Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas

By-laws and Constitution

Article I - Name and Purpose

 

Section 1:  Name

 

The name of the club shall be Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

Section 2:   Purpose

 

The general purpose of the club shall be to:

 

1.    Promote the Chevrolet Corvette.

 

2.    Promote the “Corvette Lifestyle” by providing a catalyst for members to meet, associate, and form new and continuing friendships, and to have FUN. This will be accomplished by encouraging planned trips, events and social gatherings for the members and the guests of Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

3.    Encourage careful and skillful driving on public highways.

 

4.    Act as a good citizen in the community through the support of charitable causes at a local level.

 

 

Article II - Membership

 

Section 1:  Members

 

1.    Membership in the club shall be restricted to owners of a Corvette.

 

2.  To retain voting privileges, each member must attend six (6) events per year.

 

Section 2:  Applicants

 

1.    Must be the minimum of 21 years of age.

 

2.    Prospective members must submit a completed membership application.

   

3.   Each applicant must attend two (2) club sponsored events.

 

 4.   All applicants can expect the application and approval process to be completed at the first monthly meeting after the applicant has attended two club events.  Meetings are considered as an “event.”

 

5.  Any applicant may be denied membership for any reason.

 

6.  Voting on the applicant will be done by a paper ballot system.  Five (5) votes against constitute a denial of membership application.

 

Section 3:  Conflict of Interest

 

1.    Any member serving as an officer with Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas cannot be an officer in any other Corvette club in the Carolina region due to a potential conflict of interest.

 

2.    Any member may hold joint membership in another Corvette club at any time.

 

Section 4:  Types of Membership

 

1.    Founding Member - These members are defined as persons who started Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas and served as an officer in 2008.

 

2.    Charter Member - These members are defined as persons who became members in the 2008 year.

 

3.    Member - Any club member who joined after December 31, 2008.

 

4.    Honorary Member - This title is given to persons or organizations whose interest in, support of, or contribution to the club, merit such recognition.

 

5.    Member of the Year - One member per year selected by the President shall be awarded the title of Member of the Year.  This person will not be required to pay membership dues for the following year and will hold privileges granted by the President.

 

Section 5:  Dues

 

1.   Annual dues shall be $60.00 per year ($5.00 per month).  The fiscal year for Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas is January 1 through December 31.

 

2.   All dues shall be paid directly to the Treasurer or by mail to the club address.

 

3.   For all current members, annual dues of $60.00 shall be paid not later than January 31 in cash or by a check made payable to “Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas”.  For paid after January 31, a $10.00 surcharge shall be added to the annual amount of $60.00, for a total amount due of $70.00.  All members paying their dues by January 31 shall have their name entered for a prize drawing at the February monthly meeting.

 

4.   For new members, dues shall be payable at the meeting in which they are voted into the Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.  The amount of dues payable is at the rate of $5.00 per month for the full months remaining in that fiscal year, except for those joining in November.

 

5.   New members joining in November shall pay $5.00 for December and $60.00 for the following fiscal year, for a total amount due of $65.00.

 

6.   Upon payment of dues by new members, the Treasurer shall notify the appropriate club officer to order name badges.

 

7.   Should any member make a check payable to Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas and that check is returned by the bank for any reason, that member shall reimburse the club for the full amount of the check plus a $25.00 returned check fee at the next scheduled club meeting after notification from the Treasurer of the returned check.  If payment in full is not received, the person’s club membership shall be suspended immediately and remain suspended until the matter is resolved.

 

8.   Any member with unpaid dues for more than ninety (90) days shall be dropped from the membership roster until the outstanding dues are brought current.

 

9.   Any member dropped for unpaid dues shall lose all club event participation and voting privileges and must bring their account up to date, plus pay a $10.00 late fee, at the next meeting he/she attends.

 

10.  When unpaid dues are brought current, the member shall be reinstated immediately with no further penalty.

 

Section 6:  Expulsion

 

1.    Any member can be expelled for any infraction(s) of the club rules or other causes as (1) may be determined by the majority of the members and (2) voted upon by a majority of the club officers as being in the best interest of the club.

 

2.    The member in question will be given written notification within thirty (30) days prior to the officers voting.

 

3.    The member in question must respond within thirty (30) days of notification.

 

4.    Before any such action is taken, the member shall have the opportunity to submit in writing or in person his/her position on any charge of which he/she has been notified.

 

Section 7:  Resignation of Membership

 

1.    Any member may resign by directing a letter or e-mail of resignation to the Vice-President of Membership and Secretary.

 

2.    All verbal resignations must be done in the presence of the Vice-President of Membership, or the Secretary and one other club officer.

 

3.    On the date of resignation, all club privileges shall stop and the member’s name shall be removed from all club informational lists.

 

4.   Upon resigning, the former members must turn in their name badges.

 

Section 8:  Reinstatement of Membership

 

1.    Any member wishing to reinstate their membership must present a letter or e-mail directed to the President and Vice-President of Membership.

 

2.   This request shall be reviewed and presented at the next club meeting for the members to vote on the re-establishment of membership.

 

3.  The membership reinstatement vote shall be that of the simple majority of members present at that meeting.

 

Article III- Meetings

 

Section 1:  Annual Meeting

 

1.    The Annual Meeting shall be held in November of each year for the election of officers, reports of officers and committees, and for such other business as lawfully may come before this meeting.

 

2.   The business meeting in November shall be considered as the Annual Meeting.

 

Section 2:  Business Meetings

 

1.    Regular monthly meetings of members shall be held on the last Saturday every month.

 

2.    The meeting date can be changed if it conflicts with another scheduled activity.

 

3.    Business meetings and locations shall be posted on the club’s website a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

 

Section 3:  Officer Meetings

 

1.    The President, Vice-President of Automotive, Vice President of Membership, Secretary, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, Public Relations, and Officer-at-Large shall meet once a month.

 

2.   These meetings shall be held before the Business Meeting of the general membership of the club.

 

3.    Any member may attend this meeting with prior notice so accommodations for seating can be obtained.

 

4.   The President shall be responsible for naming the date, time, and location of all Officer Meetings.

 

Section 4:  Special Meetings

 

In addition to any provisions of the by-laws, special meetings of the members may be called by the President, by a majority of the officers, or by a petition of 10 (ten) members or more.

 

Section 5:  Notice of Special Meetings

 

Notice of Special Meetings, stating the place, day, hour, and purpose shall be prepared by the Secretary and sent to each active member not less then seven (7) days in advance of the scheduled meeting.

 

Section 6:  Meeting Order

 

All meetings shall follow “Robert’s Rules of Order”.

 

Article IV - Voting

 

Section 1:  Quorum

 

1.    At all stated meetings of the members, all members present shall constitute a Quorum.

 

2.    All voting action regarding club business shall be approved by a simple majority of the Quorum.

 

3.    All officer elections shall require three-fourths (¾) vote of the entire membership.

 

Section 2:  Voting Rights

 

1.      One vote per active member in good standing.

 

2.      Honorary Members do not have voting privileges.

 

3.      Absentee ballots shall be accepted (See Article V, Section 3: Absentee Ballots).

 

4.      No proxy votes shall be allowed.

 

Section 3:  Absentee Ballots

 

1.    All members wishing to vote are encouraged to attend all meetings and to vote in person.

 

2.    In times of scheduling conflicts, Absentee Ballots shall be allowed by obtaining a ballot from the President.

 

3.    All Absentee Ballots shall be returned to the President.

 

4.    The acceptable forms for return of Absentee Ballots to the President are hand-delivery and U.S. Postal Service only.

 

5.   No other board member shall be allowed to accept Absentee Ballots.

 

6.  All Absentee Ballots must be signed, dated, and placed in a sealed envelope.

 

7.   Ballots not signed shall not be counted.

 

8.  Opened (unsealed) ballots shall not be counted.

 

9.   All Absentee Ballots shall remain unopened and given to the Secretary on the date of the election to then be counted.

 

 

Article V - Officers

Section 1: Officers

 

1.      Officers of the club shall be:

 

Section 2:  Election of Officers

 

1.    Election of officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting in November

 

2.    All officers shall be elected by a majority vote of at least three-fourths (¾) of the members who have retained voting privileges (See Article II, Section 1).

 

3.    Absentee Ballots shall be accepted. (See Article V, Section 3).

 

4.    Members wanting to run for election may only run for one position at a time.

Section 3:  Resignation of Officers

 

1.    In the event that any of the aforementioned officers shall resign or become unable to hold office before the end of his/her elected term, the club members shall nominate and vote on a member to fill said vacancy.

 

2.    Any open position shall be temporarily filled by the Officer-at-Large with the exception of President.  The President position shall be filled by the Vice-President of Automotive and the Officer-at-Large shall fill the position of Vice-President of Automotive.

 

3.    A special election for the purpose of filling a vacant officer position must be held no later then two (2) meetings after said resignation.

 

4.    After the election, the Officer-at-Large shall return to the duties of his/her position, unless elected to another position.

 

5.    The Officer-at-Large may run for any open position by resigning his/her current position.

Article VI - Officer Duties

 

Section 1:  President

 

1.    The President shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The President oversees and provides leadership and direction as to the on-going operation of Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

3.    The President meets a minimum of once a month with all other officers to discuss issues, events, and future activities of the club.

 

4.    The President delegates various duties to officers and provides appropriate follow-up.

 

5.    The President conducts monthly business meetings with the membership to keep them apprised of upcoming events and activities.

 

6.    The President shall have the authority to sign checks and to authorize payment of club debts.

 

7.    The President, when warranted, puts for vote to membership any suggested changes that would significantly impact the club as a whole.

 

8.    The President meets and greets members and guests at all events, meetings, and activities.

   

9.   The President selects the Member of the Year.

 

10.   The President shall review all “New Member Applications” with the Vice-President of Membership.

 

Section 2:  Vice President of Automotive

 

1.      The Vice-President of Automotive shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.      The Vice-President of Automotive represents the President in the President’s absence.

 

3.      The Vice-President of Automotive plans and coordinates all activities with the Events Coordinator.

 

4.      The Vice-President of Automotive meets and greets members and guests at all events, meetings, and club activities.

 

5.      The Vice President of Automotive shall have the authority to sign club check in order to settle club debts in the absence of the President.

 

Section 3:  Vice-President of Membership

 

1.    The Vice-President of Membership shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The Vice-President of Membership shall be the point of contact for any person wanting to join Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

3.    The Vice-President of Membership shall be responsible for distribution of new membership packages.

 

4.    The Vice-President of Membership shall review all “New Member Applications” with the President.

 

5.    The Vice-President of Membership prepares write-ups for the “New Rides” section of the club’s website.

 

6.    The Vice President of Membership shall introduce perspective members to the general membership at all meetings.

 

7.   The Vice-President of Membership maintains and distributes updated membership lists on a regular basis to the membership.

 

Section 4:  Secretary

 

1.    The Secretary shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The Secretary prepares new member packages for the President and Vice President of Membership to sign and distribute.

 

3.    The Secretary has custody of and is responsibility for all club records and communications.

 

4.    The Secretary shall prepare ballots for elections and any time ballots are required for voting.

 

5.    The Secretary shall count all ballots at club officer elections and any time ballots are required.

 

6.    The Secretary shall attend all meetings possible of the members and officers, and shall record all minutes and votes in a book kept for this purpose

 

7.    The Secretary shall have the authority to sign club checks in order to settle club debts in the absence of the President and Vice-President of Automotive.

 

8.    The Secretary meets and greets members and guests at all events, meetings, and activities.

 

Section 5:  Treasurer

 

1.    The Treasurer shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The Treasurer shall prepare all checks for payment of club debts.

 

3.    The Treasurer shall not be allowed to sign checks.

 

4.    The Treasurer shall have custody of and responsibility for all monies, gift certificates, debts, and obligations belonging to the club.

 

5.    The Treasurer shall issue payment for the club’s debts upon approval of the President.

 

6.    The Treasurer shall be bonded, at the club expense, if required by the officers.

 

7.    The Treasurer shall give a report on the financial status of the club at meetings, when required.

 

Section 6:  Events Coordinator

 

1.    The Events Coordinator shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The Events Coordinator shall provide a calendar of events for inclusion on the club’s website.

 

3.    The Events Coordinator shall act as the club’s contact person for all social events. This includes all events or activities that are coordinated by members.

   

4.   The Events Coordinator shall be responsible for all give-away items and donations.

 

Section 7:  Public Relations
 

1.   The Public Relations officer shall act in a manner that puts the club's interest above his/her own.

2.   The Public Relations officer shall be responsible for all governmental forms (federal, state, and county).

 

3.   The Public Relations officer shall be responsible for all press or media releases.

 

4.   The Public Relations officer shall be responsible for proof-reading articles submitted for publication on the club’s website for grammatical errors or possible copyright infringement.  The Public Relations officer shall pass along reviewed submissions to the Webmaster for posting on the club’s website.

 

5.  The Public Relations officer shall work with the Webmaster to remove inappropriate postings from the Guest Book on the club’s website.
 

Section 8:  Officer-at-Large

 

1.    The Officer-at-Large shall act in a manner that puts the club’s interest above his/her own.

 

2.    The Officer-at-Large shall temporarily fill any vacancy caused by the absence of any officer, except for the position of the President.

 

3.    The Officer-at-Large shall perform the duties of President in the absence of both the President and the Vice-President of Automotive.

 

4.    The Officer-at-Large shall coordinate all “Store” activities, collecting orders and monies, and for merchandise and shall be responsible for distribution of said merchandise to those members who have placed orders and paid for them.

 

5.   The Officer-at-Large shall record all minutes of meetings of members and officers and votes in a book kept for this purpose, in the absence of the Secretary.

 

 

Article VII – Committees

 

Section 1:  Appointment of Committees

 

1.    Each club officer shall appoint such committees as he/she finds desirable from time to time.

 

2.    Committee duties shall be outlined by the officer forming said committee.

 

3.    All reports of action taken by a committee shall be voted on by a majority of the entire committee.

 

Section 2:  Standing Committee

 

1.    Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas shall have a standing committee for the purpose of Charity.

 

2.    The Chairperson shall be picked by the President.

 

3.    This Chairperson shall be a member in good standing of the club.

 

4.    The Chairperson can select additional members to help with planning and organization of charity events and fundraisers for charities at a local level.

 

5.    The Charity Committee shall research local charities that they feel should be supported by Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

6.    All monetary donations recommended by the Charity Committee shall be voted on by the members present at the business meeting when the committee’s recommendations are made and cannot be tabled for discussion at a later date.

 

7.    The Charity Committee can never be disbanded or removed as a function of Generations Corvette Club of the Carolinas.

 

 

Article VIII - Club Events and Activities

 

Section 1:  Club Events and Activities

 

1.    Activities of the club shall consist of planned road trips, gatherings, and events for Corvette owners planned by any members wishing to coordinate such activity with the Events Coordinator.

 

2.    The Events Coordinator or member coordinating the event shall write a brief article with pictures to be placed on the club's website.

 

Section 2:  Car Shows

 

1.    Any member participating in a car show must be present to win any award.

 

2.    Car show rules shall be at the discretion of the Vice-President of Automotive.

 

3.    Car show rules shall be placed on the club’s website for all members to view prior to any car show event.

 

Section 3:  Road Trips

 

1.    During all planned road trips, all participants shall abide by the posted speed limit.

 

2.    On all secondary roads, during inclement weather and in heavy traffic, all cars shall drive in a single-file formation.

 

3.      No reckless driving shall be tolerated at any time.

 

4.   Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall not be tolerated at any time.

 

5.    Before each trip, the lead car and the last car shall be appointed by the Events Coordinator or the member charged with leading the event.

 

6.      Any changes in plans shall be authorized and announced by the Events Coordinator prior to departure.

 

7.      Before departing for each trip, the rules shall be brought to the attention of all present by one of the officers present.

 

8.      Any member breaking the rules shall risk suspension of their membership.

Section 4: Firearms

1.      The carrying of firearms at Generations Corvette Club activities and events is adamantly discouraged, due to the potential adverse impact to the club.

 

2.      Those members and prospective members in possession of concealed weapon permits must carry the weapon as prescribed by Federal, State, and Local laws.   Please see the North Carolina Department of Justice web site for current restrictions.

 

3.      Members found in violation of Federal, State and Local laws, risk expulsion under Article II, Section 6.

 

4.      Prospective Members found in violation of Federal, State and Local laws risk having their application declined.

 

 

Article IX - Fiscal Year

 

The club’s fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.

 

 

Article X - Liability

 

Section1:  Personal Liability

 

All person or corporations extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claims against the club or the officers of the club, shall look only to the funds and property of the club for payment of any such contracts or claims or for payment of any debt, damage, judgment, or decree.  No officer or member shall be personally liable for any club debts, contracts, or damage, judgment or decree.

 

 

Article XI - Amendments

 

Section 1:  Amendment to the By-Laws

 

1.    The officers of the club or any ten (10) active members in good standing may propose an amendment to the By-Laws by written proposal submitted to the Secretary.

 

2.    Upon such proposal being submitted, a copy thereof shall be included in the minutes of the next meeting of the members.

 

3.    If a majority of all members present and qualified to vote, vote in favor of the proposal at the next meeting, the proposed amendment shall thereby be approved and adopted.