BY-LAWS The Probus Club of Victoria Park Inc
To be read in conjunction with the Operational and Management Guidelines for Probus Club of Victoria Park Inc.
1: Territory
Membership of the Probus Club of Victoria Park Inc shall be primarily, for the residents of Victoria Park and nearby areas.
2: Management
The club shall be managed by a Management Committee comprising the President, Senior Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and five other committee members. Other elected members will be responsible for other activities as may be decided by the club. (See Operational and Management guidelines Section 3.0). The immediate Past President shall be a member ex officio of the committee with voting rights. The Senior Vice President shall usually fill the role of President at the following election.
3: Membership
a. Membership of this club shall be contingent on attendance at regular meetings not less than fifty percent in any one year, subject to leave of absence or any other reasonable grounds.
b. The committee may terminate the membership of any member who has not paid the prescribed subscription within 3 months of the Annual General Meeting.
- i. Life membership may be awarded in accordance with the Life Membership Policy statement detailed in ATTACHMENT 1 of these By-Laws.
ii. The life membership selection committee is to comprise at least three members who will be independent of the Management Committee. Ideally both male and females will be represented on the selection committee and if practical one member should be a current life member.
4: Election of Officers.
d. All nominations and acceptances of nominations shall be in writing and signed by the nominators and nominees and shall be in the hands of the secretary before the conclusion of the February meeting.
e. If two candidates for a position receive an equal number of votes, then a recount must be done and if still equal, the Chairman shall have the casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.
5: Meetings
The club will meet on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Annual General meeting shall be held on the third Wednesday of March.
6: Amendments of By-Laws
Providing a quorum is present, any clause of these By-Laws may be amended at a General Meeting by a majority of members who vote. A notice of the proposed amendments to the By-Laws is to be advised in the newsletter and announced at a General Meeting at least 21 days prior to the meeting at which the motion will be considered. Email and hard copies will be available.
President: M Edland…………………….… Secretary: S Hennessy……………………...
ATTACHMENT 1
Life Membership - Victoria Park Probus Club
Policy Statement (as amended at July 2012 General Meeting)
The granting of life membership of the Victoria Park Probus Club is reserved to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Club.
Life members shall be exempt from payment of subscription fees whilst enjoying all the privileges of membership.
Life membership shall be a meaningful recognition bestowed sparingly.
This policy sets out the minimum criteria to be eligible for nomination for an award of life membership of the Victoria Park Probus Club.
This award exists to recognise the valuable contribution of individuals to the current and the future existence of the Club. It is therefore to be awarded only in exceptional circumstances.
In considering the award of life membership an individual should have demonstrated significant, sustained and high-quality service enhancing the operation, reputation and future of the overall Club.
The points to be taken into account when considering any nomination include:
The principles of Probus: fun, fellowship and friendship.
Criteria for Selecting Life Members
1. Commitment to the principles of fun, fellowship and friendship by -
a. promoting the club in a positive way - examples required;
b. interacting with all club members in a positive fashion; and
c. welcoming new members and introducing them to others.
2. Enduring leadership qualities but not necessarily as President. Examples required.
3. Outstanding and prolonged service that exceeds normal expectations.
4. Length of service shall be not less than 10 years.
5. Other Criteria
a. Specific achievements will be taken into consideration.
b. The nominee must be a current financial member.
c. The maximum number of active life members will be no more than 10% of membership.
d. A person may be nominated on no more than two occasions within a five-year period.
e. Any member may nominate only one person in any given year for life membership.
Selection Process
Any person considering proposing a member for life membership should first obtain a copy of the life membership criteria, and then, addressing those criteria, submit the nomination in writing to the club secretary not less than eight weeks prior to the annual general meeting.
The management committee will set up a sub-committee to assess applications for life membership when a nomination is received.
The sub-committee will report back to the management committee with its findings for confirmation.
Life membership shall be a meaningful recognition bestowed sparingly.
Retraction of a life membership award may occur where the recipient has conducted themselves in a manner that reflects directly and adversely on the image or activities of the Club. This provision will be exercised only in exceptional circumstances and will require the full support of the management committee to be enacted.
As part of the deliberations, the life member in question is also to be given an opportunity to present their case for retention of their life membership status. Refer to Section 14 and 15 of the Club Constitution.
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