BY-LAWS OF THE ROTARY CLUB
OF WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK

Adopted August 22, 1994

ARTICLE I
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1. At the annual meeting of the club held on the second Tuesday in December, the presiding officer shall ask for nominations for president, president-elect, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and four new directors. The nominations will be presented by a nominating committee consisting of five members appointed by the president, three of whom shall be past-presidents, and by members from the floor. If the total number of nominations is equal to the number of positions to be filled, the elections may proceed. If the total number of nominations is greater than the number of positions to be filled, the nominations shall be placed on a ballot in alphabetical order under each office. The annual meeting shall then be recessed and then reconvened one week later for the purpose of holding the election. The candidates for president, president-elect, vice-president, secretary and treasurer receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective offices. The candidates for the four directors’ positions receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared director-elect. The terms of all elected officers and directors shall begin on the following July first; the terms of the officers shall be for one year; the terms of the directors shall be for three years.

Section 2. A vacancy in the board of directors or any office shall be filled by action of the board at any time during the year.

Section 3. Promptly after its election the Board may elect additional members who have served Rotary with unusual and special distinction.

ARTICLE II
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. The governing body of this club shall be the board of directors, consisting of eighteen (18) members of this club, namely, twelve (12) directors and the president, vice-president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer and immediate past president, all elected in accordance with article 1, section 1 of these by-laws, plus such members as may have been elected under the provision of Article I, Section 3.

Section 2. The fiscal year and club year of this club runs from July 1 to June 30 of the ensuing year.

ARTICLE III
DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. President. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at meetings of the club and board and to perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to his office.

Section 2. President-elect. It shall be the duty of the president-elect to preside at meetings of the club and the board in the absence of the president and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president and the board.

Section 3. Vice-President. It shall be the duty of the vice-president to serve as a member of board of directors of the club and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.

Section 4. Secretary. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the records of membership, record the attendance at meetings; send out notices of meetings of the board; record and preserve the minutes of board meetings; make the required reports to Rotary International, including the semiannual reports of membership, which shall be made to the General Secretary of Rotary International on January 1st and July 1st each year, and including prorated reports to the general secretary on 1 October and 1 April of each active, senior active and past service member who has been elected to membership in the club since the start of the July or January semiannual reporting period; the report of changes in membership, which shall be made to the General Secretary of Rotary International; the monthly report of attendance at the club meetings which shall be made to the district governor immediately following the last meeting of the month; collect and remit to Rotary International subscriptions to THE ROTARIAN; and perform such other duties as usually pertain to this office. The secretary shall be an ex officio member of the attendance committee and the directory and roster committee.

Section 5. Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to have custody of all funds, accounting for same to the board quarterly, and to perform such other duties as pertain to his/her office. Upon his/her retirement from office he/she shall turn over to his/her successor or to the president all funds, books of accounts or any other club property in his/her possession. The treasurer shall be an ex officio member of the finance committee.

ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of this club shall be held on the second Tuesday of December each year at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.

Section 2. The regular weekly meetings of this club shall be held as follows: Tuesday, 12:15 P.M. Due notice of any changes in or canceling of the regular meeting shall be given to all members of the club.

All members excepting an honorary member ( or member excused by the board of directors of this club, pursuant to Article VII, section 3 of 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 members 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.

Section 3. One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club.

Section 4. Regular meetings of the board of directors shall be held monthly and at such other times and places to be determined by a quorum of the board. Special meetings of the board of directors shall be called by the president, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request of two (2) members of the board, due notice having been given.

Section 5. A majority of the board members shall constitute a quorum of the board.

ARTICLE V
FEES AND DUES

Section 1. An admission fee set by the board of directors shall be paid before an applicant can qualify as a member.

Section 2. The membership dues shall be payable in whole on the first day of July, or semiannually on the first day of July and of January, with the understanding that six dollars ($6.00) of each semiannual payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to THE ROTARIAN magazine.

ARTICLE VI
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.

ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES

Section 1. (a) The president shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint standing committees through which the work of the club is carried out. The club’s standing committees are grouped under the following functional divisions:

•   Club service division
•   Community service division
•   Vocational service division
•   International service division

A director of each of the division shall be appointed, to be responsible for monitoring the functioning of each of the committees within his/her respective division.

(b) A nominating committee, not assigned to any of the divisions listed above, is also a standing committee.

(c) With the approval of the board, the president may appoint, from time to time, special committees for time-limited studies and projects. Such committees will cease to exist once their assignments have been completed.

(d) The president shall be ex officio a member of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges of membership thereon.

(e) Each committee shall transact such business as is delegated to it in the by-laws, 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 to the board and approved by the board.

(f) Following January 1 each year, the president, president-elect, vice-president and directors of the four service divisions will confer to assign club members to each of the standing and special committees, for the club year commencing the following July 1. There are no limits on the number of terms that any member may serve on any particular committee, although the benefits of rotation and change of membership on individual committees are to be kept in mind when establishing committee rosters.

(g) Each committee shall hold at least one meeting per year.

(h) Each committee shall submit a written annual report by May 31.

Section 2. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee has the responsibility of making recommendations to the board of directors for the officers and new board members for the ensuing club year, commencing the following July 1. In formulating its recommendations, the nominating committee shall undertake a comprehensive review of the entire club membership. These recommendations shall be submitted to the board of directors prior to its October meeting, so that it may have sufficient time to deliberate prior to the annual meeting in December, at which the nominating committee shall present its nominations. Nominations from the membership at large may also be made. The method for appointing the membership of the nominating committee is set forth in Article I, Section 1 of the by-laws.

STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 3. Club Service Division

(a) Attendance Committee. Regular attendance is a primary Rotarian principle. The Rotary Constitution provides that Rotarians shall attend at least 60% of club meetings or make up at other clubs, and that they shall not miss four or more consecutive meetings. Certain specified exceptions are allowed. The Attendance Committee shall make sure that the members of the club meet the required conditions. It shall report violations to the board of directors. The Attendance Committee shall also seek to maximize attendance and report the attendance rates to the board. The secretary shall be an ex officio member of the Attendance Committee.

(b) Membership Committee. The membership committee shall consider all proposals for membership from the personal side and shall investigate the character, business, social and community standing and general eligibility of all persons proposed for membership, and shall report its recommendations to the board.

(c) Classification Committee. The classification committee is responsible for reviewing all proposal cards from the standpoint of classification and designating the appropriate classification. It shall also inform the membership development committee and the board of unfilled classifications.

(d) Membership Development Committee. The membership development committee shall seek to recruit new members of outstanding character and high professional standing. It shall seek to devise and propose efforts to increase membership. It shall present to the board the names of suitable persons to fill unfilled classifications.

(e) Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is responsible for managing the finances of the club. This includes the review of the financial statements of the club and making such recommendations to the board of directors as it may deem appropriate. Operating within the framework of policy directives from the board of directors, the Finance Committee is responsible for the investment of the funds of the club, including in particular the funds of the White Plains Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation and the White Plains Rotary Club Foundation. In discharging this responsibility, it shall keep in mind the appropriate investment considerations of security, earnings, protection against inflation, growth and liquidity. The investment management responsibility may be entrusted to a sub-committee. The Finance Committee shall recommend to the board of directors and the applicable committees the amounts which should be applied to the service purposes of this club. In consultation with the president, the finance committee shall present a budget of income and expenses to the board in July. The treasurer shall be an ex officio member of the Finance Committee.

(f) Program Committee. This committee has the very important responsibility of planning all programs of the club. This includes programs related to the four Rotary avenues of service, club assemblies, new member biographies, occasional programs of entertainment and others. In the discharge of this responsibility, the Program Committee shall be attuned to the interests of the club and maintain effective liaison with the board of directors and the applicable committees of the club.

(g) Club Bulletin Committee. This committee is responsible for the publication of the weekly “Rotary Comments”, which shall contain a report on the previous meeting and provide other information of general interest to the members of the club. Information on the programs planned for the next three meetings shall also be listed.

(h) Directory and Roster Committee. In conjunction with the president this committee shall be responsible for the annual publication of the Club Directory and the Plan of Service. It shall be responsible for maintaining an up to date roster book which shall contain essential information on all members of the club. The secretary shall be an ex officio member of this committee.

(i) District Affairs Committee. This committee shall keep the members of the club informed of District activities and seek maximum support of such activities. It shall collaborate with District leadership in the planning of District events.

(j) Social Activities Committee. This committee has the responsibility of planning and organizing the social activities of the club, which shall provide for the participation of the families of club members. The social activities committee shall initiate its planning activities very early during the Rotary year and then make appropriate recommendations including dates to the board of directors.

(k) Fellowship and Music Committee. This committee shall provide for the music at club meetings. It shall also seek to identify additional club members qualified to participate in the functions of this committee.

(l) Induction Committee. It is very important that new members obtain a comprehensive briefing on Rotary International. The members of this committee are responsible for this function. This includes informing new members about the history and objectives of Rotary International, our district and the club. The responsibilities of club members, including in particular participation in club activities and financial support shall be stressed. This committee shall also plan the induction ceremonies for new members.

(m) Health, Welfare and Dais Committee. This committee shall extend appropriate amenities to ill members. It shall also extend appropriate amenities to members and/or their families in times of happiness, sorrow or need.. This committee shall assist in the staffing of the dais at club meetings.

(n) Sergeant-at-Arms Committee. This committee is responsible for scheduling two club members to staff the reception - sign-in table for each regular club meeting. These persons shall be responsible for collecting the price of tickets and for completing the financial report on funds collected for lunch. Funds collected shall be turned over to the treasurer or his/her representative. The two designated members shall also discharge certain other required duties at the reception table. All club members are automatically members of this committee.

(n) Public Relations Committee. This committee is responsible for maximizing publicity about the club in the local media, including daily and weekly newspapers, radio stations and cable TV stations. The Public Relations Committee shall also keep the editors of the District Digest informed about club activities.

Section 4. Community Service Division

(a) Fundraising Committee. This committee has the important responsibility of planning, organizing and supervising all fundraising projects of this club. The committee shall formulate its plans very early during the Rotary year and submit appropriate recommendations, including dates, to the board of directors. The fundraising committee is also responsible for making recommendations to the board of directors with regard to appeals for financial support by club members, including planned giving. Because of its broad scope of responsibilities, this committee requires a large membership.

(b) Service Projects Committee. This committee is responsible for developing community service projects. It also has the responsibility for recommending the community charities which shall be supported with funds generated by the fundraising activities. The committee shall function in coordination with the world community service committee on contributions to foreign projects. All requests for financial support received by the club shall be referred to this committee so that it may formulate appropriate recommendations to the board of directors.

(c) Interservice Club Committee. This committee has the responsibility for providing opportunities for interaction between members of the White Plains Rotary Club and other service clubs. This may include the co-sponsorship of community service projects. The committee shall participate in the planning and organization of the interservice picnics and interservice luncheon. The committee shall also work with the other service clubs in placing club signs at main street or highway entrances to White Plains.

(d) Scholarship Committee. This Committee shall conduct a program of interviewing high school seniors recommended by their principals for consideration as candidates for scholarships. The total amount to be awarded shall be based on figures determined by the finance committee. The committee shall organize the annual scholarship awards dinner. The committee shall monitor the scholarship performance of students who have been awarded scholarships and invite them to report before the club membership.

Section 5. Vocational Service Division

Vocational Service Committee. Vocational service is one of the four Rotary Avenues of Service. This committee shall undertake a study of particular programs or projects to implement this Rotary International requirement. In doing so, this committee shall seek guidance from Rotary International, the District and other clubs. At the completion of the study the committee shall submit recommendations to the board of directors. After such recommendations have been approved, the vocational service committee will undertake the necessary steps for implementation.

Section 6. International Service Division

(a) Rotary Foundation Committee. The Rotary foundation committee shall encourage the members of the club to support the Rotary Foundation, including its international scholarship program. In cooperation with the scholarship committee, the members of the Rotary foundation committee shall provide assistance with regard to the scholarship program of the Rotary Foundation.

(b) World Community Service Committee. This committee has a proud history of the sponsorship of several major service projects. It shall continue to explore ideas for other projects in the developing world, in conjunction with a Rotary club in the country selected. In addition, the world community service committee shall study the feasibility of co-sponsoring incoming and outgoing youth exchange programs. On incoming projects, the committee shall organize all aspects of visits of students to the White Plains area, including housing and education. On outgoing projects, the committee shall select the students and coordinate their foreign visits with the Rotary club in the country involved. Some projects may come to the attention of the club through the District. All projects shall be subject to approval by the board of directors.

ARTICLE VIII
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 a specified period of time.

ARTICLE IX
FINANCES

Section 1. The treasurer shall deposit all funds of the club in a bank or banks to be selected by the board.

Section 2. All bills shall be paid only by checks signed by the treasurer upon appropriate vouchers.

Section 3. An audit by a certified public accountant or other qualified person shall be made once each year, unless the board of directors decides otherwise.

Section 4. Officers having charge or control of funds shall give bond as may be required by the board for the safe custody of the funds of the club, the cost of the bond to be borne by the club.

Section 5. The fiscal year of this club shall extend from July 1st to June 30th of the ensuing year, and for the collection of members’ dues shall be divided into two (2) semiannual periods extending from July 1st to December 31st, and from January 1st to June 30th. The payment of per capita dues and magazine subscriptions to Rotary International shall be made on July 1st and January 1st of each year, on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates.

Section 6. At the beginning of each fiscal year the board shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, a budget of estimated income and expenditures for the year which, having been agreed to by the board, shall stand as the limit of expenditures for purpose specified unless otherwise ordered by action of the board. The president and the finance committee shall jointly be responsible for preparation of the budget to be submitted to the board.

ARTICLE X
METHOD OF ELECTING MEMBERS

Section 1. Active members (including additional active members)

(a) The name of a prospective member, proposed by an active, senior active, or past service member of the club, or by the membership committee, shall be submitted to the board in writing, through the club secretary. The proposal for the time being shall be kept confidential except as otherwise provided in this procedure.

(b) The board shall request the classification committee to consider and report to the board on the eligibility of the proposed member from the standpoint of classification, and shall request the membership committee to investigate and report to the board on the eligibility of the proposed member from the standpoints of character, business and social standing, and general eligibility.

(c) The board shall consider and approve or disapprove the recommendations of the classification and membership committees and shall then notify the proposer, through the club secretary, of its decision.

(d) If the decision of the board is favorable, the proposer, together with one or more members of the induction committee, shall inform the prospective member of the purposes of Rotary and of the privileges and responsibilities of membership in the club, following which the prospective member shall be requested to complete and submit an application for membership and to give his permission for his/her name and proposed classification to be published to the club.

(e) If no written objection to the proposal, stating reasons, is received by the board from any member of the club within ten (10) days following publication of the name of the prospective member, the prospective member, upon payment of his admission fee, as prescribed in article V of these by-laws. shall be considered to be elected to membership.

If any objection has been filed with the board, it shall consider the same at any regular or special meeting of the board and shall ballot on the proposed member. If not more than two negative votes are cast by the members of the board in attendance at such regular or special meeting, the proposed member, upon payment of the prescribed admission fee, shall be considered to be elected to membership.

Following the member’s election to membership, as herein provided, the club secretary shall issue a membership card to the member and shall report his/her name to the General Secretary of Rotary International.

(f) The new member shall be formally introduced as a new member at a regular meeting of the club.

Section 2. Senior Active, Past Service, and Honorary Members

The name of a proposed candidate for any one of these kinds of membership shall be submitted to the board of directors in writing and the election shall be in the same form and manner as prescribed for the election of an active member provided, however, that such proposal may be considered at any regular or special meeting of the board and that the board at its discretion may waive any of the steps as set forth in section 1 of this article and proceed to ballot on the proposed member. If not more than two negative votes are cast by the members of the board in attendance at a regular or special meeting, the proposed member shall be considered duly elected, provided however, that any active member or past service member of this club who qualifies for senior active membership as set forth in the constitution of this club shall automatically become a senior active member of this club, no application or election to such senior active membership being required.

ARTICLE XII
RESOLUTIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Section 1. No resolution or motion to commit this club on any manner shall be considered by the club until it has been considered by the board. Such resolutions or motions, if offered at a club meeting, shall be referred without discussion to the board which, after having given consideration to the matter, shall submit its recommendations to the club membership. Having received the recommendations of the board, the club may than proceed to take such action as may seem proper to the majority.

Section 2. Any appeal to the club, or to its members as Rotarians, for charitable or other subscriptions shall be handled in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Section 1 of this article.

ARTICLE XIII
ORDER OF BUSINESS

All general club meetings shall start with the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem and an invocation.

ARTICLE XIV
PROTOCOLS

Section 1. The list of members of the club may not be used by anyone for commercial, political or fundraising purposes.

Section 2. No member of the club shall take any action which might reasonably be construed as acting on behalf of the club without prior approval from the President or the board of directors.

Section 3. In the conduct of correspondence on behalf of the club, only the official club stationery shall be used.

Section 4. The custody, retention and destruction of club records shall be governed by guidelines approved by the board of directors.

Approved by the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of White Plains
August 22, 1994