Here are the current proposed changes to the Constitution.  Please Click Read more to see the proposed changes.  The areas in red are the new changes.

Constitution of the East Tennessee Reef Club

Article I

Name

Section 1- The name of the Club shall be the East Tennessee Reef Club aka ETRC.

Section 2- The name of this Club shall not be used by any individual, or group, for self representation or self gain.

Article II

Purpose

Section 1 - East Tennessee Reef Club is a non-profit organization of marine hobbyists brought together by the desire to promote a better understanding of the life we keep in our home aquariums. Our focus is increasing the longevity of marine life in a controlled environment and to encourage that life to propagate freely. Only through education and the sharing of ideas can we expect a future for our hobby.

Section 2 - Under no circumstances may any part of the income of this Club be used to the benefit of any Officer, Trustee or Member.

Section 3 - Under dissolution of this Club, the Board of Directors (BOD) shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the Club, equally distribute the assets of the Club to the members in good standing.

Article III

Term

Section 1 - The term of this Club is to be perpetual.

Section 2 - The membership year of the East Tennessee Reef Club shall be September 1st, through August 31st. The Board of Directors shall audit all accounts and create a complete financial report no later than 90 days following the close of the fiscal year.

Article IV

Membership

Section 1 - Membership in this organization shall be open to anyone who, by proper application, meets with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Proper application for membership and amount of dues shall be established by the Board of Directors of this Club and shall be set forth in the By-laws of this organization.

Section 3 - The East Tennessee Reef Club shall consist of four (4) classifications of membership: Charter, Regular, Honorary, and Commercial.

 

Article V

General Meetings

Section 1 - Club meetings will generally be held on the third Saturday of each month.

Section 2 - Order of Business

The order of business for any Board or general meeting shall consist of the follows:

General Meeting:

(1) Opening of the meeting (refreshments usually served throughout meeting)

(2) Call for membership

(3) Club report

(4) Club business

(5) Program and speaker

(6) Raffles and special drawings for door prizes.

(7) Adjournment

 

Article VI

Board Meetings

Section 1 - Board members shall receive notice of board meetings at least 5 days before a meeting. If less than 5 days notice is necessary, a quorum must be able to attend to conduct club business.

Section 2 - At all meetings of the Board the president or in his absence the Vice President shall preside.

Section 3 - The board meeting shall be held every other month unless changed by a majority vote of the board.

Section 4 – Each member present shall have one vote.

Section 5 - Only board members shall attend unless another club member is invited by a board member to attend. Non BOD members shall have no vote and shall address the board at the board’s request, in compliance with article VIII section 8.

Section 6 - The presence at any Board meeting of a quorum (at least one half of Board of Directors) shall be necessary to conduct the business of the society; two thirds of the quorum shall be needed to pass or reject a vote on Society business. However, a lesser number may adjourn the vote until the next scheduled Board meeting.

Section 7 – Special or Emergency meetings for the society shall be called in the following manner:  1) by the president and 2) by a quorum of the Board.  All Board members shall be notified of such meetings.  Notification need not be in writing.  Board unable to attend will not be penalized.

Article VII

Officers and Elections

Section 1 - Elected Officers of the East Tennessee Reef Club shall consist of the following and shall be elected every one (1) year: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Elections shall take place in the month of September each year. The newly elected officers shall assume office at the September meeting of the same year. Nominations for officers shall take place online in an appropriate location as determined by the BOD in the month of September for two weeks each year. During this nomination process the President or a designee will ascertain from the Secretary and Treasurer that all those nominated are qualified to run for office in accordance with the bylaws of this organization.

Section 3 - Only participating members in good standing are eligible for office.

Section 4 – At the completion of the nomination process, voting on the BOD members will take place in the manner selected by the BOD.  The Secretary will be held responsible for tabulating the votes.  The results of the voting will be made known by the President to the newly elected BOD and the newly elected BOD will be announced to the club members at the September meeting.

 

Article VIII

Board of Directors

Section 1 - The duly elected Officers as set forth in article VII, Sections one (1), and the Trustees, shall comprise the East Tennessee Reef Club Board of Directors. Each member of the Board of Directors shall have an equal vote in the business of the society. However, in the case of a tie, the President shall have the power of one and one-half (1 ½) votes.

Section 2 - The Trustees of the East Tennessee Reef Club shall consist of positions appointed by the elected officers (Web Master, Public Relations, others as needed).

Section 3 - The Board of Directors shall hold the following terms of office: All elected board members shall be elected in September as describe in Article III section 2-4 for one year starting at the first club meeting in September. All appointed and elected Board Members terms shall end at the first club meeting in the September meeting of the next year.

Section 4 - It shall be the function of the Board of Directors to transact all business of the Club and make reports to the General Membership.

Section 5 - Any Board Member who misses three (3) consecutive Board Meetings without good reason may be replaced by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. If it is an elected office, the President shall appoint an interim replacement until the next scheduled elections.

Section 6 - A member of the Board of Directors may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board, the president or the secretary of the Society. Unless otherwise specified in the notice the resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the board and the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 7 – In the event of death, resignation or removal of a board member, the president at his/her discretion may propose a successor to be voted upon by the board to fill the unexpired term

Section 8 – a member of ETRC wishing to attend or address a board meeting shall contact a Board Member or the President with his or her request. He or she may address the board at the behest of the President. The President shall be responsible for approval of all requests. The member names shall be added to the minutes of that board meeting. Non-board members cannot vote on business of the Board of Directors

Article IX

Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1 – All proposed amendments to the Constitution must be in writing and must list the Article and Section that is to be amended. All proposed amendments must be signed by three (3) active members and presented to the Board of Directors for consideration. If approved by the Board of Directors, the proposed amendment shall be submitted for a general vote.

Section 2 – A two-thirds (2/3) majority of participating, voting members (to be determined by the board) present or online shall be required to pass these changes.

Section 3 – All proposed changes will be published on the ETRC website previous to the meeting at which action is to be taken.