FBLA-PBL Bylaws University of Wisconsin Madison Chapter

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1 FBLA-PBL Bylaws University of Wisconsin Madison Chapter Article I Name The FBLA-PBL Chapter at UW-Madison shall hereby be named Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda as declared by national bylaws and may be referred to as Madison FBLA-PBL. Article II In Regards to State & National Bylaws Madison FBLA-PBL shall adhere to the bylaws established at the National level of the FBLA- PBL organization, found at: The following set of bylaws, which shall apply to Madison FBLA-PBL, must also adhere to the established bylaws of the National organization. If any part of these bylaws is in conflict with the National bylaws, the Executive Leadership Council, henceforth to be referred to as the ELC as established in Article X shall decide how to proceed in executing agreement between the governing documents. Article III Purpose of FBLA-PBL The purpose of Madison FBLA-PBL is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. Furthermore, Madison FBLA-PBL is to encourage social, civic, professional, and personal responsibility of its members. The specific goals of Madison FBLA-PBL are as follows: To provide a comprehensive look at the different major areas at the Wisconsin School of Business, and encourage members interests in any and all academic and career focuses. To assist non-business students in gaining background knowledge of the business world, and create an environment that fuels their ability to establish unique occupational goals. To develop competent, aggressive business leadership. To strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and their work. To create more interest in and understanding of American business enterprise. To encourage members in the development of individual projects that contribute to the improvement of home, business, and community. To develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism. To encourage and practice efficient money management. To encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty. To facilitate the transition from school to work.

2 Article IV Membership General Membership in Madison FBLA-PBL shall be determined as persons who have paid the semester and/or annual dues, and have filed the necessary paperwork as established by the ELC. Those who meet the said qualifications shall be recognized as members of Madison FBLA-PBL and it is the duty of the ELC to follow the necessary procedures for enrolling these members at the State and National levels. Membership shall last for a single school year and following summer for all students, including those who graduate from the University in May, where school year is determined by the University of Wisconsin Madison, unless the student chooses to pay for only one semester of membership. Students who graduate during the first academic term or first half of a Madison FBLA-PBL membership year forfeit their membership status for the remainder of the year. Membership is open to any postsecondary student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and any institution deemed permissible by the ELC each academic year. UW-System Non-Discrimination Statement, to be followed by Madison FBLA-PBL: That, upon recommendation of the UW System President, the Board of Regents adopts the following policy on the recognition of student organizations: Student organizations that select their members or officers on the basis of commitment to a set of beliefs (e.g., religious or political beliefs) may limit membership, officer positions, or participation in the organization to students who affirm that they support the organization s goals and agree with its beliefs, so long as no student is excluded from membership, officer positions, or participation on the basis of his or her race, color, creed other than commitment to the beliefs of the organization, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, or, unless exempt under Title IX, sex. This policy is in addition to other requirements for the official recognition of student organizations set forth in UW System or institutional policy documents, except that, to the extent that such UW System or institutional policy documents are inconsistent with this policy statement, they are superseded. In order to be considered a member, each person must meet a minimum threshold of participation as established by the ELC at the start of each semester. A point system shall be used to track participation of each member. If a member reaches the specified level, they will be considered an Active Member. The point system is designed to reward members who show active participation in the organization. A member may also be considered active or outstanding even if they do not meet the point requirements if they show active participation on a committee and a simple majority of the ELC approves their proposed membership status. The ELC reserves the right to disclose information regarding FBLA-PBL membership status to any University affiliated school or college. The standing point system in place for Madison FBLA-PBL members consists of the following:

3 Active Member: 5 General Meetings 2 Professional Events 1 Social Event 2 Community Outreach Events 1 Fundraising Event. *Points per semester are subject to change by the standing chapter president, with approval by the executive board, but may not be lower than a total of ten (10) membership points per semester, and must include at least one (1) point from each committee. Participation in the State Leadership Conference may count as either a Professional Event or Social Event point, and members may receive the number of points equal to, but not exceeding, the number of competitive events they register for and compete in. This is regardless of whether or not the member qualifies for the National-level competition, which takes place each summer term at predetermined locations around the U.S. Section 3 The ELC reserves the right to remove members from the organization with no refund of dues or other payments made toward the organization. The official procedures and details regarding the removal of members can be found in Article IX. Article V Dues & Budgeting Dues shall be set by the ELC prior to the start of the first fall sign up meeting. The dues shall be set for a both a yearly rate and a per semester rate. Minimum dues are set at the level equal to the sum of the state and national dues plus a reasonable allowance so that the organization can fund its activities. Membership dues are subject to change based on the financial needs of Madison FBLA-PBL and other contributing factors as approved by the ELC in a majority vote. The date by which dues shall be collected shall be determined by the ELC prior to the date of collection and shall be made known to the membership prior to the date of collection. Section 3 Budget Prior to the first general meeting of each academic school year, the ELC must create and accept a budget for the academic year. This committee shall be made up of at least four ELC members, two of which must be the President and Treasurer. This committee is responsible for researching and developing the budgets of all funds collected and spent by the organization including but not limited to establishing event budgets, setting up development funds and maintaining an overflow fund or discretionary account. The committee shall, after creating a budget, present the proposed

4 budget to the ELC for approval. The ELC shall be granted rights for modification, addition and subtraction from the budget proposal. For the budget to come into effect, it must be accepted by the ELC with a 51 percent majority vote of the ELC. Money under the discretion of the ELC may be requested by any committee, subcommittee, individual member or any other recognized FBLA-PBL body. A formal written request may be made for funding for an event subject to approval by the ELC. Any requests for money under the discretion of the ELC in amounts not exceeding $100 is subject to a simple majority vote; however, any requests for money under the discretion of the ELC in amounts exceeding $100 requires two-thirds approval. Money in excess of the budgeted amount that FBLA-PBL acquires automatically falls under the discretion of the ELC. Subsection C Overspending Committees and other official bodies of the organization are not permitted to spend more than their allotted funds. Any additional costs not permitted by the budget or the ELC through a formal written opinion are the responsibility of the committee chair. The ELC shall not refund any receipts or any individuals for expenses incurred through non-sanctioned means unless in the most extreme cases. If a chair or Madison FBLA-PBL individual member feels that their costs should be covered, they may submit a request for review of the purchases in question and the ELC shall decide whether or not the individual shall receive back pay for the costs in question. In any situation, the ELC may choose to refund all, none or a partial amount of the receipts in question but must issue a reason for the decision. To submit a request for review of overspending, the member must draft a letter of intent detailing the complaint and submit it to a member of the ELC. The ELC may or may not permit the member to be present at the review session and, if not permitted, the member may issue a formal statement in addition to the letter of intent and shall surrender copies of all receipts of the expenses in question to the ELC. Any ELC member receiving a request for review of purchases must inform the ELC within 14 days of having received the request and the ELC must reach a decision within 14 days of receiving notice of the request. The ELC is exempt from the previous requirement if the ELC is unable to reach quorum at a scheduled meeting and is unable to call a special meeting. If the aforementioned case occurs, it is the responsibility of the ELC to reach a timely decision at the next possible opportunity. Article VI Structure Madison FBLA-PBL is a student organization sponsored by the Wisconsin School of Business. Thus, all rights and responsibilities incurred as having such status apply. Additionally, Madison FBLA-PBL is a 501.3(C) organization unless otherwise changed by the ELC and all rights and responsibilities thereof also apply.

5 The organization s representative body and lead decision-making board is the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). The council is composed of committee representatives and elected and appointed officers. In addition to general membership, Madison FBLA-PBL is structured with committees and subcommittees to oversee and coordinate the daily operations of the organization and to keep members informed. The standing committees are as follows: Marketing, Finance and Fundraising, Professional Events, Social Events, and Community Outreach. These shall each have up to two appointed chairmen who are to serve as representatives to the ELC. New standing committees may only be added through a formal amendment to the Bylaws. There shall also be a temporary Appropriations Committee to exist for the purposes and duration listed elsewhere in these bylaws. Section 3 Ad Hoc Committees If the need arises, the ELC can form an Ad Hoc Committee to fulfill a particular role or to deal with a particular issue. The Ad Hoc Committee can be commissioned for either the remainder of an academic year or for a specified amount of time equal to or less than the amount of time remaining during an academic year. The chairman of an Ad Hoc Committee shall be appointed by the ELC and shall represent the Ad Hoc as a speaking member but shall not have voting rights. Upon the expiration of the Ad Hoc Committee, the chair shall no longer be a representative to the ELC and shall no longer attend the meeting or have the rights thereby afforded. Subsection B To form an Ad Hoc Committee, a member of the ELC must propose a reason for the formation of the committee and the specified amount of time for the committee s existence. Additionally, details for how membership is to be determined and the specific functions the Ad Hoc will perform also need to be specified. Discussion of the Ad Hoc Committee formation shall ensue and a two-thirds vote of the entire ELC shall be required for passage and creation of the committee. Subsection C Decommission and Renewal In addition to the expiration of an allotted term or the completion of the academic year, an Ad Hoc Committee may be decommissioned by a two-thirds vote of the entire ELC. When an Ad Hoc Committee s allotted term comes to a close or anytime during the Ad Hoc s commission the ELC may issue a Writ of Renewal to extend the tenure of the Ad Hoc Committee. This renewal may not violate the limitations in length of tenure. In regards to the Writ of Renewal, alterations to functions, time of commission, membership requirements and any other information proposed at the initial creation of the Ad Hoc Committee. Section 4 Committee Chairs

6 Committee chairs are the official representatives of each committee and shall have final authority and discretion in committee matters where the decision is the committee s and not subject to the decision of the ELC. Committee chairs shall also be the representatives for each committee at ELC meetings. Although committee chairs are entitled to their own opinions, it is the role of the committee chair to serve the interests of his or her committee and Madison FBLA-PBL as a whole. Committee chairs have the authority to speak with the press and correspond with other organizations in relation to their committee only, unless permitted further rights by the ELC. Committee chairs are also responsible for informing their committee s members about Madison FBLA-PBL activities, rules, and any other pertinent information. Section 5 Subcommittees/Project Managers Committees shall be given the right to organize themselves how they see fit. This provision includes the formation of subcommittees/project managers. Any organization efforts made by committees must be reported to the ELC for record-keeping purposes. Additionally, subcommittees are a body of the committee and thus report to the committee. It is the responsibility of the committee to determine how the bodies beneath it shall operate and to pass information along to the ELC and the remainder of the membership when necessary. Subcommittees, unless granted by an issuance of the ELC, shall not be permitted to directly contact members through the list serve or post information or interact with the public as an official representative of Madison FBLA-PBL. It is the duty of committees and the ELC to perform this function as subcommittees are subjects of the committees. Subcommittees may also be formed by the ELC through official business. The ELC may create these subcommittees and assign them to committees without consent of the committee. Subcommittees and other divisions created by the committee may be dissolved by the committee, while subcommittees created by the ELC can only be dissolved by the ELC. All decisions made within Madison FBLA-PBL will be student-made decisions, and not by any faculty, staff, or person outside the organization. Section 6 Meetings General meetings are meetings open to all members. General meetings are typically for the purpose of passing on information to members and will not be open meetings for proposal of agenda items or open discussion unless permitted by the governing authority of the general meeting. The ELC shall set the agenda for each general meeting in advance of the meeting. Subsection B ELC Meetings are open to ELC members only. Non-ELC members may be brought by ELC members for discussion on a specific topic or for observation if brought for observation, a majority vote in the affirmative must be made to permit such action but do not have voting rights. The ELC shall undertake official business at regularly scheduled ELC meetings. For any official business to take place, a quorum equal to at least 51 percent of the ELC must be present.

7 A special meeting of the ELC may be called by the President as long as the issuance of the special meeting is confirmed by three other members of the ELC. A special meeting of the ELC may also be called by two-thirds of the ELC. These two possible issuances of a special meeting may occur as long as the entire ELC is given at least 24 hours notice prior to the scheduled time of the meeting and the scheduled special meeting takes place during the academic year in a location reasonable for a two-thirds majority of ELC members to attend. is a sufficient method of notice and failure of an ELC member to check his or her does not constitute failure of notification. All special meetings of the ELC are closed meetings, open only to ELC members and ELC-approved speakers as indicated on the notice. The purpose for a special meeting must be stated in the notice of a special meeting and has a closed agenda to only the topic(s) stated in the notice. Any business taken that does not conform to the stated reason for the special meeting is not official and is in violation of the bylaws. Subsection C Dress Code For general meetings: members, presenters, speakers and ELC members shall conform to business casual standards. Exceptions may be made for outstanding circumstances. At ELC meetings a dress code is not necessary; however, members are encouraged to maintain a business-like atmosphere through actions and appearances. The ELC reserves the right to enforce a dress code at any FBLA-PBL sponsored event it deems appropriate. Article VII Officers & Elections The Officers shall be defined as the President, Executive Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of Alumni Relations. The President, the Executive Vice President, the Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of Alumni Relations shall be elected positions. Any executive members in charge of employer, donor, or alumni relations are limited to a term of one year: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Director of Alumni Relations. Therefore, only the Secretary may serve for a term shorter than one year. The Director of Alumni Relations, which is the most recently-established position on the Madison FBLA-PBL executive board, is responsible for managing the LinkedIn page, connecting with current and past members, and assisting the other committee chairs by providing useful contacts by which to hold events or informational meetings for current members, which will count toward membership points. Elections shall be held under the purview of the President and shall commence in either April or May on a day determined by the President and approved by the ELC.

8 To be eligible for officer elections, a member must file a complete nomination form with the ELC at least 1 week prior to the election. The ECL shall notify the membership of the available candidates for each position and shall hold elections either by physical ballot or electronic ballot. Each paid member of the organization has one vote for each of the listed offices. Subsection B A majority vote shall be required for elections. If no candidate for an office receives a majority vote on the third vote, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that vote shall be dropped from the fourth vote. If necessary, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that vote shall be dropped from each subsequent vote until one candidate receives a majority of the votes. Subsection C Tally of the votes shall commence upon the completion of voting and shall be done by the ELC, with observers including the President and at least one other member of the ELC. A counting in violation of the previous sentence shall not be considered valid and a recount must occur. In the most extreme cases of violation a new election may be held under the discretion of the ELC. The results of an election may be challenged up to 10 days after the election by filing a written complaint with the President. After 10 days following the election, the ballots or electronic votes are to be destroyed. The President and Executive VP shall jointly determine if the complaint is reasonable. A reasonable complaint shall then be brought before the ELC and a special session of the ELC shall be called to resolve the complaint. The procedure for resolving a complaint shall ensue as follows: First the President shall read the complaint for the ELC. Then, the ELC shall lapse into proceedings. The Executive VP shall preside and the President shall give the first statement concerning the complaint. The party filing the complaint may be present at the discretion of the ELC and if allowed to be present then other parties in the case may also be present. However, if the decision of the ELC is for those parties involved not to be present, the parties may not be present but may submit written affidavits as evidence and opinions for the proceedings. The ELC shall deliberate and rule as to the validity of the complaint and pursue a course of action that it deems most appropriate. Section 3 The Parliamentarian All issues concerning parliamentary procedure shall be addressed to the current Phi Beta Lambda National Parliamentarian. Section 4 Vacancies In the case of a vacant office, the ELC has the discretion to appoint an interim officer. The interim officer may serve for a term of up to one semester, by which time, either a confirmation vote of the entire membership or a special election must be held. In the case of a confirmation vote, the member, if confirmed, shall obtain Pro Tempore status to differentiate between an

9 elected and appointed office. In the case of a special election, the winner of the election shall take office for the remainder of the term. Any office may have a Pro Tempore officer with the exception of the office of President. Succession If the President is unable to fulfill the rest of his or her term or the office of President is vacant at any point during the term, the Executive Vice President shall become Acting President and shall gain all rights of the office of President. Within three weeks, a special election must be held to determine the office of President. The Acting President shall preside over all meetings but shall not be given the right to appoint a new Executive Vice President. The ELC shall have the right to appoint an Interim Executive Vice President in accordance to the rules regarding appointments. In the special election for President, the Acting President may run for the office but is not required to do so. In the case where an Acting President loses election for President, he or she may return to the post of Executive Vice President and an Interim Executive Vice President appointed by the ELC shall be removed from office. If the Executive Vice President is unwilling or unable to accept the role of Acting President, the order of succession is as follows: Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Alumni Relations. The same rules applicable to the Executive Vice President as Acting President shall apply to any other office accepting the role of Acting President with the name of that office replacing that of Executive Vice President. In the case that none of the officers accept the role of Acting President, the ELC shall appoint an Executive Director to run ELC meetings and act publicly as President. The other rights afforded to the office of President shall not be granted to the Executive Director. In regards to a special election for President, any officer who refuses the post of Acting President is ineligible to run for the office of President. Section 5 Special Elections Special Elections shall be held under the purview of the President when possible and otherwise under the direction of the ELC. A special election may be called to fill any office vacated before the completion of a term. To call a Special Election, the ELC shall vote with a simple majority in favor of the motion and shall then determine a date for election. The date for the election must be established in a timely manner so that sufficient time is granted to the membership for declaration of candidacy. In a Special Election, a candidate shall declare his or her candidacy buy filing a candidacy form with the President at least one week prior to the election. The ELC may set a limit for the number of people who may run in a Special Election for any one position. Voting shall proceed as stated for regular elections and the candidate with the most votes for each position shall obtain the position for the remainder of the term or for the term limit predetermined by the ELC not to exceed a single term. If there is a tie in the election, the ELC as a whole shall be granted one vote to break the tie. In the case where the ELC cannot form a simple majority vote for one candidate in a tie situation, the President shall cast the determining vote. If no candidates run for a vacant office during a Special Election, the ELC may appoint a candidate via means of appointment, subject to confirmation by the membership.

10 Section 6 Removing an Officer In the case where a member of the ELC is not performing required duties or commits a significant violation that merits punishment of any form, the member s officer status will be up for review by the ELC. The ELC shall have final determination as to the course of action pursued against the charged member. The ELC shall determine if an officer s action or nonaction shall result in a review of performance. Article VIII Duties The duties of the President include but are not limited to serving as the public and administrative head of the organization, ELC reviews and presiding over meetings. The duties of the Executive Vice President include but are not limited to room reservations, providing guest speakers for meetings and providing for their accommodations and presiding during a presidential absence. The duties of the Secretary include but are not limited to setting the agenda, keeping and publishing minutes and maintaining records of the organization. The duties of the Treasurer include but are not limited to collecting membership dues and fees, working with the finance committee to track financial records, and ensuring proper handling of dues. The duties of the Alumni Relations Director include but are not limited to updating the chapter LinkedIn page, maintaining professional relationships with alumni and working professionals in the area, and utilizing those relationships by assisting the Professional Events Committee in scheduling developmental events and informational sessions for general members. The duties of committee chairs include but are not limited to presiding over committee meetings, attending committee events, serving on the ELC and tracking the progress and activities of committee members. Article IX Member Rights and Responsibilities Members have the right to attend all general meetings and any events open to the membership. Members also have any rights granted them in these bylaws and have the right to submit inquiries to the ELC. Members have the right to face fair and speedy deliberations when charged with a violation considered serious by the ELC. Members have the right to petition the ELC for information, and members have the right to take an active role in the organization. The ELC reserves the right to remove members at its discretion through a review and voting process. The ELC reserves the right to deny admittance into any FBLA-PBL sponsored event. Members have the responsibility to abide by these bylaws and any other legislation, rules or regulations passed by the ELC. Members also have the responsibility to obey all laws, ordinances, regulations and other rules in accordance with international, national, state, local and University codes. Additionally, Members have the responsibility to maintain composure and present themselves according to the goals and regulations in accordance with local, state and

11 national FBLA-PBL codes. Members also have the responsibility to respect others and uphold the values of FBLA-PBL. Article X Executive Leadership Council The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) is the organization and executive head of Madison FBLA-PBL and shall be responsible for the primary distribution of information both within and outside the organization. The ELC is composed of the four elected officers of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, one appointed officer, and up to two committee chairs from each standing committee. Additionally, up to three Honorary Delegates may be appointed to the ELC. The ELC shall be the segment of the organization which makes official decisions regarding the organization and shall serve in a judiciary capacity when the need arises to resolve internal organizational disputes. In regards to official business and meetings of the ELC, each member of the ELC shall have one vote. Committee Chairs shall be selected by the following process. First, the committee shall submit a list of up to four candidates for Chair to the ELC in April. The ELC shall appoint one of the candidates to serve in the new term. Following appointment, the appointee shall be confirmed by vote of the ELC. Article XI Committees Standing committees shall have up to two chairs who serve as representatives of the committee to the ELC. Each committee shall have a particular role in the organization defined by the following sections. Committees serve at the pleasure of the ELC. The process of selecting chairs shall be outlined in Article X. The Community Outreach shall have the primary responsibility of organizing and coordinating charity and volunteer events involving the community. This chair will set up and promote volunteer events for members in the Madison community, such as a campus clean-up, blood drive volunteers, and assisting at Porchlight cleaning (examples). The Marketing Committee shall have the primary responsibility to aid with implementation of thorough strategic marketing plans for the organization as a whole and all committees, coordinating with the committees. This committee shall share the responsibility for particular marketing campaigns with the committee sponsoring the campaign. It is essential that this committee coordinate and communicate with the other committees to complete its duties. The chair will also work to promote FBLA-PBL to the campus community at large, through means such as Facebook and Twitter.

12 Section 3 The Finance and Fundraising Committee shall have primary responsibility to access grants for the organization, secure alternate funding for the organization, maintain cordial relations with businesses. They will conduct fundraising events for the organization, such as a dinner at Mia Za s (example), and engage in other finance-related activities. The Treasurer shall be the coordinating elected official involved with this committee. Section 4 The Social Events Committee shall have the primary responsibility for all social events/social aspects of events. This committee is the principle organizer of PBL social activities. This includes planning, organizing, and conducting events for the club, such as Trivia Night, sporting event get-togethers, and assisting the ELC with planning semester or annual banquets. Section 5 The Professional Events Committee (also known as Professional Development chair) shall have the primary responsibility for all professional events outside of those put on by the ELC (General Member Meetings). This committee is to provide professional opportunities to members and work with the Social Events Committee. The chair will work to enhance members familiarity with the professional world through scheduling speakers from the business community, seminars, and other developmental activities. Article XIII Dissolution Policy Should Madison FBLA-PBL no longer exist (i.e. no members ran for, or were elected to, the ELC, and/or the organization ended for any other reason), remaining organization funds shall be handled by the Wisconsin BBA. Financial statements up to the point of dissolution are to be reported directly to the Wisconsin BBA or BBA Student Life office by the ELC standing Treasurer from the term prior to dissolution. Madison FBLA-PBL funds, in the case of dissolution, may not be used or granted to members or officers for any reason. Article XIII Amendments There are two processes by which these bylaws may be amended. ELC Amendment To amend these bylaws a member of the ELC may propose an amendment at any official ELC meeting. Once the proposed amendment has been discussed for a minimum of 5 minutes, the ELC may choose to continue discussion, table the discussion or vote on the amendment. Upon reaching an affirmative two-thirds vote of the entire ELC, the amendment is then prepared for vote by the membership. The membership must be notified of the proposed amendment and the voting breakdown of the ELC within 7 days of the affirmative two-thirds vote. At least two

13 weeks (14 days) must follow before the proposed amendment may appear on a ballot for voting. In order for the amendment to pass, at least 51 percent of the membership must vote in the affirmative. If the vote fails, the amendment may be placed on another ballot but no sooner than 14 days after notification of the membership that another vote will take place. General Member Amendment To amend these bylaws a member of Madison FBLA-PBL may petition for an amendment to be placed on the ballot. This member must obtain at least 75 signatures and submit these along with the proposed amendment to the ELC. Upon receiving the correct number of signatures and official wording of the proposed amendment, the ELC must notify the membership of the proposed amendment within 7 days after the first meeting of the ELC after having received the proposed amendment and must schedule a ballot for 14 days following notification of the membership. The ELC has the right to partial veto any amendment proposed in this manner, whereby the line veto allows the ELC to strike any words, numbers, and special characters from the proposed amendment before the membership is notified of an upcoming election. If 51 percent of the membership vote in the affirmative, the amendment goes before the ELC for an immediate vote at the next scheduled or special meeting. With a simple majority of the ELC voting in the affirmative, the amendment passes. If the amendment fails, it may not be placed on another ballot; rather, the process must begin at the signature phase. Article XIV Ratification In order to ratify these bylaws, a simple majority of the ELC must vote in the affirmative.