MDARC - Bylaws

Bylaws

of the

Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club

PREAMBLE

The Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club has been organized for public and charitable purposes, specifically as an educational and scientific organization as defined and limited by U.S. Internal Revenue Code §501(c)(3). The specific educational, scientific and public welfare purposes of this Corporation are as defined in Article II of the Articles of Incorporation.

This Corporation is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law of the State of California, California Corporations Code TITLE 1, DIVISION 2, PART 2 and is not organized for the private gain of any person.

ARTICLE I – NAME, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 1. NAME
This Corporation shall be known as the "Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club", a California non- stock nonprofit public benefit Corporation.

Section 2. OFFICERS
The officers shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. All terms of office shall be one year.

Section 3. DIRECTORS
In addition, there shall be four Directors-At-Large and a fifth Director designated the Emergency Coordinator. Two Directors shall be elected each even-numbered year for a term of two years.

The second two Directors shall be elected in odd-numbered years for a term of two years. The term of office of the Emergency Coordinator shall be for one year.

Section 4. QUALIFICATIONS
The Officers, Directors and Emergency Coordinator shall be elected from the membership and shall be Amateur Radio operators licensed by the United States of America.

Section 5. ELECTION
Newly elected officers and directors shall take office on the first day of January.

ARTICLE II - DUTIES AND AUTHORITY

Section 1. PRESIDENT
1. Duties shall be to call and preside over all official meetings.
2. Shall appoint all committee chairpersons.

Section 2. VICE PRESIDENT
1. Duties shall be to assist the President in the discharge of the President's duties and to preside in the President's absence.
2. Shall also be the program chairperson.

Section 3. SECRETARY
1. Shall record the minutes of all official meetings and maintain a record of each for inspection by Club members.
2. Shall execute all necessary correspondence.
3. Shall maintain all Club official records.

Section 4. TREASURER
1. Shall act as the Principal Financial Officer of the Club; be custodian of all Club funds; keep complete and accurate records of the receipt and disbursement of such funds.
2. Shall maintain a true and complete account of all Club assets and liabilities including capital items and prepare formal written reports as of June 30 and December 31. These reports shall be published in the Club newsletter.
3. Shall report the financial condition of the Club at each general membership meeting.
4. Shall be responsible for the preparation of all necessary tax filings with city, county, state and federal jurisdictions for the Board of Directors.
5. Shall prepare for Board of Director's approval, an annual budget of income and expense of the Club and its committees and groups. Shall arrange to have the budget published in the Club newsletter no later than the February issue.

Section 5. EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
1. Shall coordinate Club activities with RACES/ARES, the county Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) and other public safety and emergency response officials.
2. Shall maintain all records of information pertaining to those activities.

Section 6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1. The Board of Directors shall be voting members of the Board, and are expected to attend all Board meetings.
2. The Board of Directors shall meet and conduct the business of the Corporation. Minutes of all General Membership meetings and Board of Director's meetings shall be published by the secretary in the Club newsletter.
3. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to authorize payment of any bills not exceeding $1,000 that are not an approved budget item and shall be empowered to authorize payment of increases in budgeted items that do not increase by more than $1,000.
4. The Board of Directors may appoint a duly qualified regular Club member to fill out the unexpired term of any office vacated, including but not limited to, by expiration of term, resignation, death or removal.
5. Officers and Directors may be removed for cause including but not limited to absence, neglect of duty or misuse of office upon recommendation by a majority of the Board of Directors and a two-thirds affirmative vote by the members present at the following General Membership Meeting.

ARTICLE III – MEETINGS

Section 1. MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the membership shall be held on the third Friday of each month, or at other times, when a Special Meeting is called by the President or by written request to the Board of Directors signed by five General Members of the Corporation.

Section 2. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held on the first Monday of each month, or at other times, when a Special Meeting is called by the President or a quorum of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. MEETINGS CONDUCTED UNDER ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER
All meetings of the Corporation, including meetings of the membership, Board of Directors and committees shall be conducted in accordance with the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Corporation may adopt.

Section 4. QUORUM
A quorum at all membership meetings shall be composed of the General Membership present at that meeting. A quorum at all meetings of the Board of Directors shall comprise fifty percent of the officers and directors in office.

Section 5. ELECTRONIC MEETINGS
1. For the purposes of this Section, “Electronic Meeting” shall be defined as a meeting in which one or more participants are not physically present in one room or area; rather they communicate with the other participants via electronic means, such as the internet or telephone. Such meetings must provide, at a minimum, for simultaneous two-way voice communication among all participants.
2. Electronic Meetings shall not require the use of special equipment or software available only to certain persons or requiring financial expenditure by the attendees to use.
3. Notices of Electronic Meetings must include an adequate description of how to participate; such as a telephone number for teleconferences, web address for web conferences, password or meeting ID for all methods, etc.
4. Persons unable to be physically present at a Regular or Special Meeting of the Membership, Board of Directors or any committee may, at the discretion of the meeting’s chair, attend via electronic means as described in Item 1 above. Such persons shall be considered to be in attendance for the purposes of a quorum and for voting.
5. Should business arise for the Board of Directors or any committee that requires action prior to the next Regular meeting of that body, the chair may call and conduct a Special Meeting as an Electronic Meeting. Such Special Electronic Meetings shall allow, but not require, a central location for participants to attend in person. All attendees shall be considered to be in attendance for the purposes of a quorum and for voting.
6. Electronic Meetings may be conducted at the discretion of the meeting’s chair. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as to require that any meeting of the Membership, Board of Directors or any committee be provided with the facilities for an Electronic Meeting, or that any attendee has the right to attend any meeting by electronic means.

ARTICLE IV – FINANCE

Section 1. ANNUAL DUES
Any changes in the annual dues shall be voted upon by the Board of Directors and approved by a simple majority of the membership at a regular membership meeting. A proposal to revise the dues shall be published in a mailing to the members, one month before the membership vote.

Section 2. NO ASSESSMENTS
Club expenses may be defrayed by dues, donations, auctions or benefits, but not by assessment.

Section 3. AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES
All authorized checks shall be signed by the Treasurer, or any other officers designated by the Board of Directors.

Section 4. NON-BUDGETED EXPENSES
Motions to expend non-budgeted Club funds shall normally be presented to the Board of Directors prior to presentation to the membership at a Regular or Special Meeting.

Section 5. EXPENSES PROPOSED AT MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Motions made at a regular membership meeting to expend funds not included in the budget shall not be acted upon at that meeting. Authorization to spend the proposed money shall be referred to the Board of Directors and no expenditure shall be made without their affirmative vote.

ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
Any person is eligible for General Membership regardless of race, creed, sex, or national origin and the like. Each General Member is entitled to vote at all Regular and Special Meetings.

Section 2. ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
1. Additional family members of General Members in good standing may qualify as General Members without payment of dues or for discounted membership dues as determined by the Board of Directors.
2. Additional family members must reside at the same address and one copy of the Club newsletter will be mailed to that family address unless otherwise requested.

Section 3. STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
The Board of Directors may establish Student Memberships, designating from time to time the amount and payment of dues. The qualifications for Student Membership and voting privileges, rights and obligations shall determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 4. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
The Board of Directors may award a non-voting Honorary Membership to persons of merit. An Honorary Member shall not be obliged to pay dues.

Section 5. LIFE MEMBERSHIP
The Board of Directors may award Life Memberships. A Life Member shall not be obliged to pay dues. A Life Member shall have the same voting privileges, rights and obligations as a General Member.

Section 6. REVOCATION
Membership may be revoked or other lesser disciplinary action taken against a member after a review and a recommendation by the Board of Directors and a majority vote of the membership for any of the following:

Violations of the Radio Laws, Regulations and Treaties of the United States of America, including intentional and/or malicious radio interference.
Non-payment of dues.
Failure to abide by these By-Laws.
Member misconduct.

Section 7. REINSTATEMENT
A member whose membership has been revoked may apply for reinstatement of membership not sooner than one year from the date of the revocation.

Section 8. DELINQUENCY
Dues delinquent after January 31 automatically stand the member suspended. Reinstatement may be made upon payment of dues. A member in good standing shall be one whose membership has not been suspended nor revoked.

Section 9. MEMBER MISCONDUCT
Member misconduct shall include, but shall not be limited to:

a) Financial misconduct, fraud, embezzlement or theft of Corporation funds and /or property.
b) Intentional conduct creating legal liability for the Corporation.
c) Violent, threatening, and/or disorderly conduct.
d) Bringing disrepute to the Corporation including but not limited to threats, harassment and insults to members and to the public at large.
e) Violation of criminal laws.
f) Attempts to disrupt orderly procedure or failure to abide by rulings from the presiding officer or chairman at Membership, Board and committee meetings, including refusal to comply when called out of order.

ARTICLE VI - ELECTION COMMITTEE

Section 1. COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The Election Committee shall consist of at least three members appointed by the President no later than the August General Membership meeting.

Section 2. DUTIES
It shall be the duties of the Election Committee to procure candidates for each office, qualify nominated members as to membership and willingness to accept the nomination, ensure ballots are properly and timely provided to all members in good standing, receive and tabulate ballots, and announce the results of the election at the November meeting.

Section 3. NOMINATIONS
Any member in good standing with a United States Amateur Radio license may be proposed for nomination. Nominations may be made via email to a member of the Election Committee and from the floor at the September and October meetings. At both of these meetings, a member of the Election Committee will announce the current nominees. Nominations will be accepted up to and including October 31st and closed afterwards. Once nominations are closed, no other nominees will be added to the ballot and write-in votes will not be accepted. The names of those nominated prior to the October publication deadline shall be published in the October Club newsletter; those nominated up to and including October 31st will be published in the November club newsletter.

Section 4. BALLOTING
A ballot shall be provided to each member eligible to vote at least two weeks prior to the November meeting, by postal mail or electronically via an application on the internet (if made available) or by members' email. If electronically, an option to print a paper ballot shall also be provided. Members that requested postal mail delivery of the Club’s newsletter shall be sent a ballot by postal mail. Printed ballots shall also be made available for voting at the November meeting.

At each member’s option, completed ballots may be submitted by:
(a) postal mail, with receipt required at the address on the ballot no later than two days before the November meeting;
(b) electronically, such as by email or via an application on the internet (if made available), with submission made no later than two days before the November meeting; or
(c) in person at the November meeting.

Section 5. Office Vacancies
In the event that an office is vacant post-election, the Board of Directors may appoint a duly qualified regular Club member to fill that office.

Section 6. Special Election
In the event that the board is disbanded, a special election will be conducted to establish a new board.

ARTICLE VII - CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY

Section 1. CONFLICTS WITH INTEREST OF THIS CORPORATION PROHIBITED.
All actions, deliberations, decisions and actions by the Board of Directors, the individual officers, directors, committee chairmen and members of this Corporation shall be made in the sole interests of this Corporation and for the Corporation’s educational and scientific purposes as defined and limited by U.S. Internal Revenue Code §501(c)(3).

Section 2. PERSONAL FINANCIAL BENEFIT PROHIBITED
Individual officers, directors, committee chairmen and members are prohibited from taking any action to achieve a personal financial benefit or for a third person or other entity, including another nonprofit or for-profit organization.

Section 3. DUTY TO RECUSE
Any officer, director, committee chairman or member shall promptly disclose the existence of any potential conflict of interest on any matter in which they have a material financial interest, or whether they are an officer or director of another entity that may reasonably be affected by the outcome of the vote. In such event, they shall recuse himself or herself from being present for discussion or voting on the matter.

ARTICLE VIII - BY-LAWS AMENDMENTS

Section 1. PROCEDURE
An amendment to the By-Laws may be initiated by the Board of Directors or by written request to the Board of Directors signed by five members of the Club. In order to be effective, the proposed amendment shall be presented to the Board of Directors, published by mail to the members or published in the Club newsletter by mail and/or electronic means, and approved by two-thirds of the members present at the next regular membership meeting following such publication.

ARTICLE IX - PUBLICATION

Section 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
1. There shall be an official publication maintained by the Corporation in the form of a newsletter to be published monthly and called the "Carrier". The editor and staff shall be appointed by the Board.

2. The financing of the Club newsletter shall be from the Corporation's treasury.

Section 2. PUBLICATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS
All publications, notices and mailings to the members may be made by electronic means.

Amended January 20, 1989
Amended February 17, 1989
Amended February 20, 2009
Amended May 15, 2010
Amended August 21, 2010
Amended August 21, 2015
Amended November 18, 2016
Amended March 15, 2019
Amended August 18, 2023

Amended August 16, 2024

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