Blind Information Technology Specialists, Inc

Board Policies and Procedures

As of September 14, 2024

Introduction

The purpose of this handbook is to establish the parameters and guidelines for Board members, and committees and the membership by doing the following:

Promote clarity among board members regarding policies, procedures, and expectations by having board policies readily available in one central location;

Promote consistency of Board action;

Clarify officer, Board member, and committee chair roles;

Eliminate the need for ad hoc crisis policy making;

Give BITS membership clear direction from the Board.

**Board of Directors: (Article 8, BITS Constitution), consists of the four officers, the three board Members at Large, and the Immediate Past president.

BITS Officers And Board of Directors Descriptions

All BITS officers and directors must:

Be willing and able to participate in regularly scheduled meetings and e-mail discussions;

Always act in a dignified manner and interact respectfully with fellow directors and Officers;

Work as a team member to maintain and protect the BITS mission;

Become familiar with the BITS Constitution and Bylaws;

Become familiar with the most recent available edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition;

Be a collaborative participant in the democratic process—respecting the outcome of votes of the membership and votes of the board;

Possess sufficient computer and writing skills to participate in e-mail and other written communications;

Be flexible when scheduling meeting times.

Responsibilities of the BITS President

The BITS President must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities of an organizational president in accordance with the BITS Bylaws and the most recent Edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition.

The BITS President must be a member in good standing.

The President shall serve as the chair at all board meetings except in the absence of the President, the vice president shall assume the duties of the President.

The President shall do the following:

Propose policies and practices to fulfill the mission of BITS;

Submit various reports to the board and to other Committees as necessary;

Appoint standing and special committee Chairs, with the exception of the nominating committee;

Work with the Board, committee chairs, and all members to promote cohesiveness throughout all BITS activities.

The President is an ex officio member of all committees excluding the nominating committee.

(cite citation)

The President is responsible for ensuring that the board of directors:

Is aware of and fulfills their governance responsibilities;

Complies with applicable laws and bylaws;

and Conducts board business efficiently.

The President may delegate specific duties to Board members and/or committees as appropriate; however, the accountability remains with the President.

For this reason, the President may take appropriate action to safeguard the interests of BITS.

The President is responsible for maintaining positive and productive relationships with organizations related to the mission of BITS.

Toward this end the President may:

Represent BITS to the media;

Represent BITS on external organizations and committees;

Report board decisions and actions to the membership in a timely manner.

The President shall have signing privileges on all BITS accounts; and as appropriate may sign correspondence, applications, reports, contracts, or other documents on behalf of BITS.

The President should ensure that structures and procedures are in place for securing all Bank and other financial-related accounts on behalf of BITS.

The President should ensure that structures and procedures are in place for effective recruitment and training of BITS board members.

The President should ensure that procedures are in place for securing the resources required by BITS.

Responsibilities of the BITS Vice President

The vice president must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities of an organizational vice president in accordance with the BITS Constitution and Bylaws.

In the absence of the president, the vice president shall assume the duties of the president.

The vice president shall perform other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities of the BITS Secretary

The BITS Secretary must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities of an organizational secretary, in accordance with the BITS Constitution and Bylaws.

The secretary must:

Prepare minutes for all Monthly Board meetings as well as the annual meeting;

Annual meeting minutes are to be submitted no later than one month after the close of the annual meeting;

Place all meeting minutes in the BITS Dropbox and post them to the BITS Board Email list;

Coordinate with the BITS webmaster to ensure that approved minutes are posted to the members content area of the BITS website;

Obtain meeting recordings and any other documentation necessary to prepare accurate minutes;

Possess thorough and quick note-taking skills in case an audio recording of a meeting fails;

Write and distribute meeting minutes in the same order that the meetings occurred;

Research and reproduce content from previous meetings as necessary:

The secretary is expected to attend all board meetings. If the secretary is unable to attend a board meeting, after informing the president, the Secretary will create the minutes of the meeting from the recording.

The Secretary should keep a record of the proceedings, stating what was done and not what was said, and never write criticisms or comments, favorable or otherwise, on anything said or done.

In the absence of the President and the Vice President, the Secretary shall assume the duties of the presiding officer until the President or the Vice President arrives.

Responsibilities of the BITS Treasurer

The BITS Treasurer must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities of an organizational treasurer, in accordance with the BITS Constitution and Bylaws, and standard nonprofit and general accounting practices and procedures.

The membership trust the BITS Treasurer with the highest level of stewardship and expect that he/she will manage the organizational finances in a professional manner.

The treasurer must:

Assist in the preparation of all budgets including the BITS annual budget as a participating member of the Budget Committee;

Reconcile all account activities and report to the board at each regularly scheduled Board meeting, and send a copy of the treasurer’s report by email to each board member prior to each meeting. (This includes an interim report to be presented at the annual business meeting);

Ensure that the financial policies (as established by the board,) are being followed;

Prepare, in a timely manner, any required financial reporting forms to be submitted to the accountants, auditors, IRS, vendors or any other entity as required for standard accounting practices and procedures, and policies. (This includes filing the appropriate 990 series form with the Internal Revenue Service, (normally due on May 15 each year,), Biennial corporation information along with applicable fees, (filed with DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection every two years), Incorp corporate agent’s fee, (filed every two years), and membership dues payment to ACB once certification is completed.

The treasurer is also responsible for purchasing auction items, gift cards and anything else the board might authorize.

Maintain all bank and e-commerce accounts in a fiscally prudent manner in keeping with standard accounting practices and procedures;

The Treasurer will mutually cooperate with the membership chair to Review all BITS membership application forms and ensure that all information such as: contact information and payment dates, types, and amounts of dues, membership expirations and donations are up to date; and ensure all BITS members are certified with ACB;

Oversee all financial transactions while ensuring that all expenditures are approved by the BITS Board of Directors.

Statements for all accounts must be placed in the Board Dropbox as soon as they become available. All statements and reports must be uploaded to the BITS website.

The treasurer is expected to attend all Board meetings unless the President or the Secretary have been informed that he/she will be absent.

BITS Debit Card

A debit card shall be issued to the Treasurer by the financial institution associated with the BITS checking account.

The debit card shall only be used to satisfy the liabilities that have been approved by the BITS Board of Directors or by the membership at a properly conducted meeting.

BITS PayPal Account

The PayPal account is accessed and managed by the BITS President and the Treasurer.

The Treasurer will transfer the PayPal balance to the checking account on a monthly basis.

The Treasurer will include all PayPal transactions in each Treasurer’s report at all Board meetings.

Responsibilities for the BITS Board of Directors

Each member of the BITS Board of Directors must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary, and ethical responsibilities of an organizational director, in accordance with the BITS Constitution and Bylaws.

Board members are expected to attend all board meetings.

A board member anticipating absence from a board meeting, shall at the earliest opportunity, notify the President or the Secretary, giving the reason for the absence.

**(BITS Constitution Article 8.6.4.2.)

Any board member having 3 unexcused absences may face dismissal.

Each member of the BITS Board of Directors should serve on at least one BITS committee.

** Bi-law 4.1.8

Pending constitutional change, The board shall designate the chair and all members of the nominating committee, including vacancies that arise.

Guidelines for BITS Committee Chairs

BITS committee chairs should be knowledgeable, willing, eager to learn and committed to taking on the responsibility of chairing a BITS committee. It is also important for Committee Chairs to listen and work well with others, while ensuring the work of the committee is accomplished. These guidelines are intended to provide best practices for BITS committees.

They are general in nature as the responsibilities of each committee are different.

BITS committees should meet on a regular basis according to their responsibilities.

Committee chairs should regularly communicate with their members to keep them engaged and informed.

Prior to each meeting committee Chairs should distribute meeting reminders, agendas, previous meeting notes and participation credentials.

Committee meetings should follow parliamentary procedures when applicable.

Committee chairs should submit written reports on committee activities before each board meeting for inclusion in the Board meeting packet.

If action items are included, they will be highlighted in the Board meeting minutes.

Membership Guidelines:

The BITS Chat

The BITS Chat is managed by the Zoom Host committee chair.

All hosts need to be trained prior to hosting.

The BITS Chat host and cohost are responsible for the security of the room.

Hosts should open a breakout room before the chat begins.

The BITS Chat host and cohost must use a computer and a headset.

Hosts should be sure to notify cohosts when they need to take a break.

The BITS Chat should always maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment.

Every participant using a telephone must call using a unique Zoom connection; 3-way calling is not permitted.

The host has the discretion to mute participants with background noise or who are being disruptive; and can remove participants as a last resort.

Email List Guidelines

Last revised: May, 2024

The purpose of our lists is for members (and guests as well, who attend our BITS Zoom Chat sessions, to share technology related topics and questions with other members. While there are places to chat, this affiliate is for the purpose of sharing technological information. To chat otherwise, feel free to join the ACB Conversation list.

All technology questions are welcome. If you know the answer, please be clear and concise in your posting. If you do not know the answer, please be patient for an answer to be posted. You do not need to reply and say, “Me too.”

Due to the number of members on this list and the potential for high traffic, we ask that everyone be mindful of how often you post and the impact therein. If your post is most suited for an individual, please consider replying privately to that person.

If you are using a nickname in your email address other than your actual name, please put your name as your signature.

No question is silly or stupid as we all have various levels of ability and knowledge in this group. Please do not assume this organization is only for professionals or high-level competent techies. While we may address this with other lists or courses, this organization is open to all those who have interest or ability with technology for our members.

We want to ensure that this list is a safe place for BITS members to feel comfortable interacting with each other.

All moderation, warnings, corrective management, and comments are to be done only by the list moderators or the BITS Board members. It is not up to any member to speak or write publicly in a derogatory way about list behavior to another member. This also applies to Discord, WhatsApp, and Chat. If you don’t like the length of someone’s message or the way they write, it’s not your place to correct them. Admonishment by a member will not be tolerated.

All members are to be treated with respect and courtesy. We recognize that we all have differences of opinions, knowledge, and experiences that help shape our contributions. It is fine to disagree without becoming disagreeable!

Disrespectful behavior, raging, blaming, or bashing of any kind will not be tolerated.

Outright slanderous tone or behavior towards a company or brand will not be tolerated.

Anyone who resorts to any of these unacceptable behaviors may be moderated immediately. You may receive a private message from someone on the Email Management Team. A few of you have been ignoring contact from our team. We do know this and you may find yourself on a moderated status. If the unwanted behavior continues you will be banned from any of our lists, chats, WhatsApp, or Discord.

If the pattern continues, the member may be banned from the affiliate.

Cross-posting and forwarding from other lists is not permitted! It can potentially create many problems with group security, public and confidential information. If you really want some information from another list you feel is important, do your best to cut and paste the relevant information. You do not need to send a message to many lists at once. Send to the most relevant list, give time for response. Write someone from the team or leadership if you need help.

Outside advertising and sales, including content in message headers and footers, is not permitted. This list is not a place for you to advertise your skills or business, your religious and/or political views. These are not to be in messages, message headers, footers, or signatures. They will not be tolerated.

Posting links for where illegal downloads can be found will not be tolerated

posting content of an adult nature will not be tolerated.

If you believe you can help someone, have something you believe they will want and are not sure it’s suitable for a public list, invite them to contact you privately.

If you are one who possesses technological skills, we do want to know about you and for you to have a way to make others aware of that which you offer. Why not become involved on our “Mentoring” list? It’s a place where people who need help can find assistance in a kind and safe space.

When requesting assistance with a problem, make sure to provide as much relevant information as possible. I.E. The operating system and version you are running, what screen reader you are using, and the name of the specific program with which you are experiencing the problem if applicable.

Try to use descriptive subject lines which relate to the problem you are having or the material you are posting. Using subject lines such as

“I need help”

or “Very important, please read”

may cause some members to skip your messages.

When replying to a message, make sure to type your response at the top of the message body before previous replies. Putting your response at the bottom after previous replies may cause members to work harder to find it or think that your message is blank. In either case, bottom posting is a practice which may result in some members skipping or deleting your messages.

If your question or topic is related to a thread, but may significantly redirect the conversation, you should start with a new blank message and subject to reflect the change.

If your question or topic has nothing to do with a particular thread, start with a new blank message and subject. Starting a new unrelated conversation without changing the subject is referred to as “thread hijacking” and is considered bad practice on mailing lists. Merely changing the subject does not change the thread, so please create a new message when you want to start a new topic.

If you are simply continuing a discussion, posting an update, or further clarification, whether it be someone else’s message or one of your own, please do not change the subject line or start a new thread if the topic of the conversation has not actually changed. Some members group messages by conversation in their mail clients and such changes will make this feature less effective. It also generates additional threads which means unnecessary clutter in the list archives.

When possible, it is best to read all new messages at least briefly before replying. This way you can avoid posting duplicate replies to questions which have already been answered, responding to topics that may have been closed, or have otherwise had their status changed.

When posting a reply, leave at least the text of the specific message to which you are

responding intact. Removing the text of previous messages from replies sometimes makes it difficult to determine exactly for which message or member a response is intended.

Do not reply to test messages unless a response is specifically requested. Doing so tends to generate unnecessary group traffic and clutter in the list archives.

When dictating messages please do your best to use punctuation to avoid a confusing run-on dialog.

When you only have a comment that pertains to the poster or you want them to simply know you agree, write to them privately.

Thank you.

Code of Conduct Policy

Approved September 2, 2020

Blind Information Technology Specialists (hereinafter referred to as BITS) is committed to maintaining the integrity of its events by creating a welcoming, professional, safe, and respectful environment for all who attend and/or participate in its events. The term “events” shall include chats, conferences, meetings, functions, or any other gatherings sponsored or convened by BITS.

All participants at BITS events are required to adhere to this Code of Conduct policy as drafted and adopted by the BITS board of directors. This policy defines prohibited conduct as including, but not limited to:

Unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, gender identification, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law, or;

Disrespectful, offensive, and/or threatening conduct, verbal abuse, stalking, bullying, violence, or intimidation.

Any person who believes that he or she has experienced or witnessed behavior prohibited by this policy should report the conduct to the BITS President.

Upon receipt of an allegation reported under this policy, The BITS board of directors will investigate, and the BITS board of directors will thereafter determine what, if any, action will be taken based on the circumstances. Such action may include banning the individual from the event where the conduct is determined to have occurred, and any future events.

Nothing in this policy shall limit or preclude the free exchange of ideas and/or opinions so long as such exchange does not involve threats or other prohibited behavior as defined in this policy.