FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF LAKE HARTWELL BYLAWS
(Revised 05/04/2009) ARTICLE I NAME AND ADDRESS The name of the organization shall be FRIENDSHIP FORCE OF LAKE HARTWELL (hereinafter referred to as FFOLH) with the name being written in proper sequence with no deviations. This name shall not be changed unless permission has first been obtained from Friendship Force International, hereafter referred to as FFI. The address of the Club shall be at the address of the incumbent President who will hold the original copy of these Bylaws. ARTICLE II MISSION
The Mission of FFOLH is in accordance with the ethos of Friendship Force International which is to create an environment where individual friendship can be established across the international barriers that separate people.
ARTICLE III PURPOSES
The purposes of FFOLH shall be:
(A) To provide leadership and support the cultural exchange program.
(B) To provide continuity of the activities of The Friendship Force through educational and cultural means.
(C) To increase program awareness by disseminating information to FFOLH members and to interested persons in the community.
(D) To recruit members and maintain an active membership file.
(E) To provide orderly means of assembling and retaining pertinent records for use in establishing and assisting Exchange Directors.
FFOLH is not organized and shall not be operated for pecuniary gain or profit. No part of the property of FFOLH and no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any private individual. FFOLH club shall never be authorized to engage in a regular business of a kind ordinarily carried on for profit or in any other club activity except in the furtherance of the purposes stated above for which FFOLH is organized. FFOLH shall never engage in propaganda, attempt to influence legislation, or participate in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office, nor shall any part of its property or any part of the income there from be devoted to such purpose. FFOLH shall not be affiliated with any religious organization nor engage in any religious activity.
ARTICLE IV MEMBERS
Section 1
Any individual who supports the goals and purposes of The Friendship Force and is willing to pay the required annual dues and to abide by the bylaws and standing rules as established by the Club is eligible for membership.
Section 2
A member is in good standing after having completed an application form, paying the annual dues and being apprised of the obligations of membership. Only members in good standing shall be entitled to vote and participate in club meetings.
Section3
Membership does not confer any right to participate in a Friendship Force exchange as an Ambassador or Host. Exchange participants are selected by the Exchange Director in accordance with procedures established by The Friendship Force, Inc. through its headquarters office.
Section 4
The Officers have the right to refuse to accept the membership dues of any applicant for membership, or to refuse to accept the renewal dues of any existing member who has demonstrated by his or her statement or behavior that he or she is not supportive of the rules goals and ideals of The Friendship Force. Upon taking such action, the Officers shall give written notice thereof to such member or applicant and return any money tendered as dues, whereupon that person shall no longer be considered a member. The decision of the Officers in taking such action shall be final and conclusive.
Section 5
Changes to any rules of FFOLH, other than the Bylaws (discussed in ARTICLE XI Amendments) may be proposed by any member in good standing at any Board meeting. Any discussion and decision to amend the rules will be made at the next Board meeting. Passage will require greater than 50% of the Board members present. This vote will be reported in the Newsletter and voted on by the general membership at the next regular meeting.
ARTICLE V BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 1 The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the club, the immediate Past President, Exchange Directors (while functioning as an ED), Standing Committee Chairpersons, and any additional members appointed by a majority vote of the existing Board. The members of the Board of Directors shall serve for a term of one (1) year. Section 2 The duties of the Board of Directors shall be: (A) To confirm the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees, and the members the Nominating Committee. (B) To approve the official depository or depositories for FFLOH’s funds and designate persons to sign checks and withdraw funds. (C) To elect a member of FFOLH to fill an unexpired term of an Officer or Director. (D) To manage the affairs of FFOLH and establish operating policies. (E) To authorize expenditures in excess of five hundred dollars ($500). (F) To approve a budget for the year and propose annual dues to the general membership for approval at the Annual Meeting. Section 3 Board meetings shall be held when called at the discretion of the President. Any three members of the Board, including one Officer, may call a Board meeting with at least fifteen (15) days notice. Section 4 The presence of no less than six (6) Directors, at least two (2) of which shall be officers, shall constitute a quorum. Unless a higher vote is specified herein, the vote of majority of Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be necessary to constitute the action of the Board. Section 5 In the best interest of FFOLH, any Board member may be removed from his or her post by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership in attendance at a legally called Board meeting where a quorum has been established. ARTICLE VI OFFICERS Section 1 The officers of this club shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian (the immediate Past President), and Historian. All officers, except the Parliamentarian, shall be elected by the membership. Section 2 The President shall: (A) Preside at all meetings of FFOLH and the Board of Directors. (B) Serve as liaison with FFI other FFI international organizations. (C) Serve as official spokesperson for FFOLH. (D) Appoint the Chairperson of each Standing Committee and Exchange Directors, subject to confirmation of the Board. (E) Exercise all powers and perform all duties normally incident to such offices. (F) Be authorized to sign for withdrawal of the funds of FFOLH. (G) Prepare a year end report for submission to FFI that contains: 1- The names, offices, addresses and telephone numbers of the current or incoming Board of Directors. 2- The total of paid membership for the preceding year. 3- A full financial statement for the preceding year. 4- An annual report, listing the highlights of activities of FFLOH for the preceding year. 5- The FFI Club report form. 6- Club Charter renewal application. Section 3 The Vice-President shall: (A) Perform all duties and responsibilities of the President in the absence of the President. (B) Perform such other duties as the Board of Directors may authorize. (C) In case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall become President and a new Vice-President will be elected. (D) Perform duties of Exchange Coordinator - Maintain an ED training program and provide guidance to Exchange Directors (ED) and Deputy Exchange Directors. - Serve as a resource to the ED throughout program planning and execution. - Monitor ED compliance with the schedule as outlined in the ED manual. - Ensure final reports are submitted to the club and FFI - Ensure that the balance of funds remaining after expenses is submitted to the Club treasury. - Review ED manual annually and recommend any necessary revisions. Section 4 The Secretary shall: (A) Record the minutes of each meeting of FFOLH and the Board of Directors. (B) Send a copy of the minutes to the President within a week of each such meeting. (C) Send a copy of the Board minutes to all Board members within one week. (D) Publish the approved minutes of the meeting in the newsletter. (E) Keep records of FFOLH. (F) Handle correspondence of FFOLH as directed by the President. Issue all official notices. Ensure that Notice of the Annual Meeting, together with slate of nominees for election, is published in the club newsletter distributed in October. If information is not made available for publication in the newsletter then the Secretary must send such notice to members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual Meeting. (G) Send the year End Report as defined in Article VI Section 2 Paragraph G, and the Club dues to FFI no later than February 1st. Section 5 The Treasurer shall: (A) Collect all monies due FFOLH. (B) Deposit FFOLH funds in the bank approved by the Board of Directors. (C) Keep the books of accounts of FFOLH. (D) Make a Treasurer’s report at all meetings of FFOLH and the Board of Directors, with a copy for the President and Secretary. (E) Sign for withdrawal of the funds of FFOLH and arrange for payment of accounts owed by FFOLH. Disbursements over $500 shall require prior approval of the Board of Directors. (F) Arrange for payment of accounts owed by the club. (G) Purchase supplies for the Club as authorized by the Club or the Board. (H) Prepare a Club budget by October 1st for approval by the Board and membership. (I) Prepare the books for an independent audit within fifteen (15) days of the end of the fiscal year (or as required by a vote of the Board or the membership. (J) Prepare a check for club dues to FFI to be submitted in accordance with Article VI Section 4 Paragraph G Section 6 The Parliamentarian shall: (A) Be the Past-President. (B) When called upon, assist FFOLH in the method of transacting business. Section 7 The Historian shall: (A) Keep the history of FFOLH meetings, activities and special events. (B) Take pictures at FFOLH functions. (C) Keep a scrapbook of pictures, news articles, newsletters and other pertinent information about FFOLH’s activities. (D) Display the scrapbooks at the annual meeting and at any membership function. Section 8 One member of the Board should plan to attend the FFI Annual International Conference whenever possible. All registration fees will be paid by FFOLH with payment of other expenses voted on by the General Membership.
Section 9
All elected officers and chairpersons shall prepare a report for the annual meeting. An annual report shall be submitted to FFI at the end of the year.
Section 10
The President-elect shall verify that the annual report from the previous year is on file at FFI. Any property pertaining to an office or standing committee must be given to the incoming officer or chairperson within two (2) weeks of assuming office.
ARTICLE VII NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1
Candidates for elective club offices in FFOLH shall be members in good standing and shall be elected for a term of one (1) year. All Officers may succeed themselves for one (1) additional, consecutive term. The elected officers shall assume office at the beginning of the fiscal year on January 1st .
Section 2
The election of officers shall be held at the annual meeting in November. Voting for officers shall be by secret ballot. Only members present and in good standing may vote. There shall be no voting by proxy. In the event of a tie vote, another ballot must be taken. If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present shall be required to elect each officer. If there is only one (1) nominee for an office, voting for that office may be by voice vote.
Section 3
At least two (2) months prior to the date of the annual meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee. This committee shall consist of three (3) members. This committee shall make nominations, with the consent of those nominated, and report these to the Club Secretary at least one month prior to the annual meeting so that notice can be sent to the Members with the notice of Annual Meeting. At the annual meeting the President shall receive from the floor further nominations with the consent of the nominees.
ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES
Section 1
Standing Committees (and primary responsibilities) shall be:
A. Publicity (external communications on Club activities)
B. Ways and Means (fund raising activities for application to Inbound Exchanges, the general treasury and special expenditures as approved by the Board.)
C. Newsletter (Newsletter and Club directory)
D. Hospitality (meeting host schedule)
E. Sunshine (Spread cheer to those in need)
F. Web Coordinator (Change and update web site)
G. Exchange Coordinator (Vice-President)
H. Membership
(-Provide a guest book to record guest’s name, address and phone number.
- Receive and review all new and renewal applications. Forward all applications to Treasurer
- Maintain the Club file of Member Profile Forms
- Follow up with guests to encourage them to join and to attend Club activities.
- Provide each new member with a guide to Club activities and responsibilities.
- Introduce new members at Club meetings
- Report to the Board regularly on the number of guests and members)
Section 2
Each Standing Committee Chairperson may appoint members to their committee and give a list of such appointed members to the Secretary. An annual report for the committee shall be presented at the annual meeting. Additional standing committees may be created by a majority vote of a quorum of the board.
Section 3
Ad Hoc Committees may be appointed by the President, the Board of Directors or by a majority vote of the membership. They are automatically dismissed after the final report of the committee is submitted to the Board.
Section 4
The term of office of each Standing Committee Chairperson (Director) shall be concurrent with the term of office for elected officers of FFOLH.
ARTICLE IX EXCHANGE DIRECTOR
Section 1
Exchange Directors shall work closely with the Exchange Coordinator to:
(A) Arrange for the visitation of groups coming to FFOLH and/or supervise the details and activities of members of FFOLH traveling to other countries.
(B) Coordinate with other Exchange Directors, both within the United States and abroad.
(C) Recruit and oversee qualified members of an Exchange Committee to insure that only suitable applicants become Ambassadors and Hosts; also recruit members to other appropriate committees (communications, finance, publicity, etc.) needed for exchange projects and coordinate their activities with FFOLH Standing Committees. Members of any such committee shall be listed and submitted to the Secretary.
(D) Present a report of the exchange activities at a club meeting following the Exchange.
Section 2
There may be more than one Club Exchange Director at any one time.
Section 3
Exchange Directors, while functioning on an exchange project, will serve on the Board of Directors. When their duties are complete for that project, they drop off the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X MEETINGS
Section 1
The annual meeting of the club shall be held during the month of November at a time and place to be designated by the President. The Notice of the Annual meeting will be distributed in accordance with ARTICLE VI Section 4 Paragraph F.
Section 2
Regular meetings of FFOLH shall be held as designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 3
A special meeting of FFOLH may be called by the President.
Section 4
A quorum for FFOLH meetings shall be one-half (1/2) of the membership. Unless a higher vote is specified herein, decisions or actions taken or adopted by majority of the members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall constitute the action of FFLOH.
ARTICLE XI AMENDMENTS
The bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of FFOLH. Provided prior approval has been obtained from FFI and notice about such an amendments has been given to the membership at least seven (7) days before the meeting, the bylaws are amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present at such meeting having a quorum.
ARTICLE XII RULES OF ORDER
“Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised” shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered in these bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of FFOLH, all of the assets of FFLOH shall be distributed to the extent allowed under applicable law, to FFI, Inc., a non-profit corporation, provided that the corporation is then in existence and is such a tax exempt organization. If FFI should not be in existence at the time of said dissolution, then the assets of the club shall be sold and the proceeds distributed to another corporation organized and operating exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes. Such corporation shall be selected by the Board of Directors of FFOLH. In the event that, for any reason, upon dissolution of FFOLH, the board of Directors shall fail to act in the manner herein provided. An arbitrator shall be appointed of no lesser standing than a Justice of the Peace in the community of Hart County, State of Georgia, who shall make such distribution referred to herein.
STANDING RULES
Revised 05/04/2009
MEETINGS
A. Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors, general meetings for FFOLH will be held on the first (1st) Monday of every month, except December.
B. The Annual Meeting shall be at the regularly scheduled Club meeting in November.
DUES
A. Annual dues of FFOLH shall be twenty eight dollars ($28) for a single membership, and forty five dollars ($45) for a family membership. Dues are to be paid by December 1st for memberships the following calendar year.
B. Members who have not paid dues by March 1st shall be dropped from the membership rolls.
C. Any change in the amount of annual dues must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Board of Directors attending a board meeting having a quorum. Notice of such change must be published in FFLOH newsletter and voted on by the general membership at the Annual Meeting with greater than 50% of the members voting to pass. It will be effective on January 1st of the following year.
BYLAWS
Each member in good standing on February 1st shall receive a copy of the Bylaws with their Membership Directory
Anyone joining FFOLH on or after September 1st of a current year shall be considered as fully paid for the following calendar year. Any financial problems with FFI because of this will be covered by FFOLH.
Adopted 10/2/95
