Executive Summary

Article 1 - There’s a Krewe, called Conus, that exists, and does service, advocacy, and pageantry.

Article 2 - This Krewe has members, we know they are members because they pay dues, and these dues are going to be fair.

Article 3 - The Krewe invests authority to do its business in an executive committee, the Conecil.  This group is elected as a slate annually by the membership. The Conecil has various officers, primarily the Conemander or President. This group is authorized to make decisions and conduct business on behalf of the members.  

Article 4 - The Krewe invests authority to ensure that the Krewe remains true to the legacy of the One True Cone and to advise the Conecil concerning the best practices.

Article 5 - The membership will meet regularly, as scheduled by the Conecil.  Once a year, during Lent, the Reconsecration Conegregation will convene, where the members will make any changes to the rules, elect a Conecil for the next year, and adopt a budget and dues structure.

Article 6 - Outlines the fiscal and dues year. Sets the membership to adopt a budget and dues structure annually. Dues and sponsors will cover operating expenses. In addition, philanthropic donations will be accepted, and all of these donations, plus excess operating revenues, will be invested philanthropically annually in the Greater New Orleans Area.

Article 7 - Ways to change these rules, and threshold when it's time for new rules.

Bylaws 

of the Mystic Krewe of Conus

Article 1 - Name and Purpose

  1. There shall be a krewe called the Mystic Krewe of Conus.
  2. The purpose of the Krewe shall be to evangelize the message of the One True Cone, the Megacone that appeared to us in the Garden District in the spring of 2021, which was reported by the Times-Picayune - New Orleans Advocate.
  3. The message of the Cone is to leap gleefully over potholes as we satirize the failures of New Orleans infrastructure, and to provide assistance to all those who call our infrastructure-challenged city home.
  4. The purpose of the Krewe shall also be to improve the welfare of its Conegregants as well as the welfare of New Orleans through service, advocacy, and pageantry.

Article 2 - Members (Conegregants) and Tithes (Dues)

  1. There shall be members of the Mystic Krewe of Conus.
  2. Members shall abide by the message of the One True Cone; support all members of the Krewe in fraternity and sorority; and demonstrate their fealty to both ideas by payment of membership dues (conegregant tithes) to the Krewe.
    1. Conegregants shall be verified by the payment of tithes to the Krewe.
  3. The Krewe shall set an access & equity conegregants tithe rate to ensure interested individuals are not hindered from joining or maintaining Krewe membership because of economic barriers.
  4. Conus Royalty: The Queen/King Cone is the only one true ruler of Conus. The Conecil may appoint a Queen/King Conesort to escort the One True Cone for no more than one year, terminating at the end of Lent.

Article 3 - Conecil (Executive Board) and Protocols

  1. There shall be a Conecil to organize and manage the daily affairs of the Krewe. It shall comprise all offices listed within this article. The Conecil shall number no less than 5 (five) members at any time.
  2. The Conecil at the time of these bylaws’ initial approval shall be composed of Kelly Martin (President/Conemander), Samantha Marshall (Vice President/Conesigliere),  Kento Azegami (Interkrewe Representative/Conector), David Williams (Secretary/Conecierge), and Joe Hyer (Conetroller/Treasurer). They shall operate in common to convene the Reconesecration Conegregation. 
  3. The Conecil shall have the primary mission to interpret and share the message of the One True Cone with the Krewe, as is appropriate to the time and circumstances of the Conegregants and New Orleans; subject to the decisions of the Conegregants and in accordance with the advice of the Coneservators. The Conecil shall also perform the business of the Krewe throughout the year.
  4. There shall be a President (Conemander). The duties of the Conemander are as follows: 
    1. to direct and support the work of the Conecil
    2. to officially represent and act on behalf of the Krewe in other forums
    3. to propose work for the Krewe
    4. to report to the Conegregants the activities of the Krewe on a regular basis
    5. to perform other duties as directed by the Conegregants of the Krewe
  5. There shall be a Conesigliere (Vice President). The duties of the Conesigliere are as follows: 
    1. to assist the Conemander with their duties
    2. to represent and act on behalf of the Krewe in the absence of the Conemander in all other forums
    3. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe
  6. There shall be a Conetroller (Treasurer). The duties of the Conetroller are as follows: 
    1. to oversee the movement of money into and out of the Krewe
    2. to maintain and report regularly financial records of the Krewe
    3. to partner with the Conecierge to maintain records of Conegregants and dues paid
    4. to advise the Krewe on financial matters
    5. to file appropriate documents with state and federal agencies
    6. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe
  7. There shall be a Conecierge (Secretary). The duties of the Conecierge are as follows: 
    1. to propose and, once approved, organize meetings of the Conecil on a regular basis
    2. to record meeting minutes that satisfy legal, financial, or social requirements
    3. to maintain records of decisions and actions of the Krewe
    4. to partner with the Conetroller to maintain records of dues paid and Conegregants
    5. to  partner with the Conemander to propose agendas for Conecil meetings
    6. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krew
  8. There shall be at least one Interkrewe Representative (Conector). The duties of Conector are as follows: 
    1. to attend all meetings of the Krewe to which they are the Krewe of Conus’ representative
    2. to represent the Mystic Krewe of Conus before the other Krewe
    3. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe of Conus
  9. There shall be a Communicone (Communications Officer). The duties of the Communicone are as follows:
    1. to partner with the Conecierge to maintain an accurate contact list of the Conegregation
    2. to draft and, once approved, deliver notices by email to the Conegregation
    3. to maintain the website and social media accounts of the Krewe
    4. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe
  10. There shall be an Aconelyte (Social Officer). The duties of the Aconelyte are as follows:
    1. to propose and, once approved, organize conegregations (meetings) of the Krewe Conegregants
    2. to propose and, once approved, organize regular non-business social gatherings of the Krewe (e.g., happy hours or crafting sessions)
    3. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe
  11. There shall be a Conemunity Builder (Service Officer). The duties of the Conemunity Builder are as follows: 
    1. to propose and, once approved, organize service initiatives for the Krewe;
    2. to propose and, once approved, organize regular service events for the Krewe;
    3. to build relationships with other local nonprofit service organization; and
    4. to perform other duties as directed by the Conemander or Conegregants of the Krewe. 
  12. The Conemander may appoint other members to the Conecil to perform other specific tasks for no more than one year. It is the intent of this provision that if certain tasks are required for more than one term of office, that those positions shall be  added to the presented slate for the following year until identified task is complete. Additional members, not listed above, are subject to approval of the Conecil
  13. All Conecil members have the duty to attend meetings of the Conecil. Additionally, they are expected to attend general membership events on a regular basis.
    1. Missing at least three regular conecil meetings in a row without notifying the Conemander is considered breach of duties.
    2. Although they may have notified the Conemander of exigent circumstances, missing four conecil meetings in a row may be considered a breach of duties at the discretion of the Conecil. 
  14. Quorum for Conecil is reached when more than 50% of Conecil members are present.
  15. All conegregants are qualified to fill a Conecil position.
  16. A conegregant may fulfill multiple offices on the Conecil, subject to limitations of Louisiana state law.
  17. Any conegregant may request attendance at a conecil meeting by contacting the Conemander or Conesigliere. 
  18. Unless otherwise specified, decisions at a conecil meeting should first be decided with an aspirational goal of conesensus. If consensus cannot be reached, then a vote shall be taken, with a simple majority (>50%) of those present needed for approval, unless otherwise specified in our bylaws.
  19. To save time, votes shall generally be conducted by show of hands. Any Conecil member may request that a vote be conducted by secret ballot, and that request must be honored.
  20. The number of votes shall generally not be recorded. 
  21. If necessary, it is permitted but discouraged to conduct votes by email, text, or internet form.
    1. Notice and instructions to participate shall be sent to all Conecil members.
    2. The voting period shall last for at least 24 hours from when the notification is sent, or until all Conecil members have voted (whichever is shorter).
    3. Due to technological limitations, a secret ballot cannot be accommodated.
  22. After the 2023 Conecil is elected, its term and all subsequent terms of office shall last until the next relevant Reconesecration Conegregation is convened. This conegregation shall be convened during Lent, or as soon thereafter as is logistically possible. This may result in terms of office differing in length from year to year.
  23. All offices of the Conecil are held for a term of two membership years, with half of all offices being up for election at any given year’s Reconesecration Conegregation.In membership years that begin in an even year (e.g., 2024), the office of the Conemander, Conetroller, Communicone, and Conemunity Builder will be up for election at the Reconesecration Conegregation.  In membership years that begin in an odd year (e.g., 2025), the office of Conesigliere, Conecierge, and Communicone Aconelyte will be up for election at the Reconesecration Conegregation. 
  24. At all subsequent Reconesecration Conegregation, the Conemander shall propose a slate of all applicable offices for approval. If approved by 75% of the attending members, all officers take office immediately and begin their service. If not approved after three proposed slates, the conegregants shall nominate and elect each officer individually until a Conecil is elected.
  25. Any member of the Conecil may be removed by the following procedures:
    1. Sufficient grounds for removal include: taking unauthorized action on behalf of the Krewe; spending Krewe money without authorization; other described actions and inactions identified in these bylaws as malfeasance of duties; and other sufficient grounds not contrary to law.
    2. Members of the conegregation may call for the removal of an officer by writing a summary of the grounds for removal, and notifying any Conecil member of their request.
    3. Once notified, that Conecil member must notify all other officers promptly.
    4. Once notified, said charges must be discussed at the Conecil’s next meeting. The Conemander may also convene a special meeting of the Conecil to discuss said charges.
    5. At that meeting, both the conegregant filing charges and the member in question shall have the chance to speak at the meeting and discuss the charges.
    6. At the following meeting of the Conecil, the officer’s removal will be voted on. The Conemander may also convene a special meeting of the Conecilno sooner than two weeks following the previous meeting to vote on the officer’s removal. If approved by 66% of those present, the officer shall be  removed from office and the office declared vacant.
    7. An office may also be declared vacant if the officer dies or resigns, which happens upon written notice to either the Conemander or Conesigliere as appropriate.
    8. If the office of Conemander becomes vacant, the Conemander shall be immediately replaced by the Conesigliere with no further action required. The incoming Conemander shall appoint a replacement for the office of Conesigliere at the next Conecil meeting. Appointments must be affirmed by vote at the next regular conegregation.
    9. If any of the other offices become vacant, the Conemander shall appoint a replacement for the office at the next conecil meeting. Appointments must be affirmed by vote at the next regular conegregation.


Article 4 - Board of Coneservators (Board of Trustees)

  1. There shall be a Board of Coneservators both to ensure that the Krewe remains true to the legacy of the One True Cone and to advise the Conecil concerning the best practices of local nonprofits with a tripart mission of service, pageantry, and camaraderie. 
  2. The term of Coneservators shall be indefinite.
  3. Coneservators shall be nominated by the existing Conservators, subject to ratification by the Conegregation.
  4. Board of Coneservators may call a vote of no conefidence in the Conecil upon a unanimous vote of the Coneservators, resulting in a new election of Conecil members at the next congregation.
  5. Board of Conservators may call a congregation for a vote of no conefidence.
  6. At the time of the approval of these bylaws, original members of the Board of Coneservators shall be proposed by the Conecil and approved by the Conegregants at the Reconesecration Congregation.

 

Article 5 - Business Meetings (Conegregations) and Protocol

  1. Regular conegregations shall be convened by the Conemander on a schedule determined annually by the conegregants.
  2. It is the will of this Krewe that all conegregations be convened physically in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.
    1. It is consistent with the will of this Krewe that physical meetings may provide a way for conegregants to attend digitally in a meaningful way.
    2. If a meeting must be convened solely digitally, it is the will of this Krewe that such meeting be convened at a time that is generally convenient for people who live in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  3. When possible, all conegregations shall be paired with either a social or service activity that commences immediately following the conclusion of the conegregation.
  4. Notice of all conegregations must be delivered to the conegregants at least two weeks prior to the meeting via email, and should also be published via social media.
  5. All conegregants have the right to attend and speak at a conegregation.
    1. The Conecil may restrict this right in concert with decisions of the conegregants.
  6. It is permitted for business items to be discussed for the first time and voted on at the same meeting unless otherwise specified in these bylaws.
  7. Quorum of a conegregation is defined as 20% of the current membership, as determined elsewhere in these bylaws. The Conecierge is responsible for defining quorum prior to any conegregation.
  8. Conegregations shall be conducted informally, with an aspirational goal of consensus decision making. If consensus cannot be reached, then a vote shall be taken, with a simple majority (>50%) of those present needed to win unless otherwise specified in our bylaws.
  9. To save time, votes shall generally be conducted by show of hands. 
  10. If necessary, it is permitted but discouraged to conduct votes by email or internet form.
    1. Notice and instructions to participate shall be sent by email to the Conegregants.
    2. The voting period shall last for at least 72 hours from when the notification by email is sent.
    3. Due to technological limitations, a secret ballot cannot be accommodated.
  11. Annually, after Mardi Gras but prior to Easter, the Coneservator shall convene the Reconesecration Conegregation, at a time and place proposed by the Conecil, to conduct the following business:
  1. Adoption and/or amending the bylaws
  2. Election of new Conecil members to serve in the upcoming year
  3. Adopt the annual budget & dues structure

 

Article 6 - Financial Matters

  1. For compliance purposes, the fiscal year of the Krewe shall be a calendar year, January 1 - December 31.
  2. For tithes (dues) purposes the membership year shall be from Ash Wednesday until the following Mardi Gras day. For voting purposes, all conegregants shall be considered active members until 30 days after the annual Reconesecration Conegration, after which membership will lapse until dues are brought current.
  3. Any conegregant may maintain active membership via a monthly payment plan of dues, arranged with the Conetroller.
  4. Annually, the Conecil will propose a budget and tithe (dues) structure to the conegregants at the annual Reconesecration Conegration. The new Conecil will have full spending authority for all budgeted expenditures. Any unbudgeted expenditures exceeding $500 must be approved by the membership.
  5. Dues and sponsorships will cover annual operating expenses of the Krewe, as well as annual parading expenses.
  6. Members and others may also make contributions over and above dues, which will be considered tax deductible donations, and will be used strictly for philanthropic expenses.
  7. It is the intent of the Krewe that all philanthropic revenue, plus any excess net operating income, be granted philanthropically to better the greater New Orleans Community on an annual basis.

 

Article 7 - Amendments and Validity

  1. The outgoing Conecil may propose amendments and revisions to the bylaws during the Reconesecration Conegregation. Further amendments and revisions may be proposed by any member by providing draft language to a Conecil member.
  2. This draft amendment must then be distributed via email to the conegregants as part of the notice given for the next conegregation.
  3. Amendments and revisions must be approved by 66% of those conegregants present, otherwise following the processes described in Article 4 regarding voting.
  4. These bylaws shall be in effect until such a time when at least 50 conegregants attend four regular conegregations consecutively. 
    1. At such a time, the Conecil shall arrange for a coneclave. The coneclave shall consist of all conecil members and an equal number of non-conecil conegregants (selected according to the decision-making procedure in Article 5). 
    2. The coneclave shall review all bylaws, draft beneficial revisions, and present at the following conegregation.