Club By-Laws

TAMPA BAY MINERAL AND SCIENCE CLUB, INC. BYLAWS

SECTION A: To associate persons of the Tampa Bay area of Florida who are interested in natural science to work together as an organization in the gathering, displaying, and studying of rocks, shells, artifacts, and any kind of scientific objects of interest to the individual and the organization, and to promote community interest in these subjects.

SECTION B: To affiliate with the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies in order to exchange knowledge and ideas with other organizations of similar objects and purposes, and to exhibit specimens of our work and our collections either as individuals or as a group in regional and national competition.

SECTION C: To have an annual show to encourage participation by club members, by other interested persons, and by other clubs or organizations, who may have a desire to work together as indicated in Section A.

SECTION D: In the event of the dissolution of the corporation, all of its assets, property, and funds shall be turned over to one or more non-profit organizations created for like or similar purposes for the continuation of such projects as the corporation may have commenced.

SECTION A: A person shall become a member by (1) submitting an application accompanied by the dues and/or initiation fee as set forth in the standard operating procedure for membership, (2) being recommended by a member of this corporation, and (3) receiving a vote of acceptance at a general meeting.

SECTION B: Any member whose attitude or conduct is considered detrimental to the welfare of the Club may have their membership terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Termination is effective immediately upon said vote of the Board. The terminated member shall be notified in writing by the Board and given 30 days in which to appear before the Board to petition for reinstatement.

SECTION A: The annual dues shall be defined in the standard operating procedure for membership. Changes to the dues can only be enacted by following the "amendment" procedure defined in ARTICLE IX, SECTION A of these bylaws.

SECTION B: Only members whose dues are up to date may (1) be nominated or hold office, (2) be a member of any committee, or (3) vote in any election. A member may vote individually if eighteen (18) years old or older in any election or matters concerning business or activities of the club.

SECTION A: The officers of this corporation shall be: a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and five directors.

SECTION B: All officers except the secretary and treasurer shall be elected annually. The secretary and the treasurer shall be elected for a term of two years. The secretary shall be elected on even-numbered years and the treasurer shall be elected on odd-numbered years.

SECTION C: Nominations for officers shall be made by a nominating committee consisting of three members, of which at least one member shall be a member of the executive committee. The nominating committee shall be appointed at least one week before the November general meeting and shall be announced at the general meeting in November. The nominating committee shall not meet for a least one week after the November general meeting in order to give all members an opportunity to suggest names for the various officers. Following the report of the nominating committee at the January general meeting, nominations may be made from the floor provided the consent of the nominee has been secured.

SECTION D: Election shall be by ballot if there is more than one nominee for an office. Only members showing their up-to-date membership cards may vote. If there is but one nominee for any office, it shall be in order to move and second that the secretary cast the elective ballot of the corporation for the nominee.

SECTION E: Vacancies in any office shall be filled by executive committee appointment until the next regular election of officers takes place. If the election of the secretary or the treasurer should be necessary on an off-year, the term of the office that one time shall be for one year in order to get back on the schedule for those officers as set forth in Section B.

SECTION F: The election of officers shall take place annually during the general meeting in January. The newly elected officers shall meet with the retiring officers, not more than two weeks after the election, in order to receive books, materials, and equipment of the corporation, and to make arrangements to assume their duties at the regular business meeting in February. No member may be nominated for or appointed to serve in more than one elective office at the same time.

SECTION A: Each officer shall develop (if not already in existence) and maintain a standard operating procedure that details the responsibilities of that office and how those responsibilities are to be carried out. The executive committee shall serve as the approval/change authority for these procedures.

SECTION B: The president shall preside at all regular business meetings of the corporation and of the executive committee, be a member ex officio of all committees except the nominating committee, appoint chairman of all committees except the executive committee, perform all duties usually pertaining to this office. The president may be elected to serve two consecutive terms. At the end of his term of office, the president shall serve as a director on the executive committee for one (1) additional year.

SECTION C: The vice-president shall serve as an aid to the president and perform the duties of the president in the event of the president's absence or inability to serve. The vice-president shall also be responsible for insuring all standard operating procedures are followed and kept up to date and perform other duties as assigned by the president and/or executive committee. The vice-president shall also be responsible for insuring all bylaw and standard operating calendar requirements are brought to the executive committee's attention.

SECTION D: The secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the general meetings, regular business meetings of the corporation, all specially called meetings, and all meetings of the executive committee. The secretary shall also keep an up-to-date list of all carried motions from all of the above meetings, post this list in the clubhouse and insure its availability at all of the above mentioned meetings. The secretary shall keep the members informed of all communications written and received, notify all members of any specially called meetings, and shall be responsible for maintaining all historical records of the corporation.

SECTION E: The treasurer shall receive all moneys of the corporation, disburse funds authorized by the executive committee, keep an accurate account of receipts and expenditures, make a treasurer's report at each regular business meeting and at any other time when requested to do so by the executive committee and make an annual fiscal report at the February business meeting of the corporation. The treasurer's accounts shall be examined annually by a financial review committee, which, when satisfied that the treasurer's annual report is correct, shall sign a statement to that fact at the end of the report. In conjunction with the executive committee, the treasurer should prepare a tentative budget by the second business meeting of each year. The treasurer shall post, in the clubhouse at each general meeting and each regular business meeting, the latest treasurer's report and an update comparing the accepted budget to the actual expenditures. These postings shall be removed at the end of the meetings. As a minimum, the treasurer's report shall contain the last reported balance and all changes since that last report.

SECTION A: The following shall serve as the executive committee: the elected officers of the corporation (president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) plus either four elected annually from the membership and the immediate past president, or five elected annually from the membership if the president is serving a second term as president.

SECTION B: The executive committee shall develop and maintain a standard operating procedure for conducting general, business, and special meetings of the corporation.

SECTION C: The duties of the executive committee shall be to prepare a tentative budget by the end of the second business meeting of the year, submit this budget for approval to the general membership by the third general meeting of the year and to see that the approved budget is adhered to. The executive committee shall be responsible for all the club property.

SECTION D: Vacancies in the executive committee shall be filled in the same manner as set forth in Article V, Section E for other than current office holders.

SECTION E: The duties of the executive committee shall be to transact all necessary business of the corporation, approve plans of work of all committees and officers, authorize payment of funds, and submit reports of all of its activities to the general membership.

SECTION F: The executive committee constitutes the policymaking body of the corporation.

SECTION G: Regular business meetings of the corporation shall be called by the executive committee and shall be held each month not less than eight days before the general meetings of the corporation. Special meetings may be called by the president or by a majority of the current members of the executive committee.

SECTION H: A majority of the members of the executive committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the executive committee.

SECTION I: The executive committee is responsible for generating and maintaining a standard operating procedure guideline that defines the format and change procedure for all standard operating procedures. The purpose of these standard operating procedures is to make the operation of the corporation easier and more open to change without entirely removing executive committee/bylaw oversight.

SECTION A: The standing committees of the club shall be: program, building and maintenance, membership, show, hospitality, public relations, education, field trips, junior activities, bulletin, and library.

SECTION B: The bulletin chairman or editor shall be a non-voting member of the executive committee.

SECTION C: There shall be an annual, temporary financial review committee of one or two persons that reviews the treasurer's annual fiscal report. This review shall be completed by the third business meeting of the year.

SECTION D: The president may appoint other temporary committees as needed.

SECTION E: The chairman of each committee, permanent or temporary, is responsible for generating (if none exists) and maintaining a standard operating procedure that defines all functions of that committee and also for submitting a proposed budget to the treasurer by the start of the second business meeting of the year. The chairman is also responsible for reporting all activities to the executive board whenever they request.

SECTION F: The show chairman is responsible for insuring that all show committee chairmen develop and maintain a standard operating procedure in the same manner that all other standing committee chairmen are required to do. These procedures, as well as the show chairman's own, shall be maintained by the show chairman in conjunction with the vice-president.

SECTION A: The bylaws of the corporation are to be made, altered or rescinded by a two thirds majority of the corporate membership present at any regular meeting provided that the executive committee has previously considered the merits of same; and provided further that no such vote shall be taken unless written notice, including a brief text of the proposed bylaws alteration or rescission thereof, shall have been mailed or delivered to each member of the corporation by use of the corporate bulletin or otherwise, at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken. Failure to mail or deliver notice to all members shall not invalidate any action of the corporation provided a bona fide effort was made to communicate with each member. Mailing to the last known address or delivery to the members at a regular meeting shall constitute communication.

SECTION A: Regular business meetings of the corporation are the regularly scheduled executive meetings held as defined in ARTICLE VII, SECTION G. These meetings are open to all members of the corporation. At least five days notice must be given to change the location of any scheduled meeting. No meetings are held in June, July and August unless otherwise designated by the executive committee.

SECTION B: General meetings of the corporation are held on the third Tuesday of each month, except as noted in SECTION A, above. At least five days notice must be given to change the location of any scheduled meeting.

SECTION C: In the event of any change of meeting time, place or date that is expected to be of indefinite duration, the Secretary of the Eastern Federation shall be notified within thirty days.

SECTION D: Ten percent of the number of members last reported to the Eastern Federation shall constitute a quorum at a meeting and are authorized to conduct the business affairs of the corporation.

SECTION A: Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all the deliberative meetings of the corporation.

SECTION B: The interpretation of these rules shall be performed by any former president who may be appointed by the president to serve as parliamentarian.

Revised 12/20/05