Report of the Bylaws Committee
by Randy Brack
Every decade or so, NTM has to update its bylaws, and once again, it’s time. Proposed NTM bylaws will be published in the October M-Aura and posted here on the NTM website. You will be asked to vote to approve them as part of the general election in November, thus saving everyone the hassle of having a special referendum.
Didn’t we just do this last year, you ask? Well, yes, we did, but the referendum didn’t pass, and significant changes have been made to the bylaws since then. Here are some of the reasons for updating the bylaws:
- Our preferential voting system is being changed to a plurality system. Only three people understand the current system of counting votes, and we’re all aging out. NTM needs something simpler.
- The number of people on the Nominating and Election Committees is being reduced from five to three each. It is impossible to find ten people to serve on these committees. And people may now serve on both committees.
- To eliminate a “blackout period” for appointed positions, people in those positions may now serve past December 31 until the first meeting of the newly elected Board.
- Currently, nobody may serve more than two terms in an elected office. That is being changed to affect only the President and Vice President so we can retain good volunteers in other offices.
- The office of Publications Officer is removed. We don’t have one. Other obsolete sections are deleted.
- The word “shall” (which is unclear), has been replaced with either “must,” “should,” or “may.”
- Gender neutral terms are used, e.g., “Ombudsman” is now “Ombudsperson” and “Chairman” is now “Chair.”
- Current bylaws do not meet the Minimum Standard Bylaws (MSBs) for Local Groups of American Mensa, Ltd. (AML).
The MSBs have been updated four times since 2007, including a new version that took effect in 2024. Any updates we make to our bylaws must bring them into compliance with the current MSBs. This required over 10 changes to the bylaws. Several new sections were added.
Because there are so many changes (especially in the election section), it is almost a total rewrite. For this reason, the usual method of publishing individual amendments with the changes (deletions crossed out, insertions underlined) was not done. Two versions of the proposed bylaws are posted here on the website. One has track changes turned on, so you can see all the additions, changes, and deletions. One is a final, “clean” document.
Because of all the sections being added, changed, or moved, this set of bylaws is being presented as a whole, not as a set of amendments. We can’t do this piecemeal. All of the changes are mandated by the reasons above. Nothing is optional. A two-thirds “yes” vote is required of valid ballots received for the new bylaws to pass. If we don’t get the necessary votes, we will have to hold a special referendum to try again.
There must be at least 90 days between the time the proposed bylaws are published and the date the ballots are due. As I mentioned, we’ll publish the ballot in conjunction with the general election in November. Ballots will be counted in January. This gives plenty of time for debate. I encourage any of you who have opinions, pro or con, to send your comments to the Editor for publication. (Email
Please vote.
