Utah Minutman Project (UMP) Organizational B-Laws
P.O. Box
Salt Lake City, Utah
By-Laws Directory:
ARTICLE I – NAME
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
ARTICLE III – JURISDICTION
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND DUTIES
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE VIII – STANDING SUB-COMMITTEES
ARTICLE IX – ELECTIONS
ARTICLE X – RULES OF ORDER
ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS
ARTICLE XII – DUES AND DONATIONS
ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I – NAME
The official name of this organization shall be: The Utah Minuteman Project, the “UMP”.
The official website of the UMP shall be: “utahminutemanproject.org”.
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
Section 1. To organize and officially represent Utah citizens, individual citizens and/or officeholders who want to work to defend our borders, language, and culture and re-establish the rule of law concerning immigration policies at the local, state and federal levels, in coordination with political party organizations and other likeminded organizations.
Section 2. To educate citizens of Utah about rational immigration principles and the threats posed by illegal immigration, encourage them to participate in political and community activities that strengthen the enforcement of the rule of law regarding immigration; to work for the advancement of principles, policies, and reforms directed at the illegal immigration crisis, as well as indirectly supporting platforms of all political parties that recognize the need for reform and enforcement of present law and that are moving in the direction of supporting these objectives.
Section 3. To educate political parties regarding immigration issues confronting our local communities and help their leaders understand the commonality of interests between political parties and the immigration concerns of all US citizens; to help the political parties and their elected officials understand how to best serve and reach out to the community to discuss and resolve citizens’ concerns about legal and illegal immigration.
Section 4. To stimulate citizen participation in the geographically constituted structures of the political parties, encourage able and qualified individual citizens to register to seek office at all levels of government in order to elect candidates to office at all levels of government who oppose illegal immigration and will enforce the rule of law.
Section 5. To ensure the rightful participation of citizens in the political processes of the state of Utah and the United States of America, regardless of race, creed, color, religious or political affiliation, or national origin.
Section 6. To develop viewpoints and positions on national, state, and local illegal and legal immigration related issues and citizens’ rights; to seek implementation of these positions through local, state, and federal legislation.
ARTICLE III – JURISDICTION
Section 1. The jurisdiction of this organization shall be within the borders of the State of Utah. When a Utah Minuteman Project (UMP) member is outside the state of Utah, they are acting as a Minuteman from Utah, not as a Utah Minuteman Project member unless it is an event authorized by the group through the Board of Directors. The UMP is a self-governing entity. It is not affiliated with or under contractual control of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (“MCDC”) of Arizona or any other national “Minuteman” group.
Section 2. Chapters. When deemed necessary and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors, geographical components of the Utah Minuteman Project shall be constituted as official extensions of the organization.
1a) These geographical components shall be titled “___X____ Chapter of the UMP”.
2a) The officers of the chapters shall be appointed by the Board of Directors (until membership
in the chapter grows to require elections). The appointed leadership structure of each chapter
may be, as personnel and conditions permit, the same as the state organization: Chairman, co-
Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, with the exception that an “Actions Officer” will substitute for
the Chairman of the Standing Subcommittees.
3a) The jurisdiction of individual chapter officers and members, when acting independently from
the UMP, shall be limited to the geographical area (town, city, county, etc) in which members
reside. Otherwise, these operate as all members do, according to Section 1 of this Article.
4a) The chairman of each chapter shall have an advisory and representative position on the Board
of Directors, upon invitation being asked to vote with the Board Members on any matters
directly related to activities and circumstances of the chapter.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership. The membership of the UMP shall consist of all citizens of the United States of America who have chosen to be identified with the Utah Minuteman Project by filling out an official application form and paying annual dues.
1a) One becomes a voting member upon paying their dues and filling out an official application
form. Applications will be reviewed, then approved or rejected by the governing Board of
Directors. On approval, members are considered voting members and can vote for all motions
and resolutions, and in all elections provided they meet the requirements under Article IV,
Section 1.
1b) In order to run for a UMP office, one must become a member, read The Forgotten Immigrant (by author Chris Herrod), attend a minimum of three-fourths of the regular membership meetings in the twelve months prior to an election and attend at least half of the demonstrations held in the prior year by the UMP.
1c) The requirements in (1b) may be waived at the discretion of the UMP Board of Directors if and when sustained by a three-fourths vote of the voting membership of the organization according to the following procedure:
1. The candidate must submit in writing to the Board and general membership a request for waiver of the requirements (of Section 1b) at least 2 months prior to standing for election.
2. Then, the Board of Directors must vote unanimously to allow the waiver.
3. Finally, the voting members present at a regular meeting must proffer the sustaining three-fourths vote to grant to the aspiring candidate the request for waiver.
1d) The membership and community recognize that the Utah Minuteman Project is not a racist organization and that racist ideals will not be tolerated by the organization. The Board of Directors. with a two-thirds sustaining vote by the voting membership present at a regular meeting, reserves the right to expel anyone who has joined to promote racist ideas or who attempts to divert the organization from its stated mission to realize its objectives opposing illegal immigration and defending our borders, language and culture.
Section 2. Honorary members of the Utah Minuteman Project can be citizens, candidates for political office, and current or former political office holders who support the objectives of the organization. They may be named as such by a majority vote of those present at regular meetings of the Board of Directors and the general membership.
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND DUTIES
Section 1. The elected officers of this organization shall be the Chairman, Co-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Standing Sub-Committee Chairman.
Section 2. Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected from the general membership of the organization for a term of two years if that member has satisfied all the requirements of Article IV Section 1b. There shall be a two term limit for each office unless the voting general membership agrees to extend it for one additional term.
Section 3. Chairman: the Chairman shall represent the organization. He/She shall preside over regular and special meetings of the organization and its Board of Directors. He/She shall call all meetings unless otherwise provided herein by the by-laws. He/She, with the advice and majority vote of the Board of Directors, shall appoint the officers of all sub-committees. He/She shall be the organization’s official spokesman to address the media and other outlets seeking information about the UMP. The UMP Board Members and general membership are free to make comments as long as it is made clear at the outset that they are making a personal comment and are not speaking for the UMP.
Section 4. Co-Chairman: the Co-Chairman shall assist the Chairman in fulfilling his/her official duties and responsibilities as delineated in these by-laws and shall perform the Chair’s duties in his/her absence.
The Co-Chairman shall assist in implementing the policies and plans for the organization and in consultation with the Chairman share the role as official spokesman for the UMP.
The Co-Chairman shall take an active political role during and before elections, campaigns, and legislative sessions; and coordinate propaganda and organizing efforts with political party organizations and candidates.
Section 5. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep correct minutes of all meetings of the organization and of its Board of Directors. He/She shall distribute meeting notices, minutes, and reports to all members. He/She has the responsibility to write and send out all notices to UMP members and the public when appropriate for the required meetings, including elections, and coordinate with the webmaster any notices or other information] that may need to be distributed through the website. He/She may also be directed by the Board to serve as a liaison/point of contact with various media organizations in order to facilitate communication with them and the public.
Section 6. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the organization, however appropriated, and shall supervise the paraphernalia distributed or sold by it. He/She shall pay all bills authorized by the Chairman through the Board of Directors, and shall sign all checks along with him/her. The Treasurer shall keep a correct record account of the amounts and sources of receipts and the amounts and purposes of disbursements. In addition, the Treasurer shall account for all assets and inventory, and prepare and submit the proper reports to the governmental accounting agencies, as required by current Federal Election Laws.
The Treasurer may be bonded, if determined by the Board of Directors, during his/her term of office. He/She shall report monthly the financial status of the organization to the members at its regular meetings. He/She will be responsible for the preparation of all financial documents should they be audited and will assure compliance with all appropriate laws. In the event the Treasurer is unable to fulfill his/her responsibilities, the Chairman shall assume them, until the position is filled according to these by-laws.
Section 7. Standing Sub-Committee Chairman: The Standing Sub-Committee Chairman shall oversee the standing sub-committees, supervise their efforts in pursuing UMP objectives, and address any financial requirements by coordinating with the Treasurer and Chairman. He/She shall report monthly as needed at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors
Section 8. Removal from Office. Any Board Member may be removed by a two-thirds vote of all voting members of the UMP. Recognizing that the Utah Minuteman Project’s reputation is a great asset, removal may be for any or all of the following:
8a) Non-performance of the Board member’s duties as delineated in Article VI.
8b) Financial impropriety when entrusted with UMP funds, resources, or paraphernalia.
8c) Slandering/libeling or otherwise attempting to defame the reputation and/or standing of the organization, its officers or its membership in the press or public.
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors of the Utah Minuteman Project shall consist of the Chairman, the Co-Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Chairman of the Standing Sub-Committees.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall meet separately from the regular scheduled meetings of the UMP general membership.
Section 3. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the Chairman in consultation with the Board, or upon a written request of 25 percent of the voting membership of the. A notice to each member shall be emailed at least five days or mailed at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled meeting.
Section 4. The quorum for all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be at least three fifths of the members.
Section 5. Resignation. If an officer of the UMP, particularly a Member of the Board fails to attend six consecutive regular meetings of the Board of Directors, the general membership, scheduled demonstrations, or a combination of these three, he/she shall be considered to have tendered their resignation, unless an excusable reason is presented in writing to the Board, accepted by a majority of it, and sustained by a majority vote of the general membership.
Any member of the Board of Directors who attends another immigration reform group’s board of directors meetings without first consulting and obtaining permission from the UMP’s Board of Directors shall be in violation of the organization’s right to privacy and therefore subject to Article V, Section 8.
ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall have the right and obligation to transact any business necessary to the operation of the UMP between the regularly scheduled meetings of the organization.
Section 2. The UMP will not endorse any political party’s candidates in primary elections unless the candidate is unopposed, supports the stated goals and objectives of the UMP, or three-fifths of the members of the Board of Directors supports a proposal to endorse a candidate sustained by at least a two-thirds vote of the voting members of the organization.
Section 3. The annual budget of the Utah Minuteman Project shall be approved at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held in April each year. The proposed budget, in reasonable detail shall be distributed to all general members.
ARTICLE VIII – STANDING SUB-COMMITTEES
Section 1. Legislation. It shall be the responsibility of this sub-committee each year to determine what type of legislation the Utah Minuteman Project wants to address. Based on input from the membership, this sub-committee will conduct research to determine the viability, interest and priority of potential legislation. Based on its findings, this sub-committee shall make recommendations to the organization. This sub-committee shall be responsible for finding legislators to sponsor the selected legislation. It shall also be the liaison between the political parties in Utah, the legislature and the communities in the state. This sub-committee will recommend what bills the UMP should support, help train lobbying efforts and build relationships with legislators. This sub-committee shall be composed of at least two members appointed by the Chair of the Standing Sub-Committees and the Chair of the Board of Directors, and sustained by a majority vote of the Board itself.
Section 2. Community Involvement. It shall be the responsibilities of this sub-committee to plan, coordinate and or organize events that help build good will in the community. Its members will coordinate volunteer efforts for any community outreach effort of the UMP. They will also plan ways, in conjunction with the Public Relations/Communications Sub-Committee, to convey the results of legislation and/or programs that can benefit the community and its citizens. This sub-committee shall be composed of at least two members appointed by the Chair of the Standing Sub-Committees and the Chair of the Board of Directors, and sustained by a majority vote of the Board itself.
Section 3. Political Education and Involvement. It shall be the responsibility of this sub-committee to suggest guidelines and strategies for the campaign projects of the organization, such as political education, rallies, voter registration drives, searches for candidates, and other organization activities. This sub-committee shall be composed of at least two members appointed by the Chair of the Standing Sub-Committees and the Chair of the Board of Directors, and sustained by a majority vote of the Board itself.
Section 4. Public Relations and Communications. It shall be the duty of this sub-committee to publicize and promote the activities of the Utah Minuteman Project. Its members shall also communicate the accomplishments of elected officials who support UMP objectives within the community, especially when these impact the citizens themselves. This sub-committee shall be composed of at least two members appointed by the Chair of the Standing Sub-Committees and the Chair of the Board of Directors, and sustained by a majority vote of the Board itself.
ARTICLE IX – ELECTIONS
The present Board of Directors constituted by the board members themselves shall serve until April 1, 2008. At that time, an election of the Board shall be held according to this section. This section, when, if, and as modified, shall also provide the basis for any future elections after that date.
Section 1. Eligibility. Those eligible to vote or nominate for office for the purpose of election shall be those members who meet the requirements as delineated under Article IV, Section 1a-c of these by-laws.
Section 2. Nomination. Any voting member of the UMP who meets the eligibility requirements under Article IV, Section 1a-c may stand for election to any office in the organization by submitting in writing to any officer on the Board an announcement of his/her intent to stand at least one month before any scheduled election. This written announcement shall specify which office the member intends to stand for and shall be considered a nomination. Any voting member may also nominate any other voting member by submitting in writing to any officer on the Board, at least one month before any scheduled election, a document specifying for which office he/she intends to nominate that member. A member can stand for only one office in any given election.
Nominations are made by any voting member pursuant to this section.
1a. The written document thereof must consist of:
-the voting member’s name
-the position for which the voting member wishes to run
-the date
-the aspiring nominee’s signature
2a. They are effective upon the day of receipt by any Board Member.
3a. Receipt of this written document shall be construed to mean that a voting member
who is qualified pursuant to Article IV, Sec. 1 is deemed a nominee.
A voting member who accepts, verbally or otherwise, a nomination and meets the requirements in Article IV, Sec. 1 shall be deemed to be a candidate. In case a nominee does not meet the requirements of Article IV, Sec 1, they shall be deemed to be a candidate only after the waiver delineated in Article IV, Sec. 1c has been granted according the procedure.
Section 3. Terms. All terms shall be for two years unless, in lieu of a regularly scheduled election, all Board members and three-fourths of the voting members of the UMP agree to extend the term of an individual position another two years.
Section 4. Ballot. At the regular meeting in April of every even-numbered year, a ballot shall be held to elect officers to every position on the Board of Directors. It shall be the duty of the Board through the Chairman and Secretary to assure that the general membership of the UMP is given ample notice of the location and time.
4a) The ballot shall be secret. Envelopes containing printed forms with a list of the candidates and the offices for which they are nominated shall be distributed to every voting member.
4b) After selection of the candidates, the ballots shall be returned to the envelopes, collected and tallied collectively by the members of the Board, or by whomever it appoints.
4c) The results of the ballot shall be announced immediately upon completion of the tally. Whoever receives the majority of the votes cast for any position shall be considered duly chosen to serve.
4d) The newly elected officers of the UMP shall be effectively installed in their positions prior to the close of the regular meeting. A time and a place for turning over the various documents, duties, and functions of the former members of the Board to the new officers shall be scheduled before this election meeting is closed. A protocol for this procedure shall be written, approved and codified into these by-laws by the Board prior to the next election.
Section 4. Addendum-Ballot Procedures (Approved by unanimous vote April 2008)
A. The Distribution
1. After due notification to all voting members of the date and time of the election,
ballots shall be distributed by mail, if requested, or in person at the election location.
2. The Secretary, with the Chairman, will ensure that all voting members are provided
ballots.
B. The Collection
1. After voting, each member shall return his/her ballot (inside the provided envelope)
to the Secretary or whomever shall be designated by him/her who shall then place it in
a secure container to be tallied later.
2. No person except the Secretary (or those designated by him/her) shall touch the
container or handle the individual ballots.
3. Ballots sent in by mail to the UMP shall be submitted to the Secretary and remain
unopened until the date of the election.
C. The Tally
1. The Chairman (or one designated by him/her) shall then ask for sufficient volunteers
from among the voting members who will announce the ballots and serve as
witnesses of the votes cast.
2. The titles of the UMP Board positions shall be written in full view of the members
present, under which shall be written the name of the aspiring candidate to that
position.
3. The counting procedure:
a. One volunteer shall open envelopes in the presence of another.
b. The Secretary or one(s) designated by him shall witness the ballot and speak
out the results of the ballot.
c. The Chairman (or one designated by him/her) shall tally the votes next to the
name(s) called out by the Secretary.
d. After the tally, all ballots shall be checked in red pen by the volunteer(s) and
given to the Secretary who shall secure them in a separate container marked
“tallied ballots”.
d. This process shall continue until all votes are counted.
4. Upon completion of the counting procedure, the Chairman shall announce the
winner(s) of the election, which shall be the candidate(s) who get(s) the majority of
the votes cast.
D. The Recount
1. If the results of a tally are challenged, the Chairman (or one designated by him/her)
shall ask for different volunteers according to Section II, C (1) and proceed to re-tally
the votes cast according to “b” and “c” of the counting procedure.
2. If requested, the candidate or one designated by him may witness the recounting of
the ballots.
3. After the re-tally of the pertinent votes, all ballots shall be checked in blue pen by the
volunteer(s) and given to the Secretary who shall secure them once more in the
separate container marked “tallied ballots”.
Section 5. Vacancies. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors occurring due to resignation, non-performance of officer duties, or nonattendance as delineated in Article VI, Section 5, shall be filled by a voting member of the UMP, duly considered, appointed by a majority vote of the Board, and sustained by a majority of those voting members present at a regular meeting of the UMP. The individual appointed shall serve for the remainder of the term.
5a) Any vacancy should be filled within 90 days of its occurrence, unless mitigating circumstances do not permit. Mitigating circumstances include: lack of qualified members under Article IV, Section 1, insufficient time to deliberate over candidates, no majority appointment by the Board or vote of the voting membership as specified in this Section, or any calamitous and/or momentous event which precludes a scheduled meeting to consider qualified candidates.
5b) Any individual appointed to a vacancy must meet the requirements of Article IV, Section 1, unless, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, an exception to this Section is considered necessary to the perpetuation and/or integrity of the UMP. Any interim appointment not meeting the requirements of Article IV, Section 1 must be sustained by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors and a three-fourths vote of the total voting membership, not just of those present at the meeting at which the appointment is proposed.
5c) In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chairman, the Co-Chairman shall act as interim Chairman unless and until an election or special election is held, or an appointment is made by the Board according to this Section (5).
Section 6. Special Elections. If a vacancy occurs in any elective office on the Board, it is the right of the voting members of the organization to direct that a special election be held to fill the vacant office(s) in lieu of an appointment made by the Board according to Article IX, Section 5a and/or 5b.
6a) This special election shall be proposed and seconded as a motion by at least two voting members, not necessarily sitting on the Board. In order for the motion to pass, there shall be a majority vote of the total voting membership of the UMP in favor of holding the special election.
6b) In case there is no majority present at the meeting in which the motion is made, it is required for the motion to pass that sufficient voting members not present at the meeting submit to the Chairman and two other members of the Board (in person or in a signed affidavit) their agreement to the motion. These submissions shall constitute passage of the motion.
6c) Upon passage of the motion for a special election, it shall be held no later than three months and no earlier than one month from the time it is passed according to Article IX, Section 4.
Section 7. Post Election Transition Procedures. Announcement of the results of the elections shall effectively install the winners in their respective positions on the Board of Directors. The former members of the Board of Directors are responsible for ensuring that any and all documents, websites, passwords, paraphernalia, property, etc be transferred to the control of the newly elected officers in order to facilitate the transition and enable the new members to carry on the functions of their respective positions.
7a) The Chairman of the Board shall turn over to his/her successor the following:
-membership applications
-correspondence with government or commercial entities concerning official activities
of the UMP.
-passwords to the official UMP website
-membership roster (electronic or otherwise) along with email and home addresses
-password to the email account(s) for corresponding with members
-with the UMP Treasurer, signature power over the UMP bank accounts
7b) The Co-Chairman of the Board shall turn over any of the same things as the Chairman of
Which he/she has been given access of control.
7c) The Chairman of the Standing Subcommittees shall turn over the following: signs, props,
equipment purchased with UMP fund; receipts for the above; documents, correspondence,
and emails as records of the official activities of the UMP.
7d) The Treasurer shall turn over the following: financial records concerning dues, purchases,
expenses of the UMP; non-financial documents and/or correspondence of purchases or
expenses; UMP paraphernalia, signs, tokens, symbols purchases with UMP funds; with the
Chairman, signature power over the UMP bank accounts.
7e) The Secretary shall turn over the following: membership records; attendance records; minutes
for all the meetings of the UMP; and correspondence relative to membership records,
nominations, ballots, election results, recounts, etc.
The manumissions delineated in 7a-7e above shall take place no later than 10 days after the results of the elections are announced.
Section 8. Term Limits. No officer shall hold the same office on the Board of Directors for more than two consecutive terms unless elected unanimously by all voting members in a regular or special election.
ARTICLE X – RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition, shall govern all proceedings (except when inconsistent with these by-laws) by common consent of the Board of Directors and membership.
Section 2. When necessary and appropriate, the Chairman shall appoint a Parliamentarian.
ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held at a time and place agreed upon by the membership. All members shall be given notice either by e-mail, telephone or a posting on the official website at least five days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. Special meetings may be convened by a majority of the Board of Directors or by mutual agreement of a majority of the voting members. All members shall be given notice at least five days prior to a special meeting. An agenda shall be proffered as a reason for convening any special meeting.
Section 3. In order for official business to be transacted at any meeting, unless specifically authorized by the Board, at least half of the members of the Board must be present.
Section 4. Regular membership meetings shall be held at least once a month, or more often when necessary to coordinate activities or events decided upon by the organization.
ARTICLE XII – DUES AND DONATIONS
Section 1. The voting members of the Utah Minuteman Project, through the Board of Directors shall decide the amount of the annual dues of the organization. These dues and all donations shall be payable to the UMP and collected by the Treasurer as delineated in Article V, Section 6.
ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS
Section 1. These by-laws, or any part thereof, may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds vote of those voting members present at a regular or special meeting, provided at least 12 voting members are present.
Section 2. Any proposed changes to these by-laws may only be made by a voting member.
Section 3. Notice of all proposed changes to these by-laws shall be submitted in writing to the voting membership at least ten days prior to the meeting at which any vote on them is taken.
Utah Minuteman Project - 8 - Organizational By-Laws