Bylaws

BY-LAWS

WEST GARDINER ROD AND GUN CLUB

WEST GARDINER, MAINE

ARTICLE I: NAME AND LOCATION

NAME: WEST GARDINER ROD AND GUN CLUB
LOCATION: WEST GARDINER, MAINE

ARTICLE II; PURPOSE

Promoting interest in fish and wildlife conservation so as to ensure future hunting and fishing.
Keeping informed about game management and wildlife conservation practices in our area.
Opposing action or practices against our best interest.
Providing facilities for the younger generation to develop their interest in hunting and fishing, and to teach them safety both afield and on the water.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP & DUES

Section 1: Definition of Membership

A regular member is a voting member of the club. He/she has met the requirements and has followed the admission process specified below. Membership also includes spouses/partners.

Section 2: Requirements for Membership

Age: 18 yrs or older
Legal Status: Convicted felons will not be considered for membership. Any additional documentation required to establish status will be at the expense of the applicant
Sponsorship: Each applicant must be sponsored by a member in good standing.
The application must have the approval of at least 3 directors. In the event there are only 2 directors present, the president may approve.

Section 3: Voting Rights

Members and their spouse/partner as stated on the application, together, have

only one vote in conducting club business.

Any change in spouse/partner (except death) must be stated on the yearly renewal

form.

Section 4: Dues

Dues and application fees are reviewed yearly at the Annual Meeting.
Dues are assessed annually by January 1st. Amounts levied for dues and fees are in accordance with guidelines described in the club Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
New member dues and fees are due with the application and cover the time between admission to the club and the following January 1st. Any new membership effective after January 1st shall be considered paid until April 1st of the following year.

Any member who is delinquent two years dues shall forfeit all club membership

rights, shares and all other privileges commencing thirty (30) days after final billing

is sent and continuing until a regular application is submitted and voted upon,

Section 5: Disciplinary Actions and Procedures

A member can be expelled or suspended for serious misconduct or dishonesty

according to the process described herein.

Process: Any member in good standing can issue a complaint in writing to the

club president. If the President agrees that the offense warrants expulsion, he/she

will call a meeting of the Board of Directors and invite both the complainant and

potentially offending member.

The complaint will be reviewed by the Board of Directors with input from both the

complainant and potential offender.

The offending member can be expelled without recourse if 3 of the Directors present

vote to do so.

Guidelines: The following guidelines can be used to help determine if an offense is serious

enough to warrant expulsion.

Acting in a manner that is contrary to the club's stated goals and/or purposes

Acting in a manner that is disruptive to a club meeting, function or activity

Theft

Vandalism

Destruction of club property

Acting in a reckless or unsafe manner while on club property.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

Section 1: Schedule:

Regular Meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month.
The December meeting will be the Annual Meeting. During this meeting, in addition to the normal business at hand, officers are elected and the Annual Treasurer’s Report is submitted. Plans for the upcoming year may also be discussed.
Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the President as necessary.
Committee Meetings: Committee meetings will be held as necessary and at the committee’s discretion.
Any change to the above will be communicated to the general membership via email, Facebook and the club website, if possible.

Section 2: Participation:

Meetings may be attended by members, new member applicants and invited guests only.
The Annual Meeting is open to members only.

ARTICLE V: CHARTER MEMBERS

I. A charter member (CM) is defined as follows:

A member of the original group that initially incorporated the organization known as the “West Gardiner Rod & Gun Club”, hereinafter called “the club”.
A current, active member in good standing who has been approved to become a charter member by a vote of CMs present at a charter members meeting.
All charter members (and any spouses/partners) shall have one share in the Corporation, which will be non-negotiable and non-transferable, as long as their membership is current.

II. DUTIES

The Charter Members shall elect a chairman and a co-chairman annually to coordinate CM responsibilities.
Charter members are responsible for ensuring that the physical and financial assets are being managed competently and in a manner consistent with the club’s stated goals and objectives. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
approving major structural changes to the club (e.g. construction/renovation in excess of $10,000.)
approving any new major activity which may impact or influence the status quo.

III. A club member in good standing, who has met his/her financial and participation requirements for at least five consecutive years shall be eligible for consideration as a charter member. A properly notified and scheduled CM meeting is required for acceptance of new charter members. New charter members must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of CMs present.

IV. Charter members who habitually fail to acknowledge or attend CM meetings after proper notification of said meetings may be deemed to have lost interest in the club and may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of CMs present after the CM has been issued notification, in writing, when this removal will be acted upon.

V. Any CM who forfeits his/her club membership, also forfeits his/her charter membership.

VI. Charter Member privileges and responsibilities shall not be amended or altered by the Board of Directors or by a club majority vote until an approval is granted by the charter members (CM). This approval shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of CMs present at a CM meeting.

VII. Selling or Disposing of club assets:

In the event of an asset disposal or club disbandment action, all asset transfer procedures

will adhere to the following approved protocol:

All charter members and their spouses/partners hereby have their single “share” converted to a “disposition vote” and will hereby forego recovering any past, personal funds donated to the club during any disposal or disbandment action. The share/vote may be used to designate his/her choice of another 501(c)3 non-profit organization to which club assets/proceeds will be awarded in the event that the club either disbands or desires to divest any property, real or tangible.

At an officially and properly called charter member meeting, a vote is required to transfer, donate or dispose of the corporate holdings or any partial asset(s) thereof. Said vote will require a majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the charter members present at the meeting. The aforementioned proceeds, assets, or holdings shall only be transferred to another federally sanctioned 501(c)3 organization.
All Charter Members will be notified in writing at least fifteen days prior to meetings requiring a Charter Member vote.

ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

There will be a Board of Directors consisting of five members of the club. Directors will serve three year staggered terms. Directors’ terms are in effect now and vacancies will be filled at the Annual Meeting by election, or at a special election to fill an unexpected vacancy. Any member of the Board of Directors who misses two consecutive Board meetings without a legitimate excuse may be replaced by an alternate.

Section 1- Duties of Directors:

The Board of Directors will meet at such times as may be necessary.
They shall set a program for regular meetings, recommend and vote on business for club programs.
There must be at least three Board Members present to constitute an official meeting.
Acceptance of any motion will be by majority vote, unless otherwise dictated by the by-laws.

ARTICLE VII : EXECUTIVE BOARD (OFFICERS/DIRECTORS)

Section 1: Executive Board Positions:

The Executive Board, which is comprised of the elected officers and Board of Directors, shall be the managing authority of the club.

Any major change to the facilities or operations of the club, not requiring Charter Member approval, must be approved by a two thirds majority of the executive board. Any changes which could be considered contrary to the club’s stated purpose cannot be considered.

The elected officers are as follows. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator ,Sergeant at Arms, Facilities Manager and 5 directors.

Section 2: Officer Duties:

President:

Preside over and direct meetings, enforce rules, and perform duties prescribed, sign club documents and appoint committees

Vice President:

The Vice-President will serve as President in his/her absence and assist him/her as necessary.

Secretary:

Keep minutes of all meetings, send out annual newsletter, issue notice of special meetings.

In the absence of the Secretary, a Club Member appointed by the President will perform duties of the Secretary.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be custodian of the Clubs monetary assets, accept and deposit money, issue receipts, and make payments of money as directed a majority vote of members at a club meeting. In case of emergency the President has the authority to authorize payments up to $500.00. Emergency payments over $1,000 will require a majority vote of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall also have available at each meeting a financial report for the club as directed.

The Treasurer shall pay from available funds any expenditure approved by the Executive Board or a majority vote of members at a club meeting.

Routine expenditures, such as heat, power, insurance and taxes do not need pre-approval.

Membership Coordinator:

The Membership Coordinator will manage the membership applications and approval processes for new perspective members, and record keeping for all new and existing membership.

The Membership Coordinator is responsible for collecting the new member applications and presenting them to the rank and file for consideration.

Sergeant at Arms

The Sergeant at Arms will preserve order at the meetings and the clubhouse and verify credentials.

Facilities Manager:

Ensures that all fire and safety requirements are current and up to date.

Ensures that the facilities are maintained in a state of cleanliness and good repair.

Ensures that bathroom, kitchen and general cleaning materials are available.

Acts as primary contact for all facilities matters.

Manages the club rentals.

The facilities manager will receive a stipend as described in the appropriate standard operating procedure (SOP).

Section 3: Election of Officers:

At the first meeting in November, the President will appoint a three-member committee to present candidates for election the following month.
At the Annual Meeting in December, Officers/Directors will be elected by a closed ballot.
Three members will be picked at the meeting to count the ballots and announce the results.
Officers/Directors will be elected by a majority vote.
Any officer/director who misses four consecutive club meetings without a legitimate excuse will be notified that he/she may be removed by a majority vote of club members present at their next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 4: Terms of Office:

Officers will hold office for one year beginning the first day of January of the year following the election.

ARTICLE VIII: BY-LAWS & AMENDMENTS:

By-laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors and submitted for ratification by a two-thirds vote of members present at the next Business Meeting.
A member who has a proposal for an amendment will submit it, in writing, to the Secretary or a Board Member, and state at which meeting he/she wishes to have it discussed.
Any amendment, which conflicts with our Clubs purpose, cannot be considered.
Amendments will be voted upon at the Board of Directors meeting immediately following the regular meeting it was discussed at, and if approved by the Board of Directors, the amendment shall be ratified by a vote of two- thirds of the members present at the next Business Meeting.

ARTICLE IX: Exceptions/Omissions

Any other issues/policies not covered by the above articles will be covered by Robert’s Rules of Order.

In case of conflict, the club bylaws will supersede.

Other activities and procedures shall be defined in “Standard Operating Procedures”

Adopted January 1963 Revised April 20, 2017 Original signed by Scott Farnum, President on April 22, 2017

Revised 4/20/2018 Ratified 5/03/2018 Revised 10/17/2019 Ratified 11/07/2019

Revised 5/20/2021 Ratified 6/17/2021

Revised 7/9/2022 (charter member change for 501(c3) status) Ratified not yet ratified

BY-LAWS (currently the ratified version, but soon-to-be superseded by the above 501(c)3 change version.)

WEST GARDINER ROD AND GUN CLUB

WEST GARDINER, MAINE

ARTICLE I: NAME AND LOCATION

NAME: WEST GARDINER ROD AND GUN CLUB
LOCATION: WEST GARDINER, MAINE

ARTICLE II; PURPOSE

Promoting interest in fish and wildlife conservation so as to ensure future hunting and fishing.
Keeping informed about game management and wildlife conservation practices in our area.
Opposing action or practices against our best interest.
Providing facilities for the younger generation to develop their interest in hunting and fishing, and to teach them safety both afield and on the water.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP & DUES

Section 1: Definition of Membership

A regular member is a voting member of the club. He/she has met the requirements and followed the admission process specified below. Membership also includes spouses/partners.

Section 2: Requirements for Membership

Age: 18 yrs or older
Legal Status: Convicted felons will not be considered for membership. Any additional documentation required to establish status will be at the expense of the applicant
Sponsorship: Each applicant must be sponsored by a member in good standing.
BOD Approval: The application must have the approval of at least 3 directors. In the event there are only 2 directors present, the president may Act in the capacity of the third director.

Section 3: Voting Rights

Members and their spouse/partner as stated on the application each have one vote in conducting club business.

Any change in spouse/partner (except death) must be stated on yearly renewal form.

Section 4: Dues

Dues and application fees are reviewed yearly at the Annual Meeting (see below)
Dues are due annually by January 1st. New member dues and fees are due with the application and cover the time between admission to the club and the following January 1st. Any new membership effective after January 1st shall be considered paid until April 1st of the following year.

Any member who is delinquent two years dues shall forfeit all club membership rights, shares and all other privileges commencing thirty (30) days after final billing is sent and continuing until a regular application is submitted and voted upon, as stipulated in Section 3 above.

Section 5: Disciplinary Actions and Procedures

A member can be expelled or suspended for serious misconduct or dishonesty according to the process described herein.

Process: Any member in good standing can issue a complaint in writing to the club president. If the President agrees that the offense warrants expulsion, he/she will call a meeting of the Board of Directors and invite both the complainant and potentially offending member. The complaint will be reviewed by the Board of Directors with input from both the complainant and potential offender.

The offending member can be expelled without recourse if three of the Directors present vote to do so.

Guidelines: The following guidelines can be used to help determine if an offense is serious enough to warrant expulsion.

Acting in a manner that is contrary to the club's stated goals and/or purposes

Acting in a manner that is disruptive to a club meeting, function or activity

Theft

Vandalism

Destruction of club property

Acting in a reckless or unsafe manner while on club property.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

Section 1: Schedule:

Regular Meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month.
Annual Meeting: The December meeting will be the annual meeting in addition to the normal business at hand, officers are elected and the Annual Treasurer’s Report is submitted. Plans for the upcoming year are also discussed.
Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the President as necessary.
Committee Meetings: Committee meetings will be held as necessary.
Any change to the above will be communicated to the general membership via email, Facebook and the club website, if possible.

Section 2: Participation:

Meetings may be attended by members, new member applicants and invited guests only. The Annual Meeting is open to members only.

ARTICLE V: CHARTER MEMBERS

All charter members and their spouses shall have one share each, in the Corporation, which will be non-negotiable and non-transferable, as long as their membership is current. Any member who forfeits his/her regular membership also forfeits his/her Charter Membership.

A vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Charter Members present will be required to sell, or dispose of any part of the corporate holdings, including consideration of additional Charter Members. All Charter Members will be notified by written notice at least ten days prior to meetings requiring a charter Members vote.
Club members in good standing of at least five consecutive years shall be eligible for consideration as Charter Members. New Charter Membership must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of Charter Membership present. A Charter Member meeting is required for acceptance of new charter members.
Any club member shall not be eligible for Charter Membership until the Charter Members do so elect to install any additional Charter Members.
Charter Members who habitually fail to acknowledge Charter Member meetings after notification of said meetings may be removed by a two- thirds vote of the Charter Members present, after he/she has been issued a written statement by the Charter Members, stating at which meeting this action will be acted upon.
The Charter Members shall elect a chairman and co-chairman annually to coordinate Charter Membership responsibilities.
Charter Members shall not be amended or altered by the Board of Directors or by the club majority vote until an approval is granted by the Charter Members. This approval shall require a two-thirds vote of Charter Members present after all Charter Members have been notified by written notice at least thirty days prior to the vote of proposed amended changes.

ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1- Duties of Directors:

The Board of Directors will meet at such times as may be necessary.
They shall set a program for regular meetings, recommend and vote on business for club programs.
There must be at least three Board Members present to constitute an official meeting.
Acceptance of any motion will be by majority vote, unless otherwise dictated by the by-laws.

ARTICLE VII : EXECUTIVE BOARD (OFFICERS/DIRECTORS)

Section 1: Executive Board Positions:

The Executive Board, which is comprised of the elected officers and Board of Directors, shall be the managing authority of the club.

The elected officers are as follows. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator ,Sergeant at Arms, Facilities Manager and 5 directors.

Section 2: Officer Duties:

President:

Preside over and direct meetings, enforce rules, and perform duties prescribed, sign club documents and appoint committees

Vice President:

The Vice-President will serve as President in his/her absence and assist him/her as necessary.

Secretary:

Keep minutes of all meetings, send out annual newsletter, issue notice of special meetings. In the absence of the Secretary, a Club Member appointed by the President will perform duties of the Secretary.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall pay from available funds any expenditure approved by the Executive Board or a majority vote of members at a club meeting.

Routine expenditures, such as heat, power, insurance and taxes do not need pre-approval.

Membership Coordinator:

The Membership Coordinator will manage the membership applications and approval processes for new perspective members, and record keeping for all new and existing membership. The Membership Coordinator is responsible for collecting the new member applications and presenting them to the rank and file for consideration.

Sergeant at Arms

The Sergeant at Arms will preserve order at the meetings and the clubhouse and verify credentials.

Facilities Manager:

Ensures that all fire and safety requirements are current and up to date.

Ensures that the facilities are maintained in a state of cleanliness and good repair.

Ensures that bathroom, kitchen and general cleaning materials are available.

Acts as primary contact for all facilities matters.

Manages the club rentals.

The facilities manager will receive a stipend as described in the appropriate standard operating procedure (SOP).

Section 3: Election of Officers:

At the first meeting in November, the President will appoint a three-member committee to present candidates for election the following month.
At the Annual Meeting in December, Officers/Directors will be elected by a closed ballot.
Three members will be picked at the meeting to count the ballots and announce the results.
Officers/Directors will be elected by a majority vote.
Any officer/director who misses four consecutive club meetings without a legitimate excuse will be notified that he/she may be removed by a majority vote of club members present at their next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 4: Terms of Office:

Officers will hold office for one year beginning the first day of January of the year following the election.

ARTICLE VIII: BY-LAWS & AMENDMENTS:

By-laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors and submitted for ratification by a two-thirds vote of members present at the next Business Meeting.
A member who has a proposal for an amendment will submit it, in writing, to the Secretary or a Board Member, and state at which meeting he/she wishes to have it discussed.
Any amendment, which conflicts with our Clubs purpose, cannot be considered.
Amendments will be voted upon at the Board of Directors meeting immediately following the regular meeting it was discussed at, and if approved by the Board of Directors, the amendment shall be ratified by a vote of two- thirds of the members present at the next Business Meeting.

ARTICLE IX: Exceptions/Omissions

Any other issues/policies not covered by the above articles will be covered by Robert’s Rules of Order. In case of conflict, the club bylaws will supersede.

Other activities and procedures shall be defined in “Standard Operating Procedures”

Adopted January 1963 Revised April 20, 2017

Original signed by Scott Farnum, President on April 22, 2017

Revised 4/20/2018 Ratified 5/03/2018

Revised 10/17/2019 Ratified 11/07/2019

Revised 5/20/2021 Ratified 6/17/2021

West Gardiner Rod & Gun Club