Constitution of the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society
Adopted November 11, 2014
PREAMBLE
The Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society (CARS) constitutes itself with the purpose of promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communication and experimentation; the establishment of Amateur Radio networks to provide electronic communications in the event of disasters or other emergencies; the furtherance of public welfare; the advancement of the radio art; the fostering and promotion of noncommercial intercommunication by electronic means throughout the world; the fostering of education in the field of electronic communication; the promotion and conduct of research and development to further the development of electronic communication; the dissemination of technical, educational and scientific information relating to electronic communication; and the printing and publishing of documents, books, magazines, newspapers and pamphlets necessary or incidental to any of the above purposes.
ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1:
Membership shall be by application and election upon such terms as the club shall provide in its By-Laws.
Membership may not be denied because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status or any other reason that would be biased or prejudicial.
ARTICLE II - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1:
The Board of Directors shall consist of all six (6) elected Board Members and all currently elected officers. Each January the Board of Directors shall select a Board Chairman from one of the six (6) elected Board members to serve for one (1) full year. All Board members shall have a vote, but Officers of CARS are not eligible to serve as Chairman
SECTION 2:
The six (6) elected Board Members shall be elected to two (2) year terms. Three (3) Board Members will be elected in the odd year; three (3) will be elected in the even year.
SECTION 3:
Any member of CARS who has been a member for one (1) full year and has attended at least six (6) meetings in the previous twelve (12) months is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. No person shall be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors who has been convicted of a felony.
SECTION 4:
The duties of the Board of Directors shall be to look after and maintain CARS property, serve as the Trustees of the Corporation and conduct an annual audit of the financial records.
SECTION 5:
An elected Board member may be removed from office by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of Members.
SECTION 6:
The term of a member of the Board of Directors, elected at a Regular Election Meeting, shall start January first (1st) of the calendar year following the election. The term of a member of the Board of Directors elected at a Special Election, shall commence immediately following election to office.
SECTION 7:
The Board of Directors shall meet a minimum of three (3) times a year to conduct business.
SECTION 8:
All members of the Board of Directors shall at the expiration of their term or removal from office, turn over all CARS property in their possession to their successor. All CARS records more than three (3) years old shall be turned over to a person designated by the Board of Directors as Property Custodian.
ARTICLE III - OFFICERS
SECTION 1:
The officers of CARS shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
SECTION 2:
The officers shall be elected for a term of One (1) year.
SECTION 3:
Any member of CARS who has been a member for one (1) full year and has attended at least six (6) meetings in the previous twelve (12) months is eligible to serve as an officer. No person shall be eligible to serve as an officer of CARS who has been convicted of a felony.
SECTION 4: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
(A) The President shall preside and set agendas at all meetings of CARS; enforce observance of this Constitution and By-Laws; decide all questions of order; sign all official documents adopted by CARS; call Special meetings; appoint all committees and follow up to ensure committee responsibilities are completed. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees and is to attend as many committee meetings as possible; write an article for the Wobbly Oscillator each month; have a current copy of the CARS Constitution, By-Laws, membership list and property inventory at each meeting, plus perform other such duties that arise on a daily basis.
(B) The Vice-President shall preside at meetings when the President is absent; write an article for the Wobbly Oscillator each month; act as the ARRL liaison; and serve as the audit committee chairman.
(C) The Secretary shall keep the minutes and permanent attendance record of all Regular, Special and Board meetings; carry on all correspondence; read all CARS communications at each regular meeting; and present the regular meeting minutes for publication in the Wobbly Oscillator. At the expiration of his/her term he/she shall turn over all items belonging to the club to his/her successor.
(D The Treasurer shall receive all monies paid to CARS, make a record of same and pay all bills at the order of the Board of Directors or President; do a monthly checkbook reconciliation; collect all monies and present applications for membership; send late dues notices; act as statutory agent for CARS; present the records for the yearly audit; file financial forms with the state of Ohio and the IRS yearly; collect ARRL renewals ? forward renewals to ARRL for compensation program credit; keep the inventory updated and send changes to the insurance company each year; write an article for the Wobbly Oscillator when needed; collect money, process orders, and distribute CARS clothing; keep a record of all cash, equipment and other tangible property donated to CARS; report the treasury balance and other relevant issues at each Regular meeting. One (1) signature shall be required on any checks issued. The signer must be the Treasurer, President or another member of CARS who is authorized by the Board of Directors as a signer. At the expiration of his/her term he/she shall turn over all items belonging to the club to his/her successor.
SECTION 5:
Officers, Board Members or members may be removed by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Members present at a Regular or Special Meeting.
SECTION 6:
The term of an officer elected at a Regular Election Meeting shall start January first of the calendar year following election to office. The term of an officer elected at a special election shall begin immediately after the election to office.
ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS
The By-Laws shall govern all meetings. All FCC Rules and Regulations shall be followed where they pertain to C.A.R.S. amateur radio equipment operation, except as provided for in the FCC Rules and Regulations, this Constitution, the CARS By-Laws, and the Articles of Incorporation. All CARS business shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE V - DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
SECTION 1:
Membership dues shall be as stated in the By-Laws.
SECTION 2:
Proposals for assessments shall be submitted in writing at a Regular Meeting and shall be voted on at the next Regular Meeting, provided all members have been notified in writing prior to the vote meeting. The assessment may be levied by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Members present at the vote meeting.
SECTION 3:
Assessments shall not be levied on Family or Honorary Members.
ARTICLE VI - MERGER AND DISSBANDMENT
SECTION 1:
No merger shall be made with any group in which the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society would lose its identity. Any other merger may be made upon the consent of ninety percent (90%) of the Members and two thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors voting at a Regular Meeting.
SECTION 2:
Disbandment shall be covered by Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code, and stated in the Articles of the Not-For-Profit Corporation, referred to in the body of this Constitution as, The Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society, CARS
ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1:
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Members present at a Regular Meeting. Proposals for Amendment shall be submitted in writing at a Regular Meeting and voted on at the next Regular Meeting, provided all Members have been notified by writing of the intent to amend the Constitution prior to the vote meeting.
SECTION 2:
Members may submit a proxy vote to a CARS officer or Board Member to be counted at the vote meeting.
SECTION 3:
The organization may establish or repeal by-laws by a majority vote of the Members present at a Regular Meeting.
By-Laws of the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society
As Established October 9, 2018
ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS
CARS - The Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society
Board of Directors - The four (4) Officers and six (6) elected Board Members.
Quorum - The minimum number of members to conduct voting at any Regular Meeting, Board Meeting or Special Meeting. A minimum of 20% of the members in good standing including five (5) members from the Board of Directors for a Regular or Special Meeting and Six (6) members from the Board of Directors for a Board Meeting.
CARS Property - Purchased or donated equipment, supplies, and/or facilities, accrued without lien.
Board Meeting - A meeting of the Board of Directors and interested CARS members.
Regular Meeting- The monthly membership meeting.
Regular Election Meeting - The Regular November meeting.
Special Meeting - A meeting of the membership called by the Board to do business that must be conducted before the next Regular Meeting.
WO - The CARS Newsletter called the Wobbly Oscillator.
The CARS Website URL - http://www.2CARS.ORG. The domain name 2CARS.ORG is property of CARS The Registrant shall be CARS with a CARS designated mailing address.
CARS Sponsored Activity - Any activity that is approved by the Board of Directors, such as Field Day, public service events, VE sessions, bus trips, special event stations, and the CARS net.
CARS Net - The weekly UHF/VHF/Echolink radio meeting to provide CARS information to amateur radio operators and listeners.
Membership Year - The period of one calendar year when all annual dues and assessments have been paid.
MEMBERSHIP
14-001:
Applications for membership shall be submitted to the Membership Chairman. Applications shall be voted on at the next Regular Meeting. The application shall be accompanied by any required dues; full yearly amount before July 1st, and one half (1/2) yearly amount after July 1st. Acceptance shall be by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Members present at the vote meeting.
14-002: FULL MEMBER:
(a) An individual elected to membership in CARS, who holds a valid amateur radio license and has currently met obligations regarding payment of dues and assessments. A Full Member has voting privilege. Full Members will receive a copy CARS WEB PAGE information and other information as necessary for full participation. Full members may submit a proxy vote to a CARS Officer or Board Member.
(b) An individual licensed amateur who is in the immediate family of, resides at the same address as a Full Member, and meets the requirements as outlined in SECTION 2: (a) above, shall be eligible to be a Family Member for sixteen dollars ($16) per year providing the Full Members dues have been paid in full for the membership year. This member will have all privileges of a Full Member.
14-003: HONORARY MEMBER:
The title of Honorary Member may by a motion of and a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Members present be bestowed upon any person who by nature of outstanding or meritorious contribution to the furtherance of amateur radio and the ideals of the Cuyahoga Amateur Radio Society, is deemed to be deserving of such title. Such term of membership shall be lifetime, and shall carry all privileges of a Full Member.
14-004: FORMER MEMBER:
Former members lose member privileges and will be relieved of any CARS property or material warranted by the Board of Directors. A CARS member who is delinquent with dues and/or assessment will be placed in Former member status.
14-005: REINSTATEMENT
(a) A former member will by automatically reinstated into CARS within a twelve (12) month period, provided all dues and assessments for this twelve (12) month period are paid in full.
(b) A Former Member who re-applies for membership after the twelve (12) month period must apply and fulfill the requirements of a new member as stated in Article II, Section 1 of these By-Laws.
14-005: MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Membership status will be maintained through the effort of the Treasurer. The C.A.R.S. current roster shall be updated and posted on the C.A.R.S. WEBSITE at least twice per calendar year. It is every member’s responsibility to notify the Officers of any changes in amateur license status and current address.
DUES
14-006:
Dues in the amount determined by the Executive Board shall be paid by all Members. Currently dues for Full Members shall be twenty Six dollars ($26) per year, Seniors over sixty (60) years old shall be eighteen dollars ($18) per year, Family Members shall be sixteen dollars ($16) per year, providing the Full Members dues have been paid in full for the Membership Year, and Honorary Members shall not pay dues for life.
14-007:
Dues shall be paid by January 31 for the current Membership Year - January 1 through December 31.
14-008:
Notification of dues payment requirement will be made in the WO and on the CARS WEB SITE one month prior to the end of the Membership Year.
14-009:
The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer dues shall be waived during their terms.
MEETINGS
14-010:
The Board of Directors shall determine and advise the membership of the date, time, and place of all Regular and Special Meetings.
14-011:
All members of the Board of Directors shall be notified of the date, time, and place of all Board Meetings.
14-012:
A quorum must be present at all Regular and Special Meetings to conduct business.
14-013:
Six (6) members of the Board of Directors must be present at a Board Meeting to conduct business.
ELECTIONS
14-014:
Election of Officers and elected Board Members shall be by secret ballot at the Regular Election Meeting (November). Nominations for office shall be submitted at the Regular Meeting in October then presented to the Full Membership via e-mail or the WO.
14-015:
Election shall be by plurality of the Full Members present. In case of a tie, successive ballots shall be cast only on the tied candidates, until the tie is broken.
14-016:
Vacancies occurring between elections shall be filled by Special Election. Nominations shall be at the first Regular Meeting following notification of the vacancy. Elections shall be at the first Regular Meeting following the nominations. In the interim, the Board of Directors may appoint a member who meets the requirements for that office until the Special Election is held.
COMMITTEES
14-017:
The President of CARS shall appoint the chairmen of those committees that are deemed necessary to carry out the objectives of CARS.
14-018:
The chairman of a committee may enlist members for the committee as necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
CHANGES
14-019:
The By-Laws may be established or repealed by a majority vote of the Members present at a Regular or Special Meeting. Proposals for any changes shall be submitted in writing at a Regular Meeting, and voted on at the next Regular Meeting, provided all members have been notified via e-mail or the WO of the intent to change the By-Laws prior to the vote meeting.
14-020: SPENDING AUTHORIZATION
(a) For payments not exceeding $200.00, approval of Board of Directors is not required.
(b) For payments exceeding $200.00 but not exceeding $800.00, approval of two (2) Board of Directors members is required and one must be the President or the Vice President, in the Presidents absence.
(c) The Board of Directors may preauthorize recurring charges not exceeding $100.00 per month for payment of bills including, but not limited to, phone bills, newsletter printing, postage, and insurance.
(d) A majority of the Members present and quorum of the Board of Directors voting at a Regular or Special CARS meeting is required for approval of payments exceeding $800.00.
(e) The billing contact will always be the Treasurer.
14-021: AUDITS
(a) An annual Audit will take place each year. It will begin after the end of the calendar year and must be completed by March 31 of the following year.
(b) An Audit will take place at any time that the Treasurer leaves office, and the newly-elected Treasure must take part in the Audit.
(c) The Audit will be conducted by three members of the Executive Board with the Treasurer present. The Vice-President will serve as Chairman and 2 members will be appointed by the president.
COMMUNICATION
14-022: CARS WEBSITE
(a) The 2CARS.ORG WEBSITE is a registered name for the use of CARS members. It will be maintained by the Webmaster appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. All decisions as to the WEBSITE, its administration, email policies shall be the approved by the Board of Directors.
(b) The WEBSITE administrative contact shall be the Secretary ([email protected] ).
(c) The WEBSITE billing contact shall be the Treasurer ([email protected] ).
(d) The Webmaster contact shall be [email protected]
14-023: The WO, THE CARS NEWSLETTER
(a) The WO represents CARS monthly communication information to the membership. Submissions to the WO may be sent to the newsletter editor via the CARS e-mail to [email protected] or given to the newsletter editor directly.
(b) The Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.
(c) All costs associated with producing and delivering the WO shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.
(d) The content of the WO shall adhere to the PREAMBLE as stated in the CONSTITUTION of CARS.
14-024: CARS SCHOLARSHIPS
(A) 1. Each year the elected President shall appoint a CARS Scholarship Committee (CSC) chairman and four members to select 2 recipients for the annual CARS scholarship funds allowance. The CARS. Secretary will always be one of the members on this committee.
The CSC will submit to the Board of Directors the guidelines and an application form to be used for the annual CARS Scholarship award for approval.
Guidelines and forms will be made available to any CARS member, family member or person in custody of a member of CARS prior to January 30th of the year of the scholarship funds availability.
Application Form submissions for scholarship funds must be received by the CSC on or before May 31st each year.
(B) On or before July 1st of each year, beginning in 2006, the CSC shall meet to determine two (2) recipients from Applications submitted for the C.A.R.S. Scholarship award. A $750.00 scholarship will be awarded to any CARS member, son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter who is graduating or has graduated high school, received a G.E.D. or successfully passed home schooled high school certification. This will be a onetime only award; once an award has been received you can not apply again. If something happens and the recipients going to school is delayed a year the recipient can refuse the award and apply again the next year.
(C) A CARS check will be issued to the recipient upon submission of successful enrollment in any certified continuing vocational education program, two (2) year or four (4) year college program or other appropriate accredited school. Checks will be issued in both the name of the recipient and the school that he or she will be attending. The recipient must submit his/her request for a check after their enrolment to the Treasurer of CARS for the awarded funds to be paid from our general fund.
(D) A non-recipient may submit their name again for consideration in the following year.
(E) After the CSC submits its selection of recipient(s) for the CARS scholarship awards, the Secretary shall report the selection of recipient (s) at the next scheduled monthly meeting. Also the Secretary will notify by mail, email or phone directly to the awarded recipient(s) and other applicants.
(F) A reasonable effort must be made by the committee to insure that the money is used in good faith as required by this By-Law.