ARTICLE ONE
Section 1:
The name of
this organization shall be the GAINESVILLE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY, INC.
(hereinafter “the SOCIETY”).
Section
2:
The
purposes and objectives of the SOCIETY shall be:
a) To
stimulate and promote an interest in amateur radio.
b) To
further the progress and maintain the traditions of amateur radio.
c) To
promote an efficient emergency network within this area in cooperation with the
ARES program and to provide communications and other services requested by the
Alachua County Office of Emergency Management.
d) To provide assistance wherever possible in situations of
amateur interference with reception of AM, FM, TV broadcasting services.
e) To establish when necessary a program of training and
examining for amateur licensing.
f) To provide technical assistance to anyone requesting
such when in the interest of amateur radio.
g) To
further the spirit of fraternalism through social activities for the club
members and their families and friends.
Section
3:
There
shall be several grades of membership in the SOCIETY. The following eligibility and qualifications are applicable:
a) Full member:
Must hold a current, valid Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter
“F.C.C.”) amateur radio license and have
paid the fee established by the Board of Directors.
b) Family
member: An additional member of a
household holding a current, valid F.C.C. amateur radio license shall be
considered a full member upon payment of a fee established by the Board of
Directors where the household contains a full member in good standing. This fee shall reflect the savings of a
joint issue of the newsletter.
c) Student member:
A valid amateur radio licensee who attends an Alachua County school
full-time may apply for a half-price membership. Such a person shall be considered a full member.
d) Life Member:
This is an honorary status awarded in recognition of outstanding service
to amateur radio. The privileges are
the same as for a full member. Any
person, currently, or in the past, qualified to be a full member, may be proposed
for life status. Each proposal, with
written justification and signed by two current full members, shall be
submitted to the Board of Directors for action. The number of Life Memberships shall not exceed five percent of
the full membership as determined on April 1st of each calendar year.
e) A person, who wishes only to receive the newsletter and
not be a full member, may do so by paying the cost that shall be set the Board
of Directors.
f) Associate Member:
Any person who agrees with the purposes and objectives of the SOCIETY
(as listed in Section 2 of the SOCIETY’S By-Laws) who has paid the Associate
Member fee established by the Board of Directors. Associate Members shall have all the rights
and privileges of Full Members with the exceptions of the privilege of holding
an elected office and of voting on SOCIETY business.
Section
4:
Voting privileges: Only Full Members in good standing shall be
eligible to vote on SOCIETY business.
ARTICLE TWO
Section
1:
The elected officers of the SOCIETY shall
consist of a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Only Full Members shall be eligible to hold
office. There will be five elected directors at large. The four officers and the five directors
shall comprise as the Board of Directors.
Section
2:
Any officer shall be eligible to succeed
himself/herself in office.
Section
3:
Should the office of president be
vacated, the vice-president shall succeed to the office of president
automatically without need for nomination, vote or approval by the
membership. In the event of a vacancy
in any other office, the remaining members of the Board shall, by majority
vote, fill such vacancy until the next regular meeting where an election can be
held to fill the remaining term.
Section
4:
Any officer may be removed for cause by a
majority vote of the Board whenever in the judgment of the Board, the best
interests of the SOCIETY will be served thereby. Any officer so removed has the right to appeal and reverse such
removal by a majority vote of the Full Members present at the next regular
meeting at which a quorum exists.
Section
5
Elections shall be held annually at the
November regular meeting of the SOCIETY.
Section
6
Installation of officers: Officers and the Board Members will begin their
term of office on January 1 of the following year.
ARTICLE THREE
Section
1
The president shall be
the chief executive officer of the SOCIETY, preside at all meetings, call meetings of the Board of Directors,
represent the SOCIETY on all public occasions, enforce the by-laws, and perform
all other duties pertaining to the office.
The president shall appoint as many standing committees as deemed
necessary.
Section
2
The vice-president shall assume the
duties of the president in the president's absence.
Section
3
The secretary shall attend all meetings
of the SOCIETY and all sessions of the Board of Directors. The secretary shall keep a permanent record
of the proceedings of each meeting, keep a roll of the members, carry on
SOCIETY correspondence, transmit a monthly report to the ARRL Section
Communications Manager, report on all correspondence received by the SOCIETY,
shall be the custodian of a current list of all equipment owned by the SOCIETY,
and serve as parliamentarian.
Section
4
The treasurer, under the direction of the
Board of Directors, shall have charge of the funds of the SOCIETY. The treasurer shall make an annual, as well
as a monthly, report of the SOCIETY’s financial activities. The treasurer shall be immune from suit by
the SOCIETY or individual members thereof, for loss of SOCIETY funds in the
treasurer's custody where such loss is not the proximate result of the
treasurer's willful and wrongful act, or the treasurer's culpable negligence.
Section
5
The Board of Directors shall manage the
property and conduct the business of the SOCIETY. As soon as practical after their election, they shall review and
approve Policies and Procedures, and publish any changes via the newsletter or
a special mailing to members.
ARTICLE FOUR
Section
1
Quorum: Twenty-five Full Members in good
standing, present at any regular meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2
Good Standing: Full Members shall be deemed to be in good standing and eligible
to vote only when their dues are paid or not more than three months in arrears.
Section
3
Dues
shall be established, and may be modified, by a simple majority vote of the
Full Members present at any meeting at which a quorum exists. An increase in dues shall normally take
effect at the beginning of the following year.
Dues will grant membership privileges to the SOCIETY on a calendar year basis. The dues of New Members joining the SOCIETY
shall be pro-rated according to the number of quarters left in the calendar
year. Life Members are exempt from
paying dues.
ARTICLE FIVE
Section
1
Meetings: The
Board of Directors shall set the time and place of regular meetings for the
membership, and publish such time and location in the official newsletter.
Section
2
Meeting procedure: Robert's Rules of order shall govern the
conduct of business at all meetings, except where in conflict with the
provisions of these by-laws. Nothing in this section shall foreclose the use of
informal procedure during the meetings, however upon request of any Full Member
in good standing, the provisions of the prescribed parliamentary procedure may
be invoked.
ARTICLE
SIX
Section
1
Any equipment
given to the SOCIETY shall be considered an unconditional donation and shall be
accompanied by a written acknowledgment from the donor. Equipment may be loaned to the SOCIETY only
at the owner's risk for damage or loss of that equipment.
Section
2
If the GAINESVILLE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY,
INC. is discontinued or dissolved for any reason, all its assets will be
transferred to the AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE FOUNDATION (225 Main Street,
Newington, CT 06111), or some other organization granted IRS section 501 (c)
(3) status.
ARTICLE
SEVEN
Section
1
Intent:
It is the intent of these by-laws and any subsequent amendments or
additions thereto, that they be complementary to and not inconsistent with, the
provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of the SOCIETY.
Section
2
The
members of this SOCIETY may, by a majority vote of those members present and
voting, alter or amend these by-laws at any general meeting or special meeting
called for this purpose, provided that notice of intent to amend has been
published in the official newsletter at least one month prior to the meeting.
Section
3
Exemptions: Any by-law herein and any subsequently adopted or amended by-law
in conflict with the Articles of Incorporation of the SOCIETY, the statutes and
regulations of the State of Florida and its official agencies, the codes or
regulations of the city of Gainesville or the County of Alachua, the Statutes
of the United States, and the regulations of its agencies and
instrumentalities, including, but not limited to the Federal Communications
Commission, is hereby held to be a nullity, without force or effect, and not
binding on the SOCIETY or its membership.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
AND THE BY-LAWS OF THE GAINESVILLE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY, INC. AS IN EFFECT DECEMBER 1, 1978.
Amended
February 17, 1988
Amended
October 17, 1990
Amended April 21, 1993
Amended September, 1999
Amended August 16, 2000
Amended April 18, 2007