Bylaws Data

The Information Technology Guild bylaws were ratified by a founding group of members and accepted by the Areopagus on June 21, 2004 e.v..

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Preamble

The Information Technology (IT) Guild of Ordo Templi Orientis is committed to the following goals:

1. To support the IT needs of the Order through work and advice on information systems required by or beneficial to the Order;
2. To coordinate and facilitate sharing of resources between IT efforts undertaken by groups within the Order at any level (international, national, or local);
3. To assist Guild members in advancing in the IT profession through continuing education, contact with peers, and other opportunities for professional development.

The phrase "information technology" is used inclusively to cover all disciplines involving the use of computers to create, store, analyze, retrieve, or display information. Thus its scope includes (but is not limited to) software engineering, database architecture, web content design, and computer hardware engineering.

I. Name

The name of this Guild shall be The Information Technology Guild of Ordo Templi Orientis, herein referred to as "the Guild."

II. Purpose

The purpose of this Guild is twofold:

A. To promote networking and mutual benefit within a fraternal environment among information technology professionals who are within the body of members in good standing of the Ordo Templi Orientis.

B. To coordinate the implementation of Ordo Templi Orientis IT projects beneficial to the Order as a whole.

III. Membership

A. Members of this Guild must derive their primary income from work in information technology. The Board will appoint a membership committee to evaluate applicants in this regard.

B. Those who do not meet the Membership criterion may become Associates. Associates are not Members of the Guild, but may participate in many of its activities.

C. Both Members and Associates must be initiates in good standing of at least the 1st degree of Ordo Templi Orientis.

IV. Board

A. The Guild will be led by a board of three Guild members, who will serve voluntarily for a period of two years or until their successors are elected. This board shall be entrusted with administration of the Guild.

B. Board members will be elected by vote of the membership from among those who are nominated and agree to serve if elected. Sitting Board members are eligible to continue in office if nominated and reelected.

B.1. This election will take place once every two years during the twenty-eight-day period beginning May 3.

B.2. Two weeks shall be allowed for nominations, one week to compose the list of nominees (including verification of their willingness to serve), and one week for voting. Thus the final day of the voting period will be May 31.

B.3. Each Guild member may cast a vote for a single nominee. The three nominees obtaining the largest number of votes shall be elected to the Board. In the event of a tie, a runoff election between the tied nominees must be held within one month.

B.4. Election results shall be announced by June 7. New board members take office at the time of this announcement.

B.5. The mechanisms used for nominations and voting must provide for auditing and accountability while preserving ballot secrecy during voting. Online voting using existing polling systems shall be the preferred mechanism for nomination and voting, provided these criteria are met. Alternate mechanisms used for nominations and voting may be specified and implemented by the Board (subject to approval by the Areopagus) at least one month before nominations open.

B.6. In the event that less than three people should be nominated, receive votes, and agree to serve on the Board, those who are elected may appoint remaining Board member(s) from among the general membership.

B.7. Should a Board member fail to perform his or her duties, or take actions significantly detrimental to the good of the Guild, he or she may be recalled from office in a special election.

B.7.a. Such an election may be called by a petition of at least 1/4 of the members of the Guild, including at least one Board member. The petitition must be submitted more than six months after the close of the previous regular election cycle, and more than six months prior to the opening of the next regular election cycle.

B.7.b. Should a recall election be authorized, recall from office requires a vote of 2/3 of those casting ballots in favor of the recall.

B.8. Should the Board drop below three members (through resignation or recall of a Board member, loss of Guild membership of a Board member, or by any other circumstance), the following provisions will be used to replace the missing Board member(s).

B.8.a. If the vacancy occurs more than one year before the start of the next regular election cycle, the Board must organize a special election to fill the vacant seat(s) using the normal election mechanism. Acceptance of nominations must commence within 21 days of the vacancy occurring.

B.8.b. If the vacancy occurs one year or less before the start of the next regular election cycle, the Board will continue to operate with the seat remaining vacant until the next regular election cycle.

B.9. Should the Board become entirely vacant for any reason, the Areopagus will be asked to appoint a new interim Board, to be replaced by the membership under the provisions of section IV.B.8.

C. The board may act as deemed appropriate to pursue the goals of the Guild. Its duties include but are not limited to the following.

C.1. Appoint committees. These committees may be formed and dissolved as needed, with the exception of the following permanent committees:

C.1.a. Membership committee: A committee composed of five Guild members, which may include some or all members of the Board. This committee approves or rejects applications for Guild membership by simple majority vote, and maintains the membership roster.

C.1.b. Communication committee: A committee composed of three Guild members, which may include some or all members of the Board. This committee is responsible for maintaining web sites, mailing lists, chat rooms, and other tools used by the Guild to communicate both within its membership and to the world at large.

C.2. Select the Guild's representative to the Areopagus.

V. Meetings and Procedures

A. Internal meetings and voting of the Board and of committees may take place online, in person, by mail, or using any other commuication method, as determined by those bodies.

B. The Board may make proposals at any time to the membership, giving two weeks' notice before the conclusion of a vote on a particular change in policy.

C. The Board may, at its discretion, call in-person meetings of the Guild as a whole. They must notify the membership of the Guild at least sixty (60) days in advance of the planned in-person meeting, including its location and time. Failure to communicate the intent of an in-person meeting in a timely manner shall result in the proposed meeting being canceled or converted to an online meeting.

VI. Parliamentary Authority

A. The rules contained in the current edition of ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER NEWLY REVISED shall govern the Guild in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these bylaws, those of Ordo Templi Orientis International or those of Ordo Templi Orientis U.S.A., the articles of incorporation of either, and the applicable Non Profit Corporation Law.

VII. Limitation of Liability and Matters of Identification

A. No member of the Guild shall represent themselves as working in the IT field under the auspices of, in the name of, or in association with the legal entity of, Ordo Templi Orientis. Ordo Templi Orientis is not responsible for the activities of the Guild.

B. The Guild has the exclusive right to use and authorize the name and mark(s) of the Guild, in accordance with the instructions of the Frater Superior of O.T.O.

C. No individual or entity may use the name or mark(s) of the Guild to create the impression that a product, service, or any other material or activity is endorsed, recommended or supported by the Guild.

D. No Guild member may publicly advertise their membership in the Guild or in O.T.O. for business or other commercial purposes, or use the seal or logo of O.T.O. or the Guild for such purposes.

VIII. Relation with the OTO International

A. The Frater Superior of O.T.O. shall have final authority for approval of any Guild mark, seal, certificate, or emblem.

B. The Areopagus shall have the final authority over the activities of the Guild, and may mandate changes as necessary.

C. The one person most eminent in the Guild shall make a written or oral report of the activities of the Board and the Guild to the Areopagus annually, whenever the Areopagus shall meet, at the discretion of the Areopagus. This individual shall be chosen by the Board (or by a committee appointed by the Board) based on his or her IT experience, publications, public prominence, IT-related service to the Order, or other similar criteria as deemed appropriate.

IX. Amendments

A. Before adoption, all proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be submitted to the Areopagus.

B. The adoption of an amendment to any provision of the bylaws of Ordo Templi Orientis International shall serve automatically and without the requirement of further action by the Guild to amend correspondingly any applicable section of these bylaws. Notwithstanding the automatic character of the amending process, the Guild shall promptly incorporate such amendments in its bylaws upon notification by the Areopagus.

C. The Board shall notify the Guild members within 30 days of any approved amendments to these bylaws.

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