Bylaws of the Pre-merger Mega Society
Article I - Name of Organization
This organization shall be known formally as The Mega Society.
The names “Mega” or “Society” may also be used within these bylaws, within publications of The Mega Society, and within formal and informal communications between members.
Article II - Purpose
The Mega Society shall pursue the following purposes:
1. To promote members’ projects, both in the fields of the arts and sciences, that require high intellectual performance.
2. To conduct research and to assist in research relating to high intelligence and intelligence testing.
3. To provide a forum for an exchange of ideas between members.
4. To foster intellectual freedom, understanding and friendship between members.
5. To provide identity and support for members who desire association with their peers.
Article III - Official Address and Agent
1. The worldwide official address of the Society shall be the same as that of the administrator of the Society.
2. For legal purposes, the agent-general of the Mega Society shall be the administrator of the Mega Society.
3. In the event that the office of administrator is vacant, the official address and agent of the Society shall follow the succession outlined in Article VI (Officers).
Article IV - Members
IVa - Qualifications for Membership
1. All members of The Mega Society as of April 15, 1984 are presumed to have satisfied the membership qualifications.
2. Given that the present status of I.Q. testing in the higher ranges is somewhat amorphous, the membership-at-large of the Society shall vote during the annual meeting to set admission qualifications subject to rule 3 through rule 7 in this section.
3. The entry requirement may be satified by a qualifying score on one approved test.
4. The entry requirement may be satisfied by a qualifying score derived from properly applying the Ferguson Formula to two or more approved tests.
5. At no time shall the qualifying score be set higher than 4.76 sigma above the mean.
6. At no time shall the qualifying score be set lower than 4.25 sigma above the mean.
7. A majority of all votes cast is required to set or alter the admission standard within these guidelines.
IVb - Applications for Membership and Their Approval
1. Prospective members shall submit a request for membership, including proof of qualification, to the membership officer.
2. The membership officer shall forward an opinion on the proof along with a copy of the request and proof to all officers of the Society.
3. Each officer shall vote regarding admitting the applicant and shall send the vote, along with the copy of the request and proof, to the membership officer.
4. In the event of a tie vote, the membership officer shall, after considering the recommendations of the other officers, cast an additional vote to break the tie.
5. A majority vote in favor of admitting the applicant shall result in an invitation to the applicant to join the Society.
6. The membership officer shall notify applicants of the acceptance or rejection of their applications and invite qualified applicants to join the Society.
7. Applicants who are invited to join the Society may do so by remitting the proper membership fee to the recording secretary-treasurer and by remitting a signature card to the editor, both to be completed within 45 days of the date of their invitation to join the Society.
8. Any member who administers a test authored by that member to any person, applicant or member shall be entitled to charge and retain a reasonable testing fee.
IVc - Membership Fees
1. The new member one year membership fee shall be 150% of the annual renewal fee.
2. The annual renewal fee shall be US$12.00 based on the value of the US Dollar as of January l, 1984 for North American members and US$20.00 on the same basis for other members. The difference in fees is stipulated only because of the difference in mailing costs between North America and other areas.
3. The new member fee and the annual renewal fee are to be remitted to the recording secretary-treasurer. Remittance must be In US Dollars or a money order for US Dollars or a check drawn on a US bank for US dollars.
4. The recording secretary-treasurer may waive all or part of the annual fee for members who make a written claim of indigence.
IVd - Rights of Members
The rights of the membership as a whole, or the members as individuals, shall include:
1. the right to select the officers of the Society and to recall any or all of the officers,
2. the right to amend the bylaws according to the terms of the bylaws,
3. the right to receive the services and benefits of the society,
4. the right to be protected against personal derogation, violation of privacy or intimidation,
5. the right to participate in leadership processes according to the terms of the bylaws,
6. the right to present proposals and suggestions, and to advocate for their acceptance by the Society,
7. the right to due process in the functioning of the Society,
8. the right to obtain information concerning the actions of the officers, the operations of the Society and the finances of the Society,
9. the right to retain full control over any use made of test scores and dues waivers except that such information may be used in statistical summary form so long as such use does not allow identification of the member.
Members’ rights may not be abrogated, nor shall they be lost even if not fully exercised, nor may these rights be surrendered or bargained away, nor may anyone be permitted to violate these rights. The Society shall act promptly and diligently to protect and maintain these rights.
IVe - Evidences of Membership
1. The membership officer shall provide each new member with a letter of acceptance and welcome into the Society, a copy of the current bylaws, and a copy of the most recently published membership list.
2. Members are entitled to receive the periodical newsletter of The Mega Society.
IVf - Requirements of Membership
1. Members shall pay all required fees by due dates as set by the recording seccretary-treasurer.
2. Members shall notify the recording secretary-treasurer of any change in address.
3. Members shall allow their names and addresses to be published in Society publications.
4. Members agree to abide by the bylaws of the Mega Society.
5. Members shall file a signature card with the editor.
lVg - Classes of Membership
There shall be only one class of membership.
IVh - Resignations of Members
1. Any member may resign for any reason by sending a signed and dated notice of resignation to the membership officer.
2. The membership officer shall mark the membership records in his possession to show the date of resignation and delete the member from future membership lists. The membership officer shall notify all other officers of the resignation so that they may mark their records appropriately.
3. Any member who executes rule 1 of this section (IVh) and subsequently requests membership status may be required, by majority vote of the officers, to follow rule 1, section lVb prior to being readmitted.
IVj - Termination of Membership
Note: There is no IVi.
Members may be expelled from the Society for one or more of the followings, reasons:
1. failure to pay annual dues,
2. proof of fraud in obtaining admission to the Society,
3. any conduct tending to bring the society into severe disrepute.
Members liable to expulsion have the right to present a written defense to the membership officer within 45 days from the date of mailing of notice by the membership officer that the member is liable to be expelled. The officers shall then vote on the expulsion. If the majority of all current officers vote for expulsion, the member shall be notified that a defense of four pages or less may be presented in the next issue of the newsletter and the member may request a vote by the membership on the future status of that member in the Society. If the member requests a membership vote the ballots shall be mailed along with the newsletter following that in which the member’s request for a vote appoers. A two-thirds majority of all votes cast by the members shall result in expulsion of the member and he shall be so notified by the membership officer.
Article V - Membership Meetings
Va - Place
As the membership of the Mega Society spans the earth and as the requirements of membership do not include the ability to travel, the official meeting place for the conduct of business of The Mega Society shall be within the printed pages of the periodic newsletter of the Society.
Vb - Date of Annual Meeting
An annual meeting to conduct routine business of the Society shall occur in the pages of the newsletter during the first three issues of the newsletter in each calendar year. The meeting opens with the first mailing of the newsletter during the calendar year and closes after voting is completed on all issues or at the mailing of the third newsletter in the calendar year—whichever is later.
Vc - Special Meetings
1. A special meeting period may be announced in the newsletter when it comes apparent to the officers of the Society that a significant policy decision must be made which is not covered in the bylaws. If a decision is required immediately, the administrator may make the decision but then is required to report the decision to the membership in the next edition of the newsletter for ratification by the membership.
2. A petition signed by three members or 10% of the membership, whichever is greater, when delivered to the editor, is also sufficient to open a special meeting in the pages of the newsletter.
3. All special meetings are open with the first notice of such meeting in the newsletter and are closed after the matter has been settled by vote or by stipulation.
Vd - Definition of a Quorum
A quorum sufficient to conduct business shall be equal to the total number of votes cast so long as prior notice of the impending vote is published in the newsletter, ballots are mailed to all members, and newsletters are sent to all members.
Ve - Voting Procedures
1. All voting shall be by mail ballot.
2. Ballots shall be mailed by the editor to each member along with the third newsletter to discuss any issue or election except in cases where the bylaws specify other procedures.
3. Marked ballots shall be sealed into an unmarked envelope which shall be placed into another envelope and mailed to reach the editor within 30 days of the mailing date of the ballots to the members. The outer envelopes shall bear the member’s signature.
4. The editor shall retain the outer envelopes bearing the voter’s signature and forward the inner unmarked envelopes to the recording secretary-treasurer at the and of the 30 day voting period. Outer envelopes which do not show the signature of a member will result in the inner envelope being marked “invalid” by the editor. These shall also be forwarded to the recording secretary-treasurer but will remain unopened. They will be used only to make an accurate count of the total and type of votes cast. If a member sends more than one vote within the allowed voting period, only the ballot contained in the latest postmarked envelope shall be forwarded to the recording socretary-treasurer.
5. The recording secretary-treasurer shall tabulate the votes and make a written report to the editor within 15 days from the end of the 30 day voting period.
6. The editor shall publish the voting report in the next published newsletter. Any action dictated by the voting shall take effect on the day the results are published unless some other effective date to specified in the ballot.
7. Blank or indecipherable ballots are not valid. Ballots mailed in outer envelopes not containing a proper signature are not valid.
8. A majority of the valid votes cast shell be sufficient to decide issues and elections except in cases where other voting rules are specified in the bylaws.
9. Proxy votes are not allowed.
Article VI - Officers
1. The following officers shall be elected during the arnual meeting of each even numbered calendar year by majority vote for each office: administrator editor, membership officer, recording secretary-treasurer, and international secretary.
2. In the event there is no majority vote in an election where there are more than two candidates for the office, there shall be a second ballot to decide between the top two vote getters from the first ballot.
3. In the event there is a tie between the top two vote getters in an election where there are more than two candidates for the office, there shall be a second ballot to decide between the top two vote getters from the first ballot.
4. In the event of a tie between the only two candidates for any office, the remainder of the newly elected officers shall break the tie by majority vote of those officers. If a tie remains, an additional vote shall be cast by the newly elected officer who fills a position first lsted in Article IV, rule 1, and who is not involved in a tie for that position.
5. The administrator shall act as the coordinator of activities of The Mega Society, answer inquiries which are riot within the jurisdiction of other officers, and shall be the sole member with the authority to represent the Society to the public. The adminstrator may appoint members individually or to a committee in order to allow members to handle administrative duties such as fund raising, preparing brochures, assisting in the formulation of admission standards, composing a manual of standard operating procedures and similar projects. The member or committee chair shall report to the administrator or other officer as the administrator directs. Members and committees may suggest projects and volunteer to do them on their own initiative.
6. The editor shall publish or cause to be published at least ten times annually the newsletter of the Society including therein all official business of the Society and such additional material as may be of interest to the members and subscribers. The editor shall be responsible for administering the voting process consistent with the bylaws of the Society. The editor shall include a list of current members in the first newsletter of each calendar year.
7. The membership officer shall handle all the routines necessary for maintaining records pertaining to members, for accepting new members into the society and for expelling members except that all such actions must not conflict with any of these bylaws.
8. The recording secretary-treasurer shall be personally responsible for the safeguarding of all Society funds received from membership fees, subscriptions, donations and other sources. The recording secretary-treasurer shall disburse funds as directed by majority vote of the officers for the necessary expenses related to the valid activities of the officers as specified in these bylaws. At such time as Society funds in the custody of the recording secretary-treasurer total $500 or more based on the value of the US dollar on January 1, 1984 the recording secretary-treasurer shall be bonded as to those funds.
The recording secretary-treasurer shall handle the routines necessary to complete the voting procedures as outlined in these bylaws and to keep any records and perform any duties as might be necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this office as specified in these bylaws.
9. The international secretary shall be responsible for recruiting new members outside of North America and for publicizing the Society outside of North America. The international secretary may perform these activities for North America at the discretion of the administrator.
10. In case of incapacity, resignation or recall of the administrator, the duties of the administrator shall be performd by the next available officer in the line of succession following the order of offices as listed in rule 1 of this Article (VI). “Available officer” is an officer of the society who is actually holding office and handling the responsibilities of that office. If it appears that the office of the administrator will be vacant for longer than 30 days, the membership may elect a new administrator as soon as is practicable.
11. In the case of incapacity, resignation or recall of officer other then the administrator the administrator shall appoint a member (officer or otherwise) to perform the duties of the vacated office. If it appears that the vacancy will persist for longer than 60 days the membership may elect a new officer for that position as soon as is practicable.
12. In any election where the candidate for office is not unopposed, each candidate shall be entitled to make one statement of up to 1-1/2 pages in which to present qualifications and intentions.
13. Members wishing to hold office are expected to place their own name in nomination. Members who are nominated for office by another member have the right to decline the nomination. Nominations are to be submitted to the editor.
14. All Society records in the possession of any Society officer may be examined by any member at any reasonable time except that records pertaining to a member’s test scores and a member’s personal finances shall be confidential and withheld from the membership and from the public unless a member requests on that member’s own initiative that such information may be released.
15. An officer of the Society must be a member of the Society. This shall not be construed to mean that the administrator may not appoint non-members for certain functions which may be required in the future such as an expert in supervised testing, an attorney to represent the Society in legal matters, an accountant to audit the books, etc.
16. Any officer shall be recalled upon a majority vote of all the votes cast. A recall vote shall proceed upon presentation to the editor a valid petition signed by 5 members or 15% of the membership, whichever is greater. The editor shall have up to 15 days to audit the petition prior to publication. The reason for recall need not be stated in the petition. The officer subject to recall may make a defense of up to four pages in the newsletter containing the notice of a valid recall petition or in the next issue of the newsletter. Ballots shall then be mailed to the members and must be returned to the editor within 15 days. If the editor is being recalled, the ballots shall be returned to the recording secretary-treasurer. An officer shall resign from office upon the reporting in the newsletter of a majority vote of the entire membership for recall.
17. An officer ahall not initiate a recall action and shall not sign a recall petition. Officers may vote in any recall involving any officer.
18. When an officer leaves office for any reason the officer shall transfer all Society records and materials to the succeeding officer.
19. All officers shall submit a report to the editor by the 15th of February of each calendar year. The report should summarize the officer’s activities and the information contained in the records of that officer. The reports shall be published in the next available newsletter.
20. The recording secretary-treasurer shall prepare an annual budget by Decembor 15th of each calendar year setting forth the projected income and expense of the Society for the following calendar year. A majority vote of the officers shall approve the budget. Officers shall conduct society affairs in such a manner as to operate within that budget insofar as they hope to be reimbursed for their expenses relating to work done for the Society.
Article VII - Amendments and Changes
1. Any member may propose any amendment to the bylaws or any change in the bylaws by requesting that the proposal be published in the newsletter. If one additional member supports the proposal in the next issue of the newsletter, that issue of the newsletter shall open a three issue special meeting to consider and vote on the proposal.
a. Ballot issues that do not conflict with any bylaw shall be passed upon a majority of all votes cast.
b. Ballot issues which conflict with any bylaw must resolve the conflict in the wording of the ballot and shell pass upon a two-thirds majority of all votes cast.
2. At such time as a board of directors is required to meet legal requirements of any governmental body, the officers of the Society shall also be the board of directors. Such board of directors shall be subject to the same bylaws as are the officers of the Society.
3. At such time as a constitution or charter is required to meet legal requirement of any governmental body, the officers of the Society shall write a constitution or charter based on the contents of the bylaws and not in conflict with the bylaws. Such a charter or constitution shall be subject to the some rules for amendment and change as are these bylaws.
Article VIII - Disputes
1. In any dispute relating to The Mega Society, members involved in the dispute shall make every effort to reach a settlement by direct communications.
It members cannot thus reach a settlement, they shall present the problem to any one or more officers of the Society for a decision.
If the problem remains unresolved, the disputants or aggrieved member shall present the matter to the ombudsman.
2. The ombudsman shall investigate complaints received regarding any Society related activity of any member or officer, report findings and recommendations to those involved, and assist in achieving an equitable settlement. All official records of the Society relating to the dispute under investigation shall be available to the ombudsman.
The editor shall publish, in the Megarian, findings and recommendations of the ombudsman and shall administer a vote on the dispute if so requested by the ombudsman.
3. The ombudsman shall be elected during the annual meeting of each odd numbered year by a majority of valid votes cast for the position.
4. The ombudsman shall be bound by the following rules from Article VI (Officers) except that for the purposes of this Article (VIII) the word “ombudsman” shall be substituted for the word “officer(s),” and the word “position” shall be substituted for the word “office”:
Rule 2 (no majority vote), Rules 3 and 4 (tie votes), Rule 11 (incapacity), Rules 12 and 13 (campaign statement and nomination), Rule 5 (membership status), Rule 16 (recall), Rule 18 (transfer of records), Rule 19 (annual report), and Rule 20 (budget).