Mid-America Mensa (MAM) is asking for a hand with the approval of its most recently proposed MAM Bylaws. Since 1979, Mid-America Mensa has been registered as a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Kansas. Our charter with American Mensa is also as a not-for-profit corporation. As a corporation MAM has been required to file annual reports with the IRS and the Kansas Secretary of State. As a corporation MAM’s officers and directors do not have Directors and Officers insurance coverage that is available to unincorporated Local Groups through American Mensa. The Local Group has general liability coverage through American Mensa.
After much discussion, MAM’s Board has concluded that it would be to our advantage to unincorporate and have a new charter with American Mensa to reflect an unincorporated status of the Local Group. If the membership votes to approve of unincorporating MAM, the Bylaws will be amended to read Mid-America Mensa, instead of Mid-America Mensa, Inc. There will be no change in MAM’s autonomy, operating procedures, or function as a recognized Local Group of American Mensa, except that MAM will no longer be required to file annual reports to the IRS or the State of Kansas.
During the review process the National Bylaws Committee required several other changes to our Bylaws to bring them up to current standards. A complete set of bylaws revisions was submitted to the National Bylaws Committee. Subsequently, MAM has received approval to put the proposed amendments to a vote of MAM’s membership. Every MAM member must now be given an opportunity to review the document of proposed MAM Bylaws and vote yea or nay. The amendments require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those casting valid ballots. If approved, these recently proposed bylaws revisions will be taken as the Bylaws of Mid-America Mensa.
Details regarding how the voting process will be conducted (and a small ballot) were included with the October Mension. A ballot will be printed in the November 2023 Mension. The voting period will end on December 31, 2023.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to the Mension editor/publisher for most of the information included in this article, and especially to MAM’s Board of Directors and AMC’s Bylaws Review Committee for giving us this historic opportunity to participate and vote.
