BY-LAWS
OF THE SUN CITY
CENTER
PICKLEBALL CLUB
NOVEMBER 2005
ARTICLE I
NAME & PURPOSE
The name
shall be, Sun City Center Pickleball Club (PBC), an unincorporated special
interest group within the Sun City Center Community Association Inc., (CA), a Florida not-for-profit
corporation. The purpose shall be to promote and encourage the sport of
pickleball by: (a) establishing regulations and procedures for the use of the
CA pickleball courts, (b) establishing liaison with the CA to insure proper
maintenance and improvement of pickleball facilities, (c) sponsoring such
activities as recreational pickleball play, tournaments, social activities and
instruction.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1: PBC membership is open to all
current Sun City Center residents who are CA members in
good standing upon payment of all PBC Member Fees in accordance with ARTICLE
VII SECTION 8.
SECTION 2: Memberships expire December 31 of
each year, but are automatically renewed upon payment of fees for the following
year.
SECTION 3:
Any member may be removed from membership in the Club for causes which a
majority of the members consider sufficient.
The following process must be pursued to accomplish the removal of a
member.
A.
The club member who recommends the removal of another member must submit the request in writing to the
Executive Board.
1.
The
letter must clearly state the reason(s) for the proposed action.
2.
The
letter must be signed by the member bringing the action.
3.
The
letter must be endorsed and signed by at least two (2) other members of the
club.
B. A member of the club may be removed
from membership for cause by a majority
vote of the members present at a duly constituted meeting of the club. The member under consideration for removal
must be notified of the time, place and purpose of the meeting and must be
allowed time to present an appeal to the members present prior to the
vote. A removed member of the club may,
within 30 days of removal, request an appeal hearing to the Executive Board for
reinstatement of membership.
C. After one year from the date of
removal, the removed member may apply, by letter, to the Executive Board for
reinstatement. If approved by a majority
vote, the reinstatement must also be approved by a majority of the members
present at a duly constituted meeting of the club. Any reinstatement of this nature shall be as
new members.
Current
year fees paid by the removed member will be refunded on a prorated rated
basis, in accord with ARTICLE VII SECTION 8.
ARTICLE III
EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECTION 1: The Executive Board (EB) shall have
seven members; namely a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and
three directors, each of whom shall chair a standing committee. If there is an
immediate past president, that person shall serve as a non-voting member of the
EB. Four members of the EB shall constitute a quorum for its meetings. There
shall be a minimum of three meetings of the executive board per year. The
President may also call special meetings when it is deemed necessary.
SECTION 2: The EB shall have authority over
all affairs of the PBC except as otherwise provided in these by-laws or by
majority vote (unless otherwise specified herein) of the members at a PBC
general meeting. The authority of the PBC shall include, but not be limited to,
establishing rules and procedures for the reservation and use of courts by both
members and guests of the PBC.
SECTION 3
: A nominating committee of at least
three PBC members shall be appointed by the president at least one
month prior
to the annual PBC meeting in November. The committee shall nominate at
least
one person for each opening on the EB. Nominations may also be made
from the
floor by PBC members, provided that such nominees have agreed to serve
if
elected. The nominating committee shall not have more than two EB
officers or
directors as
members.
SECTION 4: Election to the EB shall be by
majority vote of members present and eligible to vote, and shall be determined
by a plurality of the votes cast.
SECTION 5: Elections shall be held at the
general meeting in November.
The new
EB shall meet in executive session prior to January 1st to assign
committee responsibilities among the EB members. Officers will perform their duties as
outlined in the By-Laws.
SECTION 6: Vacancies on the EB during the year
shall be filled by the vote of a majority of the remaining members of the EB
and shall be for the balance of the vacant term.
SECTION 7: To provide for continuity in the
membership of the EB, all members shall be elected for terms of two years
except for the initial start-up in 2001, wherein three board members will be
elected for only one year and the rest of the board for two years, thereby
creating staggered terms. Terms of office will begin on January 1 following the
November election. Effective with the January 1, 2005 board, members will
serve one (1) year terms.
ARTICLE IV
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1: The officers shall perform those
duties enumerated below and any others which are provided for or implied by
other provisions of these by-laws.
SECTION 2: The president shall be the chief
executive, preside at all meetings, and represent the PBC at public and private
meetings.
SECTION 3: The vice-president shall assist the
president and shall perform the duties of the president at any time the
president is temporarily absent or unable to serve.
SECTION 4: The treasurer shall collect and
safeguard the funds of the PBC, deposit such funds in an institution designated
by the EB, disburse such funds in accordance with ARTICLE VII. SECTION 5; and
maintain records of all financial transactions and the status of dues for each
member. The treasurer’s records shall be
audited annually by a qualified CA member designated by the president and not a
member of the EB.
SECTION 5: The secretary shall keep the
records of the PBC, except those of the treasurer, including a record of
actions taken at PBC and EB meetings, and the name, address, phone number and
e-mail address of each member. In the absence of the secretary, the president
shall appoint an acting secretary. Records are available upon request by any
PBC member.
SECTION 6: The EB shall have the authority to
enter into agreements or contracts with the CA as representatives of the PBC
membership. Should such agreements or contracts require the expenditure of PBC
funds not in the annual budget, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present at a
duly constituted meeting will be required for approval.
ARTICLE V
MEETINGS
SECTION 1: At least two PBC general meetings
shall be held annually: one in March and one in November. The EB shall set the
dates of these meetings and may call special meetings.
SECTION 2: A special PBC meeting shall be
called by the president if such a meeting is requested in a petition signed by
at least fifteen percent (15%) of the PBC members and delivered to any member
of the EB. The petition must state the purpose of the meeting. The meeting must
be held within four (4) weeks of receipt of the petition by the EB.
SECTION 3: Each member shall be notified by
the president, or the president's representative, of each scheduled or special
PBC general meeting date. Notification shall be accomplished if written notice
is posted on the PBC bulletin board at least 10 days prior to the meeting, and
phoned, written or an e-mail notice made to the member's Sun City Center
address at least 5 days prior to the meeting.
SECTION 4: A quorum for any PBC general
meeting is defined as twenty percent (20%) of the current PBC membership and is
required to conduct business.
SECTION 5: All decisions shall be determined
by vote according to Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
SECTION 1: The president shall cause
appropriate committees to be created, subject to EB approval, and shall appoint
an EB member to be the Director of, or a liaison with each committee. Standing
committees shall include, but are not limited to: (1) Long Range Planning, (2)
Court Maintenance, (3) Court Rules & Reservations, (4) Social Activities,
(5) Pickleball Activities, and (6) Membership.
SECTION 2: The president shall appoint a
nominating committee, in accordance with ARTICLE III, SECTION 4: to propose
candidates for openings on the EB.
ARTICLE VII
FINANCIAL
SECTION 1: There will be an annual membership
fee and a social membership fee. The fees shall be recommended by the EB each
year and submitted to the membership during the November business meeting.
SECTION 2: Each calendar year the EB shall
prepare a budget based on anticipated income, which shall be based upon: (1.)
estimated miscellaneous income, (2.) estimated total income from annual
membership fees, (3.) estimated PBC expenses, and (4.) capital improvements
exceeding $500.00. The EB shall also prepare a financial statement listing
assets, liabilities, and the asset-liability difference. Copies of the budget
and financial statement shall be made available and shall be posted on the PBC
Bulletin Boards at least five days prior to the PBC November general meeting.
The budget shall be submitted by the EB at the PBC November meeting for
approval or amendment by the majority of members voting.
SECTION 3: The EB may authorize expenditures
during the calendar year which do not cause the total budgeted expenses to be
exceeded.
SECTION 4: Request for reimbursement for
expenses incurred by any member and authorized by the EB shall be submitted to
the treasurer for payment. Any checks in excess of $500.00 must be signed by
two EB members.
SECTION 5: The treasurer shall draft, sign,
and forward PBC checks to the payees for expenditures authorized by the EB. In
the treasurer's absence, the president, or vice-president, may draft, sign and
forward such checks.
SECTION 6: Failure to adopt a new annual
budget shall result in the continuance of the current budget for the following
year.
SECTION 7: The budget may be amended at any
PBC meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of members present at a duly
called PBC meeting. The proposed amended budget will be posted on the PBC
bulletin board at least 5 days prior to the meeting. A current financial
statement will be available 5 days in advance at the PBC meeting.
SECTION 8: Board members
will determine how new member's fee will be collected. Fees will
not be refunded for any reason except as provided in Article II,
Section 3.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENT OF THE BY-LAWS
SECTION 1: Amendments may be considered at any
PBC general meeting providing the amendments have been endorsed by any twenty
(20) members of the PBC and submitted in writing to the EB, or have been
endorsed by a majority vote of the EB at least four weeks in advance of such a
meeting. When these conditions have been met, the president shall cause copies
of the amendments to be available at the meeting and have a copy posted on the
PBC Bulletin Boards at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
SECTION 2: An amendment to the by-laws
requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a duly constituted
PBC meeting.
SECTION 3: After changes have been accepted by the membership, a copy
of the updated by-laws will be provided to the community association board
liaison for their file.
ARTICLE IX
DISSOLUTION
Upon
dissolution of the Pickleball Club, all assets, including any remaining cash,
will be turned over to the Sun City Center Community Association. Dissolution
can be accomplished only in a manner prescribed for amending the by-laws.