By-Laws of the ALEiens Homebrew Club

Transcription

1 By-Laws of the ALEiens Homebrew Club ARTICLE ONE Section 1. Name The name of this organization shall be the ALEiens Homebrew Club (ALEiens). Section 2. Purpose The purpose of the ALEiens Homebrew Club shall be to encourage all members: To mature as brewers and beer enthusiasts; To promote the dissemination of knowledge in the art of brewing; To encourage and reward individuals dedicated to the brewing arts; To educate the beer connoisseur in identifying the components of beers; To foster the responsible use of the products of our craft; and To celebrate the fruits of our labors. Section 3. Membership The membership in the ALEiens shall be open to any person who enjoys fine beers, either by making their own or by enjoying the work of others. Section 4. Headquarters The ALEiens headquarters shall be The Hulmeville Inm located at 4 Trenton Rd, Hulmeville, PA until such time that the Inn permanently closes, or the Inn asks the Homebrew Club to locate elsewhere, or if the membership, by resolution, decides to locate elsewhere. ARTICLE TWO Government The Board of Directors shall consist of all the elected officers of this Club. Section 1. Elected Officers The elected officers of this Club shall be: President, Vice-President of Events, Vice- President of Education, Secretary, and Treasurer.

2 Section 2. Term of Office All offices shall be held for a period of one year, commencing at the April meeting following elections held at the March meeting. Terminating at the following April meeting. Section 3. Removal from Office Any officer missing three Board of Directors meetings and/or six membership meetings during his/her term of office, without reasonable excuse, shall be removed from office and replaced as soon as possible. A reasonable excuse shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Any officer, as determined by a majority of the Board of Directors, found not performing his/her duties, may be removed from office, subject to the approval by a majority vote of the membership at the next membership meeting following a report from the Board of Directors to the membership. Section 5. Vacancy of Office Any interim vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors, subject to the approval by a majority vote of the membership at the next membership meeting following the vacancy. In the event the membership votes down the appointment by the Board of Directors, there will be open nominations for the vacant office and an election held at said membership meeting to fill the vacancy. Section 6. Returning of ALEiens Homebrew Club Property All elected officers and any members, upon completion of their term in office or assignment, shall return to the ALEiens Homebrew Club any and all papers, documents, and property deemed to be important to the operation and history of, and belonging to, said Club. The Zymie, the ALEiens mascot, shall remain at the Hulmeville Inn unless he is representing the club in competition or other homebrewing event. Zymie must be returned to the Hulmeville Inn immediately following any event. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the ALEiens and civil action if deemed necessary. ARTICLE THREE Duties of Elected Officers Section 1. President The duties of the President shall be as follows:

3 a. To uphold the Constitution and By-Laws of the Club. b. To interpret the Constitution and By-Laws of this Club when necessary. c. To set the theme and agenda for the meetings. d. To call meetings to order and conduct them in an orderly manner. e. To call for special meetings when necessary. f. To form committees when necessary. g. Shall be an ex officio member of all committees. h. To proctor nominations and elections. Section 2. Vice-Presidents The ALEiens Homebrew Club shall have two Vice-Presidents; Vice-President of Education and Vice-President of Events. The duties of both Vice-Presidents shall be as follows: a. To assist the President with his duties. b. Both Vice-Presidents shall support and assist each other in carrying out the duties of the office. c. If the President is absent from a meeting, the Vice-President of Education shall assume the President's power for that meeting. If both officers are absent, the Vice-President of Events shall assume the President s power for that meeting. In addition to these responsibilities, the Vice-President of Education shall a. Coordinate and organize all education and learning events including, but not limited to: 1. Big Brew Day 2. Learn to Brew Days 3. Members only events, such as beer and cheese pairings b. To arrange to have guest speakers and demonstrations at membership meetings. c. To present certificates of achievement In addition to these responsibilities, the Vice-President of Events shall a. Coordinate and organize all competitions and additional Club events including, but not limited to: 1. Monk Melee Homebrew Competition 2. Iron Brewer Competition 3. Holiday Beer Swap b. To organize membership drives. c. To oversee raffles and auctions at events and membership meetings. Section 3. Secretary The duties of the Secretary shall be as follows:

4 a. To take the minutes of Board of Directors meetings and membership meetings b. To maintain a file of all minutes c. Post minutes to the ALEiens.com website. d. Generally assist the Board. e. Research, design, and maintain the club s online presence. f. If the President and the Vice-Presidents are absent from a meeting, then the Secretary shall chair the meeting Section 4. Treasurer The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows: a. To administer the Club s finances. b. To collect and document monies owed to the Club. c. To manage the club s Check book and arrange to have the President, Vice- President(s) and him/her self (Treasurer) to have check signing authority. d. To reimburse expenses incurred by members on behalf of the ALEiens. e. To submit a report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis, or when requested by the President. f. To maintain a current roster. g. To issue membership cards. h. To maintain the inventory and dispersal of club gear, e.g. t-shirts, hats, glasses and more. The Officers may delegate some of their non-core duties to another officer or club member as needed, however that officer is ultimately responsible for all their duties.

5 ARTICLE FOUR Quorums Section 1. A voting quorum at a membership meeting shall be no less than ten percent (10%) of the paid membership as reported by the President at the last Board of Directors meeting previous to the membership meeting where a vote(s) is (are) to be taken. A quorum at a Board of Directors meeting shall consist of one half of the Board of Directors plus one. ARTICLE FIVE Election of Officers Section 1. Eligibility Any person who has been a paid member for at least six (6) months and is in good standing with this Club may run for an elected office. Section 2. Nominations Any member interested in running for an elected office must inform the Board of their intent on or before February membership meeting. The Secretary will post the name and a short description of their qualifications on ALEiens.com and any ALEiens social media presence. Each candidate will be given time to present their qualifications to the Club at the March membership meeting, prior to balloting. Section 3. Balloting A secret ballot election shall be held at the March membership meeting. Only paid members with a membership card may vote. The President shall determine how the secret balloting will take place. Section 4. Tally The President shall form a committee of three members not running for office to tally the ballots. After tabulating the results, the committee shall submit a report to the President before the end of the March meeting. The new officer(s) for each office shall be that person(s) with a plurality of the votes for that office.

6 ARTICLE SIX Installation of Officers Section 1. New Officers At the March membership meeting, officers-elect will begin a one month internship. Installation of the new officers shall occur at the April membership meeting. Section 2. Officers Filling Vacancies Any officer filling a vacancy shall be installed at the meeting at which the membership voted its approval. Section 3. Certificate for Outgoing Officers All outgoing officers shall be awarded a Certificate of Achievement in appreciation of their terms in office at the December meeting following their departure from office. ARTICLE SEVEN Meetings Section 1. Membership Meetings Membership meetings shall be held on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Hulmeville Inn, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors. The exceptions being the months where the last Tuesday conflicts with a major holiday (i.e. Christmas and Thanksgiving) All members are encouraged to attend these events and meetings. Section 2. Board of Directors Board of Directors meetings shall be at a time and place called by the President. All officers are required to attend and submit a report pertinent to their office. Also, any member may attend these meetings.

7 ARTICLE EIGHT Amendments Section 1. Resolutions From time to time it may be necessary to modify these By-Laws. The procedure shall be as follows: a. Any individual, or committee, or the Board of Directors may write a resolution to modify the By-Laws. It shall include the reason for the change, the article, the section, the paragraph, etc., where the change will occur, and what the change will be. b. If an individual member has drafted a resolution, he/she may present it to the Board of Directors for presentation to the membership or bring it to a membership meeting for presentation to the membership. The purpose of presenting it to the membership is to inform them about it. c. After presentation the membership shall vote on whether or not to accept the resolution for consideration. d. The resolution shall be posted to the ALEiens.com after the initial membership approval. e. At the next membership meeting, the resolution will be voted on by the paid membership. A 2/3 majority is required for the resolution to be adopted. ARTICLE NINE Membership Section 1. Membership Membership in the Club runs from April 1 through March 31 the following year. Section 2. Hold Harmless Responsibility for Actions 1. Each member s participation in the ALEiens Homebrew Club is strictly voluntary. 2. Each member realizes that participation in ALEiens Homebrew Club activities may involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which may affect perception and reactions. 3. All members shall be responsible for their own conduct and actions as well as those of their guests. 4. Each member and guests of members accepts sole responsibility and all liability for their conduct behavior and actions and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the ALEiens Homebrew Club, its Officers, its members and any business (including owners, staff and patrons) where meetings are held from any and all claims or liability whatsoever resulting from actions of The ALEiens Homebrew Club, its members and guests of members.

8 5. No individual general member or any member of the Board, nor any authorized representative of ALEiens Homebrew Club shall be personally liable for any debt or obligation of the club. 6. No member shall receive compensation for services rendered to the club except as otherwise approved by the officers of the club. A member may be reimbursed for properly documented expenses which were reasonably incurred on behalf of the club, subject to prior approval of the club officers. Section 3. Dues Dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership. Members shall receive a membership card, free admission to Learn to Brew Days, and may enjoy any other benefits that come along with membership in this Homebrew Club. Dues shall be collected during the February and March membership meetings. Section 4. First-time Members First-time Members shall be charged dues equal to the dues paid by returning members when they join the club between February and September. A reduced dues amount will be assessed if join between October and March. Dues for first-time Members may be waived if they have paid to participate in a Learn to Brew Day. Section 5. Returning Members Dues will be collected from Returning Members during the February and March meetings and will be required to retain an active status with the Club. Returning members who do not renew shall be placed on an inactive list. If a returning member has not renewed for a period of five years, his/her name shall be dropped from the list. Section 6. Membership Cards The club shall provide to each member a card designating them as a member of the ALEiens Homebrew Club. Each card shall be minimally provided with name and a method to determine the member s expiration date and current status. The card shall be required for all discounts and voting privileges except where waived by the Board of Directors or vendor. Section 7. Suspension and Expulsion for Cause 1. Any member may be suspended or expelled from membership upon a showing of willful disregard of these Bylaws, Rules of Conduct, or other actions detrimental to the ALEiens Homebrew Club in any way, as determined by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. 2. The charges against the member will be considered at a regular Board of Directors Meeting or a Special Meeting called for that specific purpose. The member will be notified of the charges and date, time and place of the meeting. The member may appear and respond to the charges. 3. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.

9 4. No refund of dues will be issued to any member who is suspended or expelled. Section 8. Reinstatement A suspended or expelled member, or one who has resigned with disciplinary action pending, may be returned to full membership upon written application and with a unanimous approval vote of the Board of Directors and payment of current dues. ARTICLE TEN Competitions Section 1. Number There will be at least three (3) ALEiens-sponsored competitions per year. Any competition may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be open to other clubs and may be sanctioned by the BJCP/AHA. The three competitions each year will be: 1. Big Brew Day ALEiens only competition. 2. Iron Brewer ALEiens only competition consisting of three rounds. 3. Monk Melee BJCP sanctioned competition, open to all home brewers. The Entries are limited to Belgian ales (BJCP Categories 16 Belgian and French Ales, 17 Sour Ales, and 18 Belgian Strong Ales) Section 2. Rules and Awards The rules and awards for competitions shall be determined on a per competition basis and will be published on the website at least three (3) months prior to the competition. ARTICLE ELEVEN Section 1. Effective Date These By-Laws shall be considered in effect when approved by at least two thirds of the membership present at the membership meeting where this document is put to a vote. Section 2. Continuation of Current Officers The officers in place at the time that these By-Laws are adopted will remain in place until the next scheduled election. At that time the officers are eligible to run for office again as prescribed in Article Five.

10 ALEIENS HOMEBREW CLUB RULES OF CONDUCT 1. Members must be 21, the legal drinking age for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2. All laws of the federal, state, and local regulatory bodies for the consumption and the production, distribution and use of alcohol apply to all members at all meetings. 3. Members will respect the property, rules and staff of the host meeting site, before, during and after any club meetings or events. 4. Members exhibiting violence, abusive language, intoxication or unbecoming/unruly conduct during club meetings or events will be expelled from the function and be subject to further punishment as deemed necessary by the Board. 5. Samples are to be consumed only within the meeting room. At the conclusion of each meeting, all beverages (in glasses, growlers, bottles, pitcher, or any other container) must be consumed, sealed or disposed of prior to leaving the meeting room. Failure to comply with the Rules of Conduct will constitute a review of membership and may result in temporary suspension of membership or privileges, expulsion, or in the case of damage, restitution, as defined in ARTICLE 9 SECTION 6 SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION FOR CAUSE of the Bylaws.