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IBM RING 250, PRESTO-DIGITATORS

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO

OFFICIAL CONSTITUTION

 

(Effective October 1, 1982, revised November 1991, January 1999, and January 2009)

 

 

1. The name of this organization shall be the "Presto-Digitators."

 

  1. Its purpose is to foster and encourage a greater appreciation of magic.
  2. Its fiscal year shall be January 1st through December 31st.
  3. A quorum for a business meeting shall be seven (7) or more ACTIVE members, and a simple majority of vote’s cast on a business matter shall be sufficient to accept or reject the matter.

 

2. There shall be three classes of membership, as follows:


 

  1. ACTIVE, who shall be members 18 years of age or older, whose IBM and Ring dues are current. Only Active members may vote on the Ring’s business. Their dues shall be $20.00 annually, pro-ratable quarterly to new applicants.

    January 1st to March 31st $20.00

    April 1st to June 30th $15.00

    July 1st to September 30th $10.00

    October 1st to December 31st $5.00

  2. YOUTH, who shall be members 10 and under 18 years of age. Their dues shall be $10.00 annually, pro-ratable semi-annually to new applicants.

    January 1st to June 30th $10.00

    July 1st to December 31st $5.00

  3. ASSOCIATE, the spouse, assistant, or person sponsored by any Active or Youth member. Their dues shall be $4.00 annually, non pro-ratable.


 

     


 


     

  1. The Executive Committee may grant such a membership upon the request of any Active or Youth member.
  2. The Executive Committee may grant such membership to an Active or Youth Member who, while in good standing resides or moves out of the state of Colorado.
  3. Associate members will NOT receive the Ring’s monthly newsletter unless they pay $10.00 per year to cover the postage and handling of the newsletter


 



     

  1. Membership within the Ring shall be by written application, or proof of current membership in good standing in the International Brotherhood of Magicians.


 

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    1. The application shall be made upon the current International Brotherhood of Magicians "Application for Membership" form, appropriately endorsed.
    2. As a Condition of membership, such new member shall agree to appear in some capacity before the Ring at a designated meeting.
    3. Each application shall go to the Executive Committee which shall review the application and vote to accept or reject such applicant. New members will be announced in the Ring’s monthly newsletter.


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3. Officers, accountable to the membership, shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, and Sergeant-At-Arms.


 


     

  1. The President and Vice-President, shall have been members of the Ring for at least one year prior to their election, and all officers shall be 21 years of age or older.
  2. The officers and immediate Past President, with up to three additional Active members they wish to appoint temporarily or permanently, shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Ring.


 

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    1. Said Committee may conduct all business of the Ring except election of officers and amendments to this Constitution.
    2. The Executive Committee may not depreciate the treasury below $500; nor may they expend more than $500 on any one project at any time, without the consent of a quorum of Active members voting at a business meeting.
    3. Three elected officers shall constitute a quorum for an Executive Committee meeting. Information concerning such meetings shall be communicated to the membership through the monthly newsletter.
    4. A nominating committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee no later than the April Ring meeting of each year.


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    1. It shall be the duty of the nominating committee to prepare a slate of at least two nominees for each office to be presented to the Ring membership no later than the August meeting. No person may be nominated to office without his or her consent.
    2. Ballots for the election of new officers shall be mailed out with the September Ring newsletter to be returned to the Secretary by mail or in person no later than October 1st.
    3. Ballots will be counted by the officers at the October meeting of the Executive Committee, and the results presented to the membership at the October Ring meeting.
    4. In the event of a tie vote for any office, the Executive Committee shall vote to break the tie. No officer may participate in a tie-breaking vote to succeed himself.
    5. The minimum number of ballots cast for the voting to be valid shall be a simple majority of the Active members. Otherwise, the new officers shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.

4. The duties of the officers are as follows:


 


     

  1. The President is to convene and preside over a meeting of the Executive Committee at least once a month, and to preside over the monthly Ring meeting. The President shall be a signatory on any expenditure of Ring funds.
  2. The Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President in the absence of the latter, and is responsible for the annual Ring banquet. The Vice-President shall be a signatory on any expenditure of Ring funds.
  3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the timely submission of the current monthly Ring Report to the appropriate Linking Ring editor by the deadline specified in the Linking Ring for the earliest possible publication of such report. The Secretary shall also be responsible for the collection of all ballots and presentation of such ballots to the Executive Committee at the October committee meeting. It shall be the further duties of the Secretary to record monthly attendance at Ring meetings, and to attend to such correspondence as might be required with the headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
  4. The Treasurer shall be primarily responsible, as a signatory, for all expenditures of Ring funds. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all Ring funds, the preparation of a monthly statement of Ring finances for each meeting of the Executive Committee, and for the presentation of a report of the Ring finances to the Ring membership at the June and December meetings.
  5. The Editor shall be responsible for the preparation and mailing of the monthly Ring newsletter to the Ring membership in a timely manner, the preparation and mailing of ballots to the Ring membership, and the preparation and mailing of articles to the appropriate Linking Ring editor of articles describing such club activities as their public shows and annual banquet, and other such newsworthy items pertaining to the Ring.
  6. The Sergeant-At-Arms shall monitor attendance at Ring meetings and insure decorum at all Ring functions.
  7. The Executive Committee shall establish a yearly calendar of events for Ring functions, and perform such other duties as outlined in the other sections of this Constitution.




 

5. Dues shall be due and payable January 1st of each year.


 


     

  1. Members whose dues are not paid at that time may not vote on Ring business until such payment is made.


 

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    1. If dues remain unpaid on March 1st, membership shall expire.
    2. Reinstatement may be made anytime within three years by payment of full dues for the fiscal year in which reinstatement is sought.


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6. A member may be suspended or expelled for just cause by a majority vote of all Active members of this organization present at a hearing, following charges, by three or more Active members, in writing to the Executive Committee and to the charged member.


 


     

  1. Such charges shall be evaluated by the Executive Committee. Based on the seriousness and/or validity of such charges, they shall be dropped without record or brought before the Ring membership for proper hearing and voted upon by the general membership roster.
  2. Notice of such charges and hearing shall be sent to the member charged by certified mail, with return receipt requested.
  3. Should the charged member not appear at the hearing and fail to give prior valid reason for non-appearance, the member shall be dropped form the membership roster in poor standing.
  4. Should two of the three charging members fail to appear at the hearing, without giving prior valid reason for non-appearance, the charges shall be dropped without record.
  5. The term "suspended" shall mean deprived of all rights and privileges for a specified period of time to be determined by the Executive Committee and voted upon by the general membership roster.
  6. The term "expelled" shall indicate permanent termination of membership from the organization.
  7. The term "just cause" shall be interpreted to mean an act or acts of kind of deportment deemed by the membership to be actually injurious to he avowed purpose of our organization, or in violation of the Constitution or By-Laws of the International Brotherhood of Magicians or the oath taken when application is made for membership.




 

7. Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be sponsored by three or more Active members and presented to the President, who shall instruct the Secretary to mail to all Active members the text of the amendments with a ballot to accept or reject such.


 


     

  1. Ballots returned to the Secretary within sixty days of said mailing shall be opened and counted by the Executive Committee and the results announced to the Ring membership at the next regular business meeting, and by announcement in the Ring newsletter.
  2. For discussion of the proposed amendments, at least one business meeting shall be held between the time of mailing and the time of counting ballots.
  3. The minimum number of ballots cast for the voting to be valid shall be a simple majority of the Active members.




 

8. This Constitution shall take effect on October 1, 1982. A copy shall be given to each Active member and Junior member holding membership on that date and to future applicants with their application for membership.


 

9. "Vacated Offices"


 


     

  1. If the office of President shall be vacated for any reason, then the Vice-President shall assume the duties of that office.
  2. If the office of the Vice-President is vacated for any reason, then the President is empowered to appoint a member to that office, providing he or she meets the requirements of Article #3 in the present Constitution. The new Vice-President can be appointed only for the balance of the fiscal year.
  3. If the office or offices of the Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, or Sergeant-At-Arms is vacated for any reason, the Executive Committee is empowered to appoint a new officer to fill the vacated office for the balance of the fiscal year, providing the requirements of Article #3 in the present Constitution are met.