MID-SOUTH GARDEN RAILWAY SOCIETY
BY-LAWS
REVISED
04/13/04
ARTICLE ONE: PURPOSE
The purpose of the Society shall be to promote Large
Scale Model Railroading in the Mid-South area. The Society will encourage
the sharing of knowledge, skills and resources as associated with Gauge One
modeling. The Society’s motto will be to have fun while doing so.
ARTICLE TWO: MEETINGS
Section 1. Government
The governing authority for this organization shall be
the current version of these By-Laws and Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 2. Meetings
The Society will hold a monthly meeting on the second
Saturday of the month. The meeting place will be announced in the
newsletter, by e-mail or standard mail to the entire membership. The
meeting shall begin at 7:00pm, preceded by a potluck dinner at 6:30pm. Any
changes regarding the place and time will be presented to the membership by
e-mail, standard mail or a phone call. Other meetings can be called as
needed or desires; however, business will not be conducted at any other meeting
without advance notice given to the membership.
Section 3. Visitors
Visitors are welcome to attend the monthly meeting, but
will be expected to pay dues after their second attendance.
ARTICLE THREE: OFFICERS, ELECTIONS & DUTIES
Section 1. Executive Board
The Executive Board will consist of the following:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Newsletter Editor
Chief Operating Engineer
Advisor
Section 2. Elections
A slate of officers will be nominated by an Executive
Committee, which will consist of the current President, Vice-President and one
(1) member at large. The slate will be posted in the newsletter following
the annual August meeting. The vote will be taken at the annual September
meeting. Any member may nominate an individual for any office during the
September meeting. All nominees must be present at the September meeting
unless the current Vice-President gives them an excused absence.
Section 3. Duties of Officers
President: The President will preside over the
meetings and conduct all business of the Society in an orderly fashion. He
will follow an agenda when holding meetings which will include reports from all
Executive Board officers and both old and new business. He will appoint
any committees and see that they report back the Society in a timely manner.
He will agree to act in the position of Advisor to the Society for one year
following his tenure, or appoint someone to act in this position.
Vice-President: The Vice-President will assume the
duties of the President in his absence. His duties will consist of keeping
an accurate roll of membership and visitors. He will furnish a list of the
membership with address, e-mail addresses and phone numbers. He will
encourage attendance by all members and visitors.
Secretary: The Secretary will keep an accurate
record of the meetings. He will provide a copy of the minutes to the
President for review prior to submitting them to the editor for publication.
The Secretary will record and update changes to the By-Laws.
Treasurer: The Treasurer will collect all monies
due the Society, keep an accurate record of the Society’s expenses and
collections of donations and make all deposits into the Society’s bank account.
He will keep records in a manner that can be audited or understood by the
membership or an appointee.
Newsletter Editor: The Newsletter Editor will
write, edit and post a monthly newsletter. The newsletter will include the
minutes from that month’s meeting. The editor will issue copies of the
newsletter to all active members each month and to visitors as directed by the
Vice-President.
Chief Operating Engineer: The Chief Operating
Engineer is responsible for making sure the clubroom is manned during hours of
operation; for the training of all volunteer operating engineers; for the
general maintenance and upkeep of the club layout and for keeping track of and
prioritizing all work that needs to be done at the clubroom.
Advisor: The Advisor will act in an advisory
position as a non-voting member of the Executive Board. He will attend the
monthly and called meetings and advise the membership of any items of historical
significance.
ARTICLE FOUR: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1. Regular Membership
A regular membership shall consist of either a single
person or family membership and shall have the same rights. Family
membership shall only have one vote. A family may take out more than one
membership per year and each additional membership will be entitled to their own
vote.
Section 2. Charter Members
All members on roll at the Adoption of the Society’s
original By-Laws shall be listed as Charter Members.
Section 3. Junior Members
A.
The purpose of the Junior Membership is to recognize a regular visitor to
the clubroom and/or a family member.
B.
A Junior Member can be nominated by any Society member and voted for by
the membership at any monthly meeting.
C.
The Junior Member will receive a certificate and a name badge.
D.
Junior members are a non-voting member and are exempt from dues until
their 16th birthday, at which time they will be expected to pay dues
for become a regular member.
E.
Junior members may attend meetings unless otherwise notified by the
monthly newsletter.
F.
A Junior member must be at least 10 years old to work in the clubroom
with adult supervision. Junior members will help greet visitors, answer
questions, and pass out popcorn and any other handouts the Society may have.
Section 4. Dues
Dues shall be $35.00 per membership, per year, and due
before or during the annual September meeting.
ARTICLE FIVE: CLUB ROOM
Section 1. Clubroom
The clubroom is provided to enable the Society to follow
the purpose of the Society as shown above, as well as to actively enlist new
members. Donations will be encouraged in order to maintain and improve the
layout.
Section 2. Manning (Voted Revision 02/14/04)
The general membership of the MSGRS has no
responsibility for manning the clubroom/layouts and or the portable layout for
operation. The MSGRS Operating Engineers are responsible for manning the
club coach layout and or the portable layout for operation. The Chief
Operating Engineer is responsible for arranging the manning of the clubroom by
scheduling himself and all other Operating Engineers for duty at the club coach
layout on a rotational basis. Operating Engineers that are unable to
perform their duty at a scheduled time are responsible for arranging their own
substitute. Substitutes must be current MSGRS Operating Engineers.
Section 3. Finances
The Society’s financial support of the clubroom/layouts
shall continue as needed. All funds spent (not to exceed $200 per month
unless voted otherwise), and donations received at the clubroom/layouts shall be
accounted for as required by these By-Laws.
Section 4. Hours (Voted Revision 02/14/04)
The club coach layout should be open every Saturday from
10:00am to 4:00 pm. Additional holiday and festival hours will be posted
as deemed appropriate by the Chief Operating Engineer.
Section 5. Equipment (Voted Revision 02/14/04)
All track used on the clubroom/layouts will be the
property of MSGRS. Additions of equipment can be suggested by the Chief
Operating Engineer or by the membership. This can be accomplished by
donations of engines, rolling stock and other equipment form the membership
and/or purchase using society funds. The Chief Operating Engineer will be
responsible for maintaining the society owned equipment in a serviceable state.
Personal equipment left at the clubroom/layouts can be used on the layout by an
operating engineer, but only if left on the layout. Only the owner of
equipment will place equipment on the layout if stored in the club coach.
ARTICLE SIX: WEBSITE
The Society will maintain a website known as
www.msgrs.org. A web master will be appointed by the Executive Board
membership. It will be the web master’s responsibility to maintain and
update the website as necessary.
ARTICLE SEVEN: DISSOLUTION
Section 1. Dissolution
The Society may be dissolved at the recommendation of
the Executive Board with the notification to all members and a majority vote.
Section 2. Property
Any property, which belongs to the Society, shall be
disposed of in the order as follows:
A.
Any items, which were donated to the Society, will be returned the
individual who donated that item if such a request is made.
B.
Any items remaining the property of the Society will then be sold at
auction to club members or other interested individuals. The proceeds from
the auction will be deposited in the Society’s bank account.
C.
All approved claims will be settled for any outstanding expenses.
D.
Final funds left in the Society’s bank account shall then be donated to
whichever 501c3 organization(s) approved by membership vote at the final meeting
of the Society.
ARTICLE EIGHT: CHANGES TO BY-LAWS
Any proposed changes or additions to these By-Laws must
be presented to the Executive Board prior to a monthly meeting. After the
proposed changes are read and discussed at the meeting, the changes will be
tabled until the full membership is notified in the newsletter of the changed
and the voting date.
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