Muncie Area Amateur Radio Club
Constitution and By-Laws
MAARC
Constitution
Amended January 20, 1991
Amended May 18, 2008
Amended January 23, 2023
ARTICLE I - NAME
1.The name of this not-for-profit association shall be the MUNCIE AREA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB (MAARC).
ARTICLE II - PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
1.To bring together, for their mutual benefit, persons interested in the various areas of amateur radio; and, to this end, any interested person is cordially invited to attend one or more of our regularly scheduled meetings.
2.To provide an environment in which members may increase their knowledge and proficiency in the field of amateur radio.
3.To provide a ready and reliable source of emergency communications.
4.To provide such other public communication services as may be appropriate.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
1.“Member,” as used herein, shall mean an individual in good standing whose dues are currently paid.
2.FULL MEMBER. A full member is a member who has a valid amateur radio license. Such person may vote and hold office.
3.HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP. Any full member may be nominated at any regular meeting for honorary life membership. Such nomination must be made by a full member. This status is intended to be an exceptional honor, in recognition of especially meritorious and distinguished contributions of the nominee to MAARC. The nominee shall be voted upon at the next regular meeting following the nomination. A two-thirds vote of members present and voting is required to confer this status. Honorary life members shall pay no dues after attaining this status, and shall have the privileges of full membership.
4.DUES-EXEMPT MEMBERSHIP. Any voting member may nominate any person for dues-exempt status. Such nomination may be at any regular meeting, and the explanation of the reason(s) for such nomination shall be given. Reasons may include, but are not limited to, financial hardship. A majority of the members present and voting shall be required in order for the motion to pass. A dues-exempt person shall pay no dues after attaining this status, and shall continue to have the priviledges appropriate to the type of membership held. Dues-exempt status may be rescinded, using the same procedures and requirements as in attaining the status.
ARTICLE IV - APPLICATION PROCESS
1.Any person who applies to become a full club member and meets the criteria in Article III shall ordinarily be accepted for the appropriate type of membership, subject to there being no challenge as outlined in Section 3 of this Article.
2.Names of applicants shall be made known to members attending the first regularly called meeting after application has been received. The intent is to permit a motion to deny membership as provided in Section 3 below.
3.An exception to Article IV (1) may occur if any full member objects to an applicant and moves to deny membership at a regularly called meeting. If such occurs, the denial motion shall be voted upon at the next regularly called meeting. A majority of those present and voting is required to deny membership.
ARTICLE V - DELINQUENT/INACTIVE MEMBERS
1.Persons whose dues are in arrears by the April meeting shall be considered inactive. While inactive, persons do not have membership privileges. To regain membership, inactive persons must re-apply for membership, with dues payment as prescribed in the by-laws.
ARTICLE VI - EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
1.At any regular meeting any full member may move to expel any member, stating just cause(s). The secretary shall send written notice of such motion to each voting member prior to the next regularly called meeting, at which time the motion shall be voted upon. The member whose expulsion is under consideration is entitled to address the club members prior to the voting. The address is expected to be in the general form of an appeal, or a stating of the case for the person being considered for expulsion. The expulsion motion requires a nine-tenths majority of members present and voting in order to pass.
ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS
1.Officers of the club for a term of
| (A) | President | One year |
| (B) | Vice President | One year |
| (C) | Secretary | One year |
| (D) | Treasurer | One year |
| (E) | Trustee | Four Years (Coinciding with U. S. Presidential elections) |
These persons shall constitute the Executive Committee.
In addition, the club recognizes the positions of webmaster, newsletter editor and club historian. These positions are to be considered voluntary and will have no term limits other than the individual’s continued desire and ability to serve and are not part of the executive committee. Such positions are appointed by the President, with consent of the membership.
Nominations shall be made at the regularly scheduled September meeting. Any member may nominate any member eligible to hold office. A nominee must agree, prior to voting, to serve if elected. Agreement may be oral at the meeting, or written. If there are multiple nominees for any office, the Secretary shall mail a ballot to each voting member no later than 14 days prior to the regularly scheduled October meeting. If there is only candidate for any office, that candidate shall be declared elected without balloting. Ballots shall be manufactured or marked in such a way as to prevent duplication and assure the ballots entered are the ballots mailed.
2.If there are no nominations for a particular office during the September meeting, nominations will be accepted from the floor during the October meeting and voting on that particular office will be handled in the most expedient manner possible.
3.At the October meeting votes shall be tallied. A plurality of votes is needed to elect. In the case of tie votes, the candidates will be given not more than five (5) minutes each to address the members present to speak of their candidacy prior to a revote being taken.
4.The executive committee shall present one or more persons as nominees for the position of Trustee when that office is to be filled. The nominating and electing process shall otherwise be the same as in Article VII (2) above. Nominees for the office of Trustee must hold a valid Amateur Radio License of general class or higher.
5.Newly elected officers shall assume their duties at the end of the October meeting, except for the Trustee, whose duties shall be assumed when the newly elected Trustee’s name appears on the club license returned by the FCC. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by appointment from the Executive Committee for the remainder of the officer’s term.
6.Officers may succeed themselves in subsequent terms.
7.Officers who wish to resign may do so by tendering a written resignation to any member of the executive committee. This resignation shall be considered effective no sooner than the next scheduled general membership meeting when it is read into the minutes.
8.Officers may be removed from office in the manner described in Article VI dealing with expulsion of members.
ARTICLE VIII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
1.The duties of the President shall be to conduct all meetings according to adopted rules, to enforce observance of such rules, to decide questions of order(seeking parlimentary assistance if desired), to sign all official documents, to handle emergency matters with the advice of the Executive Committee, and to perform all other customary duties pertaining to the office.
2.The duties of the Vice-President shall be to assume the presidential duties if the need arises, and to be of general assistance to the President. The vice-president shall be considered an ex-officio member of all committees and will report to the membership as needed on the activities of such committees.
3.The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep records of the proceedings of all meetings, to report to the membership the minutes of meetings, to carry on all correspondence and report appropriately to the membership. Correspondence is understood to include all matters relating to meetings. The Secretary shall receive applications for membership either from applicants directly or from full club members who have received them and begin the process described in Article IV on attaining membership.
4.The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and expend monies, to keep proper records of all financial matters, to keep an accurate record of members and their dues status, to make financial reports at club meetings and as otherwise requested. In general, the treasurer shall pay only those monies authorized by the membership at club meetings. However, there shall be established a petty cash fund for the payment, without authorization, of routine incidental expenses. The size of the petty cash fund shall be established in the by-laws. The president shall arrange for the Treasurer’s books to be audited annually.
5.The duties of the trustee shall be to authorize and supervise the use of any club call sign; to be accountable for club equipment; to provide continuity and guidance relating to changes in officers; to maintain such records as are necessary; and to be the chief contact person between the club and any regulatory government agencies. The club radio licenses shall bear the current trustee’s name. The Trustee shall be responsible for the proper legal use of privilege’s granted by this license in accordance with Part 97; shall hold a valid amateur radio license of general class or higher; have final say only all aforementioned legal matters; and present a written report to the members annually at the October meeting.
6.At the end of any officer’s term, all club materials in the officer’s possession and used during the term shall be given to the officer’s successor.
ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS
1.It is generally intended that the club will meet regularly once per month.
2.However, a meeting may be called by the President at any time, and must be called upon the written request of five voting members. Written notice of special meetings, stating the business thereof, shall be sent to members in sufficient time that in ordinary postal delivery they will reach members at least 24 hours prior to the meeting time.
3.Written notices are the responsibility of the Secretary.
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS
1.Any voting member may move to amend this constitution at any regular meeting or at any meeting specially called for the purpose of a proposed amendment(s). The proposed amendment(s) must be in writing and will be read aloud by the Secretary at the meeting at which it is presented. The Secretary shall mail or electronically transmit to all voting members a notice of the proposed amendment(s), together with the relevant information as to the effect. The relevant portion(s) of the constitution in existence shall be written, along with the relevant portion(s), as they would be if the amendment(s) passes. This notice, along with a ballot, is to be received by voting members at least one week before the meeting at which the votes will be tallied. The meeting shall be at least three weeks later than the meeting at which the motion to amend was made. Yea votes on two-thirds of the properly marked ballots received will be required in order to amend. Ballots may be delivered in person or by mail. Abstentions, non-received ballots, or improperly marked ballots shall not count in determining the proportion of yeas to nays.
ARTICLE XI - PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
1.Robert’ Rules of Order, current edition, shall govern the proceedings of this club, except as otherwise provided in the constitution or by-laws.
BY-LAWS
Amended June 29, 2003
Amended May 18, 2008
Amended January 23, 2023
ARTICLE I - QUORUM
1.One-tenth of the voting members listed on the prior months’ roster as maintained by the treasurer, including a minimum of two executive committee members shall comprise a quorum.
ARTICLE II - DUES
1.Dues shall be:
| (A) | Full Member: | $15.00 per annum |
| (B) | Associate Member: | $10.00 per annum |
2.The dues year shall extend from January 1, through December 31.
3.Delinquent members must pay the years dues to become active. These dues are not prorated.
4.Persons wishing to rejoin shall be considered new members in all respects if they have been delinquent for one year or longer. Otherwise they shall be considered delinquent members.
5.Suspension of privileges: Privileges of membership shall be terminated on April 1 for non-payment of dues.
6.On any check returned for non-payment by the club’s bank, the person who wrote the check shall pay all bank charges plus five dollars for the returned check in addition to the amount of the check.
7.Any person who becomes licensed for the first time through a class sponsored by the club shall be offered membership, in accordance with club policies, at no charge for the remainder of that calendar year.
ARTICLE III - PETTY CASH
The petty cash fund established for the use of the treasurer between meetings shall not exceed $100.00.
ARTICLE IV - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1.The Executive Committee shall offer guidance and advice to the President, and shall act on behalf of the membership between meetings if matters of an urgent nature arise which require immediate action.
2.Executive Committee actions taken in accordance with Article IV (1) may be approved or disapproved by a majority of the members present and voting at the next regular meeting following the Executive Committee actions. If disapproved, the actions shall be rescinded if possible; if not possible, the disapproval shall be considered an expression of censure.
ARTICLE V - COMMITTEES
1.The President, solely, or with the guidance and advice of the Executive Committee, may create committees, either standing or ad hoc, as is deemed necessary or desirable. The authority to create committees also includes the authority to dissolve them.
The President shall appoint members to committees created in accordance with Article V (1), and may also remove members from committees.
2.There shall be a Technical Committee whose duties are to maintain and repair any club equipment. In the event the Technical Committee can not make the necessary repairs to any club equipment, it shall bring the matter to the Executive Committee for disposition. The Technical Committee shall be directly responsible to the Executive Committee. Membership to the Technical Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
3.For such time as the club operates any equipment on the premises of Ball State University, the technical committee will include at least one Ball State employee, who is a member of the club and agrees to serve on the committee, if possible.
ARTICLE VI - COURTESY GUIDELINES
1.Flowers/memorials shall be sent for the death of a full member or full member’s spouse. The treasurer is authorized for such expenditure, not to exceed $50.00, without prior notice to the club, due to the timeliness required.
Cards may be sent for the death or hospitalization of other family members: Spouses and their children, parents of either spouse, or siblings who reside in the immediate household of the member.
ARTICLE VII—USE OF CLUB ASSETS
1.Any regularly scheduled use of club assets, such as repeaters, shall be approved by club membership during a regularly scheduled meeting at a date set forth by other language in this document. This approval/denial shall be a voice vote.
2.A simple majority of the executive committee shall be able to grant temporary use of the asset(s) until such time as the membership can vote on permanent status.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
1.Any voting member may move to amend these by-laws at any regular meeting or at any meeting specially called for the purpose of a proposed amendment(s). The proposed amendment(s) must be in writing and read aloud by the Secretary at the meeting at which it is presented.
2.Members present at this meeting shall decide by vote whether the proposed amendment(s) is to be considered “minor” or “major” according to their view of the seriousness and impact of the proposed change(s).
3.If “minor”, the proposed amendments shall be publicized via club sponsored radio during the regular Sunday evening net, telephone messages, or electronic transmission, as provided in Constitution Article IX on meetings.
4.If “major”, the proposed amendments shall be publicized by mail as provided in Constitution Article X on amendments.
5.At the next regularly scheduled meeting a vote shall be taken on the proposed amendment(s). The proposed amendment(s) require a yea vote from two-thirds of the members present and voting to pass.
ARTICLE IX—DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
1.Should the club be dissolved for any reason, all possible financial obligations shall be met. Any remaining assets shall be disposed of as decided by majority membership vote. Such disposition shall be legally proper and in accordance with the club’s not-for-profit and educational character.
