The Games Club of Maryland By-Laws
July 22, 2026  

Changes are highlighted in Bold

ARTICLE II - Purpose

The purpose of GCOM shall be:

1. To have fun, learn, share, grow, and play. 
2. To provide open gaming environments for the general public throughout the State of Maryland and beyond. 
3. To provide services for and to promote the playing of games of all kinds, including but not limited to the following: board games, card games, role-playing games, and miniatures games. 
4. To promote the games hobby by providing a communication network for gaming enthusiasts, sponsoring and supporting events, and raising public awareness of the hobby. 
5. GCOM shall be operated in a manner that is free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

1. There are five (5) classes of membership: Associate, Basic, Supporting, Patron, and Honorary.

2. Applications for membership are made in writing in the manner established and approved by the Board of Directors. 
3. Associate Membership is available to any person who attends a minimum of three (3) GCOM Events, within any twelve (12) consecutive month period.
4. Basic Membership shall be available to any person who pays Basic Membership dues as prescribed by the board. Basic members shall be considered members in good standing for purposes of service and transaction fees, and for retention in the contact files. Basic Members who allow their dues to lapse will be considered Associate Members.

5. Supporting Membership shall be open to any person who pays Supporting Membership dues as prescribed by the GCOM Board. Supporting Members in good standing will be entitled to participate in all activities of the club, including voting and holding office. Supporting Members who allow their dues to lapse will be considered Associate Members. 
6.  Patron Membership shall be open to any person who pays Patron Membership dues as prescribed by the GCOM Board. Patron Members in good standing will be entitled to participate in all activities of the club, including voting and holding office. Patron Members who allow their dues to lapse will be considered Associate Members. 
7.Honorary Membership shall be offered to any person upon approval of five (5) members of the GCOM Board, but does not convey any privileges or responsibilities.
8. Any member may resign upon surrender of any club property, including monies. Any person resigning from membership will not be entitled to any refund of dues. 
9. Membership in the club is not transferable or assignable. 
10. The Board of Directors may suspend or expel a Member for cause by an affirmative vote of three-quarters (3/4) of the entire Board. Grounds for expulsion include, but are not limited to, failure to adhere to these bylaws, or any other policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors. The decision of the Board of Directors with respect to the suspension or expulsion of a Member is final.

1. GCOM shall be governed by a Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the “Board”).

2. ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to serve on the Board, a member must be a current Supporting or Patron Member in good standing, must be elected or appointed according to the procedure in Article VI (Elections), and must agree to maintain Supporting or Patron Membership during their term of office.

3. OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES:

1. The Board shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a number of “at large” directors not to exceed five (5). Each office is to be served in two (2) year terms. Board officers shall receive no remuneration for serving in such capacities. 
2. The President shall (i) preside at all business meetings of the Board of Directors, (ii) recommend appointments of chairpersons and committees, (iii) represent GCOM in all matters of importance to GCOM, (iv) authorize special expenditures of GCOM for operation of GCOM and in keeping with the resolutions of the Board and its budget, and (v) prepare agendas and communicate with the members of the Board. The President is empowered to sign all contracts for the organization after approval of the Board.
3. The Vice-President shall (i) serve as acting President, Secretary, and Treasurer to the maximum extent possible when any of those officers are temporarily unable to serve, (ii) assist the President in any presidential duty as requested by the President, (iii) may perform all duties of the President if this is made necessary by the absence of the President, and (iv) automatically assume the office of President in the event that office is vacated.
4. The Secretary shall (i) keep a record of all GCOM meetings and other Board activities, and facilitate communications with members, (ii) prepare a ballot to be provided to the membership in accordance with the stipulations in Article VI (Elections), (iii) record duly enacted changes to these bylaws and publish them on the GCOM website viewable by the public, (iv) publish minutes of Board meetings to the website viewable by all members, and (v) maintain membership records.
5. The Treasurer shall (i) establish accounts, bank or otherwise, of GCOM, as approved by the Board, (ii) establish procedures for the depositing of funds and the maintenance of GCOM properties, (iii) receive and disburse all funds of GCOM as authorized by the Board of Directors whether authorized individually or as part of a budget, (iv) maintain a record of all financial transactions, make all financial records available to all Board Members, and provide a financial report at every meeting in such detail and form as approved by the Board, and (v) provide additional financial reports as directed by the Board or as required by law. The Treasurer shall be primarily responsible for communication with all governmental entities regarding financial and regulatory matters, (vi) may develop and recommend policies and procedures to the Board to enhance the financial stability of the organization, and (vii) may develop spending and reimbursement policies for Board approval. Reimbursement for any expenses incurred in connection with their duties shall be as authorized by the Board and paid by the Treasurer.
6. Directors-at-Large will be available to support the Organization as needed for tasks and events, will participate in Board meetings with full voting privileges, and will lend their expertise and knowledge in any area where they are so directed by the President and the Board. They may serve on and chair any committees, teams, action groups, or other bodies created by the President and Board, and will hold such positions as designated by the President.
7. All Officers and Directors-at-Large shall (i) be present at all Board meetings as much as possible, discuss present matters and vote their conscience in accordance with the best interests of GCOM, and (ii) be responsible for assisting with duties, promotions, and tasks to further the causes of GCOM.
8. The board may create Teams, Committees, or other working groups from time to time as it judges necessary. These groups serve as advisory bodies to the board and the officers and retain only so much power and responsibility as the board deems appropriate. The Board retains final authority over all matters discussed and decisions made by such groups.

4. RULES OF ORDER:

1. The most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, specifically the rules pertaining to Small Assemblies, shall be the default parliamentary guide for Board meetings, however the Board retains authority to set its own rules and procedures so long as they do not conflict with these bylaws.
2. In all Board votes, a majority is defined as a number more than one-half of the total votes cast.

5. AUTHORITY:

a. The Board has the authority to represent GCOM to other organizations, handle GCOM business duties, call meetings, approve GCOM expenditures, appoint committee chairpersons, remove Board members by three-quarters majority vote and adopt resolutions consistent with carrying out the purposes of GCOM set forth in Article II. The Board shall take only those actions and make only those representations delegated by these bylaws or authorized by GCOM Resolution.
b. The Board has the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of GCOM. Contracts must be approved by the Board, and signed by either the President or Vice-President.
c. The GCOM Board shall set, approve, and review standards for any official GCOM locations or events.

1. Voting Eligibility:

a. All Supporting and Patron Members are eligible to vote.

2. Schedule for Elections:

a. Elections for all positions on the Board of Directors shall be held every even numbered year.

b. The Board will designate a date in November as the deadline for voting.

c. Notice of the Elections shall be posted to the GCOM website and emailed to all members at least 60 days prior to the election.

d. The Board shall make the ballot available to voting members at least 14 days prior to the voting deadline by emailing instructions and a link to all registered Supporting and Patron Members as of that date.

3. Nominations and Candidate Eligibility

a. Supporting and Patron members may be nominated and may nominate candidates for the Board of Directors. Any Supporting or Patron Member may self-nominate for any Board position.

b. Nominations must be sent to the Secretary and the President of the Board by email. Nominations close at midnight on the last day of September.

c. Each nominee must accept their nomination to each office they are nominated for, except for those who self-nominated, by email to the Secretary and the President. The Secretary will email nominees to solicit acceptances within 7 days of the closing of nominations by email if an acceptance has not already been received.

d. Acceptances must be received by October 14, and may be accompanied by a written statement of 300 words or less to be distributed with the ballot. Candidates running for more than one office may submit a statement for each office.

e. A list of nominees and their statements may be posted to the GCOM website.

4. Administration of Elections:

a. The Board shall designate a committee of at least two Supporting or Patron members to evaluate and recommend automated means for voting at least 150 days prior to Elections.

I. Preference will be for Ranked Choice or Preferential Voting methods

II. Preferred software will maintain the confidentiality of a member’s vote

III Software must prevent a member from submitting more than one ballot

IV Software that will allow asynchronous voting is required

b. The Board shall finalize selection of the preferred software for voting at least 90 days prior to each election.

c. The Offices and nominees on the ballot shall be presented in the order of: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and then Directors at Large as a group. Within each office, nominees must be presented in alphabetical order by last name.

d. In the case of Ranked Choice or Preferential voting, the ballots shall be evaluated in the order of presentation, such that if a person is elected to an office that has already been decided, they will not be considered for additional offices.

e. No member may be elected to more than one Board position.

f. If only one (1) nomination is received for an Officer position, no vote need be taken, and the nominee may be declared as having won the office and their name deleted from any other offices they have been nominated for. (i)If the number of nominees for the At-Large Board positions does not exceed the number of At-Large positions, the nominees may all be declared as having won the office.

g. Each Supporting and Patron Member may submit (1) vote for each office, and for At-Large voting, members may vote for as many candidates as there are vacant seats to be filled.

h. Election results must be posted to the GCOM website within 7 days of the close of Elections.

5. Transition and Vacancies:

a. Current Board members shall retain their positions on the Board until 12:01 AM of the first day of January, at which time the newly elected Board Members shall assume office.

b. Any vacant Board position, except President, may be filled by appointment approved by a simple majority vote of the Board. The appointee must be a Patron or Supporting Member. Such appointment shall take effect immediately upon acceptance.

c. If the office of President becomes vacant for any reason, the Vice President shall assume the title and duties of President. The Board shall then appoint a Vice President by a simple majority vote.

There shall be two (2) types of meetings: Board and General. For all meetings, either posted notice on the GCOM website, or written notice sent by e-mail to each member’s most recently provided email address, the requisite time in advance, shall constitute sufficient notification. All meetings may be held electronically and will be deemed as valid if stated conditions are met. Meetings teams, committees, working groups, and other bodies created by the President or Board are not considered official meetings for purposes of these bylaws and may be arranged and run in any way the board and/or the members of the committee deem appropriate.

Dissolution of the club shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of Supporting and Patron members, entitled to vote thereon, who are present at a General Meeting called exclusively for such purpose, provided a quorum is present. In the event of dissolution, all of the property and assets of the club, or the proceeds thereof, shall be given to a suitable organization selected by the members present at the meeting.