Tri-state Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 4120 • Huntington, WV • 25729 • Repeater 146.760 PL 131.8 • Packet 145.070
TARA Bylaws
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
TRI-STATE AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION, INC.
(Revised document, approved May 15, 2001)
PREAMBLE
This document was written in order to accomplish and carry out the purposes
for which this Association and its predecessors was organized in 1924,
incorporated at Huntington, WV, on July 26th 1956, and exists today, which
purposes are:
A. To advance the art of Amateur Radio.
B. To provide, in the public interest, reliable communications in time of
emergency and other communications of help to civic organizations and
the community.
C. To promote good fellowship between amateurs and would-be amateurs.
D. To cultivate the good will of the public.
The Tri-State Amateur Radio Association, Inc. hereby adopts the following
Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATION OF OPERATIONS
A. NAME:
The name of this Corporation is and shall be the Tri-State Amateur Radio
Association, Inc., hereafter referred to as the "Club." Its official
abbreviation shall be TARA.
B. OFFICE:
The principal office of this Club shall be the location at which regular
meetings are held.
C. OBJECTS AND PURPOSES:
This Club is organized and is to be operated exclusively for the
promotion and attainment of those objectives and purposes contained in
the Charter and set forth in the above Preamble.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP AND REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP
A: FULL MEMBERSHIP
1. Applicants for Full Membership must hold a valid amateur radio
license.
2. Full members shall be entitled to all club privileges including
the right to vote on all matters brought before the Club.
B. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
1. Applicants for Associate Membership need only be interested in
Amateur Radio.
2. Associate members shall be entitled to all club privileges except
that they shall have no privileges as outlined in Article X and will
have no vote.
C. LIFE MEMBERSHIP
1. The Executive Committee may recommend Life Membership be granted
to any licensed amateur who now holds and has held a valid amateur
license for twenty-five (25) years or more, who is a member of the
Club in good standing, and has been a member of the Club for at least
10 accumulative years.
2. Life Members shall be entitled to all Club privileges.
3. Life Members are excused from paying dues.
D. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
1. Honorary Membership may be granted to a deserving person at the
request of the Executive Committee and approval of the Club.
2. Honorary Members have no voting privileges but are welcome to
participate in all Club activities.
E. GENERAL
1. There shall be no restriction as to sex, race, color, age,
religion, or national origin.
2. Applications for Full and Associate membership may be made to
any member of the Club.
3. Applicants will be required to complete an application form.
4. All membership applications shall be referred to the Club for
consideration, and will be read at a regular meeting and voted on
by the members present. An affirmative vote of three fourths (3/4)
of the voting members present is required for membership to be
issued.
5. The Club reserves the right to revoke the membership of any
member who deliberately violates FCC rules and/or regulations or
other respected operating procedures and privileges or who
demonstrates, by his actions, disregard of Paragraph C and/or D
of the Preamble. This action must be recommended by the Executive
Committee and approved by a majority vote of the voting members
present at the next regular business meeting.
ARTICLE III - ADMINISTRATION
A. Officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer and Trustee. The same member may hold offices
of the Secretary and Treasurer concurrently. The Trustee may also
hold one additional office.
B. Club officers shall serve a term of one year, with the exception of
the Trustee, who will be elected at the last election prior to the
expiration of the Club license and will serve for the duration of
said license. No officer, except the Trustee, shall serve more
than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
C. Nominations of candidates for Club offices will be held at the
regular business meeting in October. Additional nominations may be
made at the regular business meeting in November, provided that no
member may be nominated at the November meeting unless he or she is
in attendance at that meeting and agrees to be a candidate and to
serve if elected. After nominations at the November meeting have
been closed, election of officers will be held at that same meeting.
Any candidate who receives a majority vote of the voting members is
duly elected. Should there be more than one candidate nominated for
any office the election will be by secret ballot. Should no
candidate receive a majority vote on the first ballot, the two
candidates receiving the largest number of votes will be cast on a
second ballot. The candidate receiving a majority of votes on the
second ballot will be the elected officer. In case of a tie on the
second ballot, a third ballot will be cast. In case of a tie on the
third ballot, the election will be decided by a coin flip.
D. Members eligible to vote but unable to be present at the meeting for
the election of officers may vote by an absentee ballot. The
absentee ballot can be a plain piece of paper marked with the name
or names of the candidate or candidates for whom the absent Club
member wishes to vote. The absentee ballot must be sealed inside
an envelope and the signature of the absentee voter must be on the
envelope. The sealed ballot must be in the hands of the Club
President before the business meeting for the election of officers
is called to order.
E. Candidates for all elective offices must be members in good standing
and each candidate must hold a valid amateur license.
F. Elected officers will take office the first day of January.
G. Should a Club officer vacancy occur between elections, the President
shall appoint a voting member to fill the unexpired term. This
appointment will not be subject to Article III, Section B. An
appointment of a Club Trustee must be in accordance with Article IV
Section E.
H. The signatures of two Club officers will be required on all checks
and other withdrawals from Club bank accounts.
ARTICLE IV - DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
A. President - The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club;
shall conduct the same according to the rules adopted; enforce due
observance of the Constitution and By-Laws; decide all questions of
order; sign all official documents; appoint committees; and perform
all customary duties pertaining to the office of President.
B. Vice President - The Vice President shall assist the President and
shall perform such duties as delegated by the President, and shall
serve as presiding officer in the absence or inability of the
President.
C. Secretary - The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of
all meetings; have a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws at each
meeting; keep a list of the names of those attending each meeting;
and see that a sufficient number of members belong to the ARRL as
needed to maintain an ARRL charter.
D. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall receive and give a receipt for all
monies paid the Club; keep an accurate account of all monies
received and disbursed; and pay, only upon authorization of the Club,
those bills presented for payment. Annually the Treasurer shall
prepare a statement of the financial operations of the Club for the
prior calendar year; shall be responsible for the filing of all
Federal and State tax returns that may be required; shall maintain a
current list of all members, including address, phone number, email
information, amateur call, and the expiration date of current
amateur license; shall issue membership credentials; and shall keep
a record of all dues paid.
E. Trustee - The Trustee shall be responsible for the Club's amateur
station license and all Club equipment; shall maintain a written
inventory, including location, of all Club equipment; and shall be
responsible for the proper operation of all Club radio equipment.
The Trustee must hold an Amateur Extra Class Amateur Radio License.
F. All officers - All officers, when vacating their office, shall turn
over to the Club all Club property in their possession.
ARTICLE V - IMPEACHMENT OF OFFICERS
A. Charges may be presented against any officer at a regular business
meeting.
B. The charged officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3)
affirmative vote of those voting members present at the next regular
business meeting.
ARTICLE VI - DUES AND MEMBERSHIP LIMITATIONS
A. Dues, as recommended by the Executive Committee, with approval of
the membership, are due and payable on the first day of January of
each year. Dues shall be pro-rated quarterly, to the nearest
quarter, for new members making their initial dues payment.
B. A member who fails to pay dues by the February meeting of the
current year will lose all privileges of the Club.
C. If the full year's dues are paid by December 31of the current year,
full privileges will be reinstated to the member without re-
applying.
D. If a member fails to pay dues by December 31of the current year,
that member must reapply for membership, but upon re-application
and re-acceptance by the Club, that member would be exempt from
paying any lapsed dues.
ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES
A. The President may, from time to time, appoint committees to assist
in the planning and implementation of various projects and to carry
out Club business.
B. There will be an Executive Committee consisting of the Club officers
and the past President. This committee will meet as necessary to
make recommendations to the Club on various matters including dues
and to review progress of the other various committees. The
President shall act as Chairman and the Secretary shall make a
record of the meeting to be read at the following regular business
meeting of the Club. This committee will review Club funds and
submit to the Club fund raising projects for consideration. This
committee will oversee Club affairs between regular business
meetings of the Club and will be empowered to make non-projected or
non-routine expenditures, occasioned by unforeseen events, of up to
five-hundred ($500) dollars without prior Club approval but must
report any such expenditures to the Club at the next regular
business meeting. This Committee will meet during any month in
which a Club Treasurer leaves office and is replaced by a new
Treasurer, and during that meeting the Committee will review all
bank accounts and other funds with both the incoming and outgoing
Treasurers to insure a smooth, business-like transfer of financial
responsibility to the incoming Treasurer.
C. All committees will be dissolved and new committees appointed at the
beginning of each new President's term in office.
ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS
A. Regular business meetings shall be held on the third Tuesday of each
month at 7:00 p.m. at the location designated by the President
unless announced otherwise.
B. Special meetings may be called at the will and pleasure of the
President.
C. To conduct business at a regular meeting, two (2) or more Club
officers must be present.
D. The presiding officer shall set the order of business at a regular
or special meeting. The following topics should be included in a
regular business meeting.
1. Call to order and opening remarks by the President
2. Minutes of last business meeting and of Executive
Committee if applicable
3. Treasurer report
4. Unfinished business
5. Announcements and/or reading of correspondence
6. New business
7. Adjournment
8. Program
E. All meetings will be conducted in accordance with "ROBERTS RULES OF
ORDER."
ARTICLE IX - LEGISLATION
A. This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a two thirds (2/3)
affirmative vote of members present at a regular business meeting.
Any proposed amendment must be presented at a regular business
meeting and be voted on at the next regular business meeting.
ARTICLE X - ACCESS TO AND OPERATION OF THE CLUB TRANSMITTING
EQUIPMENT
A. Only licensed members shall have access to the Club's transmitting
equipment and may operate the equipment only to the extent provided
by their license.
B. With the exception of emergency communications, all operation of Club
equipment shall cease when a Club meeting is called to order, or when
such operation interferes with other Club activities.
C. Each operator of Club equipment, including the repeater, repeater
controller and phone patch, will be responsible for ensuring that
the same is operated in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations,
current ARRL operating procedures and guidelines and any applicable
Club rules and guidelines, and that such equipment, as far as
applicable, is properly set and adjusted before operation so that no
damage to such equipment will occur, and so that it will cause no
interference to other services.
D. Each operator of Club equipment will be responsible to see that
correct logging procedures are followed during such operation and
that a signed copy of each log remains at the Club station.
E. All operation of Club equipment using the call W8VA such as, but not
limited to, Field Day, Hamfest, emergency communication or contest
operation shall be under the supervision of the Trustee or his or her
duly designated representative.
F. The Trustee shall have the power to deny use of the Club equipment to
any person violating these operating rules, Club Constitution and By-
Laws, recognized operating procedures and practices and FCC Rules and
Regulations.
G. Emergency communication shall have priority over any other use of Club
equipment.
ARTICLE XI - EFFECTIVE DATE
This constitution, as approved on the -- TWENTY FIRST -- day of -- JANUARY
-- 1992 --, and amended on the --FIFTEENTH -- day of -- MAY -- 2001, shall
invalidate and supersede any prior Constitution and By-Laws and/or
Amendments of this Club.