CONSTITUTION and BYLAWS Revised: November 2011
Newcomers Club of the Southwest Suburbs
Article I. Name
The organization shall be known as Newcomers Club of the Southwest Suburbs. It is not designed to make a profit. All other constitutions and bylaws of this organization heretofore enacted shall be declared null and void.
Article II. Purposes and Objectives
1. To provide an opportunity for members to become acquainted with others in our community.
2. To provide an atmosphere of friendliness, goodwill and helpful information for Club members in our community.
3. To increase members’ knowledge concerning the principles and functioning of citizens in our community.
4. To aid our community through the gifts of our time and energy for worthy purposes.
5. To undertake and promote charitable and humanitarian projects within our community and to form enduring friendships.
Article III. Membership
1. Club membership shall be open to new and established residents of the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2. Membership in this organization shall be open to men and women.
3. Membership shall not be limited in duration.
4. A Directory is available on the club website. It is to be held confidential for use by Club members only and not be given or loaned to any organization or person outside the Club. No Directory may contain advertisements. A printed directory may be made available for purchase by the members at the discretion of the Board.
5. The Board, by a two-thirds vote, shall have the power to terminate the membership of any member whose activities are deemed to have become detrimental to the welfare of the Club.
Article IV. Dues and Finances
1. The fiscal year shall be June 1st to May 31st.
2. The annual dues may be raised at the discretion of the board.
3. Dues shall be payable on September 1st and they become delinquent on October 1st if not paid. All members whose dues become delinquent will be dropped from the Club.
4. Prospective members must pay dues by the third Club function attended or they will be ineligible to participate in any Club activities until dues are paid. Membership Dues are non-refundable.
5. Dues from September 1st to December 31st are payable in full = $25. Dues from January 1st to April 30th are $20. Dues from May 1st to August 31st are $10.
6. Any excess funds remaining from the dues collected or any special fundraising projects may be used for purposes as voted on by the Board.
7. Funds amounting to $1000 shall be maintained in the Club’s checking account at the end of the fiscal year.
8. Payment for any Club function shall not be refunded if cancellations are not made by the designated date.
Article V. Meetings
1. There shall be an open business meeting held the first Tuesday of August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April and May at which time Club business shall be transacted. New officers will be elected at the April business meeting.
2. There shall be a social meeting held the second Tuesday of September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April and May. New officers will be installed at the May social meeting.
3. Special meetings may be called by the President whenever necessary.
4. Ten members, including at least three officers, shall constitute a quorum necessary to hold a meeting and conduct business.
Article VI Board
1. The Board of the Newcomers Club of the Southwest Suburbs shall be Officers, Coordinators and Activity Chairs.
a. The Officers shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary. They shall be elected by vote of the membership and positions may be shared.
b. The Coordinators shall be Civic/Ways and Means, Directory, E-mail Distribution, Membership, Newsletter, Prospective Membership, Publicity, Social, Telephone, Webmaster(s) and others deemed necessary. The Activity Chairs shall be determined by the interest and needs of the groups themselves, and shall be chosen by the members of each group.
2. Members may serve as Officers for a maximum of three consecutive years.
3. It is the responsibility of all members of the Board to attend all Club business meetings as well as membership coffees and other functions during the year as may be designated by the President.
4. It is the duty of the outgoing Officers, Coordinators and Chairs to train their replacements so that the Club will continue to function smoothly. Training is to take place during a joint Incoming-Outgoing Board Meeting to be held in May and at any private meetings between individual Board members as deemed necessary by said members. Training will be done verbally and substantiated in writing by a year-end report and by these Bylaws which serve as a guideline.
5. Each outgoing Officer, Coordinator and Chair shall prepare two copies of a written report at the end of the Club year, one for the President’s file and one for her replacement.
6. Any member of the Board may find her own co-chair.
Article VII. Election of Officers
1. At the February business meeting the Nominating Committee shall present its nominations for the offices of President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Corresponding Secretary.
2. No one shall be nominated either by the nominating committee or from the floor whose consent has not first been obtained.
3. Any member may nominate candidates for office from the floor.
4. At the April meeting, the candidate receiving the majority of votes shall be declared elected. The vote shall be by ballot unless there is only one candidate for office, in which event the President may instruct the Recording Secretary to cast a unanimous ballot.
5. An absentee ballot shall be printed in the March Newsletter.
6. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a majority vote of the membership with the exception of the President, which is automatically filled by the Vice President.
Article VIII. Duties of Officers
President:
· Shall preside at all meetings of the Club.
· Shall appoint Coordinators
· Shall appoint a Nominating Committee in December and any other special committees she deems necessary.
· Shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.
· Shall be responsible for the Incoming-Outgoing Board Luncheon.
· Shall secure the location for each board meeting.
· Shall annually review the Membership Directory, Constitution and Bylaws. Present notice of any changes at the September board meeting.
Vice Presidents:
· Shall plan the luncheon location and an optional luncheon program.
· Shall collect the monthly luncheon reservations and payments.
· Shall prepare name tags for Social Meetings.
· Shall perform the duties of the President in her absence.
· Shall be responsible for correspondence relating to her position.
Recording Secretary:
· Shall keep minutes of Business Meetings and take attendance.
· Shall maintain a complete file of Club minutes, treasurer’s reports and newsletters.
Treasurer:
· Shall receive all funds of the Club and deposit such funds in a bank designated by the Board.
· Shall pay all budgeted expenses subject to approval of the Board. Unbudgeted expenses must be approved by the Board before they are incurred.
· Shall keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements and prepare a monthly report of these transactions.
· Shall prepare a yearly budget to be presented at the August Board Meeting for approval. Shall submit the books to the Board for a review following the close of the Club fiscal year.
· Memorial Donations: $50 for a member, member’s spouse or significant other. $30 a child, a stepchild, a grandchild, a step-grandchild.
Corresponding Secretary:
· Shall send cards to members and other correspondence when requested.
· Shall send a sympathy card to members who suffer the loss of a parent or sibling.
Article IX. Appointments and Duties of Coordinators
The Coordinators of the Newcomers Club of the Southwest Suburbs direct the following: Civic/Ways and Means, Directory, Membership, Newsletter, Prospective Membership, Publicity, Social, Telephone, Webmaster(s) and any others named by the Board.
Civic/Ways and Means:
· Shall investigate potential civic projects to which the Club may contribute. This contribution may be money, time or talents of members.
· Shall devise and implement plans for raising funds for Charity.
· Shall give the Board reports of all projects and funds raised.
· Shall be responsible for thank you correspondence related to her position.
Directory:
· Shall compile and print an annual directory for distribution among the membership.
· Shall make changes to the directory, subject to approval by the Board.
Membership:
· Shall keep the membership roster current.
· Shall give to the Newsletter Chair and Web Master complete lists of names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of members.
· Shall recognize new members at Social Meetings with a small gift.
· Shall notify members if they become delinquent in their dues.
· Shall keep an activity interest list of all members.
· Shall act as chair of the Nominating Committee, which shall be composed of a minimum of three members, appointed by the President in December and approved by the Board. This Committee will encourage new member participation when preparing the slate of officers.
· Nominating Committee shall:
· In January - Request Board nominations, from the membership, in the January Newsletter.
· In February - Present the Nominations for officers at the Board Meeting.
· In March - Submit the nominations for officers in the March Newsletter and ask membership to vote for officers.
· In April - Present the new slate of officers at the Board Meeting.
· In May – Shall conduct the installation of the incoming Officers at the May luncheon.
Newsletter:
· Shall prepare and distribute electronically a minimum of nine monthly Club newsletters during the Club year. These newsletters are to be kept strictly for the benefit of Club members.
· Shall forward information to membership via e-mail. This correspondence is in addition to that which is covered in the monthly Newsletter.
· Messages are to be limited to (a) club events or activities, or (b) information about a member or immediate family member (meaning only the spouse, partner, and/or child of a member), provided the information relates only to a birth, and illness, or a death.
Prospective Membership:
· Shall extend invitations for membership and invite prospective members to Club functions.
· Shall be in charge of the prospective member coffees.
· Shall distribute Club information.
Publicity:
· Shall submit publicity items regarding Club activities to the local media after consultation with the President.
Social:
· Shall plan social events in which all membership may participate.
Telephone:
· Shall be responsible for the telephone calls to members as needed.
Webmaster(s):
· Shall maintain the Club website, communicating the objectives of the Club and matters of general interest pertaining to Club activities.
· Shall post the monthly newsletter on the web site.
· Shall maintain a directory listing names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of all members. In addition shall maintain an addendum list containing the contact information of all new members who have joined since the publication of the last directory.
· Shall email the directory to any member who requests an email version and shall periodically email the addendum directory to all members as new members join the Club.
Article X. Resolutions and Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended at any Business Meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present, provided prior notice of changes has been given.
Article XI. Procedures
Parliamentary authority for all procedures shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
Article XII. Policy
No mailings will be sent nor representations made in the name of or on behalf of the Club, with the exception of appropriate cards, without prior approval of the President.