Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1: Name

The organization shall hereinafter be referred to as “TriLUG”.

Section 2: Purpose

The primary purpose of TriLUG is to share and advance Linux and other Free (as in Freedom) and Open Source Software, hardware, and practices through education, outreach, and community ­building in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) region of North Carolina.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Qualification

Any natural person (corporations are specifically excluded) who attends a meeting in­ person qualifies for membership.

Section 2: Joining

Membership forms may be obtained from the Steering Committee. A prospective member must fill out a membership form, submit it to the Steering Committee, and wait to be notified that their membership is active.

Section 3: Voting Rights

Current members that are in the membership database may vote on TriLUG orders of business.

Section 4: Records

Personally identifying information (PII) is gathered for the purpose of membership application, including but not limited to full name, email address, and a mailing address. Collected information will only be used to conduct TriLUG business. Any agents of TriLUG, whether volunteers or contracted organizations, will be bound to use this information only for TriLUG business. Membership records will never be sold, rented, or given away.

Aggregate information about the membership is not considered confidential if, in the good faith opinion of the Steering Committee, it cannot be used to reveal PII.

TriLUG does not take responsibility for information that a member chooses to disclose during their participation in TriLUG events and services.

Section 5: Cards

Each member is entitled to receive an official membership card.

Section 6: Privileges

TriLUG makes certain services available to the membership, such as a Linux shell account and an email address, as resources allow. Services are provided for educational benefit and are free of cost. Services come with no warranties or guarantees of suitability for any purpose.

TriLUG reserves the right to discontinue services at any time.

Section 7: Resignation

Any member may resign from the organization by sending a signed request to the Steering Committee.

Section 8: Deactivation

Membership may be deactivated due to expired contact information. Documentation of attempts to reach the member is required. Membership shall be reactivated upon receipt of current contact information from the member.

Section 9: Revocation

Membership may be revoked by a vote of the Steering Committee due to serious violation of policies or obstruction of the group’s operations. Any membership revocation must be communicated to the general membership within thirty days.

Section 10: Appeal of Revocation

Following revocation of membership, if the former member presents a petition for reinstatement signed by at least fifteen current members, there shall be a vote by the membership to either uphold the revocation or reinstate membership. The vote must occur at a general meeting within sixty days of the request.

Article III: Steering Committee

Section 1: Definition

A committee of five people will be responsible for the operation of the organization, and will be known as the Steering Committee (SC).

Section 2: Qualification

Any member who is in the membership database and currently resides in the state of North Carolina may be elected to the Steering Committee.

Section 3: Candidacy

The Steering Committee shall send a call for nominations for candidacy not more than sixty nor fewer than ten days before elections take place. Members may declare their candidacy by either announcing their intent to run via the mailing list at least 24 hours in advance of the election, or by attending the election in person and stating their intent to run.

Section 4: Election

The membership will vote by secret ballot, each member selecting up to five candidates. All candidates as determined in Section 3 shall be present on the ballot. The five candidates with the most votes shall become the new Steering Committee. After the elections, the new officers along with the full ballot will be communicated to the membership via the mailing list.

Section 5: Term

Members of the Steering Committee serve for a term of one year. Members wishing to remain on the Steering Committee may be re­elected.

Section 6: Procedure for Removal

An individual may be removed from office by a two­thirds vote of the members present at a general meeting.

Section 7: Vacancies

Should a member of the Steering Committee vacate their office (by removal, relocation outside the state of North Carolina, resignation or death), the membership will vote in a new officer to serve out the remainder of the term.

Section 8: Meetings

The Steering Committee meets as its officers see fit. All Steering Committee members should be present for all meetings. The Chair or the Vice Chair presides at these meetings.

Section 9: Compensation

Steering Committee members shall receive no compensation except for reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the organization.

Section 10: Voting

A majority of current Steering Committee members must vote affirmatively in order for a motion to pass, unless otherwise stated in these bylaws.

Article IV: Officers

Section 1: Appointment

At the first meeting of a new Steering Committee, members of the committee appoint each other to offices by majority vote.

Section 2: Chair

The Chair is responsible for setting the agenda and running the meetings.

Section 3: Vice Chair

The Vice Chair will assume the responsibilities of the Chair when the Chair is unavailable.

Section 4: Treasurer

The Treasurer receives and disburses money at the direction of the Steering Committee and is accountable for the budget. The Treasurer and the Chair are accountable for tax filing as required by federal, state, and local agencies; however, the Treasurer is responsible for acquiring all the necessary forms and working with a certified public accountant, if necessary to file said forms.

Section 5: Sysadmin

The Sysadmin is responsible for maintaining the operation of the TriLUG computer services including but not limited to the mailing lists.

Section 6: Public Relations

The Public Relations Officer is responsible for marketing and promoting the organisation and its events to the public, for answering questions from reporters and officials, and for providing summaries to the other officers about any ongoing public relations issue, such as public controversy or lawsuits.

Article V: Meetings

Section 1: Election

A meeting must occur each May to elect a new Steering Committee.

Section 2: Annual Report

The Steering Committee will designate one meeting per fiscal year as the "Annual Membership Meeting" at which a financial report and other business of importance to the membership will be presented. Each Annual Membership Meeting must occur within fifteen months of the previous Annual Membership Meeting.

Section 3: General

General meetings occur several times a year, as the members see fit.

Section 4: Voting

Any vote by the membership shall occur by secret ballot. Votes must be cast in­-person at a meeting that occurs within the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Section 5: Notice

Any motion that will be voted upon by the membership must be announced to the membership no more than sixty nor fewer than ten days in advance of the meeting at whiching voting is to occur.

Article VI: Miscellaneous

Section 1: Amending the By-Laws

These by­laws may be amended by a vote of the members present at a general meeting. An amendment is adopted if two­-thirds of the members present vote in favor of adoption.

Section 2: Conflict of Interest Policy

TriLUG shall adopt a conflict of interest policy, the purpose of which is to protect TriLUG’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer or director or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. The policy must be made available to members through the website, and any change to the policy must be announced to members within ten days.

Section 3: Anti-harassment

The Steering Committee shall maintain and enforce an anti-harassment policy.

In order to provide a space that is inclusive of all people interested in Linux and other Free and Open Source software, TriLUG is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, country of origin, or age. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Furthermore, sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any TriLUG-sponsored event or service. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from talks, events, mailing lists, IRC channel or other services at the discretion of the Steering Committee or its designate.

The complete anti ­harassment policy shall be made publicly available and can be found at:

http://trilug.org/anti-harassment

Published Policies

Proposed By-Laws