Article 1: Definitions
Article 2: Board of Directors
The governing body of this club shall be the board of directors consisting of maximum eighteen (18) members of this club, namely, the president, immediate past president, president-elect, president-elect nominee, two (2) vice presidents, secretary, treasurer, trainer, five (5) directors, joint secretary, two (2) sergeant-at-arms and bulletin editor.
Article 3: Election of Directors and Officers
Section 1
At a regular meeting one month prior to the meeting for election of officers, the presiding officer shall ask for nominations by members of the club for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, directors, trainer, sergeant-at-arms joint secretary and editor. The nominations may be presented by a nominating committee or by members from the floor, by either or by both as a club may determine. If it is determined to use a nominating committee, such committee shall be appointed as the club may determine. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a ballot in alphabetical order under each office and shall be voted for at the annual meeting. The candidates of the respective posts receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective offices. The candidate for president elected in such balloting shall be the president-nominee. The president-elect nominee shall take the title of president-elect on the first day of July next following the election and shall serve as an officer during that year. On the 1st of July immediately following that year, the president-elect shall assume office as president.
Section 2
The officers and directors, so elected, together with the immediate past president shall constitute the board of directors.
Section 3
If any officer or board member vacates their position, the remaining members of the board will appoint a replacement.
Section 4
If any officer-elect or director-elect vacates a position, the remaining members of the board-elect will appoint a replacement.
Article 4: Duties of Officers
Section 1
President – It shall be the duty of the president to preside at meetings of the club and the board and to perform other duties that ordinarily pertain to the office of president.
Section 2
Immediate Past President – It shall be the duty of the immediate past president to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board. He/she will also perform his/her duties as an advisor to the president and the board.
Section 3
President-elect – It shall be the duty of the president-elect to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
President-elect nominee – It shall be the duty of the president-elect nominee to serve as a director and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
Section 4
Vice President – It shall be the duty of one of the vice-presidents (as nominated by the president or the board) to preside at meetings of the club and the board in the absence of the president and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of vice-president.
Section 5
Secretary – It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the records of membership; record the attendance at meetings; send out notices of meeting of the club, board, and committee; record and preserve the minutes of such meetings; make the required report to RI, including the semi-annual reports of membership, which shall be made to the general secretary of RI on the 1st January and 1st July of each year, and including prorated reports to the general secretary on 1st October and 1st April of each active member who has been elected to membership in the club since the start of the July or January semi-annual reporting period, the report of changes in membership, which shall be made to the general secretary of RI, and the monthly report of attendance at the club meeting, which shall be made to the district governor within 15 days of the last meeting of the month; collect and remit to RI subscriptions to The Rotarian; and perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary.
Section 6
Treasurer – It shall be the duty of the treasurer to have custody of all funds, accounting for it to the club annually and at any other time upon demand by the board, and to perform other duties as pertains to the office of treasurer. Upon retirement from office, the treasurer shall turn over to the incoming treasurer or to the president all funds, books of accounts, or any other club property.
Section 7
Joint Secretary – It shall be the duty of the joint secretaries to perform the responsibilities of the secretary in the absence of the secretary.
Section 8
Trainer – It shall be the duty of the trainer to train club members, with particular emphasis on new club members, regarding the rules, regulations, and procedures of Rotary.
Section 9
Sergeant-at-arms – The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall be such as are usually prescribed for such office and other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
Section 10
Editor – The duties of the editor shall be such as are usually prescribed for such office and other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
Article 5: Meetings
Section 1
An annual meeting of this club shall be held within last two weeks in December in each year, at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.
(Note: Article 6, section 2 of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution provides that “An annual meeting for the election of officers shall be held not later than 31 December…”)
Section 2
The regular meetings of this club shall be held on 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month at 6:30 pm. Due notice of any changes in or cancelling of the regular meeting shall be given to all members of the club. All members excepting an honorary member (or member excused pursuant to the standard Rotary club constitution) in good standing in this club, on the day of the regular meeting, must be counted as present or absent, and attendance must be evidenced by the member’s being present for at least sixty (60) percent of the time devoted to the regular meeting, either at this club or at any other Rotary club, or as otherwise provided in the standard Rotary Club Constitution, Article 9, sections 1 and 2.
Section 3 Cancellation
The board may cancel a regular meeting for the below mentioned reasons:
(1) a holiday, or during a week that includes a holiday.
(2) in observance of the death of a member.
(3) an epidemic or a disaster that affects the whole community; or
(4) an armed conflict in the community.
The board may cancel up to four regular meetings a year for causes listed here but may not cancel more than three consecutive meetings.
Section 4
One-fifth of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club.
Section 5
Regular meetings of the board shall be held on last week of each month. Special meetings of the board shall be called by the president, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request of two (2) directors, due notice having been given.
Section 6
One-third of the directors shall constitute a quorum of the board meetings.
Article 6: Fees and Dues
Section 1
The admission fee shall be BDT 2,000 to be paid before the applicant can qualify as a member, except as provided for in the standard Rotary club constitution, article 11.
Section 2
The annual membership dues shall be approved by the Board of Directors from time to time payable semi-annually on the first day of July and of January, with the understanding that a portion of each semi-annual payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to the RI official magazine, RI Semi-annual due and Rotary District Annual dues.
Honorary Membership.
Clubs may elect honorary members for terms set by the club board, who shall:
(a) be exempt from paying dues.
(b) not vote.
(c) not hold any club office.
(d) not hold classifications; and
(e) be entitled to attend all meetings and enjoy all other privileges in the club but have no rights or privileges in any other club, except to visit without being a Rotarian’s guest.
Article 7: Method of Voting
The business of this club shall be transacted by viva voce vote* except the election of officers and directors, which shall be by ballot. The board may determine that a specific resolution be considered by ballot rather than by viva voce vote.
(*Note: Viva voce vote is defined as when club voting is conducted by vocal assent.)
Article 8: Avenues of Service
The Avenues of Service are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this Rotary club. They are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service, and Youth Service. This club will be active in each of the Avenues of Service.
Article 9: Committees
Club committees are charged with carrying out the annual and long-range strategic goals of the club. The president-elect, president, and immediate past president should work together to ensure continuity of leadership and succession planning. When feasible, committee members should be appointed to the same committee for three (3) years to ensure consistency. The president-elect is responsible for appointing committee members to fill vacancies, appointing committee chairs, and conducting planning meetings prior to the start of the year in office. It is recommended that the chair have previous experience as a member of the committee. Standing committees should be appointed as follows:
Administration
This committee should conduct activities associated with the effective operation of the club.
Membership
This committee should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the recruitment and retention of members.
Public Image
This committee should develop and implement plans to provide the public with information about Rotary and to promote the club’s service projects and activities.
Service Projects
This committee should develop and implement educational, humanitarian, and vocational projects that address the needs of its community and communities in other countries.
The Rotary Foundation
This committee should develop and implement plans to support The Rotary Foundation through both financial contributions and program participation.
Additional ad hoc committees may be appointed as needed.
(a) The president shall be ex officio member of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges of membership thereon.
(b) Each committee shall transact its business as is delegated to it in these bylaws and such additional business as may be referred to it by the president or the board. Except where special authority is given by the board, such committees shall not take action until a report has been made and approved by the board.
(c) Each chair shall be responsible for regular meetings and activities of the committee, shall supervise and coordinate the work of the committee, and shall report to the board on all committee activities.
(Note: The above committee structure is in harmony with both the District Leadership Plan and the Club Leadership Plan. Clubs have the discretion to create any committees that are required to effectively meet its service and fellowship needs. A sample listing of such optional committees is found in the Club Committee Manual. A club may develop a different committee structure as needed.)
Article 10: Duties of Committees
The duties of all committees shall be established and reviewed by the president for his or her year. In declaring the duties of each, the president shall reference appropriate RI materials and the Avenues of Service when developing plans for the year.
Each committee shall have a specific mandate, clearly defined goals, and action plans established by the beginning of each year for implementation during the course of the year. It shall be the primary responsibility of the president-elect to provide the necessary leadership to prepare a recommendation for club committees, mandates, goals, and plans for presentation to the board in advance of the commencement of the year as noted above.
Article 11: Leave of Absence
Upon written application to the board, setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending the meetings of the club for no longer than twelve months.
(Note: Such leave of absence does operate to prevent a forfeiture of membership; it does not operate to give the club credit for the member’s attendance. Unless the member attends a regular meeting of some other club, the excused member must be recorded as absent except that absence authorized under the provisions of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution is not computed in the attendance record of the club.)
Article 12: Finances
Section 1
Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the board shall prepare a budget of estimated income and expenditures for the year, which shall stand as the limit of expenditures for these purposes, unless otherwise ordered by action of the board. The budget shall have the figure for both expenditures in respect of club operations/administration and charitable/service operations.
Section 2
The treasurer shall deposit all club funds in a bank, named by the board.
Section 3
All bills shall be paid by the treasurer or other authorized officer only when approved by two other officers or directors.
Section 4
A thorough review of all financial transactions by a qualified person shall be made once each year. Softcopies of approved audit report must be mailed to each member.
Section 5
Officers having charge or control of club funds shall give bond as required by the board for the safe custody of the funds of the club, cost of bond to be borne by the club.
Section 6
The fiscal year of this club shall extend from 1 July to 30 June, and for the collection of members’ dues shall be divided into two (2) semi-annual periods extending from 1 July to 31 December, and from 1 January to 30 June. The payment of per capita dues and RI official magazine subscriptions shall be made on 1 July and 1 January of each year on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates.
Article 13: Method of Electing Members
Section 1
The name of a prospective member, proposed by an active member of the club, shall be submitted to the board in writing, through the club secretary. A transferring or former member of another club may be proposed to active membership by the former club. The proposal shall be kept confidential except as otherwise provided in this procedure.
Section 2
The board shall ensure that the proposal meets all the classification and membership requirements of the standard Rotary club constitution.
Section 3
The board shall approve or disapprove the proposal within 30 days of its submission and shall notify the proposer, through the club secretary, of its decision.
Section 4
If the decision of the board is favourable, the prospective member shall be informed of the purposes of Rotary and of the privileges and responsibilities of membership, following which the prospective member shall be requested to sign the membership proposal form and to permit his or her name and proposed classification to be published to the club.
Section 5
If no written objection to the proposal, stating reasons, is received by the board from any member (other than honorary) of the club within seven (7) days following publication of information about the prospective member, that person, upon payment of the admission fee (if not honorary membership), as prescribed in these bylaws, shall be considered to be elected to membership.
If any such objection has been filed with the board, it shall vote on this matter at its next meeting. If approved despite the objection, the proposed member, upon payment of the admission fee (if not honorary membership), shall be considered to be elected to membership.
Section 6
Following the election, the president shall arrange for the new member’s induction, membership card, and new member Rotary literature. In addition, the president or secretary will report the new member information to RI and the president will assign a member to assist with the new member’s assimilation to the club as well as assign the new member to a club project or function.
Section 7
The club may elect, in accordance with the standard Rotary club constitution, honorary member proposed by the board.
Article 14: Resolutions
The club shall not consider any resolution or motion to commit the club on any matter until the board has considered it. Such resolutions or motions, if offered at a club meeting, shall be referred to the board without discussion.
Article 15: Order of Business
Meeting called to order.
Article 16: Amendments
These by laws may be amended at any regular meeting, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall have been mailed to each member at least ten (10) days before such meeting. No amendment or addition to these bylaws can be made which is not in harmony with the standard Rotary club constitution and with the constitution and bylaws of RI.