LONG BEACH ROWING ASSOCIATION BY LAWS
(As amended October 1998)
ARTICLE I – Name
Section 1.
The name of this Association shall be “Long Beach Rowing Association”.
ARTICLE II – Purpose
Section 1.
The general purpose of this organization shall be , in cooperation with the Long Beach Recreation Commission, to use every reasonable endeavor for the advancement of rowing in the best traditions of sportsmanship.
Section 2.
The specific purpose of this Association shall be to sponsor or aid:
a. Crews and oarsmen in the local colleges and high schools;
b. Crews and oarsmen representing the Long Beach Rowing Association in local, regional, national or international competition;
c. Local crews and oarsmen rowing of sculling for leisure time activity;
d.Local regattas for all types of rowing or sculling competition.
Section 3.
This organization shall be non-profit, non-commercial, non-sectarian and non partisan.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Membership shall be of the following classifications:
a. Junior Members: those persons who are less than eighteen years of age;
b. Members: those persons who are eighteen years of age or older;
c. Organizational Member:any group of individuals who may join as an organization.
d. Honorary Life Member: those persons who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare and growth of the Long Beach Rowing Association or to Rowing in general.
e. Patron Member: Life Members who continue to contribute funds, which are not intended as payment or rowing assessments of fees, to any activity supported by the Association.
f. Sustaining Member: Those persons who have contributed a sustaining member fee, not intended for payment or rowing assessments of fees and who were sustaining members as of September 30, 1998.
g. Friends of LBRA: Those persons who have contributed a sustaining member fee, not intended for payment or rowing assessments of fees. Friends of LBRA shall enjoy all the benefits of membership except the right to vote, hold office or row.
Section 2.
Memberships is open to any individual person or organization who is genuinely interested in furthering the purposes of this Association and who agrees to comply with all of the provisions of these by-laws. Membership is instantaneous upon full payment of the required membership dues.
Section 3.
There shall be an advisory member, the person appointed by the Director of Municipal and School Recreation, who shall serve as the representative of the Recreation Commission. The advisory member shall have all of the executive privileges of the Association membership except the right to vote or to hold office and shall not be required to pay any fee.
Section 4.
Honorary Life Members shall be confirmed at the annual meeting in the same manor as these by-laws are adopted. Not more than two honorary memberships may be conferred annually and the total Honorary Life Memberships shall not exceed 12 in number at any one time. Honorary Life Members shall have all the rights and privileges of members and shall not be required to pay dues.
Section 5.
The privileges of membership, except for Junior membership, shall include the right to vote at meetings of the members, to attend any meeting of the Association or its officers and to hold office pursuant to the requirements of these by-laws. Junior members shall have all the rights of membership except to vote and hold office. Organizations may exercise the privileges of membership through their designated representatives who are not personally members of the organization. Rowing privileges accrue only to individuals, members and non-members alike, who pay the required assessments or fees or to individuals and organizations designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 6.
The Board of Directors shall determine the amount of dues. Dues shall become payable by members on October 1 of every year. New members joining at any other time shall pay according to a schedule determined by the Board of Directors. New members are those persons who have not been a member of the Association for a period of 12 months preceding their new application for membership and who owe no outstanding debts to the Association. Dues may be paid by installment upon the discretion of the Board of Directors. Dues which are paid in installments must be fully paid within three months of their becoming due. The schedule of dues shall be affixed to these by-laws by the Secretary.
Section 7.
Membership in the Long Beach Rowing association is not necessarily required of any competing oarsmen in any rowing activity sponsored by the Association except as required by the Board of Directors.
Section 8.
Any member in arrears in dues of assessments shall have no voting or office-holding privileges and is subject to removal from the membership rolls by the Board of Directors.
Section 9.
Any member who shall damage, injure or lose any property of this Association shall be liable for the full payment to repair or replace same within a reasonable length of time. Membership may be revoked or suspended for nonpayment of obligations incurred through injury or loss of Association equipment.
Section 10.
No member or members shall solicit funds for any rowing activity from any members or the general public with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 11.
Any member may be expelled upon receipt by the organization of documentation for cause, acceptance thereof by a three-fourths majority vote of the total membership of the Board of Directors.
Section 12.
Any member expelled shall be granted the right of appeal to the club membership by submitting his request, in writing, within 15 days following his receipt of the notice of expulsion, to any member of the Board of Directors. Expulsion proceedings would then require three-fourths majority vote of quorum of the club members present at a meeting called to consider the expulsion appeal.
Section 13.
Any member in good standing may resign. Upon the acceptance of such resignation, all interest of such member in the property of the Association shall be deemed to have been abandoned and assigned to the Association.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Section 1.
A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the members shall consist of 20 members who are eligible to vote, or 20 percent of the total of such members of the Association, whichever is more. No business will be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present.
Section 2.
The Annual meeting of the members shall be held during the second week of October of each year at a previously designated and announced time and place. Notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be given to each member by a written notice mailed to the last address of each member, as appears on the books of the Secretary, along with a list of candidates to be voted upon to fill the expiring terms of the Directors, not earlier than 21 days before the date of the meeting, nor later than 7 days before the date of the meeting.
Section 3.
Persons representing member organizations shall present themselves to the Secretary and the President when the roll is taken, in order to exercise said organization’s right to vote. The President, the Secretary or any three members may demand written certification from a person who presents himself. Persons who are themselves a member of the Association shall not vote on behalf of the organization they represent, if such exercise of the organization’s right to vote shall result in that person having two votes.
Section 4.
The order of all business meetings shall be:
- Roll call and introductions
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- Report of the Officers
- Committee reports
- Elections (if any)
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Adjournment
- Program (if any)
Section 5.
Regular business meetings will be held during the second week of every third month inclusive of the annual meeting. The members may elect to hold annual meetings at any time, providing proper notice on the clubhouse bulletin board 15 days prior to each meeting.
Section 6.
Special meetings of the members shall be called, upon the written request of five members, by the President or the Board of Directors, notice of which shall be given in the same manner as the notice of the annual meeting. The notice shall state the purpose, time and place of the meeting. No business not so specified by the formal notice shall be transacted any any such meeting.
Section 7.
There shall be no voting by proxy at any meeting of the members.
Section 8.
If at any meeting of the members all the business shall not be finished on the day for which it is called, an adjournment may be taken from time to time until such business shall be fully completed.
Section 9.
In the event a quorum cannot be secured at the annual meeting, all pending questions except amendments to these by-laws,