SARC By-Laws
By-Laws of the Surrey Amateur Radio Communications Society
By-Laws of the Surrey Amateur Radio Communications Society
SURREY AMATEUR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS No. S-14280 (as revised by Special Resolution at a Special Meeting of the Society on Nov 14, 2018)
To promote and encourage interest and activities associated with amateur radio. To assist the Community in the event of an emergency or through public service wherever radio communications may be required.
Membership in the Society shall be of four classes:
a) Honorary Member
The membership may elect, from time to time, as Honorary Members, persons known for their interest in radio or for their service to the Society. An Honorary Member shall not pay dues and shall not have a vote.
b) Licensed Member
Open to persons who hold a certificate of proficiency in radio in the Amateur Experimental Service. A Licensed Member shall pay dues and have one vote.
c) Life Member
The membership may elect, from time to time, as Life Members, persons who have performed an extraordinary service to the Society. A Life Member shall not pay dues and will have one vote.
d) Non-Licensed Member
A Non-Licensed member may be any person who wishes to participate in the Society's activities but does not hold a certificate of Proficiency in radio in the Amateur Experimental Service. A Non-Licensed Member shall pay dues and shall have one vote.
a) Applicants must complete and sign a membership application form, which will be given to the Secretary or Treasurer for processing.
b) Membership may be denied to an applicant by a majority vote of members present at a regular meeting if the applicant's prior actions or attitudes toward the aims and policies of the Society show just cause for such an action.
c) Membership is granted to an applicant upon issuance of a membership card signed by the Treasurer or Secretary.
Membership in the Society shall cease:
a) For a Licensed or Non-Licensed Member: When a member ceases to be in good standing. All members are in good standing except a member who has failed to pay his current annual membership fee or other subscription of debt due and owing by him to the Society within a period of three months or by submitting a letter of resignation.
b) Upon Death.
c) By Expulsion: Any member may be expelled by a special resolution. The member may state his case in person or in writing at the meeting at which the resolution will be considered. The member will be notified of the result by registered mail.
d) By Resignation.
a) Dues shall be payable within ninety days of the September meeting.
b) The schedule of dues deemed necessary by the membership may be revised by a simple majority at the Annual General Meeting.
a) There shall be a minimum of four (4) or maximum of eight (8) Directors, or a number determined by special resolution, elected by the membership during the Annual General Meeting.
b) Directors shall be Licensed, Non-Licensed or Life members of the Society.
c) Society Officers include the President, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer. The Society Executive includes the Officers and the Directors.
d) Immediately following the Annual General Meeting, the elected Directors will appoint Officers from the elected slate. In the absence of a willing or capable Director, the Secretary, Treasurer or Secretary/Treasurer positions may be filled by other members appointed to these positions.
e) Meetings of the Executive shall be at the call of the President or Executive majority and held at a mutually agreed upon location.
f) The Vice-president shall assume the duties of the President in the President's absence at Executive meetings.
g) 50% plus one of the Executive, including the President or Vice-president, shall comprise a quorum.
a) A regular business meeting will be held a minimum of 8 times a year at a time, place and day acceptable to the membership with adequate notice given.
b) The Executive of the Society shall, on the requisition of ten percent or more of the voting members of the Society, herein called the "requisitioners" convene a general meeting of the Society. The requisition shall state the purpose of the general meeting, be signed by the requisitioners, and delivered or sent via registered mail to the address of the Society. It may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more of the requisitioners. If within twenty-one days after the date of delivery of the requisition, the Executive does not convene a general meeting, the requisitioners, or most of them may themselves convene a general meeting to be held within four months after the date of the requisition. A general meeting convened by the requisitioners shall be convened in the same manner, as nearly as possible as a General Meeting by the Executive.
c) Special meetings may be called by the Executive provided that prior to such a meeting the general membership was notified at least 14 days in advance, in written form. A special meeting may only deal with the subject or subjects for which it was called.
d) A quorum for a Regular, Special or Annual Meeting shall be no less than twenty five percent of the membership, with at least fifty one percent of those in attendance to be voting members in good standing.
e) All Licensed Members, Non-Licensed Members in good standing and Life Members shall be eligible to vote.
f) All committees must report to the Executive monthly.
g) All committee members must be members in good standing.
a) The Society fiscal year shall be from June 1 to May 31.
b) Elections shall be conducted at the Annual General Meeting, held in June. In preparation for each election a nominating committee will be formed to ensure a full slate of nominees. Further nominations will be accepted from the floor. The list of nominees will be posted at the June meeting.
c) For a person to be accepted as a nominee for the position of Director, that person shall be a member of the Society for a minimum of one year in good standing with the Society.
d) An election may be by acclamation; otherwise, it shall be by secret ballot.
e) The new Executive shall assume its duties at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting.
f) Directors are elected for a term of two years with half elected on even numbered years, the other half to be elected during odd numbered years.
g) If no successor is elected, the person(s) previously elected or appointed continue(s) to hold office.
h) A Director shall hold office until the conclusion of his/her two-year term but may be re- elected.
i) If a Director ceases to hold office, the remaining Directors shall appoint a member to take the place of the former Director, to serve until the next Annual General meeting.
j) The members may, by special resolution, remove a director before the expiration of his/her term of office. Only members whose annual dues are paid by the AGM are eligible to vote.
The financial records of the Society shall be examined for accuracy at the end of each fiscal year by one person appointed by the Membership.
An inventory of the physical assets of the Society shall be maintained and this list shall be made available to the membership with items available to individual members on a loan basis. Specific requirements for the use of these items will be decided by the Executive or by an Inventory Committee.
a) The Society shall be under no obligation to offer any compensation to any persons who volunteer their services/labour to the Society.
b) All purchases made by Members for the Society, must be approved by the Executive or Membership before purchase.
c) The Director spending limit shall be an amount approved by a majority of the members at a regular scheduled general meeting.
d) The Director spending limit is defined as the monthly amount the Directors may spend without authorization from the membership.
e) Expenditures in excess of the spending limit, by a director, must be discussed and approved by a majority of the Society Directors prior to a vote at a general meeting.
a) The President shall preside at all meetings, enforce the Society by-laws, form/appoint committees as required, represent the Society where and when required.
b) The Vice-President shall assist the President as required and, in the absence of the President, will assume the duties of the President.
c) The Secretary shall record minutes of all meetings, keep a roll of members, carry on all correspondence, and read all communications at each meeting.
d) The Treasurer shall control and supervise the collection of all monies payable to the Society and shall keep an accurate account of all monies received and expended.
e) All cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one other member of the Executive.
f) At the expiration of their respective terms of office, members of the Executive will turn over everything in their possession belonging to the Society to their successors.
On the winding up or dissolution of the Society and after all debts are paid or provision for payment made, the assets of the Society then remaining shall be sold, distributed, transferred or delivered to such charitable institutions as the Executive and the Society Members shall resolve and approve by Special Resolution.
President
Vice-President
Secretary