Chattanooga Engineers Club |
Chattanooga Engineers Club CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
Organization
Section 1. - The official name of this organization shall be "Chattanooga Engineers Club" and it shall be referred to in the following articles as the "Club."
Section 2. - The official residence and place of meeting shall be in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Section 3. - This Constitution as revised and amended, shall become effective January 1, 1971. - Art. III, revised and amended and Sec. 4, Art. VI, amended August 15, 1972. - Article VI, Section 1, amended, Article VII, Section 1, revised, Article VIII changed to IX, Article IX changed to X, and Article X changed to XI, and Article XI, Section 1, revised and Article VIII, Section 1 added June 13, 1994. - Amend Article VII, Section 1, May 6, 1996. Amend Article VI, Section 2 for the treasurer position to be held longer than one year; Amend Article IX, Section 1 to allow weekly electronic meeting announcements; Amend Article III, Section 2 for Full Member status to require 5 years experience instead of 8 years, Oct. 21, 2002. As amended 2006 to eliminate Second Vice President, August 28, 2006.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
Section 1. - The purpose of the Club shall be to promote the dissemination of engineering and scientific knowledge and to participate in activities related to engineering.
Section 2. - The purpose will be accomplished by the holding of meetings, the discussion of matters of an engineering and scientific nature, the inspection of engineering works and the promotion of interest in engineering and scientific fields.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. - The membership of the Club shall consist of:
Full Members
Associate Members
Student Members
Honorary Members
Retired Members
Section 2. - A Full Member shall be a person of good character who has been engaged in the fields of engineering, architecture or scientific endeavor for at least five years. - Full-time study at a recognized college or university may be considered equivalent to up to four years of practice.
Section 3. - An Associate Member shall be a person of good character who by scientific knowledge or practical experience is closely associated with engineering, but who does not fulfill the requirements for a Full Member. - He shall have all the rights and privileges of Full Members except the right to hold an elective office.
Section 4. - A Student Member shall be a person of good character who is pursuing an undergraduate course of study in the field of engineering or related sciences in a college or university acceptable to the Executive Committee.
Section 5. - An Honorary Member shall be a person who has rendered eminent service to the profession and who, in the opinion of the Club, is entitled to this distinction. - Honorary Members shall have all the rights and privileges of Full Members.
Section 6. - A Retired Member shall be one who has reached the age of retirement and has retired from regular employment. - To qualify for this grade, the member must have been a Club Member in good standing for a minimum period of ten (10) years. - Retired Members shall have all the rights and privileges of their previous grade.
ARTICLE IV
Admission
Section 1. - Applicants for membership shall submit a formal application as specified in the By-Laws.
Section 2. - Honorary Members shall be nominated by a formal letter of recommendations signed by ten (10) Members and addressed to the Executive Committee through the President. Two-thirds of the Members present in a regular meeting shall be required for election.
Section 3. - Retired Members shall make written application for this classification to the Executive Committee through the President.
Section 4. - A person wishing to change his grade of membership shall make application in the same manner as a new applicant.
ARTICLE V
Dues
Section 1. - Annual dues shall be assessed as prescribed in the Club By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI
Officers
Section 1. - The Officers of the Club shall be as follows:
President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Section 2. - With the exception of the position of Treasurer, the term of office shall be for one year beginning in January, or until a successor is duly designated. - It is expected that any officer unable to serve approximately half of his term shall resign said office. The position of Treasurer is appointed by the Executive Committee. - It will be held for an unspecified length of time
Section 3. - The duties of the officers shall be prescribed in the By-Laws.
Section 4. - The elected officers and the immediate past president of the Club shall constitute the Executive Committee which will administer the activities of the Club. - They shall also act as a finance committee to consider and authorize expenditures from the Club treasury.
Section 5. - At the first meeting in October of each year, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee, consisting of three Past Presidents of the Club, which shall present the report of the Nominating Committee as stipulated in the By-Laws of the Club.
Section 6. - Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present at the election meeting, including approved absentee ballots received by the Secretary.
Section 7. - A vacancy in the office of President will result in presidential succession and election of a new Vice President. - A vacancy in any other office shall be filled by interim election. - At the next regular meeting the preceding year's Nominating Committee shall nominate one person for the vacated office, and additional nominations shall be called for from the floor. - At the following regular meeting the vacancy shall be filled by secret ballot election.
ARTICLE VII
Standing Committees
Section 1. - The following committees shall be appointed by the President at the first meeting of the Club in January:
Program
Bulletin
Membership
Audit
Publicity
Fellowship
Science Fair
Education
Section 2. - Such special committees as may be required from time to time may be constituted at a regular meeting of the Club.
Section 3. - Each committee will select such time and place of meeting as is consistent with prompt handling of the business of the committee.
ARTICLE VIII
Scholarship Fund
Section 1. - The Club's scholarship fund shall be administered by The Chattanooga Community Foundation as a donor-advised fund. The Executive Committee will advise the Community Foundation concerning disbursement of the scholarship fund.
ARTICLE IX
Bulletin
Section 1. - The Club shall issue a weekly electronic program announcement. It shall also publish a bulletin to be mailed to all members of the Club, as necessary.
Section 2. - The Chairman of the Bulletin Committee shall serve as Editor of the Bulletin and as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE X
Meetings
Section 1. - The Club shall hold weekly meetings, the time and place of such meetings to be determined by the Club. - Special meetings when necessary may be called by the President or the Executive Committee. - Notice of same is to be given in the Bulletin.
ARTICLE XI
Amendments
Section 1. - Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be submitted in writing, signed by five members and filed with the Secretary, who shall read same at the next meeting. - At the second meeting following the publication of proposed amendments in the Bulletin, this Constitution may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members present. - Adoption of amendments shall be designated by amendment to Article I, Section 3.
Chattanooga Engineers Club BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
Rules
Section 1. - These By-Laws, as revised and amended, shall become effective January 1, 1971. Sec. 1 and Sec. 5, Art. III, revised March 8, 1971. - Sec. 1 and Sec. 2, Art. III, and Sec. 4, Art. VII, revised August 15, 1972. - Sec. 1 and Sec. 1, Art. IV, revised May 24, 1976. - Sec. 1, Art. III, revised December 4, 1978. - Sec. 2, Art. II, revised February 16, 1981. - Art. III, revised April 21, 1986. - Sec. 3, Art. IV, revised April 4, 1988. - Article IV, Sec. revised 1, and 2 revised, Article VI, Sections 4 and 5, revised; and Article VII, Section 5, and Section 8, deleted, and Sections 7, and Sections 9 through 11, revised and amended June 13, 1994. - Delete Article VII, Section 3, and renumber section 4-9 to 3-8, May 6, 1996. Amend Article IV, Section 1 for the treasurer position to be held longer than one year, Oct. 21, 2002. As amended 2006 to eliminate Second Vice President, August 28, 2006.
Section 2. - In questions involving parliamentary procedure, Robert's Rules of Order shall be the governing authority.
ARTICLE II
Admission
Section 1. - An Application for Membership, properly executed and signed, shall be submitted by all applicants. - The form shall provide for name, residence address, date of birth, nature and term of professional service, or character of business in which applicant is or has been engaged, the names of three (3) or more Members of the Club, if possible, with whom the applicant is personally acquainted, and additional data as desired.
Section 2. - Each application for membership shall be referred to the Membership Committee or investigation, action as to approval and assignment of membership grade. - The Membership Committee's recommendation concerning acceptance shall be voted upon by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE III
Dues
Section 1. - Annual dues shall be recommended by the Executive Committee in October of each year and shall be based on the financial needs of the Club. - The recommended dues shall be published in the Club Bulletin for two successive weeks and voted on by the attending members at the third successive meeting. - Annual dues notices will be mailed to the membership by December 1, for the ensuing year. - Dues shall be established for: Full Members, Associate Members, Student Members and Retired Members.
Section 2. - The first annual dues payment shall accompany an application for membership in the Club. - After August 31 of each year, dues shall be reduced by 50%.
Section 3. - Honorary Members shall not be required to pay annual dues.
Section 4. - Any Member whose dues remain unpaid on April 1 of the year in which they are due shall be removed from the mailing list for the Club's weekly Bulletin. - Any member whose dues remain unpaid on July 1 of the year in which they are due, after having been mailed a final notice in June by the Secretary of the Club calling attention to such delinquency, shall automatically cease to be a member of the Club.
Section 5. - A former member may be reinstated by complying with Article IV, Section 1, of the Constitution.
ARTICLE IV
Elections
Section 1. - The Nominating Committee shall nominate members for the Club offices specified in Article VI of the Constitution. - The committee shall nominate one or more members for the office of Vice President, and two or more members for the office of Secretary. - The office of President shall be filled by automatic succession of the previous year's Vice President, who shall be deemed President-elect provided he or she has completed a full term in that office. - If the Vice President has assumed the duties of President for more than six (6) months, or if he or she is unable to hold the office of President, nomination for President shall be made in accordance with provisions for other offices. - The position of Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and shall be held for an indefinite period of time.
Section 2. - Nominations of the nominating committee shall be made known at the third regular Club meeting prior to the date of election. - Additional nominations from the floor shall be called for at this same meeting and at the next regular Club meeting. - Any nominations from the floor must have had the consent of the person nominated that the person will serve if elected. - A floor nomination must be seconded in order to be considered for election.
Section 3. - Printed ballots shall be prepared listing all nominees for office and election of officers will be by marked, secret ballot vote at the fourth meeting in November of each year.
Section 4. - Members who are unable to attend the election meeting of the Club may secure absentee ballots from the Secretary, upon written request, and shall return said absentee ballot to the Secretary in a sealed envelope marked "BALLOT FOR OFFICERS" by noon of the day of the election meeting.
ARTICLE V
Executive Committee Meetings
Section 1. - The Executive Committee shall meet at a regularly scheduled time each month for the purpose of planning and organizing the affairs of the Club. - These meetings shall be open to all members, who may participate in the discussion without vote.
ARTICLE VI
Duties of Officers
Section 1. - The President shall have general supervision over the affairs of the Club, shall preside at the meetings, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2. - The Vice President shall assume the duties of President during the temporary absence of the President, and shall serve as Program Committee Chairman.
Section 3. - The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Club, shall receive from the Secretary all money paid and deposit the same in the name of the Club in a suitable banking institution. - He shall pay all debts of the Club upon receipt of certified statements from the Secretary and sign all checks or vouchers payable by the Club. - He shall present at a regular meeting before the end of February a financial statement for the previous year covering receipts and expenditures, accompanied by a balance sheet of the Club books. - He shall present to the Secretary and the Audit Committee all financial records for examination when called upon to do so by the Secretary.
Section 4. - The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all regular Club meetings and the Executive Committee meetings. - He shall have charge of all membership records and collect all fees and dues, transferring all money upon receipt to the Treasurer. - He shall certify all expense bills of the Club and keep a record of same. - He shall receive and file for future reference all written committee reports and other documents adopted at regular meetings. - He shall perform such other secretarial duties as the Club may require.
ARTICLE VII
Duties of Committees
Section 1. - The Program Committee shall be responsible for the weekly programs and shall arrange each meeting in time to notify the Publicity Committee, shall provide any entertainment desirable and arrange for the comfort and entertainment of guests.
Section 2. - The Bulletin Committee shall prepare notices of the weekly meeting and club announcements, as required.
Section 3. - The Membership Committee shall receive all applications for membership and take appropriate action in accordance with Article II. - They will also maintain a record of prospective members and endeavor to promote the extension and growth of the Club.
Section 4. - The Audit Committee shall audit the books and accounts of the Club annually, prior to the new Treasurer assuming his responsibilities, and submit a report to the Executive Committee.
Section 5. - The Publicity Committee shall assist in promoting the profession and the Club by endeavoring to keep the public informed of all Club activities.
Section 6. - The Fellowship Committee shall endeavor to acquaint the members with one another, to report on the well-being and/or illness of the members, extend the good wishes of the Club to those who are ill and shall represent the Club in case of the death of a member.
Section 7. - The Science Fair Committee shall represent the Club in matters related to the responsibilities of the Club as a Co-Sponsor of the Chattanooga Area Regional Science Fair. - They shall report to the Executive Committee as to the status of the program periodically and shall inform the membership of the Club relative to the program.
Section 8. - The Education Committee shall represent the Club in matters related to the responsibilities of the Club in education and scholarships.
ARTICLE VIII
Amendments
Section 1. - These By-Laws may be suspended at any meeting of the Club by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Section 2. - Proposed amendments of these By-Laws must be submitted in writing, signed by three (3) members and filed with the secretary, who shall publish same in the Bulletin. - At the second meeting following the publication, a majority affirmation vote of the members present shall be necessary for adoption. - The effective date of such amendment shall be designated by amendment to Article I, Section 1.