Shorewood Yacht Club Bylaws

Spring 2009

Bylaws
ARTICLE I

Membership

A. The owner of each boat that is wet or dry summer stored (May through September) at the SYC facility, shall be a voting member entitled to one vote for each council member candidate. When more than one person owns a boat, all such persons shall be members, and the single vote represented by the boat shall be exercised as they among themselves determine; however, in no event shall more than one vote be cast with respect to any one boat. In such circumstances, the voting ballot shall be given to the owner of the boat first appearing on the SYC roster, and shall be that owner’s responsibility to caucus with the other owner or owners with respect to casting the one vote. In the event a voting member ceases to own a boat that is wet or dry summer stored at the SYC facility, such member’s SYC membership shall terminate thirty (30) days following boat ownership cessation, unless associate membership is established, as hereinafter set forth.

B. The SYC Membership Council may from time to time establish non-voting memberships, which shall be known as associate memberships. In said event, the Membership Council may prescribe and amend the terms for such associate memberships, shall set the dues for such associate memberships, and may revoke or terminate such associate memberships in its sole discretion.

C. The SYC annual meeting of the membership shall be held at the beginning of each sailing season, typically in May of each year. Other meetings of the membership may be called at any time by the commodore or the Membership Council upon advance written notice to the membership.

D. No member shall receive compensation for any service he or she may render; however, any member may be reimbursed for his or her expenses, as authorized by the Membership Council.
 

ARTICLE II

SYC Membership Council

A. The affairs of SYC shall be managed by the Membership Council elected by the voting membership. No Council Member shall receive compensation for any service he or she may render; however, any Council Member may be reimbursed for his or her expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties when authorized by the Membership Council.

B. The SYC Membership Council shall consist of the commodore, the vice-commodore-social, the vice-commodore-race, the rear commodore, the secretary, the treasurer and at least four at-large council members. The nominating committee as hereafter described shall seek to nominate for the at-large Council Membership positions candidates representing each of the four SYC piers whenever possible. The commodore shall serve as chairman or chairwoman of the Membership Council to supervise its deliberations.

C. The SYC owners shall be permanent voting members of the Membership Council. All Membership Council actions are subject to the approval of the owners.

D. Each SYC Council Member shall be elected for a term of one year. Any Council Member may be removed from the Membership Council, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the votes cast by the voting membership. In the event of death, resignation, termination of voting membership or removal of a Council Member, his or her successor shall be selected by the remaining Council Members by majority vote and shall serve for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor’s term.
 

ARTICLE III

Council Members

A. The SYC Membership Council shall consist of the commodore, the vice-commodore-social, the vice-commodore-race, the rear commodore, the secretary, the treasurer and at least four at-large council members. No council member shall receive compensation for any service he or she may render; however, any council member may be reimbursed for his or her expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties when authorized by the Membership Council.

B. The commodore shall preside at all membership and Membership Council meetings and shall supervise the carrying out of the policies adopted or approved by the Membership Council.

C. The rear commodore shall serve as counsel to the Membership Council for the year following his or her tenure as commodore. The rear commodore shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the commodore or Membership Council. In the event of the absence, resignation or removal of the commodore, the rear commodore shall carry out the duties of the commodore until the commodore returns or the vacancy in the office of commodore is filled by a majority of the votes cast by the voting membership in a special election.

D. The vice commodore-social shall carry out the Membership Council’s decisions relating to SYC’s social activities and membership meetings. The vice commodore-race shall carry out the Membership Council’s decisions relating to SYC’s race activities. The vice commodores shall also carry out such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to them by the commodore or Membership Council.

E. The secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all membership and Membership Council meetings. The secretary shall be custodian of SYC’s records, documents and papers and shall provide for the keeping of proper records of all SYC Membership Council business. He or she shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the commodore or Membership Council.

F. The treasurer shall be the custodian of the SYC Membership Council’s funds and shall prepare written financial reports to the Membership Council. All financial reports shall be available to the voting membership upon request.

G. Each SYC council member shall be elected for a term of one year, and he or she shall hold office for the term for which he or she was elected until his or her successor is elected and qualified, subject to removal by the Membership Council at any time. Vacancies, with the exception of the commodore who shall be replaced by the rear commodore, may be filled by appointment of successors by the Membership Council at any regular or special meeting, to hold office until the next regular election and until successors qualify.

ARTICLE IV

Elections

A. A nominating committee shall be appointed by the Membership Council for the purpose of nominating and presenting a slate of SYC Membership Council and SYC council member candidates to the voting membership for election. The committee shall be comprised of: two (2) past commodores; two (2) current Council Members; and two (2) members of the voting membership at large. The committee shall elect its own chairperson. Although it is not required that the candidate for commodore be chosen from the council members holding vice commodore positions, the nominating committee shall be encouraged to consider such council members but, in any event, the committee shall be required if possible, to nominate candidates for commodore who have at least one year of Membership Council experience. The committee shall notify the current Membership Council in writing of its nominated slate and shall submit its nominated slate to the voting membership on or before October 1.

B. The SYC Membership Council and council member elections shall be held and completed prior to October 31 of each year. The election shall occur by written secret ballot of the voting membership in a manner established by the Membership Council. A majority of the votes cast will be required to elect the Council Members. Newly elected Council members will be introduced at the year-end party and awards banquet held between November 1 and November 30 of each year.
 

ARTICLE V

Amendments

A. These bylaws may be amended by secret ballot at any regular or special meeting of the voting membership or through a secret ballot mailed to the voting membership. A majority of the votes cast will be required to amend these bylaws.