BYLAWS and RULES
1.
Purpose.
The purpose of
the American Canoe Association Atlantic Division (Division) shall be to promote
the purposes of the American Canoe Association (ACA) at the regional level.
2.
Membership.
The membership
of the Division shall be that of the ACA members, who live within the
boundaries of the Division. ACA Members,
who live outside of these boundaries, may join the Division upon request. Members of the Division, who move outside of
these boundaries, may retain membership upon request.
3.
Boundaries.
The Division
shall encompass the downstate counties of New York (Suffolk, Nassau, Kings,
Queens, Richmond, New York City, the Bronx, Westchester, Dutchess, Ulster,
Sullivan, Rockland and Orange) and the northern counties of New Jersey (Bergen,
Passaic, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer, Mon-mouth, Middlesex,
Union, Morris, Essex, and Hudson). See
attached zip code list used by the Membership Department.
4.
Meetings.
4.1 Annual Meeting.
The Annual
Meeting of the Membership shall take place in the third quarter of the year,
and shall serve as an opportunity to hear current concerns in canoesport, and
to conduct the annual business of the Division.
At the business meeting, there shall be a full report on all Divisional
affairs, an opportunity for membership to discuss issues, as well as an
opportunity to make nominations from the floor, and to propose amendments to
these Bylaws. There shall be at least a
month’s notice of the Annual Meeting.
The quorum shall be one (1%) percent.
No proxies shall be allowed.
4.2 The Board of Directors and Divisional
Committees
The Board of
Directors shall meet at least quarterly, and all committees shall meet from
time to time. Meeting notices shall be
distributed at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting. The quorum for these meetings shall be fifty
(50) percent, and no proxies shall be allowed.
5.
Governance.
The Division
shall be managed by a Board of Directors, which shall be elected by the membership,
and which shall work in cooperation with members serving on various committees
in an appointed capacity.
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5.1
The
Board of Directors
The Board of
Directors shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, five (5)
Special Directors and two (2) Directors at large.
The Chair shall
speak for the Division in matters involving other organizations and the
national structure of the ACA, supervise the various affairs of the Division,
preside at meetings, and make appointments as indicated below.
The Vice Chair
shall assist the Chair in the above duties, and take over those duties in the
absence of the Chair, or in the event, that the Chair should be vacated.
The Secretary
shall keep the records of the Division, and assist the above officers in their
duties.
The Treasurer
shall supervise the financial affairs of the Division, and assist the above
officers in their duties.
The five (5)
Special Directors shall be consistent with that of National structure as
follows: for Safety, Education and Instruction; Competition; Conservation and
Public Policy issues; Promotion and Recreation; and Property and Camping.
There shall be
two (2) Directors at Large, who shall assist with such
matters as may be needed from time to time, in order to promote the interests
of the Division.
Consistent with
that of the National structure, the terms of Board of Directors shall be two
calendar years. Staggered two year terms
for the Directors at Large will be discontinued at the adoption of these Bylaws
and the two year terms.
5.2
Activity
Committees.
There shall be
such Activity Committees as may be appropriate, to manage various areas within
the sport, and to foster participation in canoesport. Each Activity Committee may appoint a
representative. In the absence of a
nominee, the Board of Directors may appoint a representative. In the event that the Board of Directors
rejects a nominee, a new nominee shall be solicited from the Activity
Committee. Terms shall be for the one
(1) year.
5.3
Standing
Committees.
The Chair shall
appoint with the approval of the Board of Directors such standing committees as
may be appropriate, to address various ongoing concerns of the Division. Terms shall be for two (2) years.
5.4
Ad
Hoc Committees.
The Chair may
appoint ad hoc committees to address temporary matters of concern, or to
accomplish specific tasks, which are not of an ongoing nature. Terms shall be for no more than one (1) year.
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6.
Property.
6.1
The
The
The
6.2
The
Rental Cabins Committee.
The Rental
Cabins Committee shall manage the rental facilities at ACA Camp. It shall be appointed by the Chair, with the
approval of the Board of Directors for a two-year term. Those members, who have been active in
promoting the rental cabins in the course of the year, shall be consulted in
the selection of this committee.
7.
The
Division Reserve Fund.
The Atlantic
Division shall maintain a reserve fund, which shall be intended primarily to
cover major capital improvement expenses at ACA Camp. The Board of Directors may expend up to ½ of
the annual interest earned from the Reserve Fund at their discretion. The Fund may be supported by contributions
and donations.
The trustees of
the fund shall have experience in financial affairs and fiduciary matters, be
members of the ACA Atlantic Division for at least the last five (5) years, and
have served on the Divisional Board of Directors. No more than one of the trustees may also be
a member of the Divisional Board of Directors at any one time.
There shall be
three trustees, who shall be elected towards the end of the calendar year by
the Board of Directors to staggered three year terms. Each term shall begin at the beginning of the
subsequent calendar year.
Requests from
the fund shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Divisional Board of
Directors. The signature of at least two
trustees shall be necessary to withdraw funds.
The National Executive Director shall be a signatory on the Reserve Fund
Accounts.
8.
Elections.
Voting on
candidates for the Board of Directors and voting on all matters as required by
these Bylaws shall be by mail ballot.
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In the event
that no candidate for office shall receive a majority of the vote, a plurality
of forty percent (40%) shall be sufficient.
In the event that no candidate shall receive at least this plurality,
there shall be a run off election between the two highest contenders.
9.
Resignation
and Removal from Office and Vacancies.
Any member of
any body or committee within the Division may resign with reason at any time,
or be removed for cause. Members of all
committees and bodies other than the Board of Directors may be removed for
cause by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors may also be
removed for cause, however, a majority of the Board of Directors shall bring
charges, and the charges along with the response of the member, shall be
referred to the membership for a mail ballot vote: a two-thirds majority of
those voting shall be necessary for removal.
Any member, who
may be removed for cause, shall have a fair opportunity to respond to charges.
The Divisional
Board of Directors shall fill all vacancies for the remainder of the term.
10.
Grievance.
Any member may
grieve any act of any official or body within the Division. The grievance shall be filed within three
months of the event, or the most recent denial of the grievance, and shall be
heard at the next meeting of the appropriate party. Grievances shall proceed in the first
instance to the local committee or body, in the second to the Divisional Board
of Directors, and in the third to the national organization.
11.
Amendments.
Amendments to
these BYLAWS may be proposed to the Board of Directors for its recommendation,
be distributed to the membership with the Annual Meeting Notice, be discussed
at the Annual Meeting, and be voted upon by the membership through mail
ballot. Amendments may be proposed at
the Annual Meeting by members; however, such proposed amendments shall receive
the approval of at least a majority of the members in attendance, in order to
be placed on the ballot. Approval by a
two-thirds majority shall be required by those voting in the mail ballot. Such amendments shall become active upon
approval by the National Board of Directors.
12.
Rules.
Procedural
matters, as well as other administrative details, shall be covered in the
Rules.
These may be
adopted or amended according to the provisions of Article 11, except that a
simple majority shall be needed to adopt and to amend.
13.
Enactment.
13.1 Terms.
Currently
elected officials shall complete their terms.
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13.2 The Annual Meeting.
The Annual
Meeting shall be conducted on the basis of these Bylaws.
13.3 Approval.
A two-thirds
majority of those voting in a mail ballot referendum shall be necessary for
approval. These Bylaws shall become
final upon approval by the national organization. In the event, that there should be any
interim, it shall function as a tentative plan.
RULES
101.
ANNUAL
MEETING
The
Annual Meeting of the Division will be held at a public place
that has facilities and space for discussions
and conferences and is easily accessible to the members of the Division. The Board of Directors will publish the date,
time and location of the annual meeting in CANOE SPORT in time to reach the
membership thirty (30) days before the meeting date. All committees and boards are required to
submit written reports.
102.
FISCAL
YEAR
The
Divisional Fiscal Year is from October 1 through
September 30.
103.
BOARDS
AND COMMITTEES
The
Board of Directors, as defined in the Bylaws, will transact all business of the
Division.
This includes, but is not limited
to: 1)The management of all assets, finances,
securities, and property within the Division according to these Rules and any
other provisions for specific assets and property. 2)The appointment of
an audit committee to audit all Division finances. This committee will report to the Board of
Directors by the end of November each year.
3)The approval of the annual budget, annual
report, and all other planning documents and publications. 4)Process amendments
to the Divisional Bylaws and Rules. 5)The establishment of committees and bodies as may be
appropriate. 6)The
removal of individuals from any appointed positions for cause and reporting
this action to the National organization for any additional action, if necessary. 7)The recommendation
to the National organization to terminate a member’s privileges for actions
detrimental to the Division.
If a member of the Board of
Directors misses two consecutive meetings without notifying the Chair, the
Board of Directors will consider the question of vacancy of that position at
its next meeting.
No more than three of the eleven
members of the Board of Directors may serve simultaneously on the
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103.1.1
The
Executive Board of Directors
The
Executive Board of Directors will consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary
and Treasurer. They will schedule the
dates, times and places for Board of Directors meetings and plan the agenda. They will remind the other Board of Directors
members of previously scheduled meetings and inform them of any special
meetings. They will confer about any
business that needs an immediate solution and make a temporary decision until
the full committee can meet.
103.1.2
Duties
of the Officers of the Executive Board of Directors
103.1.2.1
The
Chair
The
Chair will preside at all Division Meetings and will represent the Division on
the National Divisional Committee. In
consultation with the Executive Board members, the Chair will set the dates,
time, place and agenda of the Board of Directors meetings and the Annual
Meeting. The Chair will nominate
committee members as provided by the Bylaws and submit an annual report to the
Division.
The
Chair, with the help and support of the Board of Directors, will promote the
growth and development of canoesport within the Division.
The
Chair is an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating
Committee. The Chair is a signatory on
the Division account.
103.1.2.2
The
Vice Chair
The
Vice Chair will preside in the absence of the Chair and will assume the office
of Chair in case of vacancy. The Vice
Chair will assist in the Chair in his duties as activity calendar of the
Division. The Vice Chair will nominate
the Editor of CANOE SPORT and provide that it is published at least three times
per year to inform the members of the Division’s activity and instruction
schedules and to announce the Annual Meeting and the candidates presented by
the Nominating Committee.
To
minimize conflicts with other Division Activities, the Vice Chair will contact
the Chair of each Activity Committee before the date of the annual meeting is
scheduled.
103.1.2.3
The
Treasurer
The
Treasurer will be in charge of the Division’s account and will prepare and
present a written report about the account at each Board of Directors
meeting. The Treasurer will sign all
checks, keep the receipts of all expenditures and submit the books for an audit
at the end of the fiscal year. The
Treasurer will provide the National Office with all records of accounts as
required. The Treasurer will prepare a
written report for the Annual Meeting and within thirty (30) days of leaving
office, transfer all financial records and accounts to the incoming Treasurer.
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103.1.2.4
The
Secretary
The
Secretary records the minutes of the Board of Directors meetings and the Annual
Meeting, conducts all official correspondence, and manages official
documents. The Secretary will distribute
a written notice of all meetings and copies of the minutes to all Board of
Directors members, Activity Committee Chairs, Standing Committee Chairs and,
when appropriate, Affiliated Clubs. The
Secretary will maintain a current and accurate roster of all committee chairs
and members and all other appointed or elected officials. The Secretary will maintain the record
book(s) that contain the Bylaws and Rules, and previous meeting’s minutes along
with any amendments to these documents and have these record books available at
every meeting. The Secretary will
coordinate membership rosters with the National office and upon request,
furnish members with copies of documents at reasonable cost. Within thirty (30) days of leaving office,
the Secretary will transfer records to the incoming Secretary.
103.1.2.5
Duties
of Directors
The
Directors will act as liaison as follows:
1)Safety,
Education and Instruction
This
Director shall coordinate Instruction, and any other Activity Committees or
programs on issues of safety. The
Director will coordinate with Affiliate Clubs and Activity Committees to
develop annual programs for safety, education and instruction in all phases of
canoesport and advertise them to the membership. The Director will plan, advertise and provide
annual Instructor Training courses on a Division level.
2)Competition
The
Director shall coordinate
3)Conservation
and Public Policy
This
Director shall coordinate Conservation or any other related matters. The Director will be a liaison with Activity
Committees and Affiliated Clubs on matters of Conservation and Public
Policy. The Director will identify areas
of concern in conservation and public policy and alert and involve the
membership.
4)Promotion
and Recreation
The
Director will coordinate with Affiliated Clubs and Activity Committees to
develop and advertise activities available to general membership. There should be a minimum of one activity per
month from May through September.
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5)Property
and Camping
This
Director will attend the meetings of the
6)Directors
at Large will report on such matters that the Board of Directors may assign to
them.
103.2
Activity
Committees
The
Division will maintain Activity Committees that reflect the interests of the
Division’s members. These may include
but are not exclusive to: Coastal Kayaking, Conservation, Adaptive Paddling,
Freestyle Paddling, Instruction,
Each activity will keep a record of
members who have participated in each activity and event during the year. If an Activity Committee charges fees for
activities or events, it will submit a financial report to the Treasurer at the
end of the fiscal year.
103.2.1
Annual
Meetings of Activity Committees
The
Chair shall notify the members of annual programs and will coordinate with the
Division Vice Chair when planning the date, time and
place of the Annual Activity Committee meetings. The Committee Chair will notify all participants
and interested persons of the date, time and place of the Annual Meeting at
least one month before the meeting. At
this meeting necessary business will be conducted, and they will nominate
officers and committee members for the next year. They will take attendance and minutes of the
Annual Activity Committee meeting and send a copy to the Division Secretary
within two weeks following the meeting.
If the election is by mail ballots, the ballots will be sent to the
Division Secretary. The election will be
completed by December 15. Upon approval
by the Board of Directors, the officers and committee members will take office
on January 1 of the following year.
Those committees that have National Bylaws will conduct the election
according to the National Bylaws.
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103.2.2 National Bylaws of Activity
Committees
Activity
Committees with National Bylaws will be governed by those Bylaws.
103.3
Standing
Committees
103.3.1
Division
Reserve Fund
The
trustees of this Fund will meet at the beginning of each year. At this meeting, they will elect a Chair who
will be responsible for reporting on the Fund.
The Chair will submit an annual report to the Divisional Board of Directors
as requested and by August 31 each year.
This report will contain all the details of the account from the time of
the last report, such as the current balance, disbursements, the nature of
investments, and the status of any loans.
This report will be available for an audit.
103.3.2
Finance
Committee
The
Finance Committee will consist of the Division Treasurer, a member from the
Division Reserve Fund, the Camp Committee Treasurer, the Rental Cabins
Committee Treasurer and a Treasurer from one of the Division’s Activity
Committees. The Division Treasurer shall
serve as the Finance Committee Chair.
The Committee will discuss divisional financial issues and the reports
of the members regarding the promotion of paddlesport. Each member of the Finance Committee shall
comply with all requests from the Committee Chair for submission of detailed
financial reports.
103.3.3
Nominating
Committee
103.3.3.1
Membership
The
Committee will consist of a Chair and other members as described below. At the March Board of Directors meeting, the
committee will appoint a convener of the Nominating Committee. By March 1 of each year, all the Activity
Committees, Cabins Rental Committee, and
103.3.3.2 Nominations
The
Nominating Committee will nominate candidates to fill the officers and director
positions and conduct the elections. The
Nominating Committee will inform the proposed candidates of the
responsibilities of the office as described in these Bylaws and Rules. The Committee will solicit candidates from
the membership by publishing an announcement in CANOESPORT including the name
and phone number of the Chair or contact person. The Committee may nominate two candidates for
each position. They will notify the
membership of their slate of officers at the same time the notice is sent announcing
the date, time and place of the annual meeting.
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The
Nominating Committee will also develop a list of possible candidates to serve
on the Reserve Fund.
103.3.3.2
Elections
Nominations
may be made from the floor at the Annual meeting. A proposed candidate need not be present at
the meeting, but the Nominating Committee Chair must have written acceptance of
the nominee to the position.
By
the date of Annual Meeting, all candidates may submit a written statement of
100 words or less of their qualifications for the position. These statements will be mailed with the
ballots. Statements submitted after that
date will be published at the discretion of the Nominating Committee
Chair. The names of all candidates will
be placed on a ballot identifying the candidates proposed by the Nominating
Committee. Ballots may be mailed first
class to all voting members within four weeks after the date of the annual
meeting to be returned three weeks after the mailing date. In the case of a bulk rate mailing, the
ballots will be returned within six weeks.
The results of the election will be published in the next issue of
CANOESPORT.
If
the nominations for all of the offices and Directors are uncontested, the
election will be by the Secretary casting one vote at the Annual Meeting.
103.3.4
The
103.3.4.1
Purposes
of the
The
103.3.4.2.1
Officers
and Executive Committee
The
103.3.4.2.2
Subcommittees
The
Camp Committee Chair, with the approval of the committee, may appoint as many
subcommittees as needed to fulfill the stated purposes of the Camp. At a minimum, there will be five Standing
Camp Subcommittees: Finance, Program and Hospitality, Building and Grounds, Waterfront
& Safety, and Selection and Evaluation of Assignees. Each of these standing subcommittees will
consist of three (3) to five (5) members.
One (1) or two (2) members will be
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103.3.4.3 Publication of Members
The
membership roster of these Committees will be published yearly.
103.3.4.3
The
It establishes specific policies and
procedures for the assignment of the Camp’s cabins and tent platforms. These policies and procedures are to include
the following minimums. Availability for
assignment of cabins and tent platforms will be advertised to the general
membership. The assignment of facilities
to the various constituencies in the division will give priority to the Camp
Committee, Rental Cabins, Affiliated Clubs, Activity Committees and general
membership in that order. The maximum
assignment period for all cabins and tent platforms in the camp is to be four
years. Rental Cabins, Division Activity
Committees and Affiliated Clubs are to reapply after each assignment
period. If they desire and continue to
qualify for assignment, they may be reassigned to their current cabin or
platform. The system of rotation is to
give priority in assignment to qualified applicants who have not previously had
a facility assignment.
It establishes and publicizes
policies and procedures regarding initial and continuing eligibility for
assignment of a cabin or tent platform in the camp. At a minimum, all members, committees and
clubs must have been an ACA member for at least 36 months prior to
application. Clubs also must have had a
minimum of twenty (20) voting members for the past 36 months. Division Activity Committees must have had
ten (10) voting members for the past 36 months.
103.4.5
Rental
Cabins Committee
The
mission of the Rental Cabins Committee is to provide the membership the
opportunity to utilize the facilities at the ACA Camp at
It
will charge fees to cover its operating expenses and may adjust its fees with
the approval of the Board of Directors.
It will submit an annual financial report to the Treasurer and will make
its accounts available for an audit.
With the approval of the Board of Directors, it may make or revise such
operating policies and procedures as necessary to fulfill its mission.
103.3.5
Publicity
The
Committee will consist of one (1) member from the Division Board of Directors
and the Editor of CANOESPORT. They may
select other members as needed. They
will identify opportunities for publicizing the ACA and the Division and follow
through on these opportunities.
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104 PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current
edition of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised will guide the Division
in all cases where they are applicable and are consistent with the Bylaws and
Rules and any special rules of order that the Division may adopt.
105 AFFILIATED CLUBS
ACA Affiliated Clubs contribute to
the vitality of the Atlantic Division.
They provide important opportunities for growth in leadership,
instruction and a variety of recreational opportunities in canoe sport.
105.1 Terms for Affiliation
The terms for a formal club
affiliation charter are established by the National Board of Directors.
105.2
Requirements
of Affiliated Clubs
The
Club and its members agree to abide by all rules and regulations established by
the various committees sponsored or administered by the Atlantic Division.
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