Improvement Club
Bylaws & Guidelines
revised and adopted October, 2018
printable pdf version
Adopted
October 4, 2018
NAME
This organization shall be known as the ANNANDALE IMPROVEMENT CLUB (AIC).
PURPOSE
The purpose of this
club shall be the improvement of the city and thereto for the benefit of the
Annandale area in general. Primary priority shall be given to beautification
of the city and support of the library along with the welfare of and
educational opportunities for our community.
DESCRIPTION
Section 1 - The Annandale
Improvement Club is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit corporation and is
incorporated in the State of Minnesota.
Section 2 – The mailing address
is P.O. Box 207, 30 Cedar St. E., Annandale, MN 55302.
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 – Anyone interested in
the purpose of this club may become a member upon paying annual dues.
Section 2 - No officer,
committee chair, or member of this organization shall publicly state any
policy, enter into any agreement or otherwise obligate this organization
except upon authority of the general membership [notwithstanding Article V,
Section 5].
Section 3 - The expense of
fieldtrips, special events and meals shall be the responsibility of those
attending.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1 – The Executive Board
(also referred to as the board) is made up of the officers of AIC.
Section 2 – Board members are
responsible to read and understand the bylaws of this organization.
Section 3 – The board will
present an annual budget to the membership.
Section 4 – The board shall hold
at least two meetings per year. Meetings shall be at such dates, times, and
places the board shall determine.
Section 5 – Board members, with
a majority vote, have the authority to approve expenditures up to $200 and
such expenditures will be reported to the membership.
OFFICERS
Section 1 – The officers of this
club shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, and
Treasurer. Officers shall be elected for a one-year term. They may be
re-elected but may not hold the same office for more than two successive
years. Two club members may share an office as co-officers.
Section 2
– Duties of
Officers
a.
The President
shall prepare and preside at all meetings of the organization, including
board meetings, shall perform all duties pertaining to this office, and
shall serve as ex-officio
member of all committees.
b.
The Vice
President shall preside at all meetings of the organization, including
board meetings, in the absence of the
president.
c.
The Secretary
shall record and maintain minutes of all meetings of the organization and
submit written monthly minutes to the president. She shall handle AIC
correspondence including the monthly Call to Meeting
correspondence.
d.
The Treasurer
shall maintain the financial records of the organization. She shall annually
prepare a Year-End Financial Report and schedule an annual
audit.
Section 3 – Officers shall be
elected at the annual meeting. A Nominating Committee of three shall be
appointed by the president at the previous meeting. The nominating committee
shall present at least one candidate for each office, having previously
obtained the candidate’s consent. The president shall ask for additional
nominations from the floor. If there are two candidates for an office and/or
additional nominations, the president shall appoint three election judges
and the candidate with majority vote by written ballot shall be declared
elected.
Section 4 – Newly elected
officers shall assume their respective duties at the close of the annual
meeting in May.
Section 5 –Vacancies in an
office shall be filled by appointment by the executive board.
CONFLICT OF
INTEREST
Each member of the
board shall disclose to other members of the board any duality of interest
or conflict of interest and make such a matter of record when the interest
becomes a matter of board action. Any board member having a possible duality
or conflict of interest on any matter shall not vote or use her personal
influence on the matter, and shall not be counted in determining the quorum
of the meeting. The minutes of the meeting shall reflect that the disclosure
was made.
MEETINGS
Section 1 – The Annual Meeting
of this club shall be held on the first Thursday of May.
Section 2 – The regular meeting[s] of this club shall be held on the
first Thursday of each month, except July. Further changes can be addressed
by the board.
Section 3 – A special meeting
may be called by the president with the approval of the board or by petition
of one fourth of the membership, notice having been given to all members.
COMMITTEES
Section 1 – The Standing
Committees shall be: Beautification, Fundraising, Library, Program,
Membership , and Scholarship.
a.
The
Beautification Committee shall enhance green space in
Annandale.
b.
The Fundraising
Committee shall raise funds to promote the purpose of the
club.
c.
The Library
Committee shall facilitate the club’s support of the Annandale
Library.
d.
The Program
Committee shall organize the speakers, programs, and special events for the
monthly meetings.
e.
The Membership
Committee shall be responsible for the membership directory, roster,
outreach and welcoming new members.
f.
The Scholarship
Committee shall review scholarship applications sent from Annandale High
School to determine final selections.
Section 2 – Standing Committee
Chairs shall present project plans to the board, in April, for inclusion in
the proposed annual budget.
Section 3 – A short term
committee may be appointed by the board for a specific purpose.
FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year shall be from April 1st
through March 31st
.
FINANCES
Section 1 – An Annual Budget
shall be prepared by the board after consultation with standing committee
chairwomen prior to the annual meeting. The proposed budget will be
presented for approval to the membership at the annual meeting.
Section 2 – Dues are collected
annually as directed by the AIC guidelines.
Section 3 – At the April meeting
the president shall appoint two members to audit the books of the treasurer.
Auditors will give a report at the annual meeting.
Section 4
– Emergency funds of $500
shall be kept in reserve by the treasurer.
Section 5 – Financial donations
shall be limited to the scope of our purpose and exclude monetary support of
unrelated non-profit organizations.
QUORUM
At any meeting, one fourth of the dues paying membership shall constitute a
quorum.
PARLIAMENTARY
AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall
govern the AIC.
AMENDMENTS TO
BYLAWS
Section 1 – The whole of these
bylaws, or any portion thereof, may be amended by two-thirds vote of the
quorum with due notice of intended change having been given at the previous
regular meeting.
Section 2 – The bylaws shall be
reviewed on a biennial basis by a committee appointed by the president at
the annual meeting.
The Articles of Incorporation may be amended with the authorization of
two-thirds vote of the
quorum with due notice
of intended change having been given at the previous regular meeting.
Adopted September
6, 2018
These guidelines are
in place to ease the transition of officers and to help members understand
and be aware of procedures practiced. The guidelines may be changed with a
majority vote of the members present.
1.
The annual dues
for members of this club shall be $25, payable at the April meeting, with
the exception of Honorary Members who are exempt from dues. A member is
deemed in arrears if not paid by June 30th.
A member found in arrears will be notified by the secretary and, if no
response is received, will be removed from the membership roll on November
1st.
2.
Members are
responsible to inform the secretary of meeting or event attendance and once
a commitment is made, payment of all associated fees is
required.
President
1.
Become acquainted with proper parliamentary procedures and conduct the
business meeting
accordingly.
2.
Update any corrections/additions to the bylaws and guidelines from the past
year and retain past versions of these
documents.
3.
Schedule and
preside over meetings of the executive
board.
4.
In April, confirm standing committee chair positions for the coming year.
Request proposed budgets from standing committee
chairs.
5.
Schedule executive board meeting to prepare proposed budget for upcoming
year, using recommendations from the standing committee chairs. The proposed
budget will be presented for approval at the annual meeting by the
treasurer.
6.
Determine quorum
for each meeting.
7.
Be aware of totes/history kept at the Lake Central Bank and add materials as
warranted, including annual reports from the secretary, treasurer, and all
committees.
1.
Work closely with
the president(s) to inform her of upcoming meeting
arrangements.
2.
Chair the program
committee.
3.
Gather program
ideas from the membership.
4.
Prepare and distribute program brochure to members via the AIC secretary.
Make copies for the Annandale Public Library display, for membership
committee chairs, and to have available at meetings for guests and
members.
5.
Communicate with monthly hostesses and program coordinator regarding
meeting responsibilities and program
arrangements.
6.
One month prior
to program, contact program coordinator to confirm program
details.
7.
Write a notice in the Annandale Advocate stating the starting time, location
and program highlights of each monthly meeting. Include registration
information.
8.
Maintain a
list of
honorary members,
and submit
the current
list to
the program
committee after the annual
meeting.
9.
Announce new honorary members at the annual meeting and give this list to
the membership committee chairs, and the executive
board.
Criteria for Honorary
Membership in the Annandale Improvement Club:
20 years of membership with health issues, upon request of a member. 40
years of membership, upon request of a member.
80 years of age
or older, with 15 years of membership, upon request of a member.
1.
Record minutes of
all business meetings and submit a draft to the president within a week’s
time.
2.
Maintain the AIC
group email account at emaildodo.com, send out meeting notices, and
communicate with the hostesses concerning meal reservations, caterer and
venue including meeting responsibilities and registration
set-up.
3.
Maintain AIC
email account.
4.
Contact members
on the call list about upcoming meeting
reservations.
5.
Prepare
reservation list for hostesses to use at
registration.
6.
Call or email the
caterer with total number of
reservations.
7.
Contact the
program coordinator to give her total number of reservations including
guests.
8.
Send a reminder
notice to members in arrears for membership dues and unpaid reservations.
9.
Prepare a report
for the annual meeting which includes the activities of the AIC
for the past year and list the monthly voluntary donations made by
members to charitable
organizations.
10.
Purchase a book
for the Annandale Area Library, through the Great River Regional Library, in
memory of a deceased member.
1.
Collect and
record all monies including dues, meal costs, fundraising, and other
projects; deposit the funds in the AIC bank
account.
2.
Disburse AIC
funds upon authorization.
3.
Counting and
depositing funds: The treasurer and at least one other AIC member will count
the monies at the meeting site. Monies will be deposited immediately at Lake
Central Bank, either with a teller or in a locked bag placed in the night
deposit box. Deposits are verified and placed into the AIC account. A
deposit ticket will be received
either in person or by mail to AIC at P.O. Box 207, Annandale, MN
55302.
4.
Report on the
financial condition of the AIC at regular meetings and provide
members with a written report.
5.
Distribute
monthly voluntary member donations to appropriate
recipient/organization.
6.
Report new member
information to the membership committee chair(s) and board monthly.
7.
Inform the
secretary of members’ financial obligations that are in
arrears.
8.
Pick up monthly
mail at the Annandale Library prior to each
meeting.
9.
Maintain monthly
and annual reports electronically and care for the AIC
computer.
10.
Prepare and
present the annual financial report at the April
meeting.
11.
Submit annual
Form 990N to IRS in April to renew non-profit
status.
12.
The treasurer,
upon approval of a majority of the officers, may invest funds in a
CD.
1.
Submit a request
to the AIC for any additional funds beyond the budgeted amount for
membership approval.
2.
Beautification committee coordinators plan the design and care of the Spring
and Winter rounds, concrete planters and other garden spots in coordination
with the city of Annandale.
3.
Invite community
members to participate in beautification
activities.
4.
Prepare an annual
report of beautification activities for the annual
meeting.
1.
Solicit ideas for
fundraising projects from the membership and present fundraising
opportunities and projects to the
membership.
2.
Inform members of
fundraising progress.
3.
Report completion
of a fundraiser project to the
membership.
4.
Prepare an annual
report of fundraising activities and results to present at the annual
meeting.
1.
Each month report
Annandale Public Library activities to the
membership.
2.
Submit a request
to the AIC for approval of any funds beyond the budgeted amount, or that the
library or Friends of the Library may
need.
3.
Prepare an annual
report of activities to present at the annual
meeting.
1.
Chaired by the
vice president.
2.
Meet after the
annual meeting to plan programs and venues for monthly meetings for
September – August. Assign monthly hostesses, and program coordinators, and
determine the charitable organization for voluntary donations from
members.
3.
Prepare and
distribute the program brochure to members via the AIC secretary. Make
copies for the Annandale Public Library display, for membership committee
chair(s), and to have available at meetings for guests and
members.
4.
Confirm the
program with the presenter a month before the meeting or event. Each month’s
program coordinator completes this
task.
5.
Arrange for the
AIC’s audio-visual equipment to be available at meetings. Note: the
equipment is not to be lent out.
6.
Send a thank you
note to the speaker.
1.
Provide each
member with a Membership Directory containing member information, photo, a
copy of the AIC bylaws and guidelines, and historical AIC
information.
2.
Provide pages to
update each member’s directory in the
fall.
3.
Welcome new
members.
4.
A dedicated
member shall maintain the AIC membership roster and call list. She shall
send a current roster and call list to the executive board members by the
third week of each month.
5.
Provide new
member information to the secretary and
treasurer.
6.
Outreach: The
Sunshine Lady shall send, upon notification, sympathy cards for death or
get-well cards for sickness/overnight hospitalization for members, spouse,
parents, siblings, in-laws or member’s child/grandchild. Members shall
notify the sunshine lady when they hear of any of the
above.
7.
Prepare an annual
report about AIC membership to present at the annual
meeting.
1.
The scholarship
committee, using established criteria, shall review scholarship applications
sent from the high school for final selections of AIC’s yearly scholarships.
2.
The chair shall
request a check, at the April AIC meeting, for the upcoming year’s
recipient(s) be sent to the Annandale High School – in care of the high
school counselor. A member of the committee, or designate, will participate
in the annual Annandale High
School Awards ceremony to award the AIC
scholarships.
3.
The scholarship
committee chair or her designate will announce the scholarship winners at
the AIC annual meeting.
4.
The recipient(s)
will notify the high school of their completed semester at the school of
their choice, and the high school with then award a check to the
recipient(s).
This will happen in December or January.
5.
The scholarship committee shall recommend scholarship criteria to be
approved by a quorum present at a regular monthly meeting of AIC
members.
1.
Arrive 45 minutes
prior to the meeting to set up registration table, name tag table,
and voluntary donation basket. Receive reservation list from the
secretary. Put tables and items back after the
meeting.
2.
Display and collect
name tags.
3.
Keep donation basket
monies separate from AIC luncheon and dues
income. Record totals.
4.
Assist treasurer in
recording and counting the monies
received.
5.
Check members in at
the membership meeting; record monies received on the registration form.
6.
Submit the confirmed
attendance form and funds to the treasurer by the close of the meeting.
Ø
Whenever possible all
purchases needed for projects or special events should be
purchased within the Annandale
area.
Ø
Upon completion of a
project, the project chair shall report to the to the membership. A written
financial report shall be given to the
treasurer.
Ø
The expense of
fieldtrips, special events, and meals shall be the responsibility of those
attending.