Bylaws of the Maryland Writers' Association

 

BYLAWS OF MARYLAND WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC.

[adopted at the Annual Membership Meeting, June 25, 2010]

[revised at the Annual Membership Meeting, June 21, 2014]

[revised at the Annual Membership Meeting, June 22, 2019]

[revised at the Annual Membership Meeting, June 20, 2022]

[revised at the Annual Membership Meeting, June 16, 2025]

 

 

Article I – Name of the Organization

The name of this organization is Maryland Writers’ Association, Inc. (“MWA”).

Article II – Purposes and Objectives

MWA is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the art, business, craft and appreciation of writing. MWA strives to:

o bring together writers of all levels and disciplines;

o serve as an information resource;

o help members make contacts that lead to publication;

o encourage writers to reach their full potential; and

o showcase writers and writing in the community.

 

Article III – Membership; Fiscal Year; Membership Categories;

The fiscal year is July 1 through June 30. New members are accepted throughout the year. Membership dues are not refundable.

A. Regular Members. Regardless of residency, individuals engaged in writing are eligible

for full membership, with voting privileges.

B Second in Household – receives a reduced membership rate

C Student membership – receives a reduced rate. To qualify as a student member must be taking a minimum of 9 credits per semester.

 

Article IV – Governance

MWA is governed by a Board which has an Executive Committee empowered to conduct business of MWA between Board meetings when necessary. Executive Committee decisions should be reported to the full Board at the earliest opportunity and can be reversed by a Board vote. The voting members of the Board include only Officers, Chairs, two elected Members-at- Large, and the Presidents of each Chapter. Board members and officers serve two-year terms. Chapter President may not simultaneously serve as the President of more than one Chapter.

Members who hold multiple Board positions may only vote once. Vacancies may be filled by appointment by the President, with the advice and consent of the Board. The President, with the advice and consent of the Board, may also appoint additional non-voting members of the Board as needed. Apart from Chapter Presidents, should any Board member fail to attend more than two consecutive Board meetings, or otherwise fail to carry out his or her duties under these Bylaws, he or she may be replaced by the Board without the need to follow the expulsion procedures set forth in Article IX. Chapter Presidents, or a proxy designated by him/her, must attend at least two Board meetings per year.

A. The Executive Committee is comprised of MWA’s Officers—President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer—plus up to five other members of the Board selected by the President.

1. President. The President may be elected to no more than two consecutive terms, and shall preside over the Executive Committee, Board, and membership meetings. The President shall direct or supervise all MWA activities, serving as an ex officio member of every Committee.

2. Vice President. The Vice President may be elected to no more than two consecutive terms, shall assist the President to the extent requested by the President, shall mentor Committees as needed, and shall preside in lieu of the President in the event of his or her absence or unavailability.

3. Secretary. The Secretary may be elected to no more than two consecutive terms, and shall take attendance, record, maintain, and promulgate the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board, and membership. The Secretary shall make the minutes of all meetings available to any member who requests them.

4. Treasurer. The Treasurer may be elected to no more than two consecutive terms. The Treasurer shall account to the Board at least bi-monthly for all income, expenses, assets and liabilities of MWA, be responsible for maintaining all funds and accounts, preparing the annual General Budget, and collecting data necessary to file all necessary tax returns and other financial disclosure documents. The Treasurer shall present the annual General Budget to the Board for approval before or within 30 days of the start of the fiscal year. The goal should be a balanced General Budget. The Treasurer shall also maintain financial records for at least the previous five years. The Treasurer will make financial reports available to any member who requests them.

5. Member-at-Large. The Member-at-Large has a 2-year term and may be elected to no more than two consecutive terms. The Member-at-Large does not have a specific role but assists the President as new unassigned board tasks arise. They may preside over ad-hoc, temporary committees at the discretion of the President, oversee and run a MWA committee for a short period of time if a vacancy unexpectedly occurs at the discretion of the President and the Board, and may volunteer and work on committees with new committee chairs to bring experience in the operations and goals of the committees. The Member-at-Large attends all Board Meetings.

 

B. Chairs. Each of the Chairs listed below is appointed by the President, with the advice

and consent of the Board, and reports directly to the President and the Board, which must approve all policy and budget changes in advance. Each of the Chairs is presumed to be the head of a Standing Committee and should strive to recruit volunteers to serve on his or her committee, as well as work together with other Chairs as necessary, in furtherance of the duties set forth below. All chairs are expected to report on their activities at each Board meeting. Chairs have no fixed terms but serve at the discretion of the Board.

1. Development & Long-Range Planning Chair. The Development & Long-Range

Planning Chair is responsible for development, including the recruitment of Sponsors, and for long-range planning.

2. Communications Chair. The Communications Chair is responsible for

publicizing MWA activities to members and to the public, for initiating and responding to media requests, using such communications tools as the Board may direct.

3. Conference Chair. The Conference Chair is responsible for all aspects of

planning and carrying out the Annual Writers’ Conference if one is held. The Conference Committee will include two state officers as well as additional members chosen by the Chair. Major decisions, including but not limited to site, date, budget, and keynote speakers, should be presented to the Board for approval. If there is no Annual Writers’ Conference, the Conference Chair may be given other responsibilities.

4. Publications Chair. The Publications Chair shall supervise the publication of all

MWA newsletters, journals, books, and other publications, whose editors shall be chosen by the Publications Chair, with the advice and consent of the Board.

5. Program Chair. The Program Chair shall develop and manage any writing

contests, awards, critique groups and other programs or events offered by or participated in by MWA.

6. Membership Chair. The Membership Chair shall be responsible for receiving

and processing membership applications and dues, and maintaining accurate dues status and contact information for members. The Membership Director shall endeavor to increase MWA membership.

7. Tech Chair. The Tech Chair- supervises the team that manages the various

technology needs for the organization. This includes maintaining the MWA website, interfacing with our membership vendor, updating the organization’s calendar including chapter events, managing Zoom meetings and accounts, and other technology needs as requested.

8. Teen Writers Club Chair. The Teen Writing Club Chair shall be responsible for

supervising and coordinating all aspects of the program, including decisions on locations of clubs, selection of club leaders, and guidelines for club activities.

 

Article V – Meetings

A. Membership Meetings. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the membership in June, during which MWA elections for the Officers and other Board members, whose terms commence on July 1, are conducted. Announcement of the Annual Membership Meeting must be accompanied by a Call for Nominations and be made to Members at least 30 days in advance. Additional membership meetings may be called by the Board.

 

B. Board Meetings. There shall be Board meetings at least six times per year, with at least one meeting in person each quarter, with notice to Members at least 14 days in advance. The Annual Meeting may take the place of a Board meeting. Board meetings are generally open to members, who shall be granted an opportunity to speak, although the Board may enter executive session in order to consider sensitive matters.

 C. Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet as needed, between or in advance of Board meetings, in order to plan Board meetings or to conduct business of MWA which must be carried out between board meetings.

 D. Quorum. No business may be conducted at a meeting in the absence of a quorum. For Membership Meetings, a quorum is five percent (5%) of the regular members, or twenty members, whichever number is smaller. For Board and Executive Committee Meetings, a quorum is at least 50% of the members of the Board or Executive Committee present at their meetings.

 

Article VI – Board Nominations and Elections

All elections are for two-year terms and are held on even years at the Annual Meeting in June.

A. Nominating Committee. There shall be a Nominating Committee made up of the most recent Past President (unless he/or she is up for election), who shall serve as its Chair, the President (unless he/or she is up for election), one chapter president and at least one additional non-candidate member of the Board, selected by the Chair upon consultation with the President. The President shall appoint such substitutes as necessary in the event the Past President and/or President are unable to serve on the Nominating Committee. The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of officers to stand for election. This slate, along with a request for additional nominations, shall be issued to the members as part of the Call for Nominations and Notice of Annual Meeting.

 

B. Elections. In general, elections shall be conducted by the Chair of the Nominating Committee at the Annual Meeting. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall introduce its chosen slate of nominees as well as any other candidates nominated at least seven days prior to the election. The election may proceed by voice vote or show of hands for all uncontested positions; brief nomination speeches from the floor shall be permitted for contested elections and carried out thereafter by ballot. In its discretion, the board may adopt rules and procedures for online elections, in lieu of the procedures for in-person voting outlined in this paragraph.

 

Article VII – Chapters

A. Formation. The formation of Chapters within MWA is encouraged to help grow the membership of MWA generally, and to advance the mission of MWA by providing regular programs, activities and meeting opportunities in diverse areas. With the approval of the Board:

1. A minimum of ten Regular Members and four proposed officers may apply to form a Chapter in a geographic region of Maryland not primarily served by another Chapter;

2. An existing Chapter may apply to divide into two or more Chapters, so long as each of the new Chapters has at least ten Regular Members and four officers;

3. Two or more existing Chapters may elect to merge.

B. Process of Forming Chapters. Regular Members wishing to form a Chapter shall submit to MWA a completed application in the form approved by the Board. The Chapter application at a minimum shall define the geographic area sought to be served by the Chapter and include contact information for the primary member applicant and other proposed members, at least ten of whom shall be Regular Members from the relevant geographic area. Upon approval of the application, a provisional Charter will be issued by the Board. The Charter will not become active until initial Chapter elections are held, which must be within 60 days of the issuance of the provisional Charter. The Board has full discretion to approve or decline all such requests.

C. Chapter Meetings, Officers and Elections. Chapters must offer at least six meetings and/or programs a year, and must conduct elections of officers in June, with terms commencing July 1, unless the inaugural elections were held during the previous six months, in which case annual elections shall commence during June of the following year. All Regular MWA members in attendance at the election meeting are permitted to vote. Chapters must provide at least 30 days' notice of a meeting to elect the following officers, who must be Regular Members of MWA. The positions of a new Chapter President and Chapter Treasurer, which are granted access to MWA funds, must first be approved by the Executive Committee. The Chapter Officer positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are all elected by chapter vote. 

 

1. President – must be twenty-one or older, directs the functions of the Chapter, speaks on behalf of the Chapter, and serves as a member of the MWA Board; Vice President — shall assist the President to the extent requested by the President and preside in lieu of the President in the event of his or her absence or unavailability.

2. Vice President — shall assist the President to the extent requested by the President and preside in lieu of the President in the event of his or her absence or unavailability.

3. Treasurer – must be twenty-one or older, handles Chapter finances, including budgeting and budget requests, and submits semi-annual reports to MWA’s Treasurer; and

4. Secretary – records Chapter activities, membership and attendance, and submits quarterly reports to MWA’s Secretary and other officers and chairs as directed by the MWA Board Executive Committee.

 

In its discretion, and if approved by the Board, a Chapter may adopt rules and procedures for online elections, in lieu of the procedures for in-person voting outlined in this paragraph.

D. Chapter Bylaws and Rules. Chapters may adopt their own Bylaws and rules, which must be approved by the Board, and must not conflict with the purposes and objectives of MWA, its Bylaws, or any rules adopted by the Board. Chapters shall otherwise follow any rules or instructions promulgated by the Board.

E. Budget. Chapters must submit a budget request to the Treasurer at least 20 days Before the start of the fiscal year. The chapter will be granted a budgeted amount annually, depending upon the size and needs of the Chapter and the resources available.

 F. Social Media Accounts- Chapters may not create social media accounts without permission from the Communications Chair and/or Executive Committee.

G. Rescission. A Chapter’s Charter may be rescinded at any time, should the Chapter no longer serve the Purposes and Objectives of MWA, or should it suffer a critical loss of attendance, violate MWA’s Bylaws, or otherwise fail to comply with the direction of the Board. The process of rescission shall be as follows:

1. By a two-thirds vote of the Board, a notice of proposed rescission is issued and delivered to the Chapter’s officers, specifying the reasons for same and setting forth any necessary remedial action.

2. The Chapter will have 15 business days to respond, which may include carrying out remedial action.

3. Thereafter, and as soon as practicable, the Board by majority vote must either withdraw or confirm the rescission.

 

H. Chapter Membership and Dues. Chapters may not charge dues or have “members,” as such, but may conduct fund-raisers for Chapter projects. MWA Members are not assigned to but are required to select a home chapter as part of the membership profile. Chapters shall admit to their programs any Regular Member of MWA who wishes to participate.

 

Article VIII – Sections

Reserved. [Explanatory note: At some future date, MWA may seek to support genre writers, affinity groups or other writers’ organizations by allowing for the creation of Sections. This Article is reserved so that if such a decision is made by the membership, these Bylaws can be amended by having the new Article on Sections follow Article VII.]

 

Article IX – Expulsions

Any member may be expelled, and any Board member (including officers) may be removed from the Board, and/or any Chapter may have its Charter rescinded (in addition to the reasons set forth in Article VII) for conduct that is detrimental to MWA’s reputation, trustworthiness, or responsibility to its members or to the public, or which would likely become detrimental to same, if no action were taken. The process of expulsion is as follows:

A. By a two-thirds vote of the Board, a notice of proposed expulsion, removal or rescission is issued and delivered to the relevant member, Board member or Chapter’s officers, specifying the reasons for same and setting forth any necessary remedial action.

B. The relevant member will have 15 business days to respond, which may include carrying out remedial action.

C. Thereafter, and as soon as practicable, the Board by majority vote, must either confirm or withdraw the proposed expulsion or rescission.

 

Article X – Parliamentary Authority

Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR, 11^th ed.) shall be the parliamentary authority of this organization when applicable and when not inconsistent with these Bylaws, any special rules adopted by this organization, or the laws of Maryland.

 

Article XI – Use of Technology

MWA may conduct business between in-person meetings via conference call, or electronically, such as via email or other online means, so long as personal notice is given to each participant in advance of such telephone, email or other online deliberation and vote. In the event conference calls, emails or other online means are utilized for the purpose of conducting meetings or votes, the Board must first adopt rules designed to make sure all those who have a vote are not only given personal notice of the procedure and when and how it shall be utilized, but also given a reasonable opportunity to participate in the ensuing discussions and/or cast their votes.

 

Article XII – Dissolution

In the event of Dissolution or demise of MWA, any remaining funds shall be distributed to one or more nonprofit organizations in Maryland whose purposes and objectives are consistent with the Purposes and Objectives of MWA; and if there is a choice among equally deserving groups, preference is to be given to those most recently awarded funds by a state grants organization.

 

Article XIII – Effective Date; Amendment; Supplemental Policy

The Bylaws shall become effective on the date they are favorably voted upon by a two-thirds vote of those attending the Annual Membership Meeting, unless another effective date is specified. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those attending the Annual Membership Meeting, so long as any proposed changes have been published to the membership at least 30 days in advance of said Meeting. Nothing shall prevent the Board from adopting supplemental rules and policies consistent with these Bylaws.

 

Effective Date: July, 2025