CASCADIA CHAPTER OF RVING WOMEN
BYLAWS 2008
A. The official name of this organization is the Cascadia Chapter, a Chapter. A Chapter of RVing Women. This Chapter was chartered on
B. This Chapter encompasses the State of
C. The home state of this Chapter shall be the State of Washington, USA.
Article II. Government
The Bylaws of the Cascadia Chapter shall govern the Chapter in all practices. The Bylaws of the Chapter shall in no way conflict with the Bylaws of the national organization of RVing Women. Every amendment to the Bylaws of the Chapter shall become effective and binding on the Chapter. The Rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be used.
Article III. Character, Purpose and Objectives
A. This Chapter is a subordinate organization of the tax-exempt central organization RVing Women as defined by the Internal Revenue Service and, as such, is subject to the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(7).
This Chapter is organized and operated exclusively for social and recreational purposes as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(7). This Chapter may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities, and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates. All the assets and earnings of this Chapter shall be used exclusively for the purposes set forth above and no part of the net earnings of this Chapter may inure to any private individual. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of RVing Women or the Bylaws of this Chapter, this Chapter shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code.
B. The purpose of the Chapter shall be to promote RVing for women by providing its members with educational opportunities for the exchange of ideas, information, and networking. The goal is to build confidence, promote safety and to nurture camaraderie among women RVers while facilitating enjoyable RVing opportunities.
Article IV. Membership
A. Chapter members must be members of RVing Women.
B. Members will be admitted by payment of Chapter dues, along with evidence of payment of dues to RVing Women for the current year.
C. It is not necessary to own an RV to become a member.
D. To expel a Chapter member, Chapter Officers shall follow the guidelines set forth by RVing Women.
E. Membership in this Chapter is not transferable or assignable.
Article V. Meetings
A. Regular and Annual Meetings
A minimum of two (2) Chapter business meetings shall be held during the fiscal year provided that at least thirty (30) days notice is given as to date, time and place to all members.
B. Special Meetings for members
May be called by the President or by 5% of active members, provided at least thirty (30) days notice is given to all members.
C. .Board meetings are open to all members except for unexpected calling of “special meetings of the “Board”, (Article VII. Offices, B, 8), a schedule of Board meetings shall be posted for members. Members wishing to observe Board meetings shall give prior notice to the President.
D. Committee Meetings
Will be coordinated and scheduled by the chair of the designated committee. Results of committee meetings will be reported to the Board of Directors, allowing the President or her designee to report the results of committee work to the general membership.
Article VI. Records
A. A set of current Chapter Bylaws will be made available to members at all Chapter events.
B. All minutes of Board and Chapter meetings shall be on file and available to members for reference within 30 days after the date of each meeting.
C. A written report of the Chapter’s current financial status shall be available for membership review at all Chapter events.
Article VII. Offices
A. Board of Directors
The President, President-elect, Event Activity Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar are elected positions and shall constitute 6 of the 7 voting members of the Board of Directors. The immediate past President, or an experienced Cascadia member appointed by the Board as the Advisor member, shall serve as the 7th voting member of the Board.
B. Board Duties
1. Carry out the affairs of the Chapter in accordance with policies and procedures set forth in these Bylaws.
2. Communicate with fellow Board members to promote knowledge of each others respective duties and to coordinate efforts.
3. Have full power and complete authority to transact all business for and on behalf of the Chapter subject to the provisions of Chapter and RVing Women bylaws.
4. Appoint special committees and task forces and shall direct their activities.
5. Submit bylaw revisions/amendments in written form to the membership no less than one month prior to voting on them.
6. Bring before the membership at any regular or special meeting or by correspondence, communications from RVing Women.
7. Oversee the management of Chapter Funds and submit an annual proposed budget to the membership for approval.
8. Shall hold at least two (2) Board meetings per year. Meetings may be conducted via phone or over the internet. At least four (4) of its voting members may call Special meetings of the Board. A quorum of the Board will be a majority of its voting members.
C. Officers
1. Qualifications
a. The Board of Directors shall be members in good standing of RVing Women.
b. All elected officers shall have a primary affiliation with the Cascadia Chapter.
c. The President shall serve as President-Elect immediately prior to assuming the position of President.
d. Any Officer who is selected by the Board to co-sign on the Chapter account shall not reside in the same household as the Treasurer, (see Article VII, C, 3, b, 10).
2. Terms and Vacancies
a. The President shall assume her office immediately after serving a designated term as President-Elect. The term of office for the President will be one (1) year.
b. The President-Elect, the Event Activity Coordinator, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Registrar shall begin an orientation to their office by the outgoing officer immediately following their election and will assume their respective offices at that time as well. During the orientation, the out-going officer will turn over all documents and records relevant to the position. The term of office for each will be one (1) year.
c. The Advisor position on the Board shall be a one (1) year continuance of the immediate past President. In the event that the past President is not available to serve, the Board will appoint an individual who has had substantial experience with the Chapter. Her term shall be one (1) year.
3. Duties
a. The President-Elect shall be a voting member of the Board and is responsible for leading the Board of Directors in planning and scheduling Event locations and securing Agreements for same, for the year that immediately follows the existing schedule. In the event an unexpected vacancy occurs in the office of President, the President-Elect shall succeed to the position of President for the unexpired portion of the term.
b. The President is a voting member of the Board and shall serve as official head and public spokesperson of the Chapter, preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Board of Directors and shall direct and assist in the development of Chapter activities in accordance with the policies of the Chapter and RVing Women. She shall:
1) Act as Liaison with RVing Women and other local/national RVing organizations.
2) Coordinate submittal of publication info to appropriate local and national magazines and Web sites.
3) No less than three months in advance of elections, announce to members the offices that will be vacated.
4) No less than 30 days in advance of the Fall business meeting, announce to members the slate of candidates for office.
5) No less than three months in advance of voting, ‘broadcast’ a call to members for proposed bylaw revisions.
6) Notify RVing Women of proposed Chapter Bylaw revisions.
7) Maintain communication with members, including announcement of scheduled Board meetings.
8) Oversee the management of membership maintenance and recruitment.
9) Receive complaints/suggestions from members.
10) Assist the Board in selecting one Chapter Officer other than the treasurer to co-sign on the bank card for the Chapter account.
11) Arrange for an independent review of Chapter finances at least once a year
12) Send an annual Chapter financial statement to RVing Women no later than Feb. 15th
13) Make temporary appointments of members to assist her, or other Board members, in carrying out chapter business
c. The Event Activity Coordinator is a voting member of the Board. She shall:
1) Plan and carry out the social and recreational activities of the Chapter.
2) Inform the members about activities at coming events/rallies, (i.e.,
use of the website, emails).
3) Orient Event volunteers and oversee the activities & tasks that
have been delegated to them.
4) Report all Event expenditures to the Chapter Treasurer within four weeks after each Event
d. The Secretary is a voting member of the Board and shall,
1) Record minutes of all Board and Cascadia business meetings and make written copies of those minutes available to the President within two weeks of the meeting and to the members within 30 days of the meeting,
2) Per instructions from the President, assist with submittal of Publication info to designated local and national magazines and Web sites,
3) Maintain official documents of the Chapter (Bylaws, Rules/Regs/, Policies/Procedures),
4) Assist in communicating news to members about Chapter and RVing Women activities.
e. The Treasurer is a voting member of the Board and shall,
1) Provide a written financial report to the Board of Directors at each Board meeting and make a copy available to the members at each Event,
2) Balance and reconcile the Chapter bank account(s),
3) Prepare and submit to the Board, an annual Chapter financial statement by January 1st,
4) Collect and record all dues and other payments to Cascadia,
5) Keep membership records current and accurate, (address changes noted during dues payments, review the RVW quarterly update of the Directory),
6) Make payments on behalf of the Cascadia Chapter following approval of the Board,
7) Obtain written approval from the President and one additional officer to write checks in excess of $100.00.
f. The Registrar is a voting member of the Board and shall,
1) Continue communication with RV Park managers as established by President Elect in
In regard registration and reservation procedures,
2.) Inform the members about reservation procedures, (i.e., website & emails),
3.) Communicate with members and other individuals inquiring about reservations
4.) Maintain reservation spreadsheets for events and forward to park managers as agreed
Upon,
5.) Forward reservation spreadsheets to the Treasurer to verify membership status.
g. The Advisor is a voting member of the Board of Directors and shall attend all Board meetings. Her primary responsibility is to share her experience and history with the Chapter during deliberations and offer advice that will facilitate promotion of Chapter business.
4. Removal from Office
a. If an Officer fails to carry out her duties she may be removed from her position by a notice from the Board to step down. This notice shall be in written form and signed by no fewer than a majority of the Board members.
b. If the Officer fails to relinquish her Office following a request by the Board her removal will be voted on by the membership present. A 2/3 vote of the membership will determine her termination as an officer. All materials pertinent to that office must be turned in to the remaining Board no later than two (2) weeks following the membership vote. The position will then be temporarily filled by an appointment by the Board until an election can occur.
Article VIII. Elections and Voting
A. Officers
1. Election of Officers shall occur once a year, at the Fall business meeting.
2. The names of nominees will be submitted to the Nominating committee no less than (60) days in advance of the business meeting
3. Nominations from the floor are acceptable with consent from the nominee,
4. Chapter Officers may be elected for two (2) consecutive terms, with the exception of the President and the President-Elect.
5. A vacancy in office, excluding the President, shall be filled for the unexpired term by the board of directors,
6. Members wishing to vote by absentee ballot must request a ballot from the President, or her designee, according to the specified deadlines and procedures.
7. Elections shall be by the majority of votes cast, (including absentee ballots).
B. Bylaws
Article IX. Committees
A. Nominating Committee will consist of three (3) positions, one of which will be appointed by the Board and will be a “carry over” from the previous year, and the other two will be selected by lottery from a volunteer pool. A member may serve a maximum of two years. The committee will,
B. A Bylaws Committee consisting of no more than three (3) members will be appointed by the Board of Directors. The committee will,
C. Special Committees may be appointed by the President with the consent of the BOD.
Article X. Dues
A. Fiscal year will be from January 1st to December 31st. Each member will pay Chapter dues established by vote at a general meeting, provided written notice has been given to ALL members thirty days prior to the voting meeting. A majority of all votes cast, including absentee ballots, will be required
B. Dues are payable on or before February 28th and are deemed late after the first Event of each year. Non-payment of dues after this date is accepted as a termination of Chapter membership.
C. New member dues are due and payable at the time of joining and are not pro-rated.
D. Any special fees or assessments must be established by a vote of the members with a 30 day notice prior to the voting date.
Article XI. Property
The title for all property, funds and assets of the Chapter shall at all times be vested in the Chapter for the joint use of the members and no member or group of members shall have any severable right to all or any part of such property. The Chapter shall have complete control over the acquisition, administration and disposition of its property and such property shall not be used for any purpose contrary to those of RVing Women.
Article XII: Emergency Action
In the event that any required action cannot be completed as set forth in the Chapter Bylaws, the RVW Board of Directors may take emergency action for the benefit of the Chapter. Such emergency action shall then be submitted for ratification to the Chapter membership at its next business meeting.
Article XIII: Amendments to Bylaws
A. Proposed amendments or revisions, or both, must be approved in writing by the RVW Board of Directors prior to being submitted for a vote by the Chapter membership to ensure that amendments are not in conflict with the RVW Bylaws, or that amendments do not jeopardize the Chapter’s nonprofit status or the nonprofit status of RVing Women.
B. All members must be notified of any proposed amendments and be furnished with a ballot to be returned by mail, email, fax, or other electronic media as requested by the members.
C. Approval by two-thirds of the ballots cast is required for an amendment to carry.
D. After membership approval, the Chapter President shall submit two signed and dated originals of the amended Bylaws to the RVW Board of Directors. The Secretary of the Board will sign and date and return one original for the Chapter records.
Article XIV: Chapter Rules
The members of this Chapter may write and adopt a set of standing rules to cover activities or situations, or both, not specified in these Bylaws. These Chapter Rules may not be in conflict with, or supersede, the Bylaws or the Bylaws or Policies and Procedures of RVing Women. These Chapter Rules may be adopted, amended, revised, or repealed at any publicized meeting upon approval of two-thirds of the members
present.
Article XV: Indemnification
Each officer and committee member, while serving as such, shall be indemnified against any and all claims and liabilities to which she may be subjected because of service, or by reason of any act or omission alleged to have been committed by such officer or committee member, unless such act is the result of a willful or grossly negligent act or omission on the part of said officer or committee member.
Article XVI: Fiscal Responsibility
Any officer, activity host, committee member, member, or guest who is handling any type of funds for this Chapter shall keep an accurate account of such funds, including receipts and disbursements, and shall turn over said funds, with its accompanying reports, to the Treasurer in an expeditious manner.
Article XVII: Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of this Chapter, all obligations shall be paid, and any remaining assets shall be sent to RVing Women. RVing Women shall not be liable for any debts incurred by this Chapter. The name of this Chapter shall revert to RVing Women.
Adopted this _____ day of __________, 2008
_____________________
Dorene L. Thomas, Chapter President
Approved by RVW Board of Directors
____________________
Kay Piehl, Chapter Treasurer _______________
Dorene L. Thomas, President Cascadia Chapter
24 May 2008 – Compliance Revision Article IV. Membership, A to comply with
RVW Chapter Bylaws Template. Amendment/revisions by the membership as follows:
1. ARTICLE I. – change to read as follows:
A. The official name of this organization is the Cascadia Chapter. A Chapter of RVing Women. This Chapter was chartered on December 1, 1999 by the RVing Women Board of Directors.
B. This Chapter encompasses the State of Washington and the Canadian Province of British Columbia.
C. The home state of this Chapter shall be the State of Washington, USA.
Rationale: To supply general Bylaws required information and more closely follow the RVW Chapter Bylaws Template.
2. ARTICLE V. – add:
F. Membership in this Chapter is not transferable or assignable.
Rationale: A statement taken from RVW Chapter Bylaws Template.
3. ARTICLE V. C. – typo correction:
Correct parens in first sentence to:(see Article VII. Offices,B,8 )
4. ARTICLE VII. B. (5) – submission time change:
Change notice time from two (2) weeks to one (1) month.
5. ARTICLE VII. Offices, C. (3) (f). The Registrar – change to read :
1). Continue communication with RV Park managers as established by President Elect in regard registration and reservation procedures.
4.) DELETE
5.) Maintain reservation spreadsheets for events and forward to park managers as agreed upon.
6.) Forward reservation spreadsheets to the Treasurer to verify membership status.
Rationale: These changes separate the respective roles of the Registrar and Treasurer.
7. ARTICLE VII. Offices, C. (3)(g) – spelling correction:
Change “ advise” to “advice”.
8. ARTICLE VIII. Elections and Voting, A.(3) – change to read:
Nominations from the floor are acceptable with consent from the nominee.
Rationale: Requiring a 2/3 vote to run for office a bit extreme.
9. ARTICLE VIII, Elections and Voting, B. (1) – delete sentence #1 and renumber the remaining two sentences.
Rationale: The Bylaws Committee supports this change citing the previous #1 did not specifically address “ Elections and Voting”.
10. ARTICLE IX, Committees, B. – omits “each even year……committee” to read:
B. A Bylaws Committee consisting of no more than three (3) members will be appointed by the Board of Directors.
11. ARTICLE X, Dues, A. – add new sentence “D.”
Any special fees or assessments must be established by a vote of the members with a 30 day notice prior to the voting date
Rationale: Fees and special assessments are not addressed in the current bylaws.