GRAND MASTER DRAGON BOAT CLUB OF THE VILLAGES. INC. BY LAWS. Mission Statement

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1 GRAND MASTER DRAGON BOAT CLUB OF THE VILLAGES. INC. BY LAWS Mission Statement The mission of The Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club of The Villages Inc. hereinafter referred to as GMDBC, or Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club, or Club shall be: To promote the sport of dragon boat paddling and racing. To provide an opportunity for residents of The Villages to participate in the sport of dragon boating. To provide a framework of rules for club members and teams that ensure fairness and good sportsmanship in participation and competition. Article I Membership 1. Membership in the GMDBC shall be open to any resident of The Villages who: Possesses a valid Villages Resident identification card (ID) or Villages temporary Resident ID. (A Guest pass is not considered a valid resident ID). Has paid his or her dues as outlined in the GMDBC Rules and Procedures. Has signed the following: a. The Villages waiver b. GMDBC waiver c. United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) insurance form d. Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club form (showing date of birth and Village Resident ID number). 2. Team Captain shall verify each team member s date of birth and Village Resident ID number. 3. Members renewing their annual membership are required to complete the above forms each year. 4. Team Captains shall submit their team s forms and GMDBC dues to the GMDBC treasurer by January 1. Individuals who fail to submit the forms and dues may not be permitted to participate in boating activities until those forms are submitted. 5. Members shall comply with these bylaws and the Rules and Procedures of the GMDBC. Associate members: An associate member is a non paddling Villager who may join and participate in GMBDC activities except for paddling or riding on the dragon boats. 1. An associate member shall complete The Villages waiver and a GMDBC form and submit them to the Club Treasurer. 1

2 2. Dues for associate members shall be paid as specified in the Rules and Procedures of the GMDBC. Dues shall be remitted to the Team Captain or the Club Treasurer (if the associate member is not affiliated with a team). Article II General Membership Meetings 1. General membership meetings shall be held once a month in one of The Villages recreation centers. 2. Membership shall be notified of the meetings via the Villages Recreational News and the GMDBC website. Voting: Article III: Voting and Proxies: 1. All members of the GMDBC are considered voting members and may cast one vote per motion/candidate. Voting shall be conducted electronically or by proxy for those without electronic access at the time of the voting period. 2. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting members shall constitute a quorum for changes to be made to the bylaws. If a quorum of GMDBC members vote, a simple majority shall rule. 3. For election of officers and for expenditures over $5,000 (see Rules and Procedures of the GMDBC, Section II), a vote of 51 percent of the voting membership constitutes a quorum. 4. All other items/issues shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the Board members. 5. Non-survey votes require approval by the majority of the Team Captains before the vote. Proxies: 1. Every member entitled to vote electronically may authorize another person or persons to act for that member by proxy. Proxy votes should only be used when a member is unable to vote electronically. 2. The member s proxy vote shall only relay that person s choice of candidate or express consent or dissent to an item voted on and shall not be used to express the preferences (i.e., candidate selection or assent or dissent) of the authorized person. 3. Every proxy shall be signed by the member and submitted by the member s authorized person to the GMDBC during the designated voting period. 4. No blanket proxy shall be accepted. Article IV: Board Meetings: 2

3 1. Board meetings shall be held monthly prior to the General Membership meeting at a time determined by the Board for that year. 2. Board members shall be notified of the Board meetings at least one week in advance of the meeting via the GMDBC website and Each voting member of the Board may cast one vote on each item brought before the Board for a vote. 4. A simple majority shall determine the outcome of the vote. 5. GMDBC members may submit in writing to any Board member an item for GMDBC consideration and vote. 6. To ensure the Board s/club s understanding of the item, the originator may be asked to discuss the item before the Board. 7. The Board shall consider the item within one month of its introduction and determine the GMDBC s course of action in regards to the item introduced. Article V Officers and Board Members The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer and Team Captains, or representative designated by the Team Captain shall constitute the voting members of the Board of the Grand Master Dragon Boat Club. Non-voting members of the Board shall include Team Coaches and chairs of volunteer positions outlined in the Rules and Procedures. The insurance consultant volunteer will also be considered a non-voting member of the Board of GMDBC. Election of Officers: 1. Officers shall be elected annually. 2. Nominations for the officers of GMDBC shall be submitted to the Secretary no later than May 1st. 3. Nominees must accept the nomination to be considered a candidate. 4. Nominees shall be introduced at the May General Membership meeting. 5. Ballots shall be available to all GMDBC members electronically. 6. Associate members may run for office. 7. Members shall submit their votes by June Ballots shall be tallied by the Secretary and Vice-President. Results of the election shall be communicated to nominees by the GMDBC President. 9. The GMDBC President shall announce election results at the June General Membership meeting. 10. New officers shall assume their respective responsibilities as of July 1. Duties of President: 3

4 The GMDBC President shall: 1. Preside at the General Membership meetings and the Captains/Board meetings. 2. Be aware of the GMDBC s recreational and business activities in conjunction with Board members. 3. Represent the GMDBC where appropriate. 4. Cast an additional vote to break a tie vote on any action by the Board. 5. Serve as one of the Board members who may sign GMDBC checks or drafts. 6. Maintain a notebook of the President s duties and functions to be turned over to the succeeding President. The President of GMDBC or other designated officer shall attend the Southeast Region Dragon Boat Association (SRDBA) Annual General Meeting. Travel expenses shall be reimbursed by GMDBC. The President of GMDBC or other designated officer shall serve as the single point of contact between the GMDBC and the Villages Recreation Department (VRD), as required by VRD. The President of GMDBC or other designated officer shall serve as the single point of contact between the GMDBC and the Sumter County Commissioners in regards to Lake Miona. Duties of Vice President: The Vice President shall: 1. Assume the responsibilities of the President in the absence or inability of the President to fulfill the responsibilities of the office. 2. Support the President in all activities to promote the mission of GMDBC. 3. Assist in developing programs and activities for the GMDBC and perform all duties requested by the President. 4. Oversee and communicate with club volunteer position coordinators. 5. With the Secretary, tally results from all voting activities. 6. Collect safety forms from Team Captains on quarterly basis and turn forms in to GMDBC President. 7. Maintain a notebook of duties and responsibilities of the Vice President to be turned over to the succeeding Vice President. 8. Serve as one of the Board members who may sign GMDBC checks or drafts. Duties of Secretary: The Secretary shall: 4

5 1. Record the minutes of all meetings of the Board and General Membership and upload those minutes to the Club website. 2. Along with the Vice President, talley results from all voting activities. 3. Ensure that all topics discussed and decisions agreed upon are accurately reflected in the official minutes and are posted to the GMDBC s website for review. 4. Schedule and maintain permits for GMDBC meetings. 5. Be responsible for maintaining the Club s corporate status with the state of Florida. 6. Maintain the membership notebook. 7. Submit signed Villages waivers to the VRD. 8. Mail completed United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) insurance forms to the insurance agency. 9. Take attendance at meetings. 10. Maintain a notebook for duties and responsibilities to be turned over to succeeding Secretary. 11. Post updated forms for members on the GMDBC website by December 1, or as soon as the forms are available. 12. Serve as one of the Board members who may sign GMDBC checks or drafts. Duties of Treasurer: The Treasurer shall: 1. Maintain custody of all GMDBC funds and financial records. 2. Keep accurate and current financial records for GMDBC. 3. Collect, record, and deposit all funds coming into GMDBC. 4. Pay all approved bills in a timely manner and record all payments. 5. Prepare a monthly treasurer s report for the General Membership meeting. 6. Make sure all financial records are current and available to all officers and members of GMDBC. 7. Conduct semi annual budget reviews. 8. Calculate and distribute team refunds based on fair share contributions if the Board determines there are excess funds in the GMDBC treasury. 9. Assist the Board in developing an annual budget. 10. Ensure proper documentation and audit trail for all financial transactions. 11. Treasurer s records shall be reviewed annually by a qualified person. 5

6 12. Distribute forms for completing the GMDBC s tax return. 13. Maintain a notebook of duties and responsibilities of the Treasurer to be turned over to the succeeding Treasurer. 14. Serve as one of the Board members who may sign GMDBC checks or drafts. 15. Complete the Southeast Region Dragon Boat Association (SRDBA) membership form every December. 16. Pay the USDBF insurance premium every December. Duties of the Board of GMDBC: The Board shall: 1. Fulfill the mission of the GMDBC. 2. Establish and direct the policies and procedures of the GMDBC in compliance with these by laws. 3. Appoint committees and subcommittees as deemed necessary. 4. Approve or disapprove the establishment of any new team in the GMDBC. 5. Propose and establish an annual budget for GMDBC. 6. Determine the fair share contribution. 7. Act on behalf of all members in obtaining services or equipment. 8. Assist in raising funds to finance the annual budget. 9. Authorize the expenditures of the GMDBC funds, as appropriate. 10. Develop and maintain relationships between the GMDBC the VRD, The Villages community, other dragon boat clubs, dragon boat governing organizations (e.g., SRDBA, USDBF) and race venues to promote the Club and the sport. 11. Review and resolve any grievance raised by a Team in the event of violations of GMDBC Rules and Procedures. 12. Oversee subcommittees described in the GMDBC Rules and Procedures. Vacancies: 1. Any officer vacancy on the Board of GMDBC may be filled by the affirmative vote of the majority of the remaining Board members. 2. An officer elected by the Board to fill a vacancy shall hold office only until the next election of officers by the members. 3. Vacancies of Board members who are not officers shall be filled with someone from their team as designated by the Team Captain. Removal of Officers: 6

7 1. Any officer or member appointed or elected by the Board who cannot or will not perform the duties of their position may be removed from that position following consultation with the remaining Board members. 2. Any officer or member elected by the Members may be removed only by a vote of the Members, unless the Members have authorized the Officers to remove such officer or member. 3. Any vacancy, however occurring, in any office may be filled by the Board, unless the bylaws have expressly reserved such power to the members. Article IX Legal Status The Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club of The Villages, Inc. is registered as a Florida Not For Profit Corporation. The corporation has also qualified as an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(7) tax exempt organization, a recreational club. Article X Adoption and Amendment The above bylaws shall be introduced to all members of GMDBC for review and discussion one month prior to voting on their acceptance or rejection. The bylaws shall be linked to the GMDBC website so that all members may have access to them. The following month, each GMDBC member shall be able to cast a single vote to adopt or reject these bylaws. Members shall have one month to cast their vote. Once a quorum has been established as described in Article III of these bylaws, a majority vote shall determine the outcome of the vote. If approved, these bylaws shall be adopted by the GMDBC and replace any previous bylaws and amendments to previous bylaws. These bylaws may be amended by Board recommendation and the majority vote of Members, following procedures described in this paragraph. The above bylaws of the Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club were adopted by the members of the GMDBC on the day of, Certified Correct Secretary GMDBC 7