ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Newcomers and Neighbors Club of Mt. Lebanon.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this organization shall be the development of the acquaintance and fellowship among new and existing residents and those working or volunteering in Mt. Lebanon and to assist their assimilation into the civic life and social activities of their community.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP, DUES, AND FINANCES
Section 1 – Membership in the Club will be open to all women who either live in the community of Mt. Lebanon or work in Mt. Lebanon and who are interested in making friends in the community.
Section 2 – The dues are $45.00 annually and are due and payable as of June 1 each year. Members whose dues are not paid by July 1 cannot be guaranteed a place in the Directory. New members admitted into the Club from June 1 through December 31 shall pay $45.00; those admitted from January 1 through March 31 shall pay $25.00. Those admitted to the Club after March 31 shall pay no dues for the current year; however they must prepay the annual dues for the next year.
Section 3 – If a member has resigned and is still living within the territorial limits of the Club, she may be reinstated upon payment of dues in accordance with Sections 1 and 2.
Section 4 – The President remains an “active” honorary member for one year after her term of office. If a past President chooses to continue her membership past her one-year of “active” honorary membership, she must pay the annual membership dues.
Section 5 – Members shall be responsible for payment of all reservations made and not cancelled.
Section 6 – The fiscal year shall end May 31.
Section 7 – In the case where an active, paying member of at least one year moves out of Mt. Lebanon, that member may remain a member of the Club as long as she continues paying her membership each and every year after her move. If she discontinues her membership she may not join again unless she returns to live and/or work in Mt. Lebanon.
Section 8 – Upon dissolution of the Club, the remaining assets will be distributed equally among the current members.
Section 9 – In the case where an active member of the Club turns 80 years old, dues will be lowered to $10.00 annually.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES
Section 1 – The officers of the Club shall be President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair and Communications Director.
Section 2 – The President shall preside at all the meetings of the Club. She shall be an ex-officio member of each committee except the Nominating Committee. She shall be authorized to sign checks when it is not practical for the Treasurer to do so.
Section 3 – The 1st Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in her absence or disability. She shall serve as Monthly Meetup Coordinator. She shall serve as the liaison between the Board and the Social Chair/Social Committee when applicable.
Section 4 – The 2nd Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the 1st Vice President and the President. She shall serve as the Special Interest Groups Chairperson. She will also be responsible for informing the Special Interest Group Leaders of the interests of the new members.
Section 5 – The Secretary shall keep a correct account of each meeting of the Club and the Board of Directors and shall have charge of all correspondence.
Section 6 – The Treasurer receives all income and pays all obligations of the Club, makes disbursements only as directed by the Board of Directors, maintains accurate records, prepares regular financial reports for the Board of Directors, is responsible for all official financial statements including a 12 month summary year end statement, prepares the proposed budget annually for Board revision and approval, and files the annual tax return. The outgoing treasurer will prepare the annual budget for the following year before the fiscal year ends on May 31. The new Board will review the proposed budget at the June Board meeting and will vote on it in July.
Section 7 – The Membership Officer shall have charge of all aspects of new mem-ber recruitment. The Membership Officer shall arrange and be responsible for all prospective members and for attending orientation coffees and shall maintain a current list of all active members. She is responsible for notifying the Communications Director of the new members and the 2nd Vice President of new members and their interests.
Section 8 – The Communications Director shall coordinate all forms of communication including, but not exclusive of, e-mail bulletins, the website, the yearbook and advertising/public relations.
Section 9 – A Nominating Committee may be formed in February and can consist of a chairperson, one member elected from the Board of Directors, and two members (excluding Board members). It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate a candidate for each office to be filled at the annual election in April and to make a report to the Club prior to the election. A member may not serve on the nominating committee two years in a row.
Section 10 – All officers shall be elected annually (the date to be set by the Board of Directors) and installed in May to serve one year, or until the election of their successors. Their term of office begins June 1. The term of office shall be no more than two (2) consecutive terms, except the Treasurer and Communications Director who can serve three (3) terms, each term consisting of one (1) year. Re-election is not possible until the lapse of at least one (1) year.
Section 11 – A member may be nominated for office if she has at least three months in the Club.
Section 12 – If there is but one candidate for each office, elections shall be by voice vote; otherwise, election shall be by ballot. Each member may cast an absentee ballot in the case she cannot attend the general meeting where ballot voting will take place, so that all members have an opportunity to vote in a contested election.
Section 13 – The retiring President act as Parliamentarian and Revisions Chairperson for one year after her term of office.
ARTICLE V
MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Club shall be held at a day and place to be designated by the Board.
ARTICLE VI
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section I – The Officers and the retiring President shall constitute the Board of Di-rectors.
Section 2 – The Board of Directors 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 remaining term by a majority vote of those present and voting.
Section 3 – Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly at the call of the President, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors. Special Meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by five members of the Board.
Section 4 - Five members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Directors can vote by e-mail or by proxy at any regular business meeting of the club.
ARTICLE VII
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Section 1 – There shall be Special Interest Groups maintained by the Club for the benefit of the members. These shall vary from year to year depending on the interest of the current members.
A) All members of the Special Interest Groups must be active members of the Club.
B) Special Interest Groups shall be financially self-supporting.
C) The Special Interest Groups Chairperson (2nd Vice President) shall be responsible for initiating new groups when membership interest warrants, and assuring that there are no major conflicts in the scheduling of the Group’s regular meeting day and time.
ARTICLE VIII
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised” shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the by-laws.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended at one of the semi-annual business meetings of the Club by a two-thirds majority vote of the attendees, provided that written/e-mail no-tice was given at least two weeks in advance.