Tidewalker

Teen Advisory Board Outreach Organization (T.A.B.O.O.) Bylaws

Article I: Name

The name of this group shall be the Teen Advisory Board Outreach Organization, which will be shortened to TABOO.

Article II: Mission

The mission of the Teen Advisory Board Outreach Organization is to empower teens to be leaders, giving younger generations a safe space to have a voice and make a change in their community.

Article III: Membership

Section 3.1: Roles

Each TABOO member will have an officer role and will be expected to carry out those responsibilities. The roles shall include two Directors, a Membership Coordinator, a Note Taker, a Marketing Organizer, an Engagement Manager, and a Review Supervisor. For more information about each role’s responsibilities, see Section 5.1. The acting directors of TABOO are Elio Ashlie and Addy Segal. Email: taboo.rld@gmail.com

Section 3.2: Advisor

At all official meetings, at least one library employee must be present to supervise and provide guidance to TABOO.

Section 3.3: Number of Members

TABOO shall consist of 5-9 members.

Section 3.4: Eligibility

Members must be between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. TABOO has an open-door policy, and shall accept members from any form of education, whether that be public school, private school, or homeschool.

Section 3.5: Selection

Members shall be accepted on the basis of availability on the board. If a teen wishes to join TABOO, they must contact the Director(s) and fill out an application form. Then, they must undergo an interview process with the Director(s). If accepted, they will be notified via email of their acceptance to TABOO within three days.

Section 3.6: Communication

All group communication must occur on the TABOO Discord Server. This includes the distribution of meeting agendas and minutes, raising questions or concerns, collaboration for TABOO projects, etcetera. Monthly meeting reminders will be sent via text.

Article IV: Duties

Section 4.1: Duties and Community Outreach

Every TABOO member shall be expected to carry out certain duties, including but not limited to:

1. Completing book reviews for the Woodland Park Public Library (WPPL).
2. Planning and implementing events and projects within the WPPL.
3. Volunteering at the WPPL and assisting library employees.
4. Providing a new perspective for the library, suggesting programs, services, and materials to the library staff.

TABOO members are always invited to share their thoughts and ideas about additional responsibilities they would like TABOO to have. They can communicate these ideas with the Director(s), who will approve and implement them if they align with TABOO’s mission statement. Duties and community outreach for TABOO members will fluctuate depending on the volunteering opportunities and upcoming events. However, each month TABOO members are expected to participate in outreach at the library for at least two hours during the school year and at least three hours during the summer. One of these hours is earned during the monthly meeting, and the remaining hours are earned through other TABOO activities (book reviews, contributions to events, etc.).

Article V: Members & Officers

Section 5.1: Officers

Officers shall consist of the Director(s), Membership Coordinator, Note Taker, Marketing Organizer, Engagement Manager, and Review Supervisor. These roles are subject to change depending on the current circumstances of TABOO.

Section 5.1.1: Director(s)

Ideally, TABOO is designed to have two Directors, who will share the responsibilities of the position. However, depending on the circumstances, TABOO members may decide to appoint only one Director. The Director(s) shall be responsible for:

1. organizing TABOO meetings by creating and distributing the agenda and presiding over the meeting.
2. releasing reminders for upcoming meetings, programs, and events.
3. recruiting new TABOO members, which will include looking over applications, conducting interviews, and sending out acceptance emails.
4. managing vacancies and resignations.
5. after being notified by the Membership Coordinator, send out warnings if a member did not meet the required number of volunteer hours or has too many unexcused absences.
6. serving as an advocate and source of contact for the other members, who will contact the Director(s) if they have ideas for a new program, something they wish to add to the agenda, etcetera.

If one of the Directors is absent for a meeting, the other one will fulfill the Director’s duties. If both Directors are absent, the Membership Coordinator will fulfill the Directors’ duties.

Section 5.1.2: Membership Coordinator

The Membership Coordinator shall be responsible for:

1. tracking members’ attendance and volunteer hours.
2. keeping an organized and public document of this information.
3. notifying the Director(s) if a member of TABOO does not meet the required amount of volunteer hours or has outstanding unexcused absences.

If the Membership Coordinator is absent for a meeting, the Note Taker will fulfill their duties.

Section 5.1.3: Note Taker

The Note Taker shall be responsible for:

1. taking minutes during TABOO meetings.
2. distributing meeting minutes to the other members within three days of the meeting.
3. taking attendance at the beginning of every meeting.
4. keeping track of and organizing all TABOO documents, including the meeting minutes, bylaws, etcetera.

If the Note Taker is absent for a meeting, the Membership Coordinator will fulfill their duties.

Section 5.1.4: Marketing Organizer

The Marketing Organizer shall be responsible for:

1. distributing all publicity information about TABOO-led events to the public after verifying these advertisements with the Director(s), who will send the advertisements for approval by a WPPL employee.
2. promoting activities and creating marketing material for TABOO.
3. organizing the creation and distribution of this material.

Section 5.1.5: Engagement Manager

The Engagement Manager shall be responsible for:

1. managing the social media presence of TABOO, including TABOO social media accounts and posts.
2. taking photos at TABOO-led events.
3. approving submissions of photos and content by other members and ensuring that all content aligns with TABOO and WPPL expectations. Content should be verified by the Director(s) and a WPPL employee.

Section 5.1.6: Review Supervisor

The Review Supervisor shall be responsible for:

1. managing all book reviews created by TABOO members.
2. ensuring that each review follows TABOO guidelines.
3. uploading all TABOO reviews
4. keeping a public record of all reviews and notifying the Membership Coordinator of review submissions.

Section 5.2: Appointment

Before the inaugural meeting, the Director(s) shall decide which member will take on what role based on the interview. Henceforth, officers shall be elected or re-elected every two terms. Officers are elected by a majority vote, with each member casting one vote.
Each member will be polled before the election to determine whether they would like to remain in their current position or take on a different one. Based on these results, the election will take place with members seeking a different role being prioritized over members seeking to be re-elected. Additionally, if the Director(s) do not believe that the member is fit to continue, they may ask that member to then ask another member to run for a different position.
Voting can either be conducted verbally or by anonymous ballot, depending on the situation. The method shall be chosen by a group consensus. If the vote is a tie, the Director(s) will open the floor for discussion. If there is still a tie after the discussion and re-vote, the Director(s) shall make the final decision.

Section 5.3: Vacancies

If there is a vacancy on TABOO, the Director(s) shall decide who will fill the position.

Section 5.4: Resignation

If a member would like to leave TABOO, they must submit their notice of resignation to the Director(s) via email 30 days before the date of resignation. They must fulfill their TABOO duties before their official resignation date.

Article VI: Code of Conduct

Section 6.1: Conduct

All members must keep the TABOO mission at the forefront of all activities and must adhere to these expectations at all times. All members are expected to follow the TABOO code of conduct and will receive a warning if they do not.
Additionally, during all meetings, projects, volunteering, etcetera, TABOO members must comply with the expectations of the Woodland Park Library, respecting all members, staff, patrons, and property.

Section 6.2: Fulfillment of Duties

If an officer is not fulfilling their required duties, the Director(s) will issue a warning. After two warnings, the officer will have their board membership evaluated by the Director(s). After receiving three warnings, the Director(s) will decide who will replace that officer.

Section 6.3: Dismissal

Section 6.3.1: Hate Speech

TABOO has a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech, harassment, and targeted physical or verbal violence. Failure to meet these expectations shall result in immediate dismissal from the board.

Section 6.3.2: Absences

Each time a TABOO member has an unexcused absence, they will receive a warning. After two consecutive unexcused absences, they will have their board membership evaluated by the Director(s). After three consecutive unexcused absences, they will be dismissed. Dismissal notices will be sent privately via email, and warnings will be reset each term.

Section 6.3.3: Challenging a Dismissal

If a member would like to challenge a dismissal, they may petition the Director(s) by scheduling an in-person meeting. Absences will be evaluated by the Director(s) with discretion and understanding, and extenuating circumstances will be taken into account.

Article VII: Meetings

Section 7.1: Date & Time

TABOO shall meet on the first Friday of every month from 4:00-5:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. TABOO will be in session year-round, and terms will be biannual (January 1 - May 30, July 1 - November 30).
Recruitment will begin on June 1st, interviews will be held starting on July 15th, and the inaugural meeting will take place on September 4th. Special meetings may be called by the Director(s), and members may join virtually if they are unable to attend in person.

Section 7.2: Attendance

All TABOO members are expected to attend every monthly meeting. If a member cannot make it to a meeting, they must contact the Director(s) at least 36 hours before the meeting time for their absence to be excused. If the Director(s) are forewarned, the absence will not be counted as a warning against that member.
The Director(s) will also take extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness or a personal emergency) into account and will use their own discretion when deciding whether the circumstances surrounding an absence permit it to be excused.
After three unexcused absences, the member will be sent a dismissal notice.

Section 7.3: Agenda

The Director(s) shall create the agenda before every meeting and send it out to the other TABOO members one week before the meeting date. Agendas shall include the date and time, attendees, location, meeting goals, and the next meeting date.
If a TABOO member wishes to add something to the agenda, they must contact the Director(s) through the appropriate Discord channel.

Section 7.4: Minutes

The Note Taker is responsible for writing minutes and properly formatting the information. The minutes should include which members attended (along with excused and unexcused absences), the items that were discussed, and the results of voting. The completed minutes must be sent through the correct Discord channel within three days of the meeting and must be kept in a permanent record.

Article VIII: Amendments

Section 8.1: Amendment Process

These bylaws may be amended at any TABOO meeting through a majority vote.

Adopted: 6/3/2026