Charter of the Windy City Weasels
Article I. Name
The name of the organization shall be the Windy City Weasels. For the purpose of this Charter, the organization shall be referred to as the club, Weasels or WCW, and members thereof shall be known as Weasels.
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of the Weasels shall be primarily to foster and encourage the play of Diplomacy® and its variants in the greater Chicagoland area and the participation in the international hobby of Diplomacy®, which shall be referred to in the Charter as the Hobby. Additionally, the Weasels are established to promote boardgaming, camaraderie, and good sportsmanship amongst its members.
Article III. Weasels
Membership of the Weasels is open to all persons without regard to age, sex, geographic location, game skill, experience or any other factor. Weasels shall fall into two (2) categories: Full and Associate Members.
Section 1. Full Members
A Full Member of the Weasels is defined as one who has paid in full the dues as set by the Sneak and has attended at least one (1) Weasels event in the current or previous club year. The Sneak or any committee so commissioned in the Bylaws may also set additional requirements for Full Membership. Such requirements must be announced no less than thirty (30) days in advance of any election or other vote.
(a) Benefits of Full Membership
- Full Members may be eligible for reduced or free registration to any Official Diplomacy Tournament as determined by the War Weasel and the Tournament Committee.
- Only Full Members who also meet the geographic requirements are eligible for election to the Sneak.
- Only Full Members may vote in elections and on Weasel business items.
- Only Full Members may serve as Chairman of Committees.
- Only Full Members may be eligible for Annual Club Awards.
Section 2. Associate Members
An Associate Member of the Weasels is defined as any person who attends a club event. No dues are required to become an Associate Member of the Weasels.
(a) Benefits of Associate Membership
- Associate Members are eligible for participation in all club events, including standard gaming sessions and all club tournaments. Associate Members become Full Members upon payment of dues to the club.
- Associate Members may serve as voting members on all committees with appointment from the Committee Chairman and confirmation from the Sneak.
Section 3. Membership Revocation
Membership of the Weasels is a privilege and not a right. As such, being a Full or Associate Weasel may be revoked by the Sneak at any time for any reason if at least seventy percent (70%) of the Sneak agree. Grounds for revocation of membership include, but are not limited to:
(a) Cheating, dishonesty, or gross unsportsmanlike conduct at Weasel events;
(b) Personal abuse of another Weasel;
(c) Misuse, misappropriation, or theft of Weasel property, including, but not limited to, funds,?games, and intellectual property; or
(d) General conduct detrimental to the Weasels as a whole.
Section 4. Meeting of the Weasels
(a) The club year for the Weasels shall run from September 1 through the following August 31.
(b) There shall be a meeting of the Weasels at least once per club year, to be held on the first Saturday of August of each year, unless notice has been given to hold a club meeting at some other time during the club year. Meetings of the Weasels shall be called by the Prime Weasel, and notice shall be emailed to all full and associate members at least 30 days prior to the meeting, unless unanimously called by the Sneak, in which case notice shall be emailed at least 7 days prior.
Article IV. The Sneak
The Executive Board of the Windy City Weasels shall be known as The Sneak and shall consist of five (5) voting Weasels and ex officio Weasels provided herein. All decisions of the Sneak shall be decided by majority vote, unless otherwise specified in this Charter. Any powers not granted to the Full Membership herein, shall be left to the authority of the Sneak.
Section 1. Qualifications
Members elected to the Sneak must be Full Members of the Club, as defined in Article III, Section 1, and be in good standing. Additionally, Members of the Sneak must be permanent residents of Illinois (north of US Route 136), Northwest Indiana (defined as any Indiana county north of US Route 24 and west of IN Route 15), Southern Wisconsin (south of US 151 and WI Route 33, including all of Dane County), or Southwest Michigan (south of I-96 and west of I-69). No Weasel shall hold more than one elected office.
Section 2. Membership
The Sneak shall consist of the following officers:
(a) Prime Weasel
The Prime Weasel shall be the chief executive officer of the Weasels and, together with the Sub-Prime Weasel, will represent the Weasels to the public and in all matters before the Hobby. The Prime Weasel shall be an ex officio Member of all Standing and Ad Hoc Committees.
(b) Sub-Prime Weasel
The Sub-Prime Weasel shall be second in command of the Weasels and, together with the Prime Weasel, will represent the Weasels to the public and in all matters before the Hobby. The Sub-Prime Weasel shall act in place of the Prime Weasel in abstentia, or in the event that there is a vacancy in the office of the Prime Weasel. The Sub-Prime Weasel shall be an ex officio Member of all Standing and Ad Hoc Committees.
(c) Chief of Public Information
The Chief of Public Information (a.k.a. the Propaganda Weasel) shall be responsible for communicating to the public and the Hobby the events and news of the club, including announcements, press releases, and any newsletters or other publications of the club. The Chief of Public Affairs shall be third in order of succession and shall act as Prime Weasel in the event that the offices of Prime Weasel and Sub-Prime Weasel are vacant.
(d) Treasurer of the Club
The Treasurer (a.k.a. the Money Weasel) shall be responsible for maintaining all funds belonging to the Weasels. Additionally, the Treasurer shall also act as Chairman of the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall be fourth in the order of succession. The Treasurer of the Club shall report to the Sneak no less than quarterly on the current balances, inflows and outflows of all Weasel accounts.
(e) Minister of War
The Minister of War (a.k.a. the War Weasel) shall be responsible for running the Weasel Moot, the official diplomacy tournament of the Weasels, and organizing all other tournaments sponsored by the Weasels. Additionally, the Minister of War shall be responsible for coordinating the Weasels presence at all external tournaments and presenting any and all bids to the DipCon and World DipCon Societies for the privilege to host any and all regional, national, and international tournaments. The War Weasel also is responsible for declaring and managing the club’s blood feuds. The Minister of War shall be fifth in succession and shall also chair the Tournament Committee.
(f) Ex Officio Members
The following people shall be considered Ex Officio Members of the Sneak: all former Prime Weasels not currently serving as an elected Member of the Sneak; a Chairman of any Standing Committee of the club; and the current Champion, called the Alpha Weasel, of the club’s Official Diplomacy Tournament, Weasel Moot. These Members shall not have any vote on any matter coming before the Sneak, but they may be included in the discussion of Weasel business at the discretion of the Prime Weasel.
Section 3. Terms, Election and Vacancy
Each member of the Sneak shall be elected to a two-year term, not including the Inaugural Sneak. Weasels will be elected to the Sneak and the Sneak shall decide amongst themselves, by majority vote, the positions that each Sneak member shall hold. Sneak members shall hold their positions through the end of the club year or whenever the successors are elected, whichever happens last.
Elections to the Sneak shall be conducted at the Weasels’ Official Diplomacy Tournament by the Chairman of the Membership Committee, his designee, or the Chairman of a duly appointed
Elections Subcommittee. The Chairman of the Membership Committee shall not conduct an election for any office in which he is a candidate.
The vote is to be by secret ballot, with the person with the greatest number of votes elected to the office. The Chairman of the Membership Committee, his designee, or the Chairman of a duly appointed Elections Subcommittee will announce name of the elected person, but will not disclose the vote tally and no record of such shall be kept.
If the Weasels do not hold an Official Diplomacy Tournament in a given calendar year, then the Chairman of the Membership Committee, his designee, or the Chairman of a duly appointed Elections Subcommittee shall collect votes in a manner to be determined by that Committee and approved by a majority of the Sneak.
Section 4. The Current Sneak
The following three Weasels were re-elected in August, 2009 and their term lengths are as follows:
- (a) Prime Weasel, Jim O’Kelley (2 years)
- (b) Chief of Public Affairs, Christopher M. Davis (2 years)
- (c) Weasel Treasurer, Christian MacDonald (2 years)
The following two Weasels were elected in August, 2008 and their remaining term lengths are as follows:
- (d) Sub-Prime Weasel, Kevin O’Kelly – no relation (1 year)
- (e) Minister of War, Jeremiah Peterson (1 year)
Section 5. Prime Weasel for Life
For his efforts in creating the Windy City Weasels, for his pursuit of making the Weasels the best place to play Diplomacy in and outside of Chicago, and for his tireless dedication to the Hobby, Jim O’Kelley is granted by the Weasels the title and shall be heretofore called the Prime Weasel for Life. Mr. O’Kelley, when not serving as a voting member of the Sneak, shall hold permanent status as a Sneaky Weasel and shall always be a voting member of any Committee.
Article V. Finance
Ultimate fiscal responsibility of the Weasels shall rest with the Weasel Treasurer, who shall chair the Finance Committee.
Section 1. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year for the Windy City Weasels shall begin on January 1.
Section 2. Dues
Only those persons wishing to be Full Members of the club are required to pay dues. Dues are to be paid within a time frame to be determined by the Membership Committee in consultation with the Finance Committee.
Dues for the 2009 Fiscal Year shall be set at US$25. Dues must be announced no less than thirty (30) days before the start of a new fiscal year. Dues shall be recommended by the Finance Committee, and approved by the Sneak. Dues shall not increase by more than twenty percent (20%) of the previous year’s dues.
Section 3. Budget
The Weasel Treasurer, in consultation with the Finance Committee, shall be responsible for preparing an estimated budget for the upcoming fiscal year and presenting the budget to the Sneak no later than November 1. The budget must be approved by the Sneak no later than November 30.
Section 4. Fund Keeping
The Treasurer of the club shall be responsible for establishing an account at any insured financial institution of his choice for the deposit of Weasel funds. The Treasurer shall make quarterly reports on the balance and all transactions to the Club as a whole and to the Sneak at their request. The Treasurer shall be the signatory for all Weasel funds.
Section 5. Expenditure Approval
All Weasel expenditures must be approved by the appropriate Sneak Member or Members, according to the amount of the expenditure, as described in the table (Table 1) below. Expenditures approved by one (1) Sneak member shall be limited to four (4) per month.
Approved expenditures made by any Full or Associate Member shall be reimbursed by the Treasurer upon presentation and acceptance of an original receipt. In the event of an expenditure exceeding US$100.00, the Treasurer may issue funds in advance of the expenditure upon approval of the expenditure by the Sneak.
Article VI. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
The following shall be Standing Committees of the club:
(a) Finance Committee
The Finance Committee shall consist of, at minimum, the Treasurer of the club, who shall also act as Chairman of the Committee. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for crafting and maintaining club budgets, setting and collecting any dues, and assisting the Treasurer in accounting for all club funds. The Treasurer of the club shall appoint at his discretion such Full Members as necessary to discharge the duties of the Finance Committee.
(b) Tournament Committee
The Tournament Committee shall consist of, at minimum, the Money Weasel and the War Weasel, who shall act as Chairman of the Committee. The Tournament Committee shall be responsible for coordinating club participation in both club and non-club tournaments. The War Weasel shall appoint at his discretion such Full Members as necessary to discharge the duties of the Tournament Committee.
(c) Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for recruiting and retaining Full and Associate Members of the club, and maintaining the Full Membership of the Windy City Weasels. The Sneak shall appoint a Chairman of the Membership Committee, who shall be responsible for conducting any and all official votes of the Weasels, including the election of Sneak Members. For the purposes of conducting the Sneak Elections, the Chairman of the Committee may designate a person or constitute an Elections Subcommittee to carry out this duty. The Chairman of the Membership Committee shall appoint at his discretion such Members as necessary to discharge the duties of the Committee. A Sneak Member shall not be excluded from chairing the Membership Committee.
(d) Information Committee
The Information Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the Weasels information systems, including, but not limited to, club web presence and e-mail services. The Sneak shall appoint a Chairman of the Information Committee, who shall appoint at his discretion such Members as necessary to discharge the duties of the Committee. A Sneak Member shall not be excluded from chairing the Information Committee.
(e) Statistics Committee
The Statistics Committee shall be responsible for maintaining all statistics from club games, including, tournaments and other events. The Sneak shall appoint a Chairman of the Statistics Committee, who shall appoint at his discretion such Members as necessary to discharge the duties of the Committee. A Sneak Member shall not be excluded from chairing the Statistics Committee.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
The Sneak shall appoint as necessary Ad Hoc Committees to carry out the responsibilities assigned by the Sneak to the Committee and its Chairman. The Sneak shall appoint any Chairman of any Ad Hoc Committee. The Chairman of any Ad Hoc Committee shall appoint at his discretion such Full Members as necessary to discharge the assigned duties of the Committee. A Sneak Member shall not be excluded from chairing the Membership Committee.
Article VII. The Authority of the Charter
Section 1. Ratification
The Windy City Weasels shall begin operating under this Charter immediately upon ratification. Weasels who have played in at least one WCW game shall be eligible to vote. Ratification of this Charter shall require at least seventy percent (70%) approval of those voting on the Charter.
Section 2. Rules of Order
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Weasels in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this charter, any associated bylaws that the Sneak shall adopt by at least seventy percent (70%) approval and any special rules of order the Weasels may adopt.
Section 3. Amendment of the Charter
Article VIII. Amendments
Amendment 1. August 13, 2011. Expansion of the Sneak
The first amendment, ratified by a 15-1 vote of the membership at a business meeting at Weasel Pyle VI, expands the Sneak to seven members from five. The two addtional positions are titled At-Large. The specific duties of the At-Large members will be defined as needed by the Sneak.
