By-Laws

Rochester Area Model Yachting Association (RAMYA)

By-Laws (Accepted 3/11/2010)

The Rochester Area Model Yachting Association operates under the Constitution and

By-Laws of the American Model Yachting Association (AMYA) except when superseded

by the following articles.

Article I: Name

1. The name of this organization is the Rochester Area Model Yachting Association.

It is the AMYA Club #193.

Article II: Purpose and Objectives

1. The aims of RAMYA are:

a. To develop, encourage, and stimulate interest in radio-controlled model

sailboats and electric boats in the Rochester, NY, area.

b. To promote fellowship and camaraderie among local and visiting sailors

and boaters.

c. To participate and encourage competitive sailing events with other

members in a spirit of fairness and cooperation.

d. To provide opportunities for official and unofficial racing.

e. To offer sailing education and training to members and others at

sanctioned events.

f. To aid members in the building and repair of models.

Article III. Membership

1. Any person with an interest in radio-controlled model yachting may make

application for membership in RAMYA. The overall qualification for membership

will be an enthusiastic endorsement of the objectives of the organization as

stated in Article II, and an implied affinity for fair play and good fellowship.

2. RAMYA encourages all persons, regardless of age, gender, race, disability, or

religious affiliation to participate as members.

3. Membership classifications:

a. Active member: An active member will be 18 years of age or older as of

January 1 of the current year. Active members have the right to

participate in all club activities, vote, and hold elected office.

b. Youth member: Persons under the age of eighteen as of January 1 of the

current year who are interested in the promotion of model sailboat

activities may become Youth members. They will have the same

privileges as Active members, with the exception of voting and holding

office.

c. Honorary member: The Executive Committee, by a majority vote, may

award an honorary membership to members who have rendered important

services or benefits to the club. This membership may be for a one-year

but renewable period, or may be a life-time award. Honorary members

will be entitled to all privileges of the club and will not be required to pay

dues or assessments. The Website Roster will show the membership

classification for each club member.

4. Family membership. Membership is by household and boats sailed. If one

household owns more than one boat, but only sails one at a time, that is one

membership. Multiple family members may take turns sailing one boat as one

membership. A second boat sailed by a family requires a second payment of

dues. If two individuals are partners in the ownership of one boat and take turns

sailing it, this constitutes one membership.

Article IV. Membership Dues and Fees

1. Dues Amount. Membership dues will be recommended by the Executive

Committee, and approved by the majority of current members present at a

subsequent General Membership Meeting. Dues will be collected only for the

purpose of funding the activities of the club.

2. Dues Payment. Active members pay the yearly dues, while the dues of youth

members will be one-half that amount. Annual dues will be payable in full by the

end of January, except that new members joining after July 1 st will pay one-half

the total amount for the balance of the year. Dues may be increased by majority

vote of membership at the Fall Business Meeting.

3. Midterm Dues. New members joining after September 1st will pay the full dues,

which will serve as his/her dues for the balance of the current and following year.

4. Dues Delinquency: A member becomes delinquent 45 days from the date that

dues are due. He/she will be removed from the roster and email list at that time.

Reinstatement: A delinquent member may be reinstated upon repayment of

his/her dues.

Article V. Supplementary Fees

1. Special Events. Since the club budget cannot anticipate all the expenditures that

are made on behalf of the club, there may be other fees assessed from time-to-

time to fund a specific event. Any assessment for the general fund will be voted

upon by the membership after notification in a specially-called meeting, for the

purpose of voting. This “meeting” may be done via the internet with two-thirds of

the responses being positive in order to carry the vote.

Article VI. Executive Officers

1. The Executive Officers of RAMYA will consist of:

a. Commodore (elected)

b. Vice-Commodore (elected)

c. Treasurer (elected)

d. Fleet Captains (elected by fleet)

e. Webmaster (appointed)

f. Harbormaster (appointed)

g. Past Commodore

2. Duties of the Executive Committee. The management of the club will be

vested in the Executive Committee, which will make appropriations, develop

the annual budget, perform routine duties, and have general power to carry

out other acts that typically pertain to such governing bodies.

3. Terms and Elections. The elected Executive Officers will serve two-year

terms and are eligible for re-election. Election of Executive Officers will be

elected in staggered years by the members at the Fall General membership

Meeting in each year. The Past Commodore will serve a one-year term

following the end of his tenure as Commodore. The election dates are as

follows:

a. Commodore and Treasurer. Candidates for these two offices will be

elected in the fall to a two-year term, to take office January 1 of odd-

numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc.).

b. Vice-Commodore and any Additional Elected Officer. Candidates for

this office will be elected during the fall to a two-year term, to take

office January 1 of even-numbered years (for example, 2012, 2014).

Nominations and voting will occur first for the Vice-Commodore, then

the additional official.

Article VII. Elections.

1. Proxy Votes. Absent members may designate another member to cast his/her

vote at General membership Meetings. The absent member designating the

person to vote for him/her will ahead of the meeting provide a note, email, or

letter to the Executive Committee, designating his/her proxy.

2. Voting Privacy. All voting for officers and positions should be conducted by

secret ballot.

3. Fleet Captains. Fleet captains will be elected each year by members of each

fleet. Voting will occur at the Spring Meeting.

4. Vacancies. If a vacancy occurs in any office, the Commodore will appoint a

temporary officer to serve the remainder of the term until the next election.

Should the Commodore not be able to serve, then the Vice Commodore will

advance to Commodore.

5. Removal. Removal of any Executive Committee member will be approved by a

vote in favor of the recommendation of three-fourths of the voting members

present at any scheduled meeting, in person or by proxy.

Article VIII. Duties of the Officers

1. Commodore. The Commodore will be concerned with the management and

administration of RAMYA. It will be the duty of the Commodore to:

a. Oversee the management and administration of RAMYA.

b. Serve as chief spokesperson for the organization, or delegate others to

represent the club on specific occasions.

c. Direct the activities and preside at all meetings of the club and of the

Executive Committee.

d. Create ad hoc committees,

e. Appoint the Webmaster, Harbormaster, and chairpersons of committees.

f. Be an ex-officio member of all committees.

g. Call a special meeting of the club at the request of three members in good

standing.

2. Vice Commodore. The Vice Commodore will:

a. Assist the Commodore in the management and administration of RAMYA.

b. Preside at all meetings of the membership in the absence of the

Commodore.

c. Facilitate the activities of the Harbormaster in securing permissions for the

use of pond(s) and facilities.

d. Oversee the activities of committees in charge of membership and

education (when such committees exist).

3. Treasurer. The Treasurer will be the custodian of the financial records of the

club. It will be the duty of the Treasurer to:

a. Work with the Executive Committee in formulating the year’s budget to

assure financial planning and continuity.

b. Keep and maintain the financial records of RAMYA to include all credits

and debits to the club treasury, financial status of club members (dues),

and receipts for all expenditures.

c. Collect dues, assessments, fees, and other debts owed to the club.

d. Receive new applications for membership, file the application forms, and

email a list of new members and their web addresses to the Webmaster,

the Secretary (if available), and the Commodore.

e. Keep a current roster of all club members and their status.

f. Maintain a checking account in which to hold funds.

g. Furnish financial reports for the General membership Meetings.

h. Obtain approval of the Commodore for the disbursement of funds

exceeding $55 for expenditures that are outside the normal operation of

the club.

4. Webmaster. Official publication of all club activities will be posted on the club

web page. It will be updated quarterly unless directed otherwise by the

Commodore. The Webmaster will maintain the web site, and send out email

notices to the members when requested by Officers. He will facilitate

communications among members. Content for the web page may be submitted

by any member, and must be approved by the Webmaster or Commodore. The

Webmaster will be appointed by the Commodore.

5. Harbormaster. The Harbormaster will be involved in the selection of pond(s),

securing permissions and negotiating terms for pond usage, and arranging

physical properties necessary for racing such as chase boats (if used), life

jackets, and buoys. He may recruit other members to help with the duties.

6. Fleet Captain. Each fleet will be directed by a Fleet Captain, who will promote

good sailing practices at each event. He/she will oversee the racing activities of

the fleet, determine the course, and cancel activities when weather requires it.

He will ensure the presence of gear such as radio and white boards. He will

periodically arrange for measurement of one-design member boats. The Fleet

Captain will be responsible for tabulating and forwarding to the Communications

Director the fleet standings using the single scoring system adopted for all

classes. The Fleet Captain will give the presentations of awards for the fleet

activities. The Fleet Captain may recruit members of the fleet to help out in the

execution of these duties.

7. Regatta Organizer. In the event that the Executive Committee approves of

organizing a regatta, it will appoint a Regatta Organizer to plan events and

develop budgets for approval by the Treasurer. The Regatta Organizer will solicit

participation of member volunteers, coordinate with the AMYA and Class

Secretaries, oversee the publication of notices and other Official documents,

communicate with potential participators, and plan the regatta activities. If he

plans to be a competitor in the regatta(s), then the Commodore will appoint a

Race Director to oversee the racing events.

Article IX. Executive Committee

1. The management and control of the club will be vested in an Executive

Committee consisting of the officers of the club as outlined in Article V. The

Board will make appropriations, authorize expenditures, designate the location of

the annual meeting, perform routine duties, and have such powers and perform

such other acts as usually pertain to such a governing body. Voting on questions

by Board members may be made in meeting, or by mail or email, and acts so

authorized will have full effect.

2. Removal of any member of the Executive Committee may be approved by a vote

of two-thirds of the voting members present at any scheduled meeting, in person

or by proxy.

3. Vacancies. In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of a member of the

Executive Committee, the Commodore will appoint a new member to fill such a

vacancy as soon as possible. Persons appointed to fill such vacancies will serve

as members of the Executive Committee until the next ensuing annual meeting

or until their successors have been duly elected.

Article X. Fleets

1. A fleet will be established when four members with the same class/type of

yacht or boat and/or the same interests, apply in writing to the Commodore

defining themselves and their objectives.

2. A fleet must maintain a minimum of four active members to keep its active

status.

3. Each fleet will elect a Fleet Captain to co-ordinate with the Rear Commodore

all sailing schedules, NORs, and all events afloat.

4. If electric boats are present during a racing event, they should be employed a

considerable distance from the racing activities (since wind disturbance

carries a long way).

Article XI. Possible Future Officers and Committees

The Commodore and the Executive Committee has the authority to appoint additional

club officials, and create or disband committees. This can be done as membership

expands to provide personnel, or as members come forward to volunteer. Useful

additional future positions and committees include:

1. Rear Commodore. The Rear Commodore would oversee the racing program,

chair the Race Committee, update the Racing Instructions, set up protest

committees as needed, appoint regatta personnel, and present educational

forums.

2. Race Committee. The Race Committee would develop race policy, prepare the

race schedules and certify a single scoring method that will be used by all Fleets,

arrange for race committee personnel and retrieval dinghy with life jackets for all

racing events sponsored by the club, and maintain official records of all races,

race results, and protest hearings.

3. The Publications Committee would help create and solicit appropriate articles for

the website, and consider other methods of communicating to the members and

outside persons.

4. Membership Committee. The membership Committee would promote the club to

potential new members, receive all applications, notify applicants of their election

and furnish them with a copy of the by-laws, racing Instructions, and other items

as deemed desirable, initiate welcoming and hospitality procedures at meetings

and other events.

5. Education Committee. The Education Committee would develop educational

programs and workshops to inform members about all aspects of radio-controlled

model sail boating, such as sailing, racing, construction, electronics, tuning,

racing rules.

Article XII. Expenditures

1. The Treasurer will be authorized to expend club funds for routine administrative

expenses such as insurance and pond fees and capital expenditures without

prior approval. All administrative costs in excess of $55 that are not in the

normal pursuit of business will require approval by the Commodore.

2. If dues are increased by a certain percentage over the $20 ($15 for 2020 due to shortened season) base amount, then

the limits of expenditures that do not require approval by the Commodore may be

increased by the same percentage.

Article XIII. Meetings

1. Executive Committee Meetings will be called by the Commodore when needed,

but at a minimum of twice per year. Executive Committee Meetings can also be

called by 2/3 vote of the membership, for a specific purpose. A quorum for a

meeting of the Executive Committee will include two-thirds of the Executive

Committee members.

2. General membership Meetings. There should be at least two General

membership Meetings per year. Generally these will be held at the beginning of

the racing season in the spring, and at the end of the racing season in the fall.

The Commodore may also call special General Membership Meetings as

needed.

3. Quorum. A quorum for the transaction of General Business Meetings will be

thirty percent of membership, personally present and entitled to vote.

Article XIV. Rules of Conduct

1. Club members will adhere to the policies and rules prescribed by the AMYA and

ISAF, and to the RAMYA’s Race Instructions. Each skipper will obtain a copy of

the current ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing and RAMYA’s Race Instructions, and

observe those rules on the water.

2. Each skipper will respect other racers along with their respective equipment and

boats.

3. In the event of an unresolved racing protest, the Fleet Captain may set up a

three-person protest committee to deal with it before leaving the pond. If the

Fleet Captain is involved in the dispute, then the protest committee will be

headed by the highest ranking officer present (excluding the involved skippers),

who will select the two other committee members.

4. Any gross violations of sportsmanship standards will give the Fleet Captain the

right to (a) subtract a point for the offending member’s score for that race; (b)

assign a DSQ to the offending member for the race in which the violation

occurred; or (c) suspend that skipper’s privileges to partake in racing the rest of

the day. If the member objects to the penalty, he may issue a protest to be

presented to and acted upon by the Rear Commodore (if one exists, or to the

Executive Committee if one does not).

5. Continued violations of the general rules of conduct may be brought before the

Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will have the right to impose a

fine, suspend racing privileges, and suspend or terminate the membership in the

club for the offender. In making a decision, the Board will give the member the

opportunity to present a defense.

Article XV. Limits to Liability

1. The RAMYA and its officers accept no liability for personal injury or damage to

property suffered by or caused by any club member while that member is

performing tasks or services on behalf of the club at any club event.

Article XVI. By-Laws Amendment

1. The RAMYA By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of a quorum of

Executive Committee Officers, followed by sanctioning by the affirmative vote of

at least two-thirds of the members present and entitled to vote at a meeting of

RAMYA called for the purpose of considering the bylaws.

2. Version 6, approved by General Membership of the Rochester Area Model Yachting

Association on March 11, 2010.