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BYLAWS OF HIGH DESERT RIDERS
(As amended September, 2006)
Article I. The name of the club is HIGH DESERT RIDERS.
Article II. Mission Statement/Purpose
A. Mission Statement: The HIGH DESERT RIDERS has been
organized as an Equine Club so that members can have fun at equine
events, promote equine activities of all kinds, foster involvement with
governmental entities where relevant, participate in the design and
development of equine trail systems and preserve access to old and new
trails, and educate the community on equine health, safety and protocol,
all the while treating equines with the care and respect they deserve.
B. Purpose or Goals
1. To have fun with our equines;
2. To develop and protect accessible open spaces and
trails;
3. To provide trail rides, parades, education, clinics,
shows and other equine activities.
Article III. Membership
A. Types of membership
1. Individual Membership. Any individual may apply for
an individual membership with the payment of annual dues.
2. Family Membership. Any family of two or more
individuals living at the same address may apply for a family membership
with the payment of annual dues.
3. Sponsorship Membership. A sponsoring membership pays
added dues, can be an individual or a business, and shall have special
rights such as business-card-sized free advertisement in each club
newsletter.
4. Dues as established annually by the Board of
Directors, shall be payable the first of January each year.
5. The membership year will be January 1 through
December 31.
6. Membership dues received in the last quarter of the
year shall be effective through the following calendar year.
B. Voting
1. Individual members are entitled to one (1) vote at
any general meeting.
2. Family memberships are entitled to two (2) votes at
any general meeting provided two members of that family are present.
3. Sponsoring members are entitled to two (2) votes at
any general meeting.
4. All of the above considered, no membership entity or
its representative(s) may cast more than two (2) votes at any general
meeting or at any election.
5. The President shall be able to vote: a) to break a
tie vote in a Board or general membership meeting; b) to force a tie if
his/her vote would result in a tie vote; or c) the vote is taken by
ballot in a general membership election.
6. Phone votes are permitted at Board of Directors
meetings when such meetings do not constitute a quorum.
C. Termination of Membership
1. Membership is non-transferable.
2. A member acting in a manner contrary to the purposes
and/or goals of the HIGH DESERT RIDERS may be suspended or expelled by a
three-quarters majority vote of the membership present, provided notice
in writing shall have first been given to members of the Board of
Directors and to the member who is the subject of the proposed action at
least fifteen (15) days prior to the general meeting where the case is
to be considered. The member in question shall have an opportunity to be
heard, orally or in writing, by the general membership at that meeting
prior to the vote being taken.
3. Any member who is so suspended or expelled will be
entitled to receive a pro-rata refund of dues paid for the current year.
Article IV. Finances
A. All monies collected shall be deposited in a
financial institution approved by the Board of Directors.
B. The financial year shall be from January 1 through
December 31 each calendar year.
C. The financial books of the club shall be established
and maintained according to accepted practice for such clubs and shall
be reviewed annually by an auditor or by a committee appointed by the
Board of Directors. Said person(s) may be members or nonmembers at the
discretion of the Board of Directors. The findings are to be outlined in
a report and presented to the Board and General Membership during the
first quarter of the following year. The spirit of this report is to
determine the security of the club funds, adequacy of record keeping
procedures and to improve the Treasurer’s performance where indicated.
D. A treasurer’s report shall be presented at each
meeting of the Board of Directors accounting for all club funds.
Article V. Board of Directors and Officers
A. Board of Directors and Officers
1. The Board of Directors will conduct the business and
oversee the general operation of the club.
2. The Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7)
individuals who are members of the club, elected by the membership and
shall serve a term of two (2) years.
3. The positions of President, Secretary, Additional
Director #1 and Additional Director #2 will be up for election in
even-numbered years, while the positions of Vice-President, Treasurer
and Sergeant-at-Arms will be up for election in odd-numbered years.
Staggering the terms in this fashion is intended to promote continuity
within the board from year to year.
4. Election for Board Members shall be held annually in
November at the general meeting. A nominating committee shall be formed
from the membership during the September meeting to propose a slate from
the membership for the positions open for that year to be presented to
the general membership at the October meeting. Nominations from the
general membership for additional candidates at either the October or
the November general meetings will be accepted. The Nominating Committee
will conduct the election at the November general meeting and will
present the results at that meeting. The election will take place by
paper ballot; if no single candidate receives a majority of the votes,
there will be a runoff ballot between the top two candidates.
5. If a Board member is unable to complete his or her
term, the Board may appoint a temporary director to serve ninety (90)
days, at which time the membership shall vote to fill this vacancy. The
temporary officer may run for said vacancy along with any other
nominations. In the event of a Presidential vacancy, the Vice President
assumes the Presidential responsibilities until an election takes place
within ninety days. Any member in good standing, including the VP
(temporary Pres), may run for the office of President.
6. The Officers of the club shall be President,
Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms. The Board of
Directors includes these five officers plus two Additional Directors, #1
and #2. All newly elected board members assume their new
responsibilities on January 1.
7. The President shall be the chief executive officer of
the club and with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors,
shall have general supervision, direction and control for the day-to-day
business of the club. The President shall preside over and call meetings
of the club and the Board of Directors, and shall, with the Treasurer,
sign all contracts authorized by the club Board of Directors.
8. The Vice-President shall perform all the duties of
the President in the absence or disability of the President and when so
acting shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the
restrictions upon, the President. The Vice-president shall have such
other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the
President and the Board of Directors.
9. The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes
and agendas of all membership meetings, specified special meetings, and
Board of Directors’ meetings and shall keep a current roster of members,
Directors and Committees, and make such rosters available to any member
upon request. The Secretary shall also be available to help the
President prepare and distribute meeting agendas if the President so
requests.
10. The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies of
the club and maintain the financial accounts, disburse funds, maintain a
receipt file, provide monthly summaries of the treasury funds at Board
and general meetings, and present the annual financial review for the
preceding year at a general meeting in the first quarter of the calendar
year. The Board of Directors shall approve special and unusual
expenditures before they are paid. All checks shall have two of the
following three signatures: Treasurer, President, and/or Vice-President.
11. The Sergeant-at-Arms will be charged with order
keeping at all meetings and will assist and advise the President on
Parliamentary Procedure and club bylaw compliance issues.
12. Any member of the Board of Directors may be removed
from office by a three-fourths vote of the membership present at any
general meeting. See section VI-C-4 for specific procedures regarding
this provision.
13. If a member of the Board of Directors cannot
complete his or her term, a signed and dated letter of resignation
should be turned into the Board.
14. Failure to attend three consecutive regularly
scheduled board or general membership meetings without an approved
excuse (approval issued by President or Vice-President) will make board
member subject to review for removal from office by a three-quarters
vote of membership present at any general meeting. The vote will take
place at the next regularly scheduled general meeting after a full
fifteen (15) days’ written notice has been given to both membership and
the affected Board Member.
Article VI. Meetings
A. All meetings of this club shall be conducted in
accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, except as
otherwise provided for in these by-laws.
B. General Membership
1. At least ten (10) general membership meetings will be
held annually for the purpose of conducting the business of the club.
2. The President will set agendas for meetings to
include the recommendations of the Board of Directors and will publish
the agendas no later than 24 hours before the general membership
meetings.
3. The annual meeting of the membership shall be held in
the month of November. The purpose of this meeting will be the election
of those respective Board positions which are up for election, and to
transact necessary business of the club. At least twenty-five (25) days
written notice of this meeting shall be given to the members.
4. Emergency or special meetings of the membership may
be called for a specific purpose at any time on petition to the
President and signed by 25% of the members or at least 50% of the Board
of Directors. The members shall be informed in advance at least seven
(7) days’ notice in writing or by email or both.
5. Quorum for Membership Meetings. At any meeting of the
membership held in accordance with the foregoing provisions as to
notice, the members attending such meeting shall constitute a quorum for
all purposes. Absentee ballots and proxy votes are not accepted at
general membership meetings.
C. Board of Directors
1. The Board of Directors shall meet before each
membership meeting at the call of the President or as regularly
scheduled.
2. Quorum for Board of Directors Meeting. Four (4) Board
members present will constitute a quorum.
3. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be
called by the President, or by five (5) Board members requesting that
the President call a meeting. Also, meetings may be called by 25% of the
members. Notice will be given to each Board member of said meeting.
4. Any Board member may be removed from the Board by a
vote of three-fourths of general membership at a general membership
meeting, provided notice in writing to each such member shall have been
given by the club at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the meeting.
In general, the removal resolution will be presented at one general
meeting, and the vote will take place at the next. No absentee or proxy
ballots/votes will be accepted.
5. Meetings of the Board of Directors are open to all
members to audit; comments and opinions are welcome unless in the
opinion of the President, the meeting is being unduly disrupted or
delayed by such comments and opinions.
6. Minutes shall be taken at all meetings, made
available for publication, and maintained in corporate books.
D. Committee Meetings
1. The Board recognizes the need for standing committees
and temporary special committees.
2. The standing committees shall include but not be
limited to: Trail Riding, Trails and Open Space, Government Affairs,
Events and Activities, Public Relations and Membership.
3. These committees shall set their own meeting agendas,
shall choose a committee head from the members who volunteer to serve on
the committee, and shall set their meeting times and frequencies as they
see fit. Committee heads shall inform the president at least monthly of
their status.
Article VII. Amendment of By-Laws
These By-laws may be altered or amended at any regular
meeting or any special meeting of the club by a simple majority of the
members present at such meeting, provided a written notice is first
given at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the meeting of such
intention to alter or amend. Such proposals of change must be set forth
in detail in this written notice.
Article VIII. Dissolution of Club
Any proposal to dissolve the club must be approved
unanimously by the Board of Directors; followed by at least a
twenty-five (25) day written notice to the general membership of a
planned vote to dissolve the club, which vote will be taken at the next
regularly scheduled general membership meeting which occurs after the
necessary notice period. Dissolution will then take place upon a
three-fourths majority vote to do so, this majority being based on
members in attendance only.
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