Constitution and Bylaws of the Oak Harbor Conservation Club, Inc.(Revised 10/2008) Article I Name: The Oak Harbor Conservation Club, Inc., 975 S. Gordon Road (clubhouse) Township Road 226, P.O. Box 364, Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449-0364 It is chartered as a non-profit organization under the laws of the state of Ohio. Date of incorporation : August 20, 1948. Article II - Purpose/Objectives THE PURPOSE(S) FOR WHICH SAID CORP. IS FORMED IS/ARE: 1. To foster and promote friendship and fellowship among lovers of the outdoors; to promote understanding and harmony between sportsmen and landowners; to encourage the teaching of constructive conservation in our schools; to propagate and preserve wildlife and fish and to aid in the restoration of proper habitat for them. 2. To lend its influence to a strict observance of the fish and game laws of Ohio; to assist constituted authority in the enforcement thereof and to insist on elimination of unfair means in the capture or destruction of Ottawa County wildlife and fish. 3. To encourage and support legislation along accepted practical lines; to eliminate agencies destructive to wildlife and its habitat; to inaugurate a campaign of education having for its purpose reforestation of suitable areas, control of erosion and elimination of pollution of streams (pollution of air, littering) to encourage and cooperate in measures and methods to replenish our coverts and waters with wildlife and fish. 4. To create a fraternal spirit among the sportsmen of the county; harmonize their interests, unify their actions, and establish understanding and a spirit of friendship between sportsmen, landowners, and farmers. 5. To promote the wise use, conservation, and restoration of our natural resources in all forms. 6. To develop, promote, and support a comprehensive educational program; technical research for the advancement of conservation of wildlife and other natural resources. 7. To cooperate with other conservation and wildlife organizations. 8. To instill a sincere regard for the rights of all citizens. 9. To remember that this is a club whose interests are in conservation and the shooting sports. Article III - Membership 1. Any individual, no less than 16 years of age, may become a member, by making application for such membership, subscribing to the constitution of the Corporation and paying an entrance fee and annual dues, and approved by the Board of Trustees; subject to consideration by the voting members of a regular meeting. 2. Such minor members may not vote on issues regarding the encumbrance of property until reaching the age of twenty-one. 3. A person must be a member for one complete year before becoming eligible to run for any office. 4. Original membership shall include a membership card, a copy of the constitution and bylaws, and a current list of officials and chairpersons. 5. The dues are payable any time from the Annual Meeting till December thirty first of that year. Adjustments to memberships will be considered for extended deployment of military members. All dues must be paid by the January meeting or the person(s) will be considered dropped from the rolls. Notification will be included in the December newsletter to all members advising them if their dues have been received. Article IV - Annual Meeting 1. This meeting shall be the Regular Meeting the second Monday of October at 8:00 P.M. The Annual Meeting of the members is for transaction of business, election of trustees and officers, setting of the annual budget, dues, and any other business which has been previously designated by the Trustees. 2. The members shall be notified by mail ten (10) days before the Annual Meeting of all business that will be conducted at the Annual Meeting. Only this business can be conducted at the Annual Meeting. 3. Any proposal to be presented at the Annual Meeting shall be brought to the Board of Trustees no less than two regular meetings before the Annual Meeting. 4. For the Annual Meeting, a quorum shall consist of 10% of the membership of the current year with no less than 12 members present. 5. Election of officers and trustees shall be by secret ballot. Nominations will be submitted by the Nominating Committee and will also be accepted from the floor. 6. Officers and Trustees will assume their offices at the first meeting in January. 7. Fiscal year is from January 1 to December 31. Article V - Board of Trustees 1. The corporate powers, property, and affairs of the O.H.C.C. subject to the limitations as set forth in this constitution and bylaws shall be exercised, conducted, and controlled by a majority of the Trustees and Officers. 2. The Trustees shall serve for a two year term. They shall be divided into two groups: one group called "even" shall be comprised of four trustees and their terms shall expire in even years; the second group, called "odd", will be comprised of three trustees and their term will expire in odd years. The term of office for the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be for one year. 3. The Board of Trustees shall fill any vacant office by Appointment. Such appointment will be valid until the next annual meeting. 4. The Board of Trustees shall appoint the License Agent. 5. Any proposal for funds will be presented in writing with all necessary information. Two meetings after the proposal has been presented to the Trustees, the Board of Trustees must give a detailed reply. All outside work contracted must have a written contract approved and controlled by the Trustees. Article VI - Duties of President and Vice President 1. It shall be the duty of the President to: preside at all meetings of members and trustees; supervise the hunting and fishing license agents as per state regulations; appoint all committees; be an ex officio member of all committees, and perform all such duties as are incumbent to the office. 2. In the event of the absence of the President, the Vice President shall act on the President’s behalf. Article VII - Duties of Recording Secretary 1. It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to keep an accurate account of the acts and proceedings of both the Trustee’s Meeting and the Regular Meetings of members, and a copy of these minutes shall be sent to each officer and trustee within two weeks after the meeting. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes and proceedings of all meetings and keep a record of attendance of all officers and trustees. The Recording Secretary shall serve as archivist; the records of all meetings will be copied and the originals sent to Spiegel Grove, Fremont, Ohio and the Oak Harbor Library at intervals of not more than two years. 2. The permanent record of minutes shall be made available to any member for examination at any reasonable time. 3. The Recording Secretary shall keep one book in which shall be written: the Constitution and Bylaws, Rules of Order, and Standing Rules (including Range Rules). 4. The Recording Secretary shall deliver all currently held books, papers, and property of the Corporation to the successor, or to the President before vacating the position. Article VIII - Duties of Corresponding Secretary 1. The Corresponding Secretary shall be appointed by the President. The Corresponding Secretary shall send out notices of meetings as directed by the President, conduct the correspondence of the Corporation, and keep records of that correspondence. 2. Under the direction of the Trustees, the Corresponding Secretary shall send out notices of the agenda for the Annual Meeting ten (10) days prior to the Annual Meeting. A roster shall be kept of all current members and new membership cards shall be provided to the members after dues are received. All monies received from members shall be turned over to the Treasurer. Article IX - Duties of Treasurer 1. The Treasurer shall receive and safely keep all funds of the Corporation, placing them in such depository as may be designated by the Trustees. The Treasurer shall sign all checks of the Corporation in payment of current accounts as designated by the Trustees and the Corporation. 2. The President and Recording Secretary shall also be authorized to sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer, under the same restrictions as set forth for the Treasurer. 3. Bond costs shall be borne by the Corporation for the President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and others as authorized by the Board of Trustees. 4. An account of the finances of the Corporation shall be kept in proper books furnished by the Corporation. These books shall be open for inspection and examination by the Officers and Trustees and the Audit Committee of the Corporation. 5. The Treasurer shall deliver all monies, financial records, and other property of the Corporation into the hands of the successor, or to the President before vacating the position. 6. All money allocated to finance the various committees shall be paid by the Treasurer upon submission of bills and approval of the Trustees. All funds remaining after termination of a committee function shall be returned to the License Fund or the General Fund from which it was appropriated. Article X - Attendance of Officers and Trustees Any officer or trustee not performing their duties shall be excused from office by a three/fourths majority vote of the Trustees and Officers . Article XI - Amendments 1. All proposed changes to the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Trustees’ meeting at least two meetings before the Annual Meeting. 2. The adoption of such proposed changes shall require two/thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of those members present. The vote shall be by secret ballot and counted by three (3) members appointed by the Nominating Committee. In order to receive a ballot and vote, a member must be validated by the Recording Secretary and/or show a current membership card. Bylaws of the Oak Harbor Conservation ClubThe Regular Meeting is held on the second Monday of each month at 8:00 P.M. The Trustees’ Meeting will precede the Regular Meeting and is held at 7:00 P.M. Section 1 - Order of Business A quorum at the Regular Meeting shall consist of not less than twelve (12) members. A quorum of trustees at the Trustees’ Meeting shall be four (4). All parliamentary procedure shall be subject to Robert’s Rules of Order. At the Trustees’ and General Meetings, the order of business may be as follows: A. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting; B. Reading of the minutes of the Trustees’ meeting of the same night, and /or special meetings held previous to the regular meeting, and the recommendations considered; C. Financial report by the Treasurer; D. Reports of president, vice president, secretary, and committee chairpersons; E. Old business; F. New business; G. For the good of the Corporation (communications, extraordinary actions, etc.); H. Report of extraordinary expenditures of trustees; Section 2 - Budget and Finance A. There shall be a finance committee which submits an annual budget first to the Trustees and then to the club. B. The Finance Committee shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a member appointed by the President. C. There shall be an audit committee, appointed by the President for the purpose of annually auditing the books and accounts of the club and its committees. This audit shall be presented at the Annual Meeting. D. Chairpersons shall submit a budget to the Finance Committee at least two regular meetings prior to the Annual Meeting. Section 3 - Standing Committees A. There shall be the following standing committees: Finance; Constitution and Bylaws; Publicity; Nominating; Adopt-a-Road; Auditing; Fishing; Hunting; Property; Trap; Trapping; Scholarship; Membership; Rifle; Handgun; Shotgun; Land Conservation and Acquisition; Dr. L. J. Darr Memorial Wetlands; Wood Duck; Archery; Proposed Projects, and Activity Coordinator. B. The President shall appoint the committee chairs annually. C. The duties of such committees shall include the fixing of committee policy and all normal work, subject to trustees’ review. D. All committees shall provide an annual summary report of the past year’s activities at the Annual Meeting. E. Definition of committees: Finance Committee: Oversee and plan the budget. The License Agent shall assist and advise this committee as needed. Constitution and Bylaws Committee: Review proposals for changes in constitution/bylaws, and make recommendations to the membership as to its applicability. Publicity Committee: Prepare and send news releases to the local press; publish, address, and mail the newsletter. Nominating Committee: Propose a slate of nominees for election to office; be assisted by a member-at-large to count the ballots. The nominating committee shall be comprised of those trustees whose terms of office continue for another year. Adopt-a-Road Committee: Collect litter and other man-made debris/litter from designated areas of county and township roads. Auditing Committee: Appointed by President. Fishing Committee: Run the fishing derby; rod and reel distribution; fishing access and lease. Hunting and Trapping Committee: Secure and release birds and lease land. Property Committee: Oversee grounds and building maintenance, monitor propane, recommend to trustees any maintenance necessary or improvements required. Wood Duck Committee: Build, install, and maintain nesting boxes. Scholarship Committee: Be liaison with trustees and scholarship applicants and recipients; maintain records of monetary awards and grades of recipients; maintain qualifications for applicants. Trap Shooting Committee: Be responsible for maintenance, upkeep, and inventory of the trap shooting equipment. Will write and post range safety rules for trap shooting. Proposed Projects Committee: Accept all proposed projects from membership and report to the trustees for consideration. Activity Coordinator: Coordinate all activities; report schedule of calendar to trustees for approval. Rifle Committee: Indoor range officer is in charge of range and rules; outdoor range officer is in charge of range and rules. Handgun Committee: Indoor range officer is in charge of range and rules; outdoor range officer is in charge of range and rules. Land Conservation and Acquisition Committee: Plan for future development of the club. Dr. L. J. Darr Memorial Wetlands Committee: Oversee the maintenance and development of the wetlands in accordance with good conservation practices. Make suggestions to Trustees and membership for continuing improvements and usage of the property. N. B.: All committee chairpersons are responsible for all educational programs pertaining to their committee. Section 4 - Dues and Membership A. Club membership dues shall be determined at the Annual Meeting. Annual dues are seventy five dollars ($75). Membership dues shall be levied on an annual basis with a one time only initiation fee of twenty dollars ($20). B. Members under the age of sixty five years shall pay the annual membership dues. Members who are sixty five and over shall pay fifty dollars ($50) annual dues. C. Disabled members shall pay fifty dollars ($50) annual membership dues after submission of a copy of 100% disability from the Social Security Administration. D. Honorary members shall be members because of their outstanding service to the club. Section 5 - Special Meetings Special meetings of the Trustees of the Corporation may be called by the President, Vice President, or a majority of the Trustees. A quorum of a special trustees’ meeting must include at least four (4) trustees. Section 6 - Bill Payment 1. The Treasurer shall pay all incidental operating expenses, taxes, and insurance premiums as they come due without prior approval of the Trustees. The monthly Treasurer’s report will include the reporting of any such payments. The Treasurer will present all bills to the Trustees for approval. 2. All bills turned in for payment must be itemized. 3. Proper financial records will be kept by all committee chairpersons. Expenditures from previously allocated funds must be approved by the Treasurer. Section 7 - Amendments Any proposed change will be submitted to the Board of Trustees at least thirty (30) days prior to the Regular Meeting, at which time it may be adopted by a two/thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present. If approved, it is in force until the next Annual Meeting. Re-affirmation of the bylaw will be an agenda item at the next Annual Meeting. Section 8 - Standing Rules 1. Any expenditure of funds by any of the committee chairpersons for personal gain or claims of friends is forbidden. 2. All committee chairpersons are responsible for educational programs pertaining to their committee. 3. Authority is hereby given to allow the Trustees to spend up to one thousand dollars ($1000) without prior approval of membership. 4. The combination to the outside door will be changed annually. This combination will be provided to each member with their membership card. 5. The Range Officers will be in charge of range combinations. 6. Subject to trustees, all range rules shall be posted on appropriate ranges and available to members. 7. Approval has been given to lease land for purposes of hunting in Ottawa or Sandusky counties. 8. All solicitations from outside organizations must conform to the goals and objectives outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the O.H.C.C. If the requests do not conform to those guidelines, they will not be funded from club assets. 9. At any meeting where a counted vote is directed, the Secretary shall record in the Minutes the number of "Yea, Nay, and Abstention" votes. 10. No member or guest less than 21 years of age may possess or use a handgun on club properties or ranges unless under the supervision of a member who is 21 years of age or older, and in accordance with State laws.
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