I. MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS OF SERVICE

1. A full committee shall nominally consist of twenty regular members (including ex-officio members), with each member to serve for three years. Under special circumstances, the number of members can be expanded to more than twenty through voting of the MNS committee.
2. A member can serve no more than two consecutive three-year terms and may not be re-elected within two years after expiration of the term.
3. A member will be eligible to serve a second term, only if the member has attended at least two of the three annual meetings during the member's first term of membership.
4. The Committee Chairperson shall be an ex-officio member of the committee, with vote, for two years after completing that term office.
5. Officers shall serve a complete two-year term of office as voting members of the committee even if such service extends beyond the end of their normal term of committee membership. If a portion of the three-year term, to which an officer was elected as a committee member, remains at the completion of the term of office, it shall be finished as a regular committee member.

II. ELECTION OF NEW MEMBERS

1. Each year, either before or at the MNS committee meeting at the IDETC, the recording secretary will take nominations of potential new members from the existing members or the potential new members themselves directly and present a list of nominees to the Chairperson.
2. The nominees will introduce themselves and express their interest and motivation for serving on the committee either by being physically present at the MNS committee meeting, if possible, or through a written email communication. Nominations without the oral or written consent of the potential new member will not be considered for elections.
3. Moderated by the committee chairperson, the members of MNS will discuss the nominations in a closed-door meeting and then vote at the MNS meeting. Each member of the MNS, except the chairperson, shall have one vote. The nominees with the largest number of votes shall be considered elected. The chairperson shall cast a tie-breaking vote, in case of any tie. The new members shall take office on January 1 following their election.
4. Elections of new MNS members and/or officers shall normally be held at the IDETC (or IMECE), where the MNS will conduct its annual meeting. However, at the discretion of the committee Chairperson, elections may be held through email/postal mail ballot.
5. If, for any reason, an MNS member is unable to complete the full term of membership and resigns from the membership at the MNS committee meeting, then the vacancy will be filled at the meeting through the procedures described in clauses 1–3 above.
6. If a member resigns in the middle of a year before completing a full term of membership and before the committee meeting, then the committee Chairperson shall appoint the person who received the most number of votes among those not elected at the preceding elections as the replacement member. If no such person is available, then the committee Chairperson may request new nominations from the current members and conduct an election of the nominees via an email or a postal mail ballot to fill the committee membership vacancy.

III. OFFICERS

1. The committee shall be governed by a Chairperson, a Vice-Chair/Treasurer, and a Recording Secretary.
2. The term of office for all officers shall be two years, extending from January 1 of an even numbered year until the end of December two years later.*
3. Officers shall be elected from among the committee members, by the committee members. Elections for the officers shall be held right after the election of committee members, and shall be accomplished by plurality of the votes cast.
4. A member must have served at least three years as a regular member of the MNS committee to be eligible for the position of the committee Chairperson, and a member must have served at least one year as a regular member of the MNS committee to be eligible for the positions of the committee Vice-Chair/Treasurer, and a Recording Secretary.*
5. A member may stand for election of the committee Chairperson even if that person has less than two years of membership remaining, provided the member satisfies the eligibility requirements to serve as the committee Chairperson as defined in clause 4 of this section.
6. If the MNS Chairperson cannot complete the term of office, then the Vice-Chair/Treasurer shall become the Acting-Chairperson until the next elections when a new Chairperson shall be elected.
7. A sitting Committee Vice-Chair/Treasurer or Recording Secretary may stand for election of a higher office even if their current membership term has expired, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements to serve as the committee Chairperson as defined in clause 4 of this section.

IV. SUBCOMMITTEES

1. The Chairperson of the MNS has the authority to establish subcommittees, and shall appoint the Chairperson of each such subcommittee.
2. The members of the subcommittees need not be members of the MNS. The Chairperson of each subcommittee must be a member of the MNS, except in such special cases where a majority of the members of the MNS agrees to elect a non-committee member as subcommittee Chairperson by voting.

V. RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENTS

1. These rules become effective upon ratification.
2. Amendments to these rules require two-third vote of all regular members of the MNS

* Excepting the first year in which the committee is established.