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SCBMC By-Laws
Effective Date: September 7, 2007
The San Carlos/Belmont Mothers' Club is governed by the following By-Laws. You may scroll through the full text below, or click on a link to skip to an individual section. You may also download the full text in PDF format (112K).
- NAME OF THE CLUB
- LOGO
- PURPOSE
- DEFINITION OF THE CLUB
- MEMBERSHIP TYPES AND BENEFITS
- MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS & ELIGIBILITY
- MEMBERSHIP DUES
- MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION
- MEETINGS
- DUTIES OF BOARD MEMBERS
- TERM OF OFFICE
- CHANGE OF OFFICE
- ADOPTION/CHANGE OF BY-LAWS
APPENDICES:
- APPENDIX A: GENERAL COURTESIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLUB MEMBERS
- APPENDIX B: CLUB ONLINE & EMAIL USE GUIDELINES
- APPENDIX C: SUB-CLUBS
San Carlos/Belmont Mothers' Club By-Laws
As of July 6, 2006
The name of this Club shall be the SAN CARLOS/BELMONT MOTHERS' CLUB.
To create a community of families with young children; to provide support, education and friendship.
We are a member-led support group primarily for parents with children from birth through five years of age.
The Club is not political, partisan or sectarian. However, as part of a larger community, the group may provide a forum to openly and fairly discuss issues and concerns of parents and children.
Every member is encouraged to volunteer, participate, and share ideas and talents.
The Club is an equal opportunity organization. All decisions for enrollment, board positions, volunteers, and participation, are made without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, citizenship/immigration status, veteran status or any other basis protected by law.
There are two levels of Club membership: Full General Membership and Limited Alumni Membership
Full General Membership includes participation in Club functions and services, as well as a subscription to the Club's monthly newsletter and access to the Club's private online resources. Some functions and services may require an additional fee or other contribution.
Limited Alumni Membership (LAM) is designed for renewing members who want to stay in touch with the Club as an information resource, but no longer participate in the Club's functions, services or other resources. LAM includes a personal online account for access to the All Club Email List. No other benefits are offered for this level of membership.
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS & ELIGIBILITY
Members should reside in San Carlos, Belmont, or the surrounding communities.
Members must be the legal parent or guardian of at least one child, or be currently expecting.
Members must pay annual dues within 30 days of notice of payment due.
On an annual basis, members must register using their legal name and certify that all information they provide to the Club, now and in the future, is true and accurate. Fictitious names and "screen" names will not be permitted. Individuals found to be providing false or misleading information to the Club may have their membership immediately terminated without notice.
Members must agree to and accept the terms of the SAN CARLOS/BELMONT MOTHERS' CLUB WAIVER/RELEASE/INDEMNITY AGREEMENT on an annual basis.
Membership is activated only after a completed membership form, signed waiver agreement, and full dues payment have been received and processed by the Membership Coordinator.
Membership is renewable on an annual basis during the designated renewal period.
Limited Alumni Memberships are available only to renewing members that have at least twenty-four (24) continuous months of membership directly prior to renewing as an Alumni Member. To maintain LAM eligibility, LAM members must renew on an annual basis during the designated renewal period. Former members whose membership has lapsed are not eligible for a Limited Alumni Membership.
SCBMC Board Members (past, present and future) and other volunteer members who have significantly contributed to the Club are entitled to free LAM in recognition of their volunteer contribution and may request a free LAM by contacting the Membership Coordinator.
Dues amounts shall be determined by a majority of the entire Board.
Dues are to be paid annually for the membership term of September 1st through August 31st.
Full General Membership dues will be prorated quarterly for those members joining on or after December 1st of the annual membership term.
Dues payments made in advance for more than one and one quarter annual membership terms cannot be accepted and will be immediately returned or refunded.
The annual renewal period will begin on August 15th and close on September 15th, to include a 15 day grace period.
Dues may be paid online via the Club's website, with cash, or by check made payable to SCBMC.
Dues paid by cash or check and received by the Membership Coordinator are to be forwarded to the Treasurer and deposited in the Club's account, within 30 days of original receipt.
Dues and membership registration must be current in order for any person to participate in any Club function or service. (A Club function is one open to the full general membership.) However, in order to determine their interest in the Club, a prospective member may attend one General Meeting prior to registering and paying dues.
Scholarships based on need shall be considered and made available on a case by case basis at the discretion of the President and the Treasurer.
A member may voluntarily terminate membership by notifying the Membership Coordinator or a designated representative. If requested in writing, a pro-rated refund shall be issued within 30 days of notice.
Membership may be terminated if dues have not been paid or a violation of the By-Laws has occurred.
The General Meeting shall be held on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm, unless otherwise announced.
The Board Meeting shall be held on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm, unless otherwise announced.
In order to conduct Club business, a quorum of the Board must be present. A quorum is defined as a simple majority of the entire Board.
The Secretary or designated representative will record the minutes of each Board Meeting and deliver to the Board before the next General Meeting.
There are four permanent Board positions (President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary) whose specific job responsibilities are outlined below.
Additional Board positions (voting) and non-Board positions (non-voting) may be created at the discretion of the President, to accomplish the work of the Club.
Each Board position will have a published job description outlining the specific duties of the position.
Each Board Member is expected to:
- Perform the duties of their position to the best of their ability for a term of one year (commencing in September or March)
- Regularly attend monthly Board Meetings and General Meetings
- Closely follow the Club's fiscal policy and adhere to budget guidelines
- Keep the general membership informed through Club email, as well as submitting written articles to the Newsletter Editor for inclusion in the monthly newsletter
- Provide regular updates to the Webmaster to ensure SCBMC Website content is current and accurate
- Assist fellow Board members with special Club events, meetings and activities
- Keep a record of all pertinent position information for the subsequent coordinator and complete job transition in a timely manner
- Act as an ambassador by reaching out to general members
- Follow the policies of the Club
- Maintain current full general membership in SCBMC during their Board term
Duties of the President:
- Assumes responsibilities as of September 1.
- Provide leadership/direction for the Club.
- Preside over Board Meetings and General Meetings.
- Set agendas for Board Meeitngs. Work with speaker and program coordinators to plan General Meeting topics.
- Set policies for the year
- Act as Club spokesperson and community liaison.
- Act as a signatory on the Club's Bank account and PayPal account
- Oversee all facets of the Club including budget process (for the year and strategic planning).
- Manage Board member positions (including recruitment of new Board members) and assume or delegate the responsibilities of vacant board positions until filled.
- Assist Board members as needed.
- Write monthly president's message for newsletter; assist with editing newsletter each month.
- Be available as an advisor to the next Board.
- Will have previously held a board position, unless approved by the majority of the board.
Duties of the Vice President:
- Assumes responsibilities as of September 1.
- Work closely with the President, trouble-shooting problems and advising on strategic planning for the Club.
- Take on special projects as needed. This includes recruiting and serving on committees for Club-sponsored events.
- Serve as interim President should the position become unexpectedly vacant.
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- Plan In/Out Board dinner (twice yearly).
Duties of the Treasurer:
- Assumes responsibilities as of March 1
- Check the Club PO Box and distribute mail at each Board Meeting and General Meeting.
- Notify appropriate Club Coordinators of payments received.
- Write and send expense reimbursement checks within 2 weeks of receiving expense reports.
- Deposit funds received in Club's bank account within 30 days of receipt.
- Act as a signatory on the Club's Bank account and PayPal account
- Manage the Club's PayPal account.
- Log all activity in master spreadsheet.
- Summarize each month's financial activity and submit for newsletter.
- Present monthly budget updates and guidance at each Board meeting.
- Prepare budget (annually).
- Analyze costs per requests and update budget throughout the year.
- Plan In/Out Board dinner (twice yearly).
Duties of the Secretary:
- Assumes responsibilities as of September 1.
- Record minutes at the monthly Board Meetings.
- Submit minutes to President for final editing and approval.
- Distribute the final minutes to the Board prior to the next General Meeting each month
- Maintain permanent record of Board Meeting minutes.
- Keep a copy of each month's Club newsletter.
All Board members shall serve a term of twelve months, with approximately half of the position terms commencing on the first day of March and the other half on the first day of September. For effective operations the transition of fundamental positions will be staggered.
Each vacant position will be announced in the newsletter and website prior to the selection. Positions opening in March and September must be announced at least one month in advance of the start of the job term. Positions that become prematurely vacant should be announced immediately.
Method of Selection:
- The President shall be selected by general election with each full member casting one vote. Members wishing to fill the position should state their candidacy to the designated Board Member. A secret ballot vote is held and the candidate with the most votes wins the election.
- Board positions and non-board positions shall be filled on a volunteer basis. Persons wishing to fill a position should contact the President. If more than one person volunteers for a position, the President will make a random selection.
No member shall serve in the same position for more than two consecutive years, unless approved by the Board.
Any board member who cannot complete her term of office is requested to contact the President at least 30 days prior to vacating the position.
The adoption or change of the By-Laws must be approved by a simple majority of the entire Board.
The Club By-Laws may be modified or revised at any time, for any reason, with or without notice to the membership, with each revision being identified by its effective date.
Members agree to accept and be bound by the By-Laws, including any such modifications or revisions, with or without notice of changes. Members are encouraged to periodically review the By-Laws on the Club Website to remain apprised of any changes.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: GENERAL COURTESIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLUB MEMBERS
Parents are responsible for the well-being, safety and behavior of their child when attending Club functions.
Do not attend Club functions when you or your child is ill.
A member who is hosting a playgroup is responsible for providing a safe and age-appropriate environment.
Playgroup members are responsible for following the general practices of the playgroup.
Any new ideas, suggestions, functions, or requests should be brought to the Board for approval.
The Club is not to be used as a means for selling unsolicited goods or services.
Club materials and property intended for members only are not to be distributed to non-members.
APPENDIX B: CLUB ONLINE & EMAIL USE GUIDELINES
Members agree to follow these guidelines when using Club Email and other Online Resources, such as the online roster. Not following these guidelines is grounds for immediate loss of membership privileges, without notice. SCBMC reserves the right to moderate, edit and/or delete any and all messages posted to SCBMC Email lists, at any time, without notice. Member accounts may be restricted and/or moderated at any time and without notice.
- Courtesy. Practicing online courtesy ensures that postings are thoughtful and considerate and minimizes the possiblity of offending other members. Please remember that this community exists to help each other. Be polite, keep questions and comments brief and relevant, and refrain from using CAPITALS or criticizing individuals.
- Privacy. Club policy requires that the information in the Club membership database (roster) and on the Club Email List is not to be reproduced, used for business purposes, nor distributed outside of the Club's Membership. Doing so may result in immediate loss of membership privileges.
- Factual Representation. Providing false or misleading information is strictly prohibited. Members are required to register using their legal name and provide only true and accurate information in all Club communications and accounts. Screen names that conceal one's identity are not allowed. Members are advise to keep posts factual and refrain from emotional statements.
- Response Summaries. When a member posts a question, other members should reply directly to the sender, instead of replying to the whole group. If you solicit a response from the group to a question or concern you have, please collect and summarize the responses you receive and then post the summary to the whole group as a resource to other members. Summaries should not include the names or email addresses of those who responded to the inquiry.
- Referrals and Recommendations. Unsolicited advertising or promotion of business products and services is not allowed. Based on their personal experiences, members can and often do recommend local businesses and service providers (contractors, doctors, preschools, nannies) either in response to a request or when the service is of broad interest to the group.
- Advertising Items for Sale. Advertising personal property for sale or rent, such as used toys, clothes, household items, cars and homes, is permitted on Club Email. Advertising stock merchandise or professional business services is not permitted.
- Business Promotion. SCBMC Online Resources are never to be used by a member to promote professional or business interests, products or services. The Club does support members in their business endeavors by sponsoring business roundtables at general meetings, publishing a member business directory, and offering free classified ad space to members in the Club newsletter.
- Political Messages. SCBMC Email should not be used to distribute political messages. It is acceptable to share information on an issue of broad interest to the group, as long as the content of the message does not take a position on the issue. So, as an example, an acceptable message might be worded as follows: "The San Carlos City Council will meet next week to discuss 'X'. Please contact me or see the following website for more information about this topic of importance to parents." While it would seem that some topics would be uncontroversial or not political for this group, every issue does have at least two sides. Club Email should not be used to espouse one view or another.
- Political Endorsements. SCBMC is not a political organization and does not endorse or promote political candidates or issues. Accordingly, the Club's resources (including Club Email and Online Roster) are not to be used to endorse candidates for public office or political issues. Political paid advertising is allowed, and identified as such, in the SCBMC newsletter.
- Surveys and Focus Groups. SCBMC members may use Club Email to invite other members to participate in surveys for products and services that are directly related to parenting. Survey invitations must identify who is conducting the survey, include contact information, and may have a link to the survey. However, the invitation must not include the actual survey (not in text, nor attachment), or any promotional wording.
SCBMC sub-clubs are available for any full members of the SCBMC membership who choose to join an available SCBMC sub-club.
- Membership. All SCBMC sub-club members should maintain a current and full general membership in SCBMC during their participation in a sub-club.
- Name Use. In using the SCBMC name, all SCBMC sub-clubs agree that they will operate as an equal opportunity organization with decisions and participation being made without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, citizenship/immigration status, veteran status or any other basis protected by law. Any sub-club using the name “SCBMC” must also adhere to the rules of the SCBMC as published in the By-laws.
- Communication. All SCBMC sub-clubs must follow the SCBMC Club Online & Email Use Guidelines in terms of communicating with its members, which extends to the use of the “scbmc-alias” email lists.
- Disbanding. SCBMC reserves the right to disassociate from any SCBMC sub-club found to be in violation of any of the above rules. Any SCBMC sub-club that wishes to exist without adherence to the above rules, will be removed from the SCBMC sub-club list and required to dissolve any association with SCBMC.
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