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S*M*A*R*T
Special Military Active Retired Travel Club
Florida Sunshine
CHAPTER BYLAWS (Revised 6-7-2008)
(confirmed OK 2-15-2009)
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Article 1-Name and Purpose
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1.01 Name – The name of this Chapter shall be the SMART Florida Sunshine Chapter, a ot-for-profit subsidiary of, and composed of members in good standing of the National SMART Organization.
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1.02 Purpose- To operate a social club exclusively for members that are interested in traveling in recreational vehicles, enjoying outdoor events, camaraderie, brotherhood and fellowship.
A. The Chapter shall maintain an attitude strictly non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-sectional, and non-racial. It is the policy of SMART National that a member’s current or former military rank and pay grade is not to be used in the performance of their duties within the SMART organization.
B. These by-laws shall adhere in principle to the National By-laws and shall recognize that document as the ultimate body of law in all its activities.
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Article 2-Colors and Emblem 2.01 The chapter colors and emblem will conform to SMART National requirements.
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Article 3-Membership 3.01 Membership shall be limited to individuals who are members of the National SMART club. 3.02 Applicants for membership shall submit a Chapter application and proof of National membership to the Chapter Treasurer. 3.03 New members will be given a copy of these bylaws and standing rules.
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Article 4-Financial
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4.01 Bank Accounts-The chapter will maintain a checking account. The President and the Treasurer have the authority to sign checks. Only one signature is required to sign Chapter checks. In the event the President and Treasurer are from the same household, a third board member shall be designated to have check signing authority.
4.02 Expenditures-All expenditures require the approval of a majority of members at a business meeting unless authorized in these bylaws or standing rules. Any standard expenditures must be listed in the standing rules and have a limit. The following expenditures are authorized:
A. Office supplies such as paper, envelopes, stamps, ink cartridges and the like may be purchased by the Secretary, Treasurer or Newsletter editor, up to the limit listed in the standing rules. B
. The Muster Master or designated host may expend funds to support musters with food, beverages and other necessary items up to an amount specified in the standing rules.
C. Emergency expenditures up to an amount listed in the standing rules may be approved by a majority approval of the executive board but must be ratified by chapter members at the next business meeting.
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4.03 Dues-All members shall pay an annual membership fee of an amount specified in the standing rules.
A. The membership year will run from January 1st to December 31st and dues are due on January 1st.
B. Members not paying dues by April 1st will be automatically terminated.
C. New members joining in the second half of the year will pay prorated dues at one twelfth per month.
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4.04 Muster Fees-Muster fees of an amount specified in the standing rules will be paid by all members and guests in attendance at a muster.
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4.05 Reports-Reports will be given as specified in the Officer and Their Duties section of these bylaws.
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Article 5 Meetings and Voting
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5.01 Meetings will be held at all musters. The annual business meeting and election of officers will be held at the April muster.
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5.02 In the absence of the President and Vice President the remaining Board shall elect any member to preside over the business meeting.
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5.03 Quorum-A quorum of 20% of the membership shall be present to conduct chapter business. A simple majority vote will suffice for Chapter business.
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5.04 Voting-Each member (in good standing) and their spouse shall be entitled to one vote each (in person or by mail) at all business meetings except the President who will vote only to break a tie. A simple majority vote is required for approval of all regular Chapter business.
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5.05 Order-Roberts Rules of Order shall guide the business meetings utilizing the order of business stated in our Standing Rules.
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5.06 Grievances and Disputes-Any grievance and/or dispute will be solved at the lowest possible level between members involved utilizing Sunshine Bylaws and Standing Rules as a guide. If necessary the grievance or dispute will be brought to the Sunshine Chapter Executive Board for resolution.
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Article 6 Officers and Their Duties
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6.01 Officers-Officers of this Chapter shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Muster Master. These Officers will comprise the Executive Board and in the absence of a quorum at a Muster meeting they may direct the Treasurer to pay outstanding bills.
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6.02 Duties of Officers President- The President shall be responsible for running and supervising the Chapter in accordance with these bylaws, standing rules, and votes of the membership. The President shall preside at all meetings and shall appoint all committee chairpersons and other positions as listed in Chapter standing rules. The President shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees. The President shall represent the Chapter on the Regional Board and at region and national meetings. In the event any member of the board cannot continue to serve, the President shall appoint a member for the remaining term of office that will be voted into office at the next Muster. In an election year, the President shall appoint a nominating committee as required by these bylaws. In the absence of the Secretary at a meeting, the President will appoint someone to record minutes. Vice President- The Vice President shall assist the President in all Chapter activities and in the President’s absence shall assume the President’s duties. If the President cannot continue to serve, the Vice President shall assume the duties of President and appoint a new Vice President to be voted in by the membership. Secretary- The Secretary shall record minutes of all meetings and will provide all officers a copy of the minutes prior to the next meeting. The Secretary will maintain all Chapter records except financial. The Secretary is responsible for conducting correspondence in a timely manner and reports on outcomes to the membership at the next meeting. The Secretary is responsible for following the Standing Rule on death of members or spouses. Upon the monthly receipt of the new members list from national, the Secretary will send introductory letters to those in the Central Florida catchment area and will provide their names and addresses to the Newsletter Editor who will send them a sample Newsletter. When a new member joins this Chapter the Secretary will provide all officers, Newsletter Editor, and Sunshine Committee their name, SMART number, spouse name, address, phone number, e-mail address, birthday and anniversary dates. The Secretary will provide National SMART office with new member list, updated roster, and names of newly elected Chapter officers. The Secretary will maintain Chapter files of membership applications, membership reports from SMART office, all correspondence and minutes. Treasurer- The Treasurer shall maintain the Chapter checking account, collect dues and fees, pay authorized bills, prepare and present financial statements specifying all receipts and expenditures at every Muster meeting, maintain all financial records of the Chapter, and with the President’s approval shall prepare and submit required reports to SMART headquarters and other external legal requirements in accordance with the Chapter’s Standing rules. If unable to attend a meeting the Treasurer will provide a financial statement to the President or designated person prior to the meeting. The Treasurer will review all new member applications and upon receipt of their dues will provide them with a membership packet that includes a membership card, current roster of members, and a copy of Bylaws and Standing Rules. The Treasurer coordinates with muster hosts regarding payment of camping fees and muster expenses as specificied in Standing Rules. The Treasurer will pay purchased merchandise bills of the Supply Store as approved by the Board. Muster Master-The Muster Master shall initiate contact with campground management and coordinate site selection for all chapter musters. The Muster Master shall select a host and will assist and advise them as required. The Muster Master coordinates muster hosts, collection of muster fees, completion of Hold Harmless Agreements, and publishes specific campground rules applicable for that muster as per standing rules. The Muster Master will report to the membership at each muster in regards to future musters and other pertinent information. The Muster Master will submit an established muster schedule to Smart National after the approval by the Chapter President. Muster expenses will be paid utilizing the per person muster registration fee and the allotted maximum muster allowance as per standing rules.
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6.03 Legality-No officer or member will enter into a contract on behalf of the chapter without approval of the Board. All individual muster participants must sign Hold Harmless Agreements at each muster they attend.
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6.04 Eligibility- All regular members in good standing and their spouses may hold office.
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Article 7 Elections of Officers
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7.01 In an election year, the President shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of a Chairman and two (2) additional members or spouses by the October meeting. They will present a qualified slate of candidates by the February meeting. Additional nominations will be made from the floor at that time only. Nominations from the floor must be called for twice before nominations are closed. A mail out ballot will be included in the next newsletter. Those members in good standing (dues paid for the current year) and their spouses who will not be in attendance at the April Muster should mail their ballot to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee in advance of the April Muster. Officers elected will take office immediately following the election.
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7.02 Should a nominee withdraw, the committee must meet immediately to select another nominee unless a replacement is nominated from the floor. 7.03 Voting-Voting for Officers shall be done by secret ballot. A majority vote of those members and their spouses present or voting by absentee ballot is required to elect. 7.04 Term of Office-Officer term of office will be for two years and the President may not serve more than two full consecutive terms.
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Article 8-Committees and Appointed Positions
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8.01 Standing Committees- The President may appoint a chairperson to the following committees should the membership so desire. Welcoming, Membership, Publicity, Sunshine, Crafts, and any others as deemed necessary to the chapter.
8.02 Appointed Positions- The President may appoint the following positions should the membership so desire. Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, Supply Store Operator, Chaplin, Sheriff, Historian and any others as deemed necessary to the chapter.
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Article 9- Amendments to these Bylaws
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9.01 Proposed Changes- Any member in good standing may submit a proposal to amend these bylaws and/or standing rules to the President in writing at least 30 days prior to the next muster showing the existing wording, the recommended change and the rationale and benefit to the chapter.
A. Procedure-The President shall acknowledge receipt and discuss the proposal in detail with the member submitting it. The President will discuss the proposal with the Board of Directors and if it is felt beneficial to the chapter it will be published to all members via the next newsletter at least 30 days prior to the next meeting. It is the Board’s responsibility to assure that all changes to bylaws and/or standing rules are necessary.
B. Approval- a two-thirds affirmative vote of chapter membership and their spouse is required in person or by absentee ballot to change these bylaws. If bylaws are changed, the date of the revision will be entered on all pages of the bylaws on the footer of all pages.
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Article 10- Dissolution
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10.01 The resolution to dissolve the chapter shall be published 30 days in advance of a muster meeting and requires a two-thirds vote of the chapter membership in person or by absentee ballot.
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10.02 After all bills are paid, assets will be sold to members or donated to other SMART chapters and the balance of funds will be sent to SMART National Headquarters along with a report that Sunshine Chapter of SMART has been dissolved.
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END OF SMART FLORIDA SUNSHINE CHAPTER BYLAWS
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SMART FLORIDA SUNSHINE CHAPTER STANDING RULES
Revised (6-7-2008)
RULES:
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1. SMART members of other chapters or at large are welcome at any muster. Because we are a club for members as outlined in the National Bylaws, guests of members are welcome but not on a regular basis.
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2. New members will be given a copy of the current Bylaws and Standing Rules.
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3. All members are expected to share in the duties of the club, which includes hosting/co-hosting of a muster and sharing the workload at musters.
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4. Muster reservation information will be published in the newsletter at least 3 weeks prior to the date of the Muster. Muster fee is reimbursable only if hosts are notified 10 days prior to the first day of the Muster. Upon registration, anyone not having a valid cancellation will be charged one night campground fee.
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5. Anyone having a grievance concerning the campground will notify the muster host or Muster Master, NOT the campground.
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6. Members are encouraged to fly the American, Florida, and SMART flags at musters.
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7. The dollar limit for Office Supplies, Bylaw item # 4.02 A is set at $ 30.00 per Muster.
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8. The dollar limit for Muster Expenses, Bylaw item # 4.02 B is set at $ 150.00 per Muster.
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9. The dollar limit for Emergency Expenditures, Bylaw item # 4.02 C is set at $ 100.00 and MUST be ratified as per Bylaws. (Article #4.02)
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10. Annual Dues as per Bylaw item # 4.03 is set at $ 15.00 per year per member.
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11. Muster fee as per Bylaw item # 4.04 is set at $10.00 per person.
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12. The reserve money to be held in the treasury for Musters is set at $ 600.00.
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13. The reserve money to be held in the treasury for Supply Store items is set at $400.00.
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14. The President may spend a total of $100.00 per year to recognize deserving members.
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15. Musters will be held at least four (4) times a year as scheduled by the Muster Master and agreed upon by the President and membership.
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16. The following National Reports must be submitted by the responsible Chapter Officer via the Chapter President for fiscal year January 1st thru December 31st: A. Annual Financial Report B. Annual Updated Roster C. New Officer List D. Muster Schedule.
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17. The following list is of standing committees and their duties: A. Welcoming-Welcomes new members B. Membership-Recruits new members C. Publicity-Sends news articles to be published D. Sunshine-Mails out cards as required E. Crafts-Plans crafts and teaching of crafts to others
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18. The following is a list of appointed positions and their duties: a. Newsletter Editor-Publishes and circulates newsletter b. Webmaster-Designs and maintains Chapter web site c. Supply Store Operator-Orders and sells clothing and accessories d. Chaplin-Leads Chapter in prayer e. Sheriff-Collects fines to assure name badges are worn f. Historian-Maintains history of club
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19. Name badges are to be worn at Musters or the Sheriff will fine you $ .50 (cents)
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20. 50/50 Drawings will be held to enhance the clubs treasury. The winner will get 50% of the total intake and the club’s treasury will get 50%.
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21. Upon death of a member or spouse, the club will donate $50.00 to the charity of the family’s choice. (Duty of Secretary)
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22. The President will utilize Roberts Rules of Order to conduct meetings and other club business. The following is a recommended meeting guide: a. Call Meeting to Order b. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance c. Guest Introduction d. Roll Call e. Secretary read previous Meeting Minutes f. Treasury Reports g. Officer Reports (Include word from V/P) h. Committee reports as necessary i. Old business j. New business k. Any miscellaneous necessary input for the good of the chapter l. 50/50 and/or door prize drawing m. Motion to adjourn
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23. In order to add, delete, or change these rules, the change proposed will be explained in the next newsletter and voted on at the next meeting. This policy will allow thought, research and conversation that will provide intelligent decisions and a well functioning Chapter.
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END OF STANDING RULES