By-Laws of the
Article I. Name
This
Association shall be called the Lehigh Valley Canoe Club, which shall be
abbreviated as the LVCC.
Article II. Purpose
The
purpose of the LVCC is to unite persons interested in paddle sport in the
Ψ
exchange of
information on equipment, river classification, trips, water levels, river
conservation, training and river access;
Ψ
organization
of training opportunities in paddling skills, safety, and rescue techniques;
Ψ
organization
of competition in paddle sports; and,
Ψ
organization
of conservation programs and activities.
Article III. Membership
v
receipt of all
club publications;
v
right to vote
at all general club meetings (one vote per membership);
v
participation
at all committee meetings; and
v
be allowed to
hold office or chair committees.
The Executive Committee may also bestow honorary
membership in the LVCC to those individuals who have made outstanding contributions
to the sport of paddling.
Article IV. Officers
Section 1 Elected Officers. The elected officers of the LVCC are: President, Vice-President, Recording
Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and two(2) Members-at-Large. Each officer can serve a maximum of three
consecutive one-year terms.
Section 2 Nomination.
The Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of candidates for LVCC
office at the October membership meeting.
Additional nominations for office may be made from the floor at the
October and November meetings, with prior approval of the nominee.
Section 3 Election.
The officers of the LVCC shall be elected at the annual meeting by a
simple majority of those members present, and shall assume office immediately.
§
Vacancies between
elections shall be filled by appointment from the President or, in the case of
the Presidents vacancy, by the
Vice-President, or, if necessary, by the
Executive Committee.
Section 4 President.
The President shall preside at LVCC meetings, appoint such committees as
may be required for the conduction of LVCC activities, and, in general, direct
the activities of the LVCC.
Section 5 Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall maintain a
written record of membership meetings and serve as liaison for LVCC
correspondence.
Section 6 Treasurer.
The Treasurer receives all monies due to the LVCC, pays all bills out of
funds at hand, submits a written financial report and written budget for the
upcoming year at the annual meeting, and complies with State and Federal tax
reporting laws.
Section 7 Membership Secretary. The Membership Secretary shall maintain the
mailing list of all members, and distribute all LVCC publications to new
members.
Section 8 Vice-President.
The Vice-President shall conduct meetings in the absence of the
President and support the President in conducting club-related activities.
Section 9 Succession of Officers. In the absence of the President, the
following order determines succession:
Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and then the Membership
Secretary.
Section 10 Removal of Officers. The Executive Committee will conduct a
two-third majority vote of the entire membership.
Article V. Committees
Section 1 Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of
elected officers, the immediate Past President, the two Members-at-Large, and
the Chairpersons of all Standing and Special Committees. Each member of the Executive Committee has
one vote. A quorum for the Executive
Committee is two-thirds of the members present.
When it is impractical to consult the general membership, the Executive
Committee has the power to make decisions in the interest of the LVCC.
Section 2 Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of
a total of three(3) members who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee
no later than August of each year. The
immediate Past President shall be Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall present a
slate of candidates for LVCC offices at the October membership meeting.
Section 3 Standing Committees. The following Standing Committee Chairpersons
are appointed by the President:
Newsletter, Website, Programs, Instruction, Safety, Conservation,
Competition, Trips, Publicity, History, and Equipment. Additional Standing Committees may be formed
by amendment to the By-Laws.
Article VI. Meetings
Meetings
of the LVCC shall be held monthly. The
November meeting shall be the annual meeting of the LVCC. A quorum for all membership meetings shall be
no less than fifteen(15). Specific
actions and policies of the LVCC shall be decided by a majority vote of those
persons present, who are entitled to vote, and must be voting at the meeting at
which the action or policy is proposed.
Proposals may be made by individuals, and a majority vote of members
present may direct the President to set up a Special Committee to consider a
proposal. In most cases, however,
actions and policies should be proposed at meetings by a committee which has
thoroughly studied and refined the issues before presentation to the
membership.
Article VII. Finances
Section 1. The LVCC
shall operate as a non-profit organization.
No officer shall receive a salary; all services being rendered to the
LVCC are on a volunteer basis.
Section 2. No part of
the finances of the LVCC shall be distributed to its members or officers, or
private persons, except when the Executive Committee authorizes payment of
reasonable compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred in achieving
the goals of the LVCC.
Section 3. All
obligations and bills of the LVCC shall be paid upon authorization of the
Executive Committee.
Section 4. Dues shall
be charged to members annually to assist in defraying the expenses of the LVCC.
Article VIII. Fiscal Year
The
Fiscal Year of the LVCC shall begin on November 1st of each year.
Article IX. Amendments
Proposed
amendments to the By-Laws may be submitted by any member of the LVCC. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing
to the President and shall appear in an LVCC publication and distributed to all
members one month prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment shall be
put to vote. The proposed amendment
shall become effective when seconded and approved by a two-thirds majority of
those present.
Article X. Dissolution
In
the event of dissolution of the LVCC, all assets of the LVCC shall be
distributed to such non-profit organization(s) as may be selected by the
Executive Committee in order that the assets then owned by the LVCC shall be
devoted to the purposes set forth herein or as closely allied thereto as is
possible, provided, however, that such selected organization(s) must have
established appropriate exempt status as organization(s) described in Section
501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of 1954, or the
corresponding provisions of any future United States Revenue code,
contributions to which are deductible.
In no way shall any of the assets of the LVCC or the proceeds of any of
the assets, in the event of dissolution, be distributed to members (either for
the reimbursement of any sums subscribed), donated, or contributed by such
members, or for any other purposes.
Article XI. Ratification
These
By-Laws shall be effective when ratified by a simple majority vote of all
members present.
Ratified