Constitution

Index of Articles:

  • ARTICLE I: Name

    1. This club shall be known as the TROPICAL FISH CLUB OF BURLINGTON, incorporated.

  • ARTICLE II: Purpose

    1. To exchange ideas about aquarium life.
    2. To increase and disseminate the knowledge of aquarium keeping as a non-profit service to aquarists everywhere.
    3. To encourage the breeding, raising, and showing of tropical, marine and native fish.
    4. To encourage the preservation of our tropical, marine and native species.

  • ARTICLE III: Qualifications For Membership

    1. Prospective members must submit to the club a written application accompanied by annual dues.
    2. All applications shall be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.
    3. The Board of Directors has the authority to revoke membership.

  • ARTICLE IV: Elections

    1. A Nominating Committee of three (3) members shall be elected by the club membership at the March meeting.
    2. No member of the Board of Directors shall serve on the Nominating Committee.
    3. The Nominating Committee will nominate a slate of officers to include one or more persons for each office. This slate will be presented to the membership in writing at least one week prior to the May meeting. If a person is interested in becoming an officer or board member, that person may contact the Nominating Committee and it shall be their duty to place the person’s name in nominatoin. Affter these nominations are made, other candidates may be nominated from the floor by members attending the meeting, with the nominee’s consent.
    4. The Nominating Committee will not endorse or campaign for any candidate.
    5. Elections will be by secret ballot and by plurality.

  • ARTICLE V: Officers

    • Officers of this club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall be elected and installed by the club at the May meeting and assume all responsibilities at the conclusion of the May meeting.

    1. Duties of the PRESIDENT shall be to
      1. Preside over all meetings at which this officer is present.
      2. Serve as Chair of the Board of Directors.
      3. Appoint committees and their chairpersons and serve as Ex-Officio member of these committees (with the exception of the Nominating and Auditing Committees).
      4. Co-sign checks.
    2. Duties of the VICE PRESIDENT shall be to:
      1. Assume all the duties of the President in that officer’s absence.
      2. Serve as member of the Program Committee.
      3. Serve as Parliamentarian.
    3. Duties of the SECRETARY shall be to:
      1. Keep an accurate record of the minutes of all regular and special club meetings and of the Board of Directors’ meetings.
      2. Keep a list of members’ names and addresses.
      3. Carry out club correspondence.
      4. Report such correspondence to the membership at every meeting.
      5. Notify members about all special meetings when necessary.
    4. Duties of the TREASURER shall be to:
      1. Keep an accurate record of monies received and disbursements made and give an accounting at every regular meeting.
      2. Issue membership cards.
      3. Co-sign checks with the President.
      4. Collect membership dues.
      5. Keep an up-to-date list of members’ names and addresses.
      6. Submit to the membership in writing a year-end fiscal report.

  • ARTICLE VI: Board Of Directors

    • Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and four (4) additional club members which shall be elected by the membership.

    1. Tenure of Office
      1. Board member shall be elected for two year terms on a staggered basis with the exception of the officers.
    2. Duties of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall be to:
      1. Meet as often as necessary to carry out the business aspects of the organization.
      2. Be responsible for the satisfactory performance of the duties of each officer and committee.
    3. A Quorum of five directors shall be necessary to conduct business.

  • ARTICLE VII: Quorum

    1. Quorum shall consist of 15% of the members at large who are in good standing.
    2. Officers and Board Members shall be excluded from the quorum count, but not from the voting.
    3. Members under age shall be excluded from the quorum count and voting.
    4. A quorum shall be necessary to conduct business.

  • ARTICLE VIII: Meetings

    1. Regular meetings shall be held monthly.
    2. Special meetings shall be held at the request of the following:
      1. Board of Directors.
      2. 2/3 majority of the members of the club.
      3. President.

  • ARTICLE IX: Auditing

    1. The books of this organization shall be audited by an auditing committee consisting of at least two (2) members, none of whom shall be a member of the Board of Directors.
    2. The Auditing Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at the March Meeting.
    3. The Fiscal Year of this organization shall be May 1 to April 30.

  • ARTICLE X: Dissolution

    1. In the event that dissolution of the club is voted by an 85% vote of all members in good standing (proxies included), the assets of the club shall be disposed of in the following prescribed method:
      1. Assets shall be liquidated only to the extent necessary to pay all legitimate outstanding debts.
      2. All books, periodicals, magazines, films, etc. belonging to the library of the Tropical Fish Club of Burlington, Inc. and all remaining assets or monies shall be donated to charitable or educational organization(s) recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service.
      3. Assets shall be distributed by the Board of Directors, acting as Trustees.

  • ARTICLE XI: Impeachments

    • If it is deemed necessary to impeach any officer and/or Board Member, the membership will be notified thirty (30) days in advance of an impending impeachment vote. A 75% membership vote in favor of impeachment is necessary for impeachment.

  • ARTICLE XII: Ammendments

    1. The CONSTITUTION
      1. The constitution shall be revised in the following method:
        1. Proposed revisions shall be made by any member in good standing at a club meeting.
        2. All proposals shall be mailed to the membership at least one (1) week before the regular or special meeting at which it is to be voted upon, with a recommendation from the Board of Directors.
        3. An approval by 2/3 of the total membership, in accordance with ARTICLE VII, is necessary to amend this document.
    2. The BY-LAWS
      1. The by-laws shall be amended by the following method:
        1. A simple majority vote, in accordance with ARTICLE VII, is needed to amend a by-law.