Below is our By-Laws for the Aroostook River Fish & Gzame Club.
The Aroostook River Fish & Game Club
Organized at Ashland, Maine on the 18th,
day of April 1956
CLUB
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1: NAME
1.1 The name of this organization
shall be Aroostook River Fish & Game Club.
1.2 The word “ CLUB “
hereinafter used in this Constitution shall, where applicable, be deemed to refer to Aroostook River Fish & Game Club.
ARTICLE
2: PURPOSES
2.1 The purpose of this organization
is to conserve, restore, maintain and protect the natural resources of our state; most importantly it’s forests, waters,
and fish and wildlife. To promote means and opportunities for the education of the public with respect to the utilization
of such resources, to benefit and enjoyment of all it’s citizens.
2.2
The organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious,
educational, and / or scientific purposes under section 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) of the Internal Revenue Code.
2.3 No part of the net earnings
of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private
persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered
and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise
attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in ( including the publishing
or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities
not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are
deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
2.4 Upon the dissolution of the
organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 ( c ) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government,
or to a state or local government, for a public purpose
ARTICLE 3:
POWERS
3.0 The powers of the Aroostook River Fish & Game Club shall be allowed to perform
such acts as may be necessary or proper to carry out these objectives as stated in Article 2.1 of these by-laws.
ARTICLE 4: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
4.1 The Board Of Directors shall be limited
to 7 in number who are to serve for a Three-year period. The Board of Directors
shall consist of regular members chosen and elected from the membership; The President of the club shall sit on the Board
Of Directors as a non-voting member. The Board Of Directors shall act on all financial matters that are brought before the
general membership. The Board Of Directors shall have the authority to spend money for normal day-to-day operation and not
to exceed $ 1,000.00. Any money that needs to be spent over $ 1,000.00 must be
brought to the general membership for approval; approval must have 2/3rd majority vote from the general membership
at a regular business meeting or special meeting. The Board Of Directors must
meet once every month, and review all ongoing Club business, financial status, complaints, legal questions, fund raising events
and any other business pertinent to the management of this club. The Board Of Directors shall act on all, financial matters,
equipment purchases within one week of their meeting. The Board Of Directors will also have the task in making sure the club
is set up with the IRS as a non-profit organization, and shall make sure that all tax preparations are turned in yearly to
the IRS office.
4.2 The Board Of Directors will act on all matters
pertaining to removing or disciplining members of the club, only on the request of the President of the club. The Board of Directors will only make a recommendation to the President of the club, and will have no say
as to who or what type of discipline will take place. The President will have
the final vote as to what will or will not be done once it has been brought to the members at a regular business meeting.
The President will however and after a 2/3rd vote has been taken, will submit his/her determination to the board
of directors for proper filing. The Board Of Directors is set in motion only
to advise and make sure the club runs efficiently as possible
4.3 Once the Board Of Directors has been voted
in; the 7 members will then converse and decide who will be the Director of The Board of directors and will announce their
findings before the annual meeting is adjourned to the members present at the meeting. The Secretary / Treasurer shall be
a voting member of the Board Of Directors because of his/her capacity as the clubs financial officer.
4.4 The Board of Directors shall have minutes
taken at each of its meetings and those minutes shall be read at the regular business meeting of club members. The minutes
will be maintained by the Secretary / treasurer of the club, reflecting all transactions. The minutes will remain on file
and made available to the membership upon request. In addition, all minutes will reflect board members present at the meeting.
Board members who miss ( 4 ) consecutive meetings will be replaced unless extenuating circumstances such as work schedules
prevent attendance.
4.5 Vacancy on the board of directors; in case
there is a vacancy for any reason the remaining directors by vote of the majority thereof shall select a successor to hold
office for the un-expired portion of the term. This vote may take place at any regular or special meeting.
ARTICLE 5: MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Membership
shall be open to all individuals 16 years of age and older, and shall be considered an active member upon payment of the annual
dues as set forth by the Board Of Directors. Each active member shall have the power of one vote and shall be eligible to
hold a seat on the Board of Directors. An individual, between the ages of 10 and 16 years of age shall be considered and active
junior member upon payment of Annual Dues as set forth by the Board of Directors. A
junior member shall have no voting power nor will he/she be able to sit on the Board Of Directors.
5.2 This
club shall not discriminate in any manner on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, or national and ethnic origin in
administration of its programs.
5.3 The
membership year shall be set for the calendar year from January 1st through December 31st of each year.
The annual dues shall be set at $ 20.00 per calendar year, which shall be payable on or before January 1st for
the ensuing year. The annual dues for junior membership shall be set at $ 5.00, payable on or before January 1st
for the ensuing year. Any member not paying his/her dues by march 31st, will no longer be considered an active
member and will be removed from the membership roster.
5.4 Any
member, whose connection with this club has been severed for any reason, shall forfeit all interest in any fund or property
belonging to the club.
ARTICLE 6
TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP:
6.1 A
member may resign their membership of the club at any time by giving notice in writing to the Board Of Directors.
6.2 Regular
membership shall be considered terminated after non payment of dues by March 31st, of ensuing year.
6.3 Membership
may be revoked if such membership is used for personal gain or benefit, failure to comply with the Constitution of the Club,
or for conduct unbecoming a member, if it is deemed that
such and action was deliberate or negligent
6.4 No
member shall be reimbursed for expenses without approval from the general membership body and the Board Of Directors.
6.5 The
President may require that a member resign from the Club for violation of this Constitution provided the member has been notified
of the cause of his/her dismissal.
6.6 A
member who has been required to resign under Article 4.2 may request to appear before the Board Of Directors and the general
membership for a review hearing.
6.7 Any
officer or member who has been found to embezzlement of funds or mis-appropriation of funds will be prosecuted to the full
extent of the law as regulated by the Maine State Attorney General Office.
ARTICLE 7: VOTING MEMBER
7.1 A voting member shall be any
individual member who dues are fully paid for that ensuing year. They will have the privilege of attending meetings, voting,
nominating, resigning,
and presenting motions, resolutions, or other business. In order to be a voting member each member must have current
status within the club and verified by the Treasurer.
ARTICLE 8: ELECTIONS
8.1 To be eligible for nomination
to any Executive position, the prospective nominee must be a regular member and dues for ensuing year must have been paid.
8.2
To be eligible for nomination at the Annual Meeting, a member, or the
members written intent, must be at the Annual Meeting.
8.3
Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot and determined by a majority
vote of the members present (majority being fifty one percent ( 51%).
8.4
In the event of a vacancy it shall be filled as outlined below:
a.)
With more than three ( 3 ) months remaining in the term, by secret
ballot vote at the next General Meeting by 2/3rd vote by all members present at the general meeting.
b.)
With three ( 3 ) months or less remaining in the term, by appointment
by the Board Of Directors.
ARTICLE 9: OFFICERS
The Aroostook River Fish & game Club shall
be operated by the general officers, which shall be elected by the general membership. Officers include, President, Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer.
9.1 Only
members in good standings may fill elected positions in Aroostook River Fish & Game Club.
9.2 The officers are to serve a
one-year term; election of all officers will take immediate effect from the date of the first meeting until the following
year.
9.3 The
officers of Aroostook River Fish & Game Club shall be:
A. PRESIDENT; Shall be the executive officer of this Club. It shall be the duty of the President
to preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board Of Directors and to perform such other duties as ordinarily pertains
to his/her office. The following authority and/or restrictions apply to the office of President.
1. Has the authority
to obligate up to $ 300.00 of club funds for emergency supplies, printing, advertising, repair material etc. without prior
approval ( not to be exceeded in any one month period)
2. Has authority
to call special meetings of the Board Of Directors and/or general membership
3. Will appoint
committee chairpersons from the general membership for standing committees, special committee chairpersons will be picked
from the general membership or Board Of Directors.
4. The
outgoing President shall be recognized as an ex-officio member of the Board Of Directors for a period of one year.
B. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice-President shall in the absence of the President, perform the duties of the President and
such further duties as shall be assigned to him/her by the Board Of Directors
or the President. The Vice-President when assuming Presidential duties shall be guided by the same rules as the President
outlined in section 9.3, subsection ( A ) of this constitution.
C: SECRETARY / TREASUER: The Secretary
/ Treasurer shall keep an accurate record in permanent form of all business transactions and shall perform such other duties
as may be prescribed from time to time by the Board Of Directors. The Following responsibilities apply to the secretary /
Treasurer of this club.
1. Shall be deemed the
official record keeper of all Club records, historical and current
2. At the expiration
of the term of office, all records will be turned over to the incoming Secretary/Treasurer
3. Maintain minutes
of all Board Of Directors, Membership and Special Meetings
4. Have the authority
to purchase at club expense, the administrative supplies, i.e. paper, pencils, stamps, envelopes, etc. required to perform
the duties of this office.
5. Will be responsible
for all funds generated by the Club.
6. Will deposit all
funds either in the Club’s checking or savings account as directed by the Board Of Directors or constitution.
7. Will be responsible
for all Statements or Billings, will be responsible for making all payments as required.
8. No payments will
be made without a receipt and / or statement.
9. Treasurer will maintain
a record of all transactions made or not made on behalf of the Club.
10. Treasurer will provide a monthly treasurer’s
report at the Membership and Board Of Directors Meetings.
11. Treasurer will provide an annual report
at the end of the fiscal year outlining all income and expenses incurred by the club from Jan 1st, through Dec.
31st,.
12. At the end of term of office, the treasurer
will turn over al funds. Checkbooks, statements and any other club property to the incoming treasurer.
ARTICLE 10: SPECIAL MEETINGS
10.1 Special meetings / Emergency
meetings, may be determined by the President or Board Of Directors. All special meetings will be typed and handed / mailed
/ Telephones to all active voting members 7 days prior to the special meeting.
10.2 Ten ( 10 ) active members shall
constitute a quorum at a duly called meeting
10.3 If the meeting is called for removal of any officer then there needs to be a quorum of membership with a
2/3rd vote of the total membership.
ARTICLE 11: DUES
11.1 Effective on the election of
the Board Of Directors, dues will be established as recommended by the Board Of Directors and voted upon by the members, payable
annually. Dues are levied as follows.
1. Adult Membership: $ 20.00 per year
2. Dual Membership: $ 35.00 per year
3. Junior Membership: $
5.00 per year
4. Adult Life Membership: ( May be purchased at the equivalence of twenty ( 20 ) year’s annual
dues
5. Complimentary One Year Membership: ( Awarded to a non-member for exemplary service or contribution
to the conservation goals of this club or state of Maine. ( non-voting )
6. Senior Life Membership: ( Free membership awarded to members 65 years of age
who have been members in good standing for the past ( 10 ) years. These members have all
privileges and voting rights as regular members.
ARTICLE 12: MEETINGS
A) General Meetings shall be held
the fourth ( 4 ) Monday of each month.
B) Quorums for General meetings
shall consist of at least 30 % of the membership.
C) A Special General Meeting shall
be called by the President if requested by at least ten percent ( 10% ) of the membership.
Notification of such meetings and the purpose shall be mailed to each member 30 days prior to the meeting.
Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with
the latest edition of Roberts Manual of Parliamentary Rules, commonly known as Robert’s Rules of Order. The club President or Vice President will normally conduct the meeting in the following order:
a. Call the meeting
to order.
b. Recognize guests
and or make opening remarks.
c. Have the Secretary
read minutes of last report, open the floor for discussion on any open items, and request a motion for the minutes to be accepted.
d. Ask the Treasurer
to present the Treasurer’s Report; open the floor for discussion and ask for a motion to accept the report.
e. Open the floor for
discussion of any old business. Old business is defined as any open items from the minutes of previous meetings.
f. Once
the old business is finalized, the President will open the floor for any new business. New business can include any previous
items that were considered closed under previous minutes or any new item members wish to discuss.
g. Once all action is
taken on any business-matter, including votes on any motions, the President may then close the business meeting.
12.2
Annual Meeting ( Conducted by the Board Of Directors Chairman )
A) The annual
meeting shall normally be held the fourth ( 4 ) Monday of March.
B) The annual
meeting shall transact the following business:
1.) Call to order
2.) Reading and consideration
of the minutes of the previous annual meeting.
3.) Business arising out
of the minutes
4.) Correspondence
5.) Annual Reports
a) President
b) Vice-President
c) Board Of Directors
d) Secretary / Treasurer
e) Auditors
f) Officers and Committees
6.) General Business
7.) New Business
8.) Nominations and Elections
of Officers
ARTICLE 13: GENERAL
ADMINISTRATION
13.1 The fiscal year of the Club shall be January 1st
to December 31st.
13.2 All annual reports shall be in the hands of the Board
Of Directors no later than the last day of February of the New Year.
13.3 The Aroostook River Fish & Game Club shall be
incorporated under the laws and regulations of the State Of Maine.
13.4 The books and records of the Club may be inspected
by any member at any reasonable time within two ( 2 ) days prior to the annual Meeting by arrangement with the Secretary /
Treasurer.
13.5 The rules of order for all meetings shall be according
to those outlined in the Club’s Constitution and standard parliamentary procedures outlined by Roberts Rules of Order.
13.6 Special resolutions shall mean a resolution passed
by no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting members present at a general meeting, of which notice specifying
the intentions to propose the resolution as a special resolution has been duly given.
13.7 The Constitution of the Aroostook River Fish &
Game Club may be amended at the Annual Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called to order for that purpose only. Notice of motion must be provided at a general meeting of the membership within (30)
days of the Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting with the amendments to be considered.
Amendments to the by-laws must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the members present.
ARTICLE 14: RULES:
14.1 The latest edition of the Roberts
Manual of Parliamentary Rules ( Roberts Rules Of Order ) shall govern all proceedings of the Club and all meetings of its
Boards and Committees, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution or By-laws.
14.2 To expedite Club business and
insure an orderly flow to fit within the time constrains, the following rules shall apply to all Membership, Directors and
Committee meetings.
a. When the meeting
is called to order, minutes of previous meetings will be read and all reports given. A motion from the floor and a second
to the motion must be made to either accept or refuse the minutes / reports.
b. Old business, items
still open from the minutes or reports, will then be discussed.
c. When old business
is settled new business will be addressed. New business is defined as any club-related
matter to include items previously closed if it felt the subject should be addressed. Items still open from previous meetings
are considered old business and should have been addressed during the old business section.
d. Any motions made
during the course of business must be acted upon prior to continuing to another project. Once a motion is made, it is recorded
by the Secretary as the ORIGINAL MOTION and discussion on the motion may begin.
Each member present may voice an opinion on the motion only ONCE with a time limit of two ( 2 ) minutes unless
said limitations are suspended by the President. During the discussion, motions may be made to the Original Motions ( modifying
etc. ). Once all discussion is complete, the motions will be voted on in reverse order; i.e the last motion made will be voted
on and so on until the Original Motion is reached. Any Point Of Order is only made to clarify the legality of the proceeding
based on the Club Constitution, By-Laws or Roberts Rule Of Order.
14.3 No one Member, Officer, or
Director of this club shall in any way obligate the Club without consent from the Board Of Directors or Membership.
14.4 No contributions for outside
organizations shall be solicited at any meeting of the Club without consent from the President or the Board Of Directors.
14.5 Club members may not solicit
for the club unless for a club sanctioned function approved by the membership or Board Of Directors.
Aroostook
River Fish & Game Club As made 25th, February 2008 ( Revised from original Constitution developed on April
18th, 1956 )
Original adopted on April 18th, 1956
