|
Chapter
Bylaws
Thousand
Island
Voyageurs
Article
I - Chapter Name
1.
The name of this not-for-profit organization shall be the Thousand
Island Voyageurs, a Chapter
of the Family Motor Coach
Association, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the Chapter and
FMCA.
Article
ll - Object
1.
Scope: This Chapter exists to promote social,
recreational, and informational exchange
activities which will provide for the enjoyment and pleasurable
use of family member coaches.
2.
Area: This Chapter shall be authorized to function
as a regional group covering the geographic areas of
Northern
New York
State
,
Eastern Ontario
and
Western Quebec
within the
Northeast Area of FMCA.
Article
lll - Members
1.
Eligibility: To be eligible for and to maintain
membership in the Chapter, a person must own at least one third
(1/3) of an FMCA approved coach, be in good standing with FMCA,
and meet the dues requirements set forth in the bylaws of the
Chapter.
Membership in this Chapter shall not be denied by any
person because of race, sex,
religion, colour, marital status, age, nationality, or disability.
2.
The term ‘Family Unit,’ is defined as a person; his or
her spouse, or partner; dependents of each,
regardless of age; non-dependent grandchildren and
great grandchildren aged 18 and under.
3.
The term “Membership” is defined as either a family
unit or an individual or individuals owning a qualified Motor
Coach who share a membership number.
4.
The term “Member”, is defined as each adult who,
jointly or individually, constitutes a membership. The voting
right of each member are defined in the description of each
category.
3.
Dues and Fees:
A.
Annual
Dues: Annual payments of Chapter
and National dues enable persons to become active members and
entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Chapter and FMCA.
The annual dues for membership in the Chapter shall be an amount
as the membership shall establish and publish in Standing Rules.
B.
Renewal: Renewal dues from the Chapter members become due and
payable October 1st.
C.
Initial
Application: Application for new
membership shall be accompanied by payment annual Chapter and
National dues (unless already a FMCA member). If an initial
application is accepted after July 1st, the dues shall
be regarded as covering the next year.
D.
Initiation
Fee: New and reinstated members
may be required to pay an initiation fee in an amount to be
established by the Chapter membership.
E.
Arrears: Any member whose dues remain unpaid for more than
two (2) months after becoming due shall be considered delinquent.
Members will however remain on the membership list for two (2)
years. After which they will be removed from the membership of the
Chapter until all arrears are paid.
Article
IV – Officers
1.
Duties of Officers: The duties of elected
officers shall be as defined in the Chapter Standing Rules.
2.
Terms of Office: The elected officers of this
Chapter shall serve a ONE (1) year term of
office, or until their successor is elected, the exception being that
when a Junior Vice
President is elected he/she will be expected to progress annually
through the Office
Chairs.
3.
Rights and Limitations:
a)
A member must own a
Qualifying Motor Coach (motorhome) or at least 1/3 interest in a
Qualified Motor Coach (motorhome) in order to vote or hold office
in this chapter.
b)
An individual FMCA
member may hold chapter office(s) in only one (1) chapter.
c)
Individual FMCA members
may hold no more than two (2) offices in the same Chapter.
d)
Any member in good
standing may be nominated from the floor for any elective office.
e)
Only Full Members, Full
Lifetime Members, Life Members, or Honorary Members, who have
advanced from one of these classes, have the right to hold office
in FMCA or this Chapter.
f)
No official or member
shall become vested of any right, title to, or interest in any
Chapter property, except as required by law or those previously
stated in these Bylaws.
4:
Executive Board:
a)
The officers of the
Chapter shall constitute the Executive Board.
b)
The Executive Board
shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Chapter
between its business meetings.
c)
The Board shall be
subject to the orders of the Chapter, and none of its acts shall
be in conflict with the Chapter or FMCA.
Article V - Committees
1.
Appointment: Committee members and Chairperson
(except Nominating Committee) shall
be appointed by the President.
2. Duties: All
committees shall function within the policies of the Chapter and
(except the Nominating Committee) under the direction of the
President. Financial
reports, vouchers, and monies due the Chapter shall be submitted
on a timely basis.
3.
Quorum: a committee quorum shall be 60 percent.
Article
VI - Chapter Administration
1.
Authority: This Chapter shall be democratically
self-governed, deriving its existence and authority
from the consent of its membership assembled in meeting or in
certain instances, by mail vote on
stated propositions.
2.
Organizational Year: The fiscal and membership year
of the Chapter shall commence on October
1st and end on September 30th of the
following year.
3.
Chapter Meetings:
A:
Type: the term “meeting” shall include coach
rallies, campouts, dinner meeting, and any
other gathering suitable to the function of the Chapter.
B:
Business Meetings: The Chapter must hold at least
two (2) business meetings each membership year at which a quorum
is present. Said meeting must be at least fourteen (14) days apart
and be duly announced in advance to the membership.
C.
Annual Elections: The business meeting held at the
fourth (4th) or (last) rally of the season prior to
September 30th, at which time the outgoing President
will assume the Immediate Past-President’s position, the Senior
Vice President will normally assume the President’s position and
the Junior Vice President will normally assume the Senior Vice
President’s position. The voting membership is to elect from a
slate the following Chapter officers; including a Junior Vice
President, a Vice President Membership, a Vice President Media and
Communications, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a National Director, and
an Alternate National Director.
1.
Vacancy President: Should the President’s position
become vacant, the Junior
Vice President shall assume the position for the duration of the
term.
2.
Vacancy: Should a vacancy occur during the year term
for a member of the
Executive Board, a new Acting Executive Board Officer may be
appointed by the
Executive Board for the remaining portion of the year term.
3.
Nominations: At the business meeting which the
Chapter nominating committee
makes their report, other nominations for any or all offices may
be made from the
floor.
D:
Rotate Officers: The
President, Senior and Junior Vice Presidents will rotate between
the
USA
and
CANADA
annually.
Example:
Year 1, President from
USA
, Senior Vice President from
Canada
and
Junior Vice President from
USA
.
Year 2, President from
Canada
, Senior
Vice President from
USA
and
Junior Vice President from
Canada
.
E:
Quorum: A quorum for the transaction of business at
any duly called Chapter meeting is twenty five percent (25%) of
the Chapter family unit membership or fifteen (15) family unit
members, whichever is less.
F:
Voting: Except as specified elsewhere in these
bylaws, a single majority vote of members in good standing,
present at meeting, and voting shall be required to approve or
disapprove any matter.
1.
The Chapter has established that voting will be one (1)
vote for each adult member.
2.
Balloting by mail may be undertaken when a proposed matter
is deemed to be of
such importance or urgency that the total membership vote is
advisable. This may
be deemed by the Executive Board or by a vote from the floor at a
business
meeting.
G: Parliamentary
Process: The rules contained in ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER NEWLY
REVISED shall govern this Chapter and in all cases to which they
are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the
constitution and bylaws of FMCA, and of this Chapter.
4.
Maintaining Affiliation: This chapter must maintain
a minimum of fifteen (15) family unit
members.
The Chapter Secretary shall furnish to the National
Office of FMCA, no later than the last week in December, a list of
it’s membership, a list of its incumbent Chapter officers, and
assurance that two (2) business meetings were held.
5.
Annual Audit: An annual audit of the Chapter’s
financial books and records shall be undertaken
and
reported to the membership.
A:
Auditors: Shall be nominated from the floor and will
consist of two (2) members in good
standing.
6:
Application of National Constitution and Bylaws: This
Chapter accepts and agrees that the
Chapter Bylaws shall conform to any mandatory requirements
stipulated in the National
Constitution and Bylaws of FMCA.
Article VII - Elections
1.
Nominating Committee Composition
A:
The Nominating Committee shall consist of not less than
three (3) Chapter members in
good standing, which will be nominated and elected by the Chapter
membership. The
Chairperson of this committee will be elected from within the
committee.
B:
Election of an individual to the Nominating Committee shall
not prohibit that person or any other member in good standing from
being nominated from the floor for any elected office; the
exception being the President and Senior Vice President which is
normally done by an upward movement in the chairs of office.
2:
Nominating Committee Duties:
A:
To select one of its members as Nominating Committee
Chairman.
B:
To nominate candidates for the Chapter Officers, including
a Junior Vice President, a Vice President Membership, a Vice
President Media and Communications, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a
National Director and an Alternate National Director.
C:
To obtain clear acceptance of nominees to serve the Chapter
should they be elected.
D:
To make certain that nominated candidates are members in
good standing and qualified
under applicable National and Chapter bylaws.
E: To nominate
candidates to fill vacancies that occur in elected Chapter
officers.
Article Vlll - Amendment of Bylaws
1. Mandatory
Amendments: Amendments applicable to Chapter operation shall
be automatically adopted as may be required by mandatory
amendments to the National FMCA Constitution and Bylaws. Such
mandatory amendments are not subject to voting by Chapter
membership.
2.
Amending Procedure: These Bylaws may be amended by a
66% affirmative vote of the
members present at a duly called meeting, providing that prior notice of at least thirty (30)
days has been given of the propositions to amend.
3.
Any member of the Chapter may propose changes in the
Bylaws. Approved amendments to these
Bylaws become effective immediately upon their adoption, or at
such time as specified in the
amendment.
4: Distribution: Copies
of changes, additions, amendments, or revisions to these Bylaws
shall be forwarded to the National Office and to the Area Vice
President.
Article lX - Liquidation and Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Thousand Island
Voyageurs, a Chapter of FMCA, by majority vote of the Chapter, all
remaining assets of the Chapter shall be contributed to the
purposes for which the Chapter is organized, or to a qualified
non-profit charity or charities.
|
