Snohomish Garden Club By-Laws
I.NAME
The name of this corporation shall be Snohomish Garden Club (the “club”).
II.OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this club shall be:
A.To educate members and the public about landscaping, gardening for purposes of beautification and food production, and preservation of the environment and wildlife
B.To provide scholarships for students pursuing an education related to gardening and landscaping
C.To provide grants to organizations such as schools, Scout groups, 4-H and others for beautification projects
D.To assist the community with community beautification projects.
III.MEMBERSHIP
The members of the Snohomish Garden Club are any individuals interested in beautiful gardens and communities. No other qualifications are needed. One joins by making application.
A.Any person who pays annual dues as established by the Executive Board shall be considered a member.
B.The membership of any member who has not paid dues by the October meeting of the current year will be considered expired and will not be included in the membership directory.
C.Each member shall have one vote for election of officers and for such business as may be brought to the membership.
D.A quorum shall consist of 20% of the membership. A legal action may be taken by a majority of the members voting, provided a quorum is present.
E.Members are privileged to attend any or all meetings of the Executive Board.
F.An Honorary or Life Membership may be awarded by a majority vote and at the discretion of the Executive Board to any member who can no longer participate actively in club activities.
IV.OFFICERS
The officers of this club shall be:
A.President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer,
B.Terms shall be from September 1st to August 31st,
C.Elections shall be held in May,
D.The President shall be eligible to serve no more than two consecutive years in that office,
E.Two people may serve as co-officers in all positions with the exception of Treasurer,
F.In the case of co-Presidents, only one of the persons would have access to the treasury.
V.DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
A.President
1.The President shall preside at all regular meetings of the club and of the Executive Board.
2.The President shall call for and schedule meetings of the Executive Board.
3.The President may call for and schedule special meetings of the membership.
4.The President shall set the dates of all meetings and annual events and shall confirm building reservations for them no later than the first scheduled meeting of the year.
5.The President shall appoint the chairpersons of all standing committees. The President may form ad hoc committees and appoint chairpersons to them. The President shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
6.The President shall prepare an annual budget to present to the Executive Board for approval by the October Board meeting.
7.If any Executive Board position becomes vacant for any reason, the President shall appoint a temporary replacement until a special election can be held for the purpose of electing a new Executive Board member.
B.First Vice-President
1.The First Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence.
2.The First Vice-President shall oversee the standing committees. Each committee chairperson will report to the First Vice-President.
C.Second Vice-President
1.The Second Vice President shall be responsible for scheduling the monthly programs.
2.The Second Vice-President shall be responsible for caring for and setting up all equipment needed for meetings and speakers.
3.The Second Vice-President shall arrange for the introduction of speakers.
D.Secretary
1.The Secretary shall keep a record of all club meetings and all Executive Board meetings.
2.The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the club.
3.The Secretary shall preserve in a permanent file all records and letters of value to the club and its officers, to be transferred to the successor at the end of the term of office.
E.Treasurer
1.The Treasurer shall have charge of all monies of the club and shall report thereon at all regular meetings.
2.The Treasurer shall pay all bills on authorization of the President.
3.The Treasurer shall keep a permanent computer record, regularly backed-up, of all receipts and expenditures.
4. The Treasurer shall collect all dues from the membership chairperson.
5.The Treasurer shall prepare an end-of-year report of income and expenditures for use by the President in preparing the budget.
6.The Treasurer shall be the Registered Agent for the club.
7.The Treasurer shall prepare and submit any required tax returns and the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Annual Report form.
8.A committee of three appointed by the President may complete an annual audit at the end of the fiscal year.
VII.EXECUTIVE BOARD
A.The Executive Board shall be the governing body of the Snohomish Garden Club.
B.The Executive Board shall consist of all elected officers, Immediate Past- President, and two (2) Members-at-Large.
C.The Members-at-Large shall serve as a representative to the membership and liaison to the Board of Directors. They shall be elected to a two-year term. The terms of the two Members-at-Large shall be staggered.
D.Five members shall constitute a quorum. Legal action may be taken by a majority of those present, providing a quorum is present.
E.Proposals for club obligations or expenditures shall come to the Executive Board and may subsequently be presented to the membership for approval.
F.The Executive Board shall coordinate the annual award of scholarships to students of the Snohomish District.
VIII.STANDING COMMITTEES
The standing committees of the club shall be: Community Projects; Garden Tour; Grants; Membership, Newsletter, Nominating, Plant Sale, and Sunshine. The Chairpersons of standing committees shall keep a record describing their activities to pass on to a new Chairperson.
A.Community Projects
1.The Community Projects Committee shall coordinate with the Snohomish City administration to plan beautification projects for the city.
2.The committee shall coordinate any other community projects.
3.Proposals for beautification projects shall be presented to the Executive Board for approval and may be presented to the membership.
B.Garden Tour
The Garden Tour Committee shall plan and implement the annual Garden Tour within the budget as set by the Executive Board.
C.Grants/Scholarships
1.The Grants/Scholarships Committee shall be responsible for soliciting requests for grants for community projects for the Youth Education Garden Grant Program.
a)The Committee shall review requests for grants and determine to whom the grants will be presented and the amounts of those grants within the budget as set by the Executive Board.
b)The Committee may forward recommendations for grants to the Executive Board.
2.The Grants/Scholarships Committee shall be responsible for soliciting requests for scholarships for graduating or continuing higher education students in the field of horticulture or related studies.
a)The Committee shall review requests for scholarships and determine to whom the scholarships will be presented and the amounts of those scholarships within the budget as set by the Executive Board.
b)The Committee may forward recommendations for scholarships to the Executive Board.
H.Membership
1.The Membership Committee shall collect dues from members and forward them to the Treasurer.
1.The Membership Committee shall keep statistics on attendance at meetings.
2.The Membership Committee shall keep a list of members and their addresses and prepare mailing labels for club mailings.
3.The Membership Committee shall prepare the club directory for distribution in November.
I.Newsletter /P.R.
1.The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the timely publication and mailing of the monthly (September through June) club newsletter to the membership.
2.The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the timely submission of information regarding club activities to local and surrounding area media to include newspapers, radio, community calendars, and gardening publications.
H.Web Management/InternetThe Webmaster shall be responsible for data entry and regular updating of the following services.
1.Snohomish Garden Club website
2.Social media (Facebook)
3.Membership information and currentdirectory
4.Revenue to include dues paying and PayPal purchasing.
I.Nominating
1.The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the Immediate Past President and up to five members appointed by the President.
2.The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of one name for each office at the April club meeting where nominations may also be made from the floor.
J.Plant SaleThe Plant Sale Committee will be responsible for planning and carrying out the annual Plant Sale.
K.Sunshine The Sunshine Committee will be responsible for distribution of garden club good tidings and consolations to members.
L.Other Committees
1.Other committees may be set up by the President to carry out additional planned activities for the year.
2.These committees may be but are not limited to the following: Craft Projects, Easter Parade, Friendship Garden Tours, Hospitality, June Social function, Seminars, WorkDays, Field Trips, Silent Auction, Community Outreach, and Martha Perry Memorial Veggie Garden.
VIII.MEETINGS
A.Business Meetings or social gatherings may generally be held once a month, throughout the year except as amended at any regular meeting by a vote of a majority of members one month prior to the amended meeting night, providing a quorum is present.
B.The time, place, and program shall be published in the Newsletter prior to the meeting.
C.The May meeting shall be designated as the Annual Meeting, and Executive Board members for the following year shall be elected at this time.
D.A special meeting may be called by the President, the Executive Board or at least 20% of current members of the Club.
E.The Executive Board shall meet at the call of the President. The meeting date and time shall be published in the Newsletter prior to the meeting. Members are welcome to attend the meeting but will have no vote.
IX.DUES AND FINANCES
A.The fiscal year shall begin September 1 and end the following August 31.
B.Annual dues of the club shall be a designated sum per year, to be paid at the time of joining or by the October meeting. Dues for the following year may be paid as early as the April meeting.
C.Changes in dues shall be determined by the Executive Board subject to approval by a vote of a majority of the members present at the meeting where the vote is taken, providing a quorum is present.
X.AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended by the members at any regular business meeting by a two-thirds vote of those members present at the meeting, provided notice has been given at the previous club meeting and provided a quorum is present.
XI.DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of the Snohomish Garden Club, any cash and material assets shall be given to another 501(c)(3) entity in the City of Snohomish, WA.
Revised and accepted October 13, 2014
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