BY‑LAWS OF THE

GENERIC SQUARES

SQUARE DANCE CLUB

 

                                                                               PREAMBLE

 

We the members of the GENERIC SQUARES of San Jose, California, a non‑profit organization, have formed this Club in the spirit of friendliness and good fellowship to promote square dancing at a stimulating level.  For smooth operation of the Club, the following By‑Laws are hereby established:

 

Article I                  NAME OF CLUB AND DANCE DATES

 

      Section 1.        The Club shall be known as GENERIC SQUARES, hereafter referred to as the "Club". 

                  The Club will dance weekly on a night determined by majority vote with the first dance night of each month being party night.

 

Article II                 MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.         Qualifications for Membership in the Club

            A.              Application and membership shall be for adult dancers who are capable of                                                          dancing at the established Club level.

B.               Visitation to the Club is open to all couples who dance at the Club level.

C.              Applicants must be willing to adhere to these Club By‑Laws.

Section 2.         Procedures for Admission to the Club

A.              Applicants must dance three Club dance nights in a two month period after submission of a membership application.

B.               Application forms shall be available to all interested couples.

C.              The Membership Committee will review applicants for dancing ability and membership qualifications.

D.              Members shall be admitted to the Club by a simple majority vole of the Membership Committee.

E.               The Membership Committee will notify the applicants of the results as soon as possible.

Section 3.         Dancing Level

A.              The Club dancing level is a full Advanced (A2) level, as established by Callerlab.  This level includes Dancing by Definition (DBD) of all calls including non‑standard formations, positions and partner pairings (APD).  The Advanced Level, Mainstream and Plus Level Quarterly selections will also be danced.

B.               Except during designated evenings and times, the Club will dance "on the board."

      C.              Dancing couples shall consist of a man and a woman.  A member or visitor

                             attending without a dance partner may not take a position in a square or take

                             a dance card.  No singles rotation board will be run at Club dances.

 

 

 

Section 4.         Membership Duties and Responsibilities

A.              Dues are due and payable on the first dance night of each month and are considered delinquent after 30 days.  The Treasurer shall notify the member of the delinquency and after an additional 60 days, at the discretion of the Board, they may be dropped from the Club roster.

B.               Dues are $10 per month, per member when the club dances three or more nights and $5 for two or fewer nights.

C.              The Club shall purchase insurance to cover those members who are not covered through another club.

D.              Badges will be paid for by the members and will become their property.

E.               Squarehead duties shall be assigned on a rotating basis alphabetically by last name.  By vote of the Club, various officers and their partners may be excluded from Squarehead Duties during their term of office.

 

Article III               GOVERNING BODY

 

Section 1.         The Governing Body is the general membership

Section 2.         Business meetings will be held quarterly on the second regular Club night in the months of November, February, May and August (and additionally as needed for business).

Section 3.         Business decisions of the governing body will be a simple majority vote of those present and voting.

Section 4.         The quorum required to conduct business shall be sixteen active members (two squares) or 50% (one half) of the active members, whichever is fewer.

 

Article IV               EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

Section 1.         The Executive Board shall consist of six elected officers: President, Vice President, Membership Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer.

Section 2.         The President shall preside at meetings, appoint all required and / or necessary committees, call special meetings as required, and is the liaison to the Club caller.

Section 3.         The Vice President shall assist the President and perform the President's duties in his / her absence and is responsible for coordinating Squarehead duties.

Section 4.         The Membership Chairman is in charge of the Board appointed Membership Committee and responsible for review of applications.  They shall notify the Board and the applicants of the results of the Membership Committee vote.

Section 5.         The Secretary shall keep and distribute minutes of all meetings and maintain and distribute the membership roster.

Section 6.         The Treasurer shall collect, disperse and be responsible for all funds received by the Club.  A treasurer's report listing all receipts and disbursements shall be published quarterly.

Two signatures are required for checks and may be any two of the following: President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Assistant Treasurer.

Amounts of $10 or more must be paid by check: amounts of $100 or more, excluding caller fees and hall rental, require approval of the Board.

Section 7.         The Assistant Treasurer shall perform the Treasurer's duties in his / her absence.

 

Article V                NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

 

Section 1.         Nominations and elections will be held at the quarterly meeting in November for a twelve month term of office and will take effect immediately.

Section 2.         The President will appoint a nominating committee and nominations will also be taken from the floor prior to elections.

Section 3.         Offices will be held by the individual person and only one office may be served at a time.

 

Article VI               LEAVE OF ABSENCE

 

Section 1.         A leave of absence may be granted by the Executive Board for any legitimate reason, and requests must be submitted in writing.

Section 2.         All leaves of absence must be for a period of three to six months with extensions allowable up to one year.

Section 3.         Leaves of absence shall only be granted to members in good standing i.e. those whose dues are paid up to date.

 

Article VII              GENERAL

 

Section 1.         The Club Caller and his wife are honorary members of the Club.  They shall hold no office nor pay dues, but may serve in an advisory capacity when called upon.

Section 2.         There will be a Caller's fee established by the Board.

Section 3.         There shall be an audit of the books by three Club members appointed by the incoming President at the change of term.

Section 4.         In the event the Club should disband, all of the equipment and funds will be donated to a charitable institution selected by the remaining members of the Club at the time of disbanding.

Section 5.         Robert's Rules of Order will be used at all meetings.

Section 6.         Visitors fees per night shall be determined by a majority vote of the club.  The first visit is free.

Section 7.         There will be no Club dress, but the Club colors shall be black and white.

Section 8.         Procedures to amend or change the By‑Laws shall be as follows:

A.              Proposed amendments must be read at a Club meeting or given in writing to all active Club members at least two weeks prior to voting at a Club business meeting, where a two thirds majority of those present must approve.

 

As revised 08/08/2006