By Laws of the Ashton Area Chamber of Commerce
Article I: Name
Section 1: The name of this association shall be the ASHTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Article II: Object
Section 1: This Chamber of Commerce is organized for the purpose of advancing the commercial, industrial, agricultural entities in Ashton, and the surrounding area.
Section 2: This Chamber, in its activities, shall be non-partisan, non-sectional, and non-sectarian.
Article III: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility: Any individual, firm, or corporation interested in the progress and welfare of the City of Ashton and surrounding communities may become a member of this association.
Section 2: The membership shall be known as commercial, shall consist of factories, utilities, banks, stores, and professional persons in business and/or known as civic, church and all other persons with community spirit and desirous of doing their part toward making this community a better place to live.
Article IV: Dues
Section 1: Amount: The annual dues of members of this association shall be as follows: commercial members and civic members. The annual dues to be set by the Board of Directors are non-refundable.
Section 2: When Payable: Payment of dues shall be in advance and shall be paid annually. Memberships paid after October 31 will be prorated until the new calendar year.
Article V: Board of Directors
Section 1: The government of the Chamber, the direction of it’s work, and the control of it’s property shall be vested in a Board of Directors which consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors, who shall be elected as hereinafter provided.
Section 2: Powers of the Board: The Board of Directors shall have the power to fill vacancies in the Board until the next election. The Board may adopt rules and regulations for conducting the business of the association. They shall meet not less frequently than once each month.
Section 3: Quorum: A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
Section 4: Length of Office: All members of the Board shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified.
Article VI: Elections
Section 1: There shall be elected a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors at the annual meeting from the membership every two years.
Section 2: A. Nominating Committee: A nominating committee of three members shall be appointed by the President at least two weeks prior to the elections. Said nominating committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each existing vacancy.
B. At the election meeting, nominations will be invited from the floor after the nominating committee places their list of candidates in nomination.
Section 3: Ballots: A ballot shall be prepared by the Secretary which shall contain the list of candidates furnished by the nominating committee and nominations from the floor.
Section 4: Voting: Each member shall have one vote.
Article VII: Officers
Section 1: President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Chamber and Board of Directors. The President shall perform all duties incident to their office and advise such action as may, in their opinion, increase the usefulness of the Chamber.
Section 2: Vice-President: The Vice-President shall act in the absence of the President.
Section 3: Secretary: The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and send and receive correspondence of the Chamber.
Section 4: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain all financial records of the Chamber and have responsibility of sending and receiving payments for the Chamber.
Article VIII: Committees
Section 1: Appointment: The President shall appoint all committees, subject to the confirmation of the Board of Directors.
Section 2: Authority: It shall be the function of the committees to investigate and make recommendations. Advocacy or opposition to any project must be confirmed by the Board of Directors to represent the official policy of the Chamber.
Section 3: Committee Meetings: Meetings of committees may be called at any time by the President or by the Chairman of such committees.
Article IX: Meetings
Section 1: The Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce shall be held during the month of March on a date to be determined by the Board of Directors at least thirty days in advance.
Section 2: Membership Meetings: The Board of Directors will hold membership meetings on the third Thursday of every month.
Section 3: Quorum: Four members present shall constitute a quorum at any membership meeting.
Section 4: Meeting By Petition: The Board of Directors shall call a meeting by petition signed by not less than four members.
Section 5: Parliamentary Procedure: All questions of parliamentary procedure shall be settled according to Roberts Rules of Order, whenever they are not inconsistent with the By Laws of this organization.
Article X: Fiscal Year
Section 1: The fiscal year shall begin January 1st and end December 31st.
Article XI: Amendments
Section 1: These By Laws may be amended or altered by a majority vote of the members in good standing in attendance at any regular membership meeting, at which a quorum is present, or at any special meeting called for that purpose, provided that such amendments shall be plainly stated in the call for the meeting at which they are to be considered. Amendments must be submitted to the Board of Directors for information and consideration before being voted upon at a membership meeting.
Article XII: Enactment
Section 1: These By Laws shall be effective immediately following their adoption by a majority vote of the members of the Ashton Area Chamber of Commerce at a membership meeting called by the President.
These By Laws of the Ashton Area Chamber of Commerce was prepared and passed unanimously January 20, 2011
