Justice League of WNY, Inc. Charter

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be Justice League of WNY, Inc., hereinafter referred to as JLWNY.

Article II. Mission Statement

“Together, we can help make the world a little bit brighter.”

The Justice League of WNY is a non-profit charity organization located in Western New York.
We are an all-volunteer, professionally operated assembly of cosplayers, costumers, and prop builders who seek to give back to our community.
Our mission is to help bring awareness to causes, charities, and other worthy events in our area and bring smiles and cheer to those in need.
We do this by sharing our passion for various fandoms, making public appearances, and helping raise funds and awareness for charities and charitable causes.
We work with charity organizations and charity events that promote community growth, hope, and unity.
Our goal is to utilize our talents to help make the world a little bit brighter.

Article III. Objectives

  1. The Justice League of WNY is an all-volunteer non-profit organization formed to bring WNY costumers, cosplayers and prop builders together under a collective identity.
  2. JLWNY seeks to bring awareness to charitable causes and organizations, supports their events through character involvement, and participates in fun and unique community events.
  3. The JLWNY performs direct charitable events (such as fundraising, public appearances, etc) and seeks to educate others on the various fandoms, high-quality costume, and prop creation and ways to help their community.
  4. Members strive to be the positive role models embodied by the heroes they represent and/or to be the villains that do good deeds.

Article IV. Member Responsibilities

  1. Members are expected to attend meetings and events as often as possible.
  2. Members are expected to keep to the JLWNY’s “Code of Conduct” and follow its policies and guidelines.
  3. In the event that they hold a position in the group, they are asked to notify the Steering Board or another group officer should they be unable to attend.
  4. Members will be asked to provide basic contact information such as a phone number and e-mail address as there may be instances which require group members to be notified. This information may not be used by members for the purpose of telemarketing or sending unrelated “junk” mail, and steps will be taken to ensure the privacy and protection of such information. However, a member’s phone number or email address may be provided to another listed member who requests to have it due to a situation requiring contact with that person. Those who do not wish to have their contact information shared under any circumstances are responsible for notifying the Steering Board in advance.
  5. Members are expected to maintain a minimum activity level to be considered an active member.
  6. Minimum Expected Activity

a. Minimum of 5 events per quarter to be eligible for perks such as free admittance to Buffalo Comicon.
b. 1 event per month, or an average of 3 events per quarter.
c. Visibly active in the private group, meaning participates in discussions.
d. Shares the groups’ events on their social media regularly.
e. Responds to event notices and indicates their ability to participate promptly.

Article V. Qualification of Membership

Section 1:

  1. Must be a US Citizen or Legal Resident.
  2. Must be 18 years old or older.
  3. Must NOT have a criminal background including, but not limited to, domestic violence, child endangerment, child abuse, or registered sex offender.
  4. Must be able to pass a criminal background check.
  5. Must maintain a minimum level of activity, as defined in Article IV.6
  6. Group will not discriminate against any individual because of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, physical or mental disability, status as a protected veteran, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, parenthood, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, or other legally protected status.
  7. Decisions affecting individuals shall be based on the individual’s qualifications, abilities, and performance, as appropriate.
  8. Membership in the group is voluntary and members are subject to being dropped from the group without notice due in part to activity levels, performance, and disciplinary actions.
  9. Non-Members are welcome at open meetings and events as guests.

Section 2: Voting Member

  1. Only US Citizen or Legal Residents may be voting members of the Group
  2. In order to become a voting member one must attend:
    1 Group meeting(s)
    2 Group Non-Convention/Non-Comicon/Sponsored/Promotional event(s)
    1 Convention or Comicon
    2 community service / charity event(s) / Fundraiser(s)
    per the Calendar Year
  3. Voting Member Status once reached in a calendar year, will be extended until April 30th of the following year.
  4. Voting Member evaluation and determination for a calendar year begins on May 1st of that year, with events from January 1st through the current day being used to determine if the qualification has been achieved.

Non-Voting Member

Those members who have not yet met the qualifications to be a Voting Member.

Article VI. Steering Board

  1. The Steering Board shall consist of the current Board of Directors.
  2. Steering Board will operate as per the Corporate ByLaws.
  3. Steering Board members must be held to the same standards of conduct as regular members, and their status does not make them exempt from following the club rules.
  4. Steering Board members should attend all club meetings possible and notify another steering board member in the event that they are unable to make a meeting or club function.
  5. All members of the steering board are equal in regards to voting and decision power.

Article VII. Government and Governance

Section 1: Meetings

  1. There are two types of meetings:
    1. General membership meetings
    2. Special meetings
  2. General membership meetings:
    1. Inform members of upcoming events and changes in the Group
    2. Must occur at least once a quarter.
  3. Special meetings
    1. Include but are not limited to amendment changes, vacant officer positions, impeachment hearings, re-elections, and/or elections
    2. A Quorum for special meetings must be fifty percent of the voting membership
    3. A Quorum must be met for all special meetings

Section 2: Governance

The group will be operated according to it’s filed Certificate of Incorporation and approved corporate bylaws. In the event of a conflict between this charter and those, the corporate bylaws take precedence.

Article VIII. Activities

  1. 1. The main activity of the group is to gather people who enjoy costuming and cosplay with the purpose of doing volunteer entertainment at charity and community events.
  2. Other activities may include fundraising, charity events, events related to cosplay culture, holiday parties, workshops (such as preparing costumes and props), and various activities as decided upon by the membership.
  3. Repeated No-Shows to events and activities a member has committed to may result in suspension or expulsion from the group.

Article VIIII. Meetings

  1. Group meetings will follow a regular schedule of dates and times.
  2. In the event that a meeting is called off due to road condition, holidays, or other circumstances, the Steering Board is responsible for notifying listed members of the cancellation.
  3. “Emergency” meetings and committee meetings may be held at additional dates and times.
  4. Members are not required to attend all activities of the Group (such as fundraisers and festivals) unless they have made a prior commitment to working at the given event. However, attendance and participation are strongly encouraged.
  5. Meeting information should be posted to the Facebook private membership page.
  6. Meetings declared as “Open” (meaning open to non-members to attend) should be posted to both the private and public pages.
  7. Should it be deemed that a member is behaving in an unsafe manner, disrupting meetings, or otherwise violating the Group Code of Conduct, a warning shall be given first, and further offenses may result in that member being asked to leave for the remainder of the meeting.

Article X. Teams

  1. Teams will be created as the need arises for their development.

Article XI. Amendments

  1. Any voting member may propose an amendment to the Group Charter.
  2. An amendment can be voted on one week after it has been presented
  3. A two-thirds vote must be gained for the amendment to be passed
  4. The amendment will be put into effect during the beginning of the next calendar month unless a different start date is approved.
  5. Amendments to this Charter and By-Laws may not violate any New York State, or Federal rules, regulations, or laws

================= Adopted 8/4/2019 ========