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LONG ISLAND FLYING EAGLES BYLAWS ARTICLE I – THE ORGANIZATION 1.1 The name of the organization shall be: The Long Island Flying Eagles, Inc. (L.I.F.E.) ARTICLE II – PURPOSE 2.1 To promote social and friendly association among the members of the Club. 2.2 To encourage and promote interest in model airplane ownership and operation for the benefit of the members of the Club. 2.3 To hold competitions and exhibitions as decided by the membership of the Club. 2.4 To purchase, lease or otherwise acquire and hold, own, use and operate real and personal property and equipment as may be required and/or desired for the use of the membership in furtherance of the purposes and interests of the Club. ARTICLE III – OFFICERS 3.1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board of Directors shall be composed of five elected members, consisting of: President Senior Vice President Vice President Secretary Treasurer 3.1.1 DUTIES: The duties of the Board of Directors shall include: a. Making all decisions concerning Club policies (Subject to review by the membership). b. Making all decisions concerning membership (Subject to review by the membership). c. Making assessments as necessary for the benefit of the Club. d. Making and/or approving all expenditures of Club funds except expenditures of $300.00 and over. Expenditures of $300.00 and over shall be subject to the approval of the membership or, in emergencies, the Board of Appeals. e. Keeping the membership informed on a regular basis of all expenditures of Club funds. f. As necessary and subject to review by the membership, amending the By-laws whenever such amendments are deemed to be in the best interests of the Club. g. Serving as, or appointing and supervising the activities of, Service Officers of the Club. 3.1.2 NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS: Nominations for the Board of Directors shall be made and seconded at the October meeting, and published in the Meeting Minutes/Newsletter. Elections shall be held at the December meeting or, in the event that no meeting is held in December, at the next membership meeting. Election will be by majority vote of Club members present at the meeting and written and signed proxy ballots received by the meeting. 3.1.2.1 A Member seeking an office must have been a Regular Member in good standing for two (2) consecutive years prior to running for office. 3.1.3 TERM OF OFFICE: Members of the Board of Directors shall serve one-year terms or until a replacement is available or until removed for cause by action of the Board of Appeals. 3.1.4 OPERATING RULES: a. A quorum of four officers is required for a Board of Directors meeting to be legally constituted. b. A quorum must be present for decisions of the Board of Directors to be binding. c. Minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors must be kept when any officer is absent, but a quorum is present. 3.1.5 RESIGNATIONS AND TERMINATIONS: Any vacancies occurring on the Board of Directors will be filled by a special election as per Article 3.1.2 (Nominations and Elections). Resignations must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. 3.2 Roles of the Officers 3.2.1 President The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation (AKA The Club). He shall preside at all meetings of the Membership and/or the Board. He shall oversee the general management of the Club and shall see that all orders and resolutions as directed by the Membership and/or the Board are carried into effect. 3.2.2 Senior Vice-President The Senior Vice-President shall perform such duties as the Board shall assign. In the absence or disability of the President, the Senior Vice-President shall assume all the powers and functions of the President. 3.2.3 Vice-President The Vice-President shall perform such duties as the Board shall assign. During an absence or disability of the Senior Vice-president, the Vice-President shall assume all powers and functions then assigned to the Senior Vice-President. 3.2.4 Secretary The Secretary shall keep and publish the minutes of meetings of the Membership and the Board. He shall be the primary channel for correspondence to and from the Club. He shall be designated as the point-of-contact for all correspondence to/from the AMA. He shall maintain a roster distinguishing between Regular, Junior and Honorary Members. He shall perform such other duties as required to maintain appropriate documentation and records for the Club. 3.2.5 Treasurer The Treasurer shall be responsible for the care and custody of all Club funds and securities and shall deposit said funds in the name of the Corporation in such bank or trust company as the Board may elect. He shall disburse such monies as shall be required and approved by the Board and/or the Membership for the benefit of the Corporation. He shall report to the Membership on a regular basis, but not less than quarterly, the status of the Treasury, including, but not limited to, balance on hand, expenditures, and income. 3.2.6 Safety Coordinator The Safety Coordinator shall be an appointed Service Officer of the Club. He shall function as the conduit for all issues related to safety within the Club and as the primary interface with AMA on such matters. He shall receive inputs (i.e., complaints, recommendations, observations, etc.) and, when warranted, present such information as he deems appropriate to the Board and/or the Membership for consideration and disposition. ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF APPEALS 4.1 Composition: The Board of Appeals shall be composed of five active members in good standing, none of whom may be members of the Board of Directors at the same time. Service on the Board of Appeals shall be on a voluntary basis. In the event sufficient members do not volunteer, the Board of Directors will fill out the Board of Appeals by appointment from the general membership roster. 4.1.1 Chairman: A Chairman shall be elected by the members of the Board of Appeals at the first meeting of the Board following constitution of the Board. 4.1.2 If a member of the Board of Appeals is party to the appeal, a volunteer or, lacking a volunteer, an appointee shall temporarily replace that member for consideration of that appeal. 4.2 Terms of Office: The term of office for a member of the Board of Appeals shall be for one year. Service on the Board shall not constitute a barrier to running for any other Board or Office of the Club, but election to such Board or Office shall require immediate resignation from the Board of Appeals. 4.3 Duties: 4.3.1 Hearing and arbitrating grievances of general members against the Board of Directors. 4.3.2 Reviewing and approving, as necessary, the actions of the Board of Directors regarding membership and Club policies. 4.3.3 Decisions of the Board of Appeals are final and are not subject to further appeal. ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP 5.1 All members and applicants for membership must have a current and valid Model Airplane Sporting License issued by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). AMA membership is a prerequisite to membership in L.I.F.E. Club privileges will be suspended immediately upon lapse of AMA membership. Reinstatement is contingent upon renewal of AMA membership. 5.2 Applications for membership, including Junior and Honorary Membership, will be submitted to the Board of Directors for review and approval. 5.2.1 An active Regular Member in good standing must sponsor each applicant at the time Membership is accepted. A Member may sponsor only one (1) applicant in any given calendar year (January 1 through December 31). 5.2.2 Upon acceptance of the offer of Membership, an Applicant will be granted Probationary Membership for a period of 12 months. A Probationary Member will be afforded all the rights and privileges of Regular L.I.F.E. membership except he may not vote or sponsor Guests to fly at the Club field. The Membership in attendance at the first Club meeting following the conclusion of the Probationary Period shall vote by secret ballot on the acceptance of the Probationary Member. A negative vote by five (5) or more Members shall constitute rejection of the Probationary Member. In that case, the Probationary Member shall be refunded his Initiation Fee, but any dues paid by the Probationary Member shall be considered compensation for use of the Club field and facilities during the Probationary Period. The Probationary Member will be informed of the results of the vote, Acceptance or Rejection, within one (1) week of the vote. 5.2.3 In the event Membership has reached the established limit, applications will be accepted to a “Wait List” of no more than five (5) applications. Admission to the Club will be offered when an opening occurs in the order in which the completed applications were received. An applicant who declines Membership when offered will be removed from the “Wait List 5.2.4 A “Lapsed Member” applying for re-admission within twelve (12) months of the start of said Lapse, will be added to the “Wait List” regardless of the number of applications in hand. No additional “Wait List” applications will be accepted until the “Wait List” falls below the stated maximum 5.2.5 Membership shall be limited to 50 members, exclusive of Junior and Honorary Members. A Junior Member, upon reaching the age of 19, shall automatically become a Regular member even if this will exceed the Club Roster limit. In this case, no new members will be inducted until the Roster falls below the 50-member limit. 5.3 Members are expected to be active, participating in Club activities as often as possible. Participation includes, but is not limited to attendance at Club meetings, helping with flying field maintenance and repair, participation in Club contests/demonstrations (flying and/or working), and exhibiting friendship toward fellow members. It is understood that circumstances occasionally may preclude active participation in Club activities and, when this happens, a Club officer is to be advised. 5.4 Junior Membership 5.4.1 A Junior Member must be under the age of nineteen (19). 5.4.2 A Junior Member must be accompanied at the field by a parent/legal guardian or other adult holding written authorization from the parent/legal guardian to act in his/her behalf. It will be the responsibility of the parent or authorized adult to remain with the Junior Member throughout the flying session. 5.5 Honorary Membership 5.5.1 An Honorary Member is an individual that is designated as a Member of L.I.F.E. because of exemplary prior service and/or support to the Club or such other circumstances as may be approved by the Membership. 5.5.2 An Honorary Member shall be exempt from annual dues and assessments. 5.5.3 An Honorary Member shall not be entitled to hold any office, nor shall he/she have any voting privileges. 5.5.4 An Honorary Member shall be entitled to attend meetings, receive all publications, participate in all Club events, and enjoy all other privileges of L.I.F.E. membership. 5.5.5 Honorary Membership shall be granted on an annual basis and shall be subject to review by the Membership at the start of each Club year. 5.6 Dues and Fees 5.6.1 All memberships shall run from October 1st through September 30th. 5.6.2 An Initiation Fee of $50.00 shall be assessed upon all new and re-instated members lapsed for twelve (12) months or more at the time of their acceptance for membership. The Initiation Fee shall not apply to re-instated members lapsed for less than twelve (12) months. 5.6.3 Annual dues and assessments shall be paid upon attaining membership status. 5.6.4 Annual Membership dues shall be $125.00 for Senior Members and $35.00 for Junior Members. For new members joining June 1st or later, dues will be prorated at $15.00 per month or any part thereof for Senior Members and $5.00 per month or any part thereof for Junior Members through September. Dues for re-instated Members will be the same as for new members if their membership has been lapsed for twelve (12) months or more. Dues for re-instated members lapsed for less than one (1) year will be at the full annual rate. 5.6.5 Annual Dues are due October 1st, but shall be payable without penalty through December 31st. Members in arrears as of the November meeting shall be notified by mail or electronically. Members in arrears as of January 1st will be dropped from the Club roster and all rights and privileges of Club membership shall be rescinded, including use of the Club flying field. 5.7 Lapsed Members 5.7.1 A lapsed Member may apply for reinstatement at any time without penalty within twelve (12) months of the start of a new Club year, contingent upon either: (a) The Club Roster not having reached its established cap. (b) There being no Wait-Listed applications ahead of the Lapsed Member. 5.7.2 A Lapsed Member who applies for reinstatement more than twelve (12) months after the start of the Club Year shall be considered a new applicant and, therefore, shall be subject to all the rules and conditions appropriate thereto. ARTICLE VI - Membership Meetings 6.1 Regular meetings shall be held on the first Friday of each month unless circumstances warrant otherwise. Meetings will commence nominally at 7:30 PM. Members will be notified of any changes to the meeting schedule via the previous meeting minutes or other means as appropriate prior to the original and revised meeting date and time. 6.2 Order of Business – The Order of Business at all regular meetings will be as follows: Member sign-in Approval of the Minutes of the previous meeting Reports of Officers/Committees as appropriate Old and unfinished business New business Special events Model of the Month Fickle Finger of Flight Raffles as authorized by the Board Adjournment ARTICLE VII – Committees 7.1 The Board of Directors may elicit and/or designate from the general membership such committees as shall be deemed necessary for the good of the Club. A Chairman of each committee shall be elected by the members of the committee or, failing that, appointed by the Board of Directors. ARTICLE VIII – Field Safety Rules 8.1 It is the responsibility of all Club members to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Club Field Safety rules (Appendix 1). Strict adherence to these rules is mandatory for all Members. Frequent and/or flagrant violation may result in suspension or termination of membership. ARTICLE IX – Termination of Membership 9.1 Causes for termination 9.1.1 Non-payment of dues 9.1.2 Lapse of AMA membership that extends beyond March 31st of the current Club year. 9.1.3 Non-participation in Club activities 9.1.4 Frequent and/or flagrant violation of Club Bylaws 9.1.5 Frequent and/or flagrant violation of AMA and/or Field Safety Rules 9.2 Termination Process Any Member may advise the Board of a perceived violation. Upon receipt of such advisement, the Board will determine the merit of the allegation and, if deemed to have merit, will follow the procedure set forth in the following articles: 9.2.1 First Violation Upon agreement of 3 of 5 Board members, a Member of the Board shall issue a verbal warning directly to the Member in violation. Such warning shall indicate the nature of the violation and the date of occurrence. Subsequent to issuing the warning, the Board Member shall document the contact to the Secretary in writing. The documentation shall include, as a minimum, the name of the Member in violation, the nature of the violation and date of occurrence, the date of the verbal warning, and the response, if any, of the Member in violation. The Secretary shall retain the documentation in the Club files. 9.2.2 Second Violation Upon agreement of 4 of 5 Board members, the Secretary shall transmit to the Member in violation, written notification of the violation. The notification shall include, as a minimum, the date and nature of the violation as well as the determination of the Board and a warning that any further violation could result in termination of membership. The Secretary shall retain a copy of the notification in the Club files. 9.2.3 Third Violation Upon unanimous agreement of the Board members, the Member in violation shall be terminated from membership in the Club (or such lesser penalty, such as suspension for a specified period, as the Board may deem appropriate), effective immediately. The Secretary shall provide to the Member in violation written notification of the decision of the Board. The notification shall include the chronology of the violations (i.e., nature and date of each violation) that led to the decision of the Board. 9.3 Exceptions 9.3.1 Non-payment of dues ( Article 9.1.1) is not subject to the process of Article 9.2. The process appropriate to this violation is clearly defined in Article 5.7.5. 9.3.2 In the event of extreme violation (e.g., malicious intent, violent behavior), the Board may, by unanimous decision, immediately proceed to and follow the process defined in Article 9.2.3 without the prior warnings. 9.4 Right of Appeal At any point in the termination process, a Member deemed in violation may challenge the ruling to the Board of Appeals per Article IV of these Bylaws. 9.4.1 If the appeal is upheld, all record of the challenged incident must be expunged from the Club files. The Member shall be treated as if the incident had never occurred. 9.4.2 If the appeal is rejected, there shall be no jeopardy attached to the Member in violation for having made the appeal. The termination process shall be resumed from the point of the appeal. 9.5 Financial Considerations In the event the foregoing process results in termination, the terminated Member shall receive a prorated refund of his annual dues in the amount of $10 per month or any part thereof remaining in the current Club year (defined as ending September 30th). ARTICLE X – Amendments to the Bylaws 10.1 Any Member (or group of Members) may propose an amendment to the Bylaws at any time, but the amendment must be proposed at a Regular Club meeting. If, after discussion, a simple majority of the Members in attendance at that meeting agree to the proposal or some modification thereof, the resultant proposal shall be included in the published minutes of that meeting. 10.2 A formal vote on the proposed amendment(s) shall take place at the first regular Club meeting held after 30 days have elapsed from the publication of the proposed amendment(s) as determined by postmark/e-mail transmission date. 10.3 Each proposed amendment shall be voted upon individually and shall be adopted if three-quarters (3/4) of the Regular and Junior Members assembled at the time of the vote are in favor of the amendment. Amended Bylaws will become effective immediately upon the vote. 10.4 The Secretary will report the results of the voting in the published minutes of that meeting. 10.5 The amended Bylaws will be distributed to each active Member of the Club as either “pen-and-ink” changes to the existing Bylaws or complete replacement of the existing Bylaw package, at the discretion of the Secretary, based on his judgment of the extent of the amendments.
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