RECOMMENDED CLUB BYLAWS
Article Subject Page
I
Election of Directors and
Officers...............................................................267
II
Board of Directors
.........................................................................................267
III
Duties of Officers
..........................................................................................267
IV
Meetings
.........................................................................................................268
V
Fees and
Dues................................................................................................269
VI
Method of Voting
..........................................................................................269
VII
Committees....................................................................................................269
VIII
Duties of
Committees...................................................................................271
IX
Leave of
Absence...........................................................................................273
X
Finances
..........................................................................................................273
XI
Method of Electing Members (For All Kinds of Membership)
.....................274
XII
Resolutions.....................................................................................................274
XIII
Order of Business
..........................................................................................274
XIV
Amendments
.................................................................................................275
Article I Election of Directors and Officers
Section 1 — At a regular meeting one
month prior to the meeting for election of offi-cers,
the presiding officer shall ask for nominations by members of the club
for
president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and ________ members of
the
board of directors. The nominations may be presented by a nominating
commit-tee
or by members from the floor, by either or by both as a club may
determine.
If it is determined to have a nominating committee, such committee shall
be
appointed as the club may determine. 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. The candidates for president, vice-president, secretary,
and treasurer
receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their
respective
offices. The ________ 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 some member of the club
to
act as sergeant-at-arms.
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
________ members of this club, namely, ________ directors elected in
accordance
with article I, section 1, of these bylaws, the president,
vice-president, president-elect,
secretary, treasurer, 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.
Bylaws of the Rotary Club of
NOTE: These bylaws are recommended only and may be changed by any Rotary
club to meet
its own conditions, provided such changes are not out of harmony with the
club constitution
and bylaws of Rotary International. If any doubt exists, the proposed
changes should be submitted
to the general secretary of RI for the consideration of the board of
directors of RI.
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. 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 to
perform
such other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of vice-president.
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 per-form
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 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 such other duties 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
________________________________ in each year, at which time the election
of
officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.
(Note: article IV, section 2 of the standard Rotary club constitution
provides that “An annual
meeting for the election of officers of this club shall be held not later
than the thirty-first day
of December in each year as provided in the bylaws of this club.”)
Section 2 — The regular weekly meetings
of this club shall be held on ________
________________________ (day) at ________________________ (time).
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 VII,
section
3 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.
Section 3 — One-third of the membership
shall constitute a quorum at the annual
and regular meetings of this club, except as provided in subsection
2.020.4. of the
RI bylaws.
Section 4 — Regular meetings of the
board shall be held on ______________________
____________________ 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 — 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 $
________________ to be paid before the
applicant can qualify as a member.
Section 2 — The membership dues shall be
$ ________________ per annum, payable
semiannually on the first day of July and of January, 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, subject to the approval of 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
chair-man,
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 to 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 on particular
phases
of club service.
(c) The president shall, subject to the approval of 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 chairmen of all committees appointed on
particular phases of community service.
(c) The president shall, subject to the approval of 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 meetings — including 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 publish-ing
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
world-wide
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)
Program Committee. This
committee shall prepare and arrange the programs
for the regular and special meetings of the club.
(i)
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.
(j)
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
work-ing
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. VII, sec. 3 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 upon
vouchers signed by any two officers. A thorough audit by a certified
public
accountant or other qualified person shall be made once each year 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, and
for the collection of members’ dues shall be divided into two (2)
semiannual periods
extending from July 1st to December 31st, and from January 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 (For All Kinds of Membership)
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. 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 (if active
membership)
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 which is
not in
harmony with the club constitution and with the constitution and bylaws
of RI.
