BY-LAWS
OF
RONDOUT VALLEY
ROD
&
GUN
CLUB
ARTICLE I - Offices
The principal office of the Club shall be in the Town of Rochester, County of Ulster, State of New York. The Club may also have offices at such other places within or without this state as the Board may from time to time determine or the business of the Club may require.
ARTICLE II - Purpose
The purposes for which this Club has been organized are as follows:
1. To promote interest in hunting, trap shooting, skeet shooting, sporting clays shooting, rifle shooting, handgun shooting, bow shooting, fishing, bait casting, boating, trapping and other lawful outdoor sports; to promote the conservation of all natural resources; to aid in the protection of fish, birds, and game; to give and promote entertainment’s, lectures, social affairs, celebrations, exhibitions, and games and amusements of any and all descriptions for the general enjoyment of members; to provide shooting matches among its own members and members of other similarly constituted Clubs for the benefit, enjoyment, and well-being of its members; to purchase or lease, and to maintain and operate facilities, equipment, buildings, clubhouses, or other structures as incidental to the above purposes, and to sell, lease, mortgage or otherwise dispose of same;
2. To authorize qualified members to train and educate members of the Club and the general public in the safe and proper use of bows, handguns, shotguns, rifles and any and all other legal firearms under such grants of authority as the Club my receive from time to time from such officials, agencies, boards, Commissions, departments or public servants;
3. To do any other act or thing incidental to the foregoing purposes or in advancement thereof, but not for the financial gain of its members, directors or officers.
ARTICLE III – Membership
1. Qualifications of Regular Membership.
An applicant for Regular Membership must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. He or she must submit a completed application, signed by three (3) members in good
standing, together with administrative fee and first year's dues. He or she must attend 2 meetings within 4 months to be voted into membership.
1.5. Qualifications of Family Membership.
Applicants for a Family membership will not be accepted anymore, but any member in a family membership in good standing will remain in a family membership.
A family membership shall include any couple living under the same roof and any children (12 to 18 Junior member) (18 to 21 regular member) also under the same roof. After the age of 21 the member will have to pay the regular members dues.
2. Qualifications of Junior Membership.
Any child sponsored by a Regular Member in good standing, upon reaching the age of twelve (12) years shall be eligible to join the Club as a Junior member. He or she must submit an application, signed by three (3) members in good standing, one of which must be his or her sponsor together with administrative fee. He or she must attend 2 meetings within 4 months to be voted into membership.
Upon reaching the age of eighteen (18) years, a Junior member in good standing shall automatically become a Regular Member of the Club.
3. Life Membership.
Any members with 10 plus years as a member in good standing upon reaching the age of sixty-five (65), or after his or her 10th year as a member in good standing after the age of sixty-five (65) shall have a paid-up membership card for life.
4. Membership Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Club shall be held at the Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of each month.
The presence at any regular meeting of not less than ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary to conduct the business of the Club; however, a lesser number may adjourn the meeting for a period of not more than three (3) weeks from the date scheduled by the by-laws and the Secretary shall cause a notice of the rescheduled date of the meeting to be sent to those members who were not present at the meeting originally called. A quorum as hereinbefore set forth shall be required at any adjourned meeting.
A membership roll showing the list of members as of the record date, certified by the secretary of the Club, shall be produced at any meeting of members upon the request therefor of any member who has given written notice to the Club that such request will be made at least ten days prior to such meeting. All persons appearing on such Membership roll as regular members in good standing shall be entitled to vote at the meeting. The annual Membership meeting of the organization shall be held on the first Tuesday of December of each year except that if such day be a legal holiday then in that event the directors shall fix a day not more than two weeks from the date fixed by these By-laws. The Secretary shall cause to be mailed to every member in good standing at his address as it appears on the membership roll book of the Club a notice stating the time and place of the annual meeting. This rule shall also apply if the annual meeting is postponed for any other reason.
5. Regular Meetings.
The action on any motion under consideration by the Club, at any regular or special meeting, must have at least a vote of three-fourths of the voting Members of the Club that are present. All motions may be offered to the chair either in oral or written form. However, all proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-laws, and all resolutions must be submitted to the chair in written form.
All meetings of the Club including regular, special, and Board of Directors, shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.
6. Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Club may be called by the directors. The Secretary shall cause a notice of such meeting to be mailed to all members at their addresses as they appear in the membership roll book at least ten (10) days but not more then fifty (50) days before the scheduled date of such meeting. Such notice shall state the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting and by whom called.
No other business but that specified in the notice may be transacted at such special meeting without the unanimous consent of all present at such meeting.
7. Fixing Record Date.
For the purpose of determining the members entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of members or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent or to dissent from any proposal without a meeting, or for the purpose of determining the members entitled to receive any distribution or any allotment of any rights, or for the purpose of
any other action, the board shall fix, in advance, a date as the record date for any such determination of members. Such date shall not be more than fifty (50) nor less than ten (10) days before any such meeting, nor more than fifty (50) days prior to any other action.
8. Order of Business.
The order of business of all regular meetings shall be as follows:
a. Call to Order
b. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag
c. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting
d. Reading of Treasurer's Report
e. Reading and voting in of new members
f. Introduction of Guest speaker( when applicable)
g. Report of officers and Committee, corresponding secretary, firearms report, archery report, federation delegate, fish and game report, and meal report
h. Unfinished business
i. Election of officers (when applicable)
j. New business
k. Announcements (next meeting)
l. Adjournment
9. Membership Dues.
Each new member shall pay an administrative fee, plus one year's annual dues at the time of his or her vote into membership. Dues shall be prorated to half after June 30. New members submitting applications for membership on or after November 1 shall have their dues rolled over to the following year. Dues and administrative fee may be raised or lowered at the discretion of the Board of Directors with the approval of the Regular membership at a regular or special meeting. All annual dues are due January 1 of each year. After a 60 day grace period (March 1), the member loses all club benefits and shall be notified by mail of the action pending. After the 60 days, the member shall automatically be dropped from the rolls and shall have to submit a new application and administrative fee in order to rejoin.
The membership roll shall be limited to 300 members. The only exception to this is a Junior member attaining the age of 18 shall become a regular member automatically.
ARTICLE IV - Directors
1. Management of the Club.
The Club shall be managed by the Board of Directors which shall consist of five directors. Each director shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age. The President, Treasurer, Secretary and all other elected officers shall comprise the members of the Board of Directors.
2. Election and Term of Directors.
At each annual meeting of members, the membership shall elect directors to hold office until the next annual meeting. Each Director shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which he was elected and until his successor has been elected and shall have qualified, or until his prior resignation or removal. Directors shall be elected for a five-year term.
3. Increase or Decrease in Number of Directors.
The number of Directors may be increased or decreased by vote of the membership. No decrease in number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
4. Removal of Directors.
Any or all of the directors may be removed for cause by vote with two thirds majority of the membership roll by mail ballot.
5. Resignation.
A director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board, the President or the Secretary of the Club. Unless otherwise specified in the notice, the resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the Board or such officer.
6. Quorum of Directors.
Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of the Club, a majority of the entire Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or of any specified item of business.
7. Action of the Board.
Unless otherwise required by law, the majority vote of the Directors present at the time of the vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the Board. Each director present shall have one vote.
8. Place and time of Board Meetings.
The Board may hold its meetings at the office of the organization or at such other places, either within or without the State, as it may from time to time determine.
9. Regular Annual Meeting.
A regular annual meeting of the Board shall be held immediately following the annual meeting of members at the place of such annual meeting.
10. Notice of Meetings of the Board, Adjournment.
Regular meetings of the Board may be held without notice at such time and place as it shall from time to time determine. Special meetings of the Board shall be held upon notice to the directors and may be called by the President upon three day's notice to each director either personally or by mail or by wire; special meetings shall be called by the President or by the Secretary in a like manner on written request of two directors. Notice of a meeting need not be given to any director who submits a waiver of notice whether before or after the meeting or who attends the meeting without protesting thereto or at its commencement, the lack of notice to him.
A majority of the directors present, whether or not a quorum is present, may adjourn any meeting to another time and place. Notice of the adjournment shall be given all directors who were absent at the time of the adjournment and, unless such time and place are announced at the meeting to the other directors.
11. Chairman.
At all meetings of the Board, the President, or in his absence, a Chairman chosen by the Board shall preside.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
1. Offices, Election, Term.
Unless otherwise provided for in the Certificate of the Club, the membership may elect or appoint a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and such other officers as it may determine, who shall have duties, powers and functions as hereinafter provided. All officers shall be elected and appointed to hold office until the meeting of the Board following the annual meeting of Members. All officers shall be elected for the term of two (2) years. Each officer shall hold office for the term for which he is elected or appointed and until his successor has been elected or appointed and qualified.
2. Removal, Resignation.
Any officer elected or appointed by the Membership may be removed by the membership with cause. In the event of the death, resignation or removal of an officer, the Board in its discretion, my elect or appoint a successor to fill the unexpired term. Any two (2) or more offices may be held by the same person, except the offices of president and secretary.
3. President.
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the organization; he shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Boards; he shall have the general management of the affairs of the organization and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the membership are carried into effect.
4. Vice-presidents.
During the absence or disability of the president, the vice-president, or if there are more than one, the executive vice-president, shall have all the powers and functions of the President. Each Vice-president shall perform such other duties as the membership shall prescribe.
5. Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all the funds and securities of the Club, and shall deposit said funds of the Club in such bank or trust company as the Board of Directors may elect; he shall, when duly authorized by the membership, sign and execute all contracts in the name of the Club, when countersigned by the President; he shall also sign all checks, drafts, notes, and order the payment of money, which shall be duly authorized by the membership and shall be countersigned by the President; he shall at all reasonable times exhibit his books and accounts to any director or member of the Club upon application at the office of the Club during ordinary business hours. At the end of each corporate year, he shall have an audit of the accounts of the Club made in writing at the annual meeting of the members at which time he shall also present an annual report setting forth in full the financial conditions of the Club.
6. Recording Secretary.
It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to keep an account of the proceeding of all club meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors. He shall notify all members and members of the Board of Directors of meetings when instructed to do so by the President. He shall present all written recorded minutes in a report at all regular meetings.
7. Corresponding Secretary.
It shall be the duty of the Corresponding Secretary to take care of all membership records of the Club. He shall furnish a membership record to the Recording Secretary whenever necessary or to any committee that has been duly appointed by the President and has a need for this information. To handle all correspondence for the Club, and newsletters.
8. Sureties and Bonds.
In case the Board shall so require, any officers or agent of the organization shall execute to the organization a bond in such sum and with such surety as the Board may direct, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties to the organization and including responsibility for negligence and for the accounting for all property funds or securities of the organization which may come into his hands.
ARTICLE VI - Seal
The seal of the Club shall: be as follows:
ARTICLE VII - Construction
If there be any conflict between the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and these By-laws, the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern.
ARTICLE VIII - Amendments
Any member in good standing may propose an amendment to the By-laws by submitting the proposed amendment in written form to the Board of Directors, said proposed amendment to then be presented at the next regular meeting of the Club. Voting on said proposed amendment to take place at the following regular meeting.
ARTICLE IX - Miscellaneous
1. This printed presentation is of the Club Constitution and By-laws as adopted effective, and shall take precedence over any previous such documents and shall be the sole and binding administrative guide. No unwritten policies practices or procedures will be considered valid or to supersede this document.
2. All voting at regular meetings of the Club will be by voice vote, unless a ballot vote is requested by any regular member. In the annual elections, voting will be by ballot, unless a candidate is running unopposed, in which case, the Secretary shall cast one vote to close the voting.
ARTICLE X - Definitions
Unless otherwise set forth, the following terms are to be construed as follows:
CLUB: Rondout Valley Rod and Gun Club, Inc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Consists of President, Secretary, Treasurer and all other elected officers and five (5) regular members in good standing of at least 18 years of age, elected by the membership.
ARTICLE XI - Certificate Award & Frame
1. This award is to be awarded for those members and officers that are outstanding in their duties or invaluable services and improves the Club. When a person cited for this award is brought to the attention of the president by an officer. At which time the
president will contact the officers and the directors for 100% approval. Upon 100% approval the president will make the decision on what award is to be given