Rotary Club of Vancouver-Fraserview By-Laws

By-Laws of the Rotary Club of
Vancouver Fraserview

Article 1 - Definitions

1. Board: The Board of Directors of this club.
2. Director: A member of this club's Board of Directors.
3. Member: A member, other than an honorary member, of this club.
4. Quorum: The minimum number of participants who must be present when a vote is taken: one-third of the club’s members for club decisions and a majority of the directors for club board decisions
5. RI: Rotary International.
6. Year: The twelve-month period that begins on 1 July.

Article 2 - Board

The governing body of this club shall be the board consisting of 8 (Eight) members of this club, namely;
• Past President,
• 2 Co-Presidents,
• President-Elect,
• Vice-President,
• Secretary,
• Treasurer,
• Sergeant-at-arms.

At the discretion of the board, also added can be the 4-5 (Four-Five) directors elected in accordance with article 3, section 1 of these bylaws, and the immediate past president.

Article 3 - Election of Directors and Officers

Section 1 - At a regular meeting one month prior to the meeting for election of officers, the presiding officer shall ask for nominations by members of the club for, president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and 4-5 (Four-Five) directors. The nominations may be presented by a nominating committee or by members from the floor, by either or by both as a club may determine. If it is determined to use a nominating committee, such committee shall be appointed as the club may determine. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a ballot in alphabetical order under each office and shall be voted for at the annual meeting. The candidates for president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective offices. The 4-5 (Four-Five) candidates for director receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected as directors.

The candidates for Co-president positions elected in such balloting shall be the presidents-nominees and serve as a director for the year commencing on the first day of July next following the election and shall assume office as co-president on 1 July immediately following that year. The president-nominee shall take the title of president-elect on 1 July in the year prior to taking office as president.
Each Term will be one (1) year unless there is a shared role die: co-president in which case the term will be 2 (two) Years.

Section 2 - The officers and directors, so elected, together with the immediate past president shall constitute the board. Within one week after their election, the directors-elect shall meet and elect some member of the club to act as sergeant-at-arms.

Section 3 - A vacancy in the board or any office shall be filled by action of the remaining directors.

Section 4 - If any officer-elect or director-elect vacates a position, the remaining members of the board-elect will appoint a replacement.

Article 4 - Duties of Officers

Section 1 – Co- President. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at meetings of the club and the board and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of president, including inductions of new members. It shall be the duty to recommend to the Board Guest speakers at the Bi-weekly meetings, and Charities that the Board may want to support.

Section 2 - President-elect. It shall be the duty of the president-elect to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.

Section 3 - Vice-President. It shall be the duty of the vice-president to preside at meetings of the club and the board in the absence of the president and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of vice-president.

Section 4 - Secretary. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep membership records; record attendance at meetings; send out notices of club, board, and committee meetings; record and preserve the minutes of such meetings; report as required to RI, including the semi-annual reports of membership on 1 January and 1 July of each year, which shall include per capita dues for all members and prorated dues for active members who have been elected to membership in the club since the start of the July or January semi-annual reporting period; report changes in membership; provide the monthly attendance report, which shall be made to the district governor within 15 days of the last meeting of the month; collect and remit RI official magazine subscriptions; and perform other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary.

Section 5 - Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to have custody of all funds, accounting for it to the club annually and at any other time upon demand by the board, and to perform other duties as pertains to the office of treasurer. Upon retirement from office, the treasurer shall turn over to the incoming treasurer or to the president all funds, books of accounts, or any other club property.

Section 6 - Sergeant-at-Arms. The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall be such as are usually prescribed for such office and other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.

Section 7 – Leadership path – it is the intent that the Vice President becomes the president elect and the president elect become the president and then past president.

Article 5 - Meetings

Annual Meeting
Section 1 - Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the 2nd Week of December in each year, at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.
_________________________
(Note: Article 6, section 2 of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution provides that "An annual meeting for the election of officers shall be held not later than 31 December...")

Club Meeting
Section 2 - The regular bi-weekly meetings of this club shall be held on (Wednesday) at (12:00 PM). Due notice of any changes in or canceling of the regular meeting shall be given to all members of the club. All members excepting an honorary member (or member excused pursuant to the standard Rotary club constitution) in good standing in this club, on the day of the regular meeting, must be counted as present or absent, and attendance must be evidenced by the member's being present for at least sixty (60%) percent of the time devoted to the regular meeting, either at this club or at any other Rotary club, or as otherwise provided in the standard Rotary club constitution, article 9, sections 1 and 2.

Section 3 - One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club.
Board Meetings

Section 4 - Regular meetings of the board shall be held upon the request of at least 2 directors. Special meetings of the board shall be called by the president, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request of two (2) directors, due notice having been given (at least 2 business days notice).
Board Meetings will include discussions on upcoming Speakers and other Agenda items for the upcoming Club meetings, which will then be communicated to the members via the website.

Section 5 - A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum of the board.

Article 6 - Fees and Dues

Section 1 -
Annual club dues are $395.00, including a $40 optional donation to the Rotary Foundation They are paid as follows: _Annually_.
Annual club dues include RI per capita dues, a subscription to The Rotarian or a Rotary regional magazine, district per capita dues, club fees, and any other Rotary or district per capita assessment.

Article 7 - Method of Voting
The business of this club shall be transacted by a voice vote or a show of hands vote except the election of officers and directors, which shall be by ballot. The board may determine that a specific resolution be considered by ballot rather than by voice or show of hands.
_________________________
.
Article 8 - Five Avenues of Service
We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.

• Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
• Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society. Learn more in An Introduction to Vocational Service and the Code of Conduct.
• Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest. Learn more in Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects.
• International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.
• Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange.

Article 9 - Committees
Club committees are charged with carrying out the annual and long-range goals of the club based on the four Avenues of Service. The president-elect, president, and immediate past president should work together to ensure continuity of leadership and succession planning. When feasible, committee members should be appointed to the same committee for three years to ensure consistency. The president-elect is responsible for appointing committee members to fill vacancies, appointing committee chairs, and conducting planning meetings prior to the start of the year in office. It is recommended that the chair have previous experience as a member of the committee. Standing committees should be appointed as follows:

1. Membership & Club Administration Committee: This committee should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the recruitment and retention of members.
2. Community Service projects Committee: This committee should develop & promote the club's service projects and activities. This committee should develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational projects that address the needs of their local community.
3. International Service Projects Committee: This committee should develop & promote the Club's international service projects and activities. This committee should develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational projects that address the needs of communities in other countries.
4. Public Relations & Website Committee: This committee should develop short- and long-term public relation plans and ensure that the Club becomes a visible institution in the local community, the Rotary District and the Rotary International at large. This committee should develop and implement plans to educate the public at large about the work of the Rotary Foundation, Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Vancouver- Fraserview.
5. Fundraising committee: This committee should meet and focus on ways to raise funding for the club and the community.
Additional ad hoc committees may be appointed as needed.

(a) The president shall be ex officio a member of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges of membership thereon.
(b) Each committee shall transact its business as is delegated to it in these bylaws and such additional business as may be referred to it by the president or the board. Except where special authority is given by the board, such committees shall not take action until a report has been made and approved by the board.
(c) Each Director shall be responsible for regular meetings and activities of the committee, shall supervise and coordinate the work of the committee, and shall report to the board on all committee activities. The Committee Meetings will take place on the 3rd Week of each month.
____________________________
(Note: The above committee structure is in harmony with both the District Leadership Plan and the Club Leadership Plan. Clubs have the discretion to create any committees that are required to effectively meet its service and fellowship needs. A sample listing of such optional committees is found in the Club Committee Manual. A club may develop a different committee structure as needed.)

Bylaws Amended by Vote at the AGM: December 13^th, 2023.