution to the incoming individual.
1.4.6 Key Dates Calendar: A permanent list shall be kept of filing and other deadlines, such as tax return deadlines, and suggested activity dates, such as when the nominating committee shall be appointed. At the beginning of each year, the Secretary, using this listing as a guide, shall apply the specific dates for the ensuing calendar year and shall monitor this calendar thereafter.
1.4.7 Newsletter: Members shall be entitled to a minimum of three newsletters per year. Such newsletters shall contain names of nominees for office prior to the annual elections, a summary annual budget when approved, appointments by the President, and news of actions taken by the Board and or the members. In addition, it shall contain information on projects undertaken by the group, news from Mono County Friends of the Library and other matters as deemed pertinent by the Board, President or Newsletter Chairman.
1.4.8 Membership Lists: A membership list should be established by the Membership Chair and reconciled to the Treasurer’s deposits. The list of names should be made available to members four months after the beginning of each fiscal year. A membership roster showing names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and type of memberships should be made available to Board and Committee Chairmen. Amounts of contributions should be kept confidential by the Treasurer and Membership Chair. A mailing list should be maintained that includes members and former members. Names of former members should be removed after two years of non-renewal of membership.
1.4.9 Handbooks: Handbooks exist for 1) Book Chalet, 2) legal requirements of the Corporation and 3) the Vintage Book Committee. Other handbooks may be prepared at the direction of the President. Such handbooks shall be reviewed and maintained until the President deems the handbook to be irrelevant.
1.5. HOW TO JOIN
1.5.1 New members: Prospective new members shall complete a membership form, select the desired type of membership, and submit the form to the Treasurer with the relevant annual dues amount or volunteer hour pledge form.
1.5.2 Renewals: Renewing members must complete a membership form at the beginning of each fiscal year, designating the desired type of membership and submit it to the Treasurer with the relevant annual dues amount or their certification of the volunteer hours they reported to the Hours Chairman in the prior year.
II. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2.0 The Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, plus three Members-at-Large, also known as Directors. A majority of the filled positions of the Board constitutes a quorum for the Board.
2.1 DUTIES:
2.1.1 Board of Directors: The Board of Directors serves as the governing body of this organization and has the responsibility for deciding its actions and policies. The Board shall determine which reports, decisions, and actions are to be reported to the general membership. The Board may approve additions or deletions to the Standing Rules by majority vote.
2.1.2 President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of the ML Friends and the Board and shall be responsible for the general management of the ML Friends. The President shall appoint the chairmen of Standing and Special Committees and an Advisor to the Treasurer. The President is an ex-officio member of all Standing Committees of the ML Friends except the Nominating Committee. Except for vacancies created by the removal of a Director, the President shall make nominations to fill vacancies on the Board. Such nominees shall be approved or rejected by the Board at the next Board meeting. Vacancies resulting from the removal of a Director shall be filled by a vote of the members.
2.1.3 Vice-President: The Vice-President, also known as the President Elect, shall have the executive powers and perform the duties of the President in the absence, disability, or upon the resignation of the President. The Vice-President’s name shall automatically be placed in nomination for the office of President at the end of the current President's term. The Vice-President shall be responsible for securing or attempting to secure those insurance policies that were determined by the Board to be necessary, including that specified in Section 6.11 of the Bylaws.
2.1.4 Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of meetings of the general membership and of the Board. The Secretary must keep Permanent Records. See Records and Reports I. 4.1 and I. 4. 3 above. As described in I. 4. 4 above, the Secretary shall review the Action Log and Key Dates Calendar to inform the President prior to each meeting of any items that additionally need to be addressed. After the election, the Secretary shall renew the post office box information by submitting a certified copy of the minutes to the post office clerk. The Secretary shall be responsible for corresponding secretary duties as well as recording secretary duties, unless such duties can be assigned to another member. In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall call the meeting to order pending the election of a temporary presiding officer from among the remaining Directors by a majority vote of those Directors who are present.
2.1.5 Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping accurate records of all financial affairs of the ML Friends as described in 1.4.2. above and shall provide a monthly financial report to the Board, the general membership, and the Secretary. The Treasurer, using the advice of the Advisor to the Treasurer, is empowered to invest excess funds in insured investments and money market accounts. In addition, the Treasurer shall be responsible for filing any financial reports, statements, or other financial documentation necessary for the maintenance of the ML Friends’ tax exempt status under state or federal law. The Treasurer shall keep an up-to-date list of subscriptions paid for by the Friends on behalf of the Library and shall reconcile all accounts, including the credit card account. All monies or funds of any kind, including dues, shall be recorded through the Treasurer's books. The Board must approve all expenditures by approving the annual budget and by taking additional actions during the year on items outside the budget as they may arise. The incoming Treasurer, as soon as possible after election of officers in September, shall prepare a budget to be presented at the October Board Meeting for approval. The budget will then be presented to the general membership at the November general meeting for approval. In the absence of the President, Vice President and Secretary, the Treasurer shall call the meeting to order pending the election of a temporary presiding officer from among the remaining Directors by a majority vote of those Directors who are present. The Advisor to the Treasurer appointed by the President shall be consulted before investing funds in any institution or renewing an insured investment instrument, such as a certificate of deposit.
2.1.6 Members-At-Large: Duties of members-at-large shall include attending Board meetings and voting on issues. Members-at-large may also assume Committee responsibilities.
2.1.7 Immediate Past President: The immediate past president is the president preceding the incumbent and serves as a reference source and advisor to the Board.
2.2. BOARD MEETINGS:
2.2.1 Schedule: Regular Board meetings shall be held jointly with the membership meeting.
2.2.2 Medium of Meeting: Meetings may be conducted in person or by telephone/teleconference. Participation by telephone/teleconference shall be considered the same as if the Director were present. Costs incurred for telephone/teleconference participation shall be paid by the requesting party.
2.2.3 Quorum: A majority of the filled positions of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
2.2.4 Vote Count: Each Director in attendance or participating by telephone/teleconference has one vote. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted.
2.2.5 Qualifying Attendance: All Directors shall attend meetings in person or by telephone/teleconference. If a Director cannot attend, they may be excused by notifying the President in advance.
2.2.6 Transition: The outgoing Board reviews and evaluates all projects carried on during its term and brings recommendations to the new Board at its first meeting through the Immediate Past President (President). Outgoing chairmen report to the outgoing President in writing no later than 30 days prior to the end of the year, with oral updates as necessary.
2.2.7 Special Meetings: The President or two Directors acting together may call a special meeting of the Board as long as all Directors are notified at least 48 hours in advance and all other requirements in Section 7.4 of the Bylaws are met.
2.3 TERMS OF OFFICE:
All terms of office extend over the fiscal year, from October 1 through September 30, although additional transitional duties may be specified in these Standing Rules.
III. COMMITTEES
3.0 At the beginning of each fiscal year, the President appoints chairmen for the following Standing Committees: Book Chalet, Book Sales, Gallery Wall, Historian, Membership, Newsletter, Nominating, Publicity, Vintage Books, and Volunteer Hours. At least every five years, the President shall appoint a Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee. When a capital campaign becomes necessary, a Capital Campaign Committee shall be formed. Other committees may be formed by the Board as needed, with the chairmen appointed by the President. Except for the Nominating Committee and the Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee, the chairman may select committee members as needed. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee. Minutes of committee meetings shall be taken when appropriate. All Committee Chairmen shall submit reports of the year’s committee activities to the President by September 15 each year. Committee descriptions are as follows:
3.1 BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
The immediate past president of the ML Friends (if any), the Mammoth Lakes Branch Librarian, and the Mono County Librarian or their authorized delegates shall be members of the Board Advisory Committee. The Board Advisory Committee shall meet concurrently with the Board of Directors and shall provide information and recommendations to assist the Board in carrying out its duties and functions.
3.2. BOOK CHALET:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman or Co-Chairmen who manage this used book store. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate. Its purpose is to raise funds for the library and provide quality used books at reasonable prices, as a service to the community. This Chairman shall see that any lease is approved by the Board at initiation and renewal, and shall ensure the dba filing with the County Clerk is timely. The Vice-President is responsible for obtaining necessary insurance coverage.
3.3 BOOK SALES:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman sort books, price books, and plan and manage the parking lot used book sales. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate. This Chairman is responsible for the Town Permit and the Vice President is responsible for obtaining necessary insurance coverage.
3.4 CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE:
From time to time, it will be necessary to appoint a Campaign Committee. This Committee may be renamed for the campaign, e.g. Building Fund Campaign Committee. In addition to the Committee Chairman, the Chairman shall appoint a Campaign Publicity Chairman, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary and a Campaign Treasurer and any additional members deemed appropriate. Separate bank and brokerage accounts may also be established by and for the campaign. The activities of the committee shall be reported monthly at the membership meetings. In addition to accounting records, care shall be taken to keep appropriate records of all solicitation materials and acknowledgements to donors as required under current tax rules. All accounting records shall be coordinated through the ML Friends Treasurer.
3.5 GALLERY WALL:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman who selects and contracts with the artists using the standard, Board approved contract, and coordinates the artist’s work display and sales at the library. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate.
3.6 HISTORIAN:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman who is responsible for gathering publicity and pictures of the ML Friends and its functions. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate. The publicity is to be placed in an album and preserved.
3.7 MEMBERSHIP:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman, who shall plan solicitations and keep an accurate list of membership information and dues. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate.
3.8 NEWSLETTER:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman to coordinate and publish the newsletters. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate.
3.9 NOMINATING:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman and at least two members nominated by the President and approved by the Board. This committee shall prepare the slate of officers and members at large for the coming fiscal year. Neither the chairman nor any members may serve more than four years consecutively.
3.10 PUBLICITY:
This committee consists of a Chairman who is responsible for preparing information to be published in local newspapers and aired on radio and TV. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate. This committee shall also review the ML Friends information on the Mono County Library web site. If a solicitation for membership or donation is included in the media, a record must be kept for tax purposes.
3.11 VINTAGE BOOKS:
This committee shall consist of a Chairman to research, price and evaluate books for either internet or book sales. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate. A credit card is in place under the name of the Mono County Volunteer Coordinator and one Vintage Book Committee member. The credit limit is $1,000.
3.12 VOLUNTEER HOURS:
This committee consists of a Chairman who keeps track of volunteer hours by maintaining a file of active members and committees and recording their hours. The hours shall be reported in summary monthly to the Library Authority and the membership. Additional members may be appointed as deemed appropriate.
3.13 BYLAWS AND STANDING RULES: (See 5.1. below).
This committee consists of a Chairman and additional members nominated by the President and approved by the Board. When necessary, but in no event less frequently than every 5 years, the Committee shall review these Standing Rules, along with the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. The committee shall report its conclusions to the Board at a regularly scheduled meeting.
IV. GENERAL POLICIES & GUIDELINES
4.0. Policies and guidelines are set by the Board of Directors.
4.1 The ML Friends does not lend its name to, nor participate in any commercial activity not related to the Library with the exception of a benefit in which the ML Friends receives a portion of the proceeds.
4.2 Members shall refrain from involving the ML Friends in controversies arising in the community.
4.3 Speakers at general business meetings shall not be paid.
4.4 Gifts, gift certificates, etc. may be given, with Board approval, to members and non-members who have given exceptional service to the ML Friends.
4.5 Although most banks will no longer monitor for two signatures, all checks written must be signed by two signers.
4.6 Automatic payments may be authorized by two members of the Board. A list of these payments should be reviewed by the incoming Treasurer to ensure their understanding and approval of the process.
4.7 A credit card is authorized for use by the Vintage Book Committee. This card has been authorized only for use at Amazon.com for sales and returns of books. The card may be in the name of a member, but the statements go directly to the Treasurer. Sales and refund information is to be transmitted by Vintage Book Committee members to the Treasurer at the time such items are made known to the Committee.
4.8 Donations of stock should be sold immediately and held in cash form. The treasurer and the Treasurer’s Advisor should monitor the need to put cash into a money market or certificate of deposit as needed.
4.9 Individual library subscriptions may be purchased for more than a single year with the approval of the ML Librarian; however, the entire list should be submitted for an annual review by the County Librarian.
4.10 Leases and insurance renewals or initiations shall be pre-approved by the Board of Directors.
V. REVISIONS
5.1 All revisions to the Standing Rules must be approved by the Board.
5.2 Revisions are to be made available to the general membership by posting on the MLFOL website location and in print upon individual member requests.
These standing rules were adopted by the Board of ML Friends on February 16, 2005
Amended March 11, 2008 as noted.
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Andree Wallis, President
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Teri Alfaro, Secretary