AK-SAR-BEN CHAPTER CLUB MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA CONSTITUTION Boundaries: The State of Nebraska and Potowattamie County in Iowa. ARTICLE I Name:  The name of this association shall be the “AK-SAR-BEN Club Managers Association,” a chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. ARTICLE II Object:  The purposes of this Chapter are to provide education to persons connected with the management of clubs and other associations of similar character, to promote and encourage efficient and successful club management and to advance friendly and gratifying relations among its members. ARTICLE III Conduct of Affairs:  The regulation of the business, conduct and management of the affairs of this Chapter, and all powers and functions pertaining thereto, shall be controlled and determined by these By-laws which may from time to time be changed by the active membership of this Chapter, provided that said By-laws shall not be repugnant to nor inconsistent with the constitution and By-laws of the Club Managers Association of America, a current copy of which shall be deemed part of this Chapter’s Constitution and By-laws. BY-LAWS ARTICLE I Definitions 1.    Manager:  A person whose primary occupation is that of supervising or conducting the business affairs of a bona fide club under a board of directors who have vested in him or her the authority to employ, supervise, dismiss or assign duties to other employed personnel. 2.    Assistant Manager:  A person whose primary occupation is that of assisting a club manager in a supervisory capacity and upon whom devolves the manager’s duties, responsibilities and authority in the absence of the manager or a more senior assistant.   Membership Section I – Categories There shall be seven categories of membership:  Provisional, Active, Associate, Retired, Honorary, Student, and Surviving Spouse. A.    Provisional     Upon proper completion of written application, any person eligible for membership under these By-laws may be accepted for membership and classified as a Provisional member. 1.    Eligibility.  A person connected with the management of clubs at the time of applying for and election to membership in the Association is eligible for Provisional membership.  Provisional and/or Active members traditionally will be associated with membership clubs in a compensated management role. 2.    A Provisional member shall not be eligible to vote nor hold elective office. 3.    A Provisional member may at any time after twelve months qualify for Active membership by completing requirements provided by the certification program and local chapter requirements. 4.    A Provisional member temporarily disengaged may continue membership for the period of which chapter dues are paid at the time he or she ceases his or her club connection.  Should he or she remain disengaged, he or she has the option to renew his Provisional membership for a period not to exceed twelve months.  A Provisional member is not entitled to transfer to associate membership. B.    Active     A person recorded as an Active member of this Chapter, and a Provisional Member successfully meeting the current requirements for Active Membership outlined by the Club Managers Association of America and thus becoming an Active Member, shall be entitled to hold office and take part in all business and affairs of the Chapter. An Active member temporarily disengaged shall continue in this category for the period for which his or her dues are paid at the time he or she ceases to have a club connection.  If a member continues to be disengaged after the period for which his or her dues and assessments have been paid, he or she shall be entitled to maintain his or her membership for a period of one year, while so disengaged, on payment of dues and assessments for that period. C.    Associate     An Active member of the Chapter, in good standing, entering another line of business, or leaving club management, shall automatically cease to be an Active member, and shall automatically be transferred to an Associate membership.  Such membership shall entitle him or her to all social privileges of the Chapter, but shall not entitle him or her to vote on or hold elective office.  An Associate member reentering club management shall automatically be transferred back to Active membership. D.    Retired An Active or Associate member who is at least sixty-five years of age, and who has been a member of the Chapter for a period of ten years or more, not necessarily consecutive, and who has retired from active business, may, upon application, be transferred to Retired membership status.  Transfer may also be made in the case of members less than sixty-five years of age, if the number of years of membership is correspondingly longer, and the sum of his or her age and number of full years of membership is equal to at least seventy, but in no event shall a member with less than ten years of membership be eligible for Retired status.  Such members shall be entitled to all privileges of the Chapter, but may not hold office. Entitlement to this category of membership shall cease if the Member becomes active in Club Management. In such cases, the Member is eligible for transfer to Active status by a vote of the Board. E.    Honorary     Upon the written request of three or more members, the Board of Directors may, in their discretion, elect as an Honorary member in the Chapter any individual who has rendered special service of value for the promotion and advancement of the Chapter.  The written request shall state the nature of the services rendered, and the results obtained.  When Active or Retired members of the Chapter are so honored, they shall not lose their vote; but, in the event of Honorary memberships being conferred upon individuals not club managers and not Active members of the Chapter, in that event, such Honorary members shall have no right to vote and shall hold no office. G.    Student     An individual who is enrolled in a hospitality or related course in an accredited college, university or school for undergraduate or graduate students is eligible to apply for student membership.  Such membership does not entitle the holder to vote or hold elective office in the Chapter nor to transfer to any other category of membership.  Students may retain membership for two years following graduation.  If, within two years of graduation, a Student Member is no longer enrolled at a college/university, he or she must apply for Provisional membership or be dropped from the rolls of the Chapter. H.    Surviving Spouse     The spouse of a CMAA member shall become eligible for Surviving Spouse membership status upon the CMAA member’s death.  Such membership shall entitle the spouse to social privileges and to receive the Association’s publications, newsletters and magazine. Section 2 – Admission An applicant shall simultaneously apply for membership in both the National Association, if eligible, and the local Chapter.  The applicant shall be proposed and seconded by at least two Active or Retired members of the Association who are members of the Chapter. Applications for membership shall be on a form prescribed by the Association.  Following favorable action by the Chapter, the completed application and remittances for necessary entry fees, dues and assessments (as required by sections 3, 5, or 7 of this article) shall be forwarded to Association Headquarters.  Upon approval by the Association, the applicant shall simultaneously become a member of both the Chapter and the Association. Should there be less than a majority of favorable votes cast for any applicant such applicant shall be declared rejected and his or her money refunded.  A rejected applicant may have the privilege of making application again after one year from the date of his or her rejection by the Chapter. Section 3 – Dues All dues and assessments shall become payable by the first day of December of each year and shall be for the following fiscal year.   The amount of annual dues may, from time to time, be altered by two-thirds of the voting membership present at a duly constituted meeting. All applications for membership shall be accompanied by a remittance for a full year’s dues.  Memberships, which become effective on or after September first in any year shall be exempt from dues for the remainder of that year, and the entire amount shall be applied to the ensuing year’s dues.   All Honorary or Retired members are not required to pay any Chapter dues or assessments. Section 4 – Continuation while Unemployed An Active or Provisional member who is unemployed in club management on November 1, and who is actively seeking employment in the club management profession, may be continued on the membership rolls of the Chapter for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months without payment of dues.  During this continuation, the member will enjoy all other benefits of membership.  Reinstatement from Continuation while Unemployed is without an administrative fee.  This continuation ceases at the time the member is again employed in club management. Section 5 – Penalties for Non-Payment Any Member who shall be in arrears for dues, assessments, or any other indebtedness, for a period of two months, shall be notified by an Officer of the Board. If payment is not forthcoming, the Board or its appointed representatives may use a variety of methods to collect payment from the individual and his or her club. If payment is not received and the debt is four or more months past due, the Board may, via Registered Mail at his or her last known address, notify the Member that he or she is not in good standing and if after 10 days of such notification the indebtedness is not paid in full, he or she will be automatically stricken from the rolls, and the National Association be notified of this action. The Board will record this Member as a ‘write-off’ and the Secretary will make the action part of the permanent record. If the Member shall ever apply for membership in the Chapter, including membership via transfer from another Chapter, the Member will not be welcomed to join without first satisfying the outstanding debt and explaining the reason for non-payment. Section 6 – Reinstatement Any member, who shall have forfeited his or her membership in accordance with provisions of Section 5 of this article, may be readmitted to membership at the discretion of the Chapter by majority vote at a regular meeting if such reinstatement serves the best interests of the Chapter.   Section 7 – Suspension and Expulsion A member may be suspended for a period of time or expelled for a cause, such as violation of the By-laws or rules of the Chapter and Association.  Such suspension or expulsion shall be by two-thirds vote of the membership of the Chapter present at a duly constituted meeting, provided that a statement of the charges shall have been mailed by Registered Mail to the member under charge at his or her last reported address at least fifteen days before final action is taken thereon.  This statement shall be accompanied by a notice of the time and place where the Chapter meeting is to be held to take action, and is to provide, or to state, that such member shall be given an opportunity to present his or her defense at such time and place. Section 8 – Guests Guests will be permitted to attend functions and meetings unless otherwise specified by the Chapter’s presiding officer.  Any person who is currently suspended or expelled from this Chapter shall not be welcome as a guest at any activity. Section 9 – Transfer A member of the National Association in good standing who has been transferred to a bona fide club in the region may request membership through the Chapter Secretary. Social privileges may be extended until such time the request has been approved or rejected. The request for membership must be made to the Chapter within one year of assuming duties within the Chapter region. ARTICLE II Governing Body Section 1 – Government The property and business of this Chapter shall be managed by a Board of Directors, all of whom shall be Active members in good standing.  The Board shall be elected by the Active members at the Special Annual Meeting.  The Board shall have the power, by majority vote, to fill by interim appointment any vacancy in their body to serve until the next Annual Meeting. All disputes and grievances shall be referred to the Board of Directors and their decision thereon shall be final. Section 2 – Directors The number of Directors shall consist of at least four.  The President, Vice-President, Secretary/ Treasurer and an Education Liaison shall automatically be directors.  The outgoing President will remain on the Board as a director until he or she is succeeded by the next outgoing President.  The Directors shall be elected for a term of two years.  If a national director is a member of the AK-SAR-BEN Chapter of Club Managers, he or she automatically shall be a regular member of the Chapter Board of Directors with full voting privileges. Section 3 – Officers The Officers of this Chapter shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, and an Education Liaison, all of whom shall be members of the Board of Directors.  These officers shall be elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting to serve a period of two years, or until their successors are elected and qualified.  An officer may be re-elected to the same office only once, unless a minimum of one year has elapsed since he or she last served as a director or officer.  The Officers shall serve without compensation.  The signature of either the Secretary/Treasurer or President shall be required on all checks drawn on Chapter funds. ARTICLE III Duties of Officers Section 1 – President The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and Board of Directors and shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Chapter.  He or she shall appoint, with Board approval, such committees as he or she deems necessary for the proper conduct of Chapter affairs and he or she shall be an ex-officio of all committees.  The President of the Chapter shall, within thirty (30) days following the last meeting held by the Chapter in each calendar year but no later than fifteen (15) days before the date of the Annual Conference of the Association, file with the Executive Vice President of CMAA his or her annual report of the Chapter’s activities during the preceding year. Section 2 – Vice-President The Vice-President shall aid the President in the discharge of his or her duties and shall exercise the function of the President during his or her absence. Section 3 – Secretary/Treasurer The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for sending notices for all meetings, shall keep the minutes of all Chapter and Board meetings, shall conduct the general correspondence for the Chapter and certify the Chapters acceptance of new members on application forms, as required by National By-laws.  A copy of all minutes will be mailed to each member following the meeting.  He or she shall file necessary reports of the Chapter meetings.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for billing necessary charges to all Chapter members, for collecting and depositing all monies received, and for paying all charges against the Chapter.  He or she shall keep customary records of account and present a detailed written report at each regular meeting.  Upon termination of his or her office, he or she shall transfer all records, in current condition, to his or her successor within fifteen days of his or her leaving office. Section 5 – Education Liaison The Education Liaison is responsible for representing the educational needs of the Membership at all Board meetings. He or she works directly with the Education Chairman in planning and executing the education and social schedule for the year. He or she is responsible for submitting budget requests for future years to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Chapter. Section 6 A.    The Board of Directors will prepare a budget by no later than October of each year for the following fiscal year, to be presented to the Membership for approval by no later than the first regular monthly Chapter meeting in the budgeted fiscal year involved.  The budget will cover all major expenses such as monies for educational programming, donations to charitable causes, scholarship funds and other types of expenses and income relating to normal operations of the Chapter. B.    The President will by no later than the December meeting of each year appoint a committee whose duties shall be to audit the Treasurer’s records and file a written report reflecting in summary form by general category all income and expenditures for the past fiscal year and the general findings of the Audit Committee.  Such report to be made available to the members of the Chapter by no later than the third (3rd) regular meeting of the Chapter following the appointment of the Audit Committee. ARTICLE IV Meetings Section 1 – Regular Meetings Regular meetings of the Chapter shall be called by the Secretary/Treasurer at least ten days prior to a given time and place prescribed by the President or by a majority vote of the Members present at a preceding meeting, or by two Directors.  At least three Chapter meetings each year shall feature educational programs. Section 2 – Special Meetings Special Meetings shall be held upon call of the President or upon written request of three Active members. The notice for this type of meeting shall also state the specific purpose of said meeting and must follow the regimen prescribed in Section 1. Notices of all Special Meetings must be mailed to all voting members at least 10 days prior to the Meeting. Section 3 – Quorum Twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total Active membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at any Regular, Special or Annual Meeting. Section 4 – Order of Business The normal order of business for meetings of the Chapter shall be as follows: 1.    Call to order by the President or designated representative of the        President 2.    Approval of minutes of previous meeting[s] 3.    Official reports 4.    Committee reports 5.    New business 6.    Other business 7.    Adjournment The President or designated representative of the President may revise the priority of business at his or her discretion without debate. Section 5 – Rules The usual parliamentary rules as laid down in “Roberts Rules of Order” shall govern all debates when not in conflict with these By-laws. ARTICLE V Special Annual Meeting Section 1 – Meeting The Special Annual Meeting shall be held in the month of November.  During the years where an election is necessary there shall be chosen a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary/Treasurer, an Education Liaison and Directors as necessary at the Annual Meeting. Section 2 – Nominating Committee In the appropriate years, two months prior to the Special Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three Active members in good standing who are not currently serving on the Board.  Of the three, one shall be appointed Chairman.  The Committee shall prepare a ballot of officers to be elected to serve during the ensuing two year term and shall obtain acceptance from the nominees.  At least twenty days before the Special Annual Meeting, the Secretary/Treasurer shall mail the names of the nominees to the membership together with the notice calling the Special Annual Meeting and information pertaining to date and location.   Section 3 – Nominations from the Floor At the Special Annual Meeting in the year that elections are taking place, any voting member in good standing may offer in nomination to any or all of the Officers the name or names of any members in good standing and upon due second, any member or members so nominated shall be considered qualified for final vote for the office or offices in question. Section 4 – Judge and Tellers The President shall appoint a judge of the election and two tellers, all of whom shall be Active members and none of whom shall be a candidate for election or a member of the Nominating Committee.  They shall receive and count the votes, decide finally and without appeal the right of any person to vote and as to the validity of ballots.  When two or more nominations are made for any office, balloting by secret is required. ARTICLE VI Definitions Section 1 – Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Chapter shall begin on the first day of January in each year, and shall end on the 31st day of December of said year. Section 2 – Amendments The By-laws of this Chapter may be amended or repealed in whole or in part at any Regular or Special Annual Meeting of this Chapter, provided the proposed changes have been reviewed by the Board of Directors and copy of the same mailed to the Membership at least ten days prior to such meeting, and changes may be made by a majority of those present. Section 3 – Interpretation The Board of Directors shall have full power and authority to interpret these By-laws, and its decisions on all such questions shall be final, binding and conclusive.