SHQC Bylaws
Bylaws of the Smoky Hill Quilt Club
Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be Smoky Hill Quilt Club.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of Smoky Hill Quilt Club is to provide creative connections for quilters in the southeast area of Aurora and to the greater Aurora and Centennial area, meeting on a regular basis to share ideas, to educate, to enjoy the fellowship and friendship of other quilters, but includes all who find interest and worth in the collection and preservation of our fiber arts heritage in our community.
Article III: Membership
Section 1: A current member is one whose dues are paid.
Section 2: Membership shall not be restricted on the basis of race, nationality, or religion.
Section 3: Membership fiscal year is September 1 through August 31. Annual dues shall be payable in advance, on or before September 1, each year. Dues are prorated to half as of May 1. Members shall be allowed a grace period from September 1 until the October meeting of the same calendar year such that a member shall not be dropped from membership, if their dues are paid by the October meeting. Any member who has not paid membership dues to Smoky Hill Quilt Club shall not be allowed to renew their membership until all such fees are paid in full.
Section 4: A member will not sell or give away the membership roster. No member will use the roster as a mailing list or for any other purpose to solicit, etc. from the membership. Violation of this section will result in the membership being cancelled and attendance at any club meetings, committee meetings, or activity is prohibited. Any emails sent out to the membership will be sent via blind carbon copy (bcc). Membership rosters will only be distributed via email, or postal mail to members without email.
Section 5: All visitors are welcome to attend up to two general membership meetings per membership year.
Section 6: Each member agrees, as a condition of the membership, to release and waive any claim he or she has or may have against the Smoky Hill Quilt Club, its officers, employees, committee members or agents arising out of or related to the members participation in activities of the Smoky Hill Quilt Club or arising out of any action taken by the Smoky Hill Quilt Club or its Board of Directors to discipline or expel any member or officer.
Article IV: Dues
Section 1: Dues are set per fiscal year from September 1 through August 31. The amount for dues is presented to the membership when the Board nominations are presented for a vote by the membership at the August general meeting.
Section 2: Payment of dues entitles members to attend monthly meetings, to vote on issues brought before the membership at large, to serve on committees, to hold office, to receive the roster and the newsletter.
Section 3: Dues are not refundable.
Article V: Earnings
Section 1: No part of the income or earnings of the Smoky Hill Quilt Club shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the club shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered, to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the club’s bylaws and standing rules.
Article VI: Officers
Section 1: The elected officers of the Executive Committee are: President, Vice President, Vice President of Programs, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership. To serve on the Executive Committee, members must be of legal age to sign contracts and other legal documents.
Section 2: No member shall be elected to more than one office at a time. No member shall be eligible to serve more than two elected, consecutive terms in the same office. Any officer who assumes a position due to a vacancy may be elected to two consecutive terms. All terms shall start September 1 and end on August 31.
Section 3: Terms of the offices are listed as follows:
President – two (2) years (alternates with Membership election)
Vice President – one (1) year
Vice President of Programs – one (1) year
Secretary – one (1) year
Treasurer – one (1) year
Membership – two (2) years (alternates with President election)
Section 4: A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President. A vacancy in any other office will be filled for the remainder of that term by a vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
Section 5: Transfer of all records, books, property, and accounts shall be transferred to the newly elected officers by August 31, the end of the fiscal year, and training is provided by each officer to the newly elected officer in their duties by the same said date.
Section 6: All outgoing officers and committees shall prepare a budget for the designated position they hold, to be presented at the October Board of Directors meeting, discussed/voted on, and then presented to the general membership.
Section 7: All officers and committee chairpersons shall also by August 31, include with their books, records, property and accounts give a written annual report of the duties, activities, inventory of the property as well as location of such property, as well as an audit of the Treasurer’s books of the income and expenditures of Smoky Hill Quilt Club, by an uninterested third person. No Executive Committee member shall be involved or present when the audit is being done, except for the Treasurer, to assist in answering questions. The audit shall be done before the close of the fiscal year, August 31.
Section 8: Emergency situations can be resolved by a quorum of the Executive Committee.
The President shall:
The office shall be held by one person.
Present at all meetings: Board of Directors (board meetings) and general membership, if unable to perform for two months (60 days) consecutively, the office of the President is then considered vacant. Be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee. Oversee and coordinate all committees, except the Nominating Committee.
Be the primary contact person for all outside groups.
Oversee Smoky Hill Quilt Club’s participation for community affairs.
Appoint and/or approve all non-elected positions.
Sign all contracts.
Sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after successor is chosen, and must be done before August 31, the end of the fiscal year.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board of Directors.
Assure that the Treasurer has an audit performed by an uninterested third party before the end of the fiscal year, that being August 31 and the checkbook accounts are physically transferred to the new treasurer and names on the bank accounts are changed to the new officers.
Vice President shall:
The office shall be held by one person.
In the event the President is unable to fulfill her/his obligation, the Vice President will automatically complete the remainder of the President’s term. The office of Vice President will be nominated within 60 days by the Board of Directors, presented to the general meeting, within that 60 days, a motion be called for a vote to be taken, and then the general membership at the general meeting, votes will be taken at this time.
Arrange for workshops, with the assistance from other members as necessary. Oversee workshop proposals from members.
Be responsible for location and setup of monthly general membership meeting.
Obtain instructor contracts with required signatures and distribute signed copies of said contracts to the President and Treasurer (keeping original in Workshop book)
Write thank you notes to workshop instructors.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of fiscal year, and a written report given to the President and a copy left in the Programs’ books.
Vice President will coordinate activities with the President and Vice President of Programs.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board.
Vice President of Programs shall:
The office shall be held by one person.
Coordinate monthly programs and oversee program proposals from members.
Shall have the programs preplanned for sixteen (16) month period, inclusive of the start of the fiscal year, September 1 running concurrently through the calendar year of January-December 31 of the next year. This allows the new Vice President of Programs ample time to understand and initiate the current programs and introduce the new ones.
Obtain program speaker contracts with required signatures and distribute signed copies of said contracts to the President and Treasurer (keeping original in Program book)
Write thank you notes to program speakers.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of fiscal year, and a written report given to the President and a copy left in the Programs’ books.
Vice President of Programs will coordinate activities with the President and Vice President.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board.
The Secretary shall:
This office shall be held by one person.
Record and post minutes for all general membership meetings.
Record minutes for Board of Directors meetings.
Distribute all minutes to board members.
Secretary will provide, upon request, a copy of the minutes of the general or Board of Directors meetings. The minutes shall be available for the requester within 48 hours of the request. Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of the fiscal year, and a written report given to the President and a copy left in the Secretary’s books.
Keep updated records of Bylaws and Standing Rules, and have available a current copy at all times for review.
Send out appropriate cards to members regarding their hospital stay or deaths in family, etc.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall:
Be an office held by one person.
Develop an annual budget in cooperation with the Executive Committee before the October meeting of the Board of Directors.
Bring the approved budget of the Executive Committee to the October general membership meeting, in which it shall be presented to the membership. Maintain records of group sponsored sales.
Make disbursements of funds as authorized by the Executive Committee. No disbursement shall be honored without a valid receipt(s) and written committee chairperson’s approval, along with reimbursement forms. Non-budgeted expenditures or expenditures that exceed budgeted amounts must be preauthorized by the Executive Committee.
Arrange for preparation of an annual financial statement. Accounts shall be reviewed and audited by a disinterested third party. This person is not a person on the Executive Committee, but they have been approved by the Board of Directors. The financial statement shall be completed by the September general membership meeting for the preceding fiscal year.
Obtain any retail sales tax license and obtain any necessary paperwork that will be required to submit such licenses and report back to the Board of Directors and appropriate authorities.
Submit all necessary reports to the appropriate authorities, such as the Annual Report.
Present Treasurers’ report at all general membership meetings and Board of Directors meetings. Obtain bank forms for successor and complete them by August 31.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of the fiscal year. A written report given to the President and a copy left in the Treasurer’s books.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board of Directors.
Membership Chairperson shall:
The office shall be held by one person.
Keep and accurate record of all paid members (name, address, telephone number, e-mail) and compile updated membership roster.
All members who do not have e-mail access shall be contacted by phone or regular postal service regarding an updated roster of members, and any member shall be noted as such, on the current roster of members.
Prepare membership and new membership packets; these could include roster, membership cards, and Bylaws, and other applicable information. New year packets will be distributed at the November meeting.
Prepare addendum to the membership roster to be available as needed, the first addendum by January, then thereafter bi-monthly until the end of the fiscal year.
Coordinate with the Hospitality Committee to provide information and handouts to new members and visitors.
Maintain monthly count of attending members and guests.
Announce at meetings: number of new members, guests attending, and total membership.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of the fiscal year, and a written report given to the President and a copy left in the Memberships’ books, and perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board of Directors.
The Past President shall:
Serve as parliamentarian and be the authority for interpretation of the Bylaws at all Board of Director meetings.
Serve as an advisor on the nominating committee.
Be versed on Robert’s Rules of Order.
When officiating as parliamentarian, the past president shall be in a non-voting capacity.
Forward bylaws and standing rules amendments to the Newsletter Editor for publication to notify the general membership that a discussion and vote will be taken at the next general membership meeting.
Make arrangements for, and conduct the installation of the elective officers for the next term at the August general membership meeting.
The Past President and the Board of Directors shall recognize and award to any members gifts or certificates of appreciation to any members who have worked for the club during the past year or in the past.
Attend all monthly Board of Director meetings.
Perform such other duties as may be required or directed by the Board of Directors.
Transfer records of office to successor as soon as possible after the successor is chosen, but not after August 31, end of the fiscal year, and a written report given to the President and a copy left in the Past President’s books.
Section 9. All elected officers, committee chairs, and the Past President shall be members of the Board of Directors. Regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held during the year. The schedule shall be fixed by the Board at the September Board of Directors meeting of each year. Additional sessions of the Board of Directors may be called whenever deemed necessary by the President or any Board member. A joint Board of Director’s meeting between the outgoing Board and the newly-elected officers shall be held prior to August 31 and the newly elected Board of Directors first board meeting. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be required to hold and conduct a Board of Director’s meeting. Board of Directors meetings shall be open to all members.
Section 10. The Board of Directors shall transact necessary business in the intervals between the general membership meetings.
Section 11. Removal of any officer may be for cause or when the best interest of Smoky Hill Quilt Club will be served. Appointed officers may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Elected officers may be removed from office by a simple majority at the general membership meeting, after notification through any of the following methods: e-mail, newsletter, postal mail service, or phone. Removal of an officer from an elected office shall also constitute removal of such officer from the Board of Directors..
Section 12. Any elected officer who wishes to resign may do so in writing to the Board of Directors. All records must be transferred to the Board of Directors within ten (10) days of resignation or by the next general membership meeting, whichever comes first.
Article VII: Nominations and Elections
Section 1: The Nominating Committee Chairman shall be appointed by the President of Smoky Hill Quilt Club by the June Board meeting.
Section 2: The Nominating Chairman shall submit the slate of nominees to the membership at large at the August general meeting.
Section 3: Additional nominations for officers may be made from the floor at the August general membership meeting. The consent of the nominee shall be confirmed during the meeting.
Section 4: The election of officers shall be as follows: If only one name is in nomination for each office, a vote of the entire slate will be taken at the August meeting. If more than one name is in nomination for any office, the vote will be taken by written ballot for each such office at the August general membership meeting. If one or more offices on the slate are not filled, the offices that are filled will be considered a full slate, and voted on at the August meeting. For vacant officer positions on the Executive Committee, notification will be given to the general membership and voted on at the next general meeting.
Section 5: There shall be no proxy votes or absentee ballots for Executive Committee elections.
Section 6: Installation of officers shall take place during the August meeting. The installation ceremony shall be determined and conducted by the Past President.
Section 7: Newly elected officers assume duties by September 1.
Article VIII: Meetings
Section 1: The general membership meeting shall be held the third Thursday evening of every month unless otherwise published in the newsletter. The time and place of the monthly meetings may be changed or cancelled due to weather, etc. at the discretion of the Executive Committee, provided that the time and place is sent to the general membership via e-mails, emergency contact numbers (by Board of Directors only), or phone. Notification of the change will start no later than 2:00 p.m. the third Thursday of the month.
Section 2: For the conduct of business at the general membership meeting, a simple majority of those present shall constitute a quorum.
Article IX: Committees
Section 1: Only the President or the Executive Committee shall have the authority to appoint a committee or a committee chairperson. Only the Executive Committee shall have the authority to disband a committee.
Section 2: Only members shall serve on committees.
Section 3: Committee chairpersons shall attend the Board of Directors meetings to advise and participate in discussions, or provide a written report to the President prior to the board meeting. Only members of the Board of Directors may vote on issues before the Board.
Section 4: Committee chairpersons shall be responsible for providing information to the Newsletter Editor as necessary.
Section 5: All committees shall keep written records of all expenditures. These records shall be presented to the President at the monthly board meeting. Upon completion of the committee’s activities a yearly report shall be presented to the Board of Directors and shall be passed on to future committees. (revised 12/15/2016)
Section 6: All committees shall perform their tasks within their designated budgets. Any budgeted committee expenditure exceeding $100 per category (such as printing, catering, or other services that require a bid) will be accompanied by two or more written estimates from a vendor and be preapproved by the Executive Committee to receive payment. This requirement may be waived by the Executive Committee when appropriate.
Article X: Official Emblem
The official emblem of the Smoky Hill Quilt Club may not be used without the written approval of the Executive Committee.
Article XI: Parliamentary Authority
The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern Smoky Hill Quilt Club in all cases not specified in the Bylaws. In the event of conflict between Robert’s Rules and the Bylaws, these Bylaws shall prevail.
Article XII: Amendment of Bylaws
Section 1: Amendments may be proposed by any member in writing to the Board of Directors. It shall be the judgment of the Executive Committee to place the amendment before the membership at large. Amendments to be brought before the membership at large during the general membership meeting shall be distributed via email, or postal service.
Section 2: At the general membership meeting, following the distribution of the proposed amendment, the assembled membership shall vote on the proposed amendment by show of hands. A majority vote shall prevail.
Article XIII: Dissolution
*Upon deciding to disband the club, any outstanding debts would be paid in full, and then the balance in the treasury would be divided equally among current members of the club.
Standing Rules of the Smoky Hill Quilt Club
These standing rules may be amended by a simple majority vote of the membership present at a general meeting without requiring previous notice.
The standing committees of Smoky Hill Quilt Club can be:
Stitching Sisters; b) Charitable Quilts; c) Historian; d) Hospitality; e) Newsletter; f) Nominating; g) Raffle Quilt; and h) Webmaster.
Each committee chairperson must:
Read and follow the Smoky Hill Quilt Club Bylaws.
Attend Board of Directors meetings.
Prepare written annual reports, and propose a budget for the upcoming fiscal year and submit a copy to the Executive Committee by the August Board of Directors meeting, or at the completion of duties as directed by the Bylaws.
Transfer the committee files to the successor chairperson or to the President by August 31. If the Committee has completed the assigned task, then the report is to be given within a 10 day period to the President.
Present a committee report at the general meeting or advise the President if there is nothing to report on.
Prepare refund request forms, which are submitted to the Treasurer, for reimbursement. If a deposit or payment is needed for a larger order that is outside of that committee’s budget, a request needs to be made to the Executive Committee for a check, made out directly to that company for the amount to conduct that transaction. All expenditures made by committees, which are not approved budget items, must be preapproved by the Executive Committee.
Advise the President or Secretary of any Smoky Hill Quilt Club property in the possession of the committee, or of any property lost, damaged, or acquired during the year.
Keep the President aware of committee meetings, activities and issues as directed in the Bylaws.
Volunteer to serve for short-term duration as committee chairman for the task completion.
The responsibilities of each committee:
The Stitching Sisters shall:
Maintain a current record of Stitching Sisters groups including a profile.
Facilitate the growth of Stitching Sisters with members who have expressed interest in being connected with one of the groups.
Inform Smoky Hill Quilt Club membership of Stitching Sisters activities on a regular basis through the Smoky Hill Quilt Club newsletter and at Smoky Hill Quilt Club general meetings.
The Charitable Quilts Committee shall:
Receive charitable requests and select projects for member participation.
Organize volunteers and materials to complete charitable projects.
Receive donations of fabric and batting for charitable activities.
Keep an inventory of all donations and supplies, and their storage location.
The Historian Committee shall:
Maintain a yearly photographic record of Smoky Hill Quilt Club events, including member’s works displayed at general meetings.
Display recent photographs at Smoky Hill Quilt Club general meeting.
Archive prior years’ photographs and documents.
Obtain signed, written permission from members and provide photos for the Website.
The Hospitality Committee shall:
Arrange for hostesses to attend Smoky Hill Quilt Club regular meetings and as needed for special events.
Assist with meeting activities as needed.
The Newsletter Committee shall:
Publish the newsletter three days prior to each general meeting, or no less than quarterly.
Establish contact with the chairperson of each committee for information to be included in the newsletter.
Include the following items in the newsletter. Date, time, and location of the next meetings. Programs – including any specific information from the Vice Presidents about upcoming events. When available and space allows; committee meetings and reports. The newsletter may contain quilt related commercial advertising by Smoky Hill Quilt Club members as space allows.
Allow Smoky Hill Quilt Club members to place business-card size (3 ½” x 2”) non-commercial ads in the newsletter for the sale of sewing and quilting related items on a space availability basis. The price will be $5.00 per edition. The club will not be responsible for any part of the transaction between seller and buyer.
Make available the newsletter for officers and committee chairs for each of their report files.
The Nominating Committee shall:
Identify qualified candidates for all vacant elected offices by notifying all members of the club prior to the August general meeting .Report progress of nominations to the President and to members at regular Smoky Hill Quilt Club general meetings, until nominations are announced and voted on at the August general meeting.
Identify volunteer interest for committee positions.
The Raffle Quilt Committee shall:
Obtain a gaming license from the Secretary of the State and follow state regulations, at the beginning of the calendar year, January 1.
Have tickets printed and then approved by the Secretary of State.
Obtain current membership list for distribution of tickets to members, tickets may not be mailed.
Display quilt and sell tickets at special events.
Obtain equipment, post license, and conduct drawing.
Notify the winner and deliver the quilt.
Keep all tickets and stubs for six months following the drawing.
Keep accurate records of tickets distribution, sold, not sold, and monies received.
The Web Master Committee shall:
Maintain a website to represent Smoky Hill Quilt Club.
Be responsible for software, domain name, hosting/renewal, and transfer of information to future webmasters.
Maintain content about programs and current activities, as well information about Smoky Hill Quilt Club.
Selling and Soliciting:
No selling, soliciting or other commercial enterprises will be allowed during the regular Smoky Hill Quilt Club general meetings. Informational materials may be distributed and informal arrangements between individuals may be made before and after the meeting.
Individual presenting educational programs during a regular Smoky Hill Quilt Club meeting who provide products and classes are exempted from the restrictions of selling and soliciting during the meeting. These individuals will be allowed to receive payment for products before and after the general meeting is adjourned.