Bylaws
Article I - General Club Officers and Elections
Section 1. The President shall preside at all General Meetings, Executive Board Meetings and at all called meetings. The President shall be entitled to vote either as a member or in case of a tie. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee. The President shall appoint the Corresponding Secretary, the Parliamentarian, and all committees except the nominating committee.
Section 2. All other duties of officers of the General Club shall be those which customarily pertain to their respective office. In addition to their regular duties, the First Vice President shall be Program Chairman of the General Club and shall assist the Program Chairman of each department; the Second Vice President shall be chairman of Kentucky Federation of Woman's Club and General Federation of Woman's Club contests.
Section 3. General Club Officers shall meet with department officers in June. The President shall meet with all department chairs, the First Vice President will meet with all department vice chairs, the Recording Secretary will meet with all department secretaries, and the Treasurer will meet with all department treasurers.
Section 4. The General Officers and Departmental Chair, with the Chair of the Standing Committees, shall constitute the Executive Board and shall exercise general supervision over all Club work. Eight members (8) of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Each department shall have one (1) vote. Each standing committee shall have one vote. No guests may attend the Executive Board Meetings without the approval of the President. Any business must be placed on the President's agenda prior to the date of the Executive Board Meeting.
Section 5. The Officers of this club shall be elected to a term of office of two (2) years at the regular March meeting in the even numbered years beginning in 2012. The election shall be by acclamation unless more than one (1) candidate is prposed for an office, in which case the voting shall be by ballot. The installation of officers shall take place in May of the even numbered years.
Section 6. To be eligible to be a General Officer in the Murray Woman's Club, a member must have been active in the General Club at least one year (1) preceding the election. To be eligible to become President of the Murray Woman's Club, a member must have served at least one year (1) on the Executive Board.
Section 7. No member of the Club, who is also a member of more than one department, shall serve as Chair, Co-chair or Vice Chair of more than one department during any club year. Chair of a MWC Standing Committee is ineligible to be elected to any of the above mentioned offices for that club year.
Section 8. The past presidents who are active members of the Murray Woman’s Club shall, at the expiration of their term of office, by virtue of their position automatically become members of the Advisory Council. The retiring President, at the close of her term of office, shall be Chair of the Advisory Council, and, as Chair of the Advisory Council will be a member of the Executive Board. Membership on this Council shall be concluded by resignation from the Council or withdrawal of membership.
The duties of the Council shall be the operation of the Club House and Grounds as well as to advise and cooperate with the Executive Board in the formation of policies of the club. The Chair of the Advisory Council will be in charge of Club House rentals and maintenance of the Club House and Grounds. The Chair of the Advisory Council shall make a monthly report to the Executive Board.
Section 9. The nominating committee shall be elected by the Executive Board. The nominating committee shall be composed of five (5) members representing the following groups: one from the Advisory Council, one from the Executive Committee, two from the Club Department Chairs, and one from the Standing Committees.
Section 10. In case of the death or resignation of the President, the First Vice President shall be offered the position of President for the remaining term. If the First Vice President is unable to serve, the Executive Committee shall appoint an interim President. During this interim, a nominating committee will be elected. (See Article I, Section 9.)
If an officer, other than the President, is unable to serve her term, a nominating committee will be elected by the Executive Board. This nominating committee will be composed of three (3) members representing the following groups: one from the Executive Committee, one from the club Department Chairs, and one from the Standing Committee Chairs.
At the following Executive Board meeting the nominating committee will recommend a replacement who must be approved by the Executive Board.
Article II - Members and Dues
Section 1. Dues and membership fees must be paid within two weeks after accepting membership to the club. Each department Chair must turn in all membership fees to the General Club Treasurer by October 10th for the current club year. All dues collected after this date and May 15th must be turned in to the General Club Treasurer by May 31st.
Section 2. A department will be penalized $25 per month for failure to give dues and membership list to the General Treasurer by October 15.
Section 3. Membership may be terminated at any time by a written resignation if all dues have been paid. If, after one (1) written notification by the Department Treasurer following the September Department meeting, dues have not been paid by October 10, membership shall be terminated.
Section 4. Members resigning within thirty (30) days of dues payment may have a refund upon approval of the Executive Board.
Section 5. LIFETIME MEMBER. Former Club member, now living elsewhere, has the privilege of becoming a Lifetime Member by paying $50.00.
Section 6. HONORARY MEMBER. In recognition of 25 years of continuous service, a club member, who has become inactive because of illness, may be given an honorary membership upon recommendation of the Advisory Council.
Section 7. ASSOCIATE MEMBER. A club member may be recommended by her Department for an Associate Membership, if she is unable to attend the club meeting due to health reasons for herself or immediate family member. She will remain in name only, and designated as an Associate Member in the yearbook and a non-participating member of the Murray Woman’s Club. (a) The Associate Member will pay annual dues of $25 or may choose to pay $50 for lifetime Associate Member status (dues to be divided as with regular annual dues.) When health permits, full membership can be reactivated. (b) Time spent as an Associate Member will not count toward years of service.
Article III - Departmental Action
Section 1. Actions of the departments shall be: (a) there may be one or more open meetings during the club year; (b) all members shall consider themselves honor bound, as far as possible, to attend at least one General Club Meeting of the Murray Woman's Club per year; (c) prospective members may be guests at one department meeting prior to being invited to join.
Article IV - Membership
Section 1. When joining in July through December, all dues must be paid in full, with an additional $2 for each additional department joined. District, State and International dues are included in the local dues. When joining after December 31, dues shall be 1/2 the annual dues plus $2 for each additional department.
Section 2. Upon accepting membership in the Murray Woman's Club, the new member shall pay a ten dollar ($10) entrance fee and full dues within two (2) weeks.
Section 3. The Murray Woman’s Club, Incorporated, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion or national origin.
Article V - Quorum
Section 1. Twenty-five members, including two General Officers, shall constitute a quorum for the entire Woman's Club at a General Club meeting.
Section 2. A quorum for a department shall be one-fourth (1/4) the membership, including two (2) officers.
Section 3. At no time shall the absence of a quorum at a General Club Meeting or a department meeting prevent those present from proceeding with the program for the day even though official business cannot be conducted nor a binding vote be taken.
Article VI
Section 1. Robert's Rules of Order shall be our Parliamentary Authority.
Article VII
Section 1. The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the membership present and voting, providing each proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the club in writing (reasons given at a previous meeting). (Constitution and Bylaws last updated 10/10/2010)
Club Policies
The expense of fuel for one car and expenses for registration, room and designated convention meals for the Executive Officers may be paid to state convention and state board meetings. If the incoming president is not currently serving as first or second vice president, her expenses may be paid by the club. Other expenses may be paid subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
Departments are responsible for the costs associated with serving as host for the General Club meetings, not the individuals representing their departments.
Clubhouse Rules
1. The Clubhouse is available for rentals. Anyone desiring information as to prices and reservations please contact Cynthia Barnes at 753-5023.
2. No rentals may ever conflict with regularly scheduled General Club or Departmental Meetings. An exception can be made if permission is obtained first by the Advisory Council Chair. This permission must be in writing and can be submitted in either hard copy or electronic form. This permission must come from the President for a General Club conflict and from the Chair for a Departmental conflict. In no event will the Chair of the Advisory Council have to seek permission from more than one Chair in case of Department Co-Chairs.
3. If regularly scheduled meeting dates fall on holidays, meetings may be changed to another date that does not conflict with already scheduled meetings.
4. Subject to availability, Clubhouse may be used by departments on additional dates other than their regularly scheduled meeting times at no charge to the Department for preparation for General Club or Department Programs or Projects and moneymaking projects for General Club or Departments.
5. The hostesses for department meetings are to be responsible for
the preparation and cost of food for their own meetings. Hostesses who do not wish to wash dishes after department meetings may contact Contract Cleaner Jo Ann Thorn to arrange to have her wash and store dishes for a $10 fee. Dishes left clean in dishwasher(s) will be stored for no additional fee.
6. Murray Woman's Club will not be responsible for the preparation of any food.
7. Caterers will set up tables and clean kitchen after catered meals.
8. There is no reduction in price for rentals by club members.
9. No furniture or accessories are to be moved in the Clubhouse except under the supervision of authorized personnel. Curtains and draperies are not to be taken down at all.
10. The painting of the Clubhouse hanging in the upstairs auditorium, the grand piano, and all curtains and draperies in the clubhouse are NOT to be moved for any reason from their current locations; ANY of these actions will result in forfeiture of the FULL deposit.
11. No club furniture, china, or silver may be removed from the clubhouse property - under penalty of fine.