Bylaws
BYLAWS OF
THE EAST GRAND RAPIDS CREW TEAM PARENT ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of this Association shall be The East Grand Rapids Crew Team Parent Association, referred to in these Bylaws as the “Association.”
Section 2. The purposes for which the Association is formed are to encourage, coordinate, and support rowing as a sport in the East Grand Rapids High School. Examples of Association activities include: promoting the sport of rowing and the Crew Team; fundraising; facilitating coach hiring and retention; organizing and providing support personnel for Crew Team practices and competitions; purchasing equipment, supplies, and services for the Crew Team; providing food and other services at competitions; and transporting crew personnel and equipment to and from competitions. The Athletic Director will have sole final responsibility for hiring, contracting with, and evaluations of coaches.
Section 3. The Association is not, and shall not be construed to be, a partnership, corporation, or other legal entity of any kind whatever. The rights and obligations of the Association and its members are limited to those expressly stated in these Bylaws.
ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership in the Association shall be consist of all parents of current rowers, and community members who have notified the Secretary of their desire to be members and who are current in payment of dues to the Association, if any.
Section 2. The Executive Committee may establish such classes of membership (including voting and non-voting) and such membership dues or fees for each class as it may determine from time to time establish.
Section 3. Membership in the Association shall terminate upon (a) written notice by the member to the Executive Committee or (b) non-payment of such dues or fees as the Executive Committee may from time to time establish.
ARTICLE III
ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1. The membership of the Association shall meet in Kent County, Michigan each year at such time and location as the Executive Committee may designate. At least ten (10) days prior to such meeting, notice of the meeting shall be provided to each member, the rowing coaches, and the Athletic Director of Each Grand Rapids High School.
Section 2. Special meetings of the membership of the Association may be held in Kent County, Michigan at such time and location as designated by the Executive Committee or at least 25 voting members of the Association. At least ten (10) days prior to such meeting, notice of the meeting shall be provided to each member, the rowing coaches, and the Athletic Director of Each Grand Rapids High School. Such notice must state the purpose of the special meeting and no action may be taken by the membership at such meeting with respect to any purpose which was not included in the written notice.
Section 3. A quorum of the membership shall be deemed present at any annual or special meeting when at least fifteen (15) voting members are present. Voting members must be present at the meeting to vote, and may not vote by proxy.
Section 4. At least annually, the Treasurer shall prepare a report showing the funds and properties owned by the Association, where located and how invested, the amount and nature of the funds and properties acquired during the preceding fiscal year and the manner of acquisition, the amount applied, appropriated or expended during the fiscal year, both for expenses of operation of the Association and as contributions to or expenditures in furtherance of the Association’s objectives as set forth in these Articles. Such report shall be filed with the records of the Association, provided to the Athletic Director, and posted on the Crew Team web site.
ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Association shall be governed and directed by an Executive Committee consisting of the Association’s elected officers and elected at-large members. Each Executive Committee member shall be a member of the Association. The elected officers are the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. No individual may hold more than one office simultaneously. There may be zero up to no more than four elected at-large members. A majority of the Executive Committee then in office shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the voting members of the Association from those persons nominated for each officer position or at-large member position by the Executive Committee or nominated from the floor at the the Association’s annual meeting. The nominee for each position who receives a plurality of the votes of the voting members in attendance at the annual meeting shall be elected to that position effective immediately. All nominations from the floor must be seconded.
Section 3. An officer may resign by written notice to the President or Vice President of the Association. The resignation is effective upon its receipt or a subsequent time as set forth in the notice of the resignation. An officer may be removed with or without cause, by the vote of a majority of the other officers then in office or by a majority vote of the voting member of the Association present and voting at an annual or special meeting of the Association.
Section 4. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Executive Committee between annual meetings of the membership shall be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining members of the Executive Committee.
Section 5. All resolutions, appropriations, directions or other acts of the Executive Committee shall be by a majority of those present and constituting a quorum at any meeting, or through unanimous written consent of its members.
Section 6. The Executive Committee shall work with the East Grand Rapids High School Athletic Director, as appropriate, in hiring and retaining coaches.
ARTICLE V
MEETINGS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at such times and places as the Executive Committee shall decide.
Section 2. Special meetings may be held at the call of the President or Recording Secretary, and must be held after a request from a majority of the Executive Committee. The location and time of a special meeting shall be established by the officer calling the meeting. Notice of special meetings of the Executive Committee shall be given in person, electronically, or by telephone to all Executive Committee members no less than 4 hours before the meeting. The purpose of the special meeting must be stated in the notice and no business may be brought before the Executive Committee that was not identified in such notice.
ARTICLE VI OFFICERS
Section 1. The President of the Association shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and all meetings of the general membership. The President shall sign and execute all agreements and all other formal instruments in the name of the Association and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee. The President, with the consent of the Executive Committee, may create committees to further the purposes of the Association and may appoint other members of the Association to such committees.
Section 2. The Vice President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President during the absence or incapacity of the President. The Vice President shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and general membership, shall record the proceedings thereof, shall provide a copy of such record of meetings to each officer within ten (10) days from the date of the meeting, and shall provide copies of such minutes to any member upon request. At any meeting when the Recording Secretary is not in attendance, the President may designate an acting secretary to record the proceedings taken at the meeting. The Recording Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Committee.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall have charge of the finances of the Association under the direction of the President or the Executive Committee and shall keep or cause to be kept a record of all the financial and business transactions of the Association. The records kept by the Treasurer shall render such statements of his accounts to the Executive Committee as they may require and shall make a full report at each annual meeting of the Association. The Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for Crew Team member registration and maintaining a Team roster, maintaining Association member, Team member and other parent contact information and distribution lists for notices, providing notices, coordinating communications, and for various electronic and written methods of communication except as may be directed otherwise by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VII USE OF FUNDS
Section 1. No officer or any other private individual shall receive at any time any of the net earnings from the operations of the Association.
Section 2. No officer or any other private individual shall receive compensation as such for their services to the Association.
Section 3. This Article VII does not prohibit the Association from making gifts of nominal value consistent with the purposes of the Association, paying for equipment, supplies, or services for the Association, Crew Team, or coaches, or reimbursing members for such expenses incurred on behalf of the Association.
Section 4. No office or any other private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets of the Association upon its dissolution. All members of the Association shall be deemed to have expressly consented and agreed that upon such dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Association, whether voluntary or involuntary, the assets of the Association, after all debts have been satisfied, shall be distributed, transferred, conveyed, delivered and paid over to the East Grand Rapids Team Boosters unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
ARTICLE VIII FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1 to June 30.
Section 2. The funds of the Association shall be deposited in such bank or banks with an office in Kent County as the Executive Committee may designate. Checks, drafts, notes or other withdrawals of funds from any accounts of the Association shall be signed by such officer or officers as shall be designated from time to time by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall have no authority to borrow money unless previously authorized to do so by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Association at a special meeting of the Association called expressly for that purpose, except for such short-term loan as is to be used for purchase of capital equipment not exceeding the then-current cost of a fully-equipped 8-rower boat, and repaid not later than May 31 of that fiscal year.
Section 4. There shall be no spending except as in the approved budget or as approved by vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 5. The Executive Committee may waive or reduce the dues required from any member in appropriate circumstances, for example, financial hardship or in recognition of extraordinary services or donations that advance the purposes of the Association.
ARTICLE IX AMENDMENT OF LAWS
These Bylaws may be amended at any annual or special meeting of the member by a majority vote of the voting members present, provided notice of the proposed amendment shall have been provided to each member at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
