Westercon Bylaws
As of Close of 1999 Westercon
The following document is the current text of the Westercon Bylaws and Standing
Rules, as of the close of Westercon 52 (Spokane, 1999). Amendments to the Westercon
Bylaws were adopted at Westercon 52, and the amendments are noted in the text.
In addition, as a consequence of a Bylaw amendment, certain portions of the
Bylaws and Standing Rules needed to have the names of procedural motions changed
to retain consistency with the adopted parliamentary authority. The Westercon
52 Business Meeting authorized the head table staff to make such changes and
are those changes are shown in this document. Material added is indicated by
underline type. Material removed is indicated by strikethru type.
The text was prepared by Kevin Standlee based on the results of the Westercon
52 Business Meeting minutes written by Cheryl Morgan, and includes those items
of business passed on to Westercon 53 (Honolulu, 2000) or referred to committees
with instructions to report to Westercon 53.
1 General Provisions
1.1 Name and Date
It is traditional, but not obligatory, that the West Coast Science Fantasy
Conference (Westercon) shall take place over the July 4th weekend.
1.2 Guests of Honor
It is traditional, but not obligatory, that Westercon Guests of Honor and other
notables be selected from among SF personalities residing within the Westercon
geographical area.
1.3 Membership Classes
There shall be at least two classes of membership in Westercon: supporting
and attending. The committee shall notify the members of their membership class
in a timely fashion.
1.3.1 Supporting Members
Supporting members shall receive any progress reports or any other generally
mailed publications published after the member joins the Westercon, including
the Program Book, and may exercise any voting rights permitted by any other
part of these bylaws, except attending the Business Meeting. All Westercons
shall be required to offer supporting memberships until at least thirty (30)
days prior to the opening of the Westercon, and such supporting memberships
shall not cost more than one hundred and fifty percent (150%) of the voting
fee charged when the site of the Westercon was selected. Any class of membership
offered by a Westercon costing at least as much as a supporting membership shall
include a supporting membership.
1.3.2 Attending Members
Attending members shall have all of the rights of supporting members, plus
the right to attend the Westercon and the business meeting(s) held there, subject
to the restrictions established by the other parts of these bylaws.
1.3.3 Restriction of Memberships
Each Westercon committee shall have the right to limit the activities of its
attendees, either individually or in groups, insofar as such activities endanger,
physically or legally, other persons or property. Such limitations may include,
but are not limited to, closing down parties, ejecting persons from the Westercon,
or turning offenders over to other authorities. No refund of membership need
be given in such circumstances. Each member, in purchasing his/her membership,
agrees to abide by these bylaws.
1.4 Name Badges and Membership Numbers
All committees shall issue name badges for all attending members. Name badges
for pre-registered members shall display the member's name in no less than 24-point
bold type. All committees shall assign a unique membership number upon processing
of a membership. This number shall be printed on the label of all progress reports,
shall be printed on membership name badges, and shall be used for site-selection
purposes. In the event a membership is transferred, the old membership number,
if applicable, shall be noted, both on the badge and on registration information
used for site-selection voting administration. Membership badges or other proof
of membership remain the property of the Westercon committee for the duration
of the conference and may be confiscated for cause; no refund of membership
fees need be given in such circumstances.
1.5 Archive of Bylaws
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc. (LASFS) shall act as an archive
to the Westercon bylaws and the minutes of business meetings. Each committee
shall reimburse LASFS for the costs of copying and forwarding copies of the
Bylaws and Minutes to those who request them. A copy of the minutes, including
the text of motions passed by the business meeting, shall be sent to LASFS within
two (2) months of the close of each Westercon by the administering Westercon.
LASFS shall maintain the Westercon bylaws and shall forward one copy of the
current bylaws, including the text of any amendment to the bylaws awaiting secondary
ratification, to the current Westercon committee within four (4) months of the
close of the previous Westercon. The current Westercon shall provide copies
of the Bylaws to the committees of all Westercon bids for the year which that
Westercon is administering the site-selection.
1.6 Distribution of Bylaws to Members
The Westercon Bylaws, as well as the complete text of any amendment awaiting
secondary ratification, shall be published in at least one (1) progress report
and in the program book of the current Westercon each year. Failure to publish
this information shall not affect the procedure to amend the bylaws as stated
in Article 4.
1.7 Westercon Service Mark
All Westercons shall publish, in all publications such as promotional flyers,
progress reports, and program book, the following notice: "'Westercon'
is a registered service mark of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc."
1.8 Responsibilities of Administering Westercon
It is a responsibility of each Westercon to enforce the provisions of these
bylaws.
2 Westercon Business Meeting
2.1 Scheduling of Sessions
At least one (1) regular session of the Westercon business meeting must be
scheduled at each Westercon. No regular session of the Westercon business meeting
shall be scheduled to start prior to 11 AM, nor later than 2 PM, nor on the
last day of the Westercon. A special session, at which site-selection business
shall be the sole order of business, may be scheduled on the last day of the
convention, provided that said special meeting is scheduled to begin no earlier
than 11 AM nor later than 2 PM. All sessions occurring during the same Westercon,
be they regular, adjourned continued, or special, shall
be considered, for procedural purposes, as the same parliamentary session.
2.2 Site-Selection Business
Site-selection business shall be in order at any session of the business meeting.
Site-selection business shall include, but need not be limited to, the announcement
of the results of the balloting and of a winner if one is produced by the balloting,
or of a site-selection resolution, as hereafter defined, if one is necessary
[see Section 3.17]. The winner of the site-selection may be announced
prior to the site-selection business meeting, if one is held.
2.3 Quorum
For business other than site-selection business, a quorum of fifteen (15) attending
members of the current Westercon shall be required. For site-selection business,
the quorum shall be those attending members of the current Westercon who attend
the meeting. All those persons voting at any meeting must be attending members
of the current Westercon. Except as noted in these bylaws or in such rules of
order as may be adopted, all business requires a simple majority to pass.
2.4 Parliamentary Authority
The current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (Sturgis' Rules of Order)
shall be the parliamentary authority of the Westercon business meeting except
where it conflicts with these bylaws or with any special rules of order which
may be adopted by the business meeting.
3 Westercon Site-Selection
3.1 Eligibility of Sites
Any site on the North American continent west of the 104th west meridian, or
in the state of Hawaii, shall be eligible to be the site of a Westercon, except
as restricted by the provisions of these bylaws.
Provided that, upon the annexation of Australia by the United
States of America or the annexation of the United States of America by Australia,
Section 3.1 shall be amended to read:
Any site in Australia, or on the North American continent west
of the 104th west meridian, or in the state of Hawaii, shall be eligible to
be the site of a Westercon, except as restricted by the provisions of these
bylaws."
3.2 North-South Rotation
Only sites north of the 37th north parallel shall be eligible in odd-numbered
years, and only sites south of that parallel shall be eligible in even-numbered
years. If no eligible bids are filed by the January 1st of the year of the site-selection
balloting, then all sites defined in section 3.1 shall be eligible.
3.3 Exclusion Zone
No site within seventy-five (75) miles of the site of the Westercon administering
the site-selection shall be eligible to bid, except as provided in section 3.6
3.4 Filing Requirements
A Westercon bid committee must provide written evidence of the following: At
least two (2) separate people declaring themselves Chairman and Treasurer; an
organizing instrument such as bylaws, articles of incorporation or association,
or a partnership agreement; and a letter of intent or option from a hotel or
other facility declaring specific dates on which the Westercon shall be held.
3.5 Deadline for Filing Bids
Only those bids whose filing paperwork required by section 3.4 is in the possession
of the administering Westercon by the April 15th preceding the balloting shall
be listed on the ballot.
[Note: On a parliamentary inquiry at the time of ratification of the current
text of the above section, it was ruled that "If the filing paperwork can
be verified to be at the address of the administering convention, it is in the
committee's possession."]
3.6 Provisions When No Valid Bids are Received
If no valid bids are received by the deadline in section 3.5, then all sites
defined in section 3.1 shall be eligible and the other site restrictions in
this article shall be suspended.
3.7 Eligibility of Voters
Site-selection voting shall be limited to those persons who are attending or
supporting members of the administering Westercon and who have paid a voting
fee toward their membership in the Westercon being selected. Other classes of
membership may vote only upon the unanimous agreement of all qualified bidding
committees. One person equals one membership equals one vote. Corporations,
Associations, and other non-human entities may vote only for "No Preference."
"Guest of" memberships must be transferred to an individual before
voting for anything other than "No Preference."
3.8 Voting Fee
The voting fee shall be twenty US dollars (US$20.00) or the local equivalent
unless the committees listed on the ballot and the administering Westercon agree
unanimously to charge a different amount.
3.9 Minimum Rights of Voters
The payment of the voting fee shall make the voter at least a full supporting
member of the Westercon being selected, and may make the voter an attending
member at the discretion of the winning bid.
3.10 Prototype Ballot
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc. (LASFS) shall prepare a prototype
site-selection ballot, including instructions for preparation of the ballot,
and shall provide the prototype to each administering Westercon at the same
time the bylaws are provided to the administering Westercon as provided for
in section 1.5. Upon receipt of the prototype, the administering Westercon shall
complete the ballot by filing in the information about the eligible bid committees,
including the dates of the proposed Westercons, the voting fee, minimum membership
requirements, including the cost of a supporting membership in the administering
Westercon, and the address to which site-selection ballots should be sent. The
administering Westercon shall be responsible for the publication and the distribution
of the ballots to the membership of the administering Westercon. All eligible
bids received in accordance with sections 3.4 and 3.5 shall be included on the
ballot. The ballot shall also include entries for "No Preference"
and "None of the Above," and shall provide space for at least one
(1) write-in bid. The ballot shall be a secret ballot, specially marked for
preferential voting with an explanation of the method of counting preferential
votes.
3.11 Distribution of Ballot
The site-selection ballot and full rules for site-selection voting, including
the deadlines for voting by mail, shall be mailed on or before the May 10th
preceding the voting to all members of the administering Westercon as of one
week before the mailing. The ballot and full rules for site-selection, including
the hours during which site-selection will take place and the location of the
site-selection, shall be given to all attending members upon registration at
the Westercon, or such information shall be prominently displayed at the registration
area throughout the Westercon.
3.12 Deadline for Voting by Mail
All ballots received by the administering Westercon prior to June 20 shall
be counted.
3.13 Bid Presentations
Each eligible bid committee shall have at least fifteen (15) minutes of scheduled
program time on the first full day of the administering Westercon for the purpose
of making a bidding presentation.
3.14 At-Conference Voting
Site-selection shall be open for at least six (6) hours between the hours of
11 AM and Midnight on the day before the business meeting at which site-selection
business is scheduled. All on-site balloting shall be from one central location,
under the supervision of the administering Westercon. If no site-selection business
meeting is scheduled, then site-selection shall be open for at least six (6)
hours between the hours of 11 AM and Midnight on the next-to-last day of the
administering Westercon.
3.15 Verification of Ballots
Properly completed ballots shall contain: the member's printed name; the member's
membership number as assigned by the administering Westercon; the member's dated
signature; the member's address of record with the current Westercon; the member's
current address if different; and the member's vote(s) as defined elsewhere
in this article. Verification of the ballots shall consist of matching the name
and number of the member with the records of the administering Westercon. Ballots
received by the committee prior to June 20, and any others received by mail
which may be counted, shall be held by the administering Westercon until the
opening of the Westercon, at which time they shall be verified by the administering
Westercon and the bidders.
3.16 Counting of Ballots
The administering Westercon shall arrange for the counting of ballots, and
each eligible bid committee shall be allowed to send at least two (2) observers
to such ballot-counting. The count shall be by preferential ballot. The winner
shall be that bid which gains a majority of those votes expressing preference
for a bid. For the purpose of vote counting, "None of the Above" shall
be treated as if it were a bid. "None of the Above" and votes for
ineligible bids shall count toward the total number of votes cast. Blank ballots,
illegal or illegible ballots, and votes for "No Preference" shall
not count toward the total number of votes cast. All vote totals of final results
and of all intermediate counts shall be made available at or before the closing
ceremony.
3.17 Procedures When No Bid Wins or is Eligible
Should no eligible bid gain the needed majority, or should there be no qualified
bidding committee, or should "None of the Above" win, a three-fourths
(3/4) majority of the site-selection business meeting of the administering Westercon
may award the Westercon to any bid, or a simple majority of the meeting may
decide that they are unable to decide. If the business meeting does not choose
a site, the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc.
shall choose a site within six (6) weeks of the close of the administering Westercon.
If "None of the Above" wins, none of the bids which were on the ballot
may be selected. A site chosen under the provisions of this section shall not
be restricted by any portion of this article except this section and section
3.1.
3.18 Availability of Results
The results of the balloting shall be reported to the site-selection business
meeting of the administering Westercon, if one is held. A record of the results
of the balloting, including all intermediate counts and distinguishing between
the by-mail and at-con ballots, shall be published in the first or second progress
report of the winning Westercon.
3.19 Hand-Carried Ballots
The administering Westercon shall accept hand-carried ballots, which are otherwise
valid ballots delivered to the administering Westercon by someone other than
the member who prepared the ballot.
3.20 Committee Failure
Should a Westercon Committee declare itself unable to fulfill its duties, the
Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society shall determine
alternate arrangements for that Westercon.
4 Procedure for Amendment of These Bylaws
4.1 Method of Adoption
Amendments to the Westercon Bylaws must be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote
at any Westercon business meeting, or by the majority vote of the business meetings
in two consecutive years. Proposed amendments shall be read in full by the chairman
of the business meeting immediately before being voted upon.
4.2 Primary and Secondary Ratification
In the event a proposed amendment receives a majority, but less than two-thirds
(2/3) vote, the secretary of the business meeting at which the proposed amendment
receives primary (first year) ratification shall submit an exact copy of the
amendment to the following year's Westercon business meeting. The question of
secondary (second year) ratification is debatable but not amendable.
4.3 Effective Date of Amendments
Unless otherwise provided, amendments shall take effect at the close of the
Westercon where they receive final ratification. Operating rules for already-selected
Westercons shall not be changed by amendments to the bylaws. Rules regarding
eligibility and voting procedures for site-selection are not considered to be
operating rules.
Standing Rules
1. Close Debate. Before proceeding to take a vote on a motion
for the Previous Question to Close Debate, the presiding officer
shall ask for a show of hands of how many people still wish to speak to the
pending motion. This rule does not allow debate on the motion for the
Previous Question to Close Debate.
2. Objection to Consideration. Any member may, without a second
required, raise an Objection to Consideration against any main motion before
that main motion is debated or any procedural motion related to the main motion
has been stated by the Chair. If an Objection to Consideration is sustained
by a two-thirds vote, the main motion shall be dismissed and cannot be renewed
during that year's Business Meeting. The making of an Objection to Consideration
shall take precedence over debate or the making or stating of other procedural
motions related to the main motion, and it is not debatable.
Business Passed On to Westercon 53
No amendments to the Bylaws were passed on to Westercon 53 for secondary ratification.
There is currently one committee scheduled to report to the Westercon 53 Business
Meeting. Any committee not continued by vote of the Westercon 53 Business Meeting
will lapse automatically.
Report of the Neep Committee
The following bylaws amendments, pertaining to the names of members as shown
on membership badges, were referred by Westercon 51 (San Diego, 1998) to this
committee (Seth Breidbart), along with instructions authorizing the committee
to investigate and report on any subject that the committee wishes to investigate.
The Westercon 52 Business Meeting continued the Neep Committee and re-referred
the motions to it.
Names on Badges: Measuring Fonts
Amend the second sentence of Section 1.4 to read: (new material in underline
type):
Name badges for pre-registered members shall display the member's
name in no less than 24-point bold type as measured by a standard typographical
ruler and based on the average height of capital letters.
Names on Badges: Remove Pre-Registered Limitation
Amend the second sentence of Section 1.4 to read (stricken material in strikethru
type):
Name badges for pre-registered members shall display the member's name in no less than
24-point bold type.
(This would have the effect of mandating that all badges, not just those for
pre-registered members, meet a minimum type size and style standard.)
While these two amendments both affect the same bylaws section, they do not
interfere with each other, and can be considered individually.
The above copy of the Bylaws, Standing Rules, and Business Passed On of the
West Coast Science Fantasy Conference is hereby certified to be true, correct,
and complete.
Roger Wells
Chairman
Kevin Standlee
Parliamentarian
Cheryl Morgan
Secretary
Westercon 52 Business Meeting
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