Bylaws

ARTICLE I

NAME

This organization shall be the Newcomers & Neighbors Club of Pound Ridge, hereafter referred to as the Club.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

Social: To welcome new residents of Pound Ridge and the surrounding areas and build relationships amongst our neighbors by introducing them to others and including them in the social life in the Pound Ridge community.

Civic: To build a stronger community through promoting social and civic welfare by showing what the community has to offer.

How-Tos:

Encourage members to learn about their town, its culture, activities, and lifestyle.
Help newcomers in the area adjust to their new surroundings by recommending where to shop, dine, and find local services.
Develop friendships by sharing interests and hobbies with one another.
Offer support and guidance to residents, new and old.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1: Eligibility: Any resident, newcomers or existing residents, residing in the greater Pound Ridge area wishing to subscribe to the purpose of the Club by adhering to the Bylaws of the organization, shall be eligible for membership. A resident or newcomer shall include any and all adults residing at the same address. Membership is open to all persons regardless of race, religion, creed, sex, or origin of birth. Membership dues must be paid.

Section 2: A prospective resident or newcomer does not need to attend an event before joining although it is recommended that they do.

Section 3: Terms of Membership: Active membership does not have a term limit. The membership year runs from September 1^st through June 30^th. If paid membership is interrupted, active membership status shall be terminated. Active membership will receive discounts on all club events and activities. Honorary members may attend meetings or social functions but may not vote. Honorary members do not have to pay dues, but must pay for social functions nor take advantage of any members-only perks (discounts, etc).

Section 4: Annual dues in the amount of $40 per household shall be payable on August 1^st for the upcoming year. Annual dues can be paid at any time throughout the season. The fiscal year runs July to June.

Section 5: A member may resign or withdraw from membership in the club at any time. If a member is indebted to the club at the time of withdrawal, resignation, or termination, all indebtedness must be paid. Dues and related fees will not be refunded.

ARTICLE IV

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1: Executive Officers shall be comprised of President, Vice President (2), Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Advertising Chairperson, Publicity Chairperson, Membership Chairperson and Webmaster.

The Executive Officers shall perform duties as provided herein and shall hold office for one year. There are no term limits.

Section 2: Candidates for the Executive Officers must be nominated by at least one member of the Board of Directors.

Candidates shall be nominated by April 30^th.

Section 3: The proposed slate of Executive Officers and of Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be announced and elected on at the May General Membership Meeting and shall be published in the June newsletter and/or website.

Nominations may be made from the floor at that time provided the nominee’s consent has been obtained before the name is entered on the slate. If there is more than one candidate for an office, paper ballots shall be cast.

Section 4: In the event that a member is unable to attend a meeting where a vote will take place, said member may submit written ballot via e-mail or written ballot.

Installation shall be made at the June Board of Directors installation dinner. Terms of all Officers and Chairperson shall commence at that time.

Section 5: A vacancy in any office or Standing Committee Chairperson position shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors and any members present at the meeting.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1: The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Club and Board and shall appoint the Chairmen of the Standing Committees, subject to the approval of the Board, and shall prescribe their duties. The President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees except for the Nominating Committee. The President shall lead, motivate and recruit new members and volunteers. The President will also keep the club organized and focused in order to accomplish goals for upcoming year. The President’s focus shall remain on maintaining a positive image for the club in the community and keeping membership at the highest possible level.

Section 2: The VICE PRESIDENT (2) shall preside in the absence of the President and shall perform such other duties as delegated by the President. The Vice President shall assist the President with leading, motivating and recruiting new members and volunteers. The Vice President shall work with local real estate offices to gather addresses of newcomers in the area and follow-up with the Town of Pound Ridge for names of those new residents.

Section 3: The SECRETARY shall be the custodian of the permanent records of the Club and a copy of each newsletter. The Secretary shall keep and make available all minutes of all Board of Directors meetings, all Executive Committee meetings, and all General Membership meetings and shall provide the Board of Directors with copies. The Secretary shall maintain the calendar of events for the club and share all such information with the Webmaster and Newsletter Director. The Secretary shall keep track of all club property, including the state of repair and location of possessions. A list of all inventories shall be presented at each General Membership meeting. The Secretary will also keep a contact list for club’s executive officers, board members, chairpersons and volunteers.

Section 4: The TREASURER shall have full custody of all funds of the organization, shall receive all dues and related fees, and shall make all authorized disbursements. The Treasurer shall present a financial status of the Club at all club meetings and shall provide copies for all attendees of those meetings. A statement shall be prepared to reflect the actual income and expenditures compared to the budgeted income and expenditure. The Treasurer shall propose an annual budget at the end of the fiscal year, August 31^st, (along with the outgoing Treasurer). The Treasurer shall work with Newsletter Director to maintain complete membership information including but not limited to membership status, address, phone, etc.

Section 5: The NEWSLETTER EDITOR/ADVERTISING CHAIRPERSON shall be responsible for the preparation and publication of the newsletter. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for maintaining advertisement and securing new advertisement. Advertisement in our bimonthly newsletter is $85 for the full season or $30 for one edition.

Section 6: The PUBLICITY CHAIRPERSON shall be responsible for all publicity and e-mail notices for all club events and notices including but not limited to distributing flyers in the community, contacting local press, and keeping the Town Hall informed of all the clubs activities. The Publicity Chairperson shall e-mail updated event information to websites that contain our club information.

Section 7: The MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON shall be responsible for our membership database and mailing database working with the Treasurer and Vice President. This chairperson will also send out Welcome Letters and seed packets.

Section 8: The WEBMASTER shall be responsible for maintaining the website for the club. The website will be updated on a monthly basis.

ARTICLE VI

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall consist of all members of the Executive Office. Any member of the Executive Committee can call a special meeting of that committee. The Executive Committee may exercise all powers of that body, providing the President is presiding and nothing is done in contrary to the policies of the club.

Section 2: The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Committee and Chairpersons from the Standing Committees and any Interest Group. At the beginning of each year, the Executive Committee shall determine the date of the Board of Directors meeting (preferably at the installation dinner in August). The Board of Directors shall handle all general business for the club.

Section 3: Function of the Board: Approve the program for each fiscal year. They shall authorize and control expenditures. It shall be their duty to carry out the purposes of the Newcomers Club according to the by-laws. In the event of a resignation, the Board shall select a successor who shall take office immediately and serve until the next election.

ARTICLE VII

MEETINGS

Section 1: The General Membership meeting of the Club shall be held at least once every three months.

Section 2: General Membership meetings are open to all members and guests.

Section 3: The Board of Directors shall meet at least once a year, preferably in July at the close of the season and for preparation of the upcoming season.

ARTICLE VIII

STANDING COMMITTEES AND INTEREST GROUPS

Section 1: Standing Committee Chairpersons may select their own committee members from the general membership or someone outside the membership. They are free to select chairpersons to take the lead on events for their committee. The Chairpersons for the Standing Committee are volunteers from our membership.

Section 2: Interest Groups shall select their chairpersons from the general membership or someone outside the membership.

Section 3: Chairpersons must submit a budget to the Treasurer prior to the event, with the goal of not losing money on the event.

Section 4: The Board of Directors reserves the right to review any Club activity with respects to the Standing Committees and Interest Groups.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS AND RULES

Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended or discontinued by a majority vote at one of the regular General Membership meetings held every quarter.

Section 2: Proposed Bylaw changes must be published in the newsletter or on the website prior to voting at the General Membership meeting.

Section 3: Bylaws shall be reviewed and updated annually and approved at the Board of Directors meeting (preferably at installation dinner in August).

STANDING RULES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITIES

The President shall oversee the following:

Each Board of Director shall attend the Board of Director’s meeting (preferably at installation dinner in June) if possible making suggestions for future activities and procedures.
Each outgoing Executive Officer and Standing Committee Chairperson shall submit two copies of their responsibilities and any standard operating procedures for any events to each incoming Officer or Chairperson between the May General Membership Meeting and the June Board of Directors meeting.
The President will give one copy to the Secretary to be added to the club’s records.

COMMUNICATIONS

Bylaws shall be posted on the website.
The names of all adults residing at the same address and wishing to be Members shall be listed on the same application.
One paid membership entitles members to receive a discount at all club events and functions and participation in “members-only” perks (i.e. discounts).

DONATIONS

Any donations made on the Club’s behalf, must be approved by the Board of Directors first.

PARTNERSHIPS

The formation of any partnership with local businesses shall be presented to the Executive Committee for approval.

PRIVACY

All personal information collected from our members including but not limited to, name, address, phone, email, or any other private information will not be shared with any Interest Group or other party other than the private use of the club. Any officer, board member, or volunteer cannot use any information of our members or club for their personal or professional use.

DISSOLUTION

In the event of the dissolution of the Club, all remaining assets of the Club, including cash, shall be donated to local charities as determined by the Board, provided that there is sufficient cash to cover the expenses of winding up the affairs of the Club and shall be retained for that purpose.