Coachella Valley Desert Camera Club

ByLaws
Adopted: April 18, 2004
Article No. Article Title Article Content
Article I: Membership

There shall be Classes of Membership of the Club as provided in the Constitution. These shall consist of:

Full Members: Full Members shall have all rights and privileges as set forth in the Constitution, including participation in all Club activities.

Associate Membership: Associate Members shall be limited to attendance at all meetings and other activities of the Club except for participation in Club competitions. Associate Members shall be non-voting.

Honorary Members: A Full Member who has paid his/her Full Member dues continuously for a period of fifteen (15) or more years automatically becomes an Honorary Member provided s/he no longer enters Club competitions. Honorary Members are otherwise entitled to participate in all other activities of the Club. Honorary Members must revert to Full Membership to enter Club competitions. Honorary Members shall pay no Club dues, Article III of these Bylaws notwithstanding.
Article II: Annual Year

The annual year of the Club shall be January 1 through December 31, inclusive.
Article III: Dues

The Executive Board shall set the initiation fee (if any) and yearly dues for all members.  Dues for renewing members shall be payable on or before January 10 for the full annual year of the Club. Dues for new members joining after January 31 shall be appropriately pro-rated based on the month in which they join. Dues shall be announced at least two (2) months prior to January 1 of the year to which they apply.
Article IV: Election of Officers

Election of Club officers, as provided in the Constitution, shall be held at the Annual Meeting.  At least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee composed of three Full Members not on the Executive Board, one of whom shall be designated as Chairperson.  The Nominating Committee shall prepare a single proposed slate of officers and obtain agreement from the nominees to serve, if elected.  The Chairperson shall present the slate at the Annual Meeting.  Additional nominations can be made from the floor. This will be followed by a vote of the Full Members present at the meeting.  A written ballot shall be taken for the vote on a given office if requested by any candidate for that office.

Officers serve for one-year terms commencing January 1 each year. An officer may be elected to the same post repeatedly, except for the President, who is limited to two consecutive terms, unless unanimously reelected by written ballot by the entire membership to serve one or more additional terms.

The Vice President shall assume the office of President should that office fall vacant during any given term. Otherwise, the Executive Board shall fill any vacancies among Club officers that may occur during a given year.
Article V: Duties of Officers

The duties of the President shall be to: preside at all Club meetings and Executive Board meetings; appoint chairperson of all committees; act as Club spokesperson; generally supervise and keep in touch with all Club activities and the Club membership.

The duties of the Vice-President shall be to: assume duties of the President in his/her absence; act as Chairperson of the Program Committee as defined in Article XI; and secure judges for competitions.

The duties of the Secretary shall be to: notify members of special meetings and events; conduct correspondence of the Club; to keep records of the minutes of all meetings; prepare ballots for elections and certify election results.

The duties of the Treasurer shall be to: prepare an annual budget for approval by the Executive Board; maintain records and custody of Club funds; collect dues; assign a membership number to all new Club members; maintain a current official membership list; discharge Club expenses within the constraints of the annual budget or any modifications thereof approved by the Executive Board; maintain records of expenditures and income; prepare periodic reports of Club finances; and prepare a membership card and name badge along with a packet containing the Club’s Constitution, By-Laws and Competition Guidelines for each new Full Member.
Article VI: Standing & Other Committees

There shall be Standing Committees as follows:

Deletions, additions, or modifications to this list of Standing Committees require a modification to these Bylaws. Except for Special Interest Committees, however, the responsibilities of Standing Committees shall be established or modified by the Executive Board. A current list of such responsibilities shall be maintained at all times as an Appendix to these Bylaws (click on name of comittee above for direct link to the Appendix to the Bylaws).

Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be appointed annually by the President to serve one-year terms and must be Full Members of the Club. The President shall fill any vacancies that may occur during the year. Standing Committee Chairpersons shall periodically prepare reports of activities and progress.

Members of a Standing Committee (if any) shall be appointed by the Chairperson of that Standing Committee. Such members need not be Full Members of the Club.

The Standing Committee Chairperson, and the members of the Committee, shall have the authority to fulfill the responsibilities defined in the Appendix to these Bylaws as maintained by the Executive Board, and additionally carry out any specific activities decided upon by the Executive Board.

The President or the Executive Board may also from time to time appoint ad hoc committees for specific purposes intended to last for limited times. The President or the Executive Board, respectively, shall define the responsibilities of these ad hoc committees. No ad hoc committee should last for more than a year without explicit renewal of its charter by the Executive Board.
Article VII: Signature Authorization

The President or Treasurer may each sign individually checks drawn on accounts of the Club, except that both signatures shall be required for any check or checks in the aggregate amount of over one thousand ($1,000) dollars.
Article VIII: Regular Meetings

The Regular Meetings of the Club shall normally be conducted monthly, except for the months of July and August each year. This schedule may be adjusted by the President as s/he deems necessary. The Executive Board shall determine the overall structure of Regular Meetings to ensure a fair balance between the need to conduct competitions and the need to ensure an adequate range of educational and other programs.
Article IX: Quorum

For the purpose of conducting Club business at a Regular Meeting, a quorum of the membership shall consist of no less than one-third of the entire Full Membership.
Article X: Reimbursement of Expenses

Expenses incurred in meeting the duties and responsibilities of Officers and Committee Chairpersons shall be reimbursed from the general funds of the Club.  Reasonable and normal expenses shall be summarized each month and submitted to the Treasurer for reimbursement.
Article XI: Special Interest Groups

The Executive Board on its own initiative or upon request from at least five (5) members may establish one or more provisional Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to further interest in and learning about any particular aspect of photography. A provisional SIG shall be self-supporting. Any time after six (6) months of operation, the provisional SIG can request the Executive Board to poll the membership consistent with the provisions of Article X of the Constitution to establish the SIG as a Standing Committee of the Club and to modify Article XII of these Bylaws accordingly. A SIG established as a Standing Committee shall be allowed to incur expenses to be reimbursed by the Club within budgets approved by the Executive Board.

The following Special Interest Groups have been approved per the previous paragraph as Standing Committees:

  • Digital Photography Special Interest Group (DIPSIG)
Appendix Responsibilities of Standing Committees

Click here.