BY - LAWS OF THE
SPOKANE CHIEFS FAN CLUB
Approved by General Membership on March 31, 2004
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of the non-profit organization shall be the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club (Fan Club). It will also be referred to as the Spokane Chiefs Booster Club. The term Spokane Chiefs shall refer to the amateur hockey team, which is a separate legal entity from the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
The purpose of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club shall be:
· To provide support and encouragement to the Spokane Chiefs so they feel welcome in the community thus helping them to achieve their goals.
· To promote the Spokane Chiefs in their community efforts, both on and off the ice.
· To promote goodwill and attendance at all Spokane Chiefs hockey games.
· To keep open lines of communication between the Spokane Chiefs' management and the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club.
· To inform the general membership of Fan Club activities and local hockey news.
· To promote and assist with the continuing education of the Spokane Chiefs players.
ARTICLE III
Membership & Dues
Section 1. Active Members
Active membership in this organization shall be open to any person who has paid the annual dues and is willing to support the objectives of the organization as stated in Article II. Active members are defined as:
Individual:
Regular - 18 years and older
Senior - 60 years and older
Junior - 17 years and younger – must be sponsored by a member in good standing. The privilege to participate in fan club trips is restricted unless under direct control of parent or legal guardian.
Family: Members of an immediate family household, to include all children of the ages 17 years and younger.
Senior Family: (husband and wife, of which one is 60 years or over) not to include other family members residing at the same residence.
Honorary: A member or members as voted on and approved by the general membership.
Section 2. Privileges, Eligibility for Office
Each member in good standing and of the age of eighteen (18) or older shall be entitled to one vote if their dues have been paid for the current year. Any member under the age of eighteen shall be considered a Junior member in good standing if annual dues have been paid. Any active member, eighteen years or older shall be eligible to run for the offices of Secretary, Button Booth Director, Membership Director or Hospitality Director. Any active member in good standing, twenty-one years or older shall be eligible to run for any office. (Age limit is effective at the time of assuming office)
A member in good standing shall mean:
1. Dues are current and paid in full.
2. Have attended at least 2 membership meetings in the last year.
3. Have volunteered at least 3 times at club activities, such as sell 50/50, bake cookies, help at parties, count 50/50, sell buttons or run club table at home games.
Section 3. Revocation of Membership
Any member may be requested by the Board to resign from the Fan Club when it has been determined by the Board that his/her conduct has been detrimental to the Fan Club, this may include, but is not limited to:
1. Any member misappropriating any funds of the Fan Club.
2. Any behavior unbecoming the good name of the Fan Club.
3. Any member who owes money to the Fan Club and does not remit such within 60 days.
The request for resignation shall be submitted in writing to the member only after thorough consideration by the Board. After said notification, the member will be given the opportunity to appear on his/her own behalf before the Board If after allowing an opportunity to be heard, no resignation is tendered, the Board may revoke and terminate the member's membership, if revocation is still determined to be in the best interests of the Fan Club.
Membership revocation (either by resignation or Board action) shall be for the period of one year from the date of revocation. At the conclusion of this revocation period, the member may again join the Fan Club as a new member. In the event a member's membership rights are terminated and revoked for a second time, such member shall be permanently excluded from the Fan Club.
Section 4. Dues
Dues are payable as of July 1 of each year and membership is valid for one year: July 1 - June 30. Dues shall be determined by the Board at least two months prior to the July 1st renewal date.
New members who join after December 31 shall have prorated dues determined by the Board, with membership expiring on June 30.
Payment of dues entitles each member to a membership card/pin and participation in the various activities of the Fan Club. In addition, the newsletter will be available for each membership. Only members who have paid their dues may be able to participate in Fan Club related activities and functions.
ARTICLE IV
Meetings and Quorums
Section 1. Meetings.
The Fan Club shall conduct General Membership Meetings, as they may be required to conduct the business of the Fan Club. The Fan Club shall hold no less than six (6) General Membership Meetings per year. There shall be a General Membership meeting in April for the purpose of electing officers. General Membership Meetings will be held on the last Tuesday of the month at a time and place designated by the Board. The meeting of the Board shall be held every month on the first Tuesday of the month unless moved by prior notice of the President.
Section 2. Quorum
A quorum for a regularly scheduled general membership meeting shall consist of the eligible voting members in attendance.
A quorum for a Board meeting shall be two-thirds of the Board.
ARTICLE V
Officers
Section 1. Board Members.
The Board of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Finance Director, Immediate Past President and three Directors. To be elected President, the candidate must have previously served a minimum of one term on the Board. Each Board member shall have a term of one year, not to exceed two consecutive years in one office. The term of office shall end June 30th of each year.
Section 2. Vacancies.
Vacancies of an office, with the exception of the President and Immediate Past President, shall be filled by a temporary appointment to that office by the President. The general membership will ratify the appointment at the next scheduled meeting. The office of President, in the event of a vacancy, shall be filled by the Vice President. The office of the Immediate Past President may be filled or left vacant at the discretion of the Board. Board members who resign without due cause, as determined by a quorum of the Board, cannot be elected for a minimum of two (2) years.
Section 3. Attendance.
All Board members shall be required to attend every meeting of the Board. Unexcused absences from two Board meetings shall be cause to consider the office "vacant.´ The President or Vice President shall be notified in advance of any member's inability to attend a meeting.
ARTICLE VI
Section 1. Nominations and Election Committee.
There shall be a three member committee, none of whom are running for office, appointed by the President to serve as the Nominating & Election Committee. The President may not serve on this committee. This committee shall:
· Be activated at the January general meeting;
· Meet by call of its chairperson or any committee member;
· Be responsible for preparing a complete list of candidates for the elections;
· Report the status of candidates at each general meeting prior to the elections;
· Have as its goal finding two candidates to run for each position;
· Be present at the April membership meeting to count ballots and announce results of balloting.
Ballots will be verified against a master list of sequential numbered ballots mailed out, which will be destroyed afterwards.
Section 2. Elections.
A. Elections held: General elections shall be held at the April meeting each year, at which time all elective positions shall be open for election. The election shall be taken by secret ballot, unless a position is being run unopposed, in which case a voice vote shall be sufficient:
B. Nominees:
a. The names of persons nominated by the Nominating Committee shall be distributed to the membership at a general meeting.
b. Nominations may be made from the floor at the time of the general meeting, with the approval of the nominee.
C. Form of Ballots:
a. The election shall be taken by secret ballot, unless a position is being run unopposed, in which case a voice vote shall be sufficient:
b. The form of the ballot may change from year to year, but in all cases must contain the office, name of candidate in alphabetical order. Ballots will be numbered in sequential order and one ballot will be mailed to each adult member (maximum of two for family memberships)
c. Ballots will be mailed to all members on or before April 10th of each year with instructions for returning ballots, including the date due.
ARTICLE VII
Duties of Officers
Section 1. President.
The President shall preside at all meetings of the general membership and at all Executive Board meetings. The President shall appoint members to fill vacancies in an office as necessary, subject to the ratification of the general membership. The President shall represent the organization in an official capacity and shall have such powers of supervision and management over the affairs of the organization as are not otherwise specifically designated to others. The President shall have power to appoint committees and shall be an Ex-Officio member of such committees.
Section 2. Vice President
The Vice President shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties and exercise the power of the President. The Vice President will oversee the publication of the monthly Fan Club newsletter and shall perform such other duties as the President shall prescribe.
Section 3. Secretary.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings, read such minutes at the regular Board and general membership meetings, and be responsible for maintaining Fan Club records. The Secretary shall handle all correspondence including mailings to the general membership and other functions pertinent to the office as assigned by the President. The Secretary will be responsible for maintaining and attendance sheet at all general meetings for the Fan Club record.
Section 4. Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall act as custodian of all funds entrusted to or under the jurisdiction of the Fan Club, shall by the next banking day deposit the funds in an institution approved by the Board to the account of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club, and shall disburse the funds by check in the payment of allowable expenses incurred by the Fan Club for:
Regular and routine Fan Club expenses which have been approved by the general membership in the Fan Club's annual budget.
Individual expenditures, not specified in the annual budget, in excess of $300.00 must have the authorization of the general membership. The treasurer shall disburse funds only when properly authorized by the board and/or majority vote of the general membership as indicated above. All checks shall require signatures of two Board members.
The Treasurer shall report the financial status of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club at each meeting and prepare a written quarterly report to be made available at the general meeting following the end of each quarter.
The Treasurer must also attend the gambling commission classes on raffles.
Section 5. Finance Director.
The duties of the Finance Director shall be to assist the Treasurer in keeping the books and to assist maintaining all legal documents.
The Finance Director in concert with the Board shall provide a detailed, proposed annual budget to be voted on by the general membership at the September general membership meeting.
The Finance Director will distribute 50/50 revenues as directed by the Board.
The Finance Director must attend the gambling commission classes on raffles.
Section 6. Immediate Past President.
The Immediate Past President shall serve as a member of the Board following his or her retirement as President, assisting the new President in any way possible by using experience gained in the term of office as President. The role shall be advisory in nature.
Section 7. Button Booth Director.
The Button Booth Director shall be responsible for the day to day operation of the button booth as well as other sales items of the Fan Club as designated by the Board. This responsibility will include providing buttons for sale and securing salespeople to work at all games at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the game. The Director will make a report and turn in monies to the Treasurer after each event. The Director shall take an active part in the affairs of the organization and shall assist the President in duties as assigned.
Section 8. Membership Director.
The Membership Director shall be responsible for collection of dues and maintaining a record of the organization's membership, which shall be available at all meetings. An updated membership list shall be provided to each Board member at each Board meeting during the season. The Director will be responsible for creating a membership development program. The Director shall take an active part in the affairs of the organization and shall assist the President in duties as assigned. The Director is responsible for coordinating staffing at the Fan Club table at all home games.
Section 9. Hospitality Director.
The Hospitality Director shall act as liaison between social committees and the Board, including formation of social committees, inventory control of event supplies and materials, budget input and party review. The Director shall be responsible for overseeing that cookies be available to visiting teams. The Director will be responsible to establish a greeting system for all general meetings. The Director shall take an active part in the affairs of the organization and shall assist the President in duties as assigned.
Section 10. 50/50 Manager.
The 50/50 Manager shall be an appointed position by the President of the Fan Club and will act as liaison with the Gambling Commission on all gambling license related activities. The 50/50 Manager shall be responsible for running all raffles and ensuring that all Gambling Commission regulations are being complied with.
ARTICLE VIII
Removal from Office
Any person serving as a member of the Board who is not performing their duties of his/her elected or appointed position or has violated the guidelines of these bylaws is subject to removal from said position by a majority vote of the Board. A call for a vote on removal by the membership can be initiated by either a two-thirds vote of the Board at a meeting of the Board or by a petition signed by no fewer than two-thirds of the voting members of the Fan Club. The signed petition must be presented to the Board of Directors at a meeting of the Board. The Board will review the petition and certify the signatures. If a sufficient number of the certified signatures of voting members is present on the petition, the Board will review the list of the items or areas in which the person is being charged with not performing the duties of, or violating the guidelines of these bylaws. The person being petitioned for removal from office shall be allowed to address the Board at this meeting. No other speakers concerning the petition shall be allowed at this meeting.
ARTICLE IX
Committees
Section 1.
The President with the input of the Board will appoint ad hoc and standing committees as shall be necessary for the Fan Club.
Section 2.
Each committee shall consist of a Chairperson and such other members as deemed necessary. Each committee shall be responsible to the Board and shall make such reports as it may require and direct.
Section 3.
The Chairperson of each committee shall present a written final report of the actions of the committee, such report to be submitted to the Board prior to the end of the fiscal year and which becomes part of the minutes of the Board.
ARTICLE X
Code of Conduct
Spokane Chiefs Fan Club members are meant to be ambassadors for hockey both for the team and general public and should conduct themselves in accordance with the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club Bylaws.
1. Conduct yourself with decorum and politeness at all Fan Club and Team functions.
2. No unwarranted contact between players or other Spokane Chiefs employees and Fan Club members. Unwarranted contact shall include, but not be limited to:
3. Unauthorized and/or inappropriate contact with players, players families, or significant others unless sanctioned by the player.
4. Abusive or excessive e-mails, faxes and internet abuse; and
5. Unauthorized possession, distribution, or use of private phone numbers, home addresses or private e-mail addresses.
6. No stalking as defined by State statute.
7. Provide Spokane Chiefs staff the appropriate respect. Do not abuse them or put them in inappropriate situations with respect to their jobs.
Members must make every effort to notify the appropriate person if unable to participate as assigned at an event or function.
Complaints of member behavior should be reported to any Officer or Director of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club. Complaints will be investigated as defined in the Fan Club bylaws, Cause for complaints include, but are not limited to:
1. Violations of Fan Club bylaws;
2. Violation of any rule or practice duly adopted by the membership;
3. Or conduct likely to endanger the welfare, interests, or character of the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club or Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club players or employees.
Action taken may include, but not be limited to:
1. Written warning to member
2. Suspension of Membership
3. Dismissal from Fan Club
ARTICLE XI
Conduct of Meetings
Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, insofar as they are consistent with the provisions of these by-laws.
ARTICLE XII
Amendments to the By-Laws
Any amendment to the by-laws shall be brought to the general membership at least one month prior to the voting on the amendment at a general membership meeting. These amendments must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the quorum.
ARTICLE XIII
Final Disbursement of Funds
In the event that the Spokane Chiefs Fan Club shall be dissolved for whatever reason, distribution of remaining funds and assets shall be turned over to non-profit organization(s) in the greater Spokane area. Disbursement must be approved by a majority of the existing general membership.
Membership & Dues
Section 1. Active Members