Rotary Club Bylaws

Bylaws of the Rotary Club of Marble Falls

Proposed Changes

  • Proposal 1 -Removal of the office of Vice President
  • Modification to Article 2 removal of “Vice President “ as the president elect and President nominee now act as first and second vice presidents.
  • Addition of “president elect and president nominee in Article 3 Section 1 which asks for a vote of these officers in the election. In addition specific wording which states that “The President Nominee /President Elect positions serve in lieu of a Vice President”
  • Article 3 Sections 3 and 4 remove the post of Vice President and replace with the function and duties of the President Elect and President Nominee
  • Proposal 2 –Revision of the Board of Directors
  • Harmonizes the current number of board members with the By-Laws
  • Proposal 3-Change in duties and description of the office of President ,President Elect , Secretary and Addition of President Nominee
  • Modifications to Article 3 sections 1,3, and 4
  • Entire revamping of Article 3 section 5
  • Proposal 4-Change in duties of the Sergeant at Arms
  • Revising of Article 3 Section 7
  • Proposal 5- Changes to the Dues Collection
  • Revision of Article 6 Section 2, 3 and 4 which deals with how members are billed for dues previously passed by the previous board in a resolution.
  • Changes are based on a 60 day notice for semiannual payment with a 10 day delinquency notice of member suspension if not paid.
  • Proposal 6 -Wording change to Method of Voting
  • Article 7 change from “viva voce* to “a voice”
  • Proposal 7- Additional Verbiage to Membership Committee
  • Adds Red Badge responsibility and oversight of orientation process
  • Proposal 8-Addtion of three permanent committees Grant , Presidential Advisory and Fund Raising and changes to assignments of others Article 9 Section 7
  • Addition of the function and purpose of these permanent committees
  • Additions to the functions and activities of the Membership, Public Relations, Vocational, and Community service committees. Inclusion of the position of Webmaster on the Board of Directors.
  • Proposal 9- Article 11 Leave of Absence Additional Language to the obligations of a leave of absence
  • Would mandate that the member at least be obligated for RI and District semiannual dues.
  • Proposal 10 Article 12 Finances Section 2-Addition of language to change how projects are funded and managed.
  • Would modify the 75% rule and explain howthe grant projects management process . of grant funding.

Rotary Club Bylaws

Bylaws of the Rotary Club of

Marble Falls

Article 1 Definitions

1. Board: The Board of Directors of this club.

2. Director: A member of this club's Board of Directors.

3. Member: A member, other than an honorary member, of this club.

4. RI: Rotary International.

5. Year: The twelve-month period that begins on 1 July.

Article 2 Board

The governing body of this club shall be the board consisting of sevenmembers of this club, namely, the President, Immediate Past President, President-Elect ,President-Nominee, if nosuccessor has been elected), vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the chairmen of the committees outlined in Article 9, the Webmaster, plus 2 directors at large. At the discretion of the board, also added can be the additionaldirectors elected in accordance with article 3, section 1 of these bylaws.

Article 3 Election of Directors and Officers

Section 1 – At a regular meeting one month prior to the meeting for election of officers, the presiding officer shall ask for nominations by members of the club for President, President Elect, President Nominee, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, 2-Directors-at-Large, and a director for each of the club’s Avenues of Service.The President Elect/President Nominee shall serve in lieu of a Vice President.The nominations may be presented by a nominating committee or by members from the floor, by either or by both as a club may determine. If it is determined to use a nominating committee, such committee shall be appointed as the club may determine. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a ballot in alphabetical order under each office and shall be voted for at the annual meeting. The candidates for President, vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective offices. The additionalcandidates for director receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected as directors. The candidate for President elected in such balloting shall be the President-Nominee.The President-Nominee shall take the title of President-Elect on the first day of July next following the election, and shall serve as anofficer during that year. On 1 July immediately following that year, the president-elect shall assume office as President.

Section 2 – The officers and directorsshall constitute the board.

Section 3 – A vacancy in the board or any office shall be filled by action of the remaining directors.

Section 4 – A vacancy in the position of any officer-elect or director-elect shall be filled by action of the remaining directors-elect.

Article 4 Duties of Officers

Section 1 – President. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at meetings of the club and the board and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of President.The President shall be the chairperson of the Grant and Presidential advisory committees.

Section 2 – Immediate PastPresident. It shall be the duty of the immediate past president to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.

Section 3 – President-Elect. It shall be the duty of the President-Elect to preside at meetings in the absence of the president, and to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the President or the board.

Section 4 -President–Nominee shall serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board. The President ElectNomineeshall preside at meetings of the club and the board in the absence of the President and the President Nominee Elect and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of President Elect .The President Nominee shall assume the Membership committee chair after PETS.

Vice-President. It shall be the duty of the vice-president to preside at meetings of the club and the board in the absence of the president and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of vice-president.

Section 5 – Secretary. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep club membership records; record attendance at meetings and club events; prepare the monthly attendance report, which shall be reported to Rotary International and the district governor within 15 days of the last meeting of the month; provide semiannual reporting to Rotary International that includes new member, current and honorary member information; record and report changes in membership status; record official minutes of each board meeting, distribute minutes to board members prior to board meetings and maintain an official record of board meetings for the club; in conjunction with the club membership chair, process all new member applications through the Red Badge process to Blue Badge award; and perform other duties as usually pertain to the office of Secretary.

It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep membership records; record attendance at meetings; send out notices of club, board, and committee meetings; record and preserve the minutes of such meetings; report as required to RI, including the semiannual reports of membership on 1 January and 1 July of each year, which shall include per capita dues for all members and prorated dues for active members who have been elected to membership in the club since the start of the July or January semiannual reporting period; report changes in membership; provide the monthly attendance report, which shall be made to the district governor within 15 days of the last meeting of the month; collect and remit RI official magazine subscriptions; and perform other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary.

Section 6 – Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to have custody of all funds, accounting for it to the club annually and at any other time upon demand by the board, provide a current monthly statement of Financial Activities and a Statement of Financial Position,and to perform other duties as pertains to the office of Treasurer. Upon retirement from office, the Treasurer shall turn over to the incoming Treasurer or to the President all funds, books of accounts, or any other club property.

Section 7 – Sergeant-at-Arms. The duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be such as are usually prescribed for such office and other duties as may be prescribed by the President or the board.The duties include selection of members to perform presentation support functions at meetings, set up for weekly meetings and special events,and maintain order during meetings.and act as a liaison for guests at weekly meetings.

Article 5 Meetings

Section 1 – Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the secondThursday in December in each year, at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.

(Note: Article 6, section 2 of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution provides that “An annual meeting for the election of officers shall be held not later than 31 December...”)

Section 2 – The regular weekly meetings of this club shall be held on Thursday at 12:00 noon.

Due notice of any changes in or canceling of the regular meeting shall be given to all members of the club. All members excepting an honorary member (or member excused pursuant to the standard Rotary club constitution) in good standing in this club, on the day of the regular meeting, must be counted as present or absent, and attendance must be evidenced by the member’s being present for at least sixty (60) percent of the time devoted to the regular meeting, either at this club or at any other Rotary club, or as otherwise provided in the standard Rotary club constitution, article 9, sections 1 and 2.

Section 3 – One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club.

Section 4 – Regular meetings of the board shall be held monthly. Special meetings of the board shall be called by the President, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request of two (2) directors, due notice having been given.

Section 5 – A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum of the board.

Article 6 Fees and Dues

Section 1 – The admission fee shall be $100.00 to be paid before the applicant can qualify as a member, except as provided for in the standard Rotary club constitution, article 11.

Section 2 – The membership dues shall be an amount approved by a vote of the membershipper annum, payable semiannually on the first day of July and of January, with the understanding that a portion of each semiannual payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to the RI official magazine. The semi-annual payment shall include one-half the estimatedprice of the regular noon meals for all the weeks on the upcoming semi-annual period.

Section 3 – Semi-annual invoices for dues, meals, assessments and other charges shall be due

and payable not later thanJanuary 1 and July 1, and will become delinquent after 30 60days from thefirstinvoicedate. At that time the Treasurer shall provide the delinquent member with a reminder notice. Any invoice remaining unpaid shall be referred to the board at its next meeting for further action, including the possible termination of club membership.

Section 4 – The dues procedure shall be: The treasurer distribute notices to Rotarians on the following Dates: May 1 and again on June 1, with a due date of July1; and November 1 and again on December 1, with a due date of January1. Thus, Rotarians will have 60 days to pay dues on time. Dues will be considered delinquent if not paid by July 1 and January 1 of each year. A letter will be sent out to any members who have not paid as of July 1 and January 1 asking for payment within a 10 day period. The next available board meeting after the 10 day period, the board will deicide if further action is necessary for delinquent members.

Article 7 Method of Voting

The business of this club shall be transacted by viva voce* a voicevote except the election of officers and directors, which shall be by ballot. The board may determine that a specific resolution be considered by ballot rather than by viva voce a voicevote.

Article 8 Avenues of Service

The Avenues of Service are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this Rotary club. They are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service, and New Generations Service. This club will be active in each of the Avenues of Service.

Article 9 Committees

(a) The President shall be ex officio a member of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges of membership thereon.

(b) Each committee shall transact its business as is delegated to it in these bylaws and such additional business as may be referred to it by the President or the board. Except where special authority is given by the board, such committees shall not take action until a report has been made and approved by the board.

(c) Each chair shall be responsible for regular meetings and activities of the committee, shall supervise and coordinate the work of the committee, and shall report to the board on all committee activities.

(d) The above committee structure is in harmony with both the District Leadership Plan and the Club Leadership Plan. Clubs have the discretion to create any committees that are required to effectively meet its service and fellowship needs. A sample listing of such optional committees is found in the Club Committee Manual. A club may develop a different committee structure as needed.)

Club committees are charged with carrying out the annual and long-range strategic goals of the club. The President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President should work together to ensure continuity of leadership and succession planning. When feasible, committee members should be appointed to the same committee for three years to ensure consistency. The President-Elect is responsible for appointing committee members to fill vacancies, appointing committee chairs, and conducting planning meetings prior to the start of the year in office. It is recommended that the chair have previous experience as a member of the committee. Standing committees should be appointed as follows:

  • Membership

This committee should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the recruitment and retention of members.The President Elect shall chair this committee. This committee shall consider all proposals for membership from the personal side and shall thoroughly investigate the character, business, social and community standing, and general eligibility of all persons proposed for membership and shall report their decisions on all applications to the board. This committee shall review continually the club roster of filled and unfilled classifications and shall take positive action to initiate and present to the board the names of suitable persons to fill unfilled classifications.The committee shall oversee and co-ordinate the Red Badge process with the Secretary and new member orientation briefers.

  • Public Relations

This committee should develop and implement plans to provide the public with information about Rotaryand to promote the club’s service projects and activities. The vice president Public Relations Chairperson shall chair this committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans (1) to give the public general information about Rotary, its history, object, and scope; and (2) to secure proper publicity for the club. The committee will emphasize the use of social media to promote awareness of Rotary and the club in our community. Share club’s Rotary stories with the local media. Become familiar with Rotary’s public relation guidelines. Work in harmony with the Webmaster to keep the clubs image up to date. The committee shall work in coordination with the Webmaster. The Webmaster shall also serve on the Board of Directors.

  • Administration

This committee should conduct activities associated with the effective operation of the club. The president shall chair this committee.

  • Service Projects

This committee should develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational projects that address the needs of its community and communities in other countries. The Committee will be comprised of the Avenues of Service and their respective chairs.

  • The Rotary Foundation

This committee should develop and implement plans to support The Rotary Foundation through both financial contributions and program participation.

  • The Rotary Club of Marble FallsGrant Committee

This committee will review requests from not-for-profit organizations for Rotary Club of Marble Falls Grants and report the results of their review and recommendations to the club’s Board of Directors.

  • Presidential Advisory Committee

Shall act as the key strategic planning and advisory committee for the club. Its function is toreview issues important to the long term development of the club.They shall meet 2 times per year or when necessary. It will consist of 6 members:the past 3presidents and the 3 current presidential officers (President, President Elect, and President Nominee).