Welcome
(originally adopted October 2012, blue text was amended August 2014, red text was amended August 2017)
1 Bylaws of the Metropolitan Lubbock Rotary Club
2
3 Article 1 Definitions
4
5 1. Board: The Board of Directors of this club.
6 2. Member: A member, other than an honorary member, of this club.
7 3. Director: A member of this club’s Board of Directors.
8 4. RI: Rotary International.
9 5. Year: The twelve-month period that begins on July 1.
10
11 Article 2 Board of Directors
12
13 The governing body of this club shall be the Board of Directors consisting of eleven or
14 twelve members, namely, the president, immediate past president, president-elect, vice-
15 president, secretary, treasurer, four directors-at-large, the sergeant-at-arms, and the chairman of
16 the satellite club if said club exists.
14 twelve members, namely, the president, immediate past president, president-elect, vice-
15 president, secretary, treasurer, four directors-at-large, the sergeant-at-arms, and the chairman of
16 the satellite club if said club exists.
17
18 Article 3 Election of Board of Directors
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20 Section 1 — Nominations. By September 1 each year a Nominating Committee shall be
21 appointed by the president in consultation with the Board of Directors. At a regular meeting
22 in October, at least one month prior to the annual meeting, the Nominating Committee will
23 present candidates for president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, two directors-at-large
24 and sergeant-at-arms. At this time the presiding officer shall ask for additional nominations
25 from members.
26
27 Section 2 — Voting and Election. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a ballot in
28 alphabetical order under each office and shall be voted on by secret, written ballot at the
29 annual meeting. The candidates for president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, two
30 directors-at-large and sergeant-at-arms, receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared
31 elected to their respective offices on the following July 1. The candidate for president voted
32 on such balloting shall immediately serve as president-nominee until July 1 of the year
33 following voting.
34
35 Section 3 — Presidential Succession. The presidential succession shall be as follows. On July 1
36 immediately after serving as:
37 a. president-nominee, the president-nominee shall assume a one-year term of office as
38 president-elect.
39 b. president-elect, the president-elect shall assume a one-year term of office as president.
40 c. president, the president shall assume a one-year term of office as immediate past
41 president.
42
43 Section 4 —Terms of Office. The vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and sergeant-at-arms shall
44 serve one-year terms starting July 1 following their election; and they may serve no more
45 than three consecutive terms. The directors-at-large shall serve two-year terms starting July 1
46 following their elections with half of the directors-at-large elected in odd numbered years and
47 half of the directors-at-large elected in even numbered years. Directors-at-large may not be
1 elected to two consecutive terms as director-at-large and may not serve more than three
2 consecutive years.
3
4 Section 5 — Vacancies on the Board of Directors. Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be
5 filled by action of the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
6
7 Section 6 — Minimum Qualifications. A candidate for any elected position must have been a
8 member in good standing of Metropolitan Lubbock Rotary Club for a minimum of one year
9 as of the date she/he assumes office and have had experience with Rotary activities beyond
10 attendance at Rotary meetings.
11
12 Article 4 Duties of Officers
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14 Section 1 — President. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at meetings of the club and
15 the Board of Directors and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of
16 president or may be required by the Club's Constitution or Bylaws or requested by the Board
17 of Directors or RI.
18
19 Section 2 — Immediate Past President. It shall be the duty of the immediate past president to
20 serve as a member of the Board of Directors and to perform such other duties as may be
21 required by the Club's Constitution or Bylaws or requested by the president, Board of
22 Directors or RI.
23
24 Section 3 — President-elect. It shall be the duty of the president-elect to preside at meetings of
25 the club and the Board of Directors in the temporary absence of the president and to serve as
26 a member of the Board of Directors and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
27 the Club's Constitution or Bylaws, president, Board of Directors or RI.
28
29 Section 4 — Vice-President. It shall be the duty of the vice-president to preside at meetings of
30 the club and the Board of Directors in the temporary absence of the president and president-
31 elect, perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of vice-president, and perform
32 such other duties as may be required by the Club's Constitution or Bylaws or requested by
33 the president, Board of Directors or RI.
34
35 Section 5 — Secretary. It shall be the duty of the secretary to
36 a. keep membership records;
37 b. record attendance at meetings;
38 c. send out notices of club, Board of Directors, and committee meetings;
39 d. record and preserve the minutes of such meetings;
40 e. report as required to RI, including the semiannual reports of membership on January 1
41 and July 1 of each year, which shall include per capita dues for all members and prorated
42 dues for active members who have been elected to membership in the club since the start
43 of the July or January semiannual reporting period;
44 f. report changes in membership;
45 g. provide the monthly attendance report, which shall be made to the district governor by
46 the tenth day of the following month;
1 h. collect and remit RI official magazine subscriptions;
2 i. perform other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary; and
3 j. perform such other duties as may be required by the Club's Constitution or Bylaws or
4 requested by the president, Board of Directors or RI.
5
6 Section 6 — Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to:
7 a. have custody of all funds, accounting for it to the club annually and at any other time
8 upon demand by the Board of Directors;
9 b. perform other duties as pertains to the office of treasurer; and
10 c. perform such other duties as may be required by the Club's Constitution or Bylaws or
11 requested by the president, Board of Directors or RI.
12 Upon retirement from office, the treasurer shall turn over to the incoming treasurer or to the
13 president all funds, books of accounts, or any other club property.
14
15 Section 7 — Sergeant-at-Arms. The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall be such as are usually
16 prescribed for such office and other duties as may be required by the Club's Constitution or
17 Bylaws or requested by the president, Board of Directors or RI.
18
19 Section 8 — Directors-at-large. The duties of the directors-at-large shall be such as are usually
20 prescribed for such office and other duties as may be required by the Club's Constitution or
21 Bylaws or requested by the president, Board of Directors or RI. Each director-at-large will
22 serve as the chair of a standing or ad hoc committee at the request of the president.
23
24 Article 5 Meetings
25
26 Section 1 — Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the second Friday
27 in November in each year, at which time the election of Board of Directors members
28 prescribed in Article 3 to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.
29
30 Section 2 — Weekly Meeting. The regular weekly meetings of this club shall be held on Friday
31 at 7 AM. Due notice of any changes in or canceling of the regular meeting shall be given by
32 the president to all members of the club. All members excepting an honorary member (or
33 member excused pursuant to the standard Rotary club constitution) in good standing in this
34 club, on the day of the regular meeting, must be counted as present or absent, and attendance
35 must be evidenced by the member’s being present for at least sixty (60) percent of the time
36 devoted to the regular meeting, either at this club or at any other Rotary club, or as otherwise
37 provided in the standard Rotary club constitution, article 9, sections 1 and 2.
38
39 Section 3 — Quorum. One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and
40 regular meetings of this club.
41
42 Section 4 — Board of Directors Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be
43 held on a day of the month to be decided for the year by the Board of Directors at their July
44 meeting to be called by the president, due notice having been given. Special meetings of the
45 Board of Directors shall be called by the president, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the
46 request of two (2) members of the Board of Directors, due notice having been given.
1
2 Section 5 — Board of Directors Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board of Directors
3 shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors.
4
5 Article 6 Fees and Dues
6
7 The membership dues shall include RI international and district dues, subscription to the RI
8 official magazine, and club administrative costs and be set by the Board and approved by the
9 members, payable quarterly in equal amounts.
10
11 Article 7 Method of Voting
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13 The business of this club shall be transacted by voice vote except the election of members of the
14 Board of Directors, which shall be by ballot, or when another method of voting is duly requested
15 by members present and voting. The Board of Directors may hold an electronic vote of members
16 by a date certain on any resolution except election of members of the Board of Directors or
17 amendments to the Bylaws or Constitution.
18
19 Article 8 Avenues of Service
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21 The Avenues of Service are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this
22 Rotary club. They are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International
23 Service, and Youth Service. This club will be active in each of the Avenues of Service.
24
25 Article 9 Committees
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27 Section 1— Standing Committees. Club committees are charged with carrying out the annual
28 and long-range strategic goals of the club. The president-elect, president, and immediate past
29 president should work together to ensure continuity of leadership and succession planning.
30 When feasible, committee members should be appointed to the same committee for three
31 years to ensure consistency. The president-elect is responsible for appointing committee
32 members to fill vacancies, appointing committee chairs, and conducting planning meetings
33 prior to the start of his or her Rotary year as President. It is recommended that the chair have
34 previous experience as a member of the committee. Standing committees should be
35 appointed as follows:
36
37 a. Financial
38 This committee should conduct activities associated with the effective fiscal operation of
39 the club, including an annual review of the club's income and expenses, the nature of
40 which shall be determined by the Board of Directors, and preparation of a draft budget to
41 present to the Board of Directors at their regular July meeting. This committee shall
42 include but not be limited to the immediate past president, president, president-elect,
43 treasurer and an additional member who is not serving on the Board of Directors.
44
45
1 b. Planning
2 This committee should examine the club's activities relative to the Avenues of Service
3 and recommend to the Board of Directors whether any activities should be discontinued,
4 modified or added. This committee shall meet at least semi-annually and include but not
5 be limited to the immediate past president, president, president-elect, another member of
6 the Board of Directors, and a past president who is not serving on the Board of Directors.
7
8 c. Membership
9 This committee should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the recruitment,
10 education and retention of members.
11
12 d. Rotary Foundation
13 This committee should develop and implement plans to educate members and support
14 and contribute to the Rotary Foundation.
15
16 Section 2 — Ad hoc Committees. Ad hoc committees may be appointed as needed.
17
18 Section 3 — Duties of Committees. The duties of all committees shall be established and
19 reviewed by the president for his or her year in office. In declaring the duties of each, the
20 president shall reference appropriate RI materials and the Avenues of Service when developing
21 plans for the year.
22
23 Each committee shall have a specific mandate, clearly defined goals, and action plans established
24 by the beginning of each year for implementation during the course of the year. It shall be the
25 primary responsibility of the president-elect to provide the necessary leadership to prepare a
26 recommendation for club committees, mandates, goals, and plans for presentation to the Board of
27 Directors in advance of the commencement of the year as noted above.
28
29 Each committee shall transact its business as is delegated to it in these bylaws and such
30 additional business as may be referred to it by the president or the Board of Directors. Except
31 where special authority is given by the Board of Directors, such committees shall not take action
32 until a report has been made and approved by the Board of Directors.
33
34 Each committee chair shall be responsible for regular meetings and activities of the committee,
35 shall supervise and coordinate the work of the committee, and shall report to the Board of
36 Directors on all committee activities.
37
38 Section 4. The president shall be ex officio a member of all committees and, as such, shall have
39 all the privileges of membership thereon.
40
41 Article 10 Leave of Absence
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43 Upon written application to the Board of Directors, setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave
44 of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending the meetings of the club for no
45 longer than twelve (12) months. The granting of a leave of absence does not remove the
46 member's responsibility to pay membership dues during the leave.
1
2 Article 11 Finances
3
4 Section 1 — At the Board of Directors' regular July meeting, using a draft budget prepared by
5 the Financial Committee, the Board of Directors shall approve a budget of estimated income
6 and expenditures for the year, which shall stand as the limit of expenditures for these
7 purposes, unless otherwise ordered by action of the Board of Directors. The budget shall be
8 broken into two separate parts: one in respect of club operations and one in respect of
9 charitable/service operations.
10
11 Section 2 — The treasurer shall deposit all club funds in a bank, named by the Board of
12 Directors.
13
14 Section 3 — No expenditure may be made without prior approval by the Board of Directors. All
15 bills shall be paid in a timely manner by the treasurer or other authorized officer over the
16 signature of two of the following three: president, treasurer, and president-elect.
17
18 Section 4 — A thorough review of all financial transactions arranged by the Financial
19 Committee and by a means approved by the Board of Directors shall be made once each
20 year.
21
22 Section 5 — For the safe custody of the funds of the club, officers having charge or control of
23 club funds shall be bonded in a manner approved by the board, cost of bond to be borne by
24 the club.
25
26 Section 6 — The fiscal year of this club shall extend from July 1 to June 30. The payment of RI
27 per capita dues and RI official magazine subscriptions shall be made on July 1 and January 1
28 of each year on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates, and payment of
29 district per capita dues shall be made yearly when invoiced.
30
31 Article 12 Method of Electing Members
32
33 Section 1 — The name of a prospective member, proposed by an active member of the club,
34 shall be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing, through the club secretary. A
35 transferring or former member of another club may be proposed to active membership by the
36 former club. The proposal shall be kept confidential except as otherwise provided in this
37 procedure.
38
39 Section 2 — The Board of Directors shall ensure that the proposal meets all the classification and
40 membership requirements of the standard Rotary club constitution.
41
42 Section 3 — The Board of Directors shall approve or disapprove the proposal within 30 days of
43 its submission and shall notify the proposer, through the club secretary, of its decision.
44
45 Section 4 — If the decision of the Board of Directors is favorable, the prospective member shall
46 be informed of the purposes of Rotary and of the privileges and responsibilities of
1 membership, following which the prospective member shall be requested to sign the
2 membership proposal form and to permit his or her name and proposed classification to be
3 published to the club.
4
5 Section 5 — If no written objection to the proposal, stating reasons, is received by the Board of
6 Directors from any member (other than honorary) of the club within seven (7) days following
7 publication of information about the prospective member, that person shall be considered to
8 be elected to membership.
9
10 If any such objection has been filed with the Board of Directors, it shall vote on this matter at
11 its next meeting. If approved despite the objection, that person shall be considered to be
12 elected to membership.
13
14 Section 6 — Following the election, the president shall arrange for the new member’s induction,
15 membership card, and new member Rotary literature. In addition, the secretary will report the
16 new member information to RI and the president will assign a member to assist with the new
17 member’s assimilation to the club as well as assign the new member to a club project or
18 function.
19
20 Section 7 — The club may elect, in accordance with the standard Rotary club constitution,
21 honorary members proposed by the Board of Directors.
22
23 Article 13 Resolutions
24
25 The club shall not consider any resolution or motion to commit the club on any matter until the
26 Board of Directors has considered it. Such resolutions or motions, if offered at a club meeting,
27 shall be referred to the Board of Directors without discussion.
28
29 Article 14 Order of Business
30
31 Meeting called to order.
32 Introduction of visitors.
33 Correspondence, announcements, and
34 Rotary information.
35 Committee reports if any.
36 Any unfinished business.
37 Any new business.
38 Address or other program features.
39 Adjournment.
40
41 Article 15 Satellite Club
42
43 Metropolitan Lubbock Rotary Club may form a satellite Rotary Club as permitted by Rotary
44 International. The satellite club has its own officers, bylaws, meeting times, and dues structure.
45 Satellite club members are members of the Metropolitan Lubbock Rotary Club and their dues will
46 be remitted through the sponsor club. Satellite clubs must have at least eight members at the time
47 of formation to satisfy the requirements of Article 13, section 6(b) of the Standard Rotary Club
1 Constitution. The Chairman of the satellite club serves as a full member of the Metropolitan
2 Lubbock Rotary Club Board of Directors.
3
4 Article 16 Amendments
5
6 These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds
7 vote of all members present, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall have been
8 electronically distributed to each member at least ten (10) days before such meeting. A member
9 may request in writing to the secretary that she or he receive mailed notice of proposed
10 amendments in place of the electronic notification. Such request will be in effect for the Rotary
11 year and may be renewed, if desired by the member, for another year. No amendment or addition
12 to these bylaws can be made which is not in harmony with the standard Rotary club constitution
13 and with the constitution and bylaws of RI.