LifeRing
Bylaws
Preamble
We the
members of LifeRing Secular Recovery, in order to establish a free-standing,
democratic recovery support network based on abstinence, secularity and
self-help, adopt the following Bylaws:
Article
1.
Purposes
Lifering is chartered as a nonprofit corporation
(LifeRing Inc.) to serve recovering alcoholics and addicts, and persons
involved in relationships with them, and the general public, by holding
meetings and public forums and similar activities, and by publishing and
disseminating educational materials relative to alcoholism, addiction and
recovery therefrom, and by engaging in all other activities incidental or
appropriate thereto, all based on the principles of abstinence, secularity and
self-help.
Article
2.
Name
The meetings, public forums and similar
activities dedicated to the aforesaid purpose shall have the name
"LifeRing Secular Recovery."
Article
3.
Membership
The only requirement for membership in LifeRing
Secular Recovery meetings is a desire to abstain from the use of alcohol and
illicit drugs.
Article
4.
Meetings
4.1.
Two or more persons who come together for the
purpose of abstinence, secularity and self-help using the LifeRing name
constitute a meeting of LifeRing Secular Recovery.
4.2.
A
meeting may come together either face-to-face or via electronic communication,
except as otherwise provided in sections 5.1.
and 6.7.
below.
4.3.
Each
LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting shall be bound by the LifeRing Meeting
Charter contained in Article
11 of these Bylaws.
4.4.
Meetings
of LifeRing Secular Recovery are self- supporting, and are autonomous and
independent except insofar as their activity affects other LifeRing Secular
Recovery meetings or the LifeRing organization as a whole.
Article
5.
Annual LifeRing Congress
5.1.
The meetings of LifeRing Secular Recovery, through their
delegates, shall assemble face-to-face on a regular annual basis as the
LifeRing Congress.
5.2.
Each
public LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting may select one delegate to the
Congress.
5.2.1.
A meeting is public for the purposes of these Bylaws if it
convenes in a location accessible to the public and if its location, day and
time are posted in a manner likely to give public notice. The term “location” shall also include
Internet address.
5.3.
Each
member of a LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting may cast one vote for a Congress
delegate and, in case of membership in more than one meeting, may select the
meeting in which to cast that vote.
5.4.
Procedures
for electing meeting delegates shall be consistent with generally accepted
principles of democracy and fairness, striving for simplicity and consensus.
5.5.
Each
delegate may cast one vote at the Congress.
5.6.
Current
members of the Board of Directors and officers shall be delegates to the
Congress.
5.7.
The
LifeRing Congress is the supreme deliberative and legislative body of the
organization.
5.8.
The
consensus of the Congress is binding on the Board of Directors and on the
officers and operational entities.
5.9.
The
Congress may not abrogate or substantially amend the fundamental purposes for
which LifeRing is chartered.
5.10.
Robert's
Rules of Order shall apply to the procedures of the Congress to the extent they
are not inconsistent with these Bylaws or with procedural rules the Congress
may adopt.
Article
6.
Board of Directors
6.1.
LifeRing
Inc. shall have a Board of Directors consisting of seven members.
6.2.
Board
members shall serve three-year terms.
6.3.
Two
members of the Board shall be elected at each Congress, except that three
members of the Board shall be elected at the founding Congress and at every
third Congress thereafter.
6.4.
The
Board of Directors shall have the following powers and duties:
6.4.1.
The Board shall control the budgets and audit the finances of
the operating entities in such a way as to implement the consensus of the
Congress and to safeguard the financial integrity of the organization.
6.4.2.
In order to protect the good name of the LifeRing
organization, the Board shall have the power, subject to ratification at the next
following Congress, to suspend or revoke the charter of any meeting, or to
refuse to issue a charter, in cases where a group persistently and
substantially violates a fundamental principle of LifeRing Inc. as to
abstinence, secularity or self-help.
6.4.3.
The Board shall supervise, appoint, and remove the officers
defined in Article 7 and the coordinators of the operating entities defined in
Article 8.
6.4.4.
The Board shall have the power to form temporary working
committees, advisory bodies, and task forces as may be required.
6.4.5.
The Board shall make an annual written report on its
activities and its financial stewardship to the Congress.
6.4.6.
The Board shall set the time and place of the next Congress.
6.4.7.
The Board shall comply with all provisions of the law
applicable to nonprofit charitable corporations.
6.5.
A
Board member shall be a person in recovery from a substance addiction, a member
of LifeRing Secular Recovery, at least 21 years old, and shall have abstained
from alcohol and illicit drugs continuously for at least two years prior to
commencing service.
6.6.
A
Board member who knowingly consumes alcohol or illicit drugs shall be deemed to
have resigned effective immediately.
6.7. Annual
meeting. The Board shall meet
face-to-face each year at the conclusion of each annual Congress, or within
seven days of its adjournment; and newly elected directors will begin their
service at the commencement of that meeting.
6.8.
Special
meetings. The Board may also meet at
such other times and places as may be appropriate. Except at the Annual Meeting described in paragraph 6.7. any
mode of electronic communication which permits all directors to communicate in
real time with all others shall be lawful for purposes of a Board meeting under
these Bylaws.
6.9.
Any
director may convene a Board meeting by giving written notice at least seven
days in advance to all other Board members stating the time, place and proposed
business of the meeting. Any notice,
consent or waiver that must be given in writing under these Bylaws may be given
via email.
6.10.
Three
directors shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Board.
6.11.
The Board
may take action without a meeting, or may meet on shortened notice, provided
all directors consent to the action and/or waive notice in writing. These consents and/or waivers shall be made
part of the minutes.
6.12.
If a Board
member is absent without medical necessity from the Annual Meeting or from two
successive special meetings, or persistently and substantially acts in a way
that injures the good name of the organization, the remaining directors, upon
giving at least thirty days written notice and opportunity to be heard, by
their unanimous vote may remove that director from the Board.
6.13.
In case of a
premature vacancy on the Board, the remaining Board members shall elect a
replacement to serve until the next Congress, at which time a special election
shall be held to fill any unexpired term.
6.14.
Board
members may serve successive terms without limitation.
6.15.
No Board
member or officer shall have the power to bind the corporation to any contract
or to pledge its credit or incur any other liability or obligation without
prior authorization by the Board.
6.16.
Board
members shall serve without compensation. No Board member shall receive
reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with service to LifeRing Inc.
or its entities.
Article
7.
Officers
7.1.
LifeRing
Inc. shall have the officers required by law, namely a Chief Executive Officer,
a Chief Financial Officer, and a Secretary.
7.1.1.
The Chief Executive Officer shall comply with the duties
required by the law, and shall have such other responsibilities as the Board
may delegate.
7.1.2.
The Chief Financial Officer shall comply with the duties
required by the law, shall keep the books and render financial reports, and
shall have such other responsibilities as the Board may delegate.
7.1.3.
The Secretary shall comply with the duties required by the
law, shall keep minutes of Board meetings, and shall have such other
responsibilities as the Board may delegate.
7.2.
The
officers shall be appointed by and shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of
Directors.
7.3.
An
officer shall be a person in recovery from a substance addiction, a member of
LifeRing Secular Recovery, at least 21 years old, and shall have abstained from
alcohol and illicit drugs continuously for at least one year prior to
commencing service.
7.4.
An
officer who knowingly consumes alcohol or illicit drugs shall be deemed to have
resigned effective immediately.
7.5.
Officers
shall serve without compensation.
Article
8.
Operational Entities
8.1.
LifeRing
shall maintain a Service Center and a Press and such other operational entities
as the Board may establish subject to ratification by the next following
Congress.
8.2.
Service Center
8.2.1.
This entity shall be known as the LifeRing Secular Recovery
Service Center.
8.2.2.
The purpose of the Service Center shall be to serve the
meetings. Toward that end, it shall:
8.2.2.1. Publish and maintain an online list of
both face-to-face and electronic LifeRing Secular Recovery meetings.
8.2.2.2. Act as a reference for meeting space
providers and supply them with required documentation concerning the status of
LifeRing Inc. and of the particular meeting.
8.2.2.3. Maintain an Internet presence for
LifeRing Secular Recovery.
8.2.2.4. Operate as an information and referral
service for the meetings using all appropriate media.
8.2.2.5. Operate a speakers' bureau.
8.2.2.6. Conduct workshops and similar educational
events for convenors and other members and the general public. .
8.2.2.7. Provide a source of supplies for
meetings.
8.2.2.8. Receive and account for financial
contributions from the meetings.
8.2.2.9. Do all other things necessary and
appropriate for the creation of new meetings and the support of existing
ones.
8.3.
Press
8.3.1.
This entity shall be known as LifeRing Press.
8.3.2.
LifeRing Press shall publish and distribute pamphlets, books,
and other-media publications for the
purpose of educating members and the general public about the purpose and
methods of LifeRing Secular Recovery.
Article
9.
Principal Office
The
principal office of the corporation for the transaction of business is located
in Alameda County, California. The corporation
may establish additional offices as may be lawful and appropriate.
Article
10. Amendments
The
Congress may amend these Bylaws by a two-thirds vote, except that the Congress
shall have no power to amend the Articles of Incorporation of LifeRing Inc. or
any statement in these Bylaws that appears in the Articles of Incorporation.
LifeRing, Inc. hereby grants the
_________________________________________ (location or Internet address) meeting this charter to display the LifeRing
logo and to use the name, "LifeRing Secular Recovery" and any short
forms thereof, to promote abstinence, secularity and self-help. This charter is
valid so long as the Meeting remains actively dedicated to these goals.
For the duration of this charter, LifeRing
Secular Recovery Service Center promises to list the Meeting on the LifeRing
meeting list, to notify the Meeting of any publications or events that may
affect it, to include the Meeting in the democratic internal decision-making
process of LifeRing Inc. pursuant to the LifeRing Bylaws, and to serve the
Meeting's needs to the best of its ability.
In turn, the Meeting promises to keep the LSR
Service Center informed of the current name, address, phone number, and, if
applicable, email address, of at least one contact person for the Meeting, to
notify the Center promptly of any change in its meeting time, place, Internet
address if applicable, or description, and to support LifeRing Inc. financially
to the extent the Meeting sees fit.
LifeRing, Inc., owner of the LifeRing logo and
of the service mark “LifeRing Secular Recovery,” is chartered as a nonprofit
corporation to serve recovering alcoholics and addicts, and the general public,
by organizing meetings dedicated to sobriety, secularity and self-help, and by
providing educational information toward that end. By "sobriety"
LifeRing means complete abstinence from alcohol and illicit addictive drugs.
[Signatures on behalf of LifeRing Inc. and of
Meeting]