By Laws of the Cranbury digital Camera Club

Approved and adopted at the meeting of the Club held on November 8, 2006.

 Article I—Name

The name of this organization is the Cranbury digital Camera Club, hereinafter also referred to as “CdCC” or “the Club”.

 Article II—Objective

The objective of this Non-Profit Club shall be to provide a social forum through which persons expressing an interest in the art and science of photography can unite with others sharing similar interests to exchange ideas and photographic expertise and to enhance the individual skill levels of its members.

Article III—Members

Section 1—Eligibility: 

Membership in CdCC is open to any individual having an interest in the art and science of digital photography and who desires to share this interest and expertise with others of similar interest.  Membership is open to all, regardless of age, sex, religion, race, or color. 

Section 2—Membership Categories:  Membership in CdCC may be obtained in one of the following categories:

1. Individual Membership

2. Family Membership

3. Youth Membership

4. Complimentary Membership

Section 3—Membership Application:

1. Individual Membership:  This class of membership is granted upon submission of written application and payment of dues in advance in accordance with the established dues schedule.

2. Family Membership:  This class of membership is granted upon submission of written application specifically requesting Family Membership and payment of dues in advance in accordance with the established dues schedule.  Family is defined as Spouses, children (still in full time education), and other dependent family members living at the same address.  Youth Family Membership members are subject to the same rules as those Youth Membership members below.

3. Youth Membership:  This class of membership is granted upon submission of written application specifically requesting Youth Membership and payment of dues in advance in accordance with the established dues schedule.  Those youths reaching their 18^th birthday prior to the year’s first Club competition will be considered as an Adult member.  Otherwise, those turning 18 after the first competition of the year must remain in the Youth Membership category until the next calendar year.  Youth members must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult to all Club activities.

4. Complimentary Membership:  This class of membership is granted for one calendar year by majority vote of the Executive Board.  It may be renewed at the discretion of the Executive Board by a majority vote. Complimentary membership typically is granted to an individual who has had previous association with the CdCC but has moved or otherwise become unable to attend meetings and generally participate in Club activities.

Section 4—Membership Rights and Privileges:

1. Individual Membership:  A person joining as an Individual Member in CdCC must be at least 18 years of age and has the right to vote, to hold office (complying with the eligibility requirements stipulated in Article IV, Section 2), serve on the Executive Board, and attend Club sponsored activities.

2. Family Membership:  Each family member covered under the Family Membership provisions has rights and privileges identical to those stipulated for Individual Membership.

3. Youth Membership:  Each member covered under the provisions for Youth Membership must be under the age of 18 years old.  Youth members cannot vote, hold office, or serve on the Executive Board.  Youth members may participate in all other Club functions, activities, and CdCC competitions.

4. Complimentary Membership: Those granted Complimentary Membership status may attend general membership meetings, Club competitions, Club sponsored field trips and workshops.  They cannot vote, hold office or serve on the Executive Board.

Section 5—Dues:

1. Individual Membership: Dues for this class of membership dues are set forth in the current dues schedule established by the CdCC Executive Board.  Payment of these dues enrolls a member “in good standing” with all the rights & privileges of a member of the Club.

2. Family Membership: Dues for this class of membership are set forth in the current dues schedule established by the CdCC Executive Board.  Payment of these dues enrolls full member privileges to each direct member of a household (e.g., spouse and child or children).  Family Membership privileges are identical to those for Individual Membership.

3. Youth Membership: Dues for Youth Membership are set forth in the current dues schedule established by the CdCC Executive Board.  Payment of these dues enrolls a youth member “in good standing” with all the rights and privileges of a member of the Club.  Youth members are not eligible to vote or hold office but may serve on committees.

4. Complimentary Membership:  This class of membership pays no dues.

5. Dues Schedule:  Membership dues in CdCC shall be paid in accordance with the current dues schedule established by the Executive Board and as recorded in the Policies of the Club.

6. Individual and Family Life Memberships: This class of membership shall only be available during the 2006 calendar year for the sole purpose of establishing a monetary base for the Club.  Upon payment of the life membership dues, these members shall be known as Charter Members of the Club and shall not be required to pay annual dues.  

Section 6—Resignation:  A member is good standing may resign at any time by submitting written notice to the CdCC Secretary for reasons such as: long-term illness, physical relocation away from the meeting area, etc.  Such resigned members may be considered for Complimentary Membership status by the Executive Board.  No refund of dues will be given.

Section 7—Reinstatement:  A member who has resigned may be reinstated to active membership via written request.  If the reinstatement is during the year that they had paid their dues, no further dues are required for that year, otherwise the payment of dues will be in accordance with the established dues schedule. 

 Article IV—Officers

 Section 1—Officer Positions:  The following Officers shall be elected annually as hereinafter provided:

1. President (and Chairperson of the Program Committee)

2. Vice President (and Chairperson of the Competitions Committee)

3. Treasurer

4. Secretary

5. Webmaster

Descending order of authority is as listed above.

Section 2—Eligibility Requirements:  To be eligible to be elected to serve in an Officer position, an individual must be a member of CdCC in good standing.  Youth members are not eligible to serve in an Officer position.

Section 3—Joint Officer Positions: An Officer position may be shared between two individuals who share a family membership. To be eligible to be elected to serve in a Joint Officer position, both individuals must be members of CdCC in good standing.  Youth Family members are not eligible to serve in a Joint Officer position. Either or both individuals who share a Joint Officer position may attend and participate in Executive Board meetings however they shall only cast one vote in any matter put forward for a decision. In the event that only one of the Joint Officers is present then that vote shall be binding on the other Joint Officer. If the Joint Officers cannot agree on the manner of their single vote then the Secretary shall record that they did not vote on the matter under consideration.

 Section 4—Nominating, Nominating Committee, and Elections:

1.  Nominations:  Nominations shall be made by either of the following procedures:

    - By a nominating committee appointed to search out capable Club members willing to serve if elected to one of the Officer positions specified in Section 1 above.

   - By nomination from the floor by any member in good standing who has first ascertained that the person to be nominated is willing to serve if elected to the Officer position for which they will be nominated.
    

2. Nominating Committee:  The Nominating Committee shall consist of at least three members in good standing, appointed by the President before the first December meeting.  At the first December meeting, the nominating committee shall announce the slate of Officers to be voted on by the membership of CdCC at the first January meeting.  The first January meeting will be known as the Club’s Annual Meeting.  This nominating committee shall be dissolved automatically once the new Officers have been elected.

3.  Election of Officers:  The annual election of Officers shall take place at the January Annual Meeting.  The vote will take place after the Nominating Committee presents its slate of candidates and any subsequent nominations are made from the floor.  The election of the Officers requires a simple majority of adult members in good standing who are present.  Youth members are not eligible to vote.

4.  Term of Office:  The term of office for the five Officers shall run from the January Annual Meeting for a period of one year or until such time as their successors are duly elected. No member shall hold more than one (1) office at a time.

Section 5—Duties and Responsibilities:  The Officers of CdCC shall perform their duties as stipulated below.

1. President:  The President of the CdCC shall preside over all sessions of the organization, general membership, Executive Board, and any other special meetings that may be required. The President shall be responsible for the general well-being of the organization and shall strive to maintain and enhance the level of Club activities. To affect this, the President shall also be the Chairperson of the Program Committee. The President shall appoint chairpersons for other committees required to meet the current needs of the Club (with the exception of the Competitions committee).  The President may serve as a member of any committee except the Nominating Committee.

2. Vice President:  The Vice President shall perform special functions as directed by the President and will preside over Club meetings in the absence of the President. In recognition of the importance of Competitions to the functioning of CdCC, the Vice President shall also be the Chairperson of the Competitions Committee.

3. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial matters of the organization. The Treasurer shall receive all incoming funds for the organization and shall make disbursements as directed by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall assist with preparation of a budget for the following year in conjunction with the President and other selected members of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report of the financial transactions of the Club, to be presented at the January Annual Meeting.  All CdCC checks shall require the signatures of two Officers.  Generally, checks will be signed by the President and Treasurer; however the checks may not be signed by officers from the same family/household.

4. Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the business transactions at any Executive Board meetings and shall prepare these minutes for approval by the Executive Board. The Secretary shall also prepare the Club’s monthly newsletter for distribution to the general membership by email and for inclusion on the Club’s website.  The Secretary shall also duly note any specific business or decisions transacted at any general membership meeting.

5. Webmaster: The webmaster shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the CdCC website which shall serve as the main communications vehicle for the members of the Club and potential members. The Webmaster shall update the website on a regular basis with the results of competitions, CdCC news, and other relevant news and information as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board. The webmaster may, from time to time, make recommendations to the Executive Board about the technical and artistic nature of the Club’s website to ensure that it remains current and relevant for the membership.

Section 6—Reelection:  Any Officer may be reelected to serve an additional term, or terms. There is no restriction to number of successive terms an Officer may serve if duly elected by the general membership.

Section 7—Vacancies and Removal:

1. Vacancies:  In the event of a vacancy in an Officer position (except that of President) due to resignation, inability or unwillingness to serve, the President (or next most senior Officer presiding) shall declare the position vacant.  A successor for the vacated office shall be elected at the next general membership meeting by a simple majority of the members present.  If the duly elected President of the Club shall be unable to fulfill the duties of their office, and so notifies the Executive Board by their written resignation, the Vice President will assume the duties of the office of President for the balance of the unexpired term.

2.  Removal:  If an Officer appears, through their actions or indifference to the duties of their office, to be negligent in carrying out their duties, this matter shall be bought before the Executive Board for appropriate action. An Officer found negligent in the performance of their duties shall be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Executive Board.

Section 1—General Membership:  The Cranbury digital Camera Club shall meet twice a month, January through December, unless otherwise directed by the Executive Board.  The second Wednesday of the month will be the general membership program meeting.  The fourth Wednesday of the month will be the Club’s internal competition meetin  The location and time for CdCC general membership meetings shall be established by the Executive Board.  Once established, the reminder of forthcoming general membership meetings shall be provided via the monthly newsletter and the CdCC website.  The Executive Board is authorized to make any change to this paragraph (Article V, Section 1) without following Article IX, Section 1.

 Section 2—Special Meetings:  Special general membership meetings may be called by the Executive Board if the need for such action becomes necessary. Notice of a special meeting must be provided to Club members prior to the meeting, typically through announcement in the Club newsletter, by email, and on the Club’s website.

 Section 3—Annual Meeting:  The Annual Meeting for the Cranbury digital Camera Club shall be the first January Meeting. Installation of Officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting and committee reports shall be received at this time.

 Section 4—Quorum:  Club business is conducted at the Executive Board meetings.  However, should a vote be taken at a General Membership Meeting, a simple majority of eligible members who are present shall be required to carry the motion.

Section 1—Composition and Term: During the first year of the Club’s existence (2006), the Executive Board of the Cranbury digital Camera Club shall consist of the four founding members  (Trustees) of the Club being Janet Paxton, Anthony Paxton, Greg DeAngelis and Linda DeAngelis.

 In recognition of their contribution to the Club, the Trustees shall be entitled to participate in the Executive Board for as long as they are willing and able to serve and continue to be members in good standing. They shall be entitled to attend all regular and special Executive Board meetings and shall be able to vote on all matters. If a Trustee shall also hold an Officer position on the Executive Board they shall only be able to cast one vote in any matter.

 After the first year (2006), the Executive Board shall consist of the five Officers, the Trustees, and the Chairpersons of all committees as constituted under Article VII.  The normal term of the Officers on the Executive Board shall be from one January Annual Meeting through the January Annual Meeting of the following year.

Section 2—Powers and Authority:  The Executive Board of the Cranbury digital Camera Club shall be the sole governing body of the organization, and shall make all operational rules, policies and procedures, both financial & administrative.  The only exception is the Competition Committee which shall have authority over all rules, policies and procedures for internal Club Competitions.

Section 3—Regular Meetings:  The Executive Board should meet monthly. The meeting night and time will be determined by mutual consent of the majority of the members of the Executive Board. The meeting location will rotate among the members of the committee as equitably as possible, with those able to do so hosting a meeting.  The meeting schedule should be established as soon as possible at the start of the new operating year.  The President shall preside over the monthly Executive Board meetings. In their absence, the Vice President or next most senior Officer shall preside.  A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the five Executive Board members.

Section 4—Special Meetings:  Special meetings of the CdCC Executive Board may be called by the President (or next most senior Presiding Officer) and must be called upon written request of one-fourth (1/4) of the Executive Board  membership.  The purpose for the special meeting shall be stated in the written request.  Except in cases of emergency, Executive Board members shall be given at least three days notice of a special meeting.

Section 5—Vacancies:  A vacancy in an Officer position on the Executive Board shall be filled as stipulated in Article IV, Section 6.  Vacancy of a Committee Chairperson member of the Executive Board shall be filled by appointment by the President (or next most senior Presiding Officer). The appointee shall complete that position’s unexpired term.

Section 6—Reporting:  Minutes of the last Executive Board meeting shall be made available to Club members at the general membership meeting following that Executive Board meeting.  A copy of the minutes shall be presented for perusal by those interested. The minutes of the last Executive Board meeting may also be posted on the Club’s website.

Section 7—Voting: All decisions of the CdCC Executive Board shall be taken by vote, with the result being recorded by the Secretary in the minutes of the meeting. For each decision put to a vote, a simple majority of CdCC Officers who are present shall be required to carry the motion. In the event that the vote is tied then the President’s vote shall be considered to be the tie breaker.

 As soon as possible after the election of Officers, the President-elect shall appoint chairpersons for all standing and special committees. Typically, the standing committees shall include, but not be limited to: 

*Special committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President as required.