By Laws

By-Laws of the Creative Camera Club

The by-laws below are the governing rules of the Creative Camera Club.

ARTICLE I.
IDENTIFICATION

1. NAME & INITIALS – This organization shall be known as the Creative Camera Club, Inc. and may be referred to and represented by the initials CCC.
2. USE OF THE CLUB NAME – The name and initials of the club shall not be used for any purpose except as authorized by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVE AND JURISDICTION

1. OBJECTIVE – The objective of the club shall be to expose the many areas of photography to individuals of all levels of expertise/achievement in photography and to promote an interest in, and an understanding of, the art and science of photography as a non-profit organization.
2. JURISDICTION – The club shall hold no jurisdiction but shall oversee the supervision of the following:
A. To sanction an annual print show and meeting competitions;
B. To conduct classes and programs to groups on request;
C. To educate all interested individuals or groups in photography as a recreational activity;
D. To encourage the formation of clubs in other communities;
E. To enjoy the sociality incident to the recreation of photography.
3. MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS – The club shall maintain membership in other organizations, whenever appropriate, to further its objectives as decided by a majority of the membership.
4. NEWSLETTER – There shall be an official newsletter, which is to be sent monthly to the membership.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership in the club is open to any individual upon payment of the prescribed dues and members shall be eligible to serve on a committee and hold office in the club.
2. AUTHORITY AND DISCIPLINE – As a condition of membership, all individuals shall conform to the provisions of the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations of this club. Non-payments of dues shall not be a cause for discipline because club meetings are open to guests. Membership may be suspended or revoked by the Executive Committee if a member fails to conform. If a membership is suspended or revoked for any reason other than non-payment of dues, that member shall have the right of appeal to the general membership. The action of the membership at such an appeal shall be binding.

ARTICLE IV
DUES

1. CLUB DUES – The schedule of annual dues shall be $25.00 for regular members, $6.00 for junior members, and $32.00 for a family. Junior membership shall be persons of high school age, under eighteen with full membership privileges except that of holding office. Junior members shall become regular members on January 1st following their eighteenth birthday. For new members, the dues will be ½ the original fee if they join at the August meeting or later. Dues shall be due in January of each year.
2. WITHDRAWAL – Any member may withdraw from the club, however, no dues shall be refunded.
3. DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY AND ASSETS – In the event of the final dissolution of the club, its property and assets shall be distributed equally among the current members in good standing at the time of dissolution.
4. REVISION OF DUES – Dues may be revised by the Executive Committee not more than once in a calendar year. Any such revision must be ratified by a simple majority of the members at the next regular meeting before becoming permanent.

ARTICLE V
MEETINGS

1. MEETINGS – Meetings of the club shall occur monthly. The third Thursday of each month shall constitute the regular meeting date. Any random change can be made at the direction of the Executive Committee; however, any permanent change shall be ratified by a majority of the members at the next regular meeting before becoming permanent

ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS

1. LIST OF ELECTED OFFICERS – The elected officers of the club shall be as follows:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Three (3) Directors-at-Large
Newsletter Editor
2. ELIGIBILITY – Any member of the club in good standing shall be eligible to be an officer, except junior members.
3. ELECTION – The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors-at-Large shall be elected by the membership each October. All elected officers shall begin their duties in January following their election.
4. TERM OF OFFICERS – All elected officers shall serve for a period of (1) year except for the Directors-at-Large specified below. Nothing in these by-laws shall prohibit an officer from being elected to successive terms.
5. TERM OF DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE – In each election year, a Director-at-Large shall be elected for a three (3) year term. If a person is elected to replace a Director who, for any reason, was unable to serve their full term, that Director shall serve out the remaining time of the replaced Director-at-Large.
6. COMPENSATION – Elected officers shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties.
7. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT – There shall be no residency requirement for any office.
8. DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT – The President shall:
A. Be the Chief Executive Officer of the club;
B. Preside at all meetings of the club and the Executive Committee;
C. See that all By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations are strictly enforced;
D. Decide any question concerning the interpretation of the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations which may be submitted to the club in writing by any member, except that any such decision shall be subject to approval, rejection or revision by the majority of the membership;
E. Appoint members to all committees of the club and may substitute or cancel a committee appointment at any time;
F. Cast the deciding vote whenever a tie vote occurs;
G. Perform such other duties that usually appertain to the office of the President;
H. Call for reports of the standing committees at least annually
9. DUTIES OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT – The Vice-President shall:
A. Serve as assistant to the President;
B. Perform duties that are delegated by the President;
C. Perform all duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President;
D. Be responsible for all club equipment;
E. Conduct all meeting competitions and be in charge of tabulating results of voting;
F. Be responsible for the preparation of the meeting room for all meetings.
10. DUTIES OF THE DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE – The Directors-at-Large shall be members of the Executive Committee and shall vote on all matters brought before them. The educational workshops will be coordinated each year with the director in the second year of service.
11. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY – The Secretary shall:
A. Keep complete records of all meetings and the club’s “Levels Program”; (provided, however, the President may appoint a member to manage the “Levels Program”);
B. Be responsible, along with the President, for filing all reports;
C. Conduct all official correspondence appertaining to the office, preserving all correspondence received, together with copies of all official correspondence sent out;
D. At all times be prepared to have all records and reports of this office available for inspection by the President or the Executive Committee;
12. DUTIES OF THE TREASURER – The Treasurer shall:
A. Maintain appropriate records in which all financial transactions of the club shall be recorded;
B. At all times be prepared to have all financial records available for inspection by the President or the Executive Committee.
C. Maintain an adequate supply of needed inventory for the club such as ribbons, certificates, plaques, ballots, projector bulbs, etc.
13. DUTIES OF THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR – The editor shall be responsible for the preparation of the monthly newsletter and see that it is sent to the membership monthly.

ARTICLE VII
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. Members of the Executive Committee shall be: The Elected Officers of the Club
The Immediate Past President
2. THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT – The Immediate Past President shall serve in this capacity until replaced by the incumbent President.
3. AUTHORITY – The Executive Committee shall have full administrative authority over all of the affairs of the club. The active management of the club shall be vested in the Executive Committee at all times. Any action taken by the Executive Committee which in any way affects the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations of the club shall not be considered as binding until ratified by a majority of the membership.
4. QUORUM – Five members of the Executive Committee assembled on the call of the President and in actual session shall constitute a quorum.
5. BUSINESS CONDUCTED BY TELEPHONE OR E-MAIL – On an emergency basis, the Executive Committee may, without meeting together, transact business by telephone or e-mail and vote upon proposals.
6. FINANCIAL DIRECTION – The Executive Committee shall act as a committee on Ways and Means to adequately finance the activities of the club. It shall act as a budget committee and shall endeavor to set up and maintain a reasonable balance of receipts and expenditures. As deemed necessary, and with the approval of the Executive Committee, expenses or an honorarium may be granted to non-members invited to present programs at regular meetings of the club.
7. TERMINATION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP – The withdrawal or revocation of any members shall automatically terminate membership on the Executive Committee. Such vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by general election of the
membership. In the case of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall become the President.
8. VOTING – Voting by proxy is disallowed.

ARTICLE VIII
COMMITTEES

1. LIST OF STANDING COMMITTEES – The standing committees of the club shall be:
Public Relations
Program
2. MEMBERSHIP – Each standing committee shall consist of not less than three (3) nor more than five (5) members of the club in good standing. The Chairman shall be designated. These members shall be appointed by the President within one (1) month after the election of the President and shall perform such duties as may be designated herein or as authorized by the Executive Committee or the President
3. DUTIES OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE – The Public Relations Committee shall devise ways and means of developing a better understanding of the objectives of the club and inspiring an increased appreciation and participation in photography. The committee shall be involved with the material and media through which the public may receive a better knowledge of the ideals, objectives, programs, and achievements of the club and its members. The committee shall be responsible for providing new members with a copy of the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations and shall serve in the capacity of a hospitality committee.
4. DUTIES OF THE PROGRAM COMMITTEE – The Program Committee shall be responsible for securing top-level individuals recognized in the photography field as well as accomplished club members to provide programs for the membership. With the approval of the Executive Committee, expenses may be reimbursed or an honorarium given to non-member program speakers.
5. REPORTS – The activities of the standing committees shall be reported whenever the President or the Executive Committee, in their respective sole judgment, deems such reports appropriate or expedient. However, reports shall be presented to the membership at least annually.
6. SPECIAL COMMITTEES – The President shall have full power to appoint members to special committees as deemed appropriate.

ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS

1. Amendments to the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations can occur by a simple majority vote of members present at a regular meeting of the club and shall have immediate effect.
2. Any amendments to the By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations shall be published in the forthcoming newsletter.