Constitution & By-Laws

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CONSTITUTION

OF

  THE NORTH ALABAMA DX CLUB

PREAMBLE:  We, the undersigned, wishing to secure for ourselves the pleasures and benefits of the association of persons commonly interested in amateur radio activities related to “DX”, do constitute ourselves as the NORTH ALABAMA DX CLUB and enact this constitution as our governing law.  It shall be our purpose to further the exchange of information and cooperation between members, to promote radio knowledge, fraternal-ism, and individual operating proficiency.

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1:            Membership shall be open to all persons meeting membership requirements detailed in the by-laws, in three classes:  Regular, Emeritus, and Inactive.

SECTION 2:              Voting rights and eligibility to hold elected office shall be granted to Regular members.

SECTION 3:            A Regular member may resign by verbal or written notice to the club Secretary/Treasurer at any time.  A member who resigns will be removed from Inactive status as well.

SECTION 4:              A Regular member has the right to review the minutes of the Board of Directors’ meetings and is entitled to all privileges and services as the club may provide.

SECTION 5:              Membership for Regular members shall revert to Inactive Status in the event of non-payment of dues.  Regular membership privileges shall be reinstated immediately upon receipt of the current year’s dues by the Secretary/Treasurer.  Regular members who revert to Inactive Status can remain in that status indefinitely, and their DXCC totals will always remain.

SECTION 6:            Members in any class may be removed for cause by a three-fourths (3/4)majority vote of Regular members in attendance at a regular meeting.  Cause for removal shall first be presented to the Board of Directors in writing and, upon a majority finding of sufficient grounds by the Board, shall be presented to the membership for a vote.

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS

SECTION 1:              Regular meetings of the North Alabama DX Club shall be held periodically. A regular meeting place shall be established for these meetings which shall be scheduled as specified in the By-Laws.

SECTION 2:              An Annual Meeting of the North Alabama DX Club shall be held as specified in the By-Laws in order to elect officers and directors for the following calendar year, to review the past year, and to conduct such other business or activities as permitted or provided for under the By-Laws.

SECTION 3:              Issues not involving amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws and except as otherwise provided herein shall be decided by a majority vote of Regular members present at a regular meeting or Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1:              The business, property, and affairs of the club shall be managed, controlled, and conducted by a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of three officers:President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer; and two directors. The immediate past President shall serve as an ex-official voting member.

SECTION 2:              Officers and directors shall serve for a term of one year and shall take office as specified in the By-Laws.

SECTION 3:              Vacancies, other than the Presidency, occurring between elections shall be filled by special ballot taken on or before the second regular meeting after the vacancy occurs.

SECTION 4:              The Board of Directors shall maintain written minutes of all Board proceedings and meetings and shall present them for review upon request of any Regular member. All Board meetings shall be announced and open to all Regular members wishing to attend.

SECTION 5:              Officers or directors may be removed for cause by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the entire Regular membership. Cause for removal shall first be presented to the Board of Directors in writing and, upon a majority finding of sufficient grounds by the Board, shall be presented to the membership for a vote.

SECTION 6:              An officer or director may succeed himself.

ARTICLE IV

                                    DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

SECTION 1:              The President shall preside at all meetings of this club and Board of Directors; shall conduct the same according to the rules adopted; shall enforce due observance of this Constitution and the By-Laws; shall decide all questions of order; shall sign all official documents that are adopted by the club, and none other; shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee; and shall perform all customary duties pertaining to the office of President.

SECTION 2:              The Vice President shall serve as consultant to the President, focusing on public relations and membership issues, including coordination of monthly programs, effective utilization of club resources, and membership communications.The Vice President, in the absence of the President, shall assume the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have the powers of the President. The Vice President shall automatically become President for the remainder of the term in the case of removal of the President from office or of the President’s death, resignation, or inability to discharge the duties of said office.

SECTION 3:              The Secretary/Treasurer shall record and keep the minutes of club and Board of Directors’ meetings; shall maintain the membership list; shall maintain a current copy of this Constitution and the By-Laws; shall have custody of all funds of the club; shall maintain a full and accurate account of all receipts and expenditures; shall, in accordance with the budget adopted by the membership, make disbursements as authorized by the President, Board of Directors, or membership; and shall prepare and maintain records of all official correspondence pertaining to the club.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall preside in the absence of both the President and Vice President.

SECTION 4:              Directors shall perform the duties outlined in this Constitution and the By-Laws and those assigned from time to time.

ARTICLE V

FINANCES

SECTION 1:              The business of the North Alabama DX Club shall be conducted on a fiscal year basis as specified in the By-Laws.

SECTION 2:              All funds received by the club shall be credited to the club’s account and placed in depositories as may be selected by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 3:              After printing in the LongPath and at the second meeting following installation, the Board of Directors shall present to the club the proposed budget for the current fiscal year. Upon ratification by a majority vote of Regular members present, the budget shall become the controlling document for the disbursement of club funds.

SECTION 4:              Each Regular member shall be required to submit to the club Treasurer annual dues as specified in the By-Laws. Dues are payable at the beginning of the fiscal year.

SECTION 5:              Disbursement of funds from the club treasury that are within the guidelines established by the approved and ratified budget may be made by and at the discretion of the President or Secretary/Treasurer. All other proposed expenditures shall be approved by a majority vote of the Regular members in attendance at a regular meeting prior to commitment of funds.

SECTION 6:              The Secretary/Treasurer shall make available for review the financial records of the club upon request of any Regular member.

ARTICLE VI

AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1:              The Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Regular members in attendance at the amending meeting.  Notice of the proposed amendment shall be published in the Long Path at least thirty days prior to the amending meeting, and notification of the availability of the Long Path on the NADXC web site shall be sent by email to all Regular members at that time.

SECTION 2:             Proposals to amend the By-laws must be presented in a regular meeting.  A motion must be made at a regular meeting following announcement of proposed changes in the LongPath in order for the proposal to be called to a vote, when a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of Regular members present is required for passage

ARTICLE VII

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

SECTION 1:              Robert’s Rules of Order, latest revision, shall govern the club in all cases in which they are not in conflict with this Constitution and the By-Laws.

BY-LAWS

OF

THE NORTH ALABAMA DX CLUB

 FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the North Alabama DX Club shall begin on January first and end on December thirty-first.

ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting of the North Alabama DX Club shall be held each year during October.

INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

Officers and directors of the North Alabama DX Club shall be installed at the regular meeting in December.  They shall assume their duties at that time.

FISCAL CONTINUITY

At the first meeting of a newly-elected Board of Directors, the incoming and outgoing Secretary/Treasurers shall report to the Board the results of a joint review of the previous year’s financial records for consistency and compliance with club guidelines.

RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS

At the December regular meeting, especially deserving members may be recognized by the presentation of plaques or certificates as determined by the Board of Directors and/or Regular membership.

The “LONGPATH”

The LongPath is the official newsletter of the North Alabama DX Club,
funded by the club membership dues. The current copy of the LongPath shall be made available to each NADXC member as an electronic image on the NADXC website.  Single hard copies of the LongPath shall be mailed to members electing to submit a mailing fee.  Archived copies of the LongPath shall be maintained on the NADXC web site as publicly accessible electronic images.

The LongPath may be used to fulfill constitutional requirements of
membership notification for minutes of regular meetings, notices of board
meetings, meeting date notification, publication of proposed budgets,
proposed changes to the by-laws, and proposed changes to the constitution.
Availability of the most recent edition of the LongPath will be announced to
regular members via email.

NOMINATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

 Two months prior to the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three Regular members who are not currently officers or directors. After printing publicly in the LongPath, the Nominating Committee shall report its slate of officers and directors one month prior to the Annual Meeting.

REGULAR MEETINGS

Regular meetings of the North Alabama DX Club shall be held throughout the calendar year.  Regular meetings shall normally be held on the second Tuesday of each month.

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Regular membership in the North Alabama DX Club shall be open to all radio amateurs regardless of class of license held who are interested in some phase of “DXing”. Members are encouraged to maintain membership in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).

A candidate for Regular membership:  (1) must be a licensed amateur radio operator, and (2) must submit a completed NADXC membership application to the Secretary/Treasurer.  The application must then be approved by an affirmative vote of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the Regular members in attendance at the regular meeting when the application was presented.

Honorary membership may be conferred by the Board of Directors upon individuals who have performed material and/or enduring actions in support of the club or in the advancement of amateur radio. Recommendations for Honorary membership may be submitted to the Board of Directors by any Regular member. The Board of Directors shall review such a recommendation at its next regularly scheduled meeting. If elected, Honorary members shall incur no dues, nor shall they be afforded voting privileges.

DUES

Annual dues for Regular membership in the NADXC shall be $20, or $25 for households where more than one Regular member of the same family resides. A member may elect the option of having a single hard copy of each LongPath mailed to his address by submitting an additional fee of $12.00 per year.

Historical Notes: The original Constitution was revised in September 1980.  It underwent a major revision in March 1981. The current revision incorporates interim amendments (4/83, 11/83, 1/94, 3/94, 2/01, 3/01, 5/02), removes ambiguities, corrects and clarifies the language, and adds several substantive provisions: FISCAL CONTINUITY, RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS, and the definition of and process for conferring Honorary membership.

Adopted August 2020