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BY-LAWS OF THE ROTARY CLUB ARTICLE I SECTION 1 – No later than 1 month before the date of the meeting for the election of officers and directors, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of the Immediate Past President as chairperson, the President Elect and at least 3 additional Active Members of the club. The nominating committee is charged with nominating one candidate for each of the following offices: President, President Elect, President Nominee, Sergeant-at-Arms, Secretary, Treasurer and three (3) or more members of the Board of Directors as may be needed to have ten (10) directors. At a regular meeting one month prior to the meeting for the election of officers, the Nominating Committee shall announce that it will receive any and all nominations from club membership during the next two week period. Two weeks thereafter, the committee shall announce that nomination for candidates may be received until 5:00 P.M. that day. The nominations shall be voted upon at the annual meeting. In addition to the nominations proposed by the Nominating Committee, nominations may also be made from the floor. The candidates for President, President Elect, President Nominee, Sergeant-at-Arms, Secretary, Treasurer and Board of directors receiving the approval of club membership shall be declared elected. The President-elect in such balloting shall assume office on the first day of July immediately following the election. SECTION 2 - A vacancy in the Board of directors or any office shall be filled by action of the remaining members of the Board. SECTION 3 - A vacancy in the position of any officer-elect or director-elect shall be filled by action of the remaining members of the Board of directors-elect. ARTICLE II The governing body of this club shall be the Board of directors, elected in accordance with Article I, Section 1, of these by-laws. The Board shall consist of ten directors elected in accordance with Article I above, the President, President Elect, President Nominee, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms and Immediate Past President. ARTICLE III SECTION 1 - President. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at meetings of the club and Board and to perform such other duties as ordinarily pertains to this office. SECTION 2 – President Elect. It shall be the duty of the President Elect to preside at meetings of the club and Board in the absence of the President and to perform such other duties as ordinarily pertains to this office. SECTION 3 – President Nominee. It shall be the duty of the President Nominee to serve as a member of the Board of directors of the club and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the President or the Board. SECTION 4 - Secretary. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep the records of membership, record the attendance at meetings, send out notices of meetings of the club, Board and committees, record and preserve the minutes of such meetings, make the required reports to Rotary International, including the semi-annual reports of membership, which shall be made to the General Secretary of Rotary International on January 1st and July 1st of each year, and including prorated reports to the General Secretary on October 1st and April 1st of each active, senior active and past service member who has been elected to membership in the club since the start of the July or January semi-annual reporting period, the report of changes in membership which shall be made to the General Secretary of Rotary International, the monthly report of attendance at the club meetings which shall be made to the district governor immediately following the last meeting of the (each) month, collect and remit to Rotary International subscriptions to “The Rotarian”, and perform other such duties as usually pertain to this office. SECTION 5 - Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to have custody of all club funds except as noted below, accounting for same to the club annually and at any other time upon demand by the Board and to perform such other duties as pertain to this office. Upon retirement from office, the Treasurer shall relinquish all funds, books of accounts, and any other club property to his/her successor or to the club President. SECTION 6 - Sergeant-at-Arms. The duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be such as are usually prescribed for this office and such other duties as may be prescribed by the President or Board. ARTICLE IV SECTION 1 - Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the first Wednesday in December in each year, at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place. SECTION 2 - The regular weekly meetings of this club shall be held on Wednesday at 12:15 P.M. Due notice of any changes in or cancellation of the regular meeting shall be given to all members of the club. SECTION 3 - One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club. SECTION 4 - Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on the third Monday of each month except for the months of January & February, which will be held on the fourth Monday due to Federal Holidays. Special meetings of the Board shall be called by the President, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request to the President of two (2) members of the Board, due notice having been given. SECTION 5 - A majority of the Board members shall constitute a quorum of the Board. ARTICLE V SECTION 1 - The admission fee shall be $20.00 to be paid before the applicant can qualify as a member, except as provided for in the standard Rotary Club Constitution, Article 12. SECTION 2 - The membership dues shall be established and revised periodically by the Board of directors, and shall be payable semi-annually on the first day of July and of January, with the understanding that a part of the semi-annual payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to “The Rotarian” magazine and to our Club’s contribution to the Rotary Foundation. SECTION 3 - Members not having paid their dues by January 31st and July 31st of the year that they are due will automatically vacate their classification and/or membership. ARTICLE VI The business of the club shall be transacted by “viva voce” vote except by the request of an officer or director for a ballot vote. ARTICLE VII The four Avenues of Service are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this Rotary club. They are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, and International Service. This club will be active in each of the four Avenues of Service. (a). The President shall, subject to the approval of the Board, appoint the following standing committees:
(b) The President shall, subject to the approval of the Board, also appoint such committees on particular phases of Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, and International Service as may be deemed necessary. (c) The Club Service Committee, Vocational Service Committee, Community Service Committee, and International Service Committee shall each consist of a chairperson, who shall be appointed by the President from the membership of the Board, and not less than two (2) other members. (d) The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and, as such, shall have all privileges of membership thereon. (e) Each committee shall transact such business as is delegated to it in the by-laws and such additional business as may be referred to it by the President or the Board. Except where special authority is given by the Board, such committees shall not take action until a report has been made to the Board and approved by the Board. (f) The President may appoint one or more committees dealing with various aspects of youth activities, which, depending on their respective responsibilities, may be under any, or all, of the Vocational Service, Community Service, or International Service Committees. Where feasible and practical in the appointment of such committees, there should be provision for continuity of membership, either by appointing one or more members for a second term or by appointing one or more members to a two-year term. ARTICLE VIII Club committees are charged with carrying out the annual and long range goals of the club based on the four avenues of service. The President Elect, President and Immediate Past President should work together to ensure continuity of leadership and succession planning. Where feasible and practical in the appointment of club committees, there should be provision for continuity of membership. The President Elect is responsible for appointing committee members to fill vacancies, appointing committee chairs, and conducting planning meetings prior to the start of the year in office. It is recommended that the chair have previous experience as a member of the committee. Standing committees shall be appointed as follows: SECTION 1 – Membership. The committee should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the recruitment and retention of members. a) The President shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint the following committees on particular phases of membership:
SECTION 2 – Club Public Relations. This committee should develop and implement plans to provide the public with information about Rotary and to promote the club’s service projects and activities.
SECTION 3 – Club Administration. This committee should conduct activities associated with the effective operation of the club.
SECTION 4 – Service Projects. This committee should develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational projects that address the needs of its community and communities in other countries. a) The President shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint the following committees on particular phases of service projects:
SECTION 5 – The Rotary Foundation. This committee should develop and implement plans to support the Rotary Foundation through both financial contributions and program participation. a) The President shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint the following committees on particular phases of The Rotary Foundation:
ARTICLE IX SECTION 1 - Club Service Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in matters relating to club service. The chairperson of the Club Service Committee shall be responsible for regular meetings of the committee and shall report to the Board on all club service activities. (a) Attendance Committee. This committee shall devise means for encouraging attendance at all Rotary meetings - including attendance at district conferences, inter-city meetings, regional conferences, and international conventions by all club members. This committee shall especially encourage attendance at regular meetings of this club and attendance at regular meetings of other clubs when unable to attend meetings of this club; keep all members informed of attendance requirements; promote better incentives for good attendance; and seek to ascertain and remove the conditions that contribute to unsatisfactory attendance. (b) Classification Committee. This committee shall, as early as possible but no later than August 31 of each year, make a classification survey of the community; shall compile from the survey a roster of filled and unfilled classifications, using the guide to classifications; shall review, where necessary, existing classifications represented in the club, and shall counsel with the Board & Membership Committee on all classification problems. (c) Club Bulletin Committee. This committee shall endeavor, through the publishing of a weekly club bulletin, to stimulate interest and improve attendance, announce the program of the forthcoming meeting, relate highlights of the previous meeting, promote fellowship, contribute to the Rotary education of all members, and to report news of the club, its members, and of the worldwide Rotary program. (d) Fellowship Committee. This committee shall promote acquaintance and friendship among the members, promote participation by members in organized Rotary recreational and social activities, and to do such work in pursuance of the general object of the club as may be assigned by the President or the Board. (e) Membership Committee. This committee shall consider all proposals for membership from the personal side and shall thoroughly investigate the character, business, community standing, and general eligibility of all persons proposed for membership. The Membership Committee shall also assign an appropriate classification to the proposed member and shall report their decisions on all applications to the Board. (f) Program Committee. This committee shall prepare and arrange the programs for the regular and special meetings of the club. (g) Public Relations Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect, plans (1) to give the public general information about Rotary, its history, object, and scope; and (2) to secure proper publicity for the club. (h) Paul Harris Fellow Committee. This committee shall review all nominations and select there from, for nominees to be honored with the Paul Harris Fellow Award. (i) Rotary Information Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans (1) to give prospective members information about the privileges and responsibilities of membership in a Rotary club, (2) to give the members, especially new members, adequate understanding of the privileges and responsibilities of members, (3) to give the members information about Rotary, its history, object, scope, activities, and (4) to give the members information as to developments in the administrative operation of Rotary International. SECTION 2 - Vocational Service Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in their vocational relationships and in improving the general standards of practice in their respective vocations. The chairperson of this committee shall be responsible for the vocational service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of vocational service and shall report to the Board on all Vocational service activities. SECTION 3 - Community Service Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in their community relationships. The chairperson of this committee shall be responsible for the community service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of community service and shall report to the Board on all Community service activities. SECTION 4 - International Service Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in matters relating to international service. The chairperson of this committee shall be responsible for the international service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of international service and shall report to the Board on all International service activities. ARTICLE X Upon written application to the Board, setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending meetings of the club for a specified length of time. ARTICLE XI SECTION 1 - The Treasurer shall deposit all funds of the club in the bank designated by the Board. SECTION 2 - All bills shall be paid only by checks signed by the Treasurer upon vouchers signed by the Secretary except as assigned in Article III, Section 5. All checks will require two signatures; checks written from the separate accounts (committee treasurers) will require one signature from the committee and one signature from the board. A thorough audit by a certified public accountant or other qualified person shall be made once each year of all the club’s financial transactions. SECTION 3 - Officers having charge or control of funds shall give bond as may be required by the Board for the safe custody of the funds of the club; cost of bond to be borne by the club. SECTION 4 - The fiscal year of this club shall extend from July 1st to June 30th, and for the collection of members’ dues shall be divided into two (2) semi-annual periods extending from July 1st to December 31st, and from January 1st to June 30th. The payment of per capita dues and magazine subscriptions to Rotary International shall be made on July 1st and January 1st of each year on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates. SECTION 5 - At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Board shall prepare or cause to be prepared a budget of estimated income and expenditures for the year, which, having been agreed to by the Board, shall stand as the limit of expenditures for the respective purposes unless otherwise ordered by action of the Board. The budget shall be broken into two separate parts: one in respect of club operations and one in respect of charitable/service operations. ARTICLE XII SECTION 1-The name of a prospective member, proposed by an active member of the club or by the Membership Committee, shall be submitted to the Board in writing, through the club Secretary. A transferring member of another club may be proposed to active membership by the former club. SECTION 3-The Board shall ensure that the proposed member meets all of the classification and membership requirements of the club constitution. SECTION 5-If the decision of the Board is favorable, the proposer, together with one or more members of the Membership Committee, shall inform the prospective member of the purposes of Rotary and of the privileges and responsibilities of membership in the club, following which the prospective shall be requested to complete and submit an application for membership and to give permission to have his/her name and proposed classification to be published to the club. SECTION 6-If no objection to the proposal, stating reasons, is received by the Board from any member of the club within seven (7) days following publication of the name of the prospective member, the prospective member, upon payment of the admission fee, as prescribed in Article V of these by-laws, shall be considered to be elected to membership. If any such objection has been filed with the board, it shall vote on this matter at its next meeting. If approved despite the objection, the proposed member, upon payment of the admission fee (if not honorary membership), shall be considered to be elected to membership. SECTION 7- Following the election, the president shall arrange for the new member’s induction, membership card, and new member Rotary literature. In addition, the president or secretary will report the new member information to RI and the president will assign a member to assist with the new member’s assimilation to the club as well as assign the new member to a club project or function. The member shall be formally introduced as a new member at a regular meeting of the club. SECTION 8- The Board of Directors may elect Honorary Members in accordance with the Club Constitution. ARTICLE XIII No resolution or motion to commit this club on any matter shall be considered by the club until it has been considered by the Board. Such resolutions or motions, if offered at a club meeting, shall be referred to the Board without discussion. ARTICLE XIV
ARTICLE XV These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall have been mailed to each member at least ten (10) days before such meeting. No amendment or addition to these by-laws can be made which is not in harmony with the standard Rotary club constitution and with the Constitution and By-laws of Rotary International.
Calendar of Events
Rotary Club Meetings: 162 Quarry Road Mailing Address: Office: (518) 563-7040
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