Bylaws
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY ROSE SOCIETY, INC.
Revised October 12, 2008
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be the SANTA CLARITA VALLEY ROSE SOCIETY, INC. (SCVRS). The SCVRS is an affiliate of the American Rose Society, a 503(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVE
The objective of this Society shall be to encourage the study and culture of the rose. Membership is open to all who wish to join in the fellowship of other rosarians.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section A - Membership Classifications
Membership shall consist of the following classes: Household, Life, Honorary, and Honorary Life.
Section B - Membership Requirements
1. Applications for Household or Life memberships shall be filled out completely and be submitted to either the Membership Chairperson, Bulletin Editor, or Treasurer, along with the appropriate dues.
2. Honorary and Honorary Life memberships with full privileges may be conferred upon any member in recognition for distinguished services to the Society by a unanimous recommendation of the Executive Board. Honorary members shall not pay dues in the succeeding year following conferment of honorary membership and, upon consideration by the Executive Board, may be renewed on a year-to-year basis by unanimous decision.
3. The President, with approval of the Executive Board, may confer Honorary Membership in lieu of dues, upon members who regularly donate plants or services to the Society.
4. The Honorary Membership will be considered for renewal on a yearly basis by the Executive Board.
5. Any member who wishes to resign or terminate their membership will not be eligible for membership dues refund once the term of membership begins. Such resignation or termination of membership shall take effect at the time specified and no acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective.
6. Any member who conducts themselves in such a manner as to be a discredit to the Society or causes turmoil in the Society, may be expelled by Resolution and by a 2/3 passing vote by the attending Executive Board members at their next meeting. The President, upon receiving the Resolution from the Executive Board, shall call a special, closed door meeting at which time the accused party(s) shall be given the opportunity to defend their actions before the Board. Vote for expulsion shall be by acclamation and only Board members may be present during the vote. The accused shall be notified by mail as to the official outcome of the vote.
7. The Executive Board may refuse the membership renewal or application of a member who has a history of disruptive or unethical behavior.
ARTICLE IV- DUES
Section A - Annual Dues
1. Dues shall be based on each calendar year.
2. Members are entitled to full club privileges upon receipt of the annual dues.
Section B - New Members
1. New members joining October 1 or after shall pay full dues which will apply for the remainder of the current year and the next full year. Any dues paid before October 1, will not be prorated and shall expire at the end of the calendar year.
Section C - Default
1. Any member who fails to pay their annual dues by February 15th, may be dropped from membership.
2. Any member who is expelled or resigns from the Society automatically forfeits any remaining dues once within the membership year.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
Section A - Elected Officers
The elected officers of the SCVRS shall be the President, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, and six Directors. Before becoming eligible for office, the candidate must be an active member in good standing of the SCVRS for at least one year. The President is encouraged to be a member of the American Rose Society.
Section B- Length of Terms
1. Each elected officer shall serve for one-year terms. Only the President shall not serve more than two consecutive terms.
2. The officers will be installed at the regular December meeting, and assume their duties on January 1st.
3. For the office of the President, members of the same household shall not serve consecutive terms, unless they are each only one-year terms, with a maximum of two years.
Section C - Vacancies
1. A vacancy by the President shall be assumed by the First Vice President. The Second Vice President shall assume the vacancy by the First Vice President.
2. A vacancy of any other office shall be filled by a special vote of the general membership at the next regular meeting.
Section D - Duties of the President
1. Preside at all meetings of the SCVRS.
2. Appoint all Committee Chairpersons, except Nominating
3. Be the ex-officio member of all Committees, except for Nominating.
4. Have general supervision of all activities of the SCVRS.
5. Represent the SCVRS at all American Rose Society, Pacific Southwest District, and other Society functions.
6. May delegate any of the above duties.
Section E- Duties of the First Vice President/Show Chair
1. Fill in during absences of the President.
2. Be Chairperson of the Rose Show.
3. Appoint various positions for the rose show such as Chair of Judges, Chair of Clerks, Chair of Placement, and Chair of Trophies.
4. Produce at least one Annual Rose Show.
5. Be responsible for the monthly Little Rose Shows at the meetings.
6. The Show Chair may delegate responsibility for the Little Rose Shows from time to time or appoint an assistant to supervise the Little Rose Shows.
Section F- Duties of the Second Vice President/Membership
1. Fill in for the vacant/absent First Vice President.
2. Be responsible for all Membership activities.
3. Assist the newsletter editor in maintaining and updating the membership list and collecting annual dues.
4. Actively pursue prospective members, and encourage membership renewals at year-end.
5. Prepare and maintain member name badges and have them available at every meeting and special events.
6. May appoint an assistant to perform any of the above duties.
Section G - Duties of the Third Vice President/Ways and Means
1. Be responsible for monthly raffles, soliciting of donations, and other fund-raising events.
2. Be in charge of plant sales, including obtaining the plants for sale.
3. Send thank you notes to sponsors, or delegate this task to the secretary.
4. May appoint an assistant to perform any of the above duties.
Section H - Duties of the Fourth Vice President/Programs
1. Provide an interesting and educational program at each meeting.
2. Solicit, review, consider and contact potential speakers for monthly meetings.
3. Introduce speakers at each meeting.
4. Send thank you notes to speakers, or delegate this task to the secretary.
5. May appoint an assistant to perform any of the above duties.
Section I - Duties of the Secretary
1. Keep Minutes of regular and Executive Board meetings.
2. Have the Minutes reviewed by the President within 10 days after each meeting and submit for approval at the next board meeting.
3. Prepare SCVRS correspondence, as directed by the President or Executive Board.
4. Notify members of all Board and Special meetings at least one week in advance.
5. Send appropriate cards or gifts to members who are ill, for special occasions, thank you notes to guest speakers, and for donations from sponsors.
6. May appoint an assistant to perform any of the above duties.
Note: Each officer may have any number of SCVRS members assist in any of their designated duties.
Section J - Duties of the Treasurer
1. Receive and deposit all Society funds in a timely manner, unless other arrangements are made.
2. Maintain the signatures at the bank of the President, First Vice President, and Treasurer.
3. Make reimbursements by check upon approval of the President or Executive Board. No payments will be made without the presentation of an itemized bill.
4. Keep an accurate record of all income and expenditures, and give a brief report at each Executive Board meeting, or as directed by the President
5. File tax returns and submit corporation reports to the State.
6. Close the books at year's end and make the books available to the Audit Committee.
7. May appoint an assistant to perform any of the above duties.
Section K - Duties of the Directors
1. Serves on the Executive Board as voting members.
ARTICLE VI - NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS
Section A - Nominating Committee
1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of 3 members, who will take office each June.
2. The Executive Board shall appoint one member who will chair the Nominating Committee.
3. The general membership shall elect two members at the June regular meeting.
Section B - Nominations
1. At the regular meeting in October, the Nominating Committee shall verbally submit to the general membership, a list of at least one candidate for each office. Each nominee must be an active member in good standing, and must have given previous consent to serve if elected.
2. The President shall call for additional nominees from the floor at the November regular meeting.
3. Nominations from the floor must have the consent of the individual being nominated.
Section C - Elections
1. Officers shall be elected at the November regular meeting.
2. If only one candidate is nominated, voting shall be done by majority oral vote. If two or more candidates are nominated, then voting shall be by written ballot. Winners shall be by majority vote.
ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS
Section A - Regular meetings shall be held monthly, except July and August, unless otherwise ordered by the President and with approval of the Executive Board.
Section B - Special meetings may be called by the President at any time, with approval of the Executive Board.
Section C - The November meeting shall include the election of officers and directors.
Section D - The December meeting shall be the annual meeting for the installation of officers, and any other appropriate business.
Section E - Suitable notice of each regular membership meeting shall be given at least one week prior to the meeting. In the case of a special meeting, the notice shall include the purpose(s) for which the meeting was requested.
Section F - A quorum shall consist of the members who are present at the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section A - Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, the business and affairs of SCVRS shall be managed by or be under the direction of the Executive Board.
Section B - The Executive Board shall consist of the elected officers, Immediate Past President, Bulletin Editor, and Directors.
Section C - Executive Board meetings shall be held as needed, at any time, but should be no less than twice a year and suitable notice will be given. In between meetings, business may be conducted via e-mails.
Section D - A quorum shall be five board members attending. The Executive Board is empowered to transact business in a manner beneficial to the Society.
Section E - If a member holds more than one office that serves on the Executive Committee, they will have a maximum of one vote. If there are co-officers for any Executive Committee position, they will only have one combined vote.
Section F - Action without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by these bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken by the Executive Board (or any committee thereof), may be taken without a meeting if all Board members consent in writing, which includes e-mail, and this writing is filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE IX - NON-ELECTED POSITIONS AND STANDING COMMITTEES
Section A - The non-elected positions and standing committees shall be: Audit, Bulletin Editor, Historian, Hospitality, and Webmaster. Each position or chairperson may appoint one or more members to their committee. The President shall appoint a person to serve in each capacity as needed unless otherwise established elsewhere in these bylaws. The President also reserves the right to create any new non-elected positions as needed.
Section B - The Audit Committee shall audit the Treasurer's books and records, check book, and financial statements at the close of the fiscal year and submit a report to the membership at the March regular meeting.
Section C - Bulletin Editor shall prepare, edit, publish, and mail the monthly bulletin in a timely manner, and prepare and publish press releases and advertisements for monthly meetings, garden tours, annual rose show, and any other special events. The President may appoint a separate publicity person if needed.
Section D - The Historian will maintain a complete permanent file of all publications and documents of the Society.
Section E - Hospitality Coordinator will greet members, arrange for refreshments at the monthly meetings and at special events, and be custodian of the guest book and/or sign-in sheet.
Section F - The Webmaster shall create and maintain a SCVRS website and make sure the information is updated regularly and the site is fresh and informative.
ARTICLE X - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.
ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by a 2/3's vote of the members present at a regular meeting, provided the proposed amendments were submitted by e-mail, in the bulletin, or in writing on or before the previous regular meeting. Dates of amendment must be recorded at the end of this section.
ARTICLE XII - DISSOLUTION OF ORGANIZATION
If in the event the membership decides to dissolve this organization, all monies in the treasury will be donated to the American Rose Society, either to the Pacific Southwest District or the national organization. If neither exists, then the monies will be donated to another non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
Adopted by General Membership and Executive Board: January 3, 1993.
Revisions:
Revised July 2001
Revised July 2001 Submitted by Kitty Belendez, Chair of Bylaws CommitteeProposed Revisions submitted September 2008Revisions approved by the general membership on October 12, 2008Submitted by Steve Jones, Chair of Bylaws Ad Hoc Committee© Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society. All rights reserved.
