By-Laws
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Simsbury Newcomers Club.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The object or aim of this nonprofit organization is to extend a friendly and neighborly helping hand to all Simsbury residents, new and established, by introducing them to others and to start them on a new social and civic life in their community.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP, DUES, AND FINANCES
Section 1 Any person who resides in Simsbury or in a nearby town is eligible for membership, as long as residency remains in Simsbury or in the nearby town, respectively.
Section 2 Membership may be held indefinitely, during which no more than two elective offices may be held by any member unless approved by 2/3 of the total Board.
Section 3 A paid membership is required to participate in any Newcomers activity. However, guests may attend a special activity or social.
Section 4 A membership year runs from September 1st through August 31st with all dues due by September 30th of each year.
- The annual membership dues will be reviewed each May by the outgoing and incoming Treasurers with the outgoing and incoming Presidents in conjunction with the annual budget review. Recommendations for revision will be presented at the June Board meeting along with the new budget by the Treasurer. Any changes in the dues must be approved by 2/3 of the incoming Board.
Section 5 Prospective members may attend two regular meetings of the Club and any member coffees before becoming a member.
Section 6 Any new member joining April 1st or after will pay half dues.
Section 7 All Club members whose dues become delinquent will be dropped from membership, mailing list and directory as of October 15th of each year.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS & THEIR ELECTION
Section 1 The officers of the Club shall be President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2 The Nominating Committee shall consist of no less than 4 members including the Chairperson plus the President acting in an advisory capacity only. It shall be the duty of this Committee to nominate at least one, but not more than two, candidates for each office to be filled at the annual election and to make a report to the Club one month prior to the election and by written notice at least 7 days prior to the election.
- The Chairperson is responsible for asking for volunteers for the committee from the general membership.
Section 3 The member nominated for President must have served on the Board during the previous year unless approved by 2/3 of the total Board. No officer shall hold the same office for more than two consecutive years.
Section 4 All officers shall be elected annually by a simple majority of voters in April and installed in May to serve for one year, or until their successors are elected.
Section 5 Election shall be by voice if there is but one candidate for each office. If there is more than one candidate for any office, election shall be by ballot.
ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board. Together with the officers, the President shall appoint any special committee chairpersons and shall be ex-officio member of each committee. The President shall be authorized to sign checks when impractical for the Treasurer to do so. The President shall meet and greet new members and guests at events and shall promote a friendly interest in Club activities.
Section 2 The 1st Vice President shall serve as Program Chairperson responsible for any special programs for General Meetings and the annual installation of officers and standing committee chairpersons. She shall also perform the duties of the President in his or her absence or disability and perform any other assignments that he or she may be asked to do by the President.
Section 3 The 2nd Vice President shall serve as Membership Chairperson and shall keep an up-to-date file of members. Each month she shall distribute updated lists of new members to the President, Newsletter Editor, and Treasurer. The Membership Chairperson shall also prepare the annual Directory and will arrange for the printing and distribution of the Directory.
Section 4 The 3rd Vice President shall serve as coordinator of special activities and shall initiate and terminate special activities as needed, ensure that newsletter items are submitted by activity chairpersons to the editor of the Newsletter in a timely fashion, and serve as liaison between the Board and the activity chairpersons. The Board must approve any new activity before being published in the Newsletter.
Section 5 The Secretary shall keep accurate Minutes of all meetings and is responsible for all correspondence unless otherwise delegated.
Section 6 The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds of the Club, pay all general bills, and make a written report of all receipts and expenditures of the Club at the end of each year. Along with the incoming Treasurer, President and 1st Vice President, the Treasurer shall prepare a proposed annual budget to be approved by the new Board in June.
ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS
A regular General Meeting of the club may be held once a month at the discretion of the Board.
ARTICLE VII – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (BOARD)
Section 1 The officers, the retiring President, who shall serve as advisor, and the chairpersons of the standing committees shall constitute the Board.
Section 2 The Board shall transact the business of the Club whenever it is impossible or impractical for the Club to take action as a whole. It shall fill a vacancy in office for the unexpired term by a majority vote of those present and voting.
Section 3 Regular meetings of the Board shall be held monthly, except July and August at the call of the President. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by 5 members of the Board. Childcare will be provided for Board members’ children by the Club.
Section 4 A simple majority of the membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Each board position is entitled to one vote.
Section 5 A Board member is advised to attend Board meetings, General Meetings and area meetings of whom he or she chairs. Any position on the Board may be reviewed at a Board meeting at the request of any Board member. A resignation may be requested by two-thirds vote of the entire Board membership, with the exclusion of the advisor.
ARTICLE VIII – SPECIAL ACTIVITY & STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1 There shall be the following Standing Committees: Childcare, Civic Concerns, Coffees, Editor of Newsletter, Publicity, Nominating, Hospitality, and Fundraising. The chairpersons shall be elected at the same time and according to the same procedures as the officers of the Board.
Section 2 Any member in good standing may attend Board meetings. They shall have the right of discussion but no voting privilege.
ARTICLE IX – PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
The rules contained in “Robert’s Rule of Order, Revised” shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular General Meeting of the Club by 2/3 vote of the members present provided written notice of the proposed amendment is made to the voting members in the Club at least one week in advance of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered.
ARTICLE XI – BYLAW REVIEW
A committee chaired by the past president shall review the Bylaws every two years. The committee shall be made up of the President, another board member, and two persons from the general membership in addition to the past president, or if unavailable, a person designated by the current Board.
STANDING RULES – COMMITTEES
All Chairpersons shall keep financial records of expenditures in line with the amount provided in the Club’s budget for their purpose.
The Editor of the Newsletter shall have charge of the monthly newsletter.
The Childcare Chairperson shall arrange for the care of the children, which is provided during the General Meetings, the monthly Board Meetings, and morning coffees and shall be responsible for the playthings that the children use.
The Civic Concerns Chairperson shall serve as a resource person and make available pertinent information at the General Meetings. The Chairperson shall serve as liaison between the Board and other civic organizations, requesting all correspondence and information to be in written form and shall be responsible for the civic concern outreach of the Club.
The Coffee Chairperson shall arrange for hosts and co-hosts for member coffees, to which all prospective members are invited.
The Publicity Chairperson shall prepare all publicity regarding prospective member coffees, General Meetings, and Club activities for publication in the designated newspapers.
The Hospitality Chairperson shall arrange for hosts and refreshments at the General Meetings and shall coordinate the organization of any social functions of the Club.
The Nominating Chairperson shall attend as many functions of the Club as possible in order to obtain maximum exposure to all members. In addition, the Nominating committee has the following duties and responsibilities:
- Should know the job descriptions of each Board position.
- Designate at least one member of the nominating committee to attend each coffee and each General Meeting.
- Meet in January and as required to review names of members who may be interested in holding Board positions. It will be the responsibility of the Committee to get to know anyone interested in a Board position. An initial slate will be presented in March.
- The Committee reserves the right to approach any member and inquire whether he or she would be willing to hold an office.
- The slate is to be presented at a March meeting at which time any other nominations can be made from the floor.
The “ballot” will be printed in the April newsletter with names for each office appearing in alphabetical order. If there is only one person for each office, the “slate” will be printed.
The election will take place in April with voting done by secret ballot if there is more than one person running for any office. The Nominating committee will count the ballots.
The Fundraising Chairperson shall be responsible for the organization of the annual fundraiser to include formation and running of the fundraising committee and shall serve as liaison between the Board and the general membership in all matters pertaining to the fundraiser.
STANDING RULES – ACTIVITIES
All contracts must be presented to the Board for approval prior to commitment.
The Directory is compiled and provided for the sole purpose of maintaining communications between Club members and is not to be used for solicitation.
Activity commitments or reservations by Club members are to be treated as personal obligations, with members responsible for provisions, finances, or other materials unless cancellation is made within set limits.
Activity chairpersons for special, social or other activities are responsible for forwarding notes, records, and financial information to their successors as part of their job.
Newsletter: It shall be at the discretion of the Newsletter editors and the club president as to the content of material included in the newsletter.
Past President: After installation of a New President, the President and the Past President shall review the bylaws to determine if any revisions are needed. The Past President shall also advise the 3rd Vice President about preparation and setup for the Sign-up meeting in September.
These bylaws were revised September 2007
