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Official Club Bylaws

The following are the official bylaws of the e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490 as approved by Rotary International upon the official chartering of the Club in March 2005.

ARTICLE I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490.

ARTICLE II - Mission & Purpose

Organizational Mission & Purpose:

e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490 is a networked service organization formed and operated in the model of Rotary International's Cyber-Rotaract plan. Founded and supported by RYLA 7490 alumni, this organization aims to offer service-minded youth ages 18 to 30 a chance for fellowship, personal development, professional development, and community service participation.

Mission Statement:

To Promote the Education of our Constituents and Ourselves in the areas of SERVICE ABOVE SELF, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, and SELF DISCOVERY.

ARTICLE III - Sponsorship

The sponsors of this Cyber-Rotaract Club are as listed below, which, through a committee of their Rotarians, the number of which shall be determined by the clubs, shall provide guidance and have supportive responsibility for this Rotaract club. The continued well-being of this club shall depend on the continued active personal participation of these sponsoring Rotary clubs:

• Jersey City Daybreak - Sharon Weiss (Rotary Advisor)
• Passaic Valley / Little Falls - Dr. Greg Liss (Rotary Advisor)
• Fair Lawn - Allan Caan (Rotary Advisor)

ARTICLE IV - Membership

1. The membership of the e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490 club shall consist of service-minded young men and women of good character and leadership potential between the ages of 18 and 30. The nature of this service network community is to retain active ties with student and constituent groups created and trained through the RYLA 7490 program including, but not limited to our current counselor base, "retired" counselors, active participants in the RYLA program (i.e. the camp staff where RYLA 7490 is conducted), friends, families, Rotarians, and former RYLAteers (RYLA 7490 Alumni).
2. The method of electing e-Rotaract members shall be determined by the e-Rotaract Board of Directors in consultation with its Rotary Advisors. Continuing membership is voluntary and dependent upon the qualified member's interest in participating in the club and his/her ability to meet all requirements for membership.
   1. e-Rotaract will serve as the umbrella organization that produces, sponsors, and facilitates all the activites worked on by the founding group since 1996. These activities include, but are not limited to, the Rotary Youth Leadership Award program and the e-Rotaract Autumn Adventure Weekend Fund Raiser. While membership in the e-Rotaract will be indicative of involvement/membership in any or all of these activities/programs, new involvement/membership in any of these activites/programs (such as RYLA Counselorship or other eRC events) will not imply e-Rotaract membership.
   2. e-Rotaract Membership will require a minimum of four hours community service per month, with two of those hours devoted to club service (making a better e-Rotaract).
   3. e-Rotaract Membership community service requirements may be double-counted for a member serving another service organization, up to two hours of the montly e-Rotaract service requirement (two hours service requirement for a sorority membership may be used to satisfy half of the four hour requirement of e-Rotaract membership).
   4. e-Rotaract Membership will require self-development/team-development book readings related to club, community, vocation, and self discovery, to continually grow the value of its team members and service abilities. The measure of compliance will be in the form of a book report to the group every two months.
   5. e-Rotaract Membership, being of a cyber-community, will require active online participation consisting of no less than two online posts per week (group email or message board).
   6. e-Rotaract Membership will require attendence in each of four quarterly conference calls, to be scheduled at the beginning of each year by the Board of Directors.
   7. e-Rotaract Membership will require a yearly dues submission of twenty-five dollars, (separate from additional donations related to e-Rotaract sponsored activities/programs).
   8. e-Rotaract Membership age restrictions will be between ages 18 and 30. RYLA 7490 "graduates" will not be considered for e-Rotaract membership before the 2 year waiting period required for RYLA counselor selection. Prior to that time, RYLA "graduates" are welcome to take part in service projects with the Club.
   9. Absence from a regularly scheduled meeting of the club may be made up as follows: any member absent from a regular meeting of this club may make up such absence through one hour community service of the member's choice, by attendance at a regular meeting of any other Rotaract club or any Rotary club on any day of the two weeks immediately preceding or following the day of the absence, or attendance and participation in a club service project or a club-sponsored community event or meeting authorized by the board.

ARTICLE V - Virtual Club Meetings

The club, being virtual or "cyber" by nature, can utilize a number of meeting techniques when in-person meetings are not possible. Conference calls can be organized, online chat used, or other means as they become available.

1. Annual Meeting: There will be one meeting each year where members are encouraged to participate in person. The date, time and location of this meeting shall be set by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, who shall give the members and eligible members due notice. The annual meeting shall be held during or around collegiate summer break and timed around the annual RYLA 7490 Conference.
2. Standard Meetings: The club shall initiate and conduct through frequent electronic communication: meetings, participation, discussion activities, special event & project preparations, community service initiatives and member responsibilities.
3. Meeting Schedule: The Board of Directors shall set a schedule of these activities, and attendance and level of participation will be monitored in order to evaluate proper membership.
4. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors and/or Sponsoring Rotary Club Representative upon the special request of at least 4 club members.which requires that at least one member of the Board of Directors preside over the meeting.
5. Scheduling Notice: Notice of each meeting shall be given to each voting member and sponsoring Rotary Club Representatives by e-mail no less than 3 days before the meeting.

ARTICLE VI - Officers and Directors

1. The officers of this club shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and additional officers deemed necessary by the president and the club.
2. The governing body of the e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490 shall be a Board of Directors composed of the president, immediate past president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and additional directors whose number will be determined by the club as deemed necessary. There shall be one Chairperson of the Board of Directors (Chair), who shall be voted on by the members of the Board of Directors with approval from the Rotary Advisors whose responsiblities include oversite and mentoring of club members as well as supporting project and club efforts.
3. Members of the Board of Directors shall sit for a one-year term, after which they can be re-elected to their position or can opt out of nomination. There is no restriction against serving for multiple terms as long as voted properly by the voting members.
4. Elections of officers and directors shall be held annually prior to 1 March by methods compatible with local customs and procedures, but in no case shall more than simple majority of the members in participation over the accepted communication medium, and in good standing be required for elections. All Rotaract club presidents and district representatives who reach the age of 30 during the term of office may serve one additional year as immediate past president or immediate past district representative, to provide continuity in leadership.
5. All decisions, policies, and actions of the board and of the club shall be subject to the provisions of the standard Rotaract constitution and bylaws, as well as policy established by Rotary International and its members.
6. The Board of Directors shall meet with more frequency than other club members in order to ensure utmost productivity. Method of meetings can be decided at the time of the meeting.
7. The duties of each board member and officers will be outlined in Board Policy.
8. The board of directors shall have general control over all officers and committees and may, for good cause, declare any office vacant. It shall constitute a board of appeals from the rulings of all officers and actions of all committees.
9. Vacancies: When a vacancy on the Board of Directors exists, nominations for new committee members may be received from present members, to one of the Rotary Advisors prior to the next Exeutive Committee meeting. The nominations shall be recognized and voted upon at that (or the following) Board of Directors meeting. Vacancies will be filled only to the end of the particular Board member.s term.
10. Resignation: Resignation from the Board of Directors shall be submitted in writing to remaining Board of Directors members of the e-Rotaract Club of Rotary District 7490.

ARTICLE VII - Elections & Voting

1. Eligibility: Active members of the Rotaract Club are eligible for nomination to the Board of Directors after serving a traditional membership for two calendar years.
2. Prior to March 1 of each calendar year, the Board of Directors Chairman shall call for expressions of interest from members of the club to fill potential vacancies and/or office positions up for term on the Board of Directors. The Chair shall do this in writing and the call will be transmitted electronically. Members must respond to the Chair no later than February 1 in order for their names to go forward to a proper nomination.
3. The election shall be conducted online using tools such as the yahoogroup voting mechanism, and the ballots may be transmitted to and returned from electors by electronic means, suitable precautions being taken to provide reasonable assurance that a secret ballot is being used. Each active member may vote for one candidate for each available vacancy for that election year. Any active member may vote for an active member not nominated by the nominating committee by writing the name of that active member on the ballot. Active members shall have at least one week after the ballots have been distributed to submit their votes.
4. Upon the conclusion of the election the Chair shall tally the votes and report the results of the election to the President, who shall transmit the names of the elected candidates to the club. In the event the Chair is being reelected, the Rotary Advisors shall tally all votes and give full report of election results.
5. IN THE EVENT OF A TIE: If there is a tie vote between any two candidates for any available Board of Directors position, the members of the Board of Directors and Rotary Advisors shall consider the merits of each candidate and choose one as the elected candidate. Decision of this special meeting of the Board of Directors is final.

ARTICLE VIII - Method of Voting

All votes conducted by the club shall be by written ballots transmitted by electronic means as directed by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX - Committees

The Board of Directors may create and staff project committees as needed. The Board of Directors appoints all committee chairs. Committee chairs are typically active e-Rotaract members with over 1 year of club membership. Project committees should be made up of both experienced and inexperienced members for each given project. This allows for project implementation knowledge to be passed from year to year.

Standing Committees will include club service, international service, community service (consisting of one or more project committees), professional development, finance, and other committees as deemed necessary or convenient for the administration of the club.

Project Committees are assigned on an as-needed basis for each community or club service event (such as Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Autumn Adventure Weekend). Basic guidelines for Committee work include but are not limited to:

1. Proper documentation of the project using the online wiki system.
2. Active reporting of all progress made on project initiatives to the e-Rotaract email distribution list.
3. Project-specific management tasks including task management, donor/sponsor signup and management, venue-related tasks, recuitment and transportation logisitcs, etc.

Membership Committee members will be charged with maintaining community service logs and collecting membership dues at the beginning of each year subject to the provisions of Article IV. The committee will also administer other membership requirements.

ARTICLE X - Projects

1. e-Rotaract will effectively serve as the umbrella organization for all activities/projects produced, sponsored, and facilitated by the founding group since 1996.
2. The Rotary Youth Leadership Award program and the e-Rotaract Autumn Adventure Weekend Fund Raiser are to be considered productions of the e-Rotaract.
3. e-Rotaract will continue to develop, produce, sponsor, and facilitate additional activities/projects geared towards community service, and youth leadership development/growth.
4. e-Rotaract will make available its expert service, staff (membership) and documentation to groups in need of leadership, team building, and other training, at a cost to be determined by the Board of Directors at the time of commission. Any funds-for-service received as a result of these expert services will be entrusted to, and used by the club for e-Rotaract purposes.

ARTICLE XI - Finances

1. Only the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and Rotary Advisors will have access to the financial records and accounts of the club. Only the signature of one or all of the aforementioned individuals will serve valid on all financial records.
2. One or all of the aforementioned people shall deposit all funds of the club in a bank or banks as recommended by the sponsoring Rotary clubs. All funds shall be deposited in the United States of America in a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation of the United States of America.
3. At times the club may make financial arrangements with non-profit 501(c)3 organizations approved by the Board of Directors to collect and distribute funds on behalf of e-Rotaract.
4. All bills owed by the club shall be paid by checks signed by the Treasurer of the Board of Directors or designated finance committee members upon proper authorization approved by the Board of Directors and Adivsory Members.
5. Each year the Board of Directors shall appoint a qualified person from outside the Board of Directors, Active Membership and Rotary Advisors to examine the financial records of the club and report to the Committee on the club's financial condition.
6. The Treasurer and other persons having charge or control of the funds of the club may be required to give bond for the safe custody of the funds, the cost of such bond to be borne by the club.
7. The fiscal year of the club shall begin on July 1 and end on the following June 30.
8. Dues shall be assessed members semiannually on July 1 and the following January 1, and shall include such semiannual per capita payments as the club is required to forward to Rotary International and Rotary District 7490.

ARTICLE XII - Books & Records

1. The Club shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its Board of Directors and shall keep a record of its Executives, giving the names, phone numeber and email addresses of all. All of the aforementioned records shall be kept virtually and housed online on a secure server easily accessible to all active members. Sensitive financial records may be held out of publicly accessible areas and can be presented upon query of the Board of Directors.
2. The Club shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of Active Members and shall maintain current and proper contact information for all Active Members organized by fiscal year. Members are required to keep their own contactin information up to date on their personal wiki page.
3. Project documentation is the cornerstone of successful and repeatable projects. The virtual nature of the club makes the upkeep and creation of documentation imperative. Active Members must maintain wiki documentation for all projects.

ARTICLE XIII - Resolutions

A resolution or motion to commit the club on any matter may be submitted in writing by any active member to the Board of Directors together with a rationale for the club's adopting the resolution or motion. The Committee shall consider the proposed resolution or motion within thirty days of submission, and shall reach a decision on whether to recommend the resolution or motion for adoption. The decision of the Committee shall be transmitted to the proposer, and if the proposer wishes to have the proposal voted on, it shall be submitted to the active members with the recommendation of the Committee.

ARTICLE XIV - Ammendments

Recognizing the content of these bylaws may not maintain relevancy with the passage of time, the Board of Directors shall have the power to make, alter, amend, and repeal the Bylaws of this Association; the Board of Directors shall not alter, amend or repeal any of the bylaws that would adversely impact the rights of any members unless such alteration, amendment, or repeal shall first have received the approval of the majority of the of the club members and Rotary Advisors.

1. Any member of the club may propose an amendment to these bylaws to the Board of Directors at any time. The proposing member shall provide a rationale for the proposed amendment.
2. Upon receiving a proposed amendment the Board of Directors shall consider the substance and wording of the proposed amendment and consult with the Rotary Advisors. If the Rotary Advisors raise no objection, the committee may provide, if it wishes, an alternative wording, and shall give notice to the club of the proposed amendment, the wordings of the proposer and of the committee, the rationale of the proposer and any comments the committee may wish to make on the proposed amendment.
3. Each member of the club may vote on the proposed amendment within one week after having received the notice from the Board of Directors. Voting shall be by electronic means as specified by the Board of Directors.
4. Adoption of an amendment requires an affirmative vote of quorum, or 2/3 active membership of the club.