Saturday, December 31, 2011

ASPBYC Articles of Association and Bylaws



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ASPBYC Articles of Association and Bylaws
  1. Name:
The name of this association is the ASSOCIATION OF SAN PEDRO BAY YACHT CLUBS, hereinafter referred to as "Association."
  1. Purposes:
The purposes of this Association are:
  1. To promote activities of mutual interest to all organized yacht clubs and associations whose primary area of organized yachting events is in or adjacent to San Pedro Bay;
  2. To promote friendly relations between and among member clubs and cooperation in coordinating local racing calendars;
  3. To encourage interclub support of local, regional, national and international yacht racing competitions;
  4. To promote and support a system of common marks for use by member clubs in conducting yacht racing events;
  5. To coordinate the action of member clubs in their contacts with governmental authorities in matters affecting yachting in and adjacent to San Pedro Bay;
  6. To assist in settling any misunderstandings or disputes between and among member clubs; and
  7. To engage in activities, through the various Southern California yachting associations, to encourage and promote yachting.

  1. Membership:

  1. Any yacht club or association whose principle activities include the regular sponsorship of yacht racing in and adjacent to San Pedro Bay is eligible to be elected to Regular Membership in the Association. Any yacht club or association which does not regularly sponsor yacht racing but wishes to be active and involved in the yachting activities of the area is eligible to be elected to Associate Membership in the Association.
  2. An applicant for membership shall be sponsored by a present member and seconded by another. Election to membership shall be by an affirmative majority of the votes of members represented at any meeting of the Association.
  1. Governing Body:
The officers of and delegates to the Association shall be its governing body.

  1. Delegates:

  1. Members shall each have two delegates, each of whom shall be a flag officer, staff commodore, member of the board of directors, Race Committee Chairman or similar officer of said club at the time of appointment. Delegates shall be appointed by members to serve for the remainder of the calendar year in which they were appointed and until their successors are appointed. Members shall inform the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association in writing at the beginning of each calendar year of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of each of its delegates.
  2. If a delegate is unable to attend a particular meeting of the Association, the club may appoint an alternate for that meeting, and written notice of such appointment as alternate shall be presented to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association before the alternate delegate is seated. Alternatively, members may appoint one alternate at the beginning of the calendar year to act in place of either delegate at any meeting at which one of the regular delegates is not present.
  3. The positions of the elected officers of the Association shall be in addition to the allowed number of delegates. Officers need not be counted by a member as one of the delegates of that member.

  1. Officers:

  1. The elected officers of the Association shall be Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore and Secretary/Treasurer.
  2. The Commodore is the chief executive officer of this Association, who shall preside at all meetings, have general charge of its business, and have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to the office by the delegates.
  3. The Vice Commodore and Rear Commodore shall assist the Commodore, and in the Commodore's absence, in that order of priority, act in the Commodore's place.
  4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep the Association's records and minutes of proceedings at its meetings, shall notify delegates of all meetings, shall keep all funds of the Association in a bank account in its name and shall maintain a proper record of its receipts and disbursements.
  5. The Commodore may, but need not, appoint a Fleet Captain, Port Captain, Judge Advocate, Historian, and any committees deemed necessary, each to serve at the Commodore's pleasure during the Commodore's term of office. The Commodore shall be an ex-officio member of all committees so appointed.

  1. Election of Officers:

  1. Elections shall be held at the November meeting each year.
  2. On or about September 15th the Commodore shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of the two most immediate Staff Commodores of the Association who are available and willing to serve and three non-officer delegates. The senior most Staff Commodore shall be the Chairman. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to meet before October 1st and at such meeting to nominate one person for each elective offices of the Association. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be in writing, signed by all committee members, and given to the members at least thirty days before the November meeting. The persons so nominated shall be candidates for the respective offices. Additional nominations for any office may be made by written petition signed by duly authorized delegates from each of three (3) or more voting member clubs. Such additional nominations shall be filed with the Secretary of the Association at least fifteen days before the election meeting. Upon receipt, the Secretary shall forthwith notify all delegates of such additional nominations
  3. Election of officers from the names nominated shall be by a majority of the votes of the members represented at the election meeting.
  4. If a vacancy occurs during the year, such office shall be filled by a majority of the votes of the members represented at any meeting of the association, provided that written notice of such matter was given to the delegates at least ten days before such meeting.
  5. Officers shall hold office until their respective successors are elected and installed. No officer may hold a particular elected office for more than two consecutive terms.

  1. Meetings:

  1. All meetings shall be set by the Commodore as to time and place provided, however, that the annual meeting shall be held in January of each year. Should the Commodore fail to designate a time and place for the annual meeting, it shall be held on the last Wednesday in January at 7:00 PM., at the place where the last preceding annual meeting was held.
  2. Each Regular Member in good standing shall be entitled to two votes and to have its delegates be present and participate at any meeting and to vote on any matter submitted for a decision. Each Associate Member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote and to have its delegates be present and participate at any meeting and to vote on any matter submitted for decision.
  3. Delegates from a majority of members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
  4. Except as hereinafter stated, a majority of votes of members represented at any meeting shall be binding on the Association.
  5. A majority of the votes of members represented in a meeting called for that purpose, upon at least thirty days written notice to each member, shall be required to fix and determine the dues, assessments or fees.
  6. Two-thirds of the votes of members represented in a meeting called for that purpose, upon at least thirty days written notice to each member, shall be required to suspend or expel a member other than for failure to pay any dues, fees or assessments, or to reinstate a member; or to amend these By-Laws.

  1. Fees and Dues:

Fees payable on admission to the Association and all subsequent dues, assessments or other fees shall be as the delegates from time to time may determine. Such funds shall be used only to pay the costs and expenses of the Association and for no other purpose.

  1. Southern California Yachting Association and Yacht Racing Union of S.C. Delegates:

To the extent this Association is entitled to attend and participate in meetings of the Southern California Yachting Association and the Yacht Racing Union of Southern California, the Commodore may appoint delegates thereto to vote for and in the name of this Association. The rights of a delegate of this Association to vote at a meeting of the Southern California Yachting Association or the Yacht Racing Union of S.C. shall not limit or abrogate the rights of an individual member club to vote independently of this Association if it so desires at any such meeting.

  1. Burgee:

  1. The signal flag of this Association is a dark blue swallowtail burgee, the hoist to be two-thirds of the length, with a white, horizontal , tapered "V" thereon in such fashion that the centerline of each leg of the "V" runs from a corner of the hoist to the center of the swallowtail on the trailing edge.

  1. The Association burgee may be displayed by officers of and delegates to the Association, may be incorporated into the letterhead design of Association stationery, and may be otherwise used to identify the Association in connection with its purpose and activities.
By-Laws Revision, October 5, 1997
Filed by the Association Secretary/Treasurer, Jarel Ervin, HYC