Wicomico Neighborhood Congress

(Draft 3-23-07)

1. NAME. The name of this organization is the Wicomico Neighborhood Congress,
Inc. (WNC).

2. MISSION. The mission of WNC is to bring together the residents of Wicomico County to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens by addressing issues of importance to our neighborhoods, and by motivating and enabling the residents of our neighborhoods who express a mutual interest and shared commitment to preserve, protect and improve their own living conditions.

3. GOALS AND STRATEGIES. WNC shall pursue its mission by creating a grassroots organization, consisting of neighborhood associations and allied entities and individuals, with emphasis on geographic, racial and economic diversity. Its strategies shall focus on:

a) education of our citizens in means to improve their condition;
b) organization chiefly in the neighborhood unit;
c) empowerment to address our own issues and needs; and
d) advocacy to influence government on issues of distributive justice.

4. MEMBERS. Applicants shall be eligible to participate as members of WNC in one of three categories, namely as Neighborhood, Affiliate or Individual Members:

a) Neighborhoods..- the basic unit of WNC.

A neighborhood is defined as a contiguous residential area of Wicomico County consisting of 100 or more housing units, sharing an established identity and specific geographic boundaries. Neighborhoods may include small municipalities or unincorporated areas, homeowners associations (HOAs), apartment complexes, retirement communities, small subdivisions or groupings of subdivisions.

b) Affiliate Members - organizations or entities sharing WNC's goals.

Affiliates may include church congregations' merchants associations, agricultural, co-ops educational communities, and similar organizations established in the public interest and not for any commercial or political purpose.

c) Individual Members - a small number of persons active in WNC's activities.

At any given time, as many as ten per cent of WNC's members may be individuals not representative of any Neighborhood or Affiliate Member, but making a significant contribution to furtherance of WNC's goals.

d) Applications and Credentialing - Applicants for membership in WNC shall submit information stating their interest, according to procedures established from time to time by the Board of Directors. Based on recommendations of WNC's Credentials Committee, the WNC Directors shall be vested with the power to accept or reject Neighborhood, Affiliate, and Individual Members proposed for membership, based on these criteria and on their commitment to WNC goals. The Board shall apply these criteria liberally and shall have the power to waive any rigid criteria, in order to carry out the purposes of WNC. The decision of the Board shall be final, although applicants may re-apply for membership after a lapse of six months following rejection.

e) Representatives - Each Neighborhood and Affiliate Member shall be entitled to designate a single Member Representative to the Congress; and Individual Member may participate in the Congress in their own capacity.

5. SECTORS. Wicomico County shall be divided geographically into twelve (12) WNC Sectors, with the goal of increasing diversity and encouraging maximum participation by Neighborhood Members in each Sector. A Sector Chair shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for each Sectot, with the primary responsibility for a) recruiting Neighborhood Members in each Sector, and b) assisting in creation or empowerment of Neighborhood Members where none exist.

6. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. In accordance with the WNC Articles of Incorporation, there shall be at least thirteen (13) and no more than twenty-one (21) WNC Directors, who shall be elected for staggered terms of two years and shall be responsible for operation and management of the Congress. The Directors shall be elected from among the Representatives of the Neighborhood and Affiliate Members, and the Individual Members. Efforts shall be made to elect at least one Director from each WNC Sector.

The Officers shall be as follows:

a) a Chairperson
b) two or more Vice-Chairs as necessary
c) a Secretary
d) a Treasurer
e) the twelve Sector Chairs.

The duties of the Officers will be as prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors.

7. COMMITTEES. The standing Committees of WNC shall include the following:

a) Executive Committee - consisting of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer, to be responsible for management of WNC between meetings of the Board of Directors.

b) Credentials Committee - consisting of five appointed Neighborhood Representatives, responsible for review and recommendation of applicants for membership as recruited by the Sector Chairs.

c) Meetings Committee - consisting of five appointed Neighborhood Representatives, responsible for planning, scheduling and arranging a meeting of the WNC Board of Directors and Member Representatives each month, in a different neighborhood in a diverse Sector of the County. The Committee shall also have the initial responsibility for planning and arranging the Annual Neighborhood Congress, subject to approval of the Board of Directors.

d) Public Safety Committee --

e) Inclusiveness Committee'-

f) Government Relations Committee --

g) Clean Streets Committee --

h) Clean Ait and Watet Committee --

i) Bylaws Committee --

j) Nominations and Election Qsmrnittee -

k) Finance/Development Committee--

The Board of Directors shall be vested with the authority to create such ad hoc committees as may be necessary from time to time.

8. MEETINGS.

(a) The regular meetings of the WNC Board of Directors shall be held on the first day of each month, from 7 to 9 PM, unless altered for good reason. All Neighborhood and other Member Representatives shall be encouraged to attend, and elected officials representing the neighborhood shall be invited. After conduct of routine Board business, the Neighborhood Member hosting the meeting shall be afforded an opportunity to make a presentation of 30 to 60 minutes, describing the unique characteristics of the Neighborhood and the major issues and challenges confronting its residents' Thereafter, the WNC Board of Directors shall discuss with attendees possible strategies to address the Neighborhood issue(s).

(b) Annually there will be a Neighborhood Congress at which all Members will be encouraged to participate and discuss strategies for addressing and resolving the issues confronting all of our Neighborhoods.

(c) A quorum for meetings of the Board of Directors shall be two-thirds of the current members of the Board. A quorum for votes at the annual Neighborhood congress shall be one-half of the Members then eligible.

(d) All WNC meetings shall be publicized and-.shall be open to all members of the community, whose active participation shall be encouraged.

9. ELECTIONS. Elections of Officers and members of the Board of Directors shall be conducted each year at the Annual Neighborhood Congress. All Member Representatives who have served for the previous year are eligible to serve in such positions. All officers and members of the Board shall serve for two-year terms, and half of the positions shall be filled each year. No individual shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms. Procedures for nominations and elections shall be the responsibility of the Nominations and Elections Committee.

10. FISCAL YEAR. WNC's fiscal year shall end each year on June 30.

11. AMENDMENTS. These Bylaws may be amended at the Annual Neighborhood Congress by a two-thirds affirmative vote of Member Representatives there present and eligible to vote. Where possible, a good faith effort shall be made to distribute proposed Bylaws amendments to those eligible, at least 30 days prior to the Neighborhood Congress.

Adopted: _,2009
Secretary
Wicomico Neighborhood Congress, Inc.