Bylaws of
Kombucha Brewers International
a California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation
Article 1: Name
The name of this corporation is Kombucha Brewers International (sometimes referred to herein as the “Association”).
Article 2: Offices
Section 1.1 Principal Office
The principal offices for the Association are located at 8950 W Olympic Blvd, Ste 494, Beverly Hills, California. The directors may change the principal office from one location to another. Any change of this location shall be noted by the secretary on these by-laws opposite this section, or this section may be amended to state the new location.
Section 1.2 Additional Offices
The board of directors may at any time establish branch or subordinate offices at any place or places where the Association is qualified to do business.
Article 3: Purpose
This corporation is a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation organized under the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law. The specific purpose and mission of this Association is to protect and promote the Kombucha Tea Bottled Beverage Category worldwide and to engage in any other lawful activities permitted under the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law. The Kombucha Tea Bottled Beverage Category shall be defined as Kombucha Tea sold at retail, wholesale or other venues for purchase and consumption as a beverage. The Association shall never expend resources promoting the home brewing of Kombucha Tea. The Association aims to achieve this objective through best-in-class marketing strategies; spearheading research; encouraging established Best Practices guidelines; acting as liaison to Federal and State government agencies; lobbying; creating and enforcing a member Code of Conduct; creating a forum for our members to freely exchange ideas, job postings, etc.; authoring white papers; and other activities to further promote our industry.
Article 4: Membership
Section 4.1. Members
The members of this corporation shall consist of any person, partnership or corporation that has complied with the requirements set forth in Section 4.2 of this Article, have properly presented themselves for membership in accordance with the procedures determined by the Directors, and who have been enrolled as members on the membership roster. There may be more than one class of membership to be determined by the Board of Directors. No person, partnership or corporation may hold more than one membership.
Membership in this corporation shall not vest in any member any distributions from the corporation during the existence of the corporation and shall only entitle the member to vote at meetings of the members.
Membership shall not be assignable inter vivos by any member, nor shall membership vest to any personal representative, heir, or devisee.
Membership by partner or incorporated legal entity shall entitle multiple principal owners from each member to participate on Boards and Committees, however membership by an incorporated legal entity shall only be entitled to one vote.
Section 4.2. Requirements of Membership
To be a member, the person, partnership or incorporated legal entity must currently be or previously have been principal owners of a commercial Kombucha Tea Bottled Beverage brand with distribution in at least 5 retail locations. If the member is no longer actively engaged in a commercial Kombucha Tea Bottled Beverage Category enterprise, in order to qualify for individual membership, they must also maintain a professional relationship with the industry in a meaningful way as determined by the Board of Directors. To be a member in good standing, annual dues and assessments must be paid, must participate on a regular basis in the activities of the organization, and must have otherwise fully complied with its rules and regulations. Additional membership classes and requirements thereof will be set by the Directors.
Section 4.3. Removal of Members
Membership of any member shall cease on the happening of any of the following events:
(a) The member’s death or resignation.
(b) The failure of member to actively participate in the activities of the organization.
(c) The failure of the member to pay his or her dues or assessments in a timely fashion after notice of the same.
(d) Flagrant violation of the Code of Ethics policy.
On a determination by the Directors or a body authorized to decide that one or more of these events (other than the member’s death or resignation) has occurred, and that the member should be expelled or suspended, the following shall occur:
(a) A minimum of 15 days prior notice of the expulsion, suspension or termination and the reasons therefor shall be given to the member. If the member does not pay the dues or otherwise contact the corporation within 10 days of the notice to protest the removal, the member shall be removed from the membership list.
(b) If the member timely files a protest, the member shall be given an additional 5 days to present a written explanation/objection for presentation to the Board of Directors. Thereafter, the Board of Directors shall consider the written explanation/objection prior to making a final decision on whether or not the member shall be removed, and shall notify the member accordingly.
(c) All notices required under this section shall be given by first-class or registered mail, sent to the last address of the member, as shown on the corporation’s records.
Section 4.4. Place of Meetings
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bylaws, any meeting whether regular, special, or adjourned of the members of this corporation may be held at any place within or without California which has been designated by the Board.
Section 4.5. Regular Annual Meetings
The regular annual meeting of the members, of which notice shall be given as provided by Section 4.7 of these Bylaws, shall be held at at any place within or without California which has been designated by the Board (as the same shall be from time to time designated in the minutes of the Directors) at a designated time each year. At the regular annual meeting, the members shall consider reports of the affairs of the corporation, and transact other business as may properly be brought before the meeting, including but not limited to, the election of Directors of the corporation to serve for the ensuing year and until their successors are elected and qualified.
Section 4.6. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by order of the President or of any Vice President or of the Secretary, or of two or more members or of the Board. Notice shall be given as provided by Section 4.7 of these Bylaws.
Section 4.7. Notice of Meetings
Written notice of regular annual and special meetings of members shall be given by first class mail or a 48-hour notice given personally or by telephone, facsimile, electronic mail, or other electronic means. Any notice shall be addressed or delivered to each member as it is shown on the records of the corporation or as may have been given to the corporation by the member for the purpose of notice.
Notice given by facsimile, electronic mail, or other electronic means shall only be effective where the corporation has obtained unrevoked written consent from the recipient that includes a clear written statement from the Corporation to the recipient as to (a) any right of the recipient to have the record provided or made available on paper or in non-electronic form, (b) whether the consent applies only to that transmission, to specified categories of communications, or to all communications from the corporation, and (c) the procedures the recipient must use to withdraw consent pursuant to California Corporations Code § 20, and where that notice creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form.
Notice of any meeting of members shall specify the place, the day, and the hour of meeting, and in case of a special meeting as provided by the California Corporations Code, the general nature of the business to be transacted.
Section 4.8. Quorum
At all meetings of the members, whether regular, special or adjourned, the presence in person or by proxy of 51% of the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 4.9. Adjournments
Any business that might be done at a regular meeting of the members may be done at a special or at an adjourned meeting. If no quorum be present at any meeting of the members, the meeting may be adjourned by those present from day to day or from time to time until a quorum be obtained. In that case, no notice need be given of the adjourned meeting.
Section 4.10. Waiver and Consent
The transaction of any meeting of members, however called or noticed, shall be as valid as though conducted at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum be present, and if either before or after the meeting, each of the members, not present in person, signs a written waiver of notice or a consent to the holding of the meeting, or an approval of the minutes of the meeting.
Any action that may be taken at a meeting of the members, may be taken without a meeting if authorized by a writing signed by all the members who would be entitled to vote at a meeting for that purpose, and filed with the Secretary of the corporation.
Section 4.11. Action Without Meeting/Ballots
(a) Any action required or permitted to be taken at any regular or special meeting of members may be taken without a meeting if the written ballot of every member is solicited, if the required number of signed approvals in writing, setting forth the actions so taken is received, and if the requirements of subdivision (c) are satisfied.
(b) All solicitations of ballots shall indicate the time by which the ballot must be returned to be counted.
(c) Approval by written ballot pursuant to this section shall be valid only when the number of ballots cast on or before the time the ballot must be returned to be counted equals or exceeds the quorum required to be present at a meeting authorizing the action, and the number of approvals equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve the action at a meeting at which the total number of votes cast was the same as the number of ballots cast.
Section 4.12. Absentee Ballots
Absentee ballots specifically setting forth the resolution to be voted on may be prepared for any regular or special meeting of members. These ballots may be used by voting members in good standing who are unable to attend, who request the same.
Section 4.13. Voting Rights
Only persons whose names stand on the membership records of the corporation on the day of any meeting of members, shall be entitled to vote at the meeting.
Every member entitled to vote at any election for Directors shall be entitled to one vote.
Section 4.14. Proxies
Every member entitled to vote or execute consents may do so either in person or by one or more agents authorized by a written proxy executed by the member or his or her duly authorized agent and filed with the Secretary of the corporation.
Article 5: Directors
Section 5.1. Powers
Subject to limitations of the Articles and these Bylaws and of pertinent restrictions of the California Corporations Code, all the activities and affairs of the corporation shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. Without prejudice to these general powers, but subject to the same limitations, it is hereby expressly declared that the Board shall have the following powers in addition to the other powers enumerated in these Bylaws:
(a) To select and remove all the officers, agents and employees of the corporation, prescribe duties for them as may not be inconsistent with law, with the Articles of Incorporation, or with these Bylaws, fix the terms of their offices and their compensation, and in their discretion require from them security for faithful service.
(b) To make disbursements from the funds and properties of the corporation as are required to fulfill the purposes of this corporation as are more fully set out in the Articles of Incorporation and generally to conduct, manage, and control the activities and affairs of the corporation and to make rules and regulations not inconsistent with law, with the Articles of Incorporation, or with these Bylaws, as they may deem best.
(c) To adopt, make, and use a corporate seal and to alter the form of the seal from time to time as they may deem best.
(d) To borrow money and incur indebtedness for the purposes of the corporation and to execute and deliver, in the corporate name, promissory notes, bonds, debentures, deeds of trust, mortgages, pledges, hypothecations, or other evidences of debt and securities.
(e) To the extent permitted by the exempt status of the organization, to carry on a business at a profit and apply any profit that results from the business activity to any activity in which it may legally engage.
Section 5.2. Number of Directors
The authorized number of Directors of the corporation shall be not less than 5 and not more than 15 including Designated Directors as defined in Section 5.5 of the Bylaws, with the exact number to be determined from time to time by the Directors until changed by an amendment of the Articles of Incorporation or by an amendment to these Bylaws. The number may be changed by the vote or written assent of a majority of the directors then in office.
Section 5.3. Selection and Tenure of Office
Directors, except Designated Directors as defined in Section 5.5, shall be elected at each annual meeting of the members to hold office for three (3) year terms, such terms to be staggered so that approximately one third (1/3) of the board members are elected each year (commencing in 2021); however, if any regular annual meeting of the members is not held or the directors are not elected at any annual meeting of the members, they may be elected at any special meeting of the members held for that purpose. Each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy or elected at a special meeting of the members, shall hold office until expiration of the term for which elected and until a successor has been elected and qualified. There are no term limits for directors. This 2-1-2 annual election process would continue into perpetuity. The Board of Directors may vote to change the exact dates as needed in cases of extreme extenuating circumstances such as plague, natural disaster, financial crisis, and the like.
Seats 1 & 2 – 2022, 2025, 2028, 2031
Seat 3 – 2021, 2024, 2027, 2030
Seats 4 & 5 – 2023, 2026, 2029, 2032
Section 5.4. Qualifications
Each Director must be a voting member and have been a member for at least one (1) year immediately prior to election and must believe without reservation in the purposes and mission of the organization. In addition, each Director must have attended and fully actively participated in at least one official event of the corporation as well as led or provided direct support on a key initiative(s) of the organization.
Section 5.5. Designated Directors
The Initial Board of Directors shall serve as Designator pursuant to Corporations Code § 7220(d) and by act of adoption of these Bylaws appoint Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory as Designated Directors. The Designated Directors shall serve as members of the Board of Directors until dissolution of the Corporation subject to Corporations Code § 7220(d). Each Designated Director may resign pursuant to Section 5.6 of the Bylaws.
Section 5.6. Vacancies
Any Director may resign effective on giving written notice to the Chair of the Board, the President, or the Secretary of the Board, unless the notice specifies a later time for the effectiveness of such resignation.
If the resignation is to take effect at some future time, but prior to the end of that Directors term, or if the resignation commences immediately upon notification, a successor shall be selected by the Board before that time, to take office when the resignation becomes effective.
Vacancies in the Board shall be filled in the same manner as the Director or Directors whose office is vacant was selected.. Each Director so elected shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the replaced Director and until a successor has been named and qualified.
A vacancy or vacancies in the Board shall be deemed to exist in case of the death, resignation, or removal of any Director, or if the authorized number of Directors is increased.
The Board may declare vacant the office of a Director who has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court, or convicted of a felony, or, in the case of a corporation holding assets in charitable trust, has been found by a final order or judgment of any court to have breached any duty arising under the law governing assets in charitable trust. [Corp. Code § 7238.]
No reduction of the authorized number of Directors shall have the effect of removing any Director prior to the expiration of the Director’s term of office.
Section 5.7. Removal of Directors
A Director may be removed from office if any of the following has been found to have occurred:
(a) The Director misses 2 or more consecutive board meetings or 4 meetings in a calendar year without cause.
(b) The Director becomes physically incapacitated or his or her inability to serve is established in the minds of a majority of the Board.
(c) A conflict of interest is found to exist between the Director and the corporation.
(d) The Director is found to have engaged in activities that are directly contrary to the interests of the corporation.
(e) The Director is found to be engaged in the misrepresentation of the corporation and its policies to outside third parties, either willfully, or on a repeated basis.
(f) A majority of Directors who meet the qualifications set forth in Section 4.4 determine that the Director has not continued to meet these qualifications.
Before any removal occurs, the Director will be advised of the allegation and the basis for the allegation, and will be given an opportunity to present to the Board any contrary evidence, or explanation he or she may have. Removal must be by a majority vote of all the Directors. In addition, unless the Director is being removed under subdivision (a), or for misconduct involving assets held in charitable trust, a vote of a majority of the members must also be obtained.
Section 5.8. Place of Meetings
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided in these Bylaws, any meeting (whether regular, special or adjourned) of the Board of Directors of the corporation may be held at any place within or without the State of California that has been designated for that purpose by resolution of the Board of Directors or by the written consent of all the members of the Board.
Section 5.9. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Board shall be held without call or notice immediately after the adjournment of each annual meeting of members.
Section 5.10. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by order of the President, of any Vice President, of the Secretary, or of two or more of the Directors.
Section 5.11. Notice of Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Board shall be held on 4 days notice by first class mail or a 48-hour notice given personally or by telephone, facsimile, electronic mail, or other electronic means. Any notice shall be addressed or delivered to each Director or at the Director’s address as it is shown on the records of the corporation or as may have been given to the corporation by the Director for the purpose of notice or, if the address is not shown on the records or is not readily ascertainable, then at the place at which the meetings of the Directors are regularly held.
Notice given by facsimile, electronic mail, or other electronic means shall only be effective where the corporation has obtained unrevoked written consent from the recipient that includes a clear written statement from the Corporation to the recipient as to (a) any right of the recipient to have the record provided or made available on paper or in non-electronic form, (b) whether the consent applies only to that transmission, to specified categories of communications, or to all communications from the corporation, and (c) the procedures the recipient must use to withdraw consent pursuant to California Corporations Code § 20, and where that notice creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form.
Section 5.12. Quorum
Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, a majority of the authorized number of Directors shall constitute a quorum except when a vacancy or vacancies prevents this majority, whereupon a majority of the Directors in office shall constitute a quorum, provided such majority shall constitute either one third of the authorized number of Directors or at least two Directors, whichever is larger, or unless the authorized number of Directors is only one. A majority of the Directors present, whether or not a quorum is present, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place. Except as the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws and the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law may provide, the act or decision done or made by a majority of the Directors present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.
Section 5.13. Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone
Members of the Board may participate in a meeting through use of conference telephone, electronic video screen communications, or other communications equipment, so long as all members participating in the meeting can communicate with all of the other members concurrently, each member is provided the means of participating in all matters before the board, including the capacity to propose, or to interpose an objection, to a specific action to be taken, and the corporation adopts and implements some means of verifying that the person communicating by telephone, electronic video screen, or other communications equipment is a director entitled to participate in the board meeting, and that all statements, questions, actions, or votes were made by that director and not by another person not permitted to participate as a director.
Section 5.14. Waiver of Notice
Notice of a meeting need not be given to any Director who signs a waiver of notice or a written consent to holding the meeting or an approval of the minutes of the meeting, whether before or after the meeting, or who attends the meeting without protesting, prior to the meeting or at its commencement, the lack of notice. All waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meetings.
Section 5.15. Adjournment
A majority of the Directors present, whether or not a quorum is present, may adjourn any Directors’ meeting to another time and place. Notice of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be given to absent Directors if the time and place be fixed at the meeting adjourned, except as provided in the next sentence. If the meeting is adjourned for more than 24 hours, notice of any adjournment to another time or place shall be given prior to the time of the adjourned meeting to the Directors who were not present at the time of the adjournment.
Section 5.16. Action Without Meeting
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board individually or collectively consents in writing to the action. The consent or consents shall have the same effect as a unanimous vote of the Board and shall be filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board.
Section 5:17. Rights of Inspection
Every Director shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect and copy all books, records, and documents of every kind, and to inspect the physical properties of the corporation of which the person is a Director, for a purpose reasonably related to that person’s interest as a Director.
Section 5.18. Official Board Committees
Committees of the Board may be appointed by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board. Committees shall be composed of two or more members of the Board, and shall have the powers of the Board as may be expressly delegated to it by resolution of the Board of Directors, except with respect to:
(a) The approval of any action for which the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law also requires members’ approval (must be approved by the Board as a whole);
(b) The filling of vacancies on the Board or on any committee;
(c) The fixing of compensation of the Directors for serving on the Board or on any committee;
(d) The amendment or repeal of Bylaws or the adoption of new Bylaws;
(e) The amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Board which by its express terms is not so amendable or repealable;
(f) The appointment of other committees of the Board or the members thereof;
(g) The expenditure of corporate funds to support a nominee for Director after there are more people nominated for Director than can be elected; or
(h) The approval of any self-dealing transaction, as these transactions are defined in Corporations Code section 7233.
Any committee may be designated an Executive Committee or by another name as the Board shall specify. The Board shall have the power to prescribe the manner in which proceedings of any committee shall be conducted. In the absence of any prescription, the committee shall have the power to prescribe the manner in which its proceedings shall be conducted. Unless the Board or committee shall otherwise provide, the regular and special meetings and other actions of any committee shall be governed by the provision of this Article applicable to meetings and actions of the Board. Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of each committee.
Section 5.19. Fees and Compensation
Directors (as such) shall not receive compensation for their services as Directors. Directors may receive a reasonable allowance for personal services actually rendered pursuant to resolution passed by a majority vote at a regular or special meeting of the members; reimbursement for expenses as may be fixed or determined by the Board.
Article 6: Officers
Section 6.1. Officers
The officers of the corporation shall be a Chair of the Board or a President or both, a Secretary, and a Chief Financial Officer (Treasurer). The corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.3 of this Article. One person may hold two or more offices, except that neither the Secretary nor the Chief Financial Officer may serve concurrently as the President or the Chair of the Board.
Section 6.2. Election
The officers of the corporation, except those officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 or Section 5.5 of this Article, shall be chosen by, and shall serve at the pleasure of, the Board of Directors, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment. Each officer shall hold his or her office until he or she resigns, is removed, or becomes otherwise disqualified to serve, or until his or her successor is chosen by the Directors and qualified.
Section 6.3. Subordinate Officers
The Board of Directors may appoint, and may empower the President to appoint, other officers as the business of the corporation may require, each of whom shall hold office for the period, have the authority, and perform those duties as are provided in the Bylaws or as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.
Section 6.4. Removal and Resignation
Any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by a majority of the Directors at the time in office, at any regular or special meeting of the Board, or except in case of an officer chosen by the Board of Directors, by any officer on whom the power of removal may be conferred by the Board of Directors.
Any officer may resign at any time, without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party, by giving written notice to the Board of Directors, or to the President, or to the Secretary of the corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of the notice or at any later time specified in the notice; and, unless otherwise specified in the notice, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 6.5. Vacancies
A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or any other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in the Bylaws for appointment to that office, provided that the vacancies shall be filled as they occur and not on an annual basis.
Section 6.6. Inability to Act
In the case of absence or inability to act of any officer of the corporation and of any person authorized by these Bylaws to act in his or her place, the Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of the officer to any other officer, or any director or other person whom the Board may select.
Section 6.7. Chair of the Board
The Chair of the Board, shall, if present, preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors, and exercise and perform those other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the Bylaws. If the corporation does not have a President, then the Chair shall also have the powers otherwise given to the President.
Section 6.8. President
Subject to that supervisory powers, if any, as may be given by the Board of Directors to the Chair of the Board, if there be such an Officer, the President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the activities and Officers of the corporation. In the absence of the Chair of the Board, or if there is none, the President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall be ex-officio a member of all the standing committees, including the Executive Committee, if any, and shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of a President of a corporation, and shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or the Bylaws.
Section 6.9. Vice President
In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice Presidents, in order of their rank as fixed by the Board of Directors, or if not ranked, the Vice President designated by the Board of Directors, shall perform all the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions on, the President. The Vice Presidents shall have other powers and perform other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Board of Directors or the Bylaws.
Section 6.10. Secretary
The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, a book of minutes at the principal office or other place as the Board of Directors may order, of all meetings of the members, the Board and its committees, with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice of the meeting given, the names of those present at the members, the Board and committees’ meetings, and the proceedings thereof. The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal office in the State of California and the original and a copy of the corporation’s Articles and Bylaws, as amended to date.
The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the Board and any committees of the Board required by these Bylaws or by law to be given, shall keep the seal of the corporation in safe custody, and shall have other powers and perform other duties as prescribed by the Board.
The Secretary shall keep accurate records of all election proceedings and appointments.
The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept, at the principal office of the corporation, a membership register, or a duplicated membership register, showing the names of the members and their addresses.
The Secretary shall also keep, or cause to be kept, a book of minutes at the principal office or other place as the Board may order, of all meetings of the members, with the time and place of holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized, the notice of the meeting, the names of those present at meetings, and the proceedings thereof. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the members required by these Bylaws.
Section 6.11. Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the corporation and shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct accounts of the properties and business transactions of the corporation. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any Director.
The Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the corporation with depositories designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, shall render to the President and the Directors, whenever they request it, an account of all of his or her transactions and of the financial condition of the corporation, and shall have other powers and perform other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
Section 6.12. Assistant Treasurer
At the request of the Treasurer, or in his or her absence or disability, the Assistant Treasurer shall perform all the duties of the Treasurer, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions on, the Treasurer.
Section 6.13. Salaries
The salaries of the Officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and no Officer shall be prevented from receiving this salary because the Officer is also a Director of the corporation.
Section 6.14. Protection of Founder Status
KBI agrees to assist in protecting the reputation of Hannah Crum, Alex LaGory, and Kombucha Kamp as the exclusive founders of the KBI Trade Association by listing Hannah Crum, Alex LaGory, and Kombucha Kamp as the exclusive founders of KBI in all future KBI literature and materials. KBI will also create and maintain in perpetuity on its website a permanent “Founders” page that is linked directly from the front page of the website. The Founders page shall have content to be approved and updated from time to time when appropriate by Hannah Crum, and/or Alex LaGory.
Article 7: Other Provisions
Section 7.1. Endorsement of Documents; Contracts
Subject to the provisions of applicable law, any note, mortgage, evidence of indebtedness, contract, conveyance, or other instrument in writing, and any assignment or endorsement thereof, executed or entered into between this corporation and any other person, when signed by any one of the Chair of the Board, the President or any Vice President, and any Secretary, Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of this corporation shall be valid and binding on this corporation in the absence of actual knowledge on the part of the other person that the signing Officers had no authority to execute the same.
The Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation. This authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized by the Board of Directors, and except as provided in this Section, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or agreement, or to pledge its credit, or to render it liable for any purpose or to any amount.
Section 7.2. Representation of Shares of Other Corporations
The President or any other officer or officers authorized by the Board or the President are each authorized to vote, represent, and exercise on behalf of the corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of any other corporation or corporations standing in the name of the corporation. The authority in this section may be exercised either by any officer in person or by any other person authorized to do so in proxy or power of attorney duly executed by the officer.
Section 7.3. Construction and Definitions
Unless the context otherwise requires, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions contained in the General Provisions of the California Nonprofit Corporation Law and in the California Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law shall govern the construction of these Bylaws.
Section 7.4. Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by repeal and new and additional Bylaws may be made from time to time at any time by a majority of the members or by the written assent of the members. Subject to right of the members to amend or repeal, these Bylaws (other than a Bylaw or amendment of a Bylaw changing the authorized number of Directors) may be amended or repealed by the Board in the exercise of the power granted to the Board in these Bylaws.
Section 7.5. Record of Amendments
Whenever an amendment or new Bylaw is adopted, it shall be copied in the Book of Minutes with the original Bylaws, in the appropriate place. If any Bylaw is repealed, the fact of repeal with the date of the meeting at which the repeal was enacted or written assent was filed shall be stated in the Book.
Article 8: Indemnification of Agents of The Corporation
Section 8.1. Definitions
For purposes of this section, “agent” means any person who is or was a Director, Officer, employee, or other agent of this corporation, or is or was serving at the request of this corporation as a Director, Officer, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, or was a Director, Officer, employee, or agent of a foreign or domestic corporation that was a predecessor corporation of this corporation or of another enterprise at the request of the predecessor corporation; “proceeding” means any threatened, pending, or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative; and “expenses” includes, without limitation, attorney fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under Section 7.4 or 7.5(b) of this Article.
Section 8.2. Indemnification in Actions by Third Parties
This corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of this corporation to procure judgment in its favor, an action brought under Corporations Code section 5233, made applicable pursuant to Corporations Code section 7238, or an action brought by the Attorney General or a person granted relator status by the Attorney General for any breach of duty relating to assets held in charitable trust) because that person is or was an agent of this corporation, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of the person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or on a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of this corporation or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.
Section 8.3. Indemnification in Actions by or in the Right of the Corporation
This corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of this corporation or brought under Corporations Code section 5233, made applicable pursuant to Corporations Code section 7238, or an action brought by the Attorney General or a person granted relator status by the Attorney General for breach of duty relating to assets held in charitable trust, to procure a judgment in its favor because that person is or was an agent of this corporation, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of the action if the person acted in good faith, in a manner the person believed to be in the best interests of this corporation and with the care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. No indemnification shall be made under this Section 7.3:
(a) In respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which the person shall have been adjudged to be liable to this corporation in the performance of the person’s duty to this corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the proceeding is or was pending shall determine on application that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which the court shall determine;
(b) of amounts paid in settling or otherwise disposing of a threatened or pending action, with or without court approval; or
(c) of expenses incurred in defending a threatened or pending action that is settled or otherwise disposed of without court approval, unless it is settled with the approval of the Attorney General.
Section 8.4. Indemnification Against Expenses
To the extent that an agent of this corporation has been successful on the merits in defense of any proceeding referred to in Section 8.2 or 8.3 of this Article in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the agent shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the agent in connection therewith.
Section 8.5. Required Indemnification
Except as provided in Section 8.4 of this Article, indemnification under this Article shall be made by this corporation only if authorized in the specific case, on a determination that indemnification of the agent is proper in the circumstances because the agent has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 8.2 or 8.3, by:
(a) A majority vote of a quorum consisting of Directors who are not parties to the proceeding; or
(b) The court in which the proceeding is or was pending, on application made by this corporation or the agent, attorney or other person rendering services in connection with the defense, whether or not the application by the agent, attorney, or other person is opposed by this corporation.
Section 8.6. Advance of Expenses
Expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by this corporation prior to the final disposition of the proceeding on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the agent to repay the amount unless it shall be determined ultimately that the agent is entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Article.
Section 8.7. Other Indemnification
No provision made by the corporation to indemnify its or its subsidiary’s Directors or Officers for the defense of any proceeding, whether contained in the Articles, Bylaws, a resolution of Directors, an agreement or otherwise, shall be valid unless consistent with this Article. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than the Directors and Officers may be entitled by contract or otherwise.
Section 8.8. Forms of Indemnification Not Permitted
No indemnification or advance shall be made under this Article, except as provided in Sections 7.4 or 7.5(b) in any circumstances where it appears:
(a) That it would be inconsistent with a provision of the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, a resolution of the members or an agreement in effect at the time of the accrual of the alleged cause of action asserted in the proceeding in which the expenses were incurred or other amounts were paid, which prohibits or otherwise limits indemnification; or
(b) That it would be inconsistent with any condition expressly imposed by a court in approving a settlement.
Section 8.9. Insurance
The corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of the corporation against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in the capacity as an agent or arising out of the agent’s status as an agent whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the agent against the liability under the provisions of this Article; provided, however, that this corporation shall have no power to purchase and maintain insurance to indemnify any agent of the corporation for a violation of Corporations Code section 5233, made applicable by Corporations Code section 7238.
Section 8.10. Nonapplicability to Fiduciaries of Employee Benefit Plans
This Article does not apply to any proceeding against any trustee, investment manager, or other fiduciary of an employee benefit plan in the person’s capacity as such, even though the person may also be an agent of the corporation as defined in Section 7.1 of this Article. The corporation shall have power to indemnify the trustee, investment manager or other fiduciary to the extent permitted by Corporations Code section 207(f).
Article 9: Receipt, Investment, and Disbursement of Funds
Section 9.1. Receipt
The corporation shall receive all monies, other properties, or both monies and properties, transferred to it for the purposes for which the corporation was formed (as shown by the Articles of Incorporation). However, nothing contained herein shall require the Board of Directors to accept or receive any money or property of any kind if it shall determine in its discretion that receipt of the money or property is contrary to the expressed purposes of the corporation as shown by these Articles.
Section 9.2. Investment
The corporation shall hold, manage, and disburse any funds or properties received by it from any source in a manner that is consistent with the expressed purposes of this corporation.
Section 9.3. Disbursement
No disbursement of corporation money or property shall be made until it is first approved by the President, Treasurer, or the Directors of the corporation. However, the Directors shall have the authority to appropriate specific sums to fulfill the objects and purposes for which the corporation was formed and to direct the officers of the corporation from time to time to make disbursements to implement the appropriations.
Section 9.4. Execution of Checks, etc.
All checks, drafts, demands for money and notes of the corporation, and all written contracts of the corporation shall be signed by the officer or officers, agent or agents, as the Board of Directors may from time to time by resolution designate.
Article 10: Corporate Records and Reports
Section 10.1. Records
The corporation shall maintain adequate and correct accounts, books and records of its business and properties. All these books, records, and accounts shall be kept at its principal place of business in the State of California, as fixed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 10.2. Inspection of Books and Records
The membership register or duplicate membership register, the books of account, election proceedings and Officer appointments, and minutes and proceedings of the members and the Board, and of executive committees of the Directors of this corporation shall be open to inspection on the written demand of any member at any reasonable time, for a specifically stated purpose reasonably related to his interests as a member, and shall be exhibited at any time when required by the demand of any members’ meeting.
Every Director shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect all books, records, documents of every kind, and the physical properties of the corporation, and also of its subsidiary organizations, if any.
Section 10.3. Certification and Inspection of Bylaws
The original or a copy of these Bylaws, as amended or otherwise altered to date, certified by the Secretary, shall be open to inspection by the members and Directors of the corporation at all reasonable times during office hours.
Article 11: Dissolution
On dissolution of this corporation, the Board of Directors shall cause the assets herein to be distributed to another corporation with purposes similar to that identified in the Articles of Incorporation, and Article 2 of these Bylaws.
Certificate of Secretary
I, the undersigned, being the Secretary of Kombucha Brewers International hereby certify that the above Bylaws consisting of 15 pages were adopted as the Bylaws of this corporation pursuant to unanimous vote of the Board of Directors and ratification by the members, effective as of [date]. The Bylaws are, as of the date of this certification, the duly adopted and existing Bylaws of this corporation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand this [date].
[name and signature]
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By-Laws approved by the board Feb 6th, 2014
By-Laws amended by the board April 3rd, 2019