BYLAWS
Article I – Name and Tax Exempt Status
Sec. 1. Name.
The name of the club shall be “Folsom Garden Club,” hereinafter referred to as “the club.”
Sec. 2. Tax Exempt Status
The club operates as an exempt non-profit organization under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (RC 1986) for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes. The club is included under California Garden Club, Inc. group exemption as of June 23, 2007.
Article II – Mission
The mission of the club shall be to educate and foster relationships among people who have a love of gardening and horticulture, and to promote beautification in the City of Folsom.
Article III – Members
Sec. 1. Qualifications for Membership
Any person interested in the mission of the club and who has a desire to work towards that mission shall qualify for membership. All members are encouraged to participate in the planning or implementation of the annual garden tour.
Sec. 2. Dues
The annual dues shall be $25.00 per member and is payable May 1, and delinquent by June 15. Any changes in dues must be approved by two-thirds of the membership present at a business meeting, providing the change has been approved by the board of directors and published prior to that business meeting.
Article IV – Officers
Sect. 1. Defined.
The elected officers of the club shall be a president, a first vice president, a second vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The appointed officers shall be a parliamentarian and a past president.
Sect. 2. Elections and Term of Office
Officers shall be elected for a one year term at the May business meeting and shall take office when installed at the June business meeting. A member is eligible to serve two consecutive terms in the same office. Outgoing officers shall, within two weeks, deliver to their successors in office, all records, supplies and other materials which are the property of the club and which pertain to their previous office. The outgoing officer shall take a receipt for all such property.
Sec. 3. Removal from Office
Officers can be removed from office for failure to follow the bylaws, the standing rules, and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. The removal procedure would require an approval vote from the board of directors, and then a two-thirds vote at a business meeting where previous notice has been given.
Sec. 4. Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the office of president, the first vice president will become the president. If there is a vacancy in any other elected office it shall be filled by a vote of the membership if three-quarters of the term remains. If less than three-quarters remains, those vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the board of directors. Said appointment shall be ratified by the club at the next business meeting.
Article V – Duties of Officers
Sec. 1. President
The president shall preside at all business meetings and board of directors meetings and shall perform such duties as regularly pertain to the office. The president shall be an ex officio member of all standing committees except the nominating committee.
Sec. 2. First Vice President
The first vice president shall perform all the duties of the president in the absence of the president. The first vice president shall also be the chairman of the program committee.
Sec. 3. Second Vice President
The second vice president shall perform all the duties of the president, in the absence of the president and the first vice president. The second vice president shall also be the chairman of the garden tour.
Sec. 4. Secretary
The secretary shall record the minutes of all business meetings and board of directors meetings. The secretary shall maintain a record book in which the bylaws, standing rules, and minutes are entered, with any amendments to these documents properly recorded.
Sec. 5. Treasurer
The treasurer shall deposit in the club’s bank account all monies received from any source and shall issue the necessary checks to pay approved bills. The president, treasurer and secretary shall each qualify at the bank to sign the checks. The signatures of two of the three officers shall be required to make withdrawals of nonbudgeted funds over $100.00. The treasurer shall record all receipts and disbursements in the official treasurer’s record. The treasurer shall present a report at the business meetings showing the bank balance on the first of each month. The treasurer will be allowed time to close out the financial records by July 1 after a new treasurer is elected at the May business meeting. The budget committee, consisting of the president, treasurer, and second vice president, will prepare the annual budget. In addition, any member of the club will be allowed to attend budget committee meetings and offer suggestions.
Sec. 6. Parliamentarian
The parliamentarian shall act as adviser to the president, the board of directors, and the other officers, committees, and members on matters of parliamentary procedure. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the club in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the club’s bylaws and standing rules.
Sec. 7. Past President
It is preferred the outgoing president be appointed to serve on the newly elected board of directors. If the outgoing president is not willing to serve, a previous president may be appointed. The past president shall offer advice on policies and procedures, assist the president as needed, and be available to assist other officers and committee chairmen.
Sec. 8. Other Duties
The officers shall perform the duties outlined in the bylaws, stand- ing rules, job descriptions, and other such duties applicable to the office as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the club.
Article VI – Meetings
Thirty-five percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum. The number of members needed to constitute a quorum will be determined by the membership chairman, based on records of paid membership.
Article VII – Board of Directors
Sec. 1. Composition
The elected officers and the appointed officers, shall constitute the board of directors with all membership rights, including voting privileges.
Sec. 2. Powers
The board of directors shall have general control of the affairs of the club. All non-budgeted and non-routine expenditures of $100 or more must be approved by the board of directors and then be presented for approval by the club membership prior to making the expenditure.
Sec. 3. Meetings
The president shall conduct a minimum of nine board of directors meetings per year, including the August meeting, which will be the annual planning meeting.
Sec. 4. Quorum
The quorum for the board of directors shall be a majority of the entire board of directors.
Article VIII – Standing Committees
Sec. 1. Standing Committees
The standing committees shall be nominating committee, program committee, garden tour committee, membership committee, his- torian committee, audit committee, and sunshine committee. The chairman of these committees shall be appointed by the president, except for the nominating committee, program committee and the garden tour committee, which are elected positions. The term of office for each of these positions shall be one year. A chairman is eligible to serve two consecutive terms in the same office. Outgo-ing committee chairmen shall, within two weeks of a successor’s appointment, deliver to their successor all records, supplies and other materials which is the property of the club and which pertain to their previous committee.
Sec. 2. Nominating Committee
The chairman of the nominating committee shall be elected by the members. That chairman may choose two other members to assist in the selection of the slate of officers for the next club year. Members of the nominating committee are not eligible for election to other board of directors offices. The slate shall be presented to the membership prior to the May business meeting. Voting shall take place at the May business meeting. At that time nominations may be made from the floor, providing consent of the nominee has been secured beforehand.
Sec. 3. Program Committee
The first vice president shall be responsible for providing programs for business meetings and dirt gardeners events.
Sec. 4. Membership Committee
The chairman of the membership committee shall contact pros- pective members and encourage them to join the club. The chairman shall be responsible for enrolling new members and collecting initial dues. The chairman shall maintain a list of current members and shall act as official host for visitors at business meetings.
Sec. 5. Historian Committee
The historian committee shall keep copies of the yearbook, the garden tour ticket, and all club newsletters for the club files. Newspaper articles, photographs and other news items may also be kept for the files.
Sec. 6. Audit Committee
The chairman of the audit committee shall arrange an annual audit of the books and accounts of the treasurer and present the results of the audit to the membership at the September business meeting.
Sec. 7. Sunshine Committee
The chairman of the sunshine committee shall, on behalf of the club, send get well cards, sympathy cards, or other remembrances, as appropriate, to members as an occasion arises.
Sec. 8. Garden Tour Committee
The second vice president shall be the chairman responsible for overseeing the planning and implementation of the garden tour.
Article IX – Official Club CalendarYear
The club year, membership dues year, and fiscal yearshall be July 1 through June 30.
Article X – Amendment of Bylaws
Bylaws may be amended after the amendment has been approved by the board of directors and then published prior to a business meeting, at which approval has been voted on by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Article XI – Amendment to the Bylaws Requirements to be Exempt as an Organization described in Section 502(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
Sec. 1. Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Sec. 2. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof.
Sec. 3. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
Sec. 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Sec. 5. Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local govern- ment, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
Article XII – Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the club in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the club’s bylaws and standing rules.
— Revised bylaws adopted June l, 2017