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The status of BY-LAWS as of 19-Feb-96 is as follows:
Next action is to DEBATE on ALL remaining articles (5,6,8,10,13,14,15) and then conduct a vote.
Section 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Center is to organize, house and distribute information regarding all aspects of the Hellenic (Greek) civilization around the world through electronic communications networks, and particularly through the Internet. In particular, the purpose of the Center is to actively support projects promoting the Hellenic civilization throughout the Internet; to compile archives of sources and indices to sources available on the Internet and pertinent to the Hellenic civilization; to regularly collect all freely available technical material related to Greek computing such as software, technical documents, and standards, as well as assist in the development of such material; to organize and provide technical support and computer services to organizations associated with Greece; to serve as a communication center for the Greek Diaspora in the United States and elsewhere; to serve as a universal electronic gateway to Greece; to educate and expose the Greek society, including the Greek Diaspora of the United States, to the new culture and technology of Internet, and related networks and technology.
Section 2. ORGANIZATION STATUS. The Center shall be a non- profit organization registered in the United States. The Center shall not be involved with partisan issues or political lobbying in any country. Funding of the Center is described in these By-Laws.
The Center's Executive Council, to be defined below, decides on the membership of individuals as well as institutions via a voting process also to be defined below. Members participate as volunteers and agree to require no payment for contributed labor, services or overhead by the Center. Members have the rights of voting and holding office subject to the qualifications and limitations of the present By-Laws, their amendments, and the Center's regulations.
The nature of the Internet and modern communications media allow the members to communicate, vote, manage, and work on all aspects of the Center's operations from anywhere in the United States or abroad. Annual and occasional meetings at a physical location are also possible, but not obligatory, and subject to the decisions of the Governing Body, to be defined in these By-Laws.
Section 1: GOVERNING BODY. The management and control of the Center's property and affairs is vested in the Director or Directors, hereinafrer also called Directors, and in the Members of the Executive Council, hereinafter also called the Council. The number of Directors shall be no more than three. The number of Executive Council Members shall be no less than ten and no more than fifteen, with the exception of the first year, or until the appropriate number is reached. The Directors are also Members of the Council.
Section 2. MEMBERS. Volunteers shall provide their labor and expertise to carry out the various tasks in the Center, including the governing tasks. The Members elect the Executive Council and Director or Directors by vote.
Section 1: ELIGIBILITY. Members can nominate themselves or another Member for the Director's post. At least one year of proven service to the Center is required before a member becomes eligible for a nomination to a post in the Governing Body. At least thirty percent of the total vote is required for a Member to become a Director.
Section 2: SCOPE OF DUTIES. Directors shall be responsible for managing the Center according to the plans decided upon by the Executive Council. Directors can assign committees of Members to tasks. Directors prepare and submit an annual budget to the Council for approval.
Section 3: SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. The Directors cannot unilaterally approve applications for membership to the Center, or resignations of Members, without three quarters of the consenting vote of the Executive Council.
Section 4: ELECTION. Directors shall be elected by the Members with vote every two years.
Section 5: TERM OF OFFICE. Directors will hold office for two calendar years from the day they were elected. If the Directors post is vacated for any reason, the Council can call for elections to fill the post.
Section 1: ELIGIBILITY. Any Member can nominate itself or another Member for a seat in the Executive Council. At least one year of proven service to the Center is required before a member becomes eligible for a nomination to a post in the Governing Body, with the exception of the first two years of the Center's operations, when only a six month membership is required.
Section 2: SCOPE OF DUTIES. The Members of the Council shall be responsible for enacting and enforcing the By-Laws of the Center. The Members of the Council will be responsible for ensuring that the Directors as well as the Council Members perform their duties according to the letter and the spirit of the By-Laws. The Council shall be responsible for writing the annual plans of the Center and for approving an annual budget. The Council appoints the Secretary and the Treasury Committee, to be defined in these Bylaws. Members of the Council shall comply with any results of the vote of the Council and shall put forth their best effort to assist in the implementation of the Council's decisions. Chronic non- compliance with the Council's decisions is grounds for voting to terminate a Council Member's assignment and even membership.
Section 3: SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. The Council can bring up any issue for vote by the Council, including that of termination of the Directors assignment, the termination of a Council Member's assignment, the termination of a Member's assignment or membership, or the termination of the membership of an organisation. Three quarters of the Council's vote are needed for the termination of the assignment or membership of any Member, Director, or Council Member with the exception of the first year of the Center's operations, when only 1/2 of the Council's vote are needed
Section 4: ELECTION. Members of the Executive Council shall be elected by the Members with annual vote.
Section 5: TERM OF OFFICE. Council Members will hold office for three calendar years from the day they are elected. The terms of office will be staggered in order to maintain the cohesiveness of the Council. Each year there shall be elections for some Council Members. This requires that the Members of the first Council of the Center will have terms of one, two, or three years, with the actual term assignments to be agreed upon by the first Council. If a Council seat is vacated for any reason, the rest of the Council can decide on whether to propose elections to fill that seat.
Section 1: ELIGIBILITY. Anyone can apply to the Center in order to become a Member. The applicant must demonstrate dedication to and support of the advancement of the Hellenic civilization, and must provide evidence of service consistent with the purpose of the Center as specified in Article II of these By-Laws.
Section 2: NOTIFICATION. Notification of acceptance or rejection will take place after the Executive Council, or a designated committee to the evaluation of new applications, votes on the applicant's request.
Section 3: SCOPE OF DUTIES. Members are expected to volunteer their services and expertise to the Center to the best of their ability and without expectations for payment for labor, overhead or other voluntary expenses associated with membership. Assignment of tasks shall be made with mutual agreement between the Member and the Directors or other designated official of the Center. Prospective Members are responsible for reading and agreeing with the bylaws before submitting an application for membership. Existing Members are responsible for reading the amendments to the By-Laws of the Center. When a Member continues to provide services to the Center, the Member implicitly endorses the changes to the By-Laws. Members are supposed to comply with the directions of the Executive Council and the Directors. Chronic noncompliance with the Director's, or the Council's decisions, or the letter and the spirit of the By-Laws can lead to the Council's voting for the expulsion of the Member from the Center.
Section 4: SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. The Members shall vote to elect the Executive Council, or members thereof, and the Directors. Members can hold office in the Governing Body of the Center and can nominate themselves for such office in accordance to these By-Laws and the regulations of the Center. A Member can submit a proposal for voting by the Executive Council on any issue. A Member can submit a proposal to the Directors regarding the Center's day-to-day operations. A Member cannot represent the Center without the explicit consent of the Directors, and cannot publish in any form material belonging to the Center without the explicit consent of the Directors.
Section 5: TERM OF MEMBERSHIP. Membership to the Center has no term limits, unless a Member is expelled from the Center or resigns.
Section 1: APPOINTMENT. The Executive Council shall appoint a Member to the post of Secretary. The Secretary shall report to the Director.
Section 2: DUTIES. The Secretary shall maintain the official records and books of the Center and conduct official correspondence. The Secretary will take notes and save all files of major meetings of the Directors and the Executive Council.
Section 3: TERM. The Secretary's term will be for two calendar years, unless the Executive Council approves the Secretary's re-election to the post.
Section 1. APPOINTMENT. The Executive Council appoints a committee to the post of Treasurer Committee. This committee reports to the Directors.
Section 2. DUTIES. The purpose of the Treasurer Committee is to keep the Center's accounting records, and financial assets such as cash; to provide regular reports to the Members regarding the financial status of the Center; to maintain a record of all transactions of the Center; to prepare tax related reports and documents; and to authorize the dispensing of payments of the Center.
Section 3. AUTHORITY. The Treasurer Committee cannot dispense any moneys without the approval of the Directors.
Section 4. TERM. The term of the Treasurer Committee shall be three years and the terms of its members shall be staggered, starting with one, two and three years during the first year of the Center's operation.
Section 1: ASSIGNMENTS. Assignments usually are intended to be mutually agreed on by all parties involved. The Directors shall appoint Members to the various tasks.
Section 2: COMMITTEES. The Directors shall appoint special committees such as advisors and work-groups to collaborate on a task and provide recommendations to the Directors or Executive Council as needed.
The Center's personnel is exclusively volunteer. Some services may be contracted out if it becomes necessary, for example, maintenance of the computers.
Elections for Members of the Executive Council shall take place once every calendar year with the exception of the beginning period of six months which the Council deems as formative for the Center. Elections for Directors shall take place every two years.
Section 1. DEFINITION. Associate Member organizations, hereinafter, Associates or Associate Members, are organizations with similar mission to the Center's mission. The Associates will use the center's services such as computers, software and technical support to publish on the Internet, subject to the approval of the Council. All services will be offered by the Center to the Associates free of charge. The Center can collaborate with the Associate Members on projects related to the Hellenic civilization.
Section 2: APPLICATION. Any organization, institution, or individual whose mission is related to the Hellenic civilization, and whose mission is not in conflict with Article II of these By-Laws, can apply to become an Associate of the Center. The Center requires, among other things, that the officers of the applying organization, or the applying individuals, to have a proven record of service to the Hellenic society and the Hellenic Diaspora, and that the applying parties must read the Center's By-Laws. The application should include a description of the nature of the project or service proposed, specific information about the requirements of the organization, as well as background information about the applying organization such as its current By-Laws. In addition, the applying organization must demonstrate the uniqueness and significance of the project to avoid duplication and redundancy. Applications will be evaluated on a first come first served basis.
Section 3: EVALUATION PROCEDURE. On a monthly basis the Directors will call a conference of the Executive Council to discuss the applications for services. The Council will examine the nature of services or plans for collaboration applied for, the suitability of the application with the scope of the Center's operation, the potential conflicts, if any, of the requested service or collaboration with the mission of the Center, the technical feasibility of the proposed project, the requirements in terms of labor and administrative resources needed for that service. A vote of at least two thirds of the Council is required before any services can be dispensed and before any collaboration can be undertaken.
Section 4: NOTIFICATION. The applying organization will be notified formally by the Directors about the decision of the Center within due course. It is to be clear that no decision is legally binding, and the Center has no obligation to conform to the letter or spirit of the reply.
Section 5: DISPUTES AMONG ASSOCIATES. It is possible that some of the Associates may disagree on some issues. The Center shall maintain its neutrality to differences in opinions.
Section 1. DEFINITION. The Representatives and Consultants, hereinafter Representatives, will be designated representatives of Associate organizations and other skilled individuals who will voluntarily offer advice to the Center. The Representatives can also serve as liaisons of the Associate Organizations with the Center.
Section 2. RULES OF CONDUCT. The Representatives shall have no voting rights in the Center. The Representatives shall not require payment for their labor, service or overhead costs in relation to their advising the Center. The Representatives must not attempt to influence the Center in a manner inconsistent with the letter and the spirit of these By-Laws and the regulations of the Center. The Center shall not be bound by the suggestions of the Representatives and it reserves the right to terminate the assignment of any Representative anytime and without notification.
Section 1. DEFINITION. Sponsors will be individuals or organizations who are dedicated to the mission of the Center and want to help the Center financially. Sponsors can make donations to the Center. In return, the Center shall recognize the sponsors' contributions by reserving a special space for permanent posting of the sponsor's name, and, if applicable, the nature of the contribution, and other pertinent information.
Section 1: COPYRIGHT. Any individual or organization permitting the Center to publish or distribute copyrighted material agrees to transfer copyright to the Center within the fair use principle of the United States copyright laws. Any individual offering the Center material for publication or distribution must certify that the material in question is not intellectual property of anyone else, and that the individual shall protect the Center from liability in the case of legal action initiated as a result of the material in question.
Section 2: SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION OF SERVICES AND COLLABORATION. The Center reserves the right to suspend or terminate services to, or collaboration with, an Associate organization for any reason it deems significant, for instance if the content of the published information is incongruent with the letter and spirit of the Center's By- Laws.
Section 3: PROHIBITING INCLUSION. The Center has the right to prohibit inclusion of material inconsistent with its mission, objectives and goals, any time it becomes aware of such material.
Section 4: WARRANTIES. ANY SERVICE OR PRODUCT WHICH THE CENTER OFFERS IS OFFERED AS IS. NO WARRANTY EXPLICIT OR IMPLIED IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY, QUALITY AND USEFULNESS OF THE INFORMATION CARRIED, OR QUALITY AND USEFULNESS OF THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT THE CENTER OFFERS, OR QUALITY AND CONTINUITY OF THE SERVICE OR COLLABORATION THE CENTER OFFERS.
Section 5: DIRECT AND INDIRECT LIABILITY. The Center shall not be held liable for any harm caused by the inaccuracy of information or any defects of the products carried. An individual or organization accepting services or products from the Center is automatically agreeing not to hold the Center liable for any damages as a result of product defects, or as a result of legal action resulting from such defects by third parties. In addition, the opinions expressed through the Center's media are those of the individuals and organizations expressing them and not necessarily those of the Center, its management or its volunteers. Individuals and organizations will not hold the Center liable for damages to a third party as a result of use by the third party of a service or product sold or distributed for free by the Associate organizations.
Section 6: CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION. If the goals and actions of the Associate Organizations served by the Center are in conflict with the Center's mission, the Center will try to find a way to resolve the problem with dialog. If all else fails, the Center can exercise its right to terminate services to these organizations.
Section 7: REFUNDS. The Center will not refund or return any monetary or non-monetary contribution to a sponsor or Associate.
Section 8: COOPERATION. The Center requires the Associates to be in continual communication with the Center as needed to create guidelines for the legal protection of the organizations and the protection of the Center.
Section 1: GOVERNING BODY. The Executive Council Members and the Directors are required to exercise the highest degree of ethical conduct as defined by the rule of reason in relation to the letter and spirit of these By-Laws and the regulations of the Center.
Section 2: SPONSORS. The Center's sponsors must in no way influence the decision making and the course of the Center in a manner that compromises its mission.
Section 3: ASSOCIATES. Organizations consuming the services of the Center or collaborating with the Center must in no way influence the decision making of the Center in a way that compromises its mission. The Center reserves the right to terminate services to, and collaboration with, an organization on the grounds of unethical conduct of the organization's administrators and Representatives.
The Center will regularly seek funding in accordance with its rights as a non-profit organization of the United States of America via promotional campaigns around the world and through several legitimate means. The funds will be used to cover costs of computers, renting space to install the computers, and to cover other operating costs. Individual sponsors and contributors are expected to be the Center's source of funds.
The Center's fiscal year shall be the calendar year.
In the case of dissolution of the Center, all of its physical assets as well as legal contracts of all forms, all of the Center's records and books and funds will be delivered to a liquidation committee. The committee will immediately proceed to liquidate the business and affairs of the Center in accordance with local and federal laws and procedures of the United States.
The Center has the right to amend the bylaws or add new ones. Three quarters of the vote of the Executive Council is required for such amendment to take place, except for the first year of the Center's operation during which two thirds of the vote are required.
| Main | HEC Proposal | Projects | Members | Sponsors | Bylaws | F.A.Q. | Technical |