SUN CITY TEXAS COMPUTER CLUB

CLUB BYLAWS

September, 2004 Revision

ARTICLE I – GENERAL

Section A. The name of this organization shall be Sun City Texas Computer Club, (hereinafter referred to as the "Club").

Section B. The purpose of the Club is to provide a forum for the exchange of information and knowledge among its members relating to personal computers and their uses, and to operate a computer facility for use of its members and the Sun City Texas community ("Community").

Section C. These Bylaws will fully comply with the Governing Documents ("Documents") and Chartered Club Rules and Procedures ("Rules") of the Sun City Texas Community Association, Inc. ("Association"). In the event of a conflict between these Bylaws and the Documents, or Rules, the Documents or Rules will prevail. The Bylaws may be amended by a vote of the Executive Board to comply with the Documents or Rules.

Section D. This organization shall be operated as a non profit association in accordance with applicable statutes and the Associations’s Document. The Club has no legal status independent of the Association. For this reason, all actions by the Club Membership or Executive Board may be appealed to the Board of Directors of the Association, which may uphold or overturn those actions. In the absence of such an appeal, actions by the Club Membership and Executive Board, in accordance with these Bylaws, will stand.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section A. The following classes of membership shall be open to all without discrimination as to race, religion, color, ethnic culture, national origin, sex, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or family status. There shall be no precondition for membership other than those stated in the following Sections of this Article, nor will any class of members be required to join any national, state, or regionally affiliated organization. Membership shall be conditional upon the timely payment of dues as provided elsewhere herein. Failure to pay such dues shall be deemed proper cause for the termination of membership.

Regular Membership shall be open to all Association members in good standing.

Life Membership shall be conferred upon Past Presidents who have served a minimum of one term as President of the Club, in recognition and appreciation of their service. Membership dues of Life Members shall be waived beginning with the start of the next dues period after the Life Membership is conferred.

Temporary Membership shall be open to all temporary residents who are also members in good standing of the Association. Temporary Members shall not be entitled to hold office or to vote.

Associate Membership shall be open to all employees of the Association, and to employees of the Developer whose duty station is Sun City Texas. Associate Members shall not be entitled to hold office or to vote.

Section B. Increase in dues over the capped amount ($24.00) shall be approved by a majority vote of the voting Membership in a manner determined by the Executive Board. Dues are payable in full in advance according to a schedule established by the Executive Board.  

Section C. The Executive Board may establish fees for participation in special activities to defray costs, as provided for in the Sun City Texas Chartered Club Rules and Procedures, and for use of Club facilities and equipment.

ARTICLE III - GUESTS

Section A. Resident Guest - All Association members are qualified to join the Club. Until they choose to do so, they are considered guests.

Section B. Nonresident Guest - All other individuals who are accompanied by an Association member, or otherwise sponsored by an Association member, are considered nonresident guests and do not qualify for Club membership.

Section C. Developer Guest - During the period of Community development, and as long as the developer has the capability to annex land into the Community, "Vacation Getaway ” (VG) visitors, prospective home buyers, and the developer sales associates are considered developer guests. VG visitors may be accompanied by a sales associate, or may identify themselves with a VG Visitor card. Prospective home buyers will be in the company of a sales associate. Depending on the nature of Club activities, VG visitors and prospective home buyers may be permitted to participate in Club programs. It is incumbent upon sales associates to inquire into Club policies and rules before advising developer guests that they may use Club activities and programs. Sales associates may only use Association/Club facilities when accompanying a prospective home buyer.

Section D. Any use of the computer facilities by guests shall conform to the rules and regulations established by the Club.

ARTICLE IV - EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section A. There shall be an Executive Board of the Club consisting of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, the Immediate Past President, the Club founder Peter Roll, a minimum of three Directors, and an additional number of Directors as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

Section B. All Officers and Directors shall be elected by a vote of the general Membership and they shall serve without compensation.

Section C. All Officers and Directors shall be elected for one-year terms.

Section D. Should the office of President become vacant, the Vice President will succeed to that position. Should any other office become vacant the President will fill the vacancy by appointment from among the Members eligible to hold that office, subject to approval by a majority of the Executive Board.

Section E. As a gesture of appreciation for past efforts in behalf of the Club and to ensure the benefit of his ongoing guidance, the Club founder, Peter Roll, shall be a lifetime member of the Executive Board.

Section F. The responsibilities of the Officers and the Executive Board shall be as follows:

President - shall preside over all Club meetings, assume responsibility for the administration of all Club business; act as the principal liaison between the Club and the Association; ensure the financial and administrative integrity of the Club; and appoint committees and assign areas of responsibility to members of the Executive Board as deemed necessary.

Vice President - shall perform the duties of the President in the latter's absence and other such duties as may be assigned by the President.  

Secretary - shall keep all records and minutes of the meetings of the Membership and Executive Board, conduct all correspondence relating to the Club, and furnish the Association with such reports as may be necessary. The Secretary will ensure that the Secretary's records are retained for three years and, upon leaving office, will pass the records to his/her successor.  

Treasurer - shall receive all dues and other monies paid to the Club; disburse Club funds in timely payment of all bills owed by the Club; maintain appropriate books, ledgers and other accounting records reflecting the financial transactions of the Club and its current financial condition; furnish the Association with such reports as may be called for; and report to the Membership on the financial condition of the Club at the Annual Business Meeting and at such other times as the President may direct. The Treasurer will ensure that the Treasurer's records are retained for seven years and, upon leaving office, will pass the records to his/her successor.  

The Executive Board - shall review and approve annual budgets of the Club and all changes thereto, including purchases of goods and services not anticipated in the annual budget; set annual Membership dues as stated in Article II, Section B and Article IX Section A; set fees for Club activities, services and supplies; review and approve financial status reports from the Treasurer at least quarterly; review and approve status reports from the CyberCenter Director at least quarterly; and carry out such other duties and exercise such other powers as are normal for the governance of a non profit organization and that are not specifically restricted or preempted by other articles of these Bylaws or by the rules of the Association.  

ARTICLE V - COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL-INTEREST GROUPS

Section A. The Executive Board may appoint permanent (standing) committees each year. The Executive Board may also appoint ad hoc committees from time to time to deal with specific issues.

Section B. The Executive Board shall establish a written statement of purpose defining the responsibilities and scope of each Permanent and ad hoc Committee before it is established.

Section C. The Executive Board may designate the Chairperson of each Permanent or ad hoc Committee; or it may ask the President to designate a Chairperson; or the Executive Board may ask the Committee members to select a Chairperson from among its members.

Section D. Special Interest Groups (SIG's) shall be considered to be Committees of the Club, organized to pursue activities on behalf of members sharing in the special interest. Membership shall be open to all Members of the Club. SIG's will normally elect their own Leader and other such officers as they may need to function; and will devise their own statements of purpose and arrange their own programs and activities.

Section E. The Executive Board shall review and approve written statements of purpose for each SIG before the SIG is formed, and whenever an existing statement of purpose is changed.  

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS  

Section A. Business meetings of the Membership shall be held as necessary and as required by these Bylaws, as determined by the Executive Board, at places and times also determined by the Executive Board.

Section B. An Annual Business Meeting of the Club will be held for the purpose of reporting the election of officers and any other matter voted on, receiving an annual report from the Treasurer, and conducting such other business as may properly come before it.

Section C. The President may call other business meetings of the Membership, and must call such meetings when directed to do so by a majority vote of the Executive Board. Such meetings shall be held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled Meeting of the Club whenever possible.

Section D. The Secretary shall provide at least forty-five (45) days’ notice of all matters to be voted on by the Membership by posting such notice on bulletin boards in the Association office and the CyberCenter. This notice shall include a statement that any nominations for the Executive Board or proposed amendments to the Bylaws must be submitted to the Secretary no later than twenty (20) days prior to the start of voting.  

Section E. The proceedings of all Business Meetings of the Membership shall be recorded in minutes taken by, or under the supervision of the Secretary. These minutes shall be open for inspection by the Membership and by officers, staff members, and Directors of the Association.

Section F. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of all Business Meetings of the Membership.

Section G. A majority vote of the total of those voting is required to resolve any question on the publicized agenda not related to a Bylaws amendment.

Section H. The officer presiding at a Business Meeting of the Membership will vote only in case of a tie.

Section I. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be at times and places designated by the President.

Section J. The proceedings of all Executive Board meetings shall be recorded in minutes by, or under the supervision of, the Secretary. These minutes shall be open for inspection by the Membership and by officials, staff members, and Directors of the Association.

Section K. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of all Executive Board meetings.

Section L. A quorum for actions at Executive Board meetings shall consist of a majority of the Members of the Executive Board, but excluding any Members who have been made Lifetime Members of the Executive Board.

Section M. Executive Board Member who cannot attend a meeting may give another Board Member a written or e-mail proxy authorizing that Member to vote on his/her behalf. Members providing proxies for a given meeting shall be considered to be present at the meeting for purposes of determining a quorum.

Section N. When deemed appropriate by the President, and at his discretion, issues requiring immediate resolution may be voted on via e-mail, so long as a majority of the members of the Executive Board, constituting a quorum, can be reached via e-mail.

Section O. A majority vote of the total of those voting, either in person, by proxy, or by e-mail, is required to resolve any matter on which the Executive Board acts.

ARTICLE VII - ELECTIONS

Section A. The Officers and Directors shall be elected in a manner to be specified by the Executive Board.

Section B. Not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the start of voting, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least three Members. It shall be the duty of this committee to propose a slate of Officers and Directors for the coming year. This slate will consist of at least one candidate for each office.

Section C. Any Member wishing to stand for election to the Executive Board must submit his or her name to the Secretary no later than twenty (20) days preceding the start of voting.

Section D. The names of all nominees shall be communicated to the Membership by posting the names on bulletin board s in the Association office and in the CyberCenter no later than fifteen (15) days preceding the start of voting. The posted notice shall describe specific voting instructions, including the prescribed time frame.

Section E. Elections shall be decided by a majority vote of the members in good standing casting valid votes. The electoral process to be used shall be determined by the Executive Board.

Section F. Prior to the start of voting, the President shall appoint a committee of at least three Election Judges whose responsibility will be to monitor all voting and ensure that the votes of all qualified voters are validated.

Section G. Nominees who are elected to the Executive Board shall assume their official duties on the first (1 st) day of the month following the end of voting or as soon thereafter as the election has been validated by the Election Judges and reported to the President.

ARTICLE VIII - ELECTRONIC VOTING

Electronic voting may be used for any voting process required by the Club membership or the Club Executive Board under these Bylaws. Such electronic voting shall be authorized by vote of the Executive Board for matters to come before the Membership, or authorized by the President for matters to come before the Executive Board. Actions by the Executive Board or the President authorizing electronic voting shall specify the nature and duration of the voting process, and any other characteristics of the process deemed appropriate.

ARTICLE IX - FINANCES

Section A. Annual dues for membership in the Club are capped at $24.00. The Executive Board may reset this amount annually, but if the Executive Board determines that dues need to be increased beyond $24.00, the increase must be voted on by the membership and shall become effective only after approval of a majority vote of the members in good standing casting valid votes.

Section B. All other fees charged to Members and Guests for Club activities and of Club-administered facilities shall be based on costs and shall be established by a vote of the Executive Board.

Section C. Club Officers or Directors may authorize expenditures of Club funds not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250) during any calendar month without prior approval of the Executive Board, provided the expenditure of such funds has been authorized within the approved annual budget.

Section D. Financial records will be maintained for a period of seven (7) years.

Section E. Financial records should be reviewed on an annual basis, by one or more individual(s) other than those elected to the Executive Board. This individual or group shall be appointed by the President. A written report of this review, when approved by the Executive Board, shall be considered as an official audit of the financial records.

Section F. The accounting or fiscal year of the Club will be the same as the fiscal year of the Association.

Section G. The President, Vice President, and Treasurer shall have authority to sign checks drawn against the checking account established for the Club. All checks over the amount of $250.00 shall be signed by two of these three Officers.

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Section A. Except for the provisions of Article I, Section C. of these Bylaws, to amend the Bylaws of this Club the Executive Board must submit its proposed revisions to the Club’s membership for a vote. For any proposed amendments to be adopted, two-thirds of the members in good standing casting valid votes must approve.

Section B. The Secretary shall ensure that copies of any proposed amendment and the accompanying statement of rationale are deposited in the Association office and the CyberCenter at least fifteen (15) days prior to the start of voting. At the same time, the Secretary will post notices on bulletin boards outside the Association office and in the CyberCenter of the availability of these copies and the date the voting starts and stops.

Section C. As deemed necessary, but at least annually, the Executive Board shall review the Bylaws and recommend proposed amendments, if indicated. In addition, any member may propose an amendment to these Bylaws. If approved by the Executive Board, proposed amendments will be presented to the Membership for approval in a manner deemed appropriate by the Executive Board. Proposals to amend must be submitted to the Secretary in writing no later than twenty (20) days preceding the start of voting, must be signed, and must be accompanied by a statement of rationale for the proposal.

Section D. Unless an effective date is stipulated in the proposal, amendments will become effective upon approval of the Membership.

ARTICLE XI - DISSOLUTION

A two-thirds vote of the members in good standing casting valid votes is required to dissolve the Club. Prior to Club dissolution, and after all debts are satisfied, all property and assets shall be turned over to the Association.