Rev 0 9/17/2024
Rev 1 10/20.2025
Address:
3229 Cranberry Highway, Suite #7
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
A non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status serving Deaf seniors in Massachusetts
Website address: massdsc.org
Article 1: Name and Purpose
1.1 The name of this non-profit organization shall be called Massachusetts Deaf Senior Citizens, hereinafter known as MassDSC.
1.2 The purpose of MassDSC is to:
Plan on identifying the total needs of Deaf* senior citizens.
Educate the general public.
Advocate/develop programs and activities to meet the needs of health, education, caregiving, and social welfare of Deaf Senior Citizens.
Coordinate and collaborate with other existing senior citizens organizations.
Present and exchange information to benefit Deaf senior citizens.
To provide resources and to support individuals who provide care to Deaf senior citizens.
The term Deaf* includes all individuals with hearing loss who identify as Deaf, deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled/DeafPlus, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened, and Oral Deaf. Detailed definitions of these terms can be found in the glossary at the end of this document.
Article 2: Membership
2.1 Membership shall be open to all Deaf individuals who are 50 years or older supporting the purpose of MassDSC and residing in Massachusetts.
2.2 Membership shall be accepted upon submission of a completed membership application.
Article 3: Voting Rights
3.1 Active members shall be entitled to one vote on each matter that may come forth in the meeting.
3.2 Simple majority vote is determined by the members who are present at a meeting where a quorum is met. A quorum shall consist of 20% of the total registered membership.
3.3 Special resolutions/emergency meeting requiring a vote; shall be passed by 80% vote of the members present at the meeting where a quorum is present. Notice of proposed resolution must be given to the members at least 24 hours prior to meeting.
Article 4: Board of Directors
4.1 The Board shall consists:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Two Trustees
(One may refer to the Operating Manual for descriptions of each board role.)
4.2 Board nominees must be Deaf, an active member of MassDSC, a Massachusetts resident, and support the goals of MassDSC.
4.3 The Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual membership meeting held in the fall of even-numbered years. Board members shall serve two (2)-year terms and may serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms. No individual may serve more than six (6) consecutive years on the Board of Directors, regardless of position held. Upon completion of this service, the individual must step down and shall not be eligible for re-election to the Board until at least two (2) years have elapsed. Board members whose terms are expiring must notify the Chair of the Elections Committee at least thirty (30) days before the election of their intent to seek re-election, if eligible, or to step down. (Refer to Article 9 under Parliamentary Process on election procedures on page 5.)
4.5 After election to the Board of Directors, the elected members will determine among themselves who will serve as CEO, COO, CIO, CFO, and Trustee(s). The results shall be announced to the membership within seven (7) days.
4.6 Committees
4.6.1 Committees may be established as needed by the Board of Directors to carry out the functions of MassDSC.
4.6.2 Committees shall report to the Board of Directors and provide updates at meetings.
Article 5: Membership Meetings
5.1 Meetings Meetings may be called by the CEO and/or Board of Directors and can be held anytime when needed.
5.2 Annual Membership Meeting The annual membership meeting shall be held in the fall at a time determined by the Board of Directors. The purpose of this meeting is to receive and review reports from each elected Director and to conduct other official business of the organization. At least thirty (30) days prior to the annual membership meeting, officers shall provide members with an annual report and draft (unofficial) minutes from the previous year’s annual meeting. Draft (unofficial) minutes of the current annual membership meeting shall be distributed to all members within thirty (30) days following the meeting.
5.3 Elections Elections of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in accordance with Article 4 and shall occur during even-numbered years.
5.4 Vacancies Any vacancy on the Board of Directors occurring between elections shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors. The individual appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs between even numbered biennial meetings, the board shall appoint a replacement.
5.5 Special Meetings Special meetings may be called by the CEO with concurrence of the Board of Directors OR when requested by 40% of the members. Business conducted during special meetings shall be confined to the purpose of the special meeting.
5.6 Emergency Meetings Emergency meetings needing immediate attention are called upon by the CEO as needed.
5.7 Quorum & Voting A quorum of membership (simple majority) is required for any vote. Votes are only cast by members in attendance.
Article 6: Code of Conduct
6.1 Conflict of Interest The Board and Committees shall conduct their duties with honesty and integrity. Conflicts of interest shall be disclosed to the CEO.
6.2 Privacy Policy MassDSC shall ensure the confidentiality of members' personal information.
Article 7: Finances
CFO, in consultation with the Board, shall recommend 3 active members to audit the financial records of MassDSC each year and whenever necessary. CFO shall provide audited financial reports to the members
Article 8: Amendments
8.1 Any member can submit a proposed amendment or change in bylaws to the CEO, in writing at any time.
8.2 When proposed amendments or changes in the bylaws are received, the CEO shall establish a bylaws committee and appoint 3 members to serve on that committee.
8.3 Proposed amendments after review by the bylaws committee and the Board must be made public to the members 30 days prior to voting at the next membership meeting.
8.4 All amended By-Laws shall require a three-fourth (¾) vote equivalent to 75% of members present at the meeting, providing the quorum requirement has been met.
Article 9: Parliamentary Process
The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority of the MassDSC for any situation not outlined here in the bylaws.
Article 10: Dissolution
To dissolve, MassDSC shall require approval of 90% of the registered membership. All assets of MassDSC shall be distributed to other 501(c)3 organizations whose primary objective is of interest to the Deaf, preferably Senior Citizens.
Glossary of Terms in This Document
Deaf* includes all people with hearing loss who are identified as Deaf, deaf, Deaf-Blind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, Late-deafened, and Oral Deaf.
Deaf - this term refers to someone who identifies as part of the signing Deaf Community, regardless of their hearing levels. The Deaf Community considers itself a linguistic minority, having its own history, culture, and social norms.
deaf - this term ‘’deaf’’, typically refers to someone who has severe to profound hearing levels but does not necessarily identify as part of the Deaf Community.
DeafBlind - this term refers to people who are Deafblind if their combined sight and hearing impairment cause difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility. This includes people with a progressive sight and hearing loss.
DeafDisabled/DeafPlus - this term refers to people with hearing loss and additional challenges/needs in their life.
Hard of Hearing - this term refers to people who have the partial ability to hear (residual hearing) who may communicate via sign language, spoken language or both.
Oral Deaf - this term refers to people who are born deaf or become deaf prelingually, but are taught to speak, use speech primarily and do not typically use American Sign Language for communication.
Late-Deafened - this term refers to people who became deaf after acquiring language.
American Sign Language (ASL) - a visual language with its own syntax and grammar used primarily by persons who are Deaf.
Deaf Community - a community of people whose primary mode of communication is ASL and who share a common identity, culture, history, and a way of interacting with each other and the hearing community.
Deaf Culture - a view of life manifested by the morals, beliefs, artistic expression, understandings, and language (ASL) particular to Deaf people. A capital “D” is often used in the word Deaf when it refers to a community or cultural aspects of deafness.
Communication Access - refers to provision of assistive technology services and accommodations that allow communication (both receptive and expressive) to be effective for each individual.
Accessibility - refers to the ability or right to approach, enter, use, or understand something.