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HAMPSHIRE COUNTY RIDING CLUB INC.
FORMED IN JANUARY 1946
BYLAWS
Article
I
Name
The name of this organization shall be
The Hampshire County Riding Club,
Inc. Hereinafter
referred to as The Club.
Article
II
Object
The object of this club shall be generally to foster
interest in the use, care, breeding, and protections of horses, and
particularly to foster and support educational media for a general increase
in the knowledge of horses and horsemanship.
Article
III
Membership
All invited persons eighteen (18) years of age or over,
shall be eligible for membership who are in sympathy with the ideals and
purposes of this club, provided they own a horse, or have access to a
horse. The applicant is to attend two (2) meetings or participate in (2)
workings (horse show, ECTRA ride, Morgan Show, etc.) before his/her
applications are approved/disapproved. No applicant will be considered for
approval until a membership fee equal to the current club dues has been
received by the membership committee.
Children of current members, from the ages of twelve (12) years
through seventeen (17) years of age, will be eligible for Junior Membership
status. The cost of this membership will be seventy-five percent (75%) of
the current club dues. The membership application process will be the same
as with the regular membership. The requirements will be the same also.
Junior membership will not include the right to vote at business meetings,
or to hold office. As always anyone under the age of eighteen (18) must be
accompanied by a Parent of Guardian.
Supporting membership is designed to enhance communications and to
allow those unable to attend meetings to enroll in membership. Supporting
member is an individual who pays regular membership dues but who does not
have voting rights and must be accompanied by a full member of the club to
use the facilities or grounds. Supporting member will pay half of the
non-member fees for all club functions, but shall never pay less than a full
member. Supporting members will receive all regular club mailings.
Article
IV
Election of Members
Application for membership shall first be submitted to the
membership committee, or in their absence, to that person in charge of the
working function. The application shall be presented to the club at the
first scheduled meeting. Election to membership shall be by the club at the
first regularly scheduled meeting following the applicants fulfillment of
the membership obligation as stated in Article III. If the membership is
approved, the membership fee will constitute the current dues, otherwise the
membership fee will be refunded.
Regular membership entitles the holder to all Rights, Privileges, and
Responsibilities of the Club including voting power.
Article V
Meetings
Section I The annual meeting of The Club
shall be at such a time during the month of January at such place as the
Board of Directors may determine. Members shall be given a minimum of
fourteen (14) days notice of this meeting.
Section II The regularly scheduled monthly business meeting of
the club shall be held on the third Wednesday of each month at the clubhouse
unless due notice is given by the Secretary of a change in procedure.
Section III Special meetings of the Club may be called by the
President at any time and shall be called by the President upon written
request of twenty-five percent (25%) of members in good standing at such
time and upon such reasonable notice as the Board of Directors may
determine. All members shall be notified of each special meeting.
Section IV Twenty-five percent (25%) of members in good
standing shall constitute a Quorum at any meeting of the Club.
Article
VI
Dues
Section I Annual dues for membership shall be
as voted upon by the membership.
Section II Dues for the year shall be payable at the first
meeting in January. Any member who has not paid his/her dues by the
February meeting shall be notified by the Treasurer and if their dues are
not paid within thirty (30) days of such notice, the Treasurer shall send
notice of automatic suspension. Any member who has forfeited his/her
membership may be reinstated by vote of the Board of Directors.
Article
VII
Election of Officers
The officers of The Club shall consist of a President,
Vice-President, Secretary, and a Treasurer. All officers shall be elected
at the annual meeting of The Club for a term of two years and until their
successors are elected and qualified.
Section I The President may be elected for two (2)
consecutive terms of office. A past president may be re-elected to the
presidency following a lapse of on term of office.
Section II Any vacancy by the death or resignation of an
officer, or for any other reason, may be filled by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the membership, at any regular business meeting of the club at
which a quorum is present.
Article
VIII
Duties of Officers
Section I The president shall be the general
executive officer of the club and shall preside at all meetings of the club
and of the Board of Directors, and shall be an ex-officio member of all
committees except the nominating committee. Except as otherwise provided in
these by-laws, he/she shall appoint the chairperson of all committees.
He/she shall be required to make an annual report at the annual meeting.
Section II The vice-president shall assume the duties of the
President in his/her absence or disability. The Vice-President shall be
chairperson of the Membership committee which he/she shall appoint.
Section III The Secretary, sworn to the faithful performance of
his/her duties, shall keep the minutes of all meetings, shall be the keeper
of the corporate seal, and shall be in charge of publicity. The secretary
shall send a copy of the minutes of each meeting to the President five (5)
days after each meeting, or one (1) day before the next meeting, whichever
shall come first.
Section IV The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds of
the Club and shall collect all dues. He/she shall disburse the general
funds of the club upon the order of the chairperson of the Board of
Directors. The Treasurer shall render an Annual Report and such other items
when called upon.
(A)
The chairperson of the monthly meetings shall collect all donations
and pay all expenses before turning over the balance, together with an
accounting, to the treasurer prior to the next meeting.
Article
IX
Board of Directors
Section I The Board of Directors shall
consist ex-officio of the duly elected officers of the club and five (5)
members elected at the annual meeting to serve as directors on a three year
rotation basis.
(A)
The retiring president shall automatically be eligible for the Board
of Directors for a one year term.
Section II The Board of Directors shall meet upon call of the
President and/or any five members. The quorum shall consist of any five (5)
members of the Board of Directors.
Section III Any vacancy caused by the death or resignation of
any director, or for any other reason, may be filled by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the membership at any regular business meeting of the Club
at which a quorum is present.
Section IV The Directors shall walk the boundaries of the Club
property once every two (2) years, (following the election of new officers).
Article X
Committees
Section I Except as hereinbefore provided,
The President shall appoint the chairperson of such committees as in his/her
judgment may be necessary to carry on the work of the Club. The chairperson
of every committee shall plan and carry on his/her work subject to the
approval of the Board of Directors.
Section II The nominating committee, consisting of five (5)
members in good standing, shall be elected by the general membership at the
September meeting. This committee shall nominate a president,
vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and the necessary directors. This
committee's recommendations are to be submitted to the secretary by the
October meeting and mailed with notices of the November meeting to the
membership.
Section III The program committee shall be appointed by the
president in November to schedule the next year's events.
Section IV The President shall annually appoint chairpersons
for:
(A)
A Trail Ride Committee.
(B)
A Horse Show Committee.
(C)
A House Committee.
1.
The house committee may maintain a fund of up to fifty (50) dollars
for incidental expenses. Any funds over this amount shall be turned over to
the Treasurer. A report shall be submitted to the treasurer at the November
meeting.
2.
Rentals of club facilities shall be paid to the house committee
chairperson, which he/she will turn over to the treasurer to be placed in
the treasury.
3.
All checks will be made out the the Hampshire County Riding Club,
Inc.
(D)
A Ways and Means Committee.
Article
XI
Calendar
The fiscal year of the club shall consist of twelve
(12) months starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st.
Article
XII
Procedure
"Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the Parliamentary
Authority for all matters of procedure no specifically covered by the
By-Laws or by special rules of procedure adopted by the club.
Article
XIII
Contracts and Bonds
Section I Any contract duty authorized may be
executed on behalf of the club by the president and the treasurer or by such
officers as the membership may expressly empower in a particular case.
Section II In addition to or in lieu of the treasurer, bank
checks may be signed by the president.
Article
XIV
Distribution
In the event that club members vote to dissolve the
corporation, the Directors shall then sell all of the Real and Personal
Property of the corporation. After selling the said property the directors
shall pay any and all outstanding bills. After the debts of the corporation
have been paid and the necessary papers filed with local and state
officials, for dissolving the corporation, the Directors shall distribute
the balance of the monies held by the corporation. This distribution shall
in no event be more than two (2) years from the date when members of the
corporation voted to dissolve the corporation.
The balance shall be distributed to one or more Non-profit
organizations, Corporations, or Associations which, in the opinion of a
majority of the Board of directors, will best promote and achieve the
objective of the club as stated in Article II above. Such distribution
shall be made upon such terms and conditions as a majority of the Board of
Directors determine to be necessary to insure the proper application of the
distribution.
Article
XV
Corporate Seal
The club shall have a seal, consisting of a circular,
flat-faced die, with the name of the corporation and the year of its
organization engraved on its face that can be embossed on paper by pressure.
Article
XVI
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by the club at any regular
meeting or special meeting, previous notice of which shall have contained
the substance of the proposed amendment, by two thirds vote of those present
and voting.
Atricle
XVII
Compensation
Section I Club members will not receive
compensation for services performed at a club function or work performed as
a result of any committee activity.
Section II Club members are prohibited from capitalizing on
club sponsored functions for personal profit unless approved by the Board of
Directors.
By-Laws
Ratified:
a) March 18, 1970
b) April 28, 1971
c) September 19, 1973
d) April 21, 1976
e) July 20, 1977
f) February 15, 1984
g) July 15, 1987 - Article XVII Compensation
h) April 15, 1992 - Article III Sponsorship
i) October 18, 1995 - Article III Junior
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