THE CHATHAM/HARWICH NEWCOMERS CLUB

BY-LAWS
(Revised and Adopted January 19, 2004)
(Revised and Adopted May 19, 2008)

Article I - NAME

The name of this organization is: CHATHAM/HARWICH NEWCOMERS CLUB (thereinafter referred to as "the Club").

Article II - PURPOSE

The main purpose of the Club is to provide residents of Chatham and Harwich, especially those newly arrived, an opportunity to become acquainted with others in our community through activities of common interest.

Article III - OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Club are as follows:
A .
 To welcome recent arrivals in Chatham and Harwich and to provide them an opportunity to meet and get acquainted with others in the Chatham/Harwich community.
B.
To provide an atmosphere of friendliness, goodwill and helpful information for Club members.
C.
To provide a means for people with like interests to identify each other and join together for activities of mutual interest.
D.
To undertake to acquaint Club members with Cape Cod and all it has to offer.
E.
To increase Club members' knowledge of the local community, its services, benefits, functions and problems.
F.
To continue to provide a gathering place for future newcomers to the Chatham/Harwich community, so that they, too, may benefit from the purposes and objectives of the Club.
G.
To support and contribute to worthy causes in the community as the Club's resources allow.

Article IV - MEETINGS

A.
The Club year shall run from September 1 to August 31.
B.
Regular meetings shall be held during the Club year, with times, dates, and locations agreed upon by the membership.
C.
Special meetings may be called by the President upon advance notification of the members of no less than two weeks.
D.
Necessary meetings of officers, committees, and other concerned persons may be called as required.
E.
The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be the May meeting of each year.
F.
At all meetings of the Club, business may be transacted with any two of the officers, plus twenty-five (25) members present.

Article V - POLICY

The Club shall not discriminate against any prospective member(s) or enrolled member(s) on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, national origin, income, marital status, educational background, or any other factor.

Article VI - MEMBERSHIP

Any person residing in Chatham or Harwich who desires to join the Club and who agrees to abide by the By-Laws is eligible for membership.

Persons joining as couples are considered two separate memberships.

Any member may resign at any time of his/her own volition, but must resign at the completion of five (5) years in the Club.

Article VII - DUES AND FEES

Dues and fees shall be collected as follows:
A.
Membership dues shall be set from time to time by the Executive Committee and shall be due on
September 1.
B.
A person joining within the September 1 - March 1 period will be viewed as a member for the entire year and will be charged the full membership fee. A person joining between March 2 and August 31 will be considered a guest and will be charged no membership for the remainder of that Club year.
C.
Activities chairmen may collect a small fee from those participating in the activity. The fees will pay for mailings, copying, and other activity-related costs. These fees will be held by, and administered by, the activity chairperson, and will not pass through the Club treasury. It is expected that all activities will be self-supporting.
D.
Each chairperson of an event (luncheons, trips, etc.) will sell tickets to that event, will collect all funds, and turn them over to the Club Treasurer, who will pay all bills submitted in connection with that event. The ticket price should reflect the cost of food, decorations, music, etc., including the cost of printing and mailing flyers for that event.

.Article VIII - OFFICERS

The Officers of the Club, and their duties, shall be as follows:
1.
President - Shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Club, shall report to the Executive Committee, and shall have the prime responsibility for the successful operation of the Club.
2.
Vice President - Shall act, in the absence of the President, with the full responsibility and authority of the President. He/she will chair the Events Committee.
3.
Treasurer - Shall keep adequate records of income and expenses; shall report the financial status to the membership at each meeting; shall open and maintain a checking account in the Club's name; and shall pay out of the checking account all routine expenditures and any special items approved by the membership. The Treasurer shall sign all checks; in his/her absence, the President shall sign. The Treasurer will submit all records for an annual audit at the call of the Executive Committee.
4.
Secretary - Shall handle all correspondence on behalf of the Club; shall keep the minutes and records of all meetings of both the Club and the Executive Committee; and shall present the minutes of the previous meeting at each regular meeting of the Club.

Article IX - COMMITTEES

The Club shall have the following Committees:
A.
Executive Committee - Comprised of the four elected officers of the Club. The Executive Committee shall establish policy, interpret the By-Laws, and generally oversee the operations of the Club.
B.
Standing Committees - Hospitality, Programs, Publicity, Membership, Activities, Events, Website, and Nominating. The chairpersons of these Committees shall be appointed by the President.

Article X - TERM OF OFFICE

Each Officer's term shall be for one year, or until a successor is elected; in no event longer than two years. Standing Committees terms shall be the same.

Article XI - ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The election of officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting in May.
A.
At or before the March meeting each year, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three (3) members plus one (1) officer. At the March meeting, nominations from the floor will also be received. The Nominating Committee will prepare a slate of officers for presentation to the membership at the Annual Meeting in May.
B.
Election is by a favorable vote of a majority of the members present and voting.
C.
It is normally anticipated and is the intent of these By-Laws that the Vice President shall be nominated for President the following year.
D.
In order to give the greatest flexibility of choice for President, the nominee for Vice President, upon his/her election to this office, shall have his/her time as a member extended to the first day of September following his/her fifth anniversary in the Club. This applies only if the Vice President will stand for election as President the year following his/her election as Vice President.

ARTICLE XII - CONTRIBUTIONS

A.
All charitable contributions or donations shall require the prior approval of the Executive Committee.
B.
Following the Annual Meeting and prior to August 1 of each year, the Executive Committee shall determine what amount of funds, if any, in the ClubÕs treasury is available for contributions and donations to worthy causes in the community, and may authorize payment of such funds.
C.
The President may appoint a Contributions Committee to make recommendations to the Executive Committee on donee organizations and amounts.

Article XIII - CHANGES IN THE BY-LAWS

By-Laws shall be changed in the following manner only:
A.
Changes in the By-Laws may be suggested by any member. Such suggestions must be made in writing, signed by the suggestion, and submitted to the Secretary.
B.
The proposed change will be reviewed by the Executive Committee. Within three months of its original submission (July and August excepted), the Executive Committee will present the proposed change(s), along with its recommendations, to the membership at a regular meeting of the Club.
C.
At the same time, the full membership shall be notified in writing of the proposed change(s) and the Executive Committee's recommendations.
D.
At the next regular meeting following the presentation, the membership shall vote on the proposal.
E.
A favorable vote shall be a two-thirds majority of all members present at the meeting.