CONSTITUTION (as of 1992)

Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be Met Grotto, a chapter of the National Speleological Society.

Article II - Purpose
The purpose of the Grotto shall be to promote the interest and study in speleology and to foster fellowship among those interested in caving.

Article III - Government
The government of this Grotto shall be by a Board of Directors with full powers to conduct and supervise all business of this Grotto.

Article IV - Membership
Membership in the Met Grotto shall be limited to members who are acceptable to the membership of the Grotto according to the Bylaws.

Article V - Officers
The officers of the Met Grotto shall be a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman in charge of administration, a Vice-Chairman in charge of Activities, a Treasurer, and a Secretary, who shall be Parliamentarian. The Board shall consist of the five elected officers, and two members-at-large appointed by the Board, one of whom must be the retiring Chairman, if there be one. Officers shall be elected by mailed ballot annually and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are duly elected. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by the Board for the expired term.

Article VI - Expulsion

Section 1 - Any member may be expelled for conducting himself so as to disturb the harmony or welfare of the Grotto. A two-thirds vote of the entire Board shall be required for expulsion, after one week notice in writing has been submitted to the Board and two-weeks notice in writing has been submitted to the member in question.

Section 2 - Any member of the Board may be removed from office for neglect of his duties by a majority of the members present and voting at a regular membership meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose, providing such officer be given two weeks notice in writing of the proposed action.

Section 3 - Any members in arrears for Grotto dues may not vote or resign, but may be dropped from the Grotto rolls by action of the Board after the September [5/24/83 changed from "November"] meeting, provided that at least two notices of payment due have been sent.

Section 4 - Any member affected by Section 1 or Section 2 shall have the privilege of addressing the membership meeting in his own behalf.

Section 1 - A quorum at any meeting shall be ten percent of the members in good standing.

Section 2 - A quorum of the Board shall be three.

Section 3 - The Parliamentary authority shall be Cushings Manual unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution or Bylaws.

Section 4 - Any decision of the Board may be reversed by a majority of the members at a meeting, provided notice was given to the membership at the previous meeting or by mail at least one week prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.

Section 1 - Members of Met Grotto must be members in good standing of the National Speleological Society. [1974, 1/76 - No member of Met Grotto may renew their membership in the Grotto after holding that membership one complete year unless they are members in good standing of the National Speleological Society.]

Section 2 - Associate members of Met Grotto need not be members of the National Speleological Society. Associate members shall be subject to the same dues and have the same responsibilities and privileges as Members, but they may not vote or be a member of the Board of Directors. Associate membership shall be for one year only. At the end of a year of Associate Membership, the Associate Member may reapply fro Membership or Associate Membership as appropriate.

Section 3 - Full-time students may become members of Met Grotto, including subscription to Met Grotto publication, at a reduced rate. [Added 1987]

Section 4 - Application for membership in the Grotto must be in writing, signed by the applicant and two Grotto members to whom the applicant must be personally known, one of whom must be a member of the Board or an authorized trip leader. Membership shall become official upon payment of dues for one year or thereof prorated semi-annually.

Section 5 - The Grotto membership shall be apprised of each applicant's name, residence, occupation, and names of sponsors. This may be by Grotto publication, mailed notice, or announcement at a regular meeting.

Section 6 - An applicant must have been present on two Met Grotto trips, or show suitable experience or such activity as the Board may seem necessary for the membership to appraise the applicant.

Section 7 - A favorable vote of two-thirds of the Board shall be required for election to membership. If objections in writing to the election of a candidate are received by the Board from three members of the Grotto, action on the application shall be deferred for sixty days. If five members object in writing to the Board, the candidate shall not be elected. If five percent of the membership is less then three or ten percent is less than five, the smaller number shall be used.

Section 1 - The governing body of the Grotto shall be the Board of Directors, consisting of five officers and two members-at-large appointed by the Board.

Section 2 - The Board shall have full power to conduct business of the Grotto.

Section 3 - The Board shall approve each trip leader, who thereby shall have authority to enforce such safety practices as are deemed necessary.

A - The CHAIRMAN shall be executive head of the Grotto, shall call and conduct meetings, and with the advice and consent of the Board appoint and remove such committees as are deemed necessary by the Board.

B - The VICE-CHAIRMAN in charge of ADMINISTRATION shall assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of his disability, coordinate activities of meetings (Annual reports to the NSS must be sent to the NSS by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested), and such committees as are needed to conduct the affairs of the Grotto. He shall also be custodian of such papers and other property of the Grotto as are not otherwise designated, and he shall enforce these Bylaws.

C - The VICE-CHAIRMAN in charge of ACTIVITIES shall be responsible for the scientific and recreational activities of the Grotto, and coordinate activities of the Chairman on pertinent committees.

D - The SECRETARY shall keep minutes of all Grotto and Board meetings, maintain membership rolls of the Grotto, maintain correspondence except such is designated by the Board to other Officers, shall hold all application blanks and issue them upon request, and notify applicants of their election or rejection.

E - The TREASURER shall have care of all funds of the Grotto to disburse and handle them as the Board directs. He shall keep an accurate account of all Grotto transactions, and be prepared to render a report at any meeting.

Section 1 - There shall be an annual meeting of the Grotto in January for the purpose of hearing annual reports and the installation of officers.

Section 2 - There shall be at least four meetings of the Board per year. Committee chairmen should attend Board meetings whenever possible, but shall have the right to vote only on matters relative to their committees.

Section 3 - A Grotto meeting must be called on petition of ten percent of the membership.

The order of business at all meetings of the Grotto shall be as follows:
A - Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting
B - Report of the Board of Directors
C - Reports of the Officers
D - Reports of Committees
E - Elections, Installation of Officers
F - Unfinished business
G - New business
H - Adjournment
The order of business may be altered by a majority vote at any particular meeting.

Section 1 - Finances shall be derived from dues and from such other sources as shall be approved by the Board, provided such sources are consistent with the objectives and welfare of the National Speleological Society.

Section 2 - Dues shall be fifteen dollars ($15) [changed from $12 in 1990, $10 in 1987, $5 in 1982, $4.50 in 1977, $4 in 1976, $3.50 in 1973] per year, which may also include subscription to the Met Grotto regular publication when published. New members joining after January first will be admitted for one-half yearly dues. Additional members of a family living at the same address as a member of Met Grotto may join the Grotto at a special rate of five dollars ($5) [changed from $5 in 1987, $2 in 1982, $1.50 in 1973] per person. Such family members will have all of the privileges and responsibilities of a regular member of Met Grotto with the exception that such family members will not receive grotto publications. [Student Member's dues will be five dollars ($5) per year - added in 1987]. Yearly dues will be due and payable July first of every year.

Section 3 - All expenditures for the Grotto must be approved by the Board and each voucher must be signed by a Board member.

Section 1 - Elections shall be held annually before the January meeting of the Grotto.

Section 2 - Officers shall be elected as follows: By October first the Board shall elect a Nominating Committee and three Tellers. The Nominating Committee shall:

A - Prepare a list of candidates for the Grotto Officers
B - Announce this list to the membership by November first.
C - Prepare a ballot, including additional members whose names are submitted as candidates by more than ten percent of the Grotto membership or ten, whichever is less.
D - Secure a list of members from the Secretary, mail a ballot to the membership by December first, enclosing an envelope in which the ballot is to be placed and sealed by the voter. The ballots will be sent to the Secretary in the sealed unmarked envelope. This sealed envelope must be in an envelope showing name and return address of the member and must be postmarked no later than December fifteenth to be eligible to be counted.


Section 3 -The Secretary shall check the envelopes for eligible voters and deliver the ballots unopened to the Board.

Section 4 - The Tellers shall count the ballots in the presence of the Board and the Secretary shall notify the new officers of their election as soon as possible.

Section 5 - In case of a tie vote for any office, the retiring Board shall cast the deciding vote.