Membership:

1. Adhere to the principles and practices of SIGN while acting in the name of SIGN or engaged in SIGN activities;
2. Not participate in or support violence at public protests and demonstrations. "Support" is understood to include financing, providing goods or services, publicity, and/or to provide endorsements or make other statements of support. For the purposes of membership, violence is understood to be as defined by SIGN under whatever name or euphemism (eg "diversity of tactics");
3. (organizations) Encourage it's membership to do likewise as private individuals;
4. (organizations) On an ongoing basis pursue the goals of SIGN in such ways as are appropriate and reasonable for the organization;

Individuals the right to participate in discussions, have full voting rights, and have a right to serve with SIGN in such capacities as they choose to undertake as (eg Spokes Council).

Organizations shall designate one representative who will have the right to participate in discussions, have full voting authority as an organizational representative, and serve with SIGN in such capacities as they choose to undertake as (eg Spokes Council).

Organizations shall have the authority through their representative to block (prevent) new campaigns and/or public statements by SIGN. This right carries the obligation to fully and clearly state why this action was deemed necessary, and to sincerely seek a collaborative solution that meets the needs of both the organization and the SIGN coalition.

Any individual or group can withdraw from the coalition at any time.

If at any time a member has clearly and knowingly violated this agreement, membership may be revoked by Spokes Council. If there is doubt the matter shall be considered by Spokes Council and a decision will be made about membership status or other forms of reconcilliation. Either may be appealed to the general membership.

Member List

• All members of SIGN will have one account on the BBS which is a member of the usergroup 'SIGN Members'.
• Accounts on the BBS which are not members of SIGN are welcome and refered to as 'Regs'.
• The usergroup 'SIGN Members' will serve as our official members list and all notification to members will be done through the email address provided in the users profile.
• Individuals wishing to be members of SIGN who do not have internet access will be signed up by spokescouncil so that their name is on the official members list. A method of corresponding with non-internet members may be worked out in the future but in the mean time will be dealt with in an ad-hoc manner as needed.

Correspondence

• All users of the BBS will recieve an email on a quarterly basis keeping them informed of new developments and upcoming events or issues.
• A usergroup called 'updates' will be created for SIGN members or regs who would like more frequent updates (up to once a month).
• Both the quarterly updates and the monthly updates are the responsibility of the SIGN spokescouncil.

Spokescouncil:

Elections:

• Speaker (Chair)
• Ubergeek: overall responsiblity for e-communications
• Secretary: overall responsiblity for records of all kinds
• Tresurer: hides the dime

Between two and three months before the AGM ubergeek will send out email to all members announcing upcoming AGM and making a call for nominations for cpokescouncil. Ubergeek is responsible for recording nominees and that nominees know that they are nominated and consent to being a board member.

One month before AGM is the deadline for nominations, ubergeek will send out a list to all members of nominees (and whether they're nominated as an org rep or a gen member) this gives members an opportunity to review nominees and make their decision.

Election is held at the AGM. Each org gets 6 votes for org rep and one vote for anyone (the vote for anyone will be indicated as such). Each member will have 6 votes for member reps and one vote for anyone (again, the vote for anyone will be indicated as such). No-one may vote for the same person more than once. A method of voting in abstentia will be available. The 6 org reps with the greatest number of votes and the 6 member reps with the greatest number of votes become spokescouncil. The member or org rep who isn't elected in this manner who has the greatest number of votes becomes the 13th spokescouncil member.

Spokescouncil positions are elected by the spokescouncil members starting with speaker, then treasurer, then ubergeek, then secretary. Anyone elected to a post needs 50%+1 of the votes, so if an election for a position results in all candidates getting less than 50% then the person with the least number of votes is removed from the ballot and the election is reheld.

Discussion of issues:

• Issues for consideration are tabled either in the Spokes Council 'Proposed Items' forum or on the Wiki page (the latter if it is reasonable to expect considerable discussion, the former if the expectation is for quick consensus)
• Issues may be moved between the forum and the Wiki pages depending on the amount of discussion required.
• Once discussion has stabalized the item is moved to the Spokes Council 'Items up for Consensus' forum on the BBS
• Each issue will be given a new topic title - discussion of a particular issue should all be posted as 'replyto' rather than new topics.
• Once consensus is acheived by Spokes Council the item is moved to the SIGN Members Catagory for comment (and voting if necessary)
• Once an item has been accepted it is moved to the General Catagory, in the appropriate forum.

• Have a minimum of three poll options, viz 'accept', 'stand aside', and 'block'.
• Be accompanied by an email notification to Spokes Council that an item has been posted, and the subject of that posting. The email subject line should read "SIGN Items posted for consensus";
• Not be modified once the first vote has been cast (modified proposals are posted as new proposals).

Have been posted in either the Discussion forum or on the Wiki forums for at least 7 days;

Include a link/pointer to any discussion that occured in that forum

Remain open for votes for a minimum of 7 days

• Not be too complex. Where possible and reasonable, break it down into seperate items;
• That these (if passed) be posted at the top of the forum as an announcement.

• Any spokescouncil member may vote on that item;
• Unless otherwise specified, members have 7 days from the time of posting to do so;

• Receive unanimous "accept" or "stand aside" votes from all SC members who voted;
• Be voted on by a minimum of 50% +1 of the members of SC
• Have been open for voting for the full period stipulated when first posted

A "block vote" prevents that item from being accepted at that time

SC members who have had reasonable opportunity to participate in the discussion
of an item but did not do so should refrain from 'blocking' unless there is compelling
reason to do so.

Alternatives to 'blocking' include

• post one's reservations as a topic reply and wait for a response prior to voting (when time allows)
• post a proposal for an ammendment

Once blocked an item must be dropped OR returned to the proposal forum, the Wiki forum,
or to a SIGN meeting for open discussion

Casting a block vote carries with it the requirement that the blocking member give some reason
for the block, or a clear statement of intent to do so within a reasonable time frame;

A block vote that does not meet the above condition is void.

If an item has been posted for discussion and for consensus three times (each), and

1. At least 50%+1 of spokescouncil members voted to accept the item each time it was brought forward, and
2. One particular member of of spokescouncil blocks the item each time, and
3. That member is the only member of spokescouncil to block the item, then