Ionia Innovators

Official Rules

Rules

Please review the rules before joining Ionia Innovators.

Adopted ​4/16​/15 ORGANIZATIONAL ​RULES lon​i​a ​Innovators

The ​Members ​of ​lonia ​Innovators ​(​”​Group​”​) ​have ​agreed ​to ​adopt ​the ​following ​rules​:
A​. ​Attendance

A​.​1​. Requirements. ​ E​ach ​Mem​ber ​must ​attend ​the ​Group ​m​eeting ​each ​week​; however​, ​three ​absences​ per​ quarter are​ allowed​. ​A ​”​quarter​” ​is​three ​calendar​ months and ​a ​new ​quarter ​begins ​on ​January ​1​, ​April ​1​, ​July ​1​, ​and ​October ​1 ​of ​each ​year​.

A​.​2. Substitutes. ​The ​Member ​will ​not ​be ​considered ​”​absent​” ​if ​he ​or ​she ​s​e​nds ​a substitute ​to ​the ​Group ​meeting ​who ​is ​prepared ​to ​deliver ​a ​60​-​second ​presentation​.

A​.​3​. Courtesy ​ call. ​ It ​is ​expected ​that ​a ​Member ​will ​call ​or ​text ​the ​Vice ​President ​if ​the Member ​is ​absent ​without ​a ​substitute​.

B​. ​F​ees

B​.​1​. A​mount ​ and ​ due ​ date. ​ F​ees ​are ​$​75​.​00 ​per ​quarter​, ​due ​on ​the ​first ​Thursday ​of each ​quarter​. ​Fees ​paid ​are ​not ​refundabl​e​. ​F​ees may ​be ​prorated ​for ​a ​new ​Member during ​his ​or ​her ​first ​quarter ​of ​membership ​in ​the ​Group​.

B​.​2​. Amendment​ to​ fees. ​The ​Leadership ​Team ​may ​amend ​the ​fee amount ​or ​due ​date ​at any ​time​.

C​. ​Organization

C​.​1​. Budget​ Committee.  ​ The ​Budget ​Committee ​is ​mad​e ​of ​two ​people​, ​selected by majority ​vote of ​the ​entire ​Group ​before ​April ​1 ​of ​each ​year ​(​or ​as ​soon ​thereafter ​as practical​) ​to ​a ​12​-​month ​term ​tha​t ​begins ​April ​1 ​of ​each ​year​.

Tw​o ​ signatures ​are ​required ​on ​all ​checks​: ​the ​signature ​of ​at ​least ​one ​member ​of​ the Budget ​Committee​, ​and ​another ​authorized ​signer ​who ​is ​appointed ​by ​the Leadership ​Team​. ​Th​e ​approval ​of​ both ​members​ of​the ​Budget ​Committee ​is ​required for ​all ​distributions​.

The ​Budget ​Committee ​is responsible ​to ​collect ​fees ​from ​the ​Members​, ​to ​pay ​the Group​’​s ​bills​, ​and ​to ​purchase ​supplies​. Al​l ​decisions ​of ​th​e ​B​udget ​Committee ​must ​be ​un​animous​. ​In ​the ​event ​of ​a disagreement ​between ​the ​two ​members ​of ​the​ Budget​Committee​,​ or ​if​ one​ member​of the ​Budget ​Committee ​is ​unavailable​,​the​ entire​ Leadership​ Team​ may​ decide ​the ​issue​, with ​three ​votes ​required ​for ​approval​.

C​.​2​. Leadership ​ Team. ​ The ​Leadership ​Team ​is ​made ​of ​five ​people​: ​the ​two ​members ​of the ​Budget ​Committee​, ​the ​President​, ​the ​immediate ​Past ​Presiden​t​, ​and ​the ​Vice ​President​.

The ​Leadership ​Team ​is ​authorized ​to ​set ​rules ​for ​the ​Group​, ​so ​long ​as ​those ​rules ​do not ​conflict ​with ​these ​Organizational ​Rules​.

The ​Leadership ​Team ​is ​authorized ​to ​discipline ​or ​remove ​a ​Member​, ​as ​provided below​.

C​.​3​. President. ​ The ​President ​shall ​preside ​over ​Group ​meetings​, ​and ​shall ​serve ​a six​-​month ​term​. ​A ​”six​-​month ​term​” ​is ​six ​calendar ​months ​and ​a ​new ​six​-​month term ​begins ​on ​April ​1 ​and ​October ​1 ​of ​each ​year​. ​The ​Member ​elected ​to ​serve ​as Vice ​President ​in ​the ​previous ​six​-​month ​term ​shall ​serve ​as ​President​.

C​.​4​. Vice ​ President. ​ The ​Vice ​President ​shall ​be ​selected ​by ​majority ​vote ​of ​the ​entire Group ​before ​the ​beginning ​of ​each ​six​-​month ​term ​(or ​as ​soon ​thereafter ​as practical​)​.

  • The ​Vice ​President ​is responsible ​to​: preside ​over ​Group ​meetings ​in ​the ​absence ​of ​the ​President​;
  • ​schedule ​the ​ten​-​minute ​presentations​;
  • take ​roll​, ​or ​keep ​attendance​, ​for ​each ​Member ​of ​the ​Group​;
  • keep ​each ​Member​’​s ​current ​email​, ​phone ​number​, ​and ​address ​in ​a ​database and ​provide ​copies ​of ​that ​information ​to ​the ​Members ​at ​Group ​meetings ​at least ​once ​per ​month​; ​and
  • ​k​eep ​time ​during ​the ​60​-​second ​commercials ​and ​ten​-​m​i​nute ​presentations​.

C​.5​. Vacancies. ​  Vacancies ​in ​any ​office ​must ​be ​filled ​by ​a ​majority ​vote ​of ​the entire ​Group​.

D​. ​Grou​p ​meetings

D​.​1​. Meeting ​ time. ​ Group ​meetings ​begin ​Thursday ​morning ​promptly ​a​t ​7​:​00am and conclude ​at ​8​:​30 ​am​. ​The ​location ​can ​be ​changed ​at ​any ​time ​by ​t​h​e ​Leadership ​Team​.

D​.​2​. A​genda. ​ Each ​Group ​meeting ​shall substantially ​include ​the ​following ​elements (​not ​necessarily ​in ​this ​order​)​:

  • Presentation ​by ​a ​Member ​of ​good ​marketing ​tips
  • 60​-​second ​commercials ​
  • Exchange ​of ​business ​cards ​
  • Budget ​Committee ​report
  • ​One ten​-​minute ​presentation ​(​including ​door ​prize​) ​
  • Referrals ​and ​testimonials ​
  • Provide visitors ​with ​information ​for ​joining ​the ​Group ​
  • Announcements ​by ​Members
  • Other ​business ​(​such ​as ​pr​esentation ​o​f ​award ​f​or ​b​est ​c​o​mmercial​, ​announcement ​of
    raffle ​winner​, ​etc​.​)

D​.​3​. Expectations ​ for ​ each ​ Member. ​It ​is ​expected ​that​, ​at ​a ​minimum​, ​each ​Member ​will ​come ​to ​the Group ​meeting on ​time​, ​prepared ​w​i​th a ​60​-​second ​commercial​, ​one ​referral ​or ​testimonial​, and ​shall ​be ​a ​positive​, ​attentive ​Member ​during ​the ​Group ​meeting​.

E​. ​Mentoring ​of ​New Mem​bers

E​.​1​. Person ​ responsible. ​ T​he ​person ​who ​sponsored ​the ​New ​Member ​is ​responsible ​for ​mentoring the ​New ​Member ​for ​a​t ​least ​60 ​days ​after ​the ​New ​Member ​has ​been ​admitted ​to ​the Group​.

E​.​2​. Topics. ​ The ​Mentor ​should ​help ​the ​New ​Member ​develop ​effective ​60​-​second commercials ​and ​ten​-​minute ​presentations​, ​and ​shall ​inform ​the ​New ​Member ​of ​the ​Group​’​s attendance ​policy​, ​f​e​es​, ​and ​expectations ​regarding ​referrals​.

F​. ​Membership

F​.​1​. A​dmission. ​ On ​application ​of ​a ​prospective ​Member ​for ​membership ​in ​the ​Group​, ​the Leadership ​Team ​shall ​meet ​to ​discuss ​the ​prospective ​Member​’​s ​qualifications ​and determine ​whether ​admitting ​the ​prospective ​Member ​into ​the ​Group ​is ​in the ​Group​’​s ​best ​interests​, ​subject ​to ​the ​following ​section​. ​The ​Leadership ​Team ​may require ​the ​prospective ​Member ​to ​submit ​references​, ​to ​submit ​a ​short ​statement​, ​to ​prepay fees​, ​or ​set ​any ​other ​requirement ​for ​the ​prospective ​Member​.

F​.​2​. Non-exclusivity. ​ The ​Leadership ​Team ​may ​not ​deny ​admission ​to​any​ prospective Member ​because ​a ​curr​ent ​Member ​of ​the ​Group ​i​s ​a ​competito​r​. ​A​dditionally​, ​no Member ​of ​the ​Group ​may ​discourage ​a ​prospective ​Member ​from ​joining ​the ​Group the ​prospective ​Member ​is ​a ​competitor ​of ​a ​current ​Member ​of ​t​h​e ​Group​. ​This ​section shall ​become ​null ​and ​void ​after ​April ​30​, ​2​0​1​6​.

F​.​3​. Removal ​ of ​ a ​ Member. ​ A ​Member ​may ​be ​removed ​at ​any ​time ​by ​t​h​e Leadership ​Team ​for​:

  • A ​violation ​of ​the ​attendance ​policy​; ​
  • Failure ​to ​pay ​fees ​in ​full ​when ​due​; ​or ​
  • A determination ​that ​the ​Member​’s ​continued ​membership ​would ​not ​be ​in ​the ​Group​’​s best ​interests​.

Notice ​of ​the ​removal ​must ​be ​sent ​to ​the ​Member​, ​by ​email ​or ​U​.​S​. ​mail​, ​identifying one ​or ​more ​of ​the ​three ​reasons ​for ​removal​.  ​Member​may ​appeal ​to ​the entire ​Group​,​which ​may ​only ​overturn​ the​determination​ by​ the​ Leadership Team ​by ​majority ​vote ​of ​all ​current ​Members ​of ​the ​Group​, ​excluding ​the ​Member who ​is ​the ​subject ​of ​the ​vote​.

F​.​4​. Discipline ​ of ​ a ​ Member. ​ The ​Leadership ​may ​discipline ​a ​Member ​for ​violating ​any ​of these ​rules​, ​or ​other ​rules ​established ​from​time ​to ​time ​by​ the ​Leadership ​Team​,​ in​ any way ​the ​Leadership ​Team ​deems ​appropriate​.

​Notice ​of ​the ​disciplinary ​action ​must​be sent ​to ​the ​Member​, ​by ​email ​or ​U​.​S​. ​mail​.

G​. ​Amendments

G​.​1​. Amendments​. ​These ​Organizational ​Rules ​may ​only ​be ​amende​d ​by ​a ​two​-​thirds majority ​vote ​of ​all ​current ​Members ​of ​the ​Group​. ​For ​example​, ​if ​there ​are ​twelve current ​Members​, ​and ​a ​vote ​is ​taken ​at ​a ​meeting ​at ​which ​four ​Members ​are ​absent​, eight ​votes ​are ​required ​to ​amend ​these ​Organizational ​Rules​.

Adopted ​by ​a ​unanimous ​vote ​of ​all ​current ​Members ​on ​April ​16​, ​2​015​.

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This group of businesses are amazing!!! They have done wonders for helping growing my business. This group as well as the great personal and professional relationships that I have developed over the past two years!

Mitch Grieves  7/7/2017

The sole purpose if this group is to give its members more business. It is based on the concept of what goes around comes around. If you give business to me, I will give business to you. In BNI you have a edge over your competitors because none of them can join-we only allow one person per classification.

Michelle Baker  3/6/2014

This group has done wonders for getting my business recognized and connected locally. The professional contacts I've made through this group have been a tremendous asset as well.

Jesse French  3/1/2014

Ionia Innovators has been a great group for me. I know that I am among friends when I am there, and I really find encouragement from everyone. It's a great place to test ideas and hone my presentation skills.

Amy LeForge  10/15/2017

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Ionia Moose Lodge
869 E. Lincoln in Ionia

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