This is what we stand for! NECF BYLAWS inside

[AC]

For all interested in becoming part of a fledgling club. Our clubs desire is to be a legitamate, respected club that any 3rd generation f-body owner knows of and wants to be part of.

1 Name: The official name of NECF shall be “New England Camaro & Firebird Club” (hereinafter “NECF”).

2 General Purpose: NECF is a non-profit organization formed for the benefit of 1982 through 1992 F-Body, New England resident owners. NECF will focus on activities revolving around the “3rd Gen” enthusiasts. Including, but not limited to cruises, car shows, trips, and community events.

3 Goals:

a. Provide an environment whereby members can openly communicate with one another.

b. To plan and regulate functions or activities including, but not limited to, social functions, competitive events and assistance in obtaining parts, service, and discounts for members.

c. To provide its members with access to knowledge about their cars and trucks and also provide a forum for members and other interested parties to exchange information.

d. Collect reasonable dues for the administration of NECF activities and functions and operate in a financially accountable manner.

e. Represent NECF in a safe positive manner during our activities.

f. Have Fun!

4 Elected Officers: The Elected Officers (Board) of NECF shall consist of a CT President, MA President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Road Marshall.

a. Duties of Elected

i. President - This officer shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Officers: NECF and shall, subject to the control by the membership, have general supervision, direction, and authority of the business and affairs of NECF. This officer shall preside at Board meetings and at meetings of the membership. A President will prevail over another President when a majority of the Board is in favor. In addition, this officer shall act as a liaison officer between this club and other organizations.

ii. Vice-President - This officer shall serve as assistant to the President and shall be coordinator of memberships, promotions and sponsorships. Also, this officer shall, in the absence of the President, perform the duties and have the powers of the President.

iii. Secretary - This officer shall insure a record of all minutes, votes and attendance during Board and Membership meetings. Also, this officer shall be responsible for producing a NECF newsletter. In addition, in the absence of the President and Vice President, perform the duties and have the powers of the said officers.

iv. Treasurer - This officer shall keep accurate accounts of all moneys and values in the care and credit of NECF with such depository as may be designated by the Board. This officer disburses funds of NECF as ordered by the Board, shall to the Board and members when requested by a Board member, a record of the transactions as Treasurer, and of the financial condition of NECF. This officer shall have custody of NECF financial records during their tenure. In the absence of President, Vice President and Secretary, this officer shall perform all the duties and have the powers of the said officers.

v. Road Marshall - This officer shall insure the safe representation NECF at all events and take appropriate action of any unsafe or illegal activities. Also, this officer will coordinate all cruise routes, times and dates.

b. Election of Board:

i. NECF Board positions will be in effect indefinitely unless:

1. Nominations and volunteers for Board positions receive a majority of member votes.

ii. Officers shall be elected by simple majority vote of members in good standing in attendance at the January (annual) meeting.

iii. Elected Officer, in the event of any permanent inability of any Board member to fulfill their duties a replacement shall be elected, with all due haste, by the remaining Elected officers to fill the remainder of term of office.

iv. Any officer found to be in gross violation of these Bi-Laws acting against the best interest of NECF may be removed office by the majority vote of the Board at a regular or emergency meeting.

c. Appointed Officers: The Board may appoint such other officers as the business of NECF requires.

i. The Appointed Officers shall hold office for such period, have authority and perform such duties as required by the Board (i.e.) newsletter editor, webmaster, etc.)

5 Club Management: The Board shall conduct and manage the affairs and business of NECF in the best interest of the membership.

a. The Board shall propose such rules and regulations as may be necessary or convenient, provided those rules or regulations not conflict with any known laws, votes of the membership, or these Bi-laws.

b. Officers shall be encouraged to represent NECF by being present at Club functions. Physical custody of Club records will be determined by the Board.

c. Officers, elected or appointed, shall not receive any salary or fees.

6 Membership: Membership meetings shall be held regularly at a date, time, and location to be determined by the Board.

a. Notice shall be given in advance by the best available and economic means. Meetings will be governed by the rules of the presiding officer.

b. Board Meetings: Meetings of the Board are closed unless a member has requested to attend.

c. Emergency Meetings: Any Board member may call an emergency meeting of the membership in order to conduct business of an urgent or emergency nature.

d. The reason for the Emergency Meeting shall be stated and no business shall be conducted at these meetings.

e. Board members shall be notified of the date, time, and of any Emergency Meetings by the best available and economic means possible.

f. Membership Fees:

i. Initial membership dues will be $5.00 (Five Dollars) annually.

ii. All memberships will be treated as a “family membership”. If more than one member resides at the same address, they will only incur a $5.00 family membership fee.

iii. New memberships outside the June renewal will be prorated in the amount of $2.00 per month times the number of months until annual June renewal.

iv. Dues are due on the first of June and become delinquent after the end of the month.

v. Membership dues are payable to: Member In Good Membership privileges take effect upon receipt of dues by any Standing Board Member and continue until renewal in June.

1. Delinquent renewals, when paid revert to their original renewal month.

2. Membership renewal will be accepted from April 1 till June 30.

(ii) Membership fee increases will go into effect 6 months after the first annual club gathering and will be communicated no later than 2 weeks prior to the annual gathering.

g. Membership privileges may be revoked, by the Board.

i. Revocation: A Board meeting will gather, if a member is found acting against the best interest of NECF or in gross violation of the Bi-Laws.

7 Member Responsibilities:

a. Members shall maintain their vehicles and driver’s license.

b. Registration, and vehicle insurance, in accordance with all applicable laws of the states and localities in which that vehicle is located and operated.

c. NECF assumes no liability with regard to member’s failure to comply with any laws, rules, or regulations.

d. Guests and family members are encouraged to participate at NECF functions or activities.

e. Members, while representing NECF shall conduct themselves in a civil upstanding manner, not using profane or offensive language or actions.

8 Personal Liabilities:

a. All persons or corporations extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against NECF, shall look only to the funds and property of NECF for payment of such contracts or claims.

b. Neither the members of NECF nor the officers present, past or future shall be personally liable for any claims or contracts.


9 Illegal Operations:

a. NECF shall not knowingly organize, sponsor, plan, assist, sanction or allow its name to be associated in any manner whatsoever with any illegal functions.

10 Amendment:

a. Amendments to these Bi-Laws may be proposed by any NECF member to any Board member.

b. The vote to adopt or reject the proposed amendment shall be taken at the next regular membership meeting after a discussion period concerning that amendment.

c. The Board shall adopt the amendment if it receives the majority vote of the Board.

[Toehead]

Looks to be very well written and thought out.

[F-Bobby]

did i miss the part where it says i need to sign my first born away? or are we holding that off till we get more members in?

[AC]

F-bobby...I'm sorry if you think its alot. I thought it was pretty well thought out myself. I looked for ALONG time at ALOT of different clubs across the country from automotive to aerospace. Glad to see you read it though

[Rail]

Yes I'm 100% for that.
Let me know who and were do I send my payment.
My netwerk is down right now so I'm using my blackberry phone.

[AC]

Rail, welcome fellow crackberry user. I myself am afflicted. We'll be posting some winter event ideas soon. Dennis and talked for a bit via phone today to discuss ideas.

[F-Bobby]

F-bobby...I'm sorry if you think its alot. I thought it was pretty well thought out myself. I looked for ALONG time at ALOT of different clubs across the country from automotive to aerospace. Glad to see you read it though

i think its a bit much for a club thats brand new and doesnt have a large established membership base yet. It might turn some people off to join if they see theres a lot of stuff involved in joining, even if they dont actually read it lol.

but I would like to Nominate my self for Road Marshall while im in here. If thats allowed of course. I dont know how you guys actually nominate people.

[86midnightblue]

adam, great job on the bi-laws. i think they are completely necessary to the success of the club. i'm a pretty chill guy, and IMO i'm glad we have such bi-laws. anyone who is turned off by those by laws i don't think will benefit the club. they were straight forward clear and quick to read. i am also glad we have annual dues because i think it will help create a better more committed group of members. A+ man!!

i think it would be great if these bi laws could be put into an page with a link from the home page. like next to members and calendar.

adam, dennis and jay, i just finished my final exams(thank god) and i have a bunch of free time, so if ya'll need any help let me know.

[Celticsfan]

sounds good, but the dues seem kind of low? But hey im not complaining

[AC]

Dues are meant to sustain activity. Since we don't have a whole hell of a lot of activity right now this year shouldn't need a whole hell of a lot of dues. If you think back to my BBQ....I've forgiven those who couldn't make it I pretty much fronted that one myself...THANK YOU to all who did bring something but how much did that BBQ cost?? 20 members could have paid for that easy. What I mean is we're not trying to fund a cross country trip nor do we have 100 members and their families to think of when we have any sort of club event needing resources. The 5 bux is more of a symbolic contribution to the club..which will of course buy you some sort of "memrobilia".

[dennisbernal91z]

Exactly. The $5 is to show that you are serious.

Later when summer rolls around and track days, dyno days and BBQs become the norm we will adjust accordingly.

This is a dynamic thing that will need to be changed so that it can evolve with the club.

The club is small right now, so are the dues. When more expensive stuff comes around, the price will go up to show that. I also don't want to charge people a lot, this club should be very inviting to all.

As for the legth that F-bobby commented on. C'MON! This is what the club stands for. Are you saying that is was hard to read.

The jist of it says, don't be a wack job, don't break the law, pay $5 and have fun. Thats it.

[tourville]

i think they are great, good job guys... and yes let me know where to send the 5$ too lol =D

[jimmy92rs]

i tend to skim when i read, so when are the dues, due? and where do u pay for them?

[F-Bobby]

i tend to skim when i read, so when are the dues, due? and where do u pay for them?

LOL AH HA! MY POINT PROVEN!!!!

[AC]

Dues are due by the 1st of June. We'll have annual meetings to welcome new members and also give people wanting to become members a chance to "Meet & Greet". I'll be posting a "refresher" post on the World of Wheels" show in January as the first oppurtunity of 2008 for NECF current and new members to meet.

[Rail]

I think $5.00 is very fair considering that some events can be costly.
I think all those members who pay the due should also get a copy of the member list.
AC if and all other admins want I can work on making some buissnes card templates.
I am so siked about the club and iknow its going to grow.
Please let me know who and were I send my dues to so I can get my member ship activated.

PS. Still typing from my blackberry (crackberry) phone..lol

[John in RI]

Nice - VERY Nice.


Rules that are simple and can easily be understood.

Seems like the first order of buisiness is to vote / announce the Board members. Once they are established they can begin to get the Club in order. Treasurer needs to set up accounts for club for payments/expenses,...... Secratary needs to establish data bases and prepare club documentation, Pres and Vice need to get the clubs affairs and plans together.

Brings up an interesting question; Since only club members in good standing can vote - How do we ( the club's opening members) pay to be in a club that has no treasurer to pay to be in the club ! Will initial club members simply bring in club dues to the Jan meeting - gather everyone together at that meeting and have a vote for each nom / volunteer present and seeking office ?

My 6 Y/O Kids baseball league cost $60 a season - his football was $80. That doesn't include a benefit or anything like that.

I Think the opening fee should be HIGHER. $10 ( 3 gallons of gas ) sounds fair. The club will need some type of reserve to pull from without being desperate for funds. With an opening of 50 members that's a total of $500 in the clubs coffer to GET STARTED !! Better off setting the more realistic fee NOW rather than dealing with an increase once it's realized that $5 was too low. Non-proffit means it all gets cycled back into the org - as long as the "club" is not making $$ and the officers are not skimming - the members benefit.


The By-Laws are a great start ! They will need to be expanded and will grow over time to accomodate the chaging needs of the club and it appears that all the "basics" are well covered.

[AC]

John, we (Dennis and I) decided because of what you already picked up on ......officers elected by members in good standing we chose the first group ourselves. KNOWING, those positions will remain in effect until members can vote the next "go around" that are in good standing OR one of the guys decides they'd like to opt out of the position allowing a vote. Some...maybe alot will complain about this but we had to start somewhere and now here we are. The position of Treasurer is actually still vacant and we'll post the current officers this week. What I'd like to do is post an invite to all at the World of Wheels show Jan 5th (Saturday). This will be our first official club event and both Dennis and I will be there as well as (I'm hoping) the other 3 club officers.

The officers are:
AC (Adam) CT President
Dennisbernal91Z (Dennis) MA President
Jay (Jay) Vice President and also Webmaster
86SC (Chris) Secretary
Manifoldsrme (Brian) Road Marshall

Please, all, support this group and all of our efforts and desire to have this club turn out to be something enjoyable. I look forward to 2008 as a start to something good.

[Celticsfan]

Sounds good, where is the WOW show?

[86midnightblue]

sounds good,

WOW is in boston, MA about 1/2 mile from my house. here are all the details:

http://www.autorama.com/casi/boston.htm

i'll let you guys know if i can make it, i might be away that weekend. it makes a nice place to meet up, but IMHO its not worth a drive up from ct/western mass, just my opinion. i was thinking it would be nice to have one meet up in boston at WOW for the MA members and one meet at the Frank Marrata show in hartford for the CT crew, but hey either way is good. if you guys need any help just let me know.

[Celticsfan]

maybe people in the tolland/vernon/manchester area want to carpool split the gas?

[84TA406]

I totally agree with the bylaws and the direction the club is going in. The WOW show is out of question for me due to working so much at the moment...about 80hrs a week. It's on too short of notice to take days off.

[AC]

I'm probably going to take either the minivan or my tahoe so I can either fit 6-7 or 4-5. I dont' mind carpooling up there....I'll do whatever I can to make sure as many as our members can go.

[Jay]

I've been busy with work, and then the holiday. Was working 7 days a week for most of Dec. But now that Christmas is past things go back to normal so I don't see any reason I can't make the WoW show.

[John in RI]

OK - Let me ask,.........

Officers are already established - MINUS the treasurer - and will remain in that post until ??? ( June 1st ? ) At that time ( 06-01-08 ) members in "good standing" will then vote for officers based on volenteers and nominees ??

The inuagural Club meeting is to be held at the WOW show in Boston on the 5th of January ?? At that time "new members" will be perform a basic "Meet-&-Greet". What buisiness ( if any ) will the club partake of that day / event ?

Seems like assigining a Treasurer is still the Highest Priority task. Someone needs to start collecting member dues so there are funds for the officers to work with. My Advise is to "Strike while the iron is Hot" and don't let the momentum slip !!! Start signing up active members ASAP !

Membership dues will be ????

< Waiting for who/how/where/how much to send ! >

I'll be at the Kid Rock show at the Mohegan Sun on JAN 4th and can't tell what conditino I'll be in the next day. I'm going to be the first to say that I'd like to get a ride if possible. (I live off exit 5 on Rt 95 in RI.)

[John in RI]

I just read this and realized that this is one of my main conserns tight now:

(ii) Membership fee increases will go into effect 6 months after the first annual club gathering and will be communicated no later than 2 weeks prior to the annual gathering.

How should I read that ?? Is the initial fee $5 for the WOW show and it will be raised for the June 1st meeting ??? ( 1 year membership fee TBA 2 weeks before 06-01-08 )

Got to go ----- My kids are going crazy !!!!!!

[AC]

Yes, the dues for Janurary and 08' are $5. Our hope was the dues collected would go towards a simple club decal for our cars and anything left over would go towards any future event in 08, Summer Nats, BBQ, meet & greet at an agreed location, etc. The wow show was a first attempt at getting as many of us together as possible. Yes, dues would be collected that day also and continued to be collected up until the cutoff date. Since Dennis and I haven't found a treasurer yet I'll act as a temp if needed. You can send your dues to me @ PO BOX 598, Enfield, CT 06083. Believe me I'd LOVE to hear suggestions / volunteers for treasurer but until Dennis and I can find one I'll serve as temp to make sure things keep rolling. Also, I wanted to clarify a bit as to why Dennis and I chose what we did in terms of officers. We want someone who's out of high school & college. NO OFFENSE to those going through those two things. Our thoughs were we want you guys to have all the time available to dedicate to what is most important...education. Focus on what matters most. Anyhow, I just wanted to through that out there.
I'm sure I'll see more of your posts before the new year but in case I don't...............PLEASE, be safe and keep yourselves out of harms way & trouble.

AC

[86midnightblue]

sounds good AC,

i was gonna volunteer for treasurer, but i figured the club is better off with someone out of college and more settled in, considering i'm always moving, having different addresses etc. i'll probably be going abroad next fall which has its positives and negatives, so i'll be away from new england from September to December. i think that is a good move for us young guys and for the club.

are you still planning on making a tip up here for WOW? that would be a good time to talk more. also for the CT crew i think the Frank Marratta show in Hartford would be good. we could do the show and then go to a bar/restaurant or someones house to do club planning stuff. we could take a few minutes to read the bi-laws aloud and add/change anything and brainstorm for other club events, functions, and maybe some additions to the website.

i bet you might have already thought about this, but someone should look into a club bank account. i'm sure that bank of America or sovereign bank has special non-profit accounts with low or no fees. this will come in handy when club dues grow and our events/fund raisers grow as well.

just some ideas/ramblings...

[Rail]

You can send your dues to me @ PO BOX 598, Enfield, CT 06083. Believe me I'd LOVE to hear suggestions / volunteers for treasurer but until Dennis and I can find one I'll serve as temp to make sure things keep rolling.

AC

Its in the mail.

[jimmy92rs]

if there is a meet at the frank marrotta show, can i pay then???

[AC]

We are planning on meeting for the Frank Morrattas show and yes you could pay then. I'll be publishing (emailing) a list of receipts soon for those who have paid. I'll admit none of the club heads have paid eiter (including me) but I plan on it before the Morrattas show.

[Jay]

Doh! It totally slipped my mind. I'll ante up at the FM show.

[de34e]

great job!!!!!!

I know I have not been avtive up till now but i had some medical problems
but now i'm on the mend.
this club will in my eyes is on the road to bigger and better things, it makes me proud to be part of this group.

the laws are fair and to the point.

good work to all that made time to do a wonderful job for all of us.

mike in canton ct.

[AC]

de34e, good to hear your on the road to recovery. We're making progress with the club...slowly but surely. We have 10 solid members and about 60 web members. We're VERY close to having a nice biz card to print and leave / handout to fellow 3rd gen owners that aren't aware of the club (thanks to John In RI). Currently looks like we'll have 1 or 2 meets during April and then once May hits....skies the limit.

[Timinsk]

I just read the ByLaws today, sorry took me so long, didn't really realize it was there yet. Question: Is the $5 every month, once every 6 monthes, once a year? in another month or two my maro should be on the road, i'm excited and can't wait to participate and meet everyone at meets. I so want to see everyone elses birds and maros and see what they do and what they know. Everyone seems so knowledgable here and i'm really intreged into picking everyones brain for knowledge to learn more, lol. Keep me posted.

[Celticsfan]

those were for the first yr (2007 or 2008?) i believe the members who already paid agreed on 20 or 25 for this yrs dues?

[AC]

1. Name: The official name of NECF shall be “New England Camaro & Firebird Club” (hereinafter “NECF”).

2. General Purpose: NECF is a non-profit organization formed for the benefit of 1982 through 1992 F-Body, New England resident owners. NECF will focus on activities revolving around the “3rd Gen” enthusiasts. Including, but not limited to cruises, car shows, trips, and regional events.

3. Goals:
a. Provide an environment whereby members can openly communicate with one another.
b. To plan and regulate functions or activities including, but not limited to, social functions, competitive events and assistance in obtaining parts, service, and discounts for members.
c. To provide its members with access to knowledge about their cars and trucks and also provide a forum for members and other interested parties to exchange information.
d. Collect reasonable dues for the administration of NECF activities.
e. Represent NECF in a safe and responsible manner during our activities.
f. Have Fun!
4. Elected Officers: The Elected Board of NECF shall consist of (Officers) a President, Vice President, Road Marshall, and (Non Officers) Regional Leads.
a. Duties of Elected
1. President - This officer shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Officers, NECF and shall, subject to the control by the membership, have general supervision, direction, and authority of the business and affairs of NECF. This officer shall preside at Board meetings and at meetings of the membership. In addition, this officer shall act as a liaison officer between this club and other organizations. Recording of all minutes, votes and attendance during Board and Membership meetings will be part of regular duties.
2. Vice-President - This officer shall serve as assistant to the President and shall be coordinator of memberships, promotions and sponsorships. Also, this officer shall, in the absence of the President, perform the duties and have the powers of the President. Maintaining the clubs website will be performed by this position.
3. Road Marshall - This officer shall insure the safe representation NECF at all events and take appropriate action of any unsafe or illegal activities. Also, this officer will coordinate all cruise routes, times and dates.
4. Regional Leads (Non Officers)- Promotion of the club and related activities within there local region. Regional leads will hold a position on the Board and be present or count in as a vote when Board meetings occur.
b. Club Treasury
1. The club officers are responsible for collecting, disbursing and recording any transactions involving club dues and the treasury. The treasury is accessible by any club officer. Transactions must have the prior approval of all officers to withdraw or disburse any amount from the treasury.
c. Election of Board:
1. The NECF Board positions will be in effect indefinitely unless:
i. Nominations and volunteers for Board positions receive a majority of member votes. Officers shall be elected by simple majority vote of members in good standing in attendance at a formal meeting.
ii. In the event of inability of any Board member to fulfill their duties, a replacement shall be elected, with all due haste, by the board to backfill that position.
iii. Any officer found to be in gross violation of these Bi-Laws acting against the best interest of NECF may be removed office by the majority vote of the Board at a regular or emergency meeting.
iv. Appointed Officers: The Board may appoint such other officers as the business of NECF requires.
1. The Appointed Officers shall hold office for such period, have authority and perform such duties as required by the Board (i.e.) newsletter editor, webmaster, etc.)
d. Regional Territories
v. Club regions will be categorized into the following:
vi. Region 1 Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
vii. Region 2 Massachusetts
viii. Region 3 Rhode Island
ix. Region 4 Connecticut

Regional Leads:
x. Coordination with the President, Vice President or Road Marshall for any activity.
xi. All events will have the approval of the President, Vice President and Road Marshall.
xii. Regional leads will adhere to the bi-laws as any good standing member. They will coordinate with and seek approval from the Board for anything that requires withdrawls from the treasury, recommending members to join the club, organizing events, etc.
xiii. Positions will follow the same durations and creation practices described in Section (4.c)
5. Club Management: The Board shall conduct and manage the affairs and business of the NECF in the best interest of the membership.
a. The board will consist of the clubs officers and regional leads
b. The Board shall propose such rules and regulations as may be necessary or convenient, provided those rules or regulations not conflict with any known laws, votes of the membership, or these Bi-laws.
c. The Board shall be encouraged to represent NECF by being present at Club functions. Physical custody of Club records will be determined by the Board.
d. The Board, elected or appointed, shall not receive any salary or fees.
6. Membership: Membership meetings shall be held regularly at a date, time, and location to be determined by the Board.
a. Notice shall be given in advance by the best available and economic means. Meetings will be governed by the rules of the presiding officer.
b. Board Meetings: Meetings of the Board are closed unless a member has requested to attend.
c. Emergency Meetings: Any Board member may call an emergency meeting of the membership in order to conduct business of an urgent or emergency nature.
d. The reason for the Emergency Meeting shall be stated and no other business shall be conducted at these meetings.
e. Board members shall be notified of the date, time, and of any Emergency Meetings by the best available and economic means possible.
f. Membership Fees:
i. Initial membership dues will be $20.00 (Twenty Dollars) annually.
ii. All memberships will be treated as a “family membership”. If more than one member resides at the same address, they will only incur a $20.00 family membership fee.
iii. Dues are due by the 15th of April and become delinquent after the end of the month.
iv. Membership dues are payable to any club officer and membership privileges take effect upon receipt of dues and continue until renewal in June.
1. Delinquent renewals, when paid revert to their original renewal month.
2. Membership renewal will be accepted from January 1 until June 2nd.
g. Membership privileges may be revoked, by the Board.
i. Revocation: A Board meeting will gather, if a member is found acting against the best interest of NECF or in gross violation of the Bi-Laws.
7. Member Responsibilities:
1. Members shall maintain their vehicles and driver’s license , registration, and vehicle insurance, in accordance with all applicable laws of the states and localities in which that vehicle is located and operated.
a. NECF assumes no liability with regard to member’s failure to comply with any laws, rules, or regulations.
b. Guests and family members are encouraged to participate at NECF functions or activities.
c. Members, while representing NECF shall conduct themselves in a civil upstanding manner, not using profane or offensive language or actions.
8. Personal Liabilities:
a. Neither the members of NECF nor the Board present, past or future shall be personally liable for any claims or contracts.
9. Illegal Operations:
a. NECF shall not knowingly organize, sponsor, plan, assist, sanction or allow its name to be associated in any manner whatsoever with any illegal functions.
10. Amendment:
a. Amendments to these Bi-Laws may be proposed by any NECF member to any Board member.
b. The vote to adopt or reject the proposed amendment shall be be adopted through voting on the club website.
c. The Board shall adopt the amendment if it receives the majority vote of the membership.

[AC]

You'll all see there have been a number of changes and updates.

[Toehead]

Thanks for all the hard work AC. The new list looks great.

One question... Did we ever outline the procedure for new members to join? Are we accepting all member applications or will there be some sort of selection process?


My bro also had a good time at the show and expressed a lot of interest in getting more involved. He has an 85 T/A

[John in RI]

The new Bylaws have a number of revisions that were not previously discussed at the club meeting........ and there are a couple things changed that were discussed. A good supplemental post would include details on club meetings - at LEAST a single "annual" NECF member meeting.


4a:
-- No mention of a club Treasurer. Is this post NOT an Officer to be elected by the membership thru nomination / volunteer? Is this positinon NOT a Board member ??

-- The Vice President and the Webmaster role have been written into the bylaws as a single position with a never ending term. Jay now holds 3 non-ending assignments. ( Webmaster, Forum Administrotor, Vice President ) There are plenty of circumstances where this could occur - but it should not be written into the Bylaws as such.

4b:
-- Treasury should not be allowed to be accessed by any officer and club funds should funnel thru the treasurer for collection and disbursement. Approval for club fund usage should only be granted after approval from the board - NOT just 3 officers.

4c:
-- Indefinite positions are a lock on power - Voting for all elected positions should be held at an annual club meeting. With a set voting period all nominations and volunteers can be put up for the vote in advice of the meeting/voting.

-- Put the wording " ANY PERMANENT " back into the board member removal from post clause. We have already experienced the bad feelings caused by removing an officer in this manner and rather than avoiding that problem from re-occurrence the Bylaw was changed so that anyone can be removed at any time. There are/were explicate instructions for removing an officer from their post and they were not followed - Lets learn from our mistakes.

-- Regional leads

x
xi
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-- Regional leads will only be addressing people at cruise nights and events in their area...... why would stuff like that need approval from the officers ? If A lead goes to Sams club on a cruise night - does that require 'permission' ?? Should they then get permission to hand out business cards at someone else's event ?? Any CLUB EVENTS should be voted on/approved by the board - not just 3 officers. Indefinite terms for ANY post should not be allowed - they should be voted in based on volunteers and nominations ( Just like officer posts ) at an annual club meeting.

6 membership

-- There are several terms that are used to describe get together. There will be Club meetings ( open to all members ) board meetings ( open to board members ) Events ( NECF will attend ) and club events ( sponsored by NECF ) At this stage of the year 2009 should already be planned out. To date we have a single event NECF will attend on our colander ( LVD in New York ) The Bylaws need to be clear on dates for meetings * board and member ) as well as distinguishing between a club event and an event NECF will attend.

6fiii
-- Dues - Since dues are due on April 15th then it seems appropriate to schedule the clubs annual member meeting on or just before that date. The club dues are written into the bylaws - the annual meeting should be too.


** There was no mention of forum moderator assignments. I'd suggest a admendment so that the moderator requirements are clear and oulined.


The lack of any regular voting for officer and board member positions unless there is a coupe attempt is troubling; How do you know there's majority to put a positino up for voting unless you vote first ? That means that any change of elected position in the club will leave bad blood unless the Officer/Lead steps down. As it is we have already forgone the elections for all officer positions other than president. ( we voted FOR a President - not to remove a President as the Bylaws clearly outline. ) What happened to those vote ?? ( for other Officer positions and for getting rid of Dennis ?? ) The Bylaws are written in a way the ensures complete control over NECF to 3 of it's founding members.

There is a regional bias when it comes to the clubs structure & while this was appropriate during the clubs first couple years, It doesn't seem appropriate now. These bylaws place control of the club to 3 officers; Officers are supposed to be a part of the board, not above it. I understand the creation of the Regional leads with dilute this bias somewhat but since everything a lead does needs to be approved by the officers........

[Toehead]

6fiii
-- Dues - Since dues are due on April 15th then it seems appropriate to sexual the clubs annual member meeting on or just before that date. The club dues are written into the bylaws - the annual meeting should be too.

lol

[John in RI]

Spell check must have done that !!!

Correction made !

[86midnightblue]

having read the new bylaws i think they are an improvement but i think they do raise a few questions. john got them all and then some but i was most struck by the following topics(or lack thereof):

Treasurer
non-annual/undefined/limitless voting cycle
no annual meeting

ok IMO, nobody's trying to re-write the bible or the gospel or something so some of the more minor confusions are not really pressing issues. however i do think the by-laws should be clear and defined about what it includes and address the the previously mentioned issues. in addition i am not gong to spend hours typing up stuff for the site that could be discussed and decided in person in like an hour max. so i'd call it a "good Draft" but i think it should really be discussed at a meeting and finalized. like i said this is just a car club not some international corporation or new sect, but we might as well have clear bylaws if were gonna have bylaws.

[AC]

John & Nick, you both have good points. As you're seeing / reading, constructing these perfect the first time is impossible. I'm trying to review now so I can address the concerns / questions appropriately.

[lunatic_magnet]

this sounds way too complicated.

i'm just going to post mindless crap in the forums. lol.

[John in RI]

i'm just going to post mindless crap in the forums. lol.

I really laughed out loud for awhile after reading that - And I'm still giggling as I write this ! Thanx,..... I needed that !


P.S. The Bylaws should probably be written to thier own webpage rather than linked to this forum thread. If nothing else,...... a new forum topic containing the Bylaws should bewritten and locked so that readers don't deal with the back and forth from members like me. The Bylaws would then be just the Bylaws: no other topics/opinions/ideas to get in the way. ( Just the facts ) We could then simply open a topic covering the bylaws in the members section for Club Member input.

[Jay]

** There was no mention of forum moderator assignments. I'd suggest a admendment so that the moderator requirements are clear and oulined.

There aren't any clear outlined requirements. I just randomly made people moderators of various sub forums. The only reason they are all global moderators now is because it's easier to administrate.
There isn't a real need for all that much moderation anyway. A few posts moved to different forums here and there is about it. As it stands now only I can edit or delete posts.
The only new moderators would be regional leads, of their respective forum.

Also the webmaster and forum administrator are the same thing. Yup it's a permanent position. Sorry, but I registered everything, it's all in my name and tied to my personal accounts and I am footing the bill so I have no plans to turn over control.

Bottom line this is WAY friggin over complicated. The whole point of the club is to have a way for people who share the enthusiasm for our cars to get together and have fun.

[wolfdart42]

this sounds way too complicated.

i'm just going to post mindless crap in the forums. lol.

i agree thank you after reading everything else written here i needed that stress reliever.

Bottom line this is WAY friggin over complicated. The whole point of the club is to have a way for people who share the enthusiasm for our cars to get together and have fun.

i agree. BUT , john brings up some good points.

Also the webmaster and forum administrator are the same thing. Yup it's a permanent position. Sorry, but I registered everything, it's all in my name and tied to my personal accounts and I am footing the bill so I have no plans to turn over control.

all yours Jay.

[John in RI]

Jay - The fact that you will be the webmaster forever is one thing, but being Vice President forever is another. So is wrapping those 2 positions together in the Bylaws. Bylaws are not overly complicated..... they are meant to be fair to ALL of a clubs membership. Being Webmaster and Forum Administrator are not really the same thing, they have simply been wrapped up into a single position. The forums are running smooth, but the website needs a lot of updating. Because you perceive the 2 roles as being the same means that you and only you are responsible for them.

Yup it's a permanent position. Sorry, but I registered everything, it's all in my name and tied to my personal accounts and I am footing the bill so I have no plans to turn over control.

Basically what you just said is that I'm NECF and what I say goes..... You should NOT be footing the bill, You should NOT have any NECF stuff tied to your personal accounts. Thats' not your responsibility as a Webmaster - Administrator - or a VP - it's the task of a clubs Treasurer. Wanting to build a New England Camaro & Firebird Club is one thing; Wanting your own Camaro/Firebird Club is another. Does anyone really think that they will be voted out if regular elections were held ?? What gives ?

Of you plan on NECF being a club that will be collecting dues and paying bills; than you better plan on doing it RIGHT. Allowing any officer access to club funds without board approval is NOT the right way to do it. Creating indefinate board positions is NOT the way to do it. Making 3 people responsible for everything involved in running a car club is NOT the way to do it.

Just One Members opinion............ Not Right - Not Wrong, but worthy of debate.

[lunatic_magnet]

seriously, you might think i'm being a smartass, but thats why i havent paid dues. i'm here to relax and have fun. not be part of some self-important organization with a massive structure in which every person has a title because there are more officer positions than active members. its a small car club - not Goodguys.
we're all here to have fun. keep it that way. there will always be leaders and followers, but when was the last time someone wanted to be president of anything 'just for the fun of it'? IMHO using this type of structure is nothing but planting a seed for division, infighting, and power struggles.