Bylaws
The following are the bylaws of the organization (“Organization”) known as Pacific Northwest Bible Quizzing, a non-profit organization, hereinafter referred to as Quizzing, incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington on September 14, 2024. Quizzing may also operate as Bible Quizzing.
- Bylaws Version: 2024-09-14
A season (“Season”) is the annual term between August 1 through July 31.
Article 1 - General Assembly
- The general assembly (“General Assembly”) of the Organization consists of the geographically distinct groups that attest they will sponsor teams of quizzers participating in upcoming Organization events during the current or upcoming Season.
- Each group appoints 1 qualified group leader (“Qualified Group Leader”) as enfranchised representative for the group.
- Qualified Team Leaders, as per the Organization’s Articles of Incorporation, must profess theologically traditional Christianity, meaning they are in alignment with the Nicene Creed (Symbolum Nicaenum), the English translation of the Armenian version.
- General Assembly meetings are open to anyone to attend.
- The General Assembly must meet at least twice per calendar year, ideally at the beginning and end of the Season.
- Quorum for General Assembly meetings shall be at least 2/3 of groups represented by Qualified Group Leader or a substitute appointed by the Qualified Group Leader and recognized by the General Assembly.
- General Assembly meetings maybe be in-person at a previously scheduled Organization event with no prior notice necessary or in-person or remote with at least 2 weeks notice or 100% group representation.
- Assembly meetings shall be conducted according to parliamentary procedures as directed by the most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order.
- Any bylaw which conflicts with the parliamentary authority shall be understood to override the parliamentary authority in that bylaw's specific use case.
- While only Qualified Group Leaders may vote, all attendees have the right to parliamentary privilege.
- Attendees are excepted from rising to full stature to seek recognition from the chair and from requirements to speak only in the third person and only to the chair.
- All discussion and debate speech limits are suspended by default.
- These can be reinstated through a point of privilege raised by any attendee.
- In addition to amendment types as stipulated by the parliamentary authority, motions to amend may alter their target content by replacing it entirely with new content.
- The General Assembly may veto any decision by any other part of Organization leadership by a simple majority vote.
- At each Assembly meeting, the Assembly will appoint one of its attendees to be Secretary, who will cause to be made minutes of each meeting that lists the date of the meeting and any main motions that pass.
- When the General Assembly elects or appoints people to positions outlined in these Bylaws, it shall do so via a confidential vote of self-nominated persons.
- To be elected, a person must earn a majority of votes.
- To be appointed, a person must earn at least 2/3 of votes.
- When the General Assembly ratifies people to positions outlined in these Bylaws, it shall do so via standard majority vote process as per Robert's Rules of Order.
Article 2 - Assets and Governance Board
- The Assets and Governance Board (“Board”) shall consist of 3 people elected by the General Assembly at its Season-end meeting for annual terms.
- The Board is responsible for all decisions and policy about or related to:
- Finances including but not limited to fees, reimbursements, scholarships
- Property and other assets, physical or intellectual
- Governance, legal, and other business matters
- The Board shall:
- Meet at least once annually, either in-person or remote
- Invoice approved fees
- Collect all fees, donations, and other funds from all sources and provide receipts as appropriate
- Record all income and expenditures
- Produce and publish an upcoming Season budget prior to the start of the upcoming Season
- Produce and publish a financial statement of the past Season prior to the start of the upcoming Season
- Arbitrate non-meet disputes should any arise and decide resolutions
- The Board may establish ad hoc subcommittees to delegate such portions of their authority as they may desire.
- Subcommittee members need not be directors of the Board.
- The Board shall hold accountable all those to whom it appoints and delegates responsibilities.
- At each Board meeting, the Board will appoint someone to act as secretary (“Secretary”).
- The Secretary shall cause either by direct action or delegation the creation and maintenance of the Organization's minute book, which shall be made publicly available in digital form on the Organization's web site.
- The Board shall cause either by direct action or delegation the establishment, maintenance, or termination of one or more bank accounts in the name of the Organization for the funds of the Organization with any federally insured bank or similar depository; to cause to be deposited, from time to time, in such accounts, such funds of the Organization as deemed necessary or advisable, and to designate, change or revoke the designation, from time to time, of the officer or officers or agent or agents of the Organization authorized to make such deposits and to sign or countersign checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money issued in the name of the Organization against any funds deposited in any of such accounts; and to make such rules and regulations with respect to such accounts as such officers may deem necessary or advisable, and to complete, execute and deliver any documents as banks and similar financial institutions customarily require to establish any such account and to exercise the authority granted by this resolution including, but not limited to, customary signature card forms and form banking resolutions.
- The Board shall cause either by direct action or delegation the writing and editing of the Organization's governance standard operating procedures ("G-SOPs"), which should be published on the Organization’s web site.
- Any person on the Board may resign at any time, in which case the Board may temporarily appoint a replacement who must be confirmed by the General Assembly at the next General Assembly meeting.
- Any person may be removed from the Board at any time by unanimous vote of the other members of the Board or a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly.
Article 3 - Coordinator
- The coordinator (“Coordinator”) shall be a person appointed by the General Assembly at its Season-end meeting for an annual term.
- The Coordinator shall:
- Facilitate communications across the Organization
- Participate in Board meetings as a guest with parliamentary privilege but without the right to vote, but only when invited by the Board
- The Coordinator shall cause either by direct action and/or delegation to a group of meet directors (“Meet Directors”) the Coordinator appoints the following meet roles and duties:
- Registration process and roster publication
- Draw, distribution, and schedule generation and publication
- Recruitment and training of meet officials
- Material label translations
- Direction
- The Chancellor shall cause either by direct action or delegation the creation and maintenance of the Organization's web site and a publicly subscribable email distribution service.
- The Coordinator may resign at any time, in which case the Board may temporarily appoint a replacement who must be confirmed by the General Assembly at the next General Assembly meeting.
- The Coordinator may be removed at any time by unanimous vote of the Board or a majority vote of the General Assembly.
Article 4 - Season Planning Committee
- The Coordinator will nominate a Season planning committee (“Committee”) to the General Assembly for ratification at its Season-end meeting for an annual term.
- The Committee shall:
- Determine and purchase meet awards
- Determine, approve, and publish club lists
- Determine, approve, and publish material labels including weights
- Set any meet participation qualification standards
- Recruit meet host facilities and publish a season meet schedule
- Determine and publish a proposed season study schedule
- The Committee shall cause either by direct action or delegation the writing and editing of the Organization's season standard operating procedures ("S-SOPs"), which should be published on the Organization’s web site.
Article 5 - Transparency
- Unless otherwise exempted hereinafter, all decisions, data, and identified operational reporting stipulated in any standard operating procedures ("SOPs") document should be made public, accessible either directly or via means published on Organization's web site.
- Person-to-person communications along with working-group discussions in which no decisions are made are not required to be published on the Organization’s web site.
- Should ethical and moral breaches occur, the names of any victims will be held in confidence along with any details that might provide means to identify the victims; private disciplinary and counseling communications will be held in confidence.
Article 6 - Dissolution
- An affirmative vote by a super-majority of the General Assembly at a properly-called and held official General Assembly meeting shall be sufficient to effect dissolution of the organization.
- Failure to hold a General Assembly meeting for 2 years will trigger dissolution of the organization.
- Immediately following a vote of dissolution, all assets of the organization will be donated to Christian Bible Quizzing (“CBQ”), or if CBQ is unable to receive the donation, a non-profit non-CBQ Bible Quizzing organization identified by majority vote of the General Assembly.
- Should the General Assembly not specify an organization, all assets will be donated to non-profit organizations chosen by the assets’ possessors.
Article 7 - Amendments
- These bylaws may be amended at any official General Assembly meeting.
- Proposed amendments should be sent to the Board no less than 60 days in advance, who shall cause either by direct action or delegation the publication and communication of the proposed amendments, at a minimum, on the Organization's website and through a publicly subscribable email distribution no less than 45 days in advance.
- An affirmative vote by a super-majority, defined as two-thirds of the General Assembly at a properly-called and held official General Assembly meeting, is required for passage of amendments to the bylaws.