These are the By-laws of The Computer Users Group of Victoria as approved by the Blind Citizens Australia Board in June 2003.

1.1: BCA is a nation-wide organisation, which all blind Australian residents may join as a matter of right, to promote the common purpose of their total welfare through joint action and mutual support.

BCA's mission is to achieve equity and equality by our empowerment, by promoting positive community attitudes, and by striving for high quality and accessible services which meet our needs.

1.2: BCA's national unity is its strength, and its active branches are its life.

1.3: The name of this organisation is the BCA Computer Users Group Of Victoria.

1.4: Notwithstanding the presence of the word "Victoria" in its title, this branch has no geographic limits other than those of the BCA itself.

1.5: The objects of the branch are:

• to raise consciousness as to the potential of computing in areas such as employment, education and recreation, to assist members in making informed decisions when purchasing items like personal computers, adaptive equipment and software ;
• to serve as an information resource with experience, expertise and contacts for organisations serving blind and vision-impaired people. Such organisations being both generic and specialist, government and private, and providing rehabilitation or education services;
• to exchange news of current events and developments in both the generic and adaptive technology fields;
• to liaise with designers of adaptive hardware and software, offering advice, and providing feedback as appropriate;
• to forge links with other computer user groups as appropriate;
• to establish and maintain a public domain software library specialising in programs which are well suited for use by people with vision impairment;
• to maintain "particular interest" committees within the Group, such as for users of IBM-type computers or Apple Macintosh computers;
• to make audio recordings of Annual and General meetings for distribution to those members who satisfy the Committee that it is impractical for them to normally attend meetings.

1.6: These by-laws are based on the model by-laws for Special Interest Branch administration approved by the Board of the BCA under article 6 D B.

1.7: The Branch has autonomy concerning its areas of special interest, but its decisions and actions must be consistent with the BCA's Memorandum of Articles, its by-laws and policies.

In these by-laws, these words have these meanings:

• "articles" means BCA's Articles Of Association, as amended 1999.
• "Committee" means the Branch Committee.
• "board" means the Board Of Directors of Blind Citizens Of Australia.
• "executive officer" means the BCA's Executive Officer, who is normally also BCA's Company Secretary.
• "member" means the members of BCA, of whatever category, unless otherwise stated.
• "Memorandum" means the BCA's Memorandum Of Association, as amended 1999.
• "BCA" means Blind Citizens Of Australia.

3.1: All members of the Branch must be BCA members.

3.2: Organisations cannot be branch members.

3.3: The members of the Branch are those BCA members who choose to join the Branch, and who satisfy such membership requirements as are set out in these by-laws.

3.4: A person becomes a member of the Branch when the Treasurer or Secretary receives that person's membership fee where applicable.

3.5: The Branch has the following categories of membership:

1. Full membership, applying to legally blind Australian residents over the age of 18 years.
2. Associate membership, applying to people who identify with the BCA's aims, but who are ineligible for full membership.
3. Junior membership, applying to legally blind Australian residents under the age of 18 years.

4.1: Membership fees shall be payable annually, and in advance. The amount of such fees shall be set at the Branch's Annual meeting, and may be varied from time to time.

4.2: The Committee may negotiate with an individual member a schedule for the payment of fees in the case of financial hardship.

5.1: The Branch shall be managed by a committee of from four to six Full members, except that the Treasurer may be an associate member.

5.2: The Officers and Committee members shall be elected at the Annual meeting of the Branch, for a one-year term, which commences at the end of the meeting.

5.3: A quorum for a meeting of the Committee is four Committee members of whom three must be Full members.

6.1: One person may be both Treasurer and Secretary.

6.2: One person may be both Vice-president and Treasurer.

6.3: The President is the Branch's leader, and should be its main spokesperson. The President should chair all meetings of the Branch, and of the Committee.

6.4: The Vice-president must work in support of the President, and represent the President in his or her absence.

6.5: The Secretary must ensure that minutes are taken of all meetings, keep the Branch records, attend to correspondence, and organise meetings.

6.6: The Secretary must send to the Executive Officer, within two months of the Branch's Annual meeting, details of the in-coming Committee, copies of the President's and Treasurer's Annual reports, and copies of any resolutions passed by the Annual meeting.

6.7: The Secretary must maintain an accurate list of the names and addresses of the Branch's members. The Secretary must cooperate with the Executive Officer, to exchange and update information for the Branch's membership list, and must send to the Executive Officer an up-to-date list of Branch members each year, or when requested to do so by the Executive Officer.

6.8: The Secretary must maintain an assets register showing details of all items acquired by the Branch. A copy of this register must be sent to the Executive Officer each year.

6.9: The Secretary must ensure that the Branch's official minutes are kept in print, and that a print copy of the Branch's Annual and General meetings minutes are lodged with the Executive Officer within two months.

6.10: The Treasurer must maintain the Branch's financial records, report to the Branch and to the Committee, and administer the Branch's bank account.

7.1: The Branch's financial year must end on June 30.

7.2: The Branch must maintain an account with a recognised financial institution. The Committee must appoint three signatories for this account. The account must have cheque-writing facilities, and all cheques must be signed by two people.

7.3: The Treasurer's report to the Annual meeting must have be audited by a person who is not a Branch member. This person must be chosen by the Committee. This person must be either an accountant, or have demonstrated experience as a bookkeeper.

7.4: The Committee may decide to pay people who speak at Branch functions and in doing so will take full responsibility for payment of such speakers.

It is not the normal practice of the Branch to engage in fundraising activities on its own behalf; however, should it ever do so, it must accept full responsibility for such activities, and must ensure that such activities will be conducted according to the requirements of the law.

9.1: The Branch must hold an Annual meeting in each calendar year, in July, August, or September.

9.2: Each Branch member must receive at least fourteen days notice of the Annual meeting, in an accessible format.

9.3: The Annual meeting must:

1. receive and adopt the minutes of the last Annual meeting;
2. receive and adopt annual reports from the President, Treasurer, and from other persons, as the Committee may determine.
3. elect the President and the other Committee members;
4. deal with any other items raised either by the Committee, or by notice of motion from a member, which it is proper to bring before an Annual meeting, for example, a proposal to vary fees, etc;

9.4: A quorum for an Annual meeting shall comprise ten members of whom seven must be Full members of the Branch.

10.1: General meetings of the Branch must be held at least quarterly.

10.2: A quorum for General meetings shall comprise ten members of whom seven must be Full members of the Branch.

10.3: Formalities at General meetings should be kept to a minimum, thereby enabling the Branch to focus on its specific objects. However, minutes of General meetings must be kept, and both correspondence and financial matters must be dealt with properly.

11.1: Voting at all meetings of the Branch, its Committee, or any sub-groups shall be by members present physically or participating via a two-way telecommunication link.

11.2: Voting should normally be by voices or show of hands, but may be by poll, where the chairperson considers this more appropriate. The chairperson may conduct a secret ballot for elected or appointed positions.

11.3: Only Full members may vote at an Annual meeting, provided they are financial.

11.4: Full members present at General meetings may vote on all issues. Associate members present at General meetings may only vote on matters such as computing, or activities, in respect of which the Branch has autonomy as a Special Interest Branch of the BCA. Junior members may not vote at General meetings.

No member of the Branch, other than the President or the Secretary, shall communicate or commit the Branch in any way with outside persons or organisations in matters concerning branch affairs, unless authorised by the Branch or the Committee to do so, and then only in respect of the matters, and to the extent of the authorisation given.

The Branch must not endorse particular products, and must strive to maintain objectivity at all times.

14.1: These by-laws may be amended at an Annual meeting, provided that the proposed amendment is not inconsistent with the spirit of the model by-laws for Special Interest Branch administration.

14.2: Any proposed amendment must first be considered by the Committee and circulated as part of the formal notice of the Annual meeting. The person chairing the Annual meeting may accept changes to proposed amendments during the meeting.

14.3: Amendments must be passed by a majority of two-thirds of the votes.

14.4: The Branch must advise the Executive Officer of the adoption or amendment of its by-laws, and any changes will not take formal effect until their ratification by the Board.

15.1: The Branch may either recommend to the Board that it be dissolved, or be wound up by the Board.

15.2: The Branch may only dissolve itself at a General meeting called to discuss the matter, of which twenty-one days written notice has been given to all Branch members in an accessible format. A vote to dissolve the Branch must pass by a two-thirds majority.