The Wiregrass Amateur Radio Club Bylaws
Approved November 11, 2013
Article I – Membership
1.1 Full Membership – Full membership is open to licensed Radio Amateurs. Full membership includes all Club privileges as well as rights to hold a Club office and to vote for Club officers.

1.2 Associate Membership – Associate membership is open to those actively engaged in a class leading to an Amateur Radio license and all other interested persons. Associate membership includes all club privileges except for the right to hold office and vote in the election of Club officers, expenditure of club funds, or on matters of club policy.

1.3 Service Recognition and Award Membership – Service recognition and award membership shall be granted to anyone as deemed appropriate by the Club. Any member may recommend any individual for a Service Recognition and Award Membership in recognition of outstanding performance and service to the Club, to Amateur Radio, or to our community. The membership shall be granted upon approval of a three-fourths majority of members present at the November general club meeting. The duration of the membership(s) is to be determined in a similar manner at the same meeting. Memberships shall be awarded in multiples of one year or in truly outstanding cases, lifetime. A Service Recognition and Award Membership shall carry the privileges and responsibilities of full membership when the recipient is a licensed amateur radio operator and of an associate membership when the recipient is not a licensed amateur radio operator. Presentation of the award membership shall be made at an appropriate public time and place.

1.4 Application for Membership – Applications for membership shall be submitted to the Secretary. The Secretary will present membership applications at the next general meeting for a vote. Two-thirds majority of those voting members present must approve the applicant before the application shall be considered elected by the Club.

1.5 Termination of Membership – Any act committed by a member deemed detrimental to the Club or Amateur Radio shall be considered reason for removal from the roll of the membership. It shall be brought before a general meeting and removal shall be voted upon at the next general meeting. Removal of a member requires a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the full membership.

Article II – Dues, Fees, and Assessments
2.1 Dues shall be assessed as follows:

2.1.1 Individual Membership. Annual dues of $20.00 per member are hereby assessed in accordance with the provisions of Article III of the Constitution for the purpose of providing funds for expenses.

2.1.2 Family Membership. Annual dues of $35.00 per family, defined as the primary member, spouse, and children under 18 years of age living at home, are hereby assessed in accordance with the provisions of Article III of the Constitution for the purpose of providing funds for expense.

2.1.3 Service and Award Membership. Service and award memberships are exempt from dues.

2.1.4 Proration of Dues. Any new member, joining the Club on or after July 1st, will be assessed dues at a rate of one half (1/2) of the annual dues.

2.2 Membership dues are payable in January of each year and, if not paid by March 1st will be considered inactive and removed from the membership roster. Inactive members have no voting privileges.

2.3 Waiver of Dues – Dues shall be waived for the year in which a new member attains his/her initial Technician License Class.

2.4 Termination of membership either by resignation or expulsion will not constitute a refund of dues paid.

2.5 Special Assessments – In accordance with Article II of the Constitution, the Club, by majority vote of those present at any general meeting, may levy upon the general membership such assessments as shall be deemed necessary for the purchase of specified goods or services for the organization.

Article III – Meetings
3.1 General Meetings – General meetings of the Club will be held monthly at a time and place designated by the president. The presence of one third (1/3) of the members, at least one of which shall be the president or vice president, shall constitute a quorum required for the transaction of business at a general meeting.

3.2 Annual Meetings – The annual meeting shall be held in the month of December at a time and place designated by the president for the purpose of reviewing accomplishments of the Club and its members and announcing goals and objectives for the coming year.

3.3 Board Meetings – Board of Directors meetings shall be held monthly at a time and place designated by the president. The presence of three (3) members of the board, at least one of which shall be the president or vice president, shall constitute a quorum required for the transaction of business at a board meeting.

3.4 Special or Emergency Meetings – Special or emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the president, with 24 hour advanced notice to the members. The conduct of the special or emergency meeting is restricted to the purpose of prescribed in the special or emergency meeting notification.

3.5 Voting – Except as otherwise stated in the Constitution or these Bylaws, all decisions at any meeting of the membership or Board of Directors or other committees shall be by a majority vote of a legal quorum. Each member shall have one and only one vote.

3.6 Proxy Vote – Each member who cannot attend each business meeting will be able to register a written, designated proxy with the Secretary of the Club.

3.6.1 Registration of a designated proxy must be received prior to the published start of a meeting and include, at a minimum, (1) the name of the designating member, (2) the name of the designated proxy, (3) the date of the business meeting for which the proxy is valid, and (4) any voting restrictions imposed by the designating member.

3.6.2 The proxy would be accepted for all business of the Club, unless otherwise restricted by the designating member and except for the removal of a club officer.

3.6.3 This proxy will count as a member present to constitute a quorum.

Article IV – Procedures for Elections
4.1 Officer elections will be held annually at the November general meeting.

4.2 Officers will assume their elected office January 1 of the following year.

4.3 Nomination Committee

4.3.1 The President will appoint a nomination committee at least two (2) months prior to elections.

4.3.2 The committee will be charged with finding qualified candidates to run for office.

4.3.3 The committee will present a ballot to the president at the general meeting one month prior to elections; at which time, the President will entertain a motion for nominations and to accept the ballot.

4.4.4 The final ballot will be published and made available to all club members prior to the election.

4.4.5 The president will dissolve the nomination committee after the annual elections.

4.4 Voting

4.4.1 Voting will be done using paper ballots.

4.4.2 Immediately after voting the ballots will be counted openly in front of the membership.

4.4.3 Any candidate may request a recount of the ballots.

4.4.4 In the case of an unopposed slate, the President may entertain a motion for the Secretary to cast a single ballot.

Article V – Business Affairs
5.1 Fiscal Year – The Club shall conduct itself on the calendar-year basis.

5.2 Club Funds – All funds and properties received by or coming into the custody of the Club belong to and are trust funds and property of the Club to be expended only for the purposes authorized and only in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Club.

5.3 Club Budget – The President shall submit to the membership for approval a budget for expenditures in support of Club operations and maintenance of Club assets. This budget shall be presented at the second meeting of the calendar year, and, when approved, the Treasurer shall disburse Club funds against the budget as required or upon the request of the appropriate committee chair.

5.4 Audits – The Board of Directors shall audit the books of the club during the last month of the calendar year and shall report the condition of the books at the first meeting of the next calendar year.

Article VI – Club Station
6.1 Club Station – All equipment installed, as a normal function of the Club shall be the property of the Club or duly leased. The use of the term “Club Station” is limited to the description of equipment obtained by the club for the use of its members.

6.2 Use of the Station

6.2.1 The Club Station is primarily intended for use of the Club members; however, its use is open to all licensed Amateur Radio operators.

6.2.2 Emergency and Public Service Use – The Club station will be used to support training, education, and emergency and approved public service communications. When so used, normal station use may be restricted.

6.2.3 Special Use of Club Station – Upon the approval of the engineering committee and the membership, members may be granted special privileges for a specific period of time. Anyone applying for special use shall be prepared to assume additional financial responsibility for station maintenance. Any equipment used for these privileges in addition to the equipment belonging to the Club Station shall be considered as the property of the member(s) involved until the expiration of the time period involved. At that time 90 days will be allowed for removal of the equipment, after which the Club may dispose of the equipment in accordance with laws of the State of Alabama.

6.3 Availability of Members’ Licenses – For the protection of the club station license all club members will present to the secretary a legible copy of their current amateur radio license at the time of license renewal. The secretary will maintain a file of said licenses available for inspection at reasonable times.

Article VII – Amendments
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the total membership. Proposals for amendments shall be submitted in writing at a general meeting and shall be voted on at the next following general meeting, provided all members have been noticed of the intent to amend the Bylaws at said meeting.

Approval
We, the undersigned officers of The Wiregrass Amateur Radio Club, Inc., certify that these Bylaws, dated November 11, 2013 was approved by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of members present at a WARC Board meeting on October 28 2013 and approved by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of all members at a general meeting on November 11, 2013.

Signed:  James M. Nelson/KE4GWW, President; Densie N. Williams/KJ4VDE, Vice-President; John M. Duty/KK4LST, Secretary; Edward H. Winkler/KJ4LTA, Treasurer; and George H. Stokes, Jr./WA4MZL, Trustee.