Medford North Patchogue Lions Club

Medford North PATCHOGUE LIONS CLUB

P.O. BOX 290

PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK 11772

BY-LAWS adopted October 2012

***Refer to Lions International Constitution & By-laws for any issues not specifically addressed in club by-laws***

1. The regular meetings of the Medford North Patchogue Lions Club shall be held on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from July to June.

2. The Board of Directors’ meetings shall be held monthly. A quorum shall consist of the President or either Vice President and four other Board Members for a total of at least five.

3. The Board of Directors consists of the President, Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Lion Tamer, Tail Twister, Parliamentarian, Membership Director, four Directors and Immediate Past President.

4. The following officers will sit at the head table during monthly meetings: President, 1st vice president and Secretaries.

5. OFFICERS: All offices shall be a one-year term unless circumstances warrant a two-year term at the discretion of the nominating Committee. If any officer is unable to attend a meeting, they must notify the club President.

The officers’ duties are as follows:

PRESIDENT: Preside at all Lion Club Meetings and Meetings of the Board of Directors and have a thorough knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of the office; maintain standards of the club and make certain that the purpose and objectives are met through the development of a strong and active program; sign Certificates of Membership; prepare a written agenda for regular, special and Board of Directors’ meetings; represent the club at AC (Advisory Committee) meetings; represent the club in the community and participate in all community affairs when called upon; appoint the standing and special committees of this club and cooperate with chairs to effect regular functioning and reporting of such committees and will also be responsible for housing the club charters. The office shall be a one-year term unless circumstances warrant a two-year term at the discretion of the nominating committee.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Be prepared to act in the President’s stead whenever necessary. Represent the club at meetings of other organizations at the request of the President and assume any extra responsibilities at the discretion of the President. The Vice President shall also run one regular meeting during the Lion’s year.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT: Be prepared to act in the President’s and First Vice President’s stead whenever necessary. Be responsible for obtaining certificates of insurance for upcoming Lion Club events. Be responsible to create and activate the phone squad as directed by the President.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: Record club attendance; complete and send Monthly Activity Reports and Monthly Membership Report to the District Governor, 1st and 2nd Vice District Governors, Region Chairperson and Zone Chairperson; maintain a correct membership activity record for each member of the club; issue a current signed membership card to each member of the club showing the period for which dues have been paid; represent the club at AC (Advisory Committee) meetings; train their successor at the close of their term of office.

RECORDING SECRETARY: Make certain that the minutes of the club and Board of Directors meetings contain all necessary information and carefully document the deliberations that were conducted. Copies of the minutes are to be given to the President and Corresponding Secretary monthly.

TREASURER: Collect dues from each member and report collections to corresponding secretary. Take care of monies turned in from the club and by committees; issue checks upon receipt of bills whenever necessary; have custody and keep and maintain general records of club receipts and disbursements; train their successor at the close of their term of office and transfer all money and books to their successor. Be responsible for having the books audited at the end of the fiscal year. The Treasurer, President and Corresponding Secretary should all have their signatures on file at all banks used by our club. All club checks MUST be signed by a minimum of two of the previously mentioned officers. Responsible for filing of all necessary IRS paperwork.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Present as much information as possible to the incoming President so that they may be fully oriented on the on-going activities of the club; shall serve as chairperson of the nominating committee. The Immediate Past President and Past Presidents shall officially greet members and their guests at club meetings and shall represent this club in welcoming all new service-minded people in the community served by this club.

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR: (Membership Chairperson) The membership director shall be the chairperson of the membership committee. The responsibilities for this position shall be: 1) Development of a growth program. 2) Ensuring implementation of proper recruitment and retention procedures. 3) Serve as a member of the Advisory Committee along with the President and Corresponding Secretary 4) Have a member of this committee perform an exit interview when a member chooses to leave the club. If a member decides to leave, a formal letter of resignation or leave of absence needs to be submitted to the current club president. 5) If a member has not attended several meetings and has not called, the Membership Chair will contact that person to see if she requires our assistance in any way.

THE ELECTED DIRECTORS (Board Members): Each Director has the responsibility to attend meetings of the club and the Board of Directors. There will be 4 one year directors.

LION TAMER: The Lion Tamer shall have charge of and be responsible for all club property and paraphernalia, excluding the club charters which will be the responsibility of the current club president. They shall put each club item in its proper place before each meeting and return the same to the proper storage area after each meeting. Collect dinner money at meetings and take care of dinner menu and appropriate set up of tables. Inform restaurant on count and date changes; also send out meeting and event notices upon request.

TAIL TWISTER: They will be responsible for the collection of the happy dollars and the judicious imposition of fines on club members. All monies collected will be turned over to the Treasurer and be entered into the club’s general fund. They will also greet members as they enter the meeting.

PARLIAMENTARIAN: Handle all questions of order or procedure with respect to any meeting or action of this club, its board of directors or any committee appointed hereunder shall be determined in accordance with ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED as revised from time to time.

6. NOMINATIONS: The annual nominating meeting shall be held by February 28th. The slate will be presented at the regular March meeting and election shall take place in April. The nominating committee shall consist of the Immediate Past President who shall serve as chairperson, the outgoing President, all Past Presidents who wish to attend, one member of the Board of Directors and one general member selected by the membership at a meeting in February. Membership shall be notified of the slate in writing prior to the April meeting.

7. DUES: Each new member, established members and members-at-large shall pay annual dues of $100 payable to the treasurer, the breakdown of which is as follow:

	Lions Clubs International Dues	$43.00
	Multiple District (MD20) Dues	$20.00
	District (20S) Dues	$2.00
	Local Club Dues	$35.00
	Total Individual Member Annual Dues	$ 100.00

A one time "new member fee" of $35 which will be charged. Each new member who joins the club during the months of July-December will pay $30.00 + Lions International + New York State dues; those joining in January-June will pay $15.00 + Pro-rated Lions International + Pro-rated New York State dues. Dues shall be payable in full before July 1st. Unpaid dues notices will be mailed and/or contact with member will be made by phone by July 1st by corresponding secretary. If dues are not paid within one month of July 1^st, action will be taken by the Board of Directors concerning the status of membership in the club.

8. NEW MEMBERSHIP:

A. A candidate for new membership must be sponsored by a Medford North Patchogue Lion Club member in good standing.

B. A candid ate must attend 3 regular meetings, not to include board meetings, social meetings or fundraisers.

C. A candidate will be given a current copy of the club by laws when they attend their second meeting.

D. The membership committee must interview the candidate by the third business meeting. The Chairman of the membership committee submits the interview to the Board of Directors who must approve the candidate. Then the newly approved candidate will be installed at the fourth meeting. If the candidate is not approved, the President must so advise the candidate.

E. The club Membership Chair will send notification to the incoming new member with the details of their induction including date and dues required after the third meeting. Copies of this letter will be sent to the new member’s sponsor.

9. ATTENDANCE:

A. Attendance at all regular business meetings and club functions shall determine a member in good standing, unless there is a reasonable written or verbal excuse given to the Lion Tamer who will in turn advise the corresponding secretary or President.

B. A meeting is defined as a monthly meeting or a board meeting. Attendance at a board meeting by a non-board member may be used as a missed meeting for a regular meeting.

C. Poor attendance and lack of participation will be reviewed by the Board.

10. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES:

A. Membership

B. Program

C. Public Relations and Publicity

D. Community Service

E. Nominating

F. Special Activities (i.e. installation, collection of cell phone)

G. Fundraising (specific committees formed as needed)

1. Yard Sale

2. White Cane Days

3. Guide Dog Walk

4. Scholarship Programs

5. Sight & Hearing Programs

6. Sunshine *

7. By-laws (to be reviewed annually in July & to be read and explained periodically at club meetings

8. Budget **

9. Diabetes Programs

10. Leo Clubs

11. food collection for thanksgiving, Christmas and food pantries

12.Peace Poster

13.Vision/Hearing Screening

*All committee chairs are responsible for any correspondence, including thank yous related to their committees.

*GUIDELINES FOR SUNSHINE COMMITTEE:

A. Member who is seriously ill or hospitalized – club will pay the cost of the next regular meeting dinner upon their return one time per year (July 1 – June 30)

B. Death of member, spouse or child - $100.00 memorial donation will be made to a charity of their choice from the Activities account.

C. Death of parent, parent-in-law or sibling - $50.00 memorial donation will be made to a charity of their choice from the Activities account.

**BUDGET & FINANCE: The committee shall consist of the new President who will be chairperson, the Immediate Past President, the Corresponding Secretary, the Treasurer, and one regular member to be appointed by the chairperson. The budget will be prepared in August and presented to the general membership at the September meeting.

A. The President is authorized to expend funds up to $50.00 total for the year without Board approval.

B. Members must receive Board approval prior to making any purchases relating to club business.

C. All bills will be submitted to the Treasurer for payment.

11. No one may solicit or sell chances for any other organization except Lions or Lioness during any meeting.

12. Members should not be replaced when they are unable to attend a committee meeting. Chairperson should get input from member prior to meeting and inform them of committee decisions afterward.

13. Communication will be transmitted via e-mail (for those who have it), phone and/or postal mail. For those who receive e-mail information, as a money saving courtesy, please print your own copy.

Changes made since last update have been printed in bold