Bylaws

ARTICLE I: PURPOSE

Section 1: Name of Organization
The name of the organization shall be "Smith Island United," also known as "SIU." The organization shall function and operate as a community organization, and hereinafter be referred to as the Association.
Section 2: Purpose of the Association
Smith Island United is "Dedicated to the Preservation of Smith Island, its People, Culture, and Natural Beauty."
 1. Inform residents of Smith Island about issues of general concern to the Island through newsletters, Association meetings, website, and other means.
 2. Promote a sense of community through Smith Island activities.
 3. Protect and improve Smith Island by organizing cleanup days and cooperating with County departments.
 4. Encourage the enhancement of property value and aesthetics on Smith Island.
 5. Represent the interests of Smith Island to relevant governmental and civic agencies and assist in the planning and development of Smith Island and its environs.
 6. Promote the economic development of Smith Island by supporting local business.
 7. Recruit new residents through positive press releases and active measures as determined by the Executive Committee and subcommittees appointed by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Membership Qualifications
    1. Resident Membership in the Association shall be open to all persons who
            a. own homes on, or reside within the boundaries, of Smith Island.
            b. are 18 years of age and older.
            c. Resident membership does not need Executive Committee approval.
    2. Legacy membership will require majority approval of the Executive Committee and will be awarded to any person who
            a. was born on Smith Island.
            b. attended school on Smith Island.
            c. had a parent who was born on Smith Island.
    3. Friends of Smith Island will be eligible for Honorary Membership. Honorary Membership will be awarded to any person who supports the purpose of the organization as defined in Article 1. Honorary members shall have no vote.
    4. The Executive Committee shall have the right to establish dues for voting members. A vote on establishing dues can occur only at the annual meeting where officers are elected.

Section 2: Membership Voting
     1. Members of the Association present at any meeting shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the membership.
    2. A quorum shall be necessary for the transaction of Association business. A Quorum shall be defined as 25% of the total votes cast in the most recent Association election.
   3. Except as stated elsewhere in these bylaws, an affirmative vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of the members constituting a quorum shall be binding on the Association.
    4. In the event that dues are established for voting members, that shall in no way inhibit the right of other members from speaking or otherwise contributing to Association business or activities.

Section 3: Membership Lists
The membership list and information gathered by the Association is to be used solely for conducting Association business. This information will not be released or sold to individuals or organizations for other uses. This list may be released to government agencies as proof of community involvement and political influence.

ARTICLE III: FINANCES

Section 1: Income
The Association may raise funds by charging dues, selling subscriptions to the newsletter, voluntary contributions, and/or by fundraising events (raffles, etc.).

Section 2: Expenditures
    1. The fiscal year of the Association shall run from January 1st to December 31st.
    2. The Executive Committee shall adopt a budget by the end of January describing the planned expenditures and projected income for the fiscal year.
    3. The budget shall be published on the website after adoption.
    4. The Executive Committee shall accept comments and suggestions from the general membership for alteration of the budget, but the final decision with respect to the budget is the sole province of the Executive Committee.
    5. Expenditures not included in the budget may be approved by majority vote of a quorum of Executive Committee members, provided such expenditure is first posted on the website.
    6. Any donation received for which the donor has specified a particular use, shall be used for the specified purpose or returned to the donor. Such donations may be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the President of the Association unless overruled by a majority of the members of the Executive Committee.
    7. Deficit spending is not permitted at anytime by any officer of the Association.
    8. The Association shall not enter into any financial agreement with the intent to borrow money without amending these bylaws accordingly.
   9. The Association is not liable for any unauthorized expenditures accrued by any officer or member. The liability for any unauthorized expenditure will be the sole responsibility of the member or officer incurring the expense.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Section 1: General Membership Meetings
Meetings of the general membership shall be held a minimum of quarterly, and a maximum of once a month, as called by the President of the Association and/or the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Executive Committee Meetings
    1. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at least quarterly.
    2. Emergency meetings may be called by the President when needed to address matters of immediate concern. Forty-eight hours notice must be given or arrangements for meeting by conference call must be made in order to ensure maximum attendance.
    3. A quorum must exist in order to conduct binding business for the Executive Committee.
    4. A quorum is defined as 1 member from each community.

Section 3: Member Privileges
The privilege of introducing motions and participating in floor debate shall be limited to members of the Association. All members shall still be entitled to introduce motions and participate in debate, but only dues- paying members who have paid their dues would be eligible to vote.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1: Number of Executive Committee Members
The Executive Committee shall consist of nine members.

Section 2: Terms of Office
All Executive Committee members shall serve one-year terms, with no limits on reelection.

Section 3: Eligibility for Executive Committee
Each community on Smith Island will elect/appoint 3 individuals with the following qualifications.
    a. Two full-time residents of each community who have maintained full-time residences for a period of not less than 2 years.
    b. One part-time resident who has maintained a part-time residence for a period of not less than 2 years.
    c. Only Resident Members will be eligible for election or appointment to the Executive Committee.

Section 4: Duties of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the Association in the interim between general meetings. The Executive Committee shall report to the membership any actions taken by the Executive Committee at the next regular meeting. The general membership may reverse any action taken by the Executive Committee by two-thirds majority at this meeting.

Section 5: Election of Executive Committee
    1. Elections will be held at the first regular meeting of the new calendar year. This meeting will be held as soon as possible, but must be held by the end of March each year.
    2. Election of Executive Committee officers will be conducted by the newly elected Executive Committee in private session as soon as all members can be assembled in person or by conference call but must be accomplished by the end of March. The results of this election will be published as soon as it has been conducted on the Association website, by e-mail, in the organization binder at the Ewell Library, and the Drum Point Market in Tylerton.
    3. Election requires a majority vote of all the Executive Committee members.

Section 6: Executive Committee Vacancies
The Executive Committee may fill any vacancy on the committee by majority vote of the committee. A member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term and until his/her successor is elected.

Section 7: Duties of the Executive Committee Members
     1. President
The President shall prepare the agendas for all general meetings and for Executive Committee meetings, preside at general meetings and at Executive Committee meetings, be an ex officio member of all committees, and authorize all expenditures of Association moneys. The president shall appoint members of committee not elected, subject to approval by a majority of the Executive Committee. The President shall seek the authorization of the Executive Committee on all statements made on behalf of the Association, and represent the Association before the County Commissioners or other governing bodies.
     2. Vice President
The Vice President shall fulfill the duties of the President in the President's absence, shall serve as parliamentarian of the Association, and shall perform other duties delegated by the President. The Vice President shall oversee the creation and distribution of Association publications, including the website.
     3. Secretary
The Secretary shall keep minutes and written records of majority and minority opinions expressed at all meetings; shall be responsible for all correspondence of the Association; shall make records of the Association available for inspection for any proper purpose at any reasonable time. The Secretary shall maintain a current address list for the Association. The Secretary shall oversee the creation and distribution of newsletters.
     4. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for payment of Association expenses and handling Association money, including donations and receipts from fundraising activities. The Treasurer shall maintain accounts of the Association, keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures, and report the status of all accounts at Executive Committee and general meetings, and will also maintain a current dues paid membership list for the Association. A complete financial statement will be rendered once per calendar year.
     5. Executive Committee Members at Large
Shall serve as committee chairs as assigned by the Executive Committee. If additional officer positions within the Executive Committee are created, those posts shall be assigned to one individual of the Executive Committee members at large until the next regular election.

Section 8: Executive Committee Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet at least seven days prior to any general or special membership meeting to prepare the agenda of the general meeting, and at any other time the President may designate. The President, if indisposed, may assign this duty to the Vice President. A quorum for Executive Committee meetings shall be a minimum of one committee member from each community; decisions shall be made by majority vote. Executive Committee members shall be notified of Executive Committee meetings at least 48 hours in advance by email or by telephone. Conference call meetings are encouraged to prevent unnecessary travel to or from the Island. A conference call number will be established and paid for by the Association for this purpose.

Section 9: Emergency Powers of the Executive Committee
In such cases where the Executive Committee is required to provide Smith Island response before the question is presented to the membership, the Executive Committee must indicate to the questioner that this is the case, and shall present the action taken at a special or general meeting within thirty days, or within a reasonable time for ratification by the membership where circumstances dictate.

Section 10: Termination for Cause
Any officer may be removed from office for cause at any meeting by two-thirds of the voting members, providing that notice has been furnished to the officer and all other Executive Committee members at least two weeks before said meeting. If removal concerns the President, any Executive Committee member may add this item to the agenda prepared by the President to ensure that it is allowed to come to a vote.

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

The Executive Committee shall establish both standing and ad hoc committees as it deems necessary. Committees shall make recommendations to the Executive Committee for Executive Committee actions. Committees shall not have the power to act on behalf of the organization without specific authorization from the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII: PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS

Section 1: Submission of Proposals
Any person or group, inside or outside the boundaries of the Association and any county agency, may propose, in writing, items for the consideration and/or recommendation to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall decide whether proposed items will appear on the agenda of either the Executive Committee, standing committee, or special committee.

Section 2: Notification
The proponent and members directly affected by such proposals shall be notified in writing, at least seven days in advance, of the place, day, and hour that the proposal will be reviewed.

Section 3: Attendance
The proponent may attend this meeting to make a presentation and answer questions concerning the proposal.

Section 4: Dissemination
The Association shall submit recommendations and dissenting views as recorded from the meeting to the proponent and other appropriate parties.

ARTICLE VIII: PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC RECORDS

Official action taken by the Association must be on record or part of the minutes of each meeting. The minutes shall include a record of attendance and the results of any vote taken. A summary of dissenting views will be posted along with any recommendations made by the Association to the smithislandunited.com website, Association binders kept at the Ewell Library and the Drum Point Market in Tylerton, and published in the next regular news letter.

ARTICLE IX: ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

All amendments to these bylaws must be proposed in writing and submitted to members at least seven days before voting on their adoption may proceed. Notice of proposal to amend the bylaws, specifying the date, time, and place for consideration of the proposal, must be provided to all members at least seven days before voting. Adoption of and amendments to these bylaws shall require a two-thirds vote by the members present at the general meeting.

ARTICLE X: DISSOLUTION

Upon the dissolution of the Association, no class of member shall have any right to nor shall receive any assets of the Association. The assets of the Association are permanently dedicated to the benefit of Smith Island. In the event of dissolution, the assets of the Association will be delivered to a succeeding Smith Island organization eligible to receive these funds pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or divided into three parts and donated to each of the churches in Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton.