MWLA Bylaws Amended, July 2025

July 24, 2025

Over the course of more than a year, the MWLA Board of Directors has been looking at possible revisions to the MWLA bylaws.  In July of this year, after further discussion, parts of the bylaws were amended.  Some of the revisions were necessary as a result of recognizing the need to allow for the reality of electronic communication, and the need to clearly state we are not a discriminatory association.  Other revisions were made as it was apparent that practice had veered from what the bylaws prescribed, especially as to board committees and officers’ roles.  Additional revisions were made to clarify language.  The current Board of Directors understand the debt we owe to the many directors who have served the MWLA since 1992 and previously wrote, clarified and amended the MWLA bylaws.

The bylaws can be viewed on the MWLA website and also here.

Changes made to the bylaws, July 21, 2025

Article I-General

  • Retitled Article 1 to “General”
  • Added Section 2: Statement of Non-discrimination.

Article VI- Board of Directors

  • Added Sections 2a, 2b, and 2c dealing with resignations, removals, and the filling of temporary vacancies as a result of removals and resignations on the Board of Directors.
  • Revised Section 3 dealing with nominations processes and election of new members for the Board of Directors.
  • Revised Section 5 to allow Directors to be present at board meetings by electronic means.
  • Added Section 7 regarding visitors at board meetings and the process for allowing visitors to speak.

Article VII-Officers

  • Revised Section 5 to allow the Vice President to hold an additional office of Secretary or Treasurer.

Article VIII- Committees

  • Revised section 1 expanding the duties of the standing Administration Committee to include website and other administrative duties as well as liaison with community and governmental agencies. Included language allowing other members of the Board of Directors to assist with the functions of the Administration Committee as approved by the President.
  • Removed prior sections regarding multiple individually named committees and replaced with Section 2, “Other Committees”. Section 2 provides for the Board of Directors to establish other committees on an ad hoc basis as needed.

Article XI-Adoption and Amendments

  • Clarified the previous language allowing changes to the bylaws to be adopted by a majority of the Association Members present at a meeting or by 2/3 of the current Directors.
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