LAWS AND BYLAWS

of the

SANTA CLARITA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

January 29, 1998

Last Amended:  January 20, 1999

 

ARTICLE I

The name of the organization shall be the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club; Inc., hereafter referred to as the SCARC or The Club.

ARTICLE II

Principal Office and Fiscal Year

Section 1.

    1. The principal office of this Corporation shall be in a reasonably central location in the City of Santa Clarita, County of Los Angeles, State of California.
    2. This office may be changed by majority vote of the Board of Directors in regular Meeting, and subject to approval by the general membership, at the monthly meeting by a two-thirds majority.
    3. The calendar year shall commence on January 1st at 12:01 A.M. and end on December 31st at 12:00 P.M. Midnight.

ARTICLE III

Objective and Purpose

Section 1.

The purpose of this organization shall be the promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communications, the furtherance of the public welfare, the advancement of the radio art, the fostering of education in the field of electronic communications and the dissemination of knowledge and information of the Amateur Radio Service. The Club strongly supports and seeks an active relationship with emergency and disaster relief organizations.

Section 2.

The Club is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes as defined within the meaning of section 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) of the Internal Revenue Code. No individual member of this club shall be liable for any debts of this Club.

Section 3.

This Club shall possess Corporate Powers as stated in the Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE IV

Membership

Section 1.

    1. Full membership in this Club shall be persons who are interested in the promotion of amateur radio, and who hold a valid Federal Communications Commission (FCC) License in the Amateur Radio Service. Full Members are entitled to vote at a general club business meeting and hold office. A full member must be at least 18 years of age to hold a position as a Club Officer
    2. Associate Members in the SCARC shall be persons who are interested in the Club and Amateur Radio Service, but have not yet obtained their licenses. They shall automatically become full members upon presentation of a valid FCC License in the Amateur Radio Service. Associate members dues are equal to that of a full member and they shall have all Club privileges except they cannot vote or hold office.
    3. Senior Membership in the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club may be granted for those adults who are sixty (60) years old or older and meet the requirements of full membership. Senior Membership Dues shall be 60 percent of the established full membership dues. Senior members are entitled to all of the privileges of Full Membership.
    4. Youth Membership in the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club may be granted for those individuals who are under the age of 18 and meet the requirements of full membership. Youth Membership Dues shall be 60 percent of the established full membership dues. Youth members are entitled to all the privileges of Full Membership except that they cannot hold a position designated as a Club Officer.
    5. Family Membership in the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club is available to any member of a household in which at least one person is a Full, Senior or Associate member of the Club. A household consists of all related persons living at the same residence. A related person is defined as the spouse, the children or the parents of a Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club member. Each family member holding a valid FCC license in the Amateur Radio Service is entitled to all of the privileges of a Full member. Annual dues for Family membership shall be $5.00 regardless of the number of Family members.
    6. Life membership in the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club may be granted to those persons who have exhibited "Distinguished and Outstanding Service" to the Club and the Amateur Radio Service. Life membership may be recommended in writing, by any member, presented and approved by the Board of Directors and ratified by two-thirds (67%) of the general voting membership at any regular business meeting. Life members are entitled to all the privileges of a Full member. (NOTE: Any member who, previous to the revision of the SCARC Bylaws, held a "Life Membership" will continue to do so.
    7. Honorary membership may be bestowed upon recommendations by the Board of Directors and by unanimous approval of the Club membership as a whole. The recommendation of the Board of Directors shall be presented to the Club membership as a whole, at any regular meeting provided that the individual in question is not present at the meeting. Honorary members will not be required to pay dues. In addition they cannot vote or hold office.

Section 2.

The Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club will not discriminate on the basis of race and color; religion; national origin; sex; marital status; age (provided the applicant has the capacity to contract); persons whose income is derived from any public assistance program; familial status (defined as children under the age of 18 living with a parent or legal custodian, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18); and handicap, in the administration of its educational programs, admission, operating policies, and activities associated with the Club.

Section 3.

Individuals desiring membership in this Club shall submit a written club application along with the yearly dues to the SCARC Treasurer at any regular meeting.

Section 4.

There shall be no geographical limitation as to eligibility for Club membership.

Section 5.

All members of this Club shall be subject to the recall procedure as established for officers in Article V, Section 4, of these bylaws.

ARTICLE V

Officers

Section 1.

The officers of the Santa Clarita Amateur Radio Club are as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Technical Chairperson.

Section 2.

    1. The officers of this Club shall be elected by a majority vote each year at the regular meeting held in November, or in the event that no election is held at such meeting, or if a quorum of at least one-third of the voting membership is not present, then at the next regular meeting.
    2. Each officer shall hold office for one year, or until a successor is duly elected and installed.
    3. The nominee shall be a member in good standing, who is eligible to vote, is at least 18 years of age and has been a full member for one year. Incoming elected club officers shall be installed at the December General membership meeting and officially take office on January 1st of the following year.

Section 3.

Nominations shall be made from the floor for all offices, at the regular business meeting preceding the meeting that the election is held.

Section 4.

An officer of the SCARC may be "recalled" by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Club present at any regular business meeting of the Club, provided that at the preceding meeting, a motion was duly adopted to vote, at the next regular General membership meeting, upon the question of the "recall" of such officer.

Section 5.

    1. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by an election held in the manner provided for in Section 2 of Article V, at the next regular General membership meeting following the occurrence of such vacancy, unless all of the offices become vacant by reason of recall, in which event, the vacancies shall be filled at the same meeting at which the vacancies are created.
    2. A vacancy shall be deemed to exist in the event of any of the following events:
    1. The recall of any officer; or
    2. Severance of the officer's relationship with the SCARC; or
    3. Resignation; or
    4. Failure to attend any three General membership meetings or Board of Directors meetings of the Club in any twelve-month period that the individual is in office. However, such officer may petition the SCARC Board of Directors, in writing, to be reinstated into office, and upon discussion and action duly taken by the Board, the oldest recorded absence shall be deleted from the attendance record of the petitioner. The Board of Directors will notify the general membership at the next regular club meeting.

ARTICLE VI

Duties of the Officers

Section 1.

All officers of this Club shall be responsible and accountable for their acts as such to the Club membership as a whole. Upon conclusion of each officers term, they are to relinquish all club property, documents, keys, etc. to their successor. The SCARC must be reimbursed for all lost equipment and keys.

Section 2.

The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Club and Board of Directors, shall call special meetings of the Club as provided in these Bylaws; and except as provided in these Bylaws, shall appoint members of, and fill vacancies in all committees and, with the Board of Directors, have the supervision and management responsibility of this Club's activities.

Section 3.

The VICE PRESIDENT shall perform all the functions of the President in his absence. He shall also be responsible for the programs at the General membership meetings and perform such duties as shall be imposed upon the office from time to time by the President and/or Board of Directors. The Vice President is the Chairperson of the program committee.

Section 4.

The SECRETARY shall record and keep the minutes of all the meetings and proceedings of the Club and the Board of Directors, they shall prepare and send or cause to be prepared and sent all notices of special meetings of the Club. The Secretary shall maintain all changes to the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation and other Club documents, and perform such duties as shall be imposed upon the office from time to time by the President and/or Board of Directors. The Secretary shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President.

Section 5.

The TREASURER shall become familiar with the finances of this Club and shall report at each regular meeting as to the Club's financial condition. The Treasurer shall file all necessary legal or tax forms as required by the corporation laws and perform such duties as shall be imposed upon the office from time to time by the President and/or Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall provide a club estimate of completion in October and a forecast of operation costs for the upcoming business year to the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President, Vice President, and Secretary.

Section 6.

The TECHNICAL CHAIRPERSON shall be responsible to the membership for providing technical information when requested. The Technical Chairperson shall also act as the Master at Arms who functions is to keep order in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order and is further responsible for the authenticity and tabulations of all votes cast at business meetings. The Technical Chairperson shall also perform such duties as shall be imposed upon the office from time to time by the President and/or Board of Directors. This club officer shall be the committee chairperson of Field Day. The Technical Chairperson shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

ARTICLE VII

Board of Directors

Section 1.

There shall be a Board of Directors, which will consist of the officers of this Club, and the immediate past President and License Trustee. The total membership is seven (7) in number.

Section 2.

The Board of Directors have the responsibility for the overall direction and guidance of the Club. This includes, but is not limited to; 1) ensuring that the Club's Constitution and rules are followed; and 2) overseeing how the Club's funds are maintained and disbursed. The Board of Directors is authorized to disburse up to the lessor of $250.00 or 10% of the general fund.

Section 3.

Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held on call of the President, at least once a month, or upon the written demand of any three members of the Board of Directors.

Section 4.

A simple majority of the Board of Directors shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Board of Directors meeting. The Board of Directors will regularly advise the general membership of the SCARC of its actions.

Section 5.

A vacancy in the office of any elected members of the Board of Directors shall be deemed to exist in the event of the following circumstances:
    1. Recall of the member by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Club Membership present at any regular or special meeting of the Club, provided that at the preceding meeting a motion was duly adopted to vote on the recall of such a member, at the next regular General membership or special meeting of the Club.
    2. Severance of the member's relations with the Club.
    3. Resignation.
    4. Failure to attend three regular General membership or Board of Directors meetings in any twelve month period, provided that such Board of Directors member may petition the SCARC Board of Directors, in writing, to be reinstated into office, and upon discussion and action duly taken by the Board, the oldest recorded absence shall be deleted from the attendance record of the petitioner. The board of directors will notify the general membership at the next regular Club meeting. This excludes the Board position of License Trustee.

ARTICLE VIII

Banking and Accounting

Section 1.

All of the Club's funds and moneys shall be deposited by the Treasurer or such other person or persons as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board of Directors, in a FDIC approved depository or depositories.

Section 2.

Funds and moneys of this Club shall be withdrawn from deposit only on check or orders signed by two of these officers: President, Vice President, and Treasurer.

The Treasurer is authorized to pay bills and write single signature checks for goods or services with a maximum amount of $150.00.

Section 3.

No disbursements of this Club's funds or moneys in excess of $100.00 shall be made except on a motion at a regular meeting of the Club and voted upon by a majority of members present. This excludes the $250.00 dollar disbursement or 10% of the general fund allowed to the Board of Directors.

Section 4.

Surplus funds and moneys of this Club shall either be:
    1. Placed in interest-bearing accounts in FDIC insured depositories for this Club; or
    2. Invested in interest-bearing obligations of the United States of America. Any conversion or liquidation of any investment so made must first authorized by the SCARC as a whole at any regular or special meeting.

Section 5.

Access to safety deposit boxes of this Club shall be had only by any two of the following officers: President, Vice President, or Treasurer, jointly.

Section 6.

The Treasurer shall prepare monthly, quarterly and yearly statements of accounts; an estimate of completion in October for the current year and a forecast of projected operating costs for the ensuing year. This Officer will also file all tax forms in accordance with State and Federal Laws.

ARTICLE IX

Dues

Section 1.

    1. There shall be an annual Full membership dues of $25.00.
    2. Associate membership dues shall be $25.00 per year, payable upon acceptance into the Club.
    3. Senior membership dues of $15.00 (age 60 and over).
    4. Youth membership dues of $15.00 (under the age of 18).
    5. Additional family members may be added to the Full, Senior or Associate membership for $5.00.
    6. Honorary Members - no dues required.
    7. New member’s dues shall be prorated quarterly.

Section 2.

Members delinquent in dues for more than 90 days shall be dropped from the SCARC members roster. The Treasurer shall notify each member advising them that they have not renewed and will be dropped from the Club roster.

ARTICLE X

Policies of this Club

Section 1.

This Club shall not enter into labor questions or disputes of any nature or kind, except those which shall relate solely to this Club and to it's employees, if any.

Section 2.

This Club shall not, at any time affiliate in any manner with any other body or organization for any purpose other than for the promotion and good of Amateur Radio.

ARTICLE XI

Amendments

Section 1.

The Bylaws of the SCARC may be amended or repealed, or new Bylaws adopted only at a regular or special meeting of the Club by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Club present at a regular or special meeting.

ARTICLE XII

Miscellaneous

Section 1.

All grievances of members of the SCARC shall be in writing and signed by the member or members aggrieved, and presented to the Board of Directors, which shall present the same to the Club General membership at its next membership meeting. The decision of the general membership shall be final and conclusive.

Section 2.

All books, minutes and records of this Club shall be open at all times to inspection by any member of the Club. A 48-hour notice must be given to the Board of Directors, in writing, specifying, by date and subject which records are to be inspected.

Section 3.

No Officer, Committee Chairperson, or Club Member shall incur any indebtedness to the Club without first securing the approval of the Board of Directors or the Club membership as a whole, at any regular General membership, or special meeting of the Club, or Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XIII

Meetings

Section 1.

There shall be one regular general membership meeting held per month.

Section 2.

    1. Special meetings may be called at the request of the President or by a written request of any three Club Members.
    2. Special Meetings may not be called without first issuing a seven-day advance notice to all members (written or oral).

Section 3.

The President shall hold a minimum of one Board of Directors meeting per month.

ARTICLE XIV

Trustee of SCARC Station License

Section 1.

    1. The office of the Trustee of SCARC Station License shall be created and filled by majority of the Club membership at any regular General membership, or special meeting.
    2. Eligibility for the trustee shall be a General Class Licensee or higher and be a member in good standing.
    3. The Trustee shall be elected by a majority vote of the SCARC membership present at a regular General membership, or special meeting.
    4. Term of office shall start with their election and shall end with the expiration date of their license.
    5. The Trustee shall be a member of the SCARC Board of Directors, and shall be subject to rules and regulations governing officers of the Club.
    6. If the office of Trustee becomes vacant for any reason during the term of a station license issued to the Club, the Secretary or new Trustee shall notify the FCC of such vacancy.

Section 2.

The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee are:
    1. To conduct and negotiate with the Federal Communications Commission on any and all matters pertaining to the issuance and maintenance of an amateur radio station license issued to the Club.
    2. To be responsible to the Club as a whole for compliance with rules and regulations as prescribed by the Federal Communications Commission regarding the aforementioned license and/or equipment.

ARTICLE XV

Conduct of Business

Section 1.

Robert's Rules of Order, revised, shall govern all the regular General membership meetings of the SCARC, excluding Board of Directors meetings, when not inconsistent with the Bylaws.

Section 2.

The Order of Business to be observed in conducting General membership meetings of the SCARC Club shall include the following: (NOTE: The president may adjust the Order of Business to accommodate Special program presentations.)
    1. Salute to the U.S. Flag
    2. Roll Call
    3. Approval of minutes of the previous meeting
    4. Report of Officers
    5. Report of Committees
    6. Communications
    7. Unfinished or Old Business
    8. New Business
    9. Programs
    10. Other

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              AMENDMENTS:

              Effective December 18, 1998

              Article IV, Section 1 (c) and (d) Senior Membership Dues amended to 60 percent of the established Full Membership dues.  Youth
              Membership Dues amended to 60 percent of the extablished Full Membership dues.

              Article IV, Section 1, (e) Annual dues for Family Membership amended to $10.00.

              Article IX, Section 1, (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e).  Full Membership dues amended to $25.00.   Associate Membership dues amended
              to $15.00.   Youth Membership dues amended to $15.00.  Additional family members added dues amended to $10.00.

              Effective January 20, 1999

              Article IV, Section 1, (e) Annual dues for Family Membership amended to $5.00.

              Article IX, Section 1, (e) Additional family members may be added to the Full, Senior or Associate membership amended to $5.00.

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