BYLAWS FOR RING 58 OF THE
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF MAGICIANS (I.B.M.)

Article I - Name and Location
Section 1.  The name of this organization shall be “Ring 58 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians,” and its alias shall be "The Smoky Mountain Mystics.” As an entity of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Ring 58 shall be subject to rules, regulations, and laws adopted by that organization.

Section 2.  Ring 58 shall be incorporated as a non-profit organization of the state of Tennessee.
  1. A copy of the Incorporation Papers shall be kept by the Board of Directors
  2. In accordance with United States Internal Revenue Code, Ring 58 is considered a 501(c)(4) organization.
  3. Tax information, and information on obtaining and filing legal documents, for Non-Profit organizations may be obtained from the Internal Revenue Service website (www.irs.gov)
    • The Employer Identification Number on record for the IRS is 62-1113239
    • Annual filing requirements must be completed by September 15th of each year
Section 3.  The mailing address of Ring 58 shall be: P.O. Box 11801, Knoxville, TN 37939-1801. The address of the Corporation shall be the same as that of the Trustee of Record for the Corporation.

Article II – Purpose
Section 1.  The primary purpose of Ring 58 shall be to organize and associate together individuals interested in the practice and promotion of the art of magic and its advancement.

Section 2.  Ring 58 shall promote fellowship and social interaction, the exchange of ideas, and cooperation between those interested in the magical arts.  Ring 58 shall foster and advance the magical talents, creativity, and knowledge of the Ring membership.

Section 3.  Ring 58 may provide public shows and/or convention activities for magicians, those interested in learning and sharing the magical arts, and the uninitiated.

Article III - Territory
Section 1.  Ring 58 shall encompass the area of East Tennessee where no other I.B.M. affiliated Ring exists.

Article IV – Membership
Section 1.  All Ring members must join and remain in good standing with the International Brotherhood of Magicians for the duration of their participation in Ring 58.

Section 2.  All Ring members shall pledge to be bound by the Code of Ethics of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Section 3.  The five classes of Ring membership shall be: Active, Youth, Honorary, Associate, and Inactive.
  1. Active members shall be at least 18 years of age and demonstrate a substantial interest in the magical arts.
  2. Youth members shall be at least 10, and less than 18, years of age and demonstrate a substantial interest in the magical arts.
  3. Honorary members shall be designated as such on the merits of distinguished service to Ring 58 and/or to the magical arts in general. In addition to being distinguished, Honorary members may attend all meetings, hold office, vote, and be exempt from dues-payments. Recommendations for potential Honorary members shall be proposed to the Board of Directors who must unanimously agree and shall bring the same to the attention of the Ring.  The issue shall be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of membership present at a regularly scheduled meeting. The duration of an individual’s status as an Honorary member shall be specified and maintained by the Board of Directors.
  4. Associate members shall be spouses or bona fide assistants to Active, Youth, or Honorary members and must be approved by the Board of Directors.
  5. Inactive members shall be designated as such for failure to maintain any membership requirement(s). Although remaining on the roster, Inactive members will be ineligible to claim any privileges of membership. For reinstatement of membership, Inactive members must demonstrably fulfill all applicable requirements and must contribute at the next Ring meeting attended by that member.
Section 4.  Application for Active or Youth membership must conform to the following:
  1. Candidates must apply for membership and present an initiation performance by their third meeting. (Exceptions may be considered by the Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis.)
  2. Initiation performances must consist of at least two effects.
  3. Candidates must ensure the fulfillment of all conditions for membership prior to the required initiation performance.  (Please see also: Role of Sponsors)
  4. Candidates must be accepted by at least a two-thirds majority vote of all members present.
Article V – Role of Sponsors
Section 1.  Two Active members of Ring 58 must sponsor all candidates for membership.
Youth and Associate members cannot act in this capacity.

Section 2.  Sponsors shall be held accountable for their candidate’s fulfillment of all the criteria for membership in both Ring 58 and the I.B.M. This shall include ensuring prospective members’ familiarity with Ring 58’s Bylaws prior to their application for membership.

Section 3.  Sponsors shall ensure that their assigned prospective member arranges with the Program Chairman to have his or her initiation performance scheduled in advance.

Section 4.  For the first six months of membership, the sponsors for the member shall ensure the propriety of the newly accepted member’s actions as they apply to Ring 58. 

Article VI – Membership Dues
Section 1. The fiscal year of Ring 58 shall be from the 1st day of May through the subsequent
30th day of April in accordance with the requirements for a 501(c)4 organization.

Section 2. Dues for Active membership shall be set by the Board of Directors by March 31st of each year for the following fiscal year. Dues for Youth and Associate memberships shall be
one-half of the dues for Active membership. 

Section 3. Ring dues shall be due on May 1st of each year for the following twelve month period. Dues will be considered late by May 31st, after which a 20% late fee may be assessed.
Dues (and any late fees) must be paid by the July meeting; otherwise the unpaid member will be made Inactive.

Section 4.  Dues may be pro-rated for the remainder of the year for new members, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors.

Article VII –Privileges & Duties of Membership
Section 1.  Active and Honorary members may attend meetings, hold voting privileges, be elected to office, and may serve on committees.

Section 2.  Youth and Associate members may attend meetings and serve on committees; however, they may neither vote in meetings nor hold office.

Section 3.  Active, Youth, Associate, and Honorary members shall be eligible to attend lectures and other activities of Ring 58 at the membership rate.

Section 4.  All members of Ring 58 shall be expected to attend regular monthly meetings, be cognizant of potential new members, be active in promoting the purposes for which Ring 58 was organized, and support the activities sponsored by this Ring.
  1. Both Active and Youth members shall be required to contribute to a minimum of two meetings per year. 
  2. The contribution may be according to a member's specific magical interest whether it be practical or academic, (i.e. the member may perform, show a collection of books or magic paraphernalia, or give a lecture, book review, etc.) 
  3. Members not meeting these requirements will be made Inactive.
Article VIII – Termination of Membership
Section 1.  An automatic cause of termination of membership to Ring 58 shall be nonpayment of dues by May 1st.  Reinstatement shall be by membership vote under the same rules for a new member.

Section 2.  Termination for non-participation shall be at the recommendation of the Program Chairman and the concurrence of the Board of Directors.  The Secretary will issue notification of intent to terminate to the member in arrears of participation. A grace period will be afforded during which the member may fulfill participation requirements.

Section 3.  Members unable to attend for an extended period may request Leave status by contacting the Secretary.  Leave status shall be granted on a case by case basis.  Leave status shall void the requirement of contributions per year. Leave status shall not cancel the dues requirements.

Section 4.  The Board of Directors shall investigate termination for other reasons.  Their findings shall be given at a regular meeting by the Vice President and be voted on by secret ballot. A two-thirds majority of members present shall be required for a termination to become official.

Section 5.  Termination of Ring 58 membership, for reasons other than those outlined in the I.B.M. bylaws, shall not affect I.B.M. membership.

Article IX – Ring Officers
Section 1.  The officers of Ring 58 shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, four elected members holding no other office who, in conjunction with the Vice President, compose a Board of Directors, and a Program Chairman.

Article X – Election of Officers
Section 1.  Nominations shall be made at the regular meeting in March of each year. Ballots shall be mailed to each member prior to the April meeting to be returned by mail or brought to the April meeting for counting.
  1. Each member may only nominate one person per office.
  2. Each member is limited to three nominations total.
  3. In the event that an office (with exception of Board of Directors) has more than three nominations, a vote of the membership present will immediately be taken to narrow the field to three candidates.
  4. In the event that the Board of Directors has more than eight nominations, a vote of the membership present will immediately be taken to narrow the field to eight candidates.
Section 2.  Ballots returned by a simple majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing new officers. The officers shall be elected to hold office for a period of one year. The President shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.

Section 3.  Officers shall serve from May 1 through April 30 of the following year.

Section 4.  In the event that no Ring meetings are held over a four month period, new officers shall be elected and duly instituted. If an individual officer vacates his or her office during the first six months of the term, new nominations and an election at a regular meeting shall be required to fill the vacated office. If an office is vacated during the second half of the term, the president may make a pro-tem appointment for the remainder of the term.

Article XI – Duties of Officers
Section 1.  The duties of the President shall include:
  1. Presiding over meetings.
  2. Appointing committees and chairs.
  3. Calling any special meetings of Ring 58 or the Board of Directors.
  4. Assuming the position of Chairman of any convention convened by the Ring unless he specifies another member to do so.
  5. Maintaining and reporting a membership roster to the Board annually.
Section 2.  The duties of the Vice President shall include:
  1. Acting as assistant to the President.
  2. Temporarily acting as President in the President’s absence.
  3. Acting as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Section 3.  The duties of the Secretary shall include:
  1. Keeping accurate minutes of all Ring 58 meetings.
  2. Reporting monthly minutes to the membership.
  3. Ensuring monthly meeting notices are sent to all members.
  4. Ensuring Ring reports are appropriately submitted for publication in The Linking Ring.
  5. Handling of all official correspondence with the I.B.M.
  6. Maintaining accurate and appropriate records in compliance with state regulation.
Section 4.  The duties of the Treasurer (who shall be bonded at the expense of the Ring) shall include:
  1. Receiving and depositing all Ring monies in the bank.
  2. Paying all bills approved by the Board.
  3. Signing all written checks with the co-signature of another Ring officer for checks over a designated amount set by the Board.
  4. Providing monthly reports of the financial condition of this Ring.
  5. Supplying an informal audit report to the Board of Directors annually.
  6. Maintaining accurate and appropriate records in compliance with state regulation.
Section 5.  The duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall include:
  1. Preserving order at all functions of Ring 58.
Section 6.  The Board of Directors:
  1. The Board of Directors shall meet a minimum of two times per year and at the discretion of the Vice President.
  2. Members of Ring 58 who wish to bring matters before the Board shall submit their request to the Ring Vice President who shall be responsible for arranging meetings of the Board.
  3. The primary duty of the Board of Directors shall be to ensure the activities of Ring 58 and its members are conducted as described in the Bylaws and in accordance with the current I. B. M. Bylaws. Additional duties of the Board of Directors shall include:
    • To accept from Ring members allegations of flagrant violation(s) of Ring Bylaws, to investigate allegations, and to report those substantiated to the Ring.
    • To consider and make recommendations to the Ring any applications for reinstatement of terminated memberships.
    • To act as annual auditors of all financial transactions arising from Ring activities.
    • To formulate and submit to the Ring suggested changes in the Ring Bylaws.
    • To consider any special requirements or changes to the fiscal responsibilities associated with the expenditure of Ring funds in excess of a specified amount by the President either for normal activities or for special events such as lectures, travel, conventions, etc.
    • To ensure that a current bond exists for such Ring officers who may require this coverage.
Section 7.  The duties of the Program Chairman shall be:
  1. To plan the monthly meetings, utilizing the aid of a program committee (if desired) to this end.
  2. To timely supply the program to the Secretary for circulation to members in advance of meetings.
  3. To supervise the program at the meetings.
  4. To maintain a participation log.
  5. Obtain approval from the Ring membership at a regularly scheduled Ring meeting for any paid activity.
Section 8.  It shall be incumbent on all officers to provide a substitute to carry out their duties in their absence.

Section 9.  All reports of officers and committee chairmen shall be filed in writing for inclusion in Ring minutes.

Article XII – Guests
Section 1.  Visiting Magicians and Potential Members:
  1. May visit the Ring twice without applying for membership.  Continued visitation beyond that is subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
  2. Should be guests of a Ring 58 member, members of a sister Ring of the I.B.M., or members of the I.B.M.
  3. Should be, in their member-host’s judgment, a good prospect for membership in Ring 58 and able to fulfill all requirements for membership.
Section 2.  Attendance of Spouses, Children, and Other Guests
  1. Spouses may attend on an irregular basis.
  2. Children may attend with Ring parents providing they cause no disruption.
  3. Parents or Guardians may accompany any Youth member for whom they are responsible.
  4. Other Guests, including those from out-of-town, may occasionally be brought if circumstances are such that embarrassment would result to the Ring member or the guest if the guest was not brought. When possible, it shall be suggested that the Ring member get clearance for the guest from any two Ring officers.
Section 3.  Guests shall not be eligible to win prizes or awards at Ring meetings.

Article XIII – Corporate Business
Section 1.  In compliance with the requirements for Non-Profit corporations in the State of Tennessee, Ring 58 shall hold an annual business meeting for purposes of corporate business.

Section 2.  The Vice President shall designate such a meeting annually. The Ring Secretary shall record the actions taken by the corporation.

Section 3.  In the event of the dissolution of the organization, the beneficiary on record for all accounts will be the Endowment Fund of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (which is a 501(c)3 organization).

Article XIV – Business Meetings
Section 1.  Members shall be expected to cooperate with the Ring 58 officers so as to keep monthly business meetings to a maximum of 30 minutes in length.

Section 2.  Robert’s Revised Rules of Order shall govern Ring meetings when not in conflict with the Ring’s Bylaws or Tennessee laws covering this organization.

Section 3.  A quorum for the enactment of business at the beginning of a duly called and published Ring meeting shall consist of the acting President, one or more Board members, and a minimum of five other members in good standing.

Section 4.  Special meetings may be called provided notification of all members by mail, telephone, or personal communication at least 4 weeks in advance.

Article XV - Amendments and Bylaws
Section 1.  Amendments to these Bylaws shall require reading at one Ring meeting, followed by distribution to the membership, and a two-thirds majority vote of those present during the next duly scheduled Ring meeting.

Section 2.  Bylaws may also be amended by the membership at a Ring meeting duly called and constituted specifically for that purpose.

These bylaws were last updated in August of 2008.