The USGenWeb Project 
Bylaws Revision 
Adopted _________ 

ARTICLE I. NAME  
The name of this organization shall be "The USGenWeb Project." The name of associated state projects shall be "The XXGenWeb Project" (where XX is the two-letter postal code abbreviation for each state).

ARTICLE II. STATUS AND PURPOSE 
Section 1. The USGenWeb Project, as a group of volunteers participating in a not-for-profit organization, is an "Unincorporated Non-Profit Association."
Section 2. The purpose of the association shall be to gather genealogical and historical information for free online access by researchers and other interested parties. 
Section 3. This purpose shall be accomplished by presenting websites which shall be central repositories of historical and genealogical research data, donated either by the website coordinator or other contributors. In presenting this information, the foundation of the association shall be at the local websites (county, township, parish, town, etc.) which shall be linked to the state websites which shall be linked to the national website. The USGenWeb Project shall also provide access to authorized special projects.

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ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Members of The USGenWeb Project are those individuals of "good standing" within The USGenWeb Project who maintain a website (county, township, parish, town, etc.) as part of an XXGenWeb, or who function as file managers for a part of an authorized Special Project.
Section 2. Members shall maintain "good standing" status, which includes but is not limited to, the following requirements;  responding to email in a timely manner, actively supporting researchers, maintaining websites with appropriate content, working to promote The USGenWeb Project public image and respecting the rights and opinions of other members. 
Section 3. The USGenWeb Project is an equal opportunity organization and will not tolerate discrimination in any form on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation. 

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Article IV Composition of Advisory Board
The Advisory Board membership shall consist of the National Coordinator, one Representative at Large, one State Coordinator Representative, one Special Projects Representative and eight (8) Local Coordinator Regional Representatives. All shall have voting privileges except the National Coordinator who shall vote only when the vote determines the outcome of an issue. The following  regions shall elect one Local Coordinator Representative;
North East - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York;
Mid-Atlantic -  Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, D.C.;
South East - Kentucky,  Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida; 
Great Lakes - Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota;
Plains - Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota;  
South West - Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona;
Rocky Mt. - Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada; 
Pacific - Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii 

Region Graphic                                                                                                                                A5 

ARTICLE V DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD
Section 1. The Advisory Board shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws, by the parliamentary authority, and by adopted standing rules and policies.
Section 2. The National Coordinator (NC) is the principal administrative officer of The USGenWeb Project with decision authority subject to approval of the Advisory Board. The NC serves as the public representative for the project and presides at all meetings of the Advisory Board. The NC shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees and maintain the national organizational e-mail lists and any appropriate national sub-lists. The NC shall appoint a Recording Secretary and Parliamentarian to the Advisory Board to serve for the term of the NC or until relieved. The NC is authorized to appoint "special committees" deemed necessary or when directed by the Advisory Board.  The appointment of "special committees" shall be subject to confirmation by the Advisory Board. A simple majority vote of the AB shall confirm the appointment.
Section 3.  The Advisory Board is responsible for promptly addressing and resolving national issues, intervening in state issues only upon breach of USGenWeb bylaws.  Duties of the Advisory Board include appointing a Webmaster to maintain the national website, appointing and overseeing all standing committees including, but not limited to an Election Committee and a Grievance Committee, and appointing special committees as necessary.
Section 4. It shall be the responsibility of the Webmaster and the Advisory Board to ensure that the national website is in compliance with the stated bylaws of The USGenWeb Project.
Section 5. The Advisory Board is authorized to remove links from the national website, as appropriate, to websites which fail to comply with the bylaws, rules or policies of The USGenWeb Project or to websites which display inappropriate content. Coordinators of non-compliant websites shall be given a 14 day "Notice to Comply".  During the 14 days covered by this notice, the coordinator may request extension, subject to approval of the Advisory Board.
Section 6.  The Advisory Board shall be responsible for administering internet domains registered to The USGenWeb Project.
Section 7. In the case of a vacancy in the office of National Coordinator, a special election shall be completed within 60 days to seat a National Coordinator for the remaining term of office.  The Representative at Large shall serve as Acting National Coordinator until the special election is completed.  In the event that the Representative at Large is unavailable or otherwise unable to serve in this capacity, the Advisory Board shall choose an Acting National Coordinator from among its membership. 
Section 8. In the event a board member is unable to complete his/her term. The Advisory Board will appoint a replacement within 21 days to serve until the next scheduled election.
Section 9. Nominees for National Coordinator and Representative at Large shall have the following qualifications: at least one year (the twelve months immediately preceding an election) of continuous service and current activity as a member in good standing, and eligibility to vote within The USGenWeb Project. Qualifications of nominees for State Coordinator Representative, Local Coordinator Representative, and Special Project Representative are the same with the addition that their service shall have been as a State Coordinator, Local Coordinator, or one of the various positions associated with the Special Projects, respectively.
Section 10.  Any elected Advisory Board member may be removed from office for cause by 2/3 majority action of the AB, or, by a recall vote initiated by petition of constituents (if 100 votes elected, 51 petitioners shall cause a recall vote). Cause for removal by the AB is limited to continued, gross, and willful neglect of the duties of office. Causes for removal by constituents may include, but is not limited to, the following offenses:  dereliction of duty, excessive failure to participate in Advisory Board votes, ethics violations, and behavior unbecoming an Advisory Board member.  The petition must be posted on the BOARD-L mailing list at least thirty (30) days before the vote takes place.  Any vote to remove an officer must be preceded by a presentation of facts showing cause for removal and shall allow for rebuttal by the officer in question before the vote takes place.

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ARTICLE VI. ELECTION PROCEDURES
Section 1.  A standing Election Committee (EC) shall be appointed by the Advisory Board to conduct national-level elections and other referenda in accordance with Standing Election Procedures and these bylaws. The Election Committee shall also conduct state-level elections or referenda upon request.
Section 2. It shall be the responsibility of the Elections Committee to announce those positions for which nominations are needed.
Section 3. Nominations shall be received June 1 through June 14 from prospective constituents of the nominee.  A list of candidates, with hyperlinks to available individual campaign pages, shall be posted to the EC website before the voting period begins. The voting period shall be July 14 through July 31. Terms of office shall begin on September 1. In the event a member is nominated for more than one position, the nominee shall notify the EC Chair for which office they wish to declare their candidacy.
Section 4. A majority of those members voting shall elect. No member shall hold more than one voting office at any one time. Unopposed candidates for election shall be announced the winner by acclamation by the EC Chair. In the event of multiple candidates for the same office and no majority is achieved the two candidates with the greatest number of votes shall be candidates in a run-off election.
Section 5. All members of the Advisory Board, with the exception of the National Coordinator, shall be elected to two-year terms. The National Coordinator shall be elected to a one-year term.
Section 6.  All members as defined in Article III of these bylaws shall have the right to vote.
Section 7. For elections of regional County Coordinator Representatives, each member shall have one vote in each region in which they maintain one or more eligible county or local sites. For elections of State Coordinator Representative, each member holding the position of State Coordinator or Assistant State Coordinator shall have one vote. For elections of Special Projects Representative, each member holding the position of File Manager within one or more eligible Special Project shall have one vote. Each member shall have one vote for the offices of National Coordinator and Representative-at-Large.

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ARTICLE VII. ADVISORY BOARD PROCEDURES
Section 1. A majority of the current voting members of the Advisory Board shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. The vote requirements for motions to be adopted shall be in accordance with the parliamentary authority, except as specified in these bylaws. In all cases determination shall be made by the legal votes cast.
Section 3. The Advisory Board shall utilize "roll call votes". Members are responsible for expeditiously responding to vote calls. The duration of voting time for motions shall be a minimum of 24 hours. The maximum duration shall be at the discretion of the presiding officer, except that the voting period shall not exceed 72 hours.
Section 4. Voting records of the Advisory Board shall be posted publicly.

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ARTICLE VIII. STANDARDS FOR WEBSITES/MEMBERS
Section 1.  All USGenWeb web sites shall display an official USGenWeb logo prominently, on the home or index page, in such a way that the entire image is visible without scrolling down on a standard browser screen.  The USGenWeb logo used shall be at least 100 pixels by 100 pixels in size.
Section 2. USGenWeb web sites may show only a single project affiliation - that of The USGenWeb Project. If a coordinator chooses also to host a local, state or special topic site with another organization, it must have a separate home or index page. 
Section 3 All USGenWeb web sites shall display the following disclaimer on the home or index page: "Links to external web sites are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or approval of any of the products, services or opinions contained in any external web site."
Section 4. Solicitation of funds on a USGenWeb affiliated web site is prohibited.  It is permissible, however, to provide a link to a non-USGenWeb affiliated personal web site where genealogical services or materials are offered for sale.  It is also permissible to acknowledge any entities who host or provide server space at no cost and to include a link to that entity's web site.  If a coordinator lists materials or services for sale or hire by third parties, such as genealogical societies or commercial interests, the home or index page may include a link to the listing, but the materials and services themselves may not be listed on the home or index page.  Any such listing of materials or services for sale or hire by third parties should include a disclaimer on the listing page saying that The USGenWeb Project and the site coordinator make no warrantee as to the contents or accuracy of any of the materials for sale by these third parties, nor the expertise of any professional researchers listed.

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ARTICLE IX. COPYRIGHT
Section 1. Members of The USGenWeb Project shall comply with copyright laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code).

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ARTICLE X. LOCAL PROJECTS
Section 1. Each state organization shall provide local websites which reflect whatever divisional structure is appropriate for that state.
Section 2.  Local Project Coordinators shall be appointed by the State Coordinator in accordance with national and state bylaws, rules and policies. In making Local Coordinator appointments, consideration should be given to knowledge and interest in genealogy in the area, technical ability, and existing workload. Local Project Coordinators are authorized to nominate one Local Project Co-Coordinator and as many Assistant Coordinators as desired for appointment by the State Coordinator. State Coordinators may reject nominees only for valid cause. Local Projects are limited to one Local Project Coordinator and one Local Project Co-Coordinator, if desired, who will each have full voting rights within The USGenWeb Project. Assistant Local Project Coordinators shall not have national voting rights. All Local Coordinators shall be subscribed to the state mailing list.
Section 3. The local website shall be created and maintained in accordance to all national and state bylaws, rules and policies.  The website should include on the home page, a direct link to the state and national projects; an easily accessible area devoted to researcher's queries, the name(s) of the coordinator(s) with current email link(s), and any additional requirements specified by the state organization.  Contents of the website should be updated at least quarterly and reviewed under the supervision of the state coordinator.
Section 4.  If a Local Coordinator can no longer perform their duties for any reason, (including, but not limited to, abandonment of the site, resignation or dismissal for valid cause), content of the website submitted by contributors shall remain with the website, unless the contributor(s) otherwise request.

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ARTICLE XI. STATE PROJECTS 
Section 1.  The state web site shall include direct links to the state's local and state-level special project sites, The USGenWeb Project national site, The USGenWeb Archives (Digital Library) and other USGenWeb Special Projects' national home pages, and The USGenWeb Archives (Digital Library) and other USGenWeb Special Projects' table of contents pages for the individual state.  In addition, each state web site shall provide links to information for current and prospective local coordinators, including but not limited to any state bylaws,  rules and/or policies, official national and state logos, and The USGenWeb Project Bylaws, Rules and Policies, and Copyright Information pages.
Section 2. Each state shall have a State Coordinator (SC) elected by majority of state members voting. A State Coordinator may not serve more than 36 consecutive months unless re-elected. Each state shall hold an election for State Coordinator every 36 months, or sooner if specified by adopted state bylaws/rules. Each state shall have a Assistant State Coordinator (ASC) appointed by the State Coordinator or elected by the state membership pursuant to adopted state bylaws or rules. The State Coordinator, as primary administrative officer of the state project may appoint additional ASC's as necessary to assist in administration of the state project.  Assistant State Coordinators who are "appointees" are not eligible to be a candidate for the national office of State Coordinator Representative.
Section 3. State projects are required to comply with all USGenWeb Project bylaws, rules, and policies.  State projects are encouraged to adopt additional bylaws, rules or policies, as appropriate for their state, provided they do not conflict with national bylaws, rules or policies. 
Section 4.  State Coordinators must remain subscribed to the State Coordinator's mailing list.  State Coordinator duties include, but are not limited to, oversight and maintenance of the state web site, administering the state mailing list for Local Coordinators, maintaining an up-to-date roster of names and email addresses of the state's Local Coordinators and state-level Special Project Coordinators and providing this list to the Election Committee promptly when requested, supervision of the development and implementation of state procedures for the periodic review of component websites of the state project, and promptly forwarding messages pertaining to USGenWeb Project business to the state mailing list for Local Coordinators when requested to do so by the Advisory Board Chair or the Chair of an appointed committee.
Section 5. The state project has authority and responsibility to remove links to websites which fail to comply with national or state adopted bylaws, rules and policies. Notice must be given and ample time to comply must be allowed as circumstances warrant. Local Coordinator(s) may request an extension of time to comply subject to approval by the state authority.
Section 6. If a State Coordinator is unable to perform his/her duties, the Assistant State Coordinator, or other support team, shall serve until an election can take place within 60 days. A majority shall elect.
Section 7. State Coordinators and Assistant State Coordinators are subject to removal for valid cause; by vote of the Advisory Board, or by majority vote of the Local Coordinators within the state subsequent to a recall petition submitted to and approved by the Advisory Board.

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ARTICLE XII. SPECIAL PROJECTS 
Section 1.  Special projects which support the purpose and goals of The USGenWeb Project may apply to the USGenWeb Advisory Board for approval as an official USGenWeb Special Project.
Section 2. The name of the special project shall be The USGenWeb ______ Project.
Section 3. The members of each officially-approved USGenWeb Special Project shall together elect one Special Projects Representative to serve as a member of The USGenWeb Project Advisory Board.
Section 4. Each official Special Project shall have a Coordinator (SPC) to oversee its operations.  The founding SPC shall hold that office until such time as he or she steps down or is otherwise unable to continue. Thereafter, a new SPC shall be elected by a majority of that Special Project's members every 36 months, or sooner if specified in the Special Project's bylaws/rules.  The SPC, as primary administrative officer of the project may appoint one or more Assistant Special Project Coordinator(s) (ASPC) as necessary to assist in administration of the Special Project.
Section 5. Special Project Coordinators and Assistants are subject to removal for valid cause; by vote of the Advisory Board, or by majority vote of the members within the special project subsequent to a recall petition submitted to and approved by the Advisory Board. 
Section 6. If a Special Project Coordinator (SPC) is unable to perform his/her duties, an Assistant SPC, or other support team, shall serve until an election can take place within 60 days. A majority shall elect.

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ARTICLE XIII. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES AND APPEAL PROCESS 
Section 1. All members of The USGenWeb Project have the right to submit a grievance or appeal to the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board, as the governing body of the project, has authority to resolve grievances or appeals as the situation warrants.
Section 2. Grievances should be submitted to the National Coordinator, the Regional Representative, or the Representative at Large.

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ARTICLE XIV. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 
The USGenWeb Project shall be governed by the current edition of "The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure" in all cases not provided for in the law, bylaws or adopted rules.

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ARTICLE XV. AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS 
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by the membership of the USGenWeb Project through a majority vote by members who vote on the proposed amendment to the bylaw.
Section 2. Members of any XXGenWeb may submit an amendment proposal (in proper  format with desired wording) to their State Coordinator for review and presentation to the XXGenWeb membership by referendum. A majority vote of approval shall cause the proposal to be forwarded to the Advisory Board to be posted on the national website and notice to be sent to the membership via appropriate email lists.
Section 3. Proposed amendments from state projects must be posted for display on the national website (with attribution of the state sponsor and date ) not later than 1 June. To qualify for placement on the annual election ballot proposed amendments must have an additional four (4) states as co-sponsors. State projects may co-sponsor an amendment proposal by majority of legal votes cast by its members to support the amendment.
Section 4. Voting on proposed amendments to the bylaws shall occur during the annual voting period concurrent with voting in the annual election. A majority of members voting within that time frame is required to adopt.
Section 5. In the case of an urgent matter affecting the operations of The USGenWeb Project, the Advisory Board may amend the bylaws by 2/3 majority vote. Amendments adopted by the Advisory Board must be ratified by majority vote of the membership during the voting period of the regularly scheduled election.
Section 6. Amendment proposals of XXGenWeb's posted on the national website which do not obtain the required co-sponsors shall be removed on 1 June annually and may not again be proposed without modification. Amendment proposals which fail to be adopted by the membership may remain posted on the national website for 1 year and placed on the ballot a second time provided additional co-sponsors or modification is made to those proposals. Any amendment proposal that fails to be adopted after appearing on the ballot twice shall not be reconsidered.

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