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ARTICLE I - NAME 

ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION

ARTICLE V - PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATION

ARTICLE VI - LEADERSHIP OFFICERS MEETINGS

ARTICLE VII - GENERAL MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS

ARTICLE VIII - VOTING AT GENERAL MEETINGS

ARTICLE IX - ELIGIBILITY FOR OFFICE AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

ARTICLE X - ORGANIZATION FINANCES

ARTICLE XI – DISSOLUTION

ARTICLE XII - DISCORD

ARTICLE XIII - GENERAL PROHIBITIONS

ARTICLE XIV- ADOPTION/AMENDMENTS

Appendix I: CODE OF CONDUCT

Appendix II: MEMBERSHIP TYPES AND PRIVILEGES

 

ARTICLE I - NAME

 

This corporation shall be known as Riichi Nomi New York City Social Club, Inc. (“Riichi Nomi NYC,” “Riichi Nomi,” “RNNYC,” “the corporation,” or “the social club”).

  

ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

 

This social club has been founded to fulfill the following purposes:

 

• to foster an inclusive, educational, and competitive forum for members to play mahjong;

• to promote and expand the riichi mahjong community through in-person and on-line activities;

• to participate in tournaments, competitions, and other mahjong related events, and;

• to drive community and social engagement among members, as well as the broader riichi mahjong community.

 

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

 

Membership is open to any person interested in learning and playing the game of riichi mahjong. No member shall be excluded due to race, religion, gender expression/identity, or sexual orientation.

 

There are two types of memberships: local and remote.

 

The annual Membership Term is for one calendar year, defined as January 1 through December 31 of the current year.  If an individual becomes a member during the Membership Term, the individual’s membership shall run from the date of becoming a member through December 31 of that year.  Individuals that join after July 1 are eligible for a prorated membership due that is half the cost of an annual membership.

 

The monthly Membership Term is one calendar month from the 1st to the last day of the current month. Monthly members that reach the annual membership due amount during the year become eligible for memberships benefits for the remainder of that calendar year, regardless of whether or not they cancel their monthly membership dues.

 

Membership is to be renewed annually by January 31st, with dues and benefits set by the club Leadership Officers. Members who do not renew by January 31st will have their benefits suspended until the membership is renewed.

 

Membership benefits and privileges are detailed in Appendix II.

 

Each member is encouraged to actively contribute to the social club’s events during each year. Examples of active contribution include:

 

• Attending official social club meetings.

• Participation in in-person and on-line events, tournaments, and other playing opportunities.

• Assisting with club events, such as event coordination, tournament judging, web or graphic design, and cleaning up after club events.

• Attending or leading talks, lectures or discussions of riichi mahjong topics or strategy.

 

Each member is expected to maintain responsible conduct at all RNNYC events. In the event a member (or a nonmember at club events) does not maintain proper conduct, immediate and appropriate corrective measures will be taken by Leadership Officers or their designees. The RNNYC Code of Conduct lays out expectations for behavior and is attached as Appendix 1 to these Bylaws.

 

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION

 

This corporation shall have the following permanent Leadership Officers positions: President, Treasurer, and Secretary. In addition, there are four additional Leadership Officer positions that may be filled: Teaching and Recruitment, Online Content and Social Media, In-person Play, Tournaments and Events. 

 

For matters that require an officer vote, each individual is entitled to a single vote.

 

Each officer will serve a one-year term, defined as one calendar year, and no member will serve more than five consecutive terms in the same office.

 

The officers will be known as the “Leadership Officers” and will be responsible for making organizational decisions, creating meeting agendas, and creating committees.

 

The duties of each Leadership Officer include:

 

President 

• Oversees all workstreams to ensure their smooth operation.

• Participates in planning and generating ideas for all workstreams.

• Manages any work streams that need assistance or are unassigned otherwise.

• Sets the agenda for club meetings and leads the discussion, or delegates this responsibility as needed.

 

Treasurer

• Manages the club funds and spending requests.

• Creates the annual budget and presents it for club approval.

• Generates and implements fundraising ideas.

• Files applicable tax returns.  

 

Secretary​

• Manages the membership roster.

• Takes attendance of members and guest non-members at club events.  

• Records minutes for  General Meetings and distributes them in the monthly members email update.

• Manages the annual Leadership Officer election and other voting items.

• On-boards new members, including coordinating new-member benefits.

 

Online Play 

• Ensures smooth operation of club night online play (bot is running, people are queuing, lobby is using correct ruleset, etc.).

• Runs monthly survey of club night rules to be discussed at each steering meeting.

• Keeps track of the top online player of the week and month to award appropriate Discord roles, assist with Content Team to assist in record keeping.

• Manages and runs end-of-month online knockout tournaments to determine the “(Title) of (Month)”.

• Increases engagement with online play.

 

In-person Play 

• Ensures smooth operation of weekly in-person meetups (setting up the weekly invite, ensuring the correct number of sets and mats are brought to each meetup, arriving early to set up).

• Works on expanding meetup opportunities in other boroughs/locations.

• Searches for new venues when attendance exceeds capacity of current venues.

 

Teaching and Recruitment

• Creates and runs in-person opportunities for player growth outside of club day, such as practice sessions or study sessions.

• Coordinates Paifu review sessions for club members, patreon (reviewer can be club or guest).

• Generates and executes ideas on how to grow the club through outreach and teaching.

 

Tournament Organization

• Responsible for running or delegating all aspects of tournaments: generating ideas for tournaments, planning details and structures, promotion and getting sign ups, doing setup, running events, giving prizes.

 

Streaming, Social Media and Online Content

• Posts on our Facebook and Instagram (and any other platform) to increase the digital footprint of the club.

• Creates and posts videos to our YouTube channel.

• Manages our website and ensures information is up to date.

• Ensures smooth operation of live streaming at events, including video feeds and audio commentary.

 

ARTICLE V - PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATION

 

The publication of the social club shall be the Riichi Nomi website (riichinomi.com) and other such publications as the Leadership Officers may authorize. Significant communications on social club matters will be posted on the website while communication on general social club matters shall be primarily conducted through the club Discord channels and email.  Matters requiring formal votes shall be communicated to members via direct email, as well as posted in Discord.  

 

ARTICLE VI - LEADERSHIP OFFICERS MEETINGS

 

Leadership Officers will meet on at least a quarterly basis or as needed from January through December. Meeting location and dates will be determined by the Leadership Officers.

 

Leadership Officers are responsible for making organizational decisions and setting meeting agendas.

 

A Quorum of the Leadership Officers is defined as 75% of the officer team.

 

ARTICLE VII - GENERAL MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS

 

General Meetings (“meetings,” “member meetings,” “steering meetings”) will be held on a monthly basis from January through December to discuss official club business. Meeting location and dates will be announced prior to all meetings via the social club’s communication channels. 

 

General Meetings are open to all members. Non-members may attend one meeting, but must pay dues to attend thereafter. Attendance will be taken and recorded for members and non-members alike by the Secretary, or their designee.

 

Meeting agendas can be set and changed as deemed necessary by the President or the President’s designee.

 

Tournaments, lectures, and other social events may be held during General Meetings or at other times throughout the year and are considered “members only” events, unless otherwise declared at the discretion of the Leadership Officers. Non-members attending a steering meeting may not be eligible to participate in these additional events without submitting membership dues.

 

ARTICLE VIII - MEMBER VOTING 

 

All members (“voting members”) have a right to vote or abstain from voting on any topic up for vote. Voting will be done via on-line channels; voting topics and the voting period will be communicated in advance through email and Discord.  Votes will be tracked by the Secretary.

 

On matters that require a vote, a quorum will exist once 40% of members have voted. If a quorum is unattainable through reasonable means of outreach throughout the voting period, the Leadership Officers shall determine if the appropriate action of either using the results as-is or deferring the matter to bring up in a future vote. Any such action by the Leadership Officers shall be clearly communicated through the club channels.

 

ARTICLE IX - ELIGIBILITY FOR OFFICE AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

Any member in good standing is eligible to run for a Leadership Officer position provided they have attended at least three meetings within the calendar year. An eligible member seeking office does not need to have a minimum skill level, but must be able to commit to fulfilling the duties of the position over the course of the year. 

 

Leadership Officers must be located in the greater New York City area.

 

Before the October meeting of each year, applications for the Leadership Officers will be opened. Applicants must willingly and knowingly accept the responsibilities of the position to be considered a candidate and demonstrate the skills they have to fulfill the duties and, if any, ideas they have to implement if they were in the position.

 

Voting will be completed online in advance of the November meeting, running for a time period of at least one week. The Secretary is solely responsible for tracking ballots, storing any personal information collected during the election process, and disposing of it after the election is finalized.

 

Candidates will be declared winners with a plurality of votes and winners will be announced through email and Discord. In the event of a tie, a run-off vote will be held between the top vote-getters in the prior round.

 

Leadership Officers-elect will assume their duties as of January 1 of the following year; outgoing Leadership Officers will be responsible for a smooth transition, including any required training, login credentials, and other materials in their possession that are critical to the execution of the office. Officer terms end on December 31.
 

ARTICLE X - ORGANIZATION FINANCES

 

The social club’s annual accounting period shall be a calendar year basis.

 

No expenditure club funds in excess of two hundred dollars ($200) shall be made unless it is approved by a quorum vote by the Leadership Officers.  Any such expenditure will be communicated to club membership through standard organization communication channels. Discretionary purchases below $200 and outside of approved budget line items will be approved or disapproved by the Treasurer.

 

The Treasurer shall complete an annual budget, in consultation with the Leaderships Officers, to plan for the expected inflows and outflows related to club business for the coming year. During this process, club members may be asked for input on how to best utilize club funds. The completed budget will be communicated to the club members prior to finalization and before the new calendar year - including an update on the prior year’s performance to budget and the potential usage. 

 

Club members will vote on the completed budget in December to finalize it. If a budget vote does not pass, the Treasurer will make any necessary revisions in a timely manner and re-submit to the club members for vote.

  

ARTICLE XI – DISSOLUTION

 

The Leadership Officers may adopt and implement a Plan of Dissolution by a majority vote. Any such vote shall require a quorum of the Leadership Officers.

 

Upon the dissolution, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

 

ARTICLE XII - DISCORD

 

The RNNYC Discord server is a space where club members and non-club members can discuss riichi mahjong and other topics. Access to specific channels within the Discord may be restricted to 1) general public, 2) members only, 3) Leadership Officers only, or 4) other sub-channels as deemed necessary by the Leadership Officers.

 

All users of the RNNYC Discord are subject to the Riichi Nomi NYC Code of Conduct as attached to Appendix 1. 

 

ARTICLE XIII - GENERAL PROHIBITIONS

 

No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall or may under any circumstances be used for the benefit of any member or individual.

 

The corporation shall not be organized or operated for profit.

 

Club members shall not cheat or gamble during any official club event

 

ARTICLE XIV - ADOPTION/AMENDMENTS

 

These Bylaws become effective when approved by a majority vote of the Leadership Officers and a majority of member votes, provided a quorum of members participate.  If a quorum of members cannot be obtained, voting will be extended until such quorum can be met. 

 

Any voting member can propose a revision to the Bylaws by submitting such proposal writing to the Leadership Officers. All suggestions will be reviewed by the Leadership Officers who will decide if the suggestions will be presented to the membership to vote for adoption into the Bylaws.  

 

Proposals for amendment to the Bylaws shall be announced via email and Discord channels at least two weeks prior to voting. Voting will be conducted via an online form and will be open for one calendar week. An amendment will be adopted if:

 

• A quorum of voting members, as defined above, has cast their vote, and;

• More than 50% of votes cast are in favor of adoption

• If a quorum of voting members does not participate in online voting, the vote will be deferred until the next voting item is required or rescinded, at the discretion of the requestor.

 

The approved Bylaws will be posted on the Riichi Nomi NYC website.

​
 

Appendix I: RNNYC Code of Conduct

 

In the interest of the members of Riichi Nomi NYC we adhere to the following code:

 

We are an inclusive and welcoming organization who acts with integrity and respect towards its members and non-members alike when participating in club events, using club communication channels, and are otherwise representing the Riichi Nomi NYC organization. 

 

Harassment in any form is not tolerated. Harassment includes, but is not limited to: inappropriate and unwelcome physical contact and sexual attention; verbal or written language that is diminutive related to gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disabilities, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, nationality, race, age, religion, or other protected category; distribution of pornographic imagery; deliberate intimidation; misogyny; stalking; sustained disruptive behavior.

 

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Non-compliance may result in expulsion from RNNYC without the reimbursement of dues.

 

Additionally, members are expected to maintain a respectable show of sportspersonship when competing, including not leaving or otherwise disconnecting from matches, cheating in any way, or other similar behaviors.  Members are expected to treat club-owned equipment and member-owned equipment with care when using it.

 

This Code of Conduct applies to all club members and all non-members using the club Discord or in attendance at events hosted by the club.

 

Members and non-members are expected to follow the guidance of the Leadership Officers when informed they are out of compliance with this Code of Conduct.

 

Abandonment of the RNNYC Code of Conduct will be addressed by the Leadership Officers expediently with appropriate corrective measures.
 

Appendix II: Membership Types and Privileges

 

Members are divided into two geographical groups: local and remote.

 

Local members are defined as any member of RNNYC residing in the Greater New York City Area. They are entitled to all of the following benefits:

 

• Participate in our steering meetings to opine on club direction and policy, and vote for club officers

• Access to exclusive members-only tournaments with club-funded prizes.

• Mahjong coaching and game log reviews.

• NAGA AI Tenhou game log reviews from the shared RNNYC NAGA account.

• Participate in live streaming to the RNNYC YouTube. 

• Run for Leadership Officer positions. 

• Members-only social events.

• Complimentary Riichi Nomi merchandise per year.

 

Remote members are defined as any member residing outside of the Greater New York City Area. They have access to all of the same benefits but cannot run for Leadership Officer positions.