FROM THE OCA PRESIDENT (John Green)

The proposed bylaws of the Oklahoma Chess Association are contained in this issue (“Plains Chess” May 1983 Vol. II, No.2). The bylaws are transposed as closely as possible from the National Bylaws of the United States Chess Federation. The reasons for this are :1. to familiarize our members and officers with the USCF ;2. to be an example for other states to follow in order to strengthen and unify ;3. establish a priority of education for the public as well as improve club and membership services ;4. to enable the OCA to file with the Internal Revenue for non-profit status.

If you will refer to Article VIII Section 8, you will see that any part of these bylaws may be changed by voting. The main thing is for the membership to approve a constitution as it is essential to begin the paperwork for the IRS which usually takes from six months to three years.

In order to discuss these bylaws and the future of the OCA, I have called a special delegates meeting on May 28 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Hotel Will Rogers in Claremore, Okla. before the Oklahoma Open State Championship begins. Delegates may be accredited starting at 8:30 a.m. when registering for the tournament, Please notify the T.D. of your delegate status.

There will also be a Club Development Workshop at 8:00 a.m. May 28 in the Ballroom. The Workshop will feature guest speakers and is designed to improve existing clubs as well as give complete information on how to start a club.

********************************************************************

Bylaws of the Oklahoma Chess Association (OCA)
As proposed by OCA President John Green 3/14/83.

Article I: Name

The name of the corporation shall be the Oklahoma Chess Association, commonly known as the OCA.

Article II; Purposes

The purpose of the Association shall be educational and instructional, to broaden and develop chess as art and recreation, as a significant element of culture in Oklahoma. The Association shall cooperate with schools, colleges, hospitals, military bases, community centers, recreation departments, and other groups and institutions, in teaching chess, conducting tournaments, and other activities. The Association shall disseminate information through its publications and representatives, and the Association shall select the official Oklahoma representatives in all national chess affairs. The Association is pledged:

(a) to operate exclusively for educational, recreational, and social welfare purposes;

(b) that no part of its contributions, dues, or net income shall inure to the benefit of any individual, except that trophies or prizes warded in the course of its educational and promotional program shall not be so construed; and

(c) that the Association is not operated for profit and that neither principal nor income of any of its funds may be used in any attempt to influence legislation.

Article III: Membership

Sec. 1. Regular Membership. Any person may become a Regular Member of the Association upon payment of $4 dues for one year.

Sec. 2. Rights and Privileges. Each member shall be entitled to receive a regular copy of "Plains Chess". Each member shall be entitled to participate In the Annual Membership Meeting, and to enjoy all other rights and privileges of membership not herein enumerated.

Sec. 3. Revocation of Membership. The Policy Board may revoke or suspend the membership of any member for good cause.

Sec. 4. Annual Membership Meeting . The President shall call and preside at an annual meeting of the membership, held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Open (Jerry Spann Memorial), for the purpose of hearing reports and making suggestions to the Board of Delegates. Twelve members present in person shall constitute a quorum. The Secretary shall publish in "Plains Chess" advance notice of the meeting.

Article IV: Board of Delegates

Sec. 1. Responsibility. The Board of Delegates Is responsible for the management of the OCA. It shall formulate general policy and write the Bylaws.

Sec. 2. Number. The Board of Delegates shall be composed of the Policy Board members, and Delegates apportioned among the cities in proportion to their OCA membership as of April 1, except that each city with twenty or less members must have at least one Delegate.

See. 3. Selection. In those clubs which have affiliated OCA Chapters on April 1, the Club Delegates and Alternates, who shall be OCA members, shall be certified in writing to the OCA Secretary by the authorized club officer by 1 May. Included shall be an ordered list of Alternate Delegates at a minimum of two or 10% of the total number of OCA Members of the club, whichever is greater. In cities which do not have Club Chapters or which fail to submit the specified list of Delegates and Alternates, these Delegates and Alternates shall be selected by the Club Director first in seniority in that region. If this Senior Club Director does not make selection, the Club Director next in seniority in the region shall make the selection. The names and addresses of the Delegates, Alternates, and certifying affiliates shall appear by the January issue of "Plains Chess”. Club Chapters may appoint Delegates residing outside their respective cities; however, Delegates appointed by a Senior Club Director must reside within the county they represent. Club Chapters are responsible for the payment of the membership dues of all Delegates they appoint. No one may be a Delegate from more than one city simultaneously. The OCA shall reconsider recognition of any Club Chapter which fails to appoint Delegates. Clubs may appoint at the annual meeting as additional Alternates only residents from their own club or OCA members from other clubs that were and are members of that club's affiliate prior to the start of the meeting. If a quorum cannot otherwise be obtained at the Delegate's Meeting this provision shall be waived.

Sec. 4. Term. The term of each Delegate shall commence immediately following the meeting for which selected and continue for one year and thereafter until a successor is selected. Should a vacancy occur it shall be filled promptly from the ordered list of Alternates. A Delegate who moves from the club which appointed him or her or who moves without leaving a forwarding address shall be deemed to have resigned his or her Delegate Membership unless the Club Chapter for his or her club notifies the Secretary to the contrary.

Sec. 5. Additional Alternate Delegates. If a club has insufficient Delegates present at the annual meeting to fill its quota of Delegates, its Alternates may serve as needed, as Delegates. If Alternates are available to attend the annual Board of Delegates meeting, those Delegates who do not attend the meeting will be deemed to have resigned as Delegates, and the available Alternates will become Delegates per the ordered list. (Refer to Article IV, Section 3 for designation).

See. 6. Life Voting Members. Life Voting Membership, including honorary life Membership, shall be conferred

(a) automatically upon each OCA President upon completion of their term of office and

(b) upon contributors of outstanding service to chess, up to a total of twelve, who are so designated by the Board of Delegates.

Sec. 7. Delegates at Large. Any Life Voting Member may be elected a Delegate at Large by the board of Delegates. His or her term shall begin at the end of the meeting in which he or she is elected and shall run for two years. A Delegate at Large whose term is expiring may be re-elected to a new term.

Sec. 8. Annual Meeting. The Secretary shall mail to each OCA affiliate club between thirty and forty days before the Annual Meeting a notice of the meeting and agenda.

Article V: Policy Board

Sec. 1. Composition. The Policy Board shall consist of the President , Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and three Members at Large elected by all OCA Members. The three Members at Large shall have terms of two years. The Immediate Past President shall serve on the Policy board for one year following the conclusion of his or her term as President.

Sec. 2. Functions. The Policy Board shall manage the affairs of the Association, including employment and other contracts, between meetings of the Board of Delegates and shall perform other duties as are specified in these Bylaws. The Policy Board shall be subject to the authority of the Board of Delegates, and none of its acts shall conflict with actions taken by the Board of Delegates. In case of a tie vote the President, if he has already cast his or her vote, may cast an additional tiebreaking vote. The Policy board may refuse to publicize or recognize a tournament for cause, including anything tending to discredit the Association.

Sec. 3. Meetings. The Policy Board shall meet at least three times per year, the day and place to be fixed by vote of that Board. Special meetings shall promptly be called upon the written request of any four members of the Policy Board. The minutes of the Policy Board shall be made available to OCA members. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Policy board present in person.

Sec. 4. Nomination. Any OCA member shall be eligible for nomination to any elected office upon submitting to the Secretary by 1 April a nominating petition containing the signatures of at least three Delegates, Club/Tournament Directors, or Policy Board members, one of which must reside outside the nominees district. The President may not be elected to any office for more than two consecutive terms, and no person may serve on the Policy Board more than five consecutive years. No full time employee of the OCA shall serve in any elected office on the Policy Board. The Secretary shall advertise for nominations in the January issue of the Association's official magazine and shall publish a list of all duly submitted nominations for a mail ballot in the April issue.

Sec. 5. Elections. Mail ballots shall be returned to the secretary, to be received at least one week before the Annual Meeting, and shall be opened and counted by the Secretary and tellers (appointed by the Policy Board) prior to that meeting. In all elections ballots would be counted by tellers who are OCA Delegates or Alternates. A plurality shall elect. A special election may be called at the Annual Meeting in case of tie or offices still vacant.

Sec. 6. Term. The terms of the Policy Board members shall begin at the end of the Annual Meeting after their election and shall continue for one year except as provided in Section 1. above.

Sec. 7. Duties:

President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership, Board of Delegates, and Policy Board; carry out all requirements of these Bylaws, represent the Association on occasion, and report annually to the Board of Delegates.

Vice President. The VicePresident shall execute the duties of the President when the President is unable to serve.

Secretary/Treasurer. As Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the membership, Board of Delegates, and Policy Board; act as custodian of the corporate seal, carry out all duties prescribed by these Bylaws, and file the annual report with the Secretary of State of Oklahoma. The Secretary shall publish in an official OCA publication the minutes of the annual meetings of the membership and the Board of Delegates and shall publish in the Association's official magazine a summary of the same. As Treasurer shall obtain records of the financial affairs of the Association, report to the Board of Delegates, and counsel and assist the Policy Board on financial affairs.

Sec. 8. Revocation of Membership or Affiliation. In the event that the Policy Board shall revoke or suspend the membership of an individual or affiliate pursuant to Article III, Section 3, or Article VII, Section 5, it shall, prior to taking such action, give to the individual or affiliate thirty days' written notice of the proposed action. Within said time said individual or affiliate may submit in writing to the Policy Board reasons why such actions should not be taken. The hoard may thereafter, if it sees fit, act upon the written suggestion or set a date for a hearing to be held at or prior to the next annual meeting of the Association, but before the meeting of the Board of Delegates. Any person or affiliate aggrieved by any action of the Policy Board may appeal to the Board of Delegates at the said annual meeting if the action is taken at the said meeting, or at the next meeting of the Board of Delegates. The Board shall affirm, reverse, or modify the action of the Policy Board. Only Delegates present in person may vote on any such appeal. Pending decision on appeal, the individual or affiliate shall retain all rights of membership. Nothing contained herein shall require notice of termination of membership of any individual or affiliate for non-payment of monies due. The membership of any member or affiliate shall automatically expire one year after the month on which any monies were paid.

Sec. 9. Vacancies. If a vacancy occurs in any elected office, a successor to serve the unexpired term shall be nominated and elected under the procedure in Sections 4 and 5, except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President.

Article VI: Other Officers and Committees

Sec. 1. Officers appointed by the Policy Board. The Policy Board shall appoint an Executive Director and Counsel.

Sec. 2. Duties of other officers. The duties and objectives of the Executive Director, the Editor, each Committee Chairman, and each other officer, shall be set forth in written memoranda by the President with the approval of the Policy board, a copy of which shall go to the Secretary for the minutes of the next meeting of the board of Delegates.

Sec. 3. Committees. The Board of Delegates or the Policy Board may appoint any committees, standing or ad hoc, which are deemed necessary to advance Association purposes.

Article VII: Organization Units

Sec. 1. Chapters. Every club shall be entitled to have an affiliate. Any club having more than 50 members may have two club chapters divided on geographical grounds.

Sec. 2. Functions. Each Club Chapter, to be a body representative of chess players and organizers within the club, shall guide the chess activity within the club and fulfill any other responsibility which the Board of Delegates may from time to time designate.

See. 3. Affiliation. Any organization of chessplayers may affiliate with the Association upon payment of the fee of $10 per year. Affiliation does not constitute the affiliate or Chapter an agent of the OCA for any purpose.

Sec. 4. Rights and privileges. Each affiliated organization shall

(a) receive a regular copy of "Plains Chess".

(b) receive all USCF and OCA material pertaining to club development

(c) be privileged to issue Association memberships per Article III above, to collect and forward to OCA the dues, and to retain commission thereon at a rate set by the Board of Delegates.

Sec. 5. Revocation. The Policy Board, subject to the provisions of Article V, Section 8, may revoke or suspend (the affiliation of) any affiliate for good cause.

Article VIII: Sundry Bylaws

Sec. 1. Office. The registered office of the Association shall be at such address in the state of Oklahoma as is designated by the Policy Board.

Sec. 2. Publications. "Plains Chess", a periodical, or its successor publication, is designated an official publication.

Sec. 3. Fiscal period. The Fiscal period shall be the year ended 30 June.

sec. 4. All general funds shall be designated in one or more federally insured depositories in the Association name, disbursable only by check signed by the Executive Director or by others designated by the Policy Board, should the Executive Director be temporarily unable to perform this function.

Sec. 5. National Affairs. The Association is the official Oklahoma unit of the USCF and shall be represented officially in all USCF affairs by a Permanent Delegate appointed by the Policy Board.

Sec. 6. Procedure. "Robert's Rules of Order" shall be used at all meetings of the membership, Board of Delegates, and Policy Board.

Sec. 7. Authority. These Bylaws have been adopted by the Members under the authority of the United States of America Chess Federation, subject to all State and Federal laws.

Sec. 8. Amendment. These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Delegates present at an Annual or Special Delegates' meeting.

Sec. 9. Reliance on Records. Each officer, member of the Board of Delegates, or employee shall in the performance of his or her duties be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or reports made to the corporation by any of its officials, or by an independent Certified Public Accountant, or by an appraiser selected with reasonable care by the Board of Delegates, or in relying in good faith upon other record' of the corporation