MEN'S & WOMEN'S PROBUS CLUBS OF WOODSTOCK-OXFORD

 1-1. Membership in the PROBUS Club of Women’s Woodstock- Oxford, hereinafter referred to as the “Club”, shall be primarily but not limited to Oxford County in the Province of Ontario.

  2-1. Membership in the Club is open to women.

 
2-2. An application for membership, once accepted, will require a one-time non-refundable initiation fee of $25.00 and an annual membership fee of $50.00 due in September and payable until the end of October. The Club Management Committee will review the fee structure periodically and may make adjustments based on the financial circumstances of the Club. Depending on the time of year a new member is accepted, the annual membership fee may be prorated at the discretion of the Management Committee. When a new member joins in January, February or March. The initiation fee will be $25.00, and the annual fee will be $25.00. Anyone joining in April, May or June will pay the initiation fee of $25.00 and a $50.00 annual fee but their membership will last until September of the year following their joining.

Upon acceptance by the club, a new member shall be given a Probus lapel pin, a Probus Pamphlet and a Directory by the Club’s President or designate. The Club’s by-laws will be posted on the website. Paper copies will be available for those without access to a computer.

Existing members who are renewing their membership must pay the full annual fee. Partial-year renewals are not permitted. 

2-3. Membership may be held in more than one PROBUS club. When a membership waiting list exists and an opening occurs in the Club, priority shall be given to an applicant who is not already a member of a PROBUS club.
 

2-4. Any membership caps are to be determined by the Management Committee. (change Probus Canada update)
 

2-5. Annual membership fees are payable by September 30th of each year.

2-6. The Management Committee may terminate the membership of any member who fails to pay the annual membership renewal fee by November 30th of any year.

2-7. Honorary Membership may be conferred on a person by a majority of members voting at a General Meeting of the membership provided a quorum of members, as defined by the bylaws, exists at the meeting. An Honorary Member shall not be required to pay the annual membership fee and shall enjoy all privileges of membership except voting and election to office. No more than 2% of the membership shall be Honorary Members at any given time. 

2-8. Life Membership may be conferred on a member by a majority of Club members voting at a General Meeting of the Club membership provided a quorum of members, as defined by the bylaws, exists at the meeting. The purpose of conferring a Life Membership is to recognize a Club member who has rendered outstanding service to the Club. A Life Member shall not be required to pay the annual membership fee and shall enjoy all privileges of membership. No more than 2% of the membership may be Life Members at any given time.

2-9. If in the opinion of, and after due consideration by, the Club's Management Committee, a member who has conducted herself in such a manner as to bring discredit on the Club or on PROBUS Canada or causes serious discord within the Club membership, the Management Committee shall endeavor to discuss and favorably resolve the issue with the member. Should such discussion be unsuccessful, the member may be asked by the President to resign. Should the member not resign, the Management Committee, by majority vote, may choose to not accept the renewal of the membership of the member for the following and any subsequent year(s) and shall return any Club membership renewal fees paid by or on behalf of the member for any period for which the member’s membership in the Club has not been in effect

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2-10 Upon the death of a member, a $50.00 donation will be made by the club to a charity of their choice. A Get -well card or a sympathy card is sent to a member with a lengthy illness or for the loss of an immediate family member.

  3-1. The Management Committee shall consist of members of the Club in good standing elected by the Club membership or, in the case of an interim vacancy on the Committee, appointed by the Management Committee with the exception of non-voting members of the Committee as provided in Bylaw 3-8. The Management Committee shall manage the day to day and strategic operations of the Club including, but not limited to, financial and membership activities.

3-2. The Management Committee shall consist, at a minimum, of the following six positions:

· President

· Vice President 

· Secretary/ Goodwill

· Treasurer

· Past President

· Membership Chairperson (includes Directory/ Photographer)

Additional committees: 

Getting to Know You

Program /Speakers

Special Events

Communications (Newsletter/ Web page/ Photographer)

3-3. The Management Committee may have more or fewer positions at the discretion of the Committee, but not fewer than the six positions outlined in Bylaw 3-2. The Management Committee shall set staggered terms for each management position such that no greater than 60% of the Management Committee position terms will expire in any single year. 

3-4. Each member on the Management Committee has one vote on the Committee with the exception that when two or more individuals occupy a Management Committee position (such as co-chairs for a position), only one such individual, as determined by those individuals occupying the position, shall exercise a vote on the Committee and count toward a Committee quorum. 

3-5. In the event a Management Committee member occupies more than one Committee position, only one such position shall be counted when determining a quorum for the Committee, and the member shall not exercise more than one vote on the Management Committee.

3-6. The voting quorum at a Management Committee meeting shall be 50% plus one of the Committee 

3-7. At the discretion of the Management Committee in any instance, Committee voting may be by open voting or by secret ballot, and votes by Management Committee members may be cast by telephone during the meeting and any such vote shall be reflected in the quorum present for that vote. 

3-8. For the purpose of advising the Committee, the Management Committee may appoint Club members as non-voting members of the Committee (or to subcommittees of the Committee) and for terms determined at the discretion of the Management Committee. Such appointments do not require a vote by the Club membership and individuals appointed to such non-voting roles do not exercise any authority on behalf of the Management Committee or Club. Such positions do not count toward a quorum of the Management Committee.

3-9. The President, or designate, shall preside at all meetings of the Management Committee and all General Meetings of the Club and shall be the principal executive officer of the Club charged with generally overseeing the business and affairs of the Club.

3-10. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President.

3-11. The Secretary/ or designate shall be responsible for recording and archiving all minutes of the Management Committee meetings and General Meetings and archiving all material correspondence and material records of the Club.

3-12. The Treasurer shall maintain and control all financial records of the Club and provide monthly financial statements to the Management Committee and annually to the Club membership, and all material financial records shall be passed on to the successor Treasurer.

3-13. The Membership Chairperson shall be responsible for the Club membership roll which shall include Club members' names, postal and email addresses, telephone numbers and other information that the Management Committee may determine is necessary. The Membership Chairperson, on behalf of the Management Committee shall also be responsible for managing the privacy of information requirements related to the membership roll.

3-14. The membership roll may be distributed to the members in the form of a directory, as determined by the Management Committee. The membership roll shall not be used for commercial purposes.

4-1. Appointments to vacant positions on the Management Committee shall be made by means of a majority vote of the attending Club membership at a General Meeting provided such attending membership constitutes a quorum as defined in the Club bylaws and except as provided in Bylaw 4-7.

4-2. A Nominating Committee consisting of the President, Past President (or other Management Committee member as determined by the Committee) or two Club members in good standing shall present to the monthly General Meeting, that occurs immediately prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Club, a slate of candidates for consideration for election to vacant positions on the Management Committee  The President shall also advise the membership at that General Meeting of the process for acceptance of any further nominations. The slate of candidates and the nomination process shall also be communicated by means, to be selected by the Management Committee, of an email to the membership and/or an announcement in the Club newsletter and/or an announcement on the Club website, at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting. 

4-3. Any further nominations (with nominee’s prior consent to stand) shall be conveyed to the Nominating Committee at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the Annual General Meeting and communicated by the Nominating Committee to the Club membership by means, to be selected by the Management Committee, of an email to the membership and/or an announcement in the Club newsletter and/or an announcement on the Club website at least fourteen (14) days prior to the Annual General meeting. No nominations shall be considered and presented to the membership that are not received by the Nominating Committee at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the Annual General Meeting. 

4-4. When an election by the membership is required at a General Meeting, voting for candidates, where there is no opposing candidate for any Management Committee position for which a respective candidate is being considered, may be voted on by the membership by acclamation for the slate of all such candidates. Voting for candidates where there are two or more candidates running for a Management Committee position shall be by secret ballot with a majority of votes cast signifying a Yes vote for the candidate to whom those votes apply.

4-5. All terms of Management Committee positions shall commence on the date of the Annual General Meeting in which the candidates for such Management Committee positions are elected to the position by the Club membership and shall terminate on the date of the Annual General Meeting at the end of the term of such positions. The term of any candidate elected or appointed to a Management Committee position intra-term shall terminate on the same date as the original term being filled. 

4-6. No Management Committee member shall serve more than ten (10) consecutive years on the Management Committee.

4-7. Should a Management Committee position become vacant prior to the termination date of the position term, the Management Committee may appoint a Club member to serve out the remainder of the term of that position. 

4-8. Under no circumstances shall the number of Management Committee members appointed by the Management Committee to fill interim vacant Committee positions exceed one-half (1/2) of the occupied Management Committee positions and one-half (1/2) of the Club officers at the time any such appointments are made. 

5-1. Officers of the Club shall have the sole authority on behalf of the Club to sign financial instruments (cash disbursements, cheques, credit/loan provisions, etc.) and material contracts and to open, close or move Club financial accounts.

5-2. The officers of the Club must be members of the Management Committee and occupy one or more of the following positions on the Committee:

· President

· Vice President

· Treasurer

· Secretary

· Past President

· Any other position considered essential to the effective operation of the Club and as recommended by the Management Committee and approved by the membership.

5-3. The exercise of officers’ authority in any instance shall be evidenced at the time by the signature of two of the current officers of the Club who are not the same individual and must have the approval of the Management Committee where such approval has not been previously delegated to the officers.

5-4. At no time may the Club have fewer than three officers in place, none of whom shall be the same person.

6-1. The Annual General Meeting of the Club membership shall be held on the regular scheduled meeting date (June) as determined by the Club’s fiscal year end or at the next General Meeting.

6-2. General Meetings of the Club membership shall be held on the third Wednesday of each month at 10:00 am.

6-3. The quorum for voting at any General Meeting shall be 25% of the membership.

6-4. Any notice of motion for which the Club membership shall be requested to vote shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary and read to the General Meeting that occurs one month prior to the General Meeting at which the motion is to be considered and voted upon. Such notice shall also be communicated by means, to be selected by the Management Committee, of an email to the membership and/or an announcement in the Club newsletter and/or an announcement on the Club website, at least fourteen (14) days prior to the General Meeting in which the motion is to be considered by the membership.