A. NAME:   The organization shall be called PHLOCKERS ON THE SUWANNEE PARROT HEAD CLUB (POTSPHC)

 

B:  PURPOSE:  The purpose of the organization is to promote the PHLOCKERS ON THE SUWANEE PHC as a humanitarian group, sharing community and environmental information for majority approved mutual benefits.  The organization will engage in activities, which are charitable, educational, high spirited, and promote the general welfare of the community.

 

C.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:  PHLOCKERS ON THE SUWANNEE PHC is a not for profit organization dedicated to preserving and improving the environment, active in community oriented projects and  concerns as a means of social interaction with like minded people interested in the lifestyle and music of Jimmy Buffett and a tropical spirit.

 

D.  DISCLAIMER:  We are recognized by, but in no way attached to Jimmy Buffett and his business interests in Key West, New Orleans, Charleston, and Orlando.  We are not associated with HK Management, MCA Records, Island Records, Mailboat Records, or Margaritaville Records.  We would like to stress that Mr. Buffett’s name and his song titles, lyrics, names of businesses owned by Mr. Buffett, and the term “Parrot Head” are all registered trademarks and should not be used for the pursuit of profit, Clubs are allowed to use the term “Parrot Head” on T-shirts, etc. but not Jimmy Buffett’s name.

 

ARTICLE II-  MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

 

A. CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Membership in PLOCKERS ON THE SUWANNEE PHC shall be open to all, regardless of sex, creed, national origin or sexual preference.  A member will be considered in good standing as long as his/her dues are current.

 

B.  DUES:  The annual dues of PHLOCKERS ON THE SUWANNEE PHC will be as follows:
     1.  The annual dues of one year will run Feb 1st thru January 31st each year.
     2.  Dues renewals are due not later than the end of January each year.
     3.  Membership renewal notice will be mailed by January 1st.
     4.  Cost:  Individual-$20.00 Couple-$35.00.  Each adult paid membership has 1 (one)

          vote in all club business.
     5.  Payment of dues entitles each member to membership identification and the right to

          participate in all activities and club business.
     6.  If a member wishes to terminate his/her membership between anniversary dates, there will be 
          no refund of any portion of dues.

 

ARTICLE III - MEETINGS

 

A. Social Meetings:  The club shall attempt to schedule six social events a year.

 

B. Business Meetings:  The club shall have a business meeting ten (10) times a year.  Any member in good standing may attend the business meetings and will conduct themselves in a professional manner.  All club decisions at the business meeting will be by a simple majority, with the exception of a change to the by-laws, which will require a 2/3rd majority.  Minutes will be taken at all meetings and reported at the following meeting.  Prospective members may attend but will not be allowed to vote.

 

C.  EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING:  The board will meet on an as needed basis.  In the event that a decision needs to be made before the next scheduled business meeting, all officers must be consulted and a majority of the officers in the affirmative for the item to pass.

ARTICLE IV - CLUB BOARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board of Directors and Board of Trustees (aka Advisors)

 

The Board of Directors will consist of seven (7) Phlockers on the Suwannee PHC members  in good standing with POTS PHC.
The Board of Directors will have a two-year term beginning February 1 with the  exception of the Director of Finance.  When the two-year term is up, a person can run  for another term up to two consecutive terms.  Once the second two-year term is up, a  person must sit out a year before they can run for a Board of Directors position again.
The position of Director of Finance is a trusted position requiring the highest integrity.   As such, it is appointed by the Board of Directors and is held for the term that the sitting  Director of Finance feels is appropriate for him or her.  At the time that the sitting  Director of Finance decides to vacate the position, it is treated as any other vacant  position on the Board of Directors.  After induction of the new Board of Directors, the  full Board of Directors will appoint a new Director of Finance from within the existing  Board.  Nothing in this sub-Article supersedes the ability of the POTS Parrot Head Club  to remove a Director for just cause.
All Board of Director positions are approved and appointed by majority vote of the POTS PHC members.
The Board of Trustees will consist of three retired Board of Directors members that serve as advisory counsel.  As Board of Directors members retire, they will be asked if  they would like to be on the Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees will determine  who of the current Trustees would like to retire.
The POTS Board of Directors will pass on all materials, books, notes, and records for  the present and prior years in good condition to the succeeding Board of Directors  members.
The Board of Directors will act on recommendations from the general membership  meetings and forward projects/concepts to the general membership meetings for approval and enactment.
For continuity purposes, no elections in a single year will cause the replacement of over two thirds of the current Board of Directors.

Responsibilities of the Board of Directors

 

1.  Director of Membership
Ensure that there is an active recruiting program for new members and renewals  within the Phlockers on the Suwannee Parrot Head Club.
Respond to requests for membership information.
Distribute membership packet, which includes Name Tag, welcome letter and  current copies of the POTS PHC bylaws and newsletter.
Work with Director of Finance to ensure membership lists are accurate and  cross- reference dues and renewals payments.
Maintain the Membership Directory.
Ensure that all active POTS PHC members have a current membership form and  a signed Membership form addendum on file by timely distributing these forms  to POTS PHC members.
Renew the Phlockers on the Suwannee PHC membership charter with PHIP  every January.
Produce, update, and distribute the membership phone and email directory to  members in good standing.  Keep Yahoo membership updated and current.
Work with Social Committee Chairperson.

 

 2.  Director of Communications (Secretary)
  
Record the minutes at all Board of Directors meetings.  Plus provide complete,  minutes of these meetings to the Webmaster, Director of Membership and  Newsletter Editor within 30 days of the meeting.
Provide a substitute, if unable to attend any POTS PHC meeting, and make sure  that the minutes are distributed to the appropriate individuals.
Handle all correspondence on behalf of the POTS PHC as deemed necessary.
Work with POTS PHC Webmaster about posting information on POTS PHC  Club Website.
Make sure announcements or information (Happy Hours, Community Service  Events, etc) are getting out in a timely matter for POTS PHC updates.
Work with local media to establish and maintain positive relations and  publicity.  This should involve publications in local newspapers (free and paid  ads), radio announcements of upcoming Events including Community Service  events.
Secure newsletter advertising, if applicable.
Contact organizations and offer free advertising in the newsletter and on the  POTS PHC website to secure discounts for POTS PHC members.
Responsible for working with the newsletter and Webmaster committee  chairperson(s)     

 

 3.  Director of Finance (Treasurer)
Record and keep track of all financial functions and transactions.  These  records should include detailed descriptions of each transaction to include the  origination of deposits, description of withdrawals, amount paid, amount  outstanding, etc.
Prepare financial reports that include income, expenses and balance for  presentation at quarterly Board of Directors meetings. This report will be made  available to any member in good standing upon request.
Work with the Director of Membership to keep a current membership list in  order to ensure that renewal notices are issued to all members.

 

4.  Director of Community Service
    a. Take suggestion and present them to the membership as possible charities to  support.
    b. Set the Community Service Calendar each February.   
    c. Work with all the Community Service Chairpersons who are in charge of  community service

         events (example Road Clean Up, Alzheimer’s Memory  Walk, Blood Drive, Breast Cancer Walks, etc).
    d. Maintain or collect record of monies, time, and/or items donated to individual  charities.
    e. Maintain and provide a record of participating members to the Director  Membership for cross

        referencing the tracking of volunteer hours etc.

 

5.   Director of Merchandising and POTS PHC Parties
    a. Maintain inventory of POTS PHC merchandise
    b. Coordinate the POTS PHC prize giveaways. Other Board of Directors  Members may participate in

        acquiring prize donations, but final distribution and  usage will be at the discretion of the Director

        of Merchandising.
    c. Monitor the disposition of prizes donated to the POTS PHC to assure that they  are not used for

        personal use.  Any reports of misuse should be reported  immediately to the Board of Directors.
    d. Maintain an inventory of all goods.
    e. This position may be held concurrently with another position on the Board of  Directors. 
    f.  Work with Director of Communications, Newsletter Chairperson and  Webmaster to help promote any

        events.

 

Removal of Any Board of Directors Member

 

        1.   VACANCIES:  Vacancies in all positions can be created by resignation, abandonment of
              duties (as further defined), or by violation of any articles of the By-laws.  A position
                            shall be defined as abandoned if the board of directors member is absent from 3
              consecutive business meetings without just cause.
        2.   Any Board of Directors member may be removed from office for just cause including,
                            but not limited to, wrong doing, failure to perform job responsibilities as specified in the
              bylaws, gross negligence in office, or actions determined to be a detriment to the
              organization as a whole.

 

 Abandonment and cause will be determined by a unanimous vote off all Board Members.

 

ARTICLE V– NOMINATIONS, VOTING, AND ELECTIONS

 

The Phlockers on the Suwannee PHC will elect Board of Directors members for a two-year term under the conditions listed below:

 

A. Election Chairperson

 

    1. No later than October 15 of each year, an Elections Chairperson will be selected by the current Board of Directors to serve as the individual who takes nominations, seeks acceptance or refusal of the nomination from the individuals nominated, distributes the ballots, counts the votes and announces the winners.  This individual will not be a current member of the Board of Directors or running for an open position and must be a Member of the POTS Parrot Head Club with 2 years of uninterrupted membership.

 

    2. Election Chairperson will call for nominations (either floor or self) starting at the first of November.

 

    3. The Election Chairperson will contact any member nominated from the floor, and determine if that member wishes to run, prior to listing them on the ballot. 

 

    4. The Election Chairperson will make ballots available to all members in good standing no later than the first of January.  This can be done by email, web posting, or distribution at POTS PHC functions including Happy Hours.

 

    5. The Election Chairperson will keep a paper copy of all nominations and ballots for a period of one year following the election.  At that point, all records may be destroyed.

 

B. Nomination Requirements

 

    1. All nominees must be a member in good standing in the POTS PHC for one (1) full year and must be

       an active member to be eligible to run for an elected position.
    2. All nominees must comply with the requirements as stated in the POTS PHC bylaws.
    3. Nominees will not solicit votes through email, telephone calls, or any other POTS PHC functions.

Failure to comply with any of these requirements will immediately nullify the  submission and the nominee will not be considered for candidacy.
All open seats will be announced at the first November Happy Hour and/or included in  the November newsletter nand/or on the POTS PHC website.  Floor nominations or self  nominations will be accepted during Happy Hour or by contacting the Election  Chairperson until the last Thursday of December.
Any member wishing to run for an office must submit their name by the last Thursday of December to the Election Chairperson.
Ballots will be distributed at the first meeting of January and must be returned by one  week prior to Jan. 31.  No write-in nominations will be accepted.    

C. Voting Rights

 

    1. Each POTS PHC member in good standing that has attained the age of twenty-one (21) or older is allowed one vote when issues for local vote are presented.

 

    2. Failure to cast one’s vote in writing and sign the ballot by the time indicated on the ballot is considered an abstention and no extension of time will be given.

 

    3. All ballots must be received one week prior to January 31.  Ballots will be made available through the Election Chairperson via email if applicable or at the first Happy Hour of January.

 

    4. POTS PHC votes shall be collected and counted by the Election Chairperson prior to February 1st.and verified by members of the Board of Trustees.

 

D. Election of Board of Directors

 

1. All winners will be announced Feb.1st.
2. Within the first week after announcement of the new Board members, the newly elected and remaining board members must meet (in person, by email or by phone) to determine which roles each person will assume for the next year.
3. The new officers will meet with the current Board of Director member that holds their new responsibility to shadow or transfer knowledge for the month of February and will assume their roles March 1.
4. All winners’ names will be posted on the Club website and will appear in the first issue of the newsletter or email following the election.
5. All elected officials will abide by these bylaws.
6. All elected officials are mandated to attend the majority of POTS PHC functions, including but not limited to, Board of Directors Meetings, Club business meetings, socials, and other functions. 

7. At least twelve (12) combined Board of Directors Meetings, business meetings, socials, and community service activities must be attended in a one (1) year period to maintain the Board of Directors Member’s position.  This encourages non-Board of Directors member participation as members view the Board of Directors as role models, and additionally guarantees an unbiased vote at Board of Director Meetings.
The Board of Directors may grant an official leave of absence to an elected official provided a two thirds majority vote is achieved for reasons including, but not limited to, illness, life crisis, job related, etc
Any elected official may resign his or her position with a written notification submitted to Board of Trustees with a forty-eight (48) hour notification.  A Board of Trustees member will replace that individual for the remainder of his/her term.
8. Any elected or appointed member of the Board of Directors who resigns from office in the middle of their term will not be eligible to run for any Board of Directors position for a period of two years from the date of their resignation.
9. No calls for special elections will be honored.
In the event that the seat has no nominees, the Board of Directors will recommend an appointee for the full upcoming term to be voted on by the POTS PHC.

 

E. Run Off Elections

 

In the case of a tie vote in any election, the election will be decided by a fifteen (15) day run-off.  The same rules for ballots will apply during the run-off.

 

F.  FOUNDER:  Kathy (Kaz) Kazmierczak and Cheryl Ward are recognized as Founders of the Gators in Paradise PHC aka Phlockers on the Suwannee PHC.  Should either resign their respective position, they will always be known as the founders of said club, and will retain status of Trustees.  All votes ending in a tie will be decided by the vote of the Founders.

 

ARTICLE VI - INFRACTION OF BY-LAWS

 

POTS Parrot Head Club Expenditures

 

POTS Parrot Head Club members wishing to be reimbursed for POTS Parrot Head Club-related activities or supplies necessary for official POTS Parrot Head Club events prior to spending monies shall:
Obtain approval, either verbally or via email, from any executive board member for expenditures less than $50.00
Obtain approval, in writing, from any executive board member for expenditures from $50.01 to $100.00.  (Email is acceptable.)
Obtain approval, in writing, from the Director of Finance and Board of Directors for expenditures of $100.01 to $999.99.
Expenditures of $1,000.00 or more shall not be approved by the Board of Directors without first obtaining a vote of approval from the membership.
To obtain reimbursement, the member shall submit the written approval, as required, along with the original receipts to the Director of Finance.
POTS Club members who anticipate incurring expenses for POTS Parrot Head Club-related activities should, after obtaining proper Board of Directors approval, seek to have the company invoice the POTS Parrot Head Club directly for the amount due, if possible.  If this is not possible, then submit the receipts to the Director of Finance in normal procedures set forth.

     2.The Board of Directors may accept, on behalf of the organization,  any contribution or gift for the general purpose of the organization.  

    3. Until such time that the organization receives an IRS tax exempt determination letter, the following disclosure statement must be included on all new member applications, renewal notices, any written solicitations and broadcast solicitations (including incoming calls in which membership is discussed): "This contribution is not deductible as a charitable contribution for federal income tax purposes."        

    4.  All and any contributions or gifts must be turned over to the Director of Merchandising or Board of Directors.     

ARTICLE VII – ALTRUISM

 

Events and/or activities sponsored by the POTS Parrot Head Club will have a portion of the proceeds raised donated to a designated charity.

 

The POTS Parrot Head Club will donate time and/or money to charities each year, preferably local charities.

 

The POTS Parrot Head Club will be involved in at least one environmental cause a year.

 

The Director of Community Service has the responsibility to make recommendations to the general membership as to which charities to support.  Individuals may also recommend charities and should do so through the Director of Community Service.

 

Whenever possible, the designated charity shall be decided upon by POTS Parrot Head Club members at a general business meeting.

 

ARTICLE VIII – ADOPTION OF BYLAWS

 

These bylaws will go into effect for an indefinite period no later than 1/15/2011
Amending Bylaw Procedures

 

      1.  Any POTS Parrot Head Club member in good standing can propose  amendments.  Any amendment should be submitted in writing to Board of  Directors and the Board of Trustees.

 

     2.   The proposed amendment(s) will be read at the next POTS Parrot Head
            Club meeting. 

 

     3.   A vote will be taken at a POTS Parrot Head Club business meeting.  A  favorable vote of two thirds of members present shall be considered an  effective change to the bylaws.

 

     4.    If the bylaws are amended, the modified bylaws will be made available to
  POTS Parrot Head Club members within 30 days.