REPUBLICAN MENS’ CLUB OF COLLIER COUNTY
BYLAWS
(As of 3 Jan 2020)
ARTICLE I – NAME
- The name of the club shall be the Republican Men’s Club of Collier County, hereinafter referred to as the Club.
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
2.0 Club objectives shall be
2.1 To attract members into, and involve them in, the Republican Party and subsequently provide them with a practical means of Republican Party participation, leadership training and political involvement, at all levels of government.
2.2 To support the principles, objectives and platform of the Republican Party and to help secure the election of all duly nominated Republican candidates in the General Election and registered Republicans in non-partisan elections.
ARTICLE III-MEMBERS
3.0 Membership Requirements
3.1 Membership Classes
- Active membership shall be restricted to male Florida residents, registered as Republican, who are 18 years of age, or over, on or before Election Day, who reside within the boundaries of Collier and Lee Counties.
- Associate membership shall be restricted to registered Republican women in Collier and Lee Counties.
- Guest membership shall be restricted to registered Republicans who do not qualify as Active or Associate members.
3.2 Annual Dues
- Active member dues are $125.00 each membership year.
- Associate and Guest member’s dues are $65.00 each membership year.
- Dues are payable to the Treasurer upon becoming a member and yearly, thereafter, before January 31.
3.3 A membership year is January 1 to December 31, annually.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
4.0 Club Officers and Directors
4.1.1 Club officers shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer who will serve concurrently as an Executive Board responsible for day-to-day operations of the Club.
4.1.2 Officers must be members of the Active membership classification and be in good standing with the Club.
4.2 Elections
4.2.1 Club directors shall be elected annually, each December, from among the Active class members of the Club, at a regularly noticed meeting.
4.2.2 Nomination of Directors shall be
4.2.2.1 Made by a Nominating Committee, appointed to serve for a membership year by the Executive Board, and approved by the Board of Directors.
4.2.2.2 Nominations of Directors shall be made by a Nominating Committee appointed each year by the Board of Directors.
4.2.3 Additional nominations may be added from the floor.
4.2.4 Elections will be for one office at a time.
4.2.5 Election voting shall be by secret ballot, unless a candidate is unopposed, whereas a voice vote may then be taken.
4.2.6 The election of the officers shall take place annually at the next meeting of the Board of Directors following the December reorganization meeting.
4.3 Officer Duties
4.3.1 The President shall:
4.3.1.1 Preside over all meetings of the Club and its Board of Directors.
4.3.1.2 Exercise general supervision over all activities of the Club.
4.3.1.3 Serve as the Club spokesman.
4.3.1.4 Have the power to appoint committees.
4.3.2 The Vice President shall:
4.3.2.1 Assist the President supervise Club activities.
4.3.2.2 Assume duties of the President during absences.
4.3.3 The Secretary shall:
4.3.3.1 Be the recording officer of the Club, and shall report:
4.3.3.2 Meetings of the Club and Executive Board.
4.3.3.3 Keep a record of the minutes of all such meetings, making those minutes available to the general membership.
4.3.4 The Treasurer shall:
4.3.4.1 Collect all funds paid to the Club or any of its committees, receipt therefore and deposit same in accounts designated by the Club.
4.3.4.2 Make all expenditures authorized by the Club.
4.3.4.3 Provide a monthly financial statement to the Secretary for audit identifying receipts, expenditures and the financial status of the Club.
4.4 Vacancies
4.4.1 Terms of Office and Succession.
4.4.1.1 Board members shall serve for three years,
4.4.1.2 Board members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, in addition to serving the unexpired term of a departed Board member.
4.4.1.3 Officers shall be invited to serve as President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer.
4.4.1.4 Officers may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms as President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
5.1 Regular meetings of the Club shall be held on a date, time and at a location specified, as determined by a majority vote of the Club a minimum of six times each year.
5.2 Annual Meeting
5.2.1 December shall be known as the Club Annual Meeting month and shall be for, but not limited to, the election of directors.
5.3 Special meetings may be called by the
5.3.1 President
5.3.2 Executive Board, or by
5.3.3 Written request of ten members of the Club.
5.4 Notice
5.4.1 At least ten days’ notice must be given and the purpose of the special meeting must be stated in the notice.
5.5 Voting
5.5.1 Only members classified as Active shall be allowed to vote.
5.5.2 Pursuant to the Republican Party of Florida Rules of Procedure, proxy voting shall not be allowed in any meeting of the Club.
5.2.3 Twenty percent of the Club’s membership, classified as Active, shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
6.1.1 The officers of the Club and all directors shall constitute the Board of Directors.
6.1.2 All officers and directors of the Club shall be voting members.
6.1.3 The Board of Directors shall
6.1.3.1 Have general supervision of the affairs of the Club between regular meetings of the Club.
6.1.3.2 Fix the time and place for meetings.
6.1.3.3 Be subject to the orders of the Club and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Club.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
7.1 Committees
7.1.1 Standing and special committees shall be appointed by the President as deemed necessary to carry on the work of the Club.
7.1.2 Scholarship Fund Committee
7.1.2.1 This committee shall consist of the Executive Board, and others, to review college-bound applications prior to the start of each academic year.
7.1.2.2 This committee shall meet to review transcripts for all previously awarded scholarships during the four year award to determine that the student is maintaining a “B” or better average for the continuation of the scholarship, annually following the academic year.
7.2 The President shall be the ex-officio member of all committees.
ARTICLE VIII – ENDORSEMENTS & ITRA-PARTY DIFFERENCES
8.1 Pursuant to the Republican Party of Florida Rules of Procedure, no charted club or organization using the name Republican shall participate in the intra-party differences, nor shall it, and an organization, seek to influence the nomination or election of any Republican over another Republican unless the Collier County Republican Executive Committee has endorsed one Republican over another. Then the Club may seek to influence the election of the candidate endorsed by the Collier County Republican Executive Committee.
8.2 Chartered clubs shall not entertain motions to adopt platform positions on issues or endorse candidates except that they may entertain such motions to take the same position or endorse the same candidate as the Collier County Republican Executive Committee has taken.
8.3 Under no circumstances shall a charted club invite a non-Republican to be a guest speaker at the club meeting or function without the prior approval of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee.
8.4 The Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida shall be the authority with respect to the internal disputes referred by any club or member of a club chartered under this rule.
ARTICLE IX – SCHOLARSHIP FUND
9.1 The Club shall maintain a separate fund for the purpose of offering financial assistance to college-bound and continuing registered Republican students.
9.2.1 The Scholarship Fund consists of annual contribution from the membership and may be augmented by gifts, fund raisers, bequests and designated memorials.
9.2.2 Scholarships shall be awarded to college-bound and continuing students from the Scholarship Fund.
9.3 The Board of Directors may:
9.3.1 Add Club funds to The Scholarship Fund from time to time.
9.3.2 Shall be responsible for making all scholarship awards.
9.3.3 Administer the Scholarship Fund.
9.4 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the disbursement of The Scholarship Fund in accordance with section 4.3.4 of this Bylaw.
9.4.1 No award will be paid to the recipient.
9.4.2 Awards will be paid directly to the scholarship recipient’s academic institution on their behalf of the recipient.
9.5 Scholarship Fund Committee shall:
9.5.1 Be responsible for scholarship recipient selection, scholarship continuation and recipient recommendation to the Board of Directors.
9.5.2 Coordinate applicant processing and screening in concert with other county Republican Clubs.
ARTICLE X – PARLIAMENTAY AUTHORITY
10.0 The rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order,” newly revised, shall govern the Club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws, the Republican Party of Florida Constitution, the Republican Party of Florida Rule Procedure and any special rules of order the Club may adopt.
ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS
11.0 These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Club be a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting
Approved by the Board of Directors, December 3, 2019 for vote by the Members on January 3, 2020.
President: ______Jim Carter___________ Date: _____9 Jan 2020_______________________
Dr. Jim Carter
Secretary: _______John Thomas________________ Date: _____9 Jan 2020_____________________
John K. Thomas