By-Laws

NEWCOMERS CLUB OF RALEIGH, INC.

By-laws approved April 21, 2009

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Newcomers Club of Raleigh, Inc.

ARTICLE II: OBJECT

This Club is non-profit and non-discriminatory and its purpose is to provide a means for newly arrived persons to Raleigh and the outlying communities to become better acquainted with each other through social and educational activities.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

SECTION A. A prospective member shall be any new resident of Raleigh or outlying communities who has become a resident within the past five (5) years or is a former Newcomers Club of Raleigh member and shall be eligible for membership for as long as he/she pays member dues. A member also has the option of joining Raleigh Newcomers Alumni Club after three (3) years.

SECTION B. Membership is for social contact between members and is NOT to be used for commercial gain. This includes but is not limited to communication sent via mail, email or phone. At the monthly coffee, members can display business cards and other information. They can also place ads in the monthly newsletter for a fee.

SECTION C. Prospective members may attend two coffees and one regular luncheon meeting before being required to join the Club.

SECTION D. Participation in interest groups shall be limited to members.

ARTICLE IV: DUES

SECTION A. Dues of this Club shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION B. New members must pay dues at the time they join. If joining between April 1 and May 31, there is no renewal fee due until June of the following year. Renewal dues must be paid during the renewal period, June 1 through June 30.

SECTION C. A written notice that annual dues are payable by June 30 shall be printed in May and June monthly newsletters.

SECTION D. Members dropped because of failure to pay dues by June 30 may be reinstated through December 31 of the current year. Reinstatement requires payment of current annual dues plus an additional five dollars ($5.00).

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

SECTION A. Regular luncheon meetings of the Club shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

SECTION B. Other meetings may be called at the discretion of the President.

SECTION C. Payment for non-canceled reservations must be made before a member is permitted to attend another Newcomers luncheon/meeting.

ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THEIR DUTIES

SECTION A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following officers: President, President-Elect, Vice President for Membership, Vice President for Programs, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Vice President for Programs, and Parliamentarian.

SECTION B. These members may be nominated to hold the same office for an additional year, provided he/she has satisfactorily exercised his/her duties in the first year. The Treasurer's position, requiring the skills of a professional accountant, shall serve at the President's discretion and shall not require annual re-election.

SECTION C. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Chairperson ex officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall maintain a handbook of duties of all Board members.

SECTION D. The President-Elect shall perform the duties in the absence of the President and, if she/he is going to be absent, the President-Elect shall appoint one of the Vice Presidents to perform the duties of the office.

SECTION E. The Vice President for Membership shall be responsible for enrolling new members, and for maintaining and compiling a new member list for the Newsletter. This Officer shall invite all prospective members to membership coffees, collect renewal dues, maintain a membership file and inform the database coordinator of all membership changes.

SECTION F. The Vice President for Programs shall arrange programs and shall select suitable meeting places for the monthly luncheon meetings. The plans for each meeting shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

SECTION G. The Secretary shall record the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall advise board members of Board meetings, count votes when voting is done, record minutes of any meeting when a vote is taken, and carry on all correspondence with individuals and societies. Further, the Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining club records to include names and addresses of the Board and a current copy of By-laws and Club Policies, including a dated copy of all by-law Revisions.

SECTION H. The Treasurer shall receive all monies for the Club, keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures, pay all bills approved by the Board of Directors, and submit monthly reports at the Board of Directors' meetings. The Treasurer shall close the books and submit a balance sheet at the end of the term, and file an annual information tax return if required. All checks of $2,000 or more shall require two signatures (any two of the Treasurer, President, President-Elect or Vice President for Membership). Checks under $2,000.00 shall require only one of the above-listed signatures. The Treasurer shall also maintain an inventory of club property.

SECTION I. The Assistant Vice President for Programs shall assist the Vice President for Programs and attend monthly luncheon meetings.

SECTION J. The Parliamentarian shall advise the President, Board, and general membership on Parliamentarian law and procedure according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised. The Parliamentarian shall make sure that the By-laws and Policies are followed by all members. Every two years, the Parliamentarian, assisted by the President-Elect and one other member, is charged with the Revisions of the club’s by-laws and policies.

ARTICLE VII: STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEIR DUTIES

SECTION A. The Standing Committees shall consist of the following: Publicity, Hospitality, Reservations, Historian/ Photographer, Interest Groups, Editor, Publisher, Directory, Gadabouts, Database Coordinator and Webmaster.

SECTION B. These members may be nominated to hold the same office for an additional year, provided he/she has satisfactorily exercised his/her duties the first year.

SECTION C. The Publicity Chairperson shall be responsible for providing information about Club activities to local newspapers, TV-radio stations, Chamber of Commerce, realtors, corporations, and any other pertinent organizations.

SECTION D. The Reservations Chairperson shall take all reservations, cancellations, and payment for regular luncheon meetings, prepare nametags, and attend all luncheons to register guests.

SECTION E. The Historian/Photographer shall create a Club activity scrapbook. At the end of the Club year, a typed summary of the year’s activities shall be added to it. This book shall become part of the Club’s archives maintained by the Historian/Photographer. If the President wishes to have a duplicate copy, then it shall be made and presented at the May installation.

SECTION F. The Interest Group Chairperson shall be responsible for organizing diverse interest groups to accommodate the interests of the members and for coordinating a presentation of current interest groups at monthly coffees. A report shall be made to the Board concerning all interest groups and proposed plans. This chairperson is also responsible for ensuring that a list of current interest groups is given to the Newsletter Editor monthly. These groups shall be financially self-sufficient.

SECTION G. The Editor shall be responsible for the layout of the newsletter. The information shall be gathered from the Board of Directors and Interest Group Chairpersons for monthly publication. All other information for publication shall be approved by the President. The Editor shall provide the monthly newsletter to the Webmaster for posting to the Club website. The Editor is also responsible for finding two proofreaders who shall be responsible for proofreading all monthly newsletters, the annual directory, and any other Club material as needed.

SECTION H. The Publisher shall be responsible for publishing and distributing the monthly newsletter by email or, at a member’s request, in printed form by US mail. A report of printing and mailing expenses and distribution numbers shall be given to the Treasurer and to the Board of Directors on a monthly basis. The Board must approve any additional expenses prior to disbursement.

SECTION I. The Directory Chairperson shall be responsible for preparing and distributing (with the help of the Newsletter Publisher, the Database Coordinator and the Proofreaders) the annual membership directory. The method of funding directory expenses shall be determined by the Board of Directors. A file of past directories shall be maintained.

SECTION J. The Gadabouts Chairperson(s) shall be responsible for planning and executing a variety of tours and/or trips for Newcomer members and their spouses or guests several times during the year. The fee shall be set for each tour or special event based upon the expected costs, on a break-even basis. These functions shall be financially self-sufficient. A report shall be made regularly to the Board on proposed plans and a summary of each event after its completion.

SECTION K. The Hospitality Chairperson shall be responsible for greeting prospective members at the Monthly Coffee and Luncheon Meetings. This chairperson shall organize a telephone committee, if needed, to help welcome new members each month. This Chairperson shall be responsible for recruiting two (2) coffee hostesses who shall be responsible for providing refreshments and seasonal decorations at the Monthly Coffee.

SECTION L. The Database Coordinator shall be responsible for maintaining up-to-date membership information and shall inform the Newsletter Editor of any new members for inclusion in the monthly newsletters. This chairperson shall serve at the discretion of the President and shall not require annual reelection. The coordinator shall provide a monthly extract of the membership database to the Webmaster for posting to the Club website.

SECTION M. The Webmaster shall be responsible for designing, maintaining, and updating the Club website, in accordance with the decisions of the Board of Directors. In addition to the unrestricted, public-access section of the website, the site shall include a secure, restricted-access section with confidential member and Club information that only members can view.

ARTICLE VIII: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION A. The Board of Directors shall be composed of the Executive Committee and the Chairpersons of the standing committees. Any Club member may attend but not participate at Board meetings. The Executive Committee and the standing committee chairpersons shall have the only votes.

SECTION B. Fifty percent of the Board of Directors plus 1 member shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board.

SECTION C. The Board of Directors shall have the power to create or discontinue Club policies from time to time when considered advisable in the best interests of the Club.

SECTION D. The President shall appoint a replacement to fill vacancies occurring in the elected positions for the unexpired term after polling the Executive Committee. In the event the office of President becomes vacant before the term has expired, the President-Elect shall assume all duties of the position. An individual appointed by the President to fill a vacant position shall not be counted as being part of a full year of service.

SECTION E. The Board of Directors shall meet once a month to transact the business of the Club. Meetings shall be held the first Tuesday of each month unless otherwise designated by the Board of Directors.

SECTION F. Attendance at monthly Board meetings is required. If a member of the Board of Directors is absent from three Board meetings without the President's approval, that member may be replaced by a vote taken at a regular Board of Directors meeting.

SECTION G. There shall be a joint Board meeting of the incoming and outgoing Board members in May.

SECTION H. All newly elected Board members shall assume their duties upon installation at the May luncheon meeting. Each outgoing Board member shall turn over all records and review his/her job description with the elected successor. A copy of the job description shall be given to the President and each successor.

ARTICLE IX: NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION A. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President-Elect to include the current President-Elect as chairperson, and shall be approved by the Board of Directors at the November Board meeting. The committee shall consist of no fewer than three (3) and no more than five (5) members, including the chairperson.

SECTION B. Candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee may be supplemented by nominations from the floor before voting, provided the proposed candidate's permission has been received in advance. If there are nominations from the floor, vote shall be by secret ballot. The nominee for President shall be either a current or past Board member. Only if it is not possible to have a nominee for President from the current or past Board shall the nominee for President be from the Club's membership-at-large. The candidate receiving the majority of votes cast for an office shall be the winner of that office. If there are no nominations from the floor, vote shall be by acclamation. This committee shall make necessary preparations for the elections.

SECTION C. Nominations shall be announced in March. Voting shall take place at the April luncheon meeting and/or by mail. Officers shall be installed at the May meeting.

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

SECTION A. Every two years, the Parliamentarian, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a committee to review the By-Laws of the Club. However, the By-Laws of this Club may be amended at any time by a two-thirds vote of members voting. Voting may be in person or by written proxy at any general meeting, or by mail, as determined by the Board of Directors. Previous written notice of the proposed amendment(s) must be given to all members one month prior to the vote. All proposed amendments shall be dated and kept on file in the By-Laws notebook maintained by the Secretary.

ARTICLE XI: SPECIAL COMMITTEES

SECTION A. An Auditor (not to include authorized check signers) to be appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors shall audit the books once a year after the end of the fiscal year (the fiscal year being June 1 to May 31) and present the report to the Board at their next scheduled meeting.