Bylaws of the
Rotary Club of Utica, New
York
Article 1 — Election of Directors and Officers
Section 1 — Each year, at a
September meeting of the board of directors, the president shall recommend
to the board for its approval a nominating committee, comprised of five
members, none of whom shall be a board member. It shall be the duty of the
nominating committee to confer with members of the club to inquire into the
availability and qualifications to serve as an officer and/or director.
The chairperson of the
nominating committee shall present the committees recommendations for
president, president-elect, vice president, secretary and treasurer, plus 10
candidates for five positions on the board, to the membership at the annual
meeting as set forth in Article IV. In addition to those names submitted by
the nominating committee, nominations may be made from the floor for the
five director positions. All names shall be placed on a ballot in
alphabetical order under each office. The membership shall be given 14 days
from the annual meeting to cast their ballot with the secretary. Those
receiving the most votes shall be declared elected. In case of a tie for the
fifth position, the president-elect shall determine the candidate, from
those tied, who shall serve.
Section 2 — The officers so
elected shall serve for a term of one year, said term commencing on the
first day of July following their election. Each of the five directors so
elected shall serve for a term of three years, said term commencing on the
first day of July following their election. Prior to the first of July next,
the president-elect shall recommend to the board for its approval, a member
of the club to act as sergeant-at-arms, for the coming year. The individual
subsequently approved shall be announced to membership, prior to the start
of the new Rotary year. The sergeant-at-arms shall serve as an officer for a
period of one year.
Section 3 — The officers and
directors, so elected and/or approved in Section 1 & 2 above, together with
the immediate past president shall constitute the board of directors.
Section 4 — A vacancy in the
board of directors or any office shall be filled by action of the remaining
members of the board.
Section 5 — 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 Board of Directors
The governing body of this
club shall be the board of directors consisting of 22 members of this club;
15 directors elected in accordance with Article I, Section 1 of these
bylaws, plus the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary,
treasurer, sergeant-at-arms and the immediate past president. Directors
shall not succeed themselves after serving a three year term of office, but
may serve upon the board as a duly elected officer immediately following
expiration of a term, if so elected.
Article III Duties of Officers
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 pertain to the office
of president.
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, to be Chairperson of the
Club Service Avenue and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
the president or the board. The president-elect shall also attend the
President-elect Training (PETS), sponsored by District, prior to assuming
the position of president of the club.
Section 3 - Vice-President.
It shall be the duty of the vice-president to preside at meetings of the
club and board in the absence of the president and the president-elect, to
be Chairperson of the Community Service Avenue 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, send out notices of meetings, board and committees, record
and preserve the minutes of such meetings, make the required reports to RI,
including the semiannual reports of membership, which shall be made on 1
January and 1 July of each year, and including prorated reports on 1 October
and 1 April of each active member who has been elected to membership in the
club since the start of the July or January semiannual reporting period, the
report of changes in membership, which shall be made to the general
secretary of RI, the monthly report of attendance at the club meetings,
which shall be made to the district within 15 days of the last meeting of
the month, collect and remit to RI subscriptions to THE ROTARIAN, and
perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary.
Upon retirement from office, the secretary shall turn over to the incoming
secretary or to the president all records or any other club property.
Section 5 - Treasurer. It
shall be the duty of the treasurer to have custody of all funds, 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 the office of
treasurer. Upon retirement from office, the treasurer shall turn over to the
incoming treasurer or to the president all funds, books of accounts, or any
other club property.
Section 6 - Sergeant-at-Arms.
The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall be such as are usually prescribed
for such office and/or as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
Article IV Meetings
Section 1 - Annual Meeting.
An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the first regular meeting in
December of each year, at which time the nominations of officers and
directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place (see Article 1,
Section 1).
Section 2 — The regular
weekly meetings of this club shall be held on Friday at 12:10PM. Due notice
of any changes in or canceling 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 during the third week of each month. Special
meetings of the board shall be called by the president, whenever deemed
necessary, or upon the request of two (2) members of the board, due notice
having been given.
Section 5 — Ten (10) members
of the board members shall constitute a quorum.
Article V Fees and Dues
Section 1 — The admission
fee, as prescribed by the board, shall be paid before the applicant can
qualify as a member. At times, the board may approve a reduction or
suspension of admission fee, in order to promote membership growth.
Section 2 — The membership
dues shall be as prescribed by the board per annum, payable semiannually on
the first day of July and of January, with the understanding that a portion
of each semiannual payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to
THE ROTARIAN magazine. (Note: As of July 2001, the subscription price of THE
ROTARIAN is US$12.00 per annum.)
Article VI Method of Voting
The business of this club
shall be transacted by live vote at any regular or special meeting of the
board, or by electronic vote. An electronic vote (eVote) shall be a vote
cast by email, fax, or verbally in response to a motion made by a member of
the board, seconded by another member, and distributed to every member of
the board, as directed by the President. When an eVote is requested, members
of the board shall respond within 48 hours of receipt of such proposal or
within such other reasonable time period as the President shall so
designate. Members shall vote "For" or "Against" said proposal or vote to
"Defer" action until an actual meeting of the board. A single "Defer" vote
will defer action until the next actual board meeting, unless the deferring
member, prior to that meeting, changes his "Defer" vote to a "For" or
"Against" vote. A majority vote out of the eVote responses cast by a quorum
of board members would be sufficient for approval, assuming there are no
votes to defer. The election of officers and directors shall be by printed,
emailed or faxed ballot.
Article VII Avenues & Committees
Section 1 — Avenues
(a) The club shall focus
its service efforts on the four Avenues of Service: Club, Community,
International and Vocational.
(b) The Club Service
Committee shall be chaired by the president-elect.
(c) The Community Service
Committee shall be chaired by the vice president.
(d) The International and
Vocational Service Committees shall be chaired by members from the
board.
(e) The work of each
Avenue will be assumed by specific committees, as appointed and deemed
necessary by the president, subject to the approval of the board, on
particular phases of the respective Avenue.
(f) The president shall
be an ex officio member of all Avenue committees and, as such, shall
have all the privileges of membership thereon.
(g) Each Avenue committee
shall transact such business as is delegated to it in the bylaws 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.
Section 2 - Club Service
Avenue.
(a) The president-elect
shall serve as chairperson of the Club Service Avenue and as such shall
be responsible for club service activities and shall supervise and
coordinate the work of the committees in the club service avenue
(b) The president and
president-elect shall appoint chairpersons, subject to approval of the
board, for the following primary committees, and any others deemed
necessary: Finance, Membership, Program, Public Relations, Publication,
Technology & Fellowship.
Section 3 - Community Service
Avenue.
(a) The vice president
shall serve as chairperson of the Community Service Avenue and as such
shall be responsible for community service activities and shall
supervise and coordinate the work of the committees in the community
service avenue.
(b) The president and
vice-president shall appoint chairpersons, subject to approval of the
board, for the following committees and any others deemed necessary:
Urban Concerns, Handicap Persons, AIDS Awareness, Literacy, Senior
Citizens, Youth Services & Progress Recognition.
Section 4 - International
Service Avenue.
(a) A board member shall
serve as chairperson of the International Service Avenue and as such
shall be responsible for international service activities and shall
supervise and coordinate the work of the committees in the international
service avenue.
(b) The president and the
board member shall appoint chairpersons, subject to approval of the
board, for the following committees and any others deemed necessary:
Gift of Life, RI Foundation, Youth Exchange & Group Study Exchange.
Section 5 - Vocational
Service Avenue.
(a) A board member shall
serve as chairperson of the Vocational Service Avenue and as such shall
be responsible for vocational service activities and shall supervise and
coordinate the work of the committees in the vocational service avenue.
(b) The president and the
board member shall appoint chairpersons, subject to approval of the
board, for the following committees and any others deemed necessary:
Vocational Awareness & Vocational Awards (Pride of Workmanship).
Article VIII Duties of Avenues & Committees
Section 1 — Club Service
Avenue. This avenue and its committees 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 club service. The
president-elect, as chairperson, shall be responsible for promoting regular
meetings of the committees in this avenue and shall report to the board, at
each monthly board meeting, on behalf of all committees activities.
(a) Finance Committee.
This committee and its sub-committees shall (1) prepare the annual
budget for approval by the board; (2) conduct a review of all records at
the end of each year; and (3) conduct the Service Fund Drive to raise
adequate funds to support the club’s service projects during a Rotary
year.
(b) Membership Committee.
This committee and its sub-committees shall (1) promote membership in
the club to qualified candidates through marketing, promotions,
referrals and other methods; (2) consider all proposals for membership
from the personal side and investigate the character, business, social
and community standing, and general eligibility of all persons proposed
for membership, prior to presentation to the board: and (3) shall be
responsible for conducting a formal Orientation.
(c) Mentor Committee.
This committee shall oversee the mentor of all new members, during their
first year in the club, by assigning an experienced Rotarian to work
with the new member and explain the many facets of Rotary service.
(d) Attendance &
Fellowship Activities Committee. This committee and its sub-committees
shall (1) monitor and encourage attendance at regular meetings and other
club events or involvement in service projects. (2) encourage attendance
at other Rotary meetings, including district conferences, intercity
meetings and regional conferences; (3) collect attendance at regular
meetings and submit attendance sheet to the secretary; (4) work in
conjunction with the secretary to ascertain and remove conditions that
contribute to unsatisfactory attendance; and (4) promote acquaintance
and friendship among the members in all reasonable ways and to offer
"good cheer" when needed most.
(e) Program Committee.
This committee shall endeavor to develop, confirm and arrange for varied
and unique programs to be presented at each regular and special meeting
of the club.
(f) 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.
(g) Publications
Committee. This committee shall endeavor, through the publishing of the
HUB, a weekly club bulletin, to stimulate interest & improve attendance
by announcing upcoming programs, relating highlights of the previous
meeting, contributing to the Rotary education of all members.
Additionally, this committee shall stimulate reader interest in THE
ROTARIAN and arrange for brief monthly review of the magazine at regular
club meetings and provide a copy of the magazine for non-Rotarian
speakers.
(h) Technology Committee.
This committee shall develop, devise and carry into effect plans to (1)
offer effective and time-saving electronic communication options to
members; (2) promote the use of electronic options for club business to
reduce costs; and (3) develop, maintain and update the club web site.
Section 2 — Community Service
Avenue. This avenue and its committees 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 vice-president,
as chairperson, shall be responsible for promoting regular meetings of the
committees in this avenue and shall report to the board, at each monthly
board meeting, on behalf of all committees activities.
(a) The Handicapped
Persons, Urban Concerns, Youth Services & Scholarship, AIDS Awareness,
Literacy & Senior Citizens committees shall devise and carry into effect
plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in dealing
within the community with the welfare of human beings of all kinds
throughout the whole span of life by providing assistance and support to
those in need.
(b) The Progress
Recognition committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which
will guide and assist the members of this club in working to make the
community a better place to live by improving the physical condition of
the community and its facilities and addressing environmental concerns.
Section 3 — International
Service Avenue. This avenue and its committees 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
promoting regular meetings of the committees in this avenue for the
international service activities of the club and shall report to the board,
at each monthly board meeting, on behalf of all committee activities.
Section 4 — Vocational
Service Avenue. This avenue and its committees 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. The
chairperson of this committee shall be responsible for promoting regular
meetings of the committees in this avenue and shall report to the board, at
each monthly board meeting, on behalf of all committee activities.
Section 5 — Where feasible in
the appointment of club committee chairpersons, there should be
consideration for continuity by recruiting persons for a two-year term or
longer.
Article IX Leave of Absence
Upon written application to
the secretary, setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may
be granted by the board excusing a member in good standing from attending
the meetings of the club for a specified length of time. (Note: Such leave
of absence does operate to prevent a forfeiture of membership or to give the
club credit for the member’s attendance. Unless the member attends a regular
meeting of some other club, the excused member must be recorded as absent
except that absence authorized under the provisions of article VIII, section
2(b) of the standard Rotary club constitution is not computed in the
attendance record of the club.)
Article X Finances
Section 1 — The treasurer shall deposit all funds of the
club in a bank or other financial institution to be named by the board.Section 2 — All bills shall be paid only by checks signed
by the treasurer or other authorized officers. A thorough review of all the
club’s financial transactions shall be made each year by a qualified
accounting person, as designated by the board. 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 1 July to 30 June, and for the collection of members’ dues shall be
divided into two (2) semiannual periods. The payment of per capita dues and
magazine subscriptions to RI shall be made on 1 July and 1 January of each
year on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates. Magazine
subscriptions for members joining during a semiannual period are payable
upon invoice from the Secretariat.
Section 5 — Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year
the board shall cause to be prepared a budget of estimated income and
expenditures. Once approved by the board, the budget shall stand as the
limit of expenditures unless otherwise ordered by further action of the
board.
Article XI Method of Electing Members
Section 1 — The name of a prospective member, proposed by
an active member of the club, shall be submitted to the club secretary. The
secretary, if not already done, shall ask the membership committee to review
the qualifications of the prospective members prior to presentation to the
board. A transferring or former member of another club may be proposed to
active membership by the former club.
Section 2 — Once the review has been completed and the
classification determined, the secretary shall ask for a vote, via eVote or
at the next board meeting within 30 days, to approve or disapprove the
proposal. Once action is taken, the club secretary shall notify the proposer,
of the board’s decision.
Section 3 — If the decision of the board is favorable,
the name of the prospective candidate and their classification shall be sent
by the secretary to the newsletter editor to be published to the club. Once
published, if no written objection to the proposal, stating reasons, is
received by the board from any member (other than honorary) of the club
within five (5) business days (Monday-Friday), that person will be eligible
for membership. After a formal Orientation (not required for transferring or
former Rotarians) and upon payment of the appropriate fees and dues, the
person shall be considered elected to membership.
Section 4 — If any objection are received when the
candidate is published to the club, the board shall vote on the matter at
its next meeting. If approved despite the objection, the proposed member
shall follow the steps stated in Section 3 and then shall be considered to
be elected to membership.
Section 5 — Following election to membership, the
president shall arrange for the induction of the new member. The club
secretary shall report the new member to RI and provide appropriate
literature for presentation at the induction. Additionally, the Mentor
Committee shall assign a member to assist in the assimilation of the new
member.
Article XII Resolutions
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 XIII Order of Business
At most
regular meetings of the membership, the following Order of Business will be
observed: Call to Order
Song
Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation
Introduction of visiting Rotarians & Guests
Announcements.
Birthdays
50/50
Introduction of the head table
Program
Other Business
Adjournment.
Article XIV Amendments
These bylaws 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 emailed, mailed or made available to each voting member at least ten
(10) days before such meeting.
No amendment or addition to these bylaws can be made
which is not in harmony with the club constitution and with the constitution
and bylaws of RI. |
