CONSTITUTION OF THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES AMATEUR RADIO
ASSOCIATION OF
SEPTEMBER 12, 2013
ARTICLE I: NAME
ARTICLE II: GOVERNMENT
ARTICLE
ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE
ARTICLE I: NAME
1.
The
name of this organization shall be known as the Southern Counties Amateur Radio
Association of New Jersey, Incorporated.
2.
The
purpose and objectives of this organization are as follows:
A. To promote and maintain a bond of
fellowship among radio amateurs, newcomers to amateur radio and potential radio
amateurs in the Southern Counties of New Jersey.
B. To promote the development of
individual skills among members and future members.
C. To serve at the discretion of the
club in the public interest, convenience or necessity, as the need or emergency
arises through the transmission of non-commercial radio messages. These
services are to be provided without charge.
D. To further the technical
development of the art of amateur radio.
E. To further the development and
continuance of good public relations.
F. To foster and maintain a high
standard of conduct and ethics in the observance of all pertinent rules,
regulations and accepted practices among the members in the operation of the
club radio station and of each member's individual radio station.
ARTICLE II: GOVERNMENT
1.
Government of the
club shall be vested in a Board of Directors, also known as The Board or Board
Member
2.
The
elected officers of the club shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer.
3.
A Trustee shall
be appointed by the Board of Directors to maintain and file all required
incorporation documents with the State of
4.
The
Board of Directors, at its discretion, may bestow Honorary Office upon those
full members who have contributed in an exceptional
manner to the well-being of the club.
ARTICLE
1.
This club
expresses its sympathy with and allegiance to the aims and policies of the
American Radio Relay League, Inc., agrees to abide by all regulations of said
League pertaining to affiliated societies, so long as an actual affiliation
with said League shall be in effect.
ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1.
The
Board of Directors shall hold regular meetings at least six (6) times each year
on a date approximately two weeks before the general meeting, unless otherwise
specified by the President. A quorum shall consist of greater than 50% of the
board members.
2.
The Board of
Directors shall devise by-laws, which may in no way conflict with this
Constitution or any amendments thereto. The by-laws shall specify the duties of
the officers and committees and shall otherwise implement the Constitution in
detail.
3.
The Board of
Directors shall formulate club policy and transact all club business.
Appointments of committee chairpersons and committee persons by the President
shall be subject to the approval of the Board, as shall all actions taken by
the club's officers and committees. The Board shall be kept informed on the
progress of club affairs through regular reports from the officers and
committee chairpersons.
4.
The Board of
Directors shall be authorized to fill vacancies in the elected offices. It also
shall be empowered, by means of a three-fourths majority of the Board members
present and voting, to remove any Officer from office for cause.
5.
The
Board of Directors shall take such action and make such rules not inconsistent
with the Constitution and/or by-laws as it may deem necessary to promote and
carry out the objectives of the club and/or to protect its welfare.
6.
Decisions of the Board of Directors shall require a majority
of those present and voting except where otherwise specified in this
Constitution, the by-laws of the club, and/or Robert's Rules of Order. Each
Director present shall have equal voice except that the presiding officer may
vote only in the event of a tie.
ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS
Elections shall be held annually during the regular December meeting of the general club membership.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
1.
Any full member
in good standing may introduce an amendment to this Constitution by submitting
a written proposal to the Board of Directors.
2.
Proposed
amendments shall be properly prepared in a manner conforming to accepted
parliamentary requirements. Proposals not so prepared may be returned to the
maker for corrections. If in order, or after correction, the Board of Directors
will vote upon the proposal and, if approved, will then refer the proposal to
the general membership for vote. Should two-thirds of the membership in
attendance and voting cast their ballots in favor of the amendment, it shall
become a part of this Constitution.
ARTICLE
1.
"Robert's
Rules of Order, Revised" shall govern all parliamentary questions not
specifically set forth in the Constitution and/or by-laws of the club.
Amended March 9,
2017
Ratified by
membership:
March 9, 2017
BY-
AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION OF
JULY 26, 2018
ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE II: DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
ARTICLE
ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES
ARTICLE V: RECORDS
ARTICLE VI: CLUB PUBLICATION
ARTICLE
ARTICLE VIII: AMATEUR RADIO CLUB LICENSE
ARTICLE IX: INSURANCE
ARTICLE X:
AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE XI:
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership shall be limited to
licensed amateurs, prospective amateurs and those having a genuine interest in
amateur radio.
2. Membership shall be divided into two
classes, namely: voting and non-voting members.
3. Only those members having a current,
valid amateur license of any class shall be eligible to vote and/or hold office
and shall hereafter be referred to as full members.
4. Non-licensed members shall be
classified as associate members. These associate members shall automatically
become full members upon receipt of a valid FCC amateur radio license of any
class.
5. Associate membership shall carry all
rights and privileges of full members, except as noted in paragraph 3 above.
6. Honorary membership may be bestowed
by the Board of Directors at its discretion. Honorary members may neither vote
nor hold office.
7. Membership fees shall fall due on
the second day of January of each year. Dues for first time members joining
after March 31 shall be prorated quarterly based on the full year dues
schedule. Lapsed members must pay the
full year dues. Members under age 16
shall be assessed dues at one half the full year dues schedule. Membership
cards shall be issued by the Treasurer.
Members in arrears after April 1st shall be removed from the rolls of
the club, shall be dropped from the SCARA newsletter mailing lists, and may not
participate in official club activities.
8. Membership in the club shall be
subject to adherence to its constitution, by-laws and such regulations as may
be promulgated by the Board of Directors.
9. The Board of Directors shall be
empowered to remove from the membership rolls the name of any member who has,
in the opinion of the Board of Directors, acted in a manner contrary to the
best interests of the club and/or amateur radio. Action taken under this
section shall require a three-fourths majority of the Board of Directors
present and voting.
10. One year free membership, including
the SCARA newsletter by E-mail, will be given to all first-time licensed
amateur radio operators who apply.
11. Prospective members
shall submit a properly completed SCARA membership application. The membership shall be informed of the application at the next regular
meeting. Membership that feel the
applicant may violate paragraph 9
will be directed to contact a member of the Board of Directors with their
concern
ARTICLE II: DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
1.
The President
shall preside at meetings of the club and the Board of Directors; refer
business to the proper committees and shall be, ex-officio, a member of all
committees.
2. The
Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President.
3.
The Treasurer
shall collect and deposit all funds of the club in a depository selected by the
Board of Directors; and he shall make all disbursements over twenty five
dollars by check. All disbursements over $150.00 shall be subject to the
approval of the Board of Directors and the majority vote of the full members in
regular meeting. Disbursements under $150.00 may be verbally approved by at
least one officer. The Treasurer shall
keep regular accounts of all receipts and disbursements in the books of the
club, which shall be open at all times for inspection by the Board of
Directors. He shall make monthly reports to the Board of Directors and the
membership of the club on the state of the club's finances at the regular
monthly meetings. The Treasurer shall keep the membership files of the club;
those to contain pertinent data as to membership and the due dates of
membership fees for all members.
4.
The Board of
Directors shall name one of its number who shall have the authority to act for the
Treasurer in the event of his absence or inability to perform his regular
duties.
5.
The Secretary
shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the club and Board of
Directors and of all other matters of which a record shall be ordered.
6.
The Secretary
shall carry on that portion of the club's correspondence which shall be
delegated to his jurisdiction by the President and/or the Board of Directors.
7.
All officers
shall perform such other duties as may be delegated to them by the Constitution
and/or the Board of Directors.
8. All shall
serve without remuneration.
9.
To avoid the
possibility of ill-considered action, matters of more than ordinary moment
shall be read but not acted upon when first presented. They shall then be laid
on the table until the next following meeting of the Board of Directors when
they shall be taken up under "Old Business." This procedure shall be
followed on proposals to amend the constitution, proposals to amend the
by-laws, motions to impeach an officer, motions to expel a member, and/or any
other motion or proposal which the Board of Directors may consider to be of
extraordinary nature.
10.
Any officer of
the club missing more than three (3) meetings in succession without valid
reason may be relieved of his office and the vacancy filled by appointment by
the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE III: ELECTIONS
1.
Elections shall
be held each year at the December regular meeting of the club. The Board will be elected by secret ballot of
the full members in attendance and voting.
A voting member shall be any full member whose membership has been
continuous, beginning on the date of the September meeting of the current year,
until the election. A lapsed member must
satisfy this requirement.
2.
All Board Members
shall be elected by a plurality.
3.
The President
shall appoint a nominating committee in October of each year for the purpose of
obtaining a slate of candidates to be presented at the December meeting. The committee shall consist of a chairman and
at least one member, all of whom have been members in good standing for not
less than one (1) year. The nominating committee shall not nominate any person
who is a member of the committee or who is related to or lives with a member of
the nominating committee. Nominations
may be heard from the voting members present.
4.
To be eligible
for nomination as a Board Member, the candidate must have been a member in good
standing for not less than one (1) year immediately prior to the election.
ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES
1.
The following
committee chairpersons will be appointed by the President, and such other
committee chairs as, in his judgment, may be required to carry on the
activities of the club.
A. Refreshment
Committee: To arrange for refreshments at meetings and other club functions
when appropriate.
B. Equipment:
Responsible for the operation and maintenance of any equipment and to have
equipment ready and available for emergency or demonstration purposes.
C. Field Day
Committee: To organize, direct, plan
and coordinate all Field Day activities; to determine frequencies, equipment
and operators to be used.
D.
Interference Committee: To investigate complaints when notified by the FCC
and to make every effort to provide and foster understanding between amateurs
and the public; to devise techniques for keeping the number of such complaints
to a minimum.
E. Program and
Publicity Committee: To arrange for programs for meetings and appropriate
advance publicity including news releases, radio spots, etc.
F. Ways And Means Committee: To devise ways and means of keeping the club treasury solvent and
planning projects to enhance the financial status of the club treasury.
G. Repeater:
To maintain the club's repeater is in working order with FCC rules and
regulations and all good engineering practices.
H. Outgoing QSL
Cards: To collect and mail QSL cards to the QSL bureau.
I. Sunshine
committee: To notify members of
illness, hospitalization, and deaths of club members.
J. Grievance Committee: Shall consist of two (2) regular members, one
(1) non-officer Board Member, the secretary, and the president. The president
shall be the committee chair. It is the responsibility of the committee to
address all grievances, and make a recommendation of disposition to the Board
of Director
a. The
president shall appoint all members of the committee.
b. A
new committee shall be appointed for each separate grievance.
c. If
a grievance is submitted involving the president, the vice president will be
the acting committee chair, and assume all responsibilities.
d. If
a grievance is submitted involving the secretary, the committee chair shall
appoint someone as acting secretary for the grievance committee.
e. If
a grievance is submitted involving activity on the club repeaters, the club
repeater trustee will be appointed to the committee, replacing either a Board Member,
or a regular member, unless the club repeater trustee is involved in said
activity, then committee will stand as aforementioned.
2.
By-Laws
Committee: A by-laws committee will
be appointed by the President to be comprised of a chairman and at least two (2) other full
members. This committee shall study all proposed amendments to the constitution
and shall take appropriate action on such proposals; it shall inform the Board
of Directors of any changes in the by-laws which would become necessary if the
proposals are adopted; it shall study proposed amendments to the by-laws for
conformity with the constitution and other portions of the by-laws and its
chairman shall report the results of such studies to the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V: RECORDS
1.
All original
papers, documents, etc. relating to the formation and operation of the club
shall be placed in the custody of the Secretary.
ARTICLE VI: CLUB PUBLICATION
1.
The club may
issue a monthly newsletter.
2.
The
Editor-In-Chief of the club newsletter shall be selected and appointed by the
President subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VII: AWARDS
1.
Amateur of the
Year Award is presented annually to an outstanding amateur in
2. After completing
ten (10) check-ins to the monthly SCARA HF net, a participation certificate
will be issued.
ARTICLE VIII: AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
LICENSE
1.
A trustee shall
be appointed by the Board of Directors to maintain a club amateur radio
license. The call sign of this license shall be K2BR.
2.
A trustee so
considered shall be a past or present officer of the club. The trustee's term
shall be for the normal license period. The trustee shall hold an Extra Class
license to ensure full operational privileges.
ARTICLE IX: INSURANCE
The Board of Directors
shall keep at all times, adequate liability insurance and equipment insurance
for the club.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS
1. These
by-laws may be amended by a majority of the Board of Directors present and
voting except that amendment of Article I, Section 9, or Article IX, shall
require a three-fourths majority.
2.
Proposals to
amend the by-laws shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary, who shall
read them to the Board of Directors. The President shall then refer such
proposals to the By-Laws Committee as per Article IV, Section 2.
3.
All previous
by-laws are repealed upon the adoption of these by-laws.
4.
These by-laws are
adopted by the Board of Directors at its regular business meeting of October 29, 2009, and are effective immediately.
ARTICLE XI: GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
1.
Any
member shall have the right to file a grievance against the club, or any member
of the club. All grievances should be involving club business, club members or
the club repeaters.
2.
Grievances
must be submitted in writing to the Grievance committee through any board
member, or officer.
3.
The
president will call for a committee hearing within 14 days of a grievance being
submitted.
4.
A
copy of the grievance will be forwarded to all members of the committee, as
well as all parties involved, by the secretary, within 5 days of grievance
being submitted, as well as the date of the Grievance committee hearing.
5.
All
parties involved will have the right to appear before the committee, or by
submitting in writing their response. All written responses must be submitted
within 7 days of receiving notice of grievance to the secretary.
6.
The
Grievance committee will address all written or personal responses at the
committee meeting, and forward their recommendation to the Board of Directors
for disposition.
7.
A
copy of the grievance, responses, and written recommendation of the committee
will be forwarded to all Board Members by the secretary, within 7 days of the
committees hearing.
8.
The
Board may choose to wait till the next regularly scheduled board meeting, or
may call for a special meeting, to dispose of any grievance
9.
The
Board may choose to accept the recommendation of the committee, may come up
with an alternative disposition, or no disposition at all.
10.
Grievances
may be disposed of as outlined in
the following articles and sections of the bylaws and constitution, or any
solution the board deems appropriate. They are not limited to the following.
a.
Article
IV Section 3 of the Constitution.
b.
Article
IV Section 4 of the Constitution
c.
Article
IV Section 5 of the Constitution
d.
Article
IV Section 6 of the Constitution
e.
Article
I Section 9 of the Bylaws
f.
Article
II Section 9 of the Bylaws
11.
If
a grievance is submitted against a Board Member, that Board Member shall not be
permitted to vote on the disposition of submitted grievance.
12.
Board
Members or committee members shall not respond directly to any grievances,
without proper procedure.
13.
Board
Members shall outline this procedure for grievances, not properly submitted, to
the person wishing to submit a grievance.
14.
The
decision of the Board final.
15.
The
secretary shall forward a written copy of final disposition to all parties
involved by certified, return receipt requested mail.
16.
A
grievance may be withdrawn at any time, in writing, before a final disposition
is rendered.
17.
Any
grievance so withdrawn may not be
resubmitted for reconsideration at any time.
Approved by Board Members July 26, 2018.