|
|
 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE I--NAME
The name of this organisation shall be the Scottish American Society of The Villages, hereinafter known as the Society.
ARTICLE II--PURPOSE
The purpose of the Society shall be to encourage and support all members of Scottish lineage or other interested parties in
the perpetuation of Scottish history, traditions, education, customs, etc. The Society fulfills this purpose by holding social
functions for the members and guests and by supporting activities such as Scottish Country Dancing, Highland Dancing, Pipe
and Drum Bands, Scottish athletic events and festivals either run by the Society or other Scottish organisations. The Society
is a volunteer organization dedicated to this purpose.
ARTICLE III--MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section (a)
Any person who supports the purpose of the Society shall be eligible for membership. Such person shall be accepted into Full
Membership upon completion of an Application Form and payment of all applicable dues.
Section (b)
Each member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote on all matters that come before the general membership.
Section (c)
Annual dues shall be established by the Society at the Annual General Meeting. Such dues are payable by March 1st, but no
later than the March meeting.
Section (d)
Any member attaining the age of 80 years shall be granted a dues-free Life Membership, effective in the year the 80th birthday
occurs.
Section (e)
The Society, by simple membership majority, may elect to grant Honorary Membership to any non-member who has provided outstanding
service to the furtherance of the society's purpose and/or Scottish interests in general.
ARTICLE IV--BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section (a)
The Society shall be governed by a Board of Directors (hereinafter
known as the Board). The Board consists of four (4) Officers and a minimum of two (2) Directors. Job descriptions will be
established for each position of the Board and a copy will be provided to each Board member. Copies shall be available to
the General Membership upon request.
Section (b)
The Officers shall be the:
(1) President----who shall preside at all Regular and Board Meetings
and shall direct and ensure that the Society functions in accordance with the By-Laws.
(2) Vice-President----who shall, if the President is unable to
carry out his duties, act as the President in all respects until such time as the President can resume his duties or there
is an election of new Officers. The Vice-President shall become President upon completion of the Vice-President’s term.
(3) Secretary----who shall record and maintain minutes of all
Regular Meetings and Annual General Meetings. The Secretary shall also maintain the records of Committee Meetings as furnished
by the Committee Chairpersons. The Secretary shall be the custodian of all other Society records, documentation and materials.
The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence between the Society and all other bodies and shall be responsible
for maintaining files on all such correspondence.
(4) Treasurer----who shall be the custodian of all funds of the
Society, pay all bills approved by the Board and keep itemized records of all receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer shall
prepare a financial statement, which shall be presented for approval to the Board at their monthly meetings. The approved
statements shall be made available at regular Society functions. The Treasurer shall prepare the Society's books for an annual
audit to be conducted in January. The Treasurer, with the cooperation of the Board, shall prepare an Annual Budget for approval
by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.
Section (c)
Chairpersons of the committees listed in Article VII, Section
(a), I through 5 shall fulfill Director positions.
Article V --Elections
Section (a)
Elections shall
be held at the Annual General Meeting.
Section (b)
In November the President shall appoint a Nominating
Committee consisting of a Chairperson and two members. The Committee shall present a slate of candidates to the membership
at the December meeting. Following nomination of the Committee candidates, the meeting shall be open for nominations from
the floor. The names of all duly nominated candidates shall be placed on the ballot to be voted upon at the Annual General
Meeting.
Section (c)
All elections shall be by secret ballot.
Section (d)
The
term of office for the President and Vice-President shall be one (1) year. The term of office for the Secretary and the Treasurer
shall be two (2) years with no limit as to the number of terms.
Section (e)
The term of office for
Directors shall be one (1) year. There shall be no limit to the number of terms a Director may serve.
Section
(f)
Should a vacancy arise on the Board between elections, the President shall appoint a member in good standing to
fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.
Section (g)
The new Board shall assume their
duties at the February meeting.
Article VI-Meetings
Section (a)
Regular Meetings
shall be held monthly at a time and location agreeable to the majority of the membership. There shall be no meeting in the
months of July and August. Decisions at these meetings shall be by majority vote.
Section (b)
The
February meeting shall be designated the Annual General Meeting for purposes of elections, financial reviews and any other
business deemed necessary by the membership. Decisions at this meeting shall be by majority vote.
Section
(c)
Board Meetings shall be held monthly, or as deemed necessary by the President, at a time and location agreeable
to the Board. Decisions at these meetings shall be by majority vote.
Section (d)
Committee Meetings
shall be held as necessary, as directed by the Committee Chairperson, to handle the business assigned to the committee.
Section
(e)
An extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by a request from two-thirds of the membership.
Section
(f)
The agenda for Board Meetings and Committee Meetings is the responsibility of the President or Chairperson as
appropriate.
Article VII--Committees
Section (a)
The Society's day-to-day
business shall be conducted by a number of committees, which are:
1. MEMBERSHIP responsible for maintaining
membership records, collecting membership dues nom new and renewing members, forwarding dues to the Treasurer for deposit,
and preparing and issuing membership cards. This committee shall also be responsible for preparing and launching membership
retention and recruitment programs.
2. PROGRAMS responsible for the planning and execution of all aspects
of the Society's regularly scheduled monthly meetings, including entertainment, catering, logistics and any special needs.
3. BURN'S SUPPER. responsible for planning and implementation of the Society's annual Burn's Supper.
4.
SPECIAL EVENTS responsible for the planning and execution of any Society special activity such as golf outings, travel, theater
outings, picnics or the Society's involvement with the activities of any other organization.
5. NEWSLETTER/PUBLIC
RELATIONS responsible for the creation and publication of the Society's newsletter--The Kiltie. The committee will also be
responsible for interface with the communications media and for active promotion of the Society's goals, activities and presence
in the area.
6. AD HOC. committee(s) that may be established to meet special non-recurring needs. The establishment
of such committee(s) shall be at the Board's discretion.
Section (b)
Committee Chairpersons for committees
listed in Article VII, Section (a), 1 through 5 shall be elected by the membership at the AGM. The Chairpersons so elected
shall function as Directors of the Society. The Chairperson(s) of Ad Hoc committee(s) shall be appointed by the Board. Ad
Hoc Chairpersons will not serve as Directors.
Section (c)
The Committee Chairperson shall select an
even number of members from the general membership to conduct the Committee's business. This does not apply to the Nominating
Committee.
Section (d)
The Committee Chairperson shall ensure that a complete and true record of the
Committee's proceedings is maintained. A copy of the minutes shall be provided to the Secretary.
Section (e)
The Committee Chairperson shall report committee activity to the Board and to the general membership as circumstances dictate
or as directed by the President.
Section (1)
The President, at his discretion, shall be an ex-officio
member of all committees. The Vice-President may represent the President if so directed.
Article VII--Financial
The Society shall maintain a checking account with a financial institution agreeable to the Board. Checks
drawn on the account shall require signatures of two (2) of the four (4) major officers of the Board.
Article
IX--Parliamentary Authority
The conduct of Society business shall be governed by the Parliamentary Authority of Robert's
Rules of Order, latest edition.
Article X-Amendment of By-Laws
These By-Laws may be amended at an
Annual General Meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and entitled to vote, providing that these changes have
been sent to membership in writing at least two (2) weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.
Articles I
and VIII Amended November 19, 1998
Articles IV, V and VII Amended November 19, 1999
Articles ill, IV, V and
VI Amended May 8, 2003
Articles I, II and Heading Title Amended February 12, 2004
|
|
|
Enter content here
|
|
|
Enter content here
|
|
|
Enter content here
|
|
|
Print a copy for your reference
Thank you
|
|
|
|