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Approved
by the Membership on December 20, 2001
Article I Election
of Directors and Officers
Section 1
- At a regular meeting one month prior to the meeting for
election of officers, the presiding officer shall ask a report
of the nominating committee for president, vice-president,
secretary, treasurer, and four (4) members of the board of
directors. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a
ballot in alphabetical order under each office and shall be
voted for at the annual meeting along with nominations from
the floor. The candidates for president, vice president of
fund raising, secretary, and treasurer receiving a majority
of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective
offices. The four (4) candidates for director receiving a
majority of the votes shall be declared elected as directors.
The president elected in such balloting shall serve as a member
of the board as president-elect for the year commencing on
the first day of July next following the election, and shall
assume office as president on the first day of July immediately
following the year of service on the board as president-elect.
Section 2 - The officers
and directors so elected, together with the immediate past
president shall constitute the board of directors. Within
one week after their election, the board of directors-elect
shall meet and elect a member of the club to act as sergeant-at-arms
and a member of the club to act as Bulletin Editor.
Section 3 - A vacancy
in the board of directors or any office shall be filled by
action of the remaining members of the board.
Section 4 - 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 eleven
(11) members of this club, namely, four (4) directors elected
in accordance with article I, section I, of these bylaws,
the president, vice-president of fund raising, president-elect,
secretary, treasurer, bulletin editor, and the immediate past
president.
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 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 3 - Vice-President
of Fund Raising. It shall be the duty of the vice-president
of fund raising to coordinate and preside over all club fund
raising events. This person will simultaneously serve as Chairman
of the West Austin Rotary Foundation.
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 RI, including the semiannual reports of membership,
which shall be made to the general secretary of RI on 1 January
and 1 July of each year, and including prorated reports to
the general secretary on 1 October and 1 April 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
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 governor immediately following 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.
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 to the
Board monthly 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 such other duties as may be
prescribed by the president or the board.
Section 7 - Bulletin Editor.
The duties of the bulletin editor shall be to edit and produce
the Club's weekly newsletter.
Article IV Meetings
Section 1 - Annual Meeting.
An annual meeting of this club shall be held not later than
the thirty-first day of 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 every Thursday
at 12:00 noon.
Due notice of any changes
in or canceling of the regular meeting shall be given to all
members of the club. All members excepting an honorary member
(or member excused by the board of directors of this club,
pursuant to Article VIII, Section 2(b) of the standard Rotary
club constitution) in good standing in this club, on the day
of the regular meeting, must be counted as present or absent,
and attendance must be evidenced by the member's being present
for at least sixty (60) percent of the time devoted to the
regular meeting, either at this club or at any other Rotary
club or as otherwise provided in the Standard Rotary Club
Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1.
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 monthly, at a date, time,
and place determined by the board of directors. 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 - A majority
of the board members shall constitute a quorum of the board.
Article V Fees and Dues
Section 1 - The admission
fee shall be $100.00 to be paid before the applicant can qualify
as a member.
Section 2 - The membership
dues shall be determined annually by the board of directors
with the understanding that six dollars (US$6.00) of each
semiannual payment shall be applied to each member's subscription
to THE ROTARIAN magazine. (Note: 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 viva voce vote except the election
of officers and directors, which shall be by ballot.
Article VII Committees
Section 1 -
(a) The president shall, when recommended
by the board, appoint the following standing committees:
Club Service committee
Vocational Service committee
Community Service committee
International Service committee
(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 deemed necessary.
(c) The club service committee, vocational
service committee, community service committee, and international
service committee shall each consist of a chairman, who shall
be named by the president from the membership of the board,
and not less than two (2) other members.
(d) The president shall be ex-officio a member
of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges
of membership thereon.
(e) Each 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.
(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 practicable 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 for a two-year
term.
Section 2 - Club Service Committee.
(a) The chairman of the club service committee
shall be responsible for all club service activities and shall
supervise and coordinate the work of all committees appointed
on particular phases of club service.
(b) The club service committee shall consist
of the chairman of the club service committee and the chairmen
of all committees appointed o particular phases of club service.
(c) The president shall, when recommended
by the board, appoint the following committees on particular
phases of club service:
Attendance committee
Club bulletin committee
Fellowship committee
Magazine committee
Membership committee
Membership development committee
Program committee
Public relations committee
Appoint one member each year to the following
committees:
Classifications committee
Rotary information committee
(d) The president shall appoint the president-elect
or vice-president to oversee and coordinate the work of the
classifications, membership, membership development and Rotary
information committees.
(e) Where feasible and practicable in the
appointment of club 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.
(f) The classifications and Rotary information
committees shall each consist of three (3) members, one member
of each committee to be appointed each year for a term of
three (3) years. The first appointments made under this provision
shall be as follows: one member for a term of one year; one
member for a term of two (2) years; one member for a term
of three (3) years.
(g) The magazine committee shall, wherever
feasible, include the editor of the club publication and a
local newspaper or advertising member of the club.
Section 3 - Community Service Committee
(a) The chairman of the community service
committee shall be responsible for all community service activities
and shall supervise and coordinate the work of all committees
appointed on particular phases of community service.
(b) The community service committee shall
consist of the chairman of the community service committee
and the chairman of all committees appointed on particular
phases of community service.
(c) The president shall, when recommended
by the board, appoint the following committees on particular
phases of community service:
Human development committee
Community development committee
Environmental protection committee
Partners in service committee
Article VIII Duties of Committees
Section 1 - Club 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 club service.
The chairman 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
meetingsincluding attendance at district conferences,
intercity 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
on attendance requirements; promote better incentives for
good attendance; and seek to ascertain and remove the conditions
that contribute to unsatisfactory attendance.
(b) Classifications Committee. This
committee shall as early as possible, but no later than 31
August of each year, make a classification survey of the community;
shall compile from the survey a roster of filled and unfilled
classifications, applying the classification principle; shall
review, where necessary, existing classifications represented
in the club; and shall counsel with the board 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 report news of the club, of
its members and of the worldwide Rotary program.
(d) Fellowship Activities Committee.
This committee shall promote acquaintance and friendship among
the members, promote participation by members in organized
Rotary recreational and social activities, and do such work
in pursuance of the general object of the club as may be assigned
by the president or the board.
(e) Magazine Committee. This committee
shall stimulate reader interest in THE ROTARIAN; sponsor
a magazine month; arrange for brief monthly reviews of the
magazine on regular club programs; encourage the use of the
magazine in the induction of new members; provide a copy of
the magazine for non-Rotarian speakers; secure international
service and other special subscriptions for libraries, hospitals,
schools and other reading rooms; send news items and photographs
to the editor of the magazine and in other ways make the magazine
of service to the club members and non-Rotarians.
(f) Membership Committee. This committee
shall consider all proposals for membership from the personal
side and shall thoroughly investigate the character, business,
social and community standing, and general eligibility of
all persons proposed for membership and shall report their
decisions on all applications to the board.
(g) Membership Development Committee.
This committee shall review continually the club roster of
filled and unfilled classifications and shall take positive
action to initiate and present to the board the names of suitable
persons to fill unfilled classifications.
(h) 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.
(i) Rotary Information Committee. This
committee shall inform prospective members about the privileges
and responsibilities of Rotary club membership; keep members
informed about the history, object, and activities of Rotary
at all levels; and oversee the orientation of new members
during their first year in the club.
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 chairman 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.
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
chairman 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.
(a) Human Development Committee. This
committee 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) Community Development Committee.
This 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.
(c) Environmental Protection Committee.
This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which
will guide and assist the members of this club in monitoring
and improving the quality of the community's environment.
(d) Partners in Service Committee.
This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which
will guide and assist the members of this club in building
relationships with other Rotary-sponsored organizations within
the community and in cooperating with them in service.
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 chairman 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.
Article IX Leave of Absence
Upon written application to the board, setting
forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may be granted
excusing a member 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; it does not operate
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 provision of Art. VIII, Sec. 2b 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 some bank to be named by the board.
Section 2 - All bills shall be paid
only by checks signed by the treasurer or other officers,
as designated annually by the board of directors. A thorough
audit by a certified public accountant or other qualified
person may be made generally once each year at the discretion
of the club's incoming treasurer, 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. The payment
of per capita dues and magazine subscriptions to RI shall
be made on July 1st and January 1st of each year on the basis
of the membership of the club on those dates.
(Note: Magazine subscriptions for members
joining during a semiannual period are payable upon invoice
from the Secretariat.)
Section 5 - At the beginning of each
fiscal year the board shall prepare or cause to be prepared
a budget of estimated income and estimated 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.
Article XI Method of Electing Members
Section 1 - The name of a prospective
member, proposed by an active, senior active or past service
member of the club, shall be submitted to the board in writing,
through the club secretary. A transferring or former member
of another club may be proposed to active membership by the
former club. The proposal for the time being shall be kept
confidential except as otherwise provided in this procedure.
Section 2 - The board shall ensure
that the proposal meets all the classification and membership
requirements of the club constitution.
Section 3 - The board shall approve
or disapprove the proposal within 30 days of its submission,
and shall notify the proposer, through the club secretary,
of its decision.
Section 4 - If the decision of the
board is favorable, the prospective member shall be informed
of the purposes of Rotary and of the privileges and responsibilities
of membership (including the kind of membership proposed),
following which the prospective member shall be requested
to sign the membership proposal form and to permit his or
her name and proposed classification to be published to the
club.
Section 5 - If no written objection
to the proposal, stating reasons, is received by the board
from any member (other than honorary) of the club within seven
(7) days following publication of information about the prospective
member, that person, upon payment of the admission fee (if
not honorary membership), as prescribed in these bylaws, 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 6 - Following the election,
the president shall arrange for the induction of the new member,
the club secretary shall issue a membership card and shall
report the new member to RI; and the Rotary information committee
shall provide appropriate literature for presentation at the
induction and assign a member to assist 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
Meeting called to order.
Introduction of visiting Rotarians.
Correspondence and announcements.
Committee reports if any.
Any unfinished business.
Any new business.
Address or other program features.
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 mailed to each member at least ten days before
such meeting. No amendment or addition to these bylaws can
be made by which is not in harmony with the club
constitution and with the constitution and bylaws of RI.
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