The ByLaws of the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society have been amended as of 9 April 2002.

Article   1 - Purpose of the Organization
Article   2 - Membership
Article   3 - Government
Article   4 - Meetings
Article   5 - Election of Officers
Article   6 - Vacancies in Office
Article   7 - Duties and Powers of the Board of Directors
Article   8 - Compensation of Directors and Officers
Article   9 - Dues
Article 10 - Notices
Article 11 - Amendments
Article 12 - Execution of Documents
Article 13 - Voting by Proxy
Article 14 - Miscellaneous

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Article I

Purpose Of The Organization

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  1.01  This organization shall be known as the "West Georgia Amateur Radio Society, Inc."
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  1.02  The objective of the organization shall be to promote amateur radio activity in the West Georgia Area, to encourage the scientific study of radio communications, to improve the radio communications skills of area amateur radio operators, to provide effective radio communications in time of need, to provide a pool of trained radio operators in time of local or national emergency, and for such other social and fraternal purposes as permitted by law and consistent with the purposes of the Corporation save for pecuniary gain.
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     In pursuance of these objectives, the Corporation will have all of the powers vested the Corporation by Georgia Code section 22-2202, and specifically but not limited to the following, to wit:
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  To publish and disseminate information to its members, and to promote and foster the interest of amateur radio operators who are members of the association, and to engage in the promotion and development of civic improvement in community activities or services as may benefit or assist the members of the Corporation and the community as a whole, including local law enforcement, civil defense, fire and emergency agencies, and to conduct educational and promotional programs for the purposes consistent with the interest of the Corporation;
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  To collect membership dues consistent with these By-Laws and to utilize the dues collected and assets acquired through gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of promoting amateur radio activity in the West Georgia Area;
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  To provide for the operation of radio repeater systems for amateur radio communications in the West Georgia Area;
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  To provide for the operation of any amateur radio communication equipment owned by the Corporation;
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  and for any other purposes specifically approved by the Corporation and consistent with the purposes of the Corporation.


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Article II

Membership

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  2.01  Regular Membership - Regular membership in the Corporation shall be open to all licensed radio amateur operators who have paid the membership dues and agreed to abide by the By-Laws of the Corporation. Regular members shall have all privileges afforded to any member of the Corporation in good standing, including voting privileges.
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  2.02  Associate Membership - Any person who is not a licensed amateur radio operator but otherwise meets the requirements for membership shall be eligible for an associate membership. An associate member shall have all the privileges of a regular member to the extent allowed by law except the right to vote. This provision shall not bestow upon any associate member any rights to operations of amateur radio communications equipment except to the extent allowed by law, including applicable regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. Associate members shall pay dues and agree to abide by the By-Laws of the Corporation prior to membership.
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  2.03  Life Membership - By majority vote of the Corporation, the Corporation may bestow the honorary membership known as life membership upon any regular member of the Corporation when his contribution to the Corporation is deemed such that he is befitting of the honor. This membership will carry with it all privileges without any dues.
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  2.04  Family Membership  A family may join the Corporation and pay the family rate of membership dues provided they all agree to abide by the By-Laws of the Corporation. Members joining under the family rate shall have all the priviledges afforded to any member of the Corporation in good standing, including voting priviledges. Membership shall be based as per sections 2.01 and 2.02 and shall be valid only for members residing in the same household.


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Article III

Government

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  3.01  The general management of the affairs of the Corporation shall be vested solely in the Board Of Directors of the Corporation. The Board Of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the Corporation as provided for in these By-Laws and shall, at all times, be elected officers of the Corporation as voted upon by the membership.
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  3.02  The officers of the Corporation shall consist of the President, 1^st Vice President (Programs), 2^nd Vice President (Field Day and Training), Secretary-Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor, each of which will be voted on by the membership as provided herein. The office of Secretary-Treasurer shall be one office.
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  3.03  The President shall serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall preside over all Board meetings in addition to his duties described hereinafter as President.
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  3.04  The officers of the Corporation shall serve for a term of one year beginning on January 1^st of the year following their election the preceding November as prescribed under the section on election of officers.


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Article IV

Meetings

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  4.01  Meetings of the Corporation shall be held as follows:
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     Regular Evening Business Meetings - the regular evening business meeting shall be held on the 2^nd Tuesday of odd-numbered months at 7:00 p.m. at a place designated by the President.
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     Regular Evening Dinner Meetings - The regular dinner meeting shall be held on the 2^ndTuesday of even-numbered months at 7:00 p.m. at a place designated by the President.
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     Monday Night Net Meetings - The regular Monday Night Net meetings shall be held for the purpose of conducting informal business and for notice purposes, as set out hereinafter, every Monday night and at 8:00 p.m. by the use of club repeater W4FWD/R on 146.04/64 MHz or on such other repeater or frequency as shall be designated by the Board at a regular meeting of the membership.
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  4.02  Annual Meeting - The annual meeting of the membership for the election of officers shall be held at the regular November meeting of the membership.
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  4.03  At regular meetings of the membership, five (5) members in good standing constitute a quorum.
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  4.04 Special meetings of members may be called by the President at any time on his own initiative or by the President or Secretary upon written request of five (5) members to such officers, notice of such a meeting to be mailed to each member, or in lieu thereof to be given to the members in person by radio communications at the Monday Night Net meeting or by telephone for those who do not check into the Monday Night Net, provided that said notice shall be personal and at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting; and at such special meeting there shall only be considered such business as is specified in the notice of the meeting.
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  4.05  Provided that a quorum is present, all business shall be conducted by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting unless otherwise specified in these By-Laws.
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  4.06  A majority vote, in the context of these By-Laws and in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, shall be at least, but not limited to, two-thirds of the attending members. Members, who do not send in a proxy and do not attend the official meeting, shall automatically register an agreement to the matter being voted on at that meeting.


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Article V

Election Of Officers

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  5.01  Election of Officers shall be held at the regular meeting held in November of each year. Officers elected shall serve a term of one year beginning on January 1 of the year following the election. The offices of President, 1^st and 2^nd Vice Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, and the Newsletter Editor shall be elected each year.
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  5.02  The President shall preside at all meetings of the Corporation and shall also preside as the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
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  5.03  The 1^st Vice President (Programs) shall perform all the duties of the President in the President's absense, shall serve on the Board of Directors, and shall be in charge of programs. The 2^nd Vice President (Field Day and Training) shall perform all the duties of the President and 1^st Vice President in their absenses, shall serve on the Board of Directors, and shall be in charge of field day and training.
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  5.04  The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Corporation and of the Board of Directors, of which he is a member, and shall, if requested, read such minutes at the close of each meeting for approval and shall mail out all notices for meetings of the Corporation or Board of Directors. He shall also have charge of all receipts and monies of the Corporation, deposit same in the name of the Corporation in a reputable financial institution and shall disburse said funds as ordered or authorized by the Board of Directors or the membership where applicable. He shall keep accurate accounts and collect all application fees, dues, and charges due from members, keep regular accounts of his receipts and disbursements, submit said record when required and give an itemized statement of same at regular meetings of the Corporation. He shall sign checks and withdrawal slips on the behalf of the Corporation upon any and all of its bank accounts, and he shall attest to all documents signed by the Corporation. He shall perform all othe duties as may be required of him by the Directors, By-Laws, or membership.
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  5.05  The Newsletter Editor shall publish a bi-monthly newsletter. The newsletter shall be distributed by the best means of delivery to include, but not limited to, postal mailing, electronic mailing, or website publication. The newsletter publication shall coincide with the regular evening dinner meetings of the Corporation.
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  5.06  Elected Officers of the Corporation shall not be from the same household. If one member of a family should be elected into an office of the Corporation, all other family members shall be automatically disqualified. Only a majority vote shall override this rule.


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Article VI

Vacancies In Office

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  6.01  If a vacancy occurs among the officers, such vacancy shall be filled at the next regular membership meeting, provided that notice of said election shall be given to the membership at least five days prior to election.


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Article VII

Duties And Powers Of The Board Of Directors

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  7.01  The Board of Directors shall have general charge and management of the affairs and funds of the Corporation. They shall have full power, and it shall be their duty to carry out the purposes of the Corporation according to its charter and By-Laws.
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  7.02  The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint such committees as they may deem necessary; to vote the expenditure of money as they may deem necessary or advisable of the regular operation of the existing functions or approved functions of the Corporation provided that it does not exceed the assets of the Corporation. This provision is intended to allow the Board to run the day-to-day operation of the Corporation, including expenditure of money without the prior vote of the membership.
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  7.03  Nothing in this section is intended to give the Board the power to make decisions or expenditures of a major concern to the group outside of the day-to-day operation of the Corporation without a prior vote by the membership. All such major decisions shall be made by the group as a whole.
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  7.04  The Board may engage and employ such persons at such compensation as it may deem necessary to carry out and effectuate the objects and purposes of the Corporation, within the limits of Section 7.03.
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  7.05  The Board of Directors, having general charge and management of the affairs and funds of the Corporation, shall constitute the official spokesperson(s) of the Corporation. In lieu of a duly appointed representative, the President shall be the primary spokesperson of the Corporation. In the absense of the President, the 1^st Vice President shall prevail as official spokesperson of the Corporation. In the absense of the President and the 1^st Vice President, the 2^nd Vice President shall prevail as the official spokesperson of the Corporation.


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Article VIII

Compensation Of Directors And Officiers

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  8.01  Neither the officers, directors, or members serving on commitees shall receive any salary or compensation for services rendered to the Corporation, but nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit employment of members of the Corporation to perform work for the Corporation for which they are qualified and regularly perform for compensation.


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Article IX

Dues

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  9.01  The annual dues for membership in the Corporation shall be $15 (individual) and $20 (family) per year, payable on January 1 of each year. Amendment of the dues amount shall be by a majority vote of the membership present provided that said amendment proposal is treated as any other amendment to these By-Laws as far as notice and other provisions governing By-Law amendment except for vote requirements.
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  9.02  Any member whose dues remain unpaid by the second business evening meeting of the year shall be stricken from the rolls of the Corporation as a member provided that reinstatement may be made by payment of back dues of the current calendar year.
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  9.03  Dues of new members joining the Corporation after July 1 of each year shall be one-half the yearly dues.
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  9.04  New member shall be defined as an individual who has never been a member of the Corporation.


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Article X

Notices

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  10.01  All notices to members shall be mailed or hand delivered to their addresses as given on the books of the Corporation or called by telephone or by radio on the Monday Night Net, and such mailing or hand delivery or personal notice by telephone or radio shall constitute presumptive evidence of service thereof.
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  10.02  Attendance at any meeting by a member shall be deemed a waiver of notice requirements as to that member.
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  10.03  Electronic mail shall constitute a valid method of delivering notices to the members of the Corporation. Notices delivered by Electronic mail shall be in lieu of a postal mailing of notices and shall constitute presumptive evidence of service thereof.


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Article XI

Amendments

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  11.01  Amendments to these By-Laws may be made by a two-thirds vote of the members present, but not less than five (5), at a meeting properly called for such purpose.
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  11.02  No amendment may be made to the By-Laws and no vote may be had on such until after the second reading of the proposed amendment. At the first reading, the total amendment shall be presented to the membership at a regular membership meeting or a special meeting called for such purpose. The second reading shall be at the next regularly scheduled membership meeting at which time a vote may be had.
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  11.03  The two reading rule may be waivered provided that the amendment is presented in either a written form or an electronic form to each voting member at least five days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken. Presenting the amendment in electronic form shall require that all voting members be notified at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.


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Article XII

Execution Of Documents

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  12.01  The President or 1^st or 2^nd Vice President and the Secretary shall execute all contracts of the Corporation. These documents shall be executed in the Corporation's name by the President or 1^st or 2^nd Vice President and attested to by the Secretary. A corporate seal is not necessary for proper attestation of the document.


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Article XIII

Voting By Proxy

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  13.01  It is the policy of the Corporation to allow voting by proxy in the affairs of the Corporation and such shall be allowed under the following guidelines.
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  13.02  No vote on amendments to the By-Laws may be taken by proxy unless the proxy is in writing, signed and dated and given or mailed to a member of the Corporation for presentation and inspection at the meeting. Said proxy must clearly express the intent of the voter on the face of the writing.
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  13.03  Other votes may be by verbal proxy provided that the desired vote by proxy is given to an officer of the Corporation for his presentation at the meeting.
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  13.04 Attendance at the meeting by a voter will automatically revoke and cancel any proxy given.


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Article XIV

Miscellaneous

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  14.01  Amateur of the Year - At the regular November meeting, a member of the Corporation who has contributed the most to the Corporation or Amateur Radio in general shall be selected by secret ballot as the amateur of the year. This person must be a licensed Amateur Radio Operator and cannot be an officer of the Corporation. This person shall be named and honored at the December meeting.
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  14.02  By acceptance of these By-Laws, the membership of the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society agrees to accept a corporate structure under the name of the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society, Inc., a Georgia non-profit corporation and shall hereinafter be known as such. The membership further accepts the Articles Of Incorporation of "West Georgia Amateur Radio Society, Inc." as their articles of incorporation and these By-Laws as the By-Laws of the Corporation.
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  14.03  The membership further specifically authorizes the Directors as defined herein to execute any remaining documents necessary to fully effectuate the corporate structure.
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  14.04  Meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules Of Order.
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  14.05  There shall be a Trustee of the repeater system for each repeater system owned or used by the Corporation. He shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to serve at their discretion. In absence of the Treasurer, the President or 1^st or 2^nd Vice President may appoint him to fill those duties on a temporary basis.


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End of By-Laws

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