THE CLUB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND
BYLAWS
(Approved September 2023)
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of the club shall be the University Club of the University of Puget Sound.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The purposes of this Club shall be to establish and maintain a center and operating facility which makes it possible for the members to meet regularly both formally and informally, and thus to provide for the interchange of ideas and information necessary to further the social, educational, intellectual, and research objectives of the University of Puget Sound.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. There shall be two classes of membership in this Club: Active and Honorary. Membership shall not be restricted on the basis of age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion/spiritual tradition, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, personal appearance, or political beliefs.
a. Active membership shall be open to all non-student employees of the University age 21 and older. The Board of Trustees of the Club may establish guidelines for eligibility for Active membership.
b. Honorary membership shall be open to retired and former Club members, subject to approval of the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Privileges of membership:
a. Active members shall enjoy all the privileges of membership.
b. Honorary members shall be maintained on the Club membership list and be invited to Club sponsored functions.
Section 3. The Board of Trustees of the Club shall establish and publish Club rules, regulations, and policies regarding membership and the use of the clubhouse.
Section 4. The Board of Trustees of the Club shall have the authority to cancel the membership of any person for nonpayment of dues or other violations of the rules and regulations of the Club.
ARTICLE IV - DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
Section 1. Amount of dues.
a. Annual dues for Active members shall be set by the Board of Trustees.
b. Honorary members shall pay no dues.
Section 2. Annual dues shall be paid by payroll deduction over the entire year. Dues of new members shall be payable upon joining the Club.
ARTICLE V - GOVERNMENT
Section 1. The government of this Club shall be vested in a board of nine Trustees. There shall be four executive trustees and five at-large trustees. Executive positions are a two year term, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. At large positions are a one year term, with no limit on consecutive terms. The Board of Trustees shall have the power to fill vacancies occurring in the Board until the next annual election and to make whatever temporary arrangements are necessary in the terms of the trustees during the transition to new governance structure.
Section 2. The Board of Trustees shall effect its own organization and shall elect from its executive members a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The duties of these officers shall be those customary to their several offices, in addition to any other duties assigned to them by these bylaws or by the President. All trustees have equal voting privileges, and all Board meetings are open to all trustees.
Section 3. There shall be at least one meeting of the Board of Trustees each academic semester except the summer session. Additional meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any time upon call of the President or three members of the Board of Trustees. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES
Section 1. Special committees may be established as the Board of Trustees deems necessary. Chairpersons of special committees shall be appointed by the President from among the members of the Club.The appointment of members to such committees shall be at the discretion of the committee chair, with the advice of the Board of Trustees. These committees are advisory, and do not have the delegated authority of the board, nor may they act for the board.
Section 2. Board committees may be established by the Board, and the Board may delegate aspects of its authority to these committees. These committees must have at least two trustees as members, and may be established by majority vote of the Board. Non-trustee members may serve on these committees but only trustees may vote. These committees shall have only the authority that is not prohibited by the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act (RCW 24.034A).
ARTICLE VII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. The Board of Trustees shall call for nominations during a 10 day period during the Fall semester. At the end of that period, the Secretary shall electronically distribute the slate of candidates to the membership and announce the election period and ballot procedures. .
Section 2. In the event that there is only one candidate nominated for an open position, they may be elected by acclamation. The Secretary shall prepare an electronic ballot setting forth the names of all nominees for any contested positions and shall distribute the ballot electronically to all Active members. The date for return of the ballots shall be specified thereon and shall be at least ten calendar days after the date of distribution of the ballots.
Section 3. Votes shall be tabulated and verified by the Secretary in conjunction with at least one other trustee. The candidates receiving the greatest number of votes for the position for which they were nominated shall be elected. In case of a tie, nominees may have the option to concede. If neither nominee concedes, the winner shall be determined by lot.
ARTICLE VIII - FISCAL CONTROL
Section 1. The Treasurer, shall prepare a financial report at least once per semester based on estimated revenue and expenditures, to be presented to the Board of Trustees for consideration at a Board meeting. This report shall be prepared in conjunction with another executive Trustee.
Section 2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt, custody, and disbursement of the funds of the Club, and shall formulate and administer rules and regulations for the collection and disbursement of the Club’s money.
Section 3. At the request of any active member of the Club, the Board of Trustees shall have the Club’s accounts audited at the end of the fiscal year. A report of such audit shall be presented to the Board by the Treasurer.
Section 4. The fiscal year shall be from July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS
Section 1. An annual meeting of the Club shall be held at the first Club-sponsored event of the spring semester, notice of which shall be delivered to the membership not less than ten days before the meeting, to ratify the election results and conduct any other business as determined by the Board. Ten percent of Active membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Club may be called at the discretion of the Board of Trustees or by petition of ten percent of the Active members.
ARTICLE X - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The most recent edition of the Francis & Francis Democratic Rules of Order shall govern meetings of this Club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the statutes of the State of Washington, the Articles of Incorporation, or these bylaws.
ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended only by vote. The proposed amendments must have been approved by the Board of Trustees or presented to the Secretary by a petition signed by at least twenty percent of the voting membership. The petition and signatures may be electronic. Written notice of such proposed amendments shall be distributed electronically to each voting member at least two weeks in advance of the voting date. A two-thirds affirmative vote, of the valid votes returned to the Secretary, shall be necessary for the adoption of the amendment or amendments