GLASC Bylaws

 

Updated 02/11/03

 

 

Name:

Gay and Lesbian Association of Santa Clarita (GLASC)

 

Purpose:

GLASC is a volunteer organization for gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) people.  GLASC is an organization that strives to promote entertainment and friendship, community goodwill, and otherwise advance the education and interests of the GLBT community.

 

Membership:

Membership is open to all adults at least eighteen (18) years of age or emancipated minors that support the purpose of the organization. Subsequently, the GLASC Board of Directors reserves the right to deny membership to anyone pursuant to the guidelines contained within these by-laws.

 

Governing Body:

The Board of Directors shall consist or four (4) officers and three (3) members-at-large.

 

The executive board shall be President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

 

All Board of Directors positions will be directly elected at the annual general election meeting.

 

Election of Governing Body:

Election shall take place at the Annual General Membership Meeting to be held the third Saturday in September of each year. All members in good standing are eligible to run for positions on the Board. In good standing for voting shall be members who have paid annual dues in full at least four (4) months prior to the date of the election. To be considered, candidates must be GLASC members in good standing who have attended at least one GLASC Board meeting in the previous year.

 

A person or persons designated by the GLASC Board, will be responsible for scheduling the annual meeting, finding and reserving a venue, creating ballot slips for all positions, checking to make certain only valid members are in attendance, and distributing official ballot slips.  They will call the meeting to order, and introduce the first speaker.

 

New Board members will take office at the close of the Annual Meeting. The term of office shall be for one (1) year.  No Board member shall hold the same office for more than three (3) consecutive terms. 

 

Within fourteen (14) days of the election, the outgoing board members will transfer all club property, including but not limited to:  databases, accounting records, membership lists & records, meeting minutes, phone lists, email accounts, passwords, software (including licenses and original documentation), stationery, postage, supplies and keys.  It is strongly suggested that outgoing Board Members bring club property to the Annual Meeting for transfer to the incoming Board Members at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. 

 

Meetings:

The Board of Directors will hold regularly scheduled meetings not less than bimonthly. All regularly scheduled meetings will be published in the newsletter in advance. The President may call Special meetings with a three (3) day notice provided to all members of the Board. A quorum of the Board of Directors must be present to conduct any business. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of Board Members. All meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to all GLASC members. The Board of Directors may enter executive session to discuss sensitive issues, but no vote may be taken in executive session. If the President is absent from any meeting, the Vice-President shall preside over the meeting. If both the President and Vice President are absent, the Board of Directors may appoint another member of the Board to preside.  The Secretary is responsible for providing a meeting synopsis for all meetings held between the previous newsletter deadline and the upcoming newsletter deadline to the Newsletter Editor for inclusion in the club newsletter before the upcoming newsletter deadline.

 

Replacement of Board Members:

Any Board member that is absent from any three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings may, at the discretion of the Board, be contacted by the Secretary, or their designee within one (1) week of the third absence.  When contact is made, communication regarding the absentee Board Member’s commitment to the Board will be initiated. 

 

If contact cannot be made within one (1) week by any other means, a letter will be sent via registered mail with return postcard to the absentee Board Member at their current newsletter delivery address on file, requesting that the absentee Board Member contact the Secretary before the next regularly scheduled board meeting.  The letter must also include the date, time and location of the next regularly scheduled board meeting.  If the return postcard is received, and the absentee Board Member has not responded by the next regularly scheduled board meeting, a copy of the letter that was sent, the original return postcard will be given to the Secretary to be included in club records.  The absentee Board Member will then be considered to have constructively resigned with no further discussion.

 

If a Board Member chooses to resign, their resignation will be accepted either verbally by an Officer or in writing to any board member, and the resignation will become effective at the next regularly scheduled board meeting, when the Secretary includes the interaction in their report.  The resigning Board Member may alter their decision by personally attending the next regularly scheduled board meeting and indicating their desire to change their decision, at which point they will retain their position.

 

Any vacated Board Position will be filled by the Board from its members or from other interested GLASC members at the conclusion of the regularly scheduled Board Meeting immediately following the vacancy.  In the case of a constructive resignation, the position may be filled starting at the end of the meeting where the Secretary submits evidence of the attempt to contact the absentee Board Member by registered mail. 

 

Removal of Members:

The Board of Directors reserves the right to expel, by a majority vote of the Board, any member for actions that are adverse or harmful to the Gay and Lesbian Association of Santa Clarita or any of its members.   In any such case, the member will be contact in writing by the Secretary indicating that a problem has been identified or a concern raised and that the board requests their presence at the next board meeting to discuss the situation.  If the member does not attend, or if the Board is not satisfied that the discussion with the member has resolved the situation, then by a simple majority of the board the individual’s membership may be terminated.

 

 

Termination of Membership:

Termination of membership means suspension of all rights and privileges as a GLASC member. A member terminated from GLASC may not attend any GLASC function in any capacity, including - but not limited to - being invited as a personal guest of a GLASC member for a term determined by the Board. In addition this person may not return to GLASC as a member for a period of time determined by the Board.

 

Bank Accounts:

The Board of Directors shall have the authority to open bank accounts in the name of GLASC and to regulate withdrawals for the accounts. All checks and withdrawals shall require two (2) signatures. Only the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and up to one other member of the Board as determined by the Board at its discretion shall have the authority to sign checks.  

 

Expenses incurred by Board Members and Committee Chairpersons in line with annual budgets do not need pre-approval.  All expenses must be submitted in an expense report that is submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement.  Receipts need to be included with their related expense report.  In the unusual circumstance that a receipt is lost, the Treasurer may sign off on an expenditure of up to $25 and reimburse the member.  Expenditures over $25 without receipts may be signed off by both the Treasurer and President, provided the expense is verified.

 

Financial Year:  the fiscal year for Glasc shall begin on October 1st of each year and end on September 30th of the following year.

 

Dues:

Dues will be paid in accordance with Appendix 2 which includes the payment structure, and is maintained as necessary by the GLASC Board of Directors.  In addition, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to waive dues for individuals or to initiate promotional dues structure by majority vote as they deem appropriate.

 

Amendments to the Bylaws:

Board of Director proposed amendments to the bylaws shall be by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors. Member proposed amendments to the bylaws shall be presented in writing to the Board of Directors at least ten (10) days before the general membership meeting. Member proposed bylaw amendments should be passed by a simple majority vote of the GLASC general membership at the Annual General Membership Meeting.

 

Liability:

No member of the GLASC Board of Directors shall be personally liable to the club or its members for monetary damages, except that this provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a Director for any of the following:

  1. A breach of the Director’s duty of loyalty to the club or its members.
  2. Acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law.
  3. A transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit.
  4. An act or omission that is grossly negligent.

 

Dissolution:

In the event of dissolution, any remaining assets will be distributed to another organization which supports the purpose of GLASC.  This organization will be chosen and recorded by each incoming Board of Directors at their first meeting after the annual election.  If a suitable organization has not been chosen, it must be chosen at the board meeting immediately following the recognition of the oversight.  This will be recorded in the minutes of the organization.

 

 

 

Appendixes

 

Appendix 1

 

Definition of Roles of GLASC Board of Directors:

 

Board of Directors - The individual members who make up the Board of Directors are GLASC's goodwill ambassadors and official elected representatives of the organization. The Board of Directors is elected by the GLASC general membership to make decisions for and act in the best interest of the organization on behalf of the general membership. It is incumbent upon the Board of Directors to take into consideration items of concern or interest to the general membership and to take action accordingly. All GLASC Board of Directors positions are filled on a voluntary basis and receive no compensation for services rendered to GLASC.

 

President - As GLASC's primary goodwill ambassador and an official representative of the organization, the President interacts with the community, other organizations, and the general public in a positive manner. The President presides over all meetings of the GLASC Board of Directors. The President does not vote in matters of the Board of Directors, except when it is necessary to break a tie vote. The President uses his or her own discretion in identifying and responding to items of concern to the organization. When appropriate and necessary, the President will speak on behalf of the GLASC organization either verbally or in written form, but must at all times represent the organization's standpoint whether or not it is his or her own personal viewpoint.

 

Vice-President - As a goodwill ambassador and an official representative of the organization, the Vice-President interacts with the community, other organizations, and the general public in a positive manner. The Vice-President presides over any meetings of the GLASC Board of Directors when the President is absent. The Vice-President assists the President in administrative tasks associated with Board of Director meetings, including preparing agendas, facilitating meetings, and incidental correspondence. The Vice-President votes in all matters of the Board of Directors.

 

Secretary - As a goodwill ambassador and an official representative of the organization, the Secretary's primary function is to take minutes at all GLASC meetings, transcribe, and publish them for distribution to all GLASC BOD members in a timely manner. It is also the Secretary's responsibility to keep and file all meeting information pertinent and important to the GLASC organization for possible future reference. The Secretary votes in all matters of the Board of Directors.

 

Treasurer - As a goodwill ambassador and an official representative of the organization, the Treasurer is responsible for all deposits, issuing of checks, account balancing and auditing. The Treasurer shall report all account transactions to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis and shall report to the annual general membership on a yearly basis. The Treasurer votes in all matters of the Board of Directors.

 

Members-at-Large - As goodwill ambassadors and official representatives of the organization, the Members-at-Large vote in all matters of the Board of Directors. Members-at-Large will be asked to take on duties and/or responsibilities not specifically assigned to the other Board members.

 

 

 

 

Appendix 2

 

Membership Dues:

 

Base Annual Membership:  $ 12.00

 

Additional Family Member: $8.00

 

All members pay the annual fee mentioned above and will renew on the anniversary date of their paid membership.