The By-Laws of the Rochester AeroModeling Society, Inc.
Article 1- The Name of the organization
The name of the organization shall be the Rochester AeroModeling Society, Inc. The name of the organization may be changed by a vote of the membership having a 2/3rds majority and proper notification of the change shall be made to the appropriate New York State and Federal agencies.
Article 2- The Purpose of the Organization
The purpose of the organization shall be dedication to the safe pursuit and advancement of model aviation, including:
(1) Promoting all forms of aircraft modeling,
(2) Fostering communications concerned with modeling,
(3) Maintaining at least one flying site suitable for model aircraft flying.
Article 3- The Membership of the Organization
Application for membership in the organization shall be open to all who express an interest in the hobby of model aviation. Applicants for membership shall be subject to approval by a simple majority vote of the members in attendance (no quorum is necessary) at a regular membership meeting. Applicants shall attend one (1) regular monthly meeting before becoming eligible for membership. In the event that circumstances prevent attendance, an applicant may request that the Board of Directors waive the “one meeting” requirement. If the Board of Directors approves such a waiver, they shall submit the name of the applicant(s) to the membership for a vote.
Membership Classification
The classification of membership shall be based on age and level of club involvement. Senior Members – Members 19 years of age and over shall be Senior Members. Student Members – Full time students 19 years of age and over shall be Student Members. Junior Members – Members under the age of 19 shall be Junior Members. Associate Members – Associate Membership is available for qualifying individuals. It offers a reduced membership fee for those members who choose not to, or can no longer fly, while providing club involvement. This will benefit the club overall from the skills sharing, mentoring, and participation in club activities.
The following are eligibility requirements:
1. Has been a Senior member for two years or more.
2. Has requested this membership when renewing their RAMS membership.
Associate members have no flying privileges, no voting rights, nor use of the off-road track at any of the flying fields maintained by the RAMS. AMA sanctioned events, where the public is invited to fly via the buddy box system are excluded. All other rights and privileges provided to Senior members are extended to the Associate Members. A separate designated membership card (color, etc) will be issued to all Associate Members. An Associate Member can hold office and have voting rights only if they hold a current AMA membership.
All members shall be a current member of the AMA (except for Associate Members) and all members shall adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization, including but not limited to the Field Rules and By-Laws, the Safety Code and policies of the AMA, and all rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as they pertain to the operation of radio controlled models. It is the responsibility of each and every member to enforce the Field Rules at all times.
The potential for field congestion shall be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors to determine if a membership limit (cap) is necessary. If such a cap is deemed necessary, it shall be subjected to approval by a vote of the membership.
Article 4- The Dues and fees of the Organization
The annual dues, late fee(s), and initiation fee(s) for all classes of membership of the organization shall be determined by the Board of Directors and are subject to the approval by a vote of the membership prior to the beginning of each calendar year. Dues shall be levied based on the classification of membership. All dues shall be payable according to the calendar year and shall be due January 1 of each year. Dues paid in full by the end of the regular membership meeting in February of each year shall not be deemed late. Any renewing member failing to renew by the end of the regular membership meeting in February and any time after that date shall be considered not a current member and must pay a non-refundable late fee in addition to the currently applicable dues in order to reactivate their membership. Full year dues paid after October 1 of any year shall be applied to the remainder of that year and all of the following calendar year.
4.a Partial Year Memberships (applies to new members only). Individuals petitioning to join the RAMS, after August 1st will have the following requirements:
Pay the non-refundable initiation fee and a one half of the membership fee,
All other membership requirements as stated in the By-laws must be met, such as, AMA membership, etc.
Article 5 - The Meetings of the Organization
A meeting of the membership of the organization shall be held at least once a month.
All meetings of the membership shall be conducted according to “Robert’s Rules of Order”.
The presence of 20% of the voting membership at a meeting shall constitute a quorum and shall be required for the conduct of the business at any meeting of the organization with the following exception:
If an item of new business is presented at a meeting where a quorum is not present, the motion shall be recorded at that meeting. This same motion may then be presented at the next business meeting and if a quorum is not present, it can be adopted by a 2/3rds majority vote.
Under no circumstances shall business be conducted if less than 10% of the voting membership is present.
All members shall be sent a written notice of each meeting.
Meetings shall be conducted by the President (or designated presiding officer) and shall contain, but not be limited to, the:
(1) recognition of visitors and guest speaker(s),
(2) introduction of Officers and Directors,
(3) approval of minutes of the previous meeting (as published or amended),
(4) Treasurer’s Report
(5) Reports from Officers, Directors and Committees,
(6) Discussion of old business,
(7) Discussion of new business,
(8) Introduction of visitors and new membership voting,
(9) Adjournment.
Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President, two (2) members of the Board of Directors, or five (5) members of the organization. All members shall be sent written notice at least ten (10) days prior to the date of a special meeting. This notice shall contain the reason(s) for the meeting, the business to be transacted at the meeting, and by who called. Business other than that specified in the notice shall not be conducted without unanimous consent of all members present at the special meeting.
Article 6 - The Voting Procedures of the Organization
Each Senior and Student member shall be entitled to one (1) vote only. Junior members shall not be entitled to vote. A simple majority of the members voting shall prevail, unless a different majority is specified in the By-Laws for that business of the organization.
All voting shall be by a show of hands, unless a majority of the members present approve a different method. The Election of Officers and Directors, however, shall be by secret ballot.
The presiding Officer shall appoint inspectors to count the votes and report the results. No inspector shall be a candidate for office, nor, in the case of a majority all for a secret ballot, have a vested interest in the outcome.
Article 7 - The Officers and Directors of the Organization
The Offices of the organization shall be President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. These Officers shall automatically be members of the Board of Directors. At least one Officer shall be a resident of New York State. The election of Officers and Directors shall be held annually at the October meeting of the membership. Officers and Directors shall be elected by a simple majority of the members voting, by secret ballot.
Officers and Directors shall serve a term of one year and shall take office on 1st day of January to coincide with the fiscal year. The Vice-President shall take over the Office of President, if vacated mid-term. All other mid-term vacancies of Officers and Directors shall be filled through appointment by the Board of Directors. All Officers and Directors are obligated to uphold the By-laws in the discharge of their duties.
A member may serve a maximum of two offices concurrently, if duly elected to both offices.
The duties and powers of the Office of the President shall be to:
(1) Be Chairman of the Board of Directors,
(2) Ensure that all records, reports and certificates required by law or regulations are properly maintained or filed,
(3) Be one of Officers who may sign checks or drafts for the organization,
(4) Appoint all committees,
(5) Exercise such powers as may reasonably be construed as belonging to the Chief Executive of any organization.
The duties and powers of the Office of the Vice-President shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Become acting President with all the rights, responsibilities and powers of that Office if the President is unable to exercise his office,
(3) Perform special projects as assigned by the President,
(4) Be one of the Officers who may sign checks or drafts for the organization.
The duties and powers of the Office of the Treasurer shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Have the care, custody and sole responsibility for all moneys, Capital Certificates and securities belonging to the organization,
(3) Cause to be deposited in a business bank or trust company moneys accrued by the organization, within five (5) business days,
(4) Receive membership dues for the organization and maintain proper membership records (as confirmed by the AMA),
(5) Be authorized to receive contributions or specially obtained funds from individuals or institutions and apply them to the proper accounts,
(6) Render at each monthly meeting and at the request of the Board of Directors, a written account of the current financial status of the organization,
(7) Prepare the proposed budget for the next fiscal year,
(8) Be one of the Officers who may sign checks or drafts for the organization.
The duties and powers of the Office of the Secretary shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Keep the minutes and records of the organization,
(3) Execute, serve and keep a copy of all notices to the membership,
(4) Be the official custodian of the records and seal of the organization,
(5) Present to the membership any communications received,
(6) Attend to all correspondence of the organization,
(7) Update the By-Laws, if necessary, at the end of his term and before the first meeting of the next year,
(8) Be one of the Officers who may sign checks or drafts for the organization.
The duties and powers of the Field Director shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Be responsible for the care and maintenance of all flying sites and field maintenance equipment,
(3) Have authority to suspend all flying operations at any club flying site based on field conditions or needs.
The duties and powers of the Safety Director shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Investigate and rectify any unsafe conditions at any club flying site or club function,
(3) Investigate and report to the Board of Directors any injuries or accidents at any club flying site or club function,
(4) Insure that all club members are aware of any unsafe practices.
The duties and powers of the Programs Director shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Be responsible for the planning and execution of the program portion of the monthly club meeting,
(3) Be responsible for the planning and execution of any special events of the organization.
The duties and powers of the Membership Director shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Provide prospective members with RAMS and AMA information, including specific dues and fees requirements of both organizations,
(3) Collect dues, fees and other moneys required for membership and turn over the funds collected, within 5 business days, to the Treasurer for deposit,
(4) Issue the RAMS membership card and membership package,
(5) Provide to the membership an accurate, up to date membership list,
(6) Provide the necessary mailing information to the Newsletter Editor,
(7) Maintain all membership records, reports, licenses and certificates as required by the AMA.
The duties and powers of the Newsletter Director shall be to:
(1) Be a member of the Board of Directors,
(2) Be responsible for the contents, publication and distribution of the monthly newsletter of the organization.
Article 8 - The Board of Directors of the Organization
The Board of Directors shall act in the name of the organization and shall control and manage the business of the organization.
The President, by virtue of the Office, shall be the Chairman of the Board Of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall consist of at least five (5) members, but note more than fifteen (15), including the Officers of the organization.
The Board of Directors shall meet monthly and all members of the Board of Directors shall receive notice of each meeting from the Chairman of the Board of Directors. A simple majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board of Directors. Each Director shall have one (1) vote and voting may not be done by proxy.
Rules and regulations regarding Board of Directors meetings shall be left to the discretion of the incumbent members of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to take disciplinary action against any member of the organization for violation of safety code rules, current field rules and regulations, AMA and FCC rules and regulations, and responsibilities of membership. Disciplinary action may vary, up to and including expulsion from the organization. If requested, a member shall be allowed a fair hearing before the Board of Directors prior to any decision.
Article 9 - The Financial Operation of the Organization
The financial operation of the organization shall be governed by the budget for the fiscal year. The fiscal year shall coincide with the calendar year, the 1st day of January to the 31st day of December.
The financial records of the organization shall be audited at the end of each fiscal year. This audit shall be conducted by a financial review committee.
The budget shall be prepared by the Treasurer, at the direction of the Board of Directors, and shall be subject to approval by a vote of the membership.
The proposed budget for the next fiscal year shall be presented to the membership at the November meeting of the membership. The proposed budget shall detail the required operating expense and discretionary expense items. The vote of the membership on the proposed budget shall take place at the December meeting of the membership.
All moneys accrued by the organization shall be deposited in a business bank checking or savings account, money market, or trust company, in a checking or savings account, in the name of the organization. No financial accounts of the organization shall be created that require less than two authorized signatures.
No member of the organization shall be entitled to receive any salary or compensation for fulfilling the responsibilities of Office or position. Reimbursement for authorized expenses may be made at the direction of the Board of Directors.
1. The Board of Directors shall authorize all financial expenses of the organization.
2. Any extraordinary expenditure that is not contained in the approved budget shall be approved by a vote of the membership prior to the expenditure being made.
3. Any extraordinary expenditure that will cause the approved budget to be overspent shall be approved by a vote of the membership prior to the expenditure being made.
Article 10 - The Committees of the Organization
All committees shall be appointed by the President. Their term of office shall not exceed that of the President appointing them. Any committee, or the tenure of a member on a committee may be terminated at the sole discretion of the President.
Article 11 - The Modification of By-Laws of the organization
The By-Laws of the organization may be amended by a vote of the membership. All members shall be given prior notice that action on the By-Laws will be on the agenda.