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Constitution of the Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals
Article I - NAME
Section 1. General. The name of this organization shall be The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP); hereafter referred to as the "Association".
Section 2. Location. The principal office of the Association shall be located within the State of Montana as determined by the Board of Directors, and reported to the membership.
Article II - PURPOSES
Recognizing a need to stimulate, encourage, and otherwise provide for the advancement of an interdisciplinary approach to geographic information, the purposes for which this Association is formed are:
Section 1. Education. The Association shall (a) provide an objective educational forum without political, social, or financial bias, (b) foster the exchange of ideas and studies focused on the planning, operation, and consequences of geographic information, and (c) promote professional interaction, stimulate research, encourage publication, and generally aid the advancement of its members and other organizations having related objectives.
Section 2. Technical Interaction. The Association shall foster an interchange of ideas between educators, data creators, data users, application developers, software vendors and all others directly involved with GIS technology in Montana.
Section 3. Policy Development. The Association shall promote the development of policies for efficient and effective use of resources for matters related to geographic information.
Section 4. Political Activity. The Association may provide testimony or participate in limited lobbying to influence legislation, but shall not expend a substantial part of its budget in these matters; nor shall it participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. It is the responsibility of individual Association members, officers and duly appointed representatives participating in any legislative process to be aware of legal and professional limits, and to seek necessary authorization and duly report such activity to the Association.
Article III - POWERS
In furtherance of the purposes described in Article II, the Association shall have all the powers as are permitted by the laws of the State of Montana and as allowed by the Federal regulations governing non-profit organizations receiving 501(c)(6) status.
Article IV - MEMBERS
Section 1. Eligibility. Any individual with a serious interest in the field of geographic information, in agreement with the mission of the Association, and approving of the objectives of the Association, regardless of age, race, religion, gender or place of natural origin, shall be eligible for membership in the Association.
Section 2. Categories. The categories of Group membership are:
a) Individual: Member pays annual dues and has full voting privileges and office holding rights.
b) Organization: Group membership has multiple members (minimum of 5 with the option of adding more) and pays annual dues based on number of members. Each Member has full voting privileges and office holding rights.
c) Student: Member is enrolled in an institution of higher learning, pays annual dues at a reduced rate, and has voting rights.
Section 3. Duration. All members shall hold membership for one (1) year. Memberships will be from March 1 to the last day of February. There shall be no pro-ration of annual dues except for first time members. First time members joining after October 1 will pay one half the annual dues.
Section 4. Rights and Privileges. Indiviudal members shall have voting and office holding rights. Student members shall have voting rights. All members shall be informed of the activities and progress of the Association through annual or more frequent reports, newsletters, and/or Association meetings.
Section 5. Member responsibility. While the Board of Directors and Officers of the Association provide oversight, they recognize that the success of the Association depends on significant individual contribution. The members of the Association recognize that members have a responsibility to volunteer their service to the Association.
Article V - AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended, revised, or repealed by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board, with subsequent approval by a simple majority vote of Association members.
This document was voted on and accepted by the MAGIP Membership May 2023 and ratified by the MAGIP Board of Directors on May 16, 2023.