AMERICAN LEGION POST 76
AMATEUR RADIO CLUB BYLAWS
ARTICLE 1
OBJECTIVES
The Headquarters of the American Legion encourages each
Post to establish an amateur radio club as a subsidiary activity of the
Post. The Officers and members of Post
76, District 2 of the Nevada Department have authorized the creation of an
amateur radio club as a membership activity.
In accordance with FCC rules and regulations, the
Officers of the Post will annually select or reaffirm one Post member, who is
licensed as an Amateur Radio General Operator by the FCC, to be the official
Club License Trustee – the official representative of the Post to The Club and
official holder of The Club FCC License.
This club shall operate as a
nonpartisan, not-for-profit Club and will be officially known as the “American
Legion Post 76 Amateur Radio Club” (hereafter referred to as The Club). The objectives of The Club are:
A. To promote interest in and the advancement of amateur
radio and electronics in general.
B. To promote a good relationship between American Legion
members who are licensed radio amateurs and the public through public service
activities.
C. To help interested persons obtain an FCC Amateur Radio
License and current licensees to upgrade their licenses.
D. To participate in activities involving amateur radio.
E. To be prepared to
respond in cases of declared emergencies or disasters and to offer amateur
radio communications where necessary.
ARTICLE II
CLUB OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
A. In accordance with the Articles of Organization adopted
by Post 76 establishing The Club, the officers of The Club shall be President,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chairman. Combined, these officers shall be the Board
of Directors of The Club.
B. All officers of The Club shall be members in good
standing of Post 76, be at least 21 years of age, and have an FCC Amateur Radio
License of any category.
C. A term of office for officers shall be two (2)
years. No officer shall hold the same
office for two (2) consecutive terms.
D. The officers shall be nominated and elected one office at
a time from the floor at the last Regular meeting in June. Election shall be by secret ballot if there
are two or more candidates for any elective office. If there is only one candidate for each of
the elective offices, the entire slate may be voted into office by a show of
hands by a majority of the members present.
The new officers shall be introduced and assume their offices at the
first scheduled meeting in July.
E. No officer shall hold more than one office at a
time. However, if an elective office is
vacant, the Board of Directors may authorize a current officer to fulfill the
duties of that vacant office until a qualified member can be elected. Individual Club members elected to serve may
hold different offices over time if so elected by the membership.
F. The following permanent Committees shall be established:
1) Activities Committee; 2) Public Relations Committee; 3) Finance Committee;
4) Technical Committee.
G. The Club President
may establish additional committees and sub-committees as necessary to serve
the best interests of The Club, including a Field Day Committee and a
Nominating Committee. The Chairs of the
various committees shall be appointed by The Club President and confirmed by
the Board of Directors, and shall not be considered officers of The Club. All activities of the committees shall first
be authorized by the Board of Directors of The Club, and reports on those
activities shall be made to The Club’s membership each month.
H. Vacancies occurring on the Board during the year shall be
filled at the next Regular meeting by nomination and election from the
floor. The new officer shall immediately
assume office for the balance of the term.
ARTICLE III
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
A. PRESIDENT shall:
1. Preside over all regular and special meetings of The Club.
2. Direct the affairs of The Club subject to the advice of
the Board and the requirements of the Bylaws.
3. Make reports to the membership of The Club on club activities,
events, and general status.
4. Report on the activities, events and general status of The
Club to the Post Officers.
5. Appoint two (2) or more members of The Club to the
Finance Committee to audit The Club account books and to conduct a detailed
inventory of supplies and equipment.
6. Appoint Club members to all other committees and
committee chairs, and be an ex-officio member of each.
7. Sign, as required, all contracts or written instruments
on behalf of The Club.
8. Represent The Club for social or business contacts when
required.
9. Monitor and coordinate with The American Legion’s
headquarters Amateur Radio Club and report to the members all amateur radio
activities conducted by the American Legion.
10. Establish and maintain a working relationship with all
local amateur radio (Ham) clubs on behalf of The Club.
11. Perform incidental duties not herein specified.
B. VICE PRESIDENT shall:
1. Act in the absence of the President at all The Club
functions and perform all duties of the President herein described.
2. Arrange and publish the agenda for each Club meeting, for
guest speakers, and for induction of new members.
3. Select and assign a mentor for each new member.
4. Perform other duties required by the President or the
Board.
C. SECRETARY shall:
1.Keep
a written record of all proceedings of all Regular, Special, and Board meetings,
and to provide a copy of each record to the President of The Club and to the
editor of The Club bulletin for publication.
2. Receive and
send all club correspondence.
3. Read all correspondence of general interest
to the members at regular or Board meetings.
4.
Perform other duties as required by the President or the Board.
D. TREASURER shall:
1. Keep a written
record of all monies and donated supplies or equipment received or expended by The
Club.
2. Work with the Finance Committee to develop a proposed
annual Club budget and submit it to the Board of Directors for approval one
month prior to the end of the fiscal year.
3. The Board of Directors conduct all finances through the
Post Finance Officer. The Club Treasurer
will coordinate with the Post Finance Officer to accomplish that process.
4. Alternately, the Board of Directors may elect to conduct
all finances internally to The Club, maintaining its own bank accounts. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all
financial operations. The Treasurer
shall initiate checks for normal monthly expenses and have them properly
signed. Checks for $250 or less or for
“normal” expenses (i.e., those annually occurring expenses) may be
independently issued by the Treasurer.
Checks for expenses over $250, shall have either the approval of the
Board or the approval of The Club membership at a general meeting.
5. Maintain The Club’s bank accounts only at banks approved
by the Board. A signature card shall be
kept by the bank showing the signatures of the current President, Vice
President, and Treasurer.
6. Issue dues receipts as required.
7. Provide a monthly report on the financial condition of The
Club to The Club members.
8. Maintain an accurate list of all physical assets of The
Club and their present location.
9. Perform other duties required by the President or the
Board.
E. MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN shall:
1. Prepare an annual list of qualified Club members,
ensuring that all are also qualified as Post members, after the September Regular
meeting. The list shall include the
name, call sign identifier, address, telephone numbers and email address of
each Club member. The list shall also
include all honorary Club members. The
list shall be submitted to the Board, the Post Adjutant, and to the editor of The
Club bulletin.
2. Maintain and update the membership list throughout the
year, ensuring the Board of Directors and the Post 76 Adjutant have copies.
3. If a Club bulletin is authorized, The Club President shall
appoint a Club member to be responsible for its preparation and distribution. The Membership Chair shall:
a. Develop a mailing list and ensure copies are made and
mailed or emailed to each qualified Club member and to other persons and
organizations on the list.
b. Provide a copy of the bulletin to the Post Adjutant
for a permanent record.
.
c. Maintain a file copy of each bulletin in the Chairman’s
records.
d. Provide copies of The Club bulletin to meeting
visitors.
4. Prepare membership promotional materials; organize and
conduct membership drives.
5. Contact all new members and provide them with a welcome
letter that outlines the structure and operations of The Club.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS
In addition to the permanent committees, the President
may also elect to establish or dissolve various Club committees and
sub-committees designed to enhance the operations and activities of The Club
and the enjoyment of its members.
Members of the permanent committee shall be initially appointed in
August of each year, and their primary responsibilities are listed below:
A. ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE:
1. Organize and conduct Club activities such as picnics,
camping trips, ball games or other such events for the enjoyment of the
members.
2. Obtain prizes for and run a raffle at Regular Club
meetings. Select prizes of general value
to radio amateurs and when possible, solicit prize donations from retailers or
manufacturers, striving to maintain a net positive cash flow from the raffle
activities.
3. Provide refreshments at each of the Regular Club
meetings.
4. Help with the organization of the annual Field Day.
5. Perform other duties required by the President or the
Board.
B. PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE:
1. Work with the Activities Committee to develop an annual
promotional / publicity calendar.
2. Contact and get published in local newspapers, as needed,
announcements of club activities and community service events.
3. Work with The Club Membership Committee and the Post
Officers to recruit new members to the Post and subsequently to The Club.
4. Welcome members and visitors toall General meetings and
answer any questions they may have about The Club.
5. Perform other duties required by the President or the
Board.
C. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE:
A committee consisting of technically
proficient amateur radio operators that:
a. Assists members
with technical problems relating to equipment setup and operation.
b. Assists member to obtain and/or upgrade their licenses.
c. When sufficient interest exists, hold classes on such
issues as antenna design, frequencies, packet radio operations, and such other
subjects.
d. Assists members with Television Interference (TVI)
problems. Each TVI complaint shall be
resolved as soon as possible. A log
shall be kept for all TVI complaint activities.
e. Acts as lead organizers of The Club’s annual Field Day.
f. Advises The Club on equipment and technical setup of The
Club’s communications center.
g. Coordinates and conducts Club net activities.
h. Coordinates all Club communications activities during
emergencies or disasters.
i. Performs other duties required by the President or the
Board.
D. FINANCE
COMMITTEE: A committee consisting of
club members technically proficient in budgets and finance.
a. Advise The Club Treasurer in
development of a Club budget.
b. Annually audits The Club account books
and verifies the inventory of The Club.
1.
Reports their findings to The Club no later than the last meeting in September
and to
the Board of
Directors no later than the last Post 76 General Meeting in October of
each year.
c.
Perform other duties as required by the President or the Board.
The President may also appoint other special committees
for specific purposes or for the good of The Club, including but not limited
to:
A. FIELD DAY COMMITTEE:
A committee of interested Club members who will work with the Technical
Committee to organize and run the annual Club Field Day.
B. NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
A committee of Club members selected to recruit individuals interested
in serving as an Officer of The Club, and to propose a slate of candidates for
consideration by Club members for Club Officers for the next three (3) years.
ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP
A. Members of this Club shall be individuals in good standing
with the American Legion, of good moral character who have an interest in
amateur radio and/or electronics, have an interest in the aims of The Club, and
be willing to voluntarily respond to and assist during declarations of
emergencies or disasters. Such persons
may become members of The Club, provided they also meet other requirements of
the Bylaws.
B. There are no dues
for membership in The Club unless approved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds
(2/3) majority of the members attending a Regular meeting of The Club. Prior to such dues being imposed, they must
first be approved by the Post 76 Executive Board.
C. Each member is responsible for notifying both the Post 76
Adjutant and The Club Membership Chairman of any change of address or other
contact information.
D. The Board may expel or suspend a member by unanimous vote
at a Board meeting under the following conditions:
1. Failure to discharge debts to The Club, including dues.
2. Conduct detrimental to the welfare, interest, character,
or order of The Club.
3. Conviction of a violation of the FCC rules resulting in
the suspension or cancellation of the amateur radio license.
4. Conviction of a felony under the laws of the State of
Nevada or of the United States of America.
E. The Board of Directors may reinstate any expelled or
suspended member by a unanimous vote at a Board meeting.
F. Members who have been expelled or suspended or who
voluntarily withdraw from The Club have no recourse on club assets or property;
real or otherwise.
G. Honorary membership is reserved for individuals who have
made an extraordinary effort to help improve The Club, or for individuals who
hold a position in the community that will help promote the goals, the
objectives, and the image of The Club.
An honorary membership is bestowed under the following conditions:
1. Nomination for honorary membership may be made by any Club
member during the “Good of The Club” portion of any Board or Regular Club
meeting.
2. Without the individual being present, an Honorary
membership shall require a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Board and
shall be for a period not to exceed twenty-four (24) months and shall expire on
December 31 of the second year.
3. Honorary membership may be renewed for an additional
period by voting as stated above during the last three (3) months of the
membership.
4. The Membership Chairman shall maintain a list of all
Honorary members.
5. Honorary members shall not be able to vote or hold office
and will not have to pay dues.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
Regular meetings of The Club shall be held monthly at
designated times and places. All
meetings shall be open to all interested members. Special meetings may be called by the Board
when necessary. A majority of Club
Officers present at any meeting constitutes a quorum.
Notices of Regular and Special meetings shall be mailed
to each member within a reasonable time prior to each meeting. Notices of Special meetings shall contain a
list of important items on the agenda.
Robert’s Rules of Order (revised) shall govern Club meetings when it
does not conflict with these Bylaws.
The order of business at the Regular Club meetings shall
be as follows unless circumstances dictate otherwise:
1. Call to Order – The president shall call the meeting to
order.
2. Announcement of
Lecture or Entertainment – The Vice President shall introduce the guest speaker
or entertainment for the meeting.
3. Roll Call of Officers – The Secretary shall call roll by
title and record the officer attendance in the minutes.
4. Reading of the Minutes – The Secretary shall not be
required to read the minutes of the previous meeting if the minutes were
published prior to the meeting. The
President shall ask for a motion and a vote to approve the minutes as
published. Any corrections or additions
may be made by a member and be approved by the members present.
5. Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer shall report on the
financial condition of The Club.
6. Introduction of Members – The Membership Chairman shall
introduce any new members present.
7. Introduction of Visitors – The President shall introduce
any visitors present at the meeting. A
visitor log shall be passed around at the beginning of the meeting. The visitor log shall be retained in the permanent
records of the membership chairman.
8. Committee Reports – The President shall ask for any
reports from the committee chairs.
9. Communications – The Secretary shall read any
communications of general interest to The Club members.
10. Old Business – The President shall bring up items of old
business for further or final action.
11. New Business – The president shall ask for any items of
new business for The Club.
12. Good of The Club – The President shall ask if there are
any items to be presented or discussed of interest to The Club.
13. Presentation by guest speaker.
14. Adjournment.
ARTICLE VII
LONG TERM APPOINTMENTS
Long term appointments of key individuals shall be made
by the President when necessary. These
appointments shall be for an indefinite period preferably for several years,
and should only be given to members who are able to perform the specific
requirements of the job.
A. CLUB HISTORIAN: The Club Historian shall maintain records
and all other items of historical value to The Club and ensure a copy of such
items be filed with the Post Historian.
B. LICENSE TRUSTEE: The
Club License Trustee shall be appointed by the Officers of the Post, and shall
hold a General or higher amateur license.
The Trustee shall be responsible for The Club call sign, and shall file
renewal forms with the FCC when required.
C. OTHER – Other appointments may be made as necessary, such
as Club net control operators.
ARTICLE VIII
DONATIONS, OPERATIONS, DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of The Club, the assets
of The Club shall become the assets of the Post and may be sold as a fundraiser
for a designated community service project, or donated by the officers of the
Post to one or more non-profit organizations in such manner as defined in Post
bylaws.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended at a Regular Club meeting by
a motion approved by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members
present, provided that the proposed amendment has first been presented to and
approved by the Post 76 Executive Board.
ARTICLE X
SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Bylaws or their application to
any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the invalidity does not
affect other provisions or applications of the Bylaws which can be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of
the Bylaws are severable.
APPROVED by the POST 76 EXECUTIVE BOARD:
_______________________________ ________________________
Michael
Percival, Commander Date
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