Harrisburg PC User Group also known as HUG

Bylaws

ARTICLE I

This organization shall be known as the Harrisburg PC User Group, also known as HUG.
 

ARTICLE 2

Purpose

HUG is formed for the following purposes: To bring together novice and experienced computer users in order to share information about computer systems and related programming, hardware and software. HUG is a not-for-profit organization.

ARTICLE 3

Organization HUG will consist of general membership and an Executive Board.

ARTICLE 4

Membership

General membership in HUG shall be composed of individuals or family units who apply for membership by submitting a properly completed application, and who pay annual dues a) by mail b) to any officer, or c) at any regular HUG meeting. Family units shall be defined as all persons sharing living quarters, at the same mailing address.

ARTICLE 5

Dues

Dues for a single membership in HUG shall be $15 per year, with the exception of any Executive Board and Support members and must be paid in full. Executive Board and Support members (as defined by the Executive Board ) will not be required to pay membership dues.

A completed membership application is required for all new members. Membership is not transferable. Membership, as evidenced by the membership list maintained by the HUG Secretary, shall entitle the member (or any member of the members household) to all membership privileges for a period of one year from date of acceptance. Dues are non-refundable.

The amount established for the annual dues may be changed only upon recommendation of the Executive Board, followed by a majority vote of the members attending the general membership meeting. It shall not be necessary to amend the Bylaws in order to change the amount of the annual dues.

ARTICLE 6

Executive Board

The principal officers of HUG shall include one (1) President, one (1) First Vice President, one (1) Second Vice President, one (1) Secretary, and one (1) Treasurer. Appointed officers shall include (if available) at least one (1) Trustee, one (1) Newsletter Editor, and at least one (1) Special Interest Group Leader (SIG). The principal officers, the Trustees, and the SIG Leaders will constitute the Executive Board. Each member of the Executive committee is guaranteed one vote and only one vote even if the member may hold more than one office. The Executive board shall have the right to establish budgets for HUG related activities.

The executive board shall have the power to call for expulsion of a member of the executive board from the Executive Board, if that member fails to attend, two (2) successive executive board meetings or a total of five (5) executive board meetings for their term without benefit of a hearing.

The executive board shall have the power to call for expulsion of a member of the executive board from the Executive Board, during the members term of office, if the member is judged to be derelict in his or her duties. In the case of Dereliction of duty, the board member in question shall be given the option of a hearing before the Executive Board prior to expulsion if the board member desires.

In cases of a hearing five members of the Executive Committee will be randomly selected by the President, The President will be Judge and the five selected members will act as jurors. The President will be responsible for laying down the trial rules and enforcing them. A majority vote by the five selected jurors will determine a decision.

ARTICLE 7

Duties of Officers and Trustees

The Executive Board shall have and exercise all powers granted to it by these Bylaws, based on a majority vote of the executive board with a quorum of at least 5 members present where each member of the executive committee has one vote; except that it shall have no power to alter, adopt, rescind or nullify any part or provision of the Bylaws unless agreed to by a majority vote of the general membership.

PRESIDENT:
The President is the chief executive of the HUG organization and as such, shall enforce all the provisions of the Bylaws, and set a general direction for HUG based on the needs of the group as a whole. The President shall also perform the following duties:

a. Preside, and encourage a atmosphere of participation at all meetings of the General membership and the Executive Board with the needs of entire group as a primary consideration.
b. Appoint the chairpersons of all committees with the approval of the general membership. Committee members shall be selected by the committee chairperson from within the general membership.
c. Verify the Treasury balance monthly, by his or her signature.
d. Perform any and all other duties of the office of President.
e. Expressly, reserves the option to verbally appoint any member of HUG to preside over part of or all of the General Meeting at any time.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT:
The Vice President, in the absence of the President shall perform the duties of the President and shall discharge such other duties as may be required by the Executive Board.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT:
The Second Vice President, in the absence of the President and First Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and shall discharge such other duties as may be required by the Executive Board.

SECRETARY:

a. In the absence of the President and all of the Vice Presidents shall perform the duties of the President and shall discharge such other duties as may be required by the Executive Board.
b. Send notices for organization and Executive Board meetings.
c. Keep a record of all the proceedings of the meetings of the organization and Executive Board in books provided for that purpose.
d. Report the acts of the Executive Board at the monthly meetings of the general membership.
e. Compile and record all activities from the reports made by the chairpersons of standing committees of the organization.
f. Have charge of and conduct the routine correspondence of the organization, have custody of and maintain all official and other records of HUG and perform other duties as directed by the President and Executive Board.

TREASURER:

a. Receive and issue a receipt for all annual dues and other funds paid or donated to the organization.
b. Within seven (7) days of receipt of funds, the Treasurer shall deposit them in the name of The Harrisburg PC User Group. The deposit shall be made in (a) a bank which is a member of and whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, or (b) a credit union which is federally insured.
c. All bank accounts or other means of fund investment in the name of the organization shall bear two signatures which have been designated by the Executive Board.
d. Issue checks drawn on funds of the organization as ordered by the Executive Board. All checks shall bear at least one signature of the original two required signatures that appear on any Bank accounts or others means of investment, that have been designated by the Executive Board.
e. Keep an accurate and detailed account of all earnings, savings, reserves, holdings, receipts and disbursements, the Treasurer will submit at least a quarterly report either in the newsletter or at the general membership meeting, in detail and an itemized statement of all financial transactions performed on behalf of the organization.
f. Make reports, supply financial statements or receipts, and/or past accounting records to the President and the Executive Board, or appointed auditor as may be required by them. Failure to do so within a reasonable time (determined by the Executive Board) are valid grounds for removal from office and possible expulsion from HUG.
g. Keep other records and perform other duties as required by the President or/and executive board.

The duties of the Trustee(s)and SIG Leader(s) will be as follows:

a. To monitor the actions of the Executive Board.
b. To monitor the spending of HUG money.
c. To elect one of themselves or select an independent member of HUG to act as auditor, who shall conduct a year-end and/or change of officers audit of the Treasury and sign the audit. The Executive Committee reserves the right to call for an Audit at any time. If the Trustee(s) and SIG Leader(s) are not able or willing to select an auditor, the President will select an auditor from the membership.
d. To monitor anything that may have an effect on the good name or reputation of the club and bring it to the attention of the Executive board for appropriate action.
e. To assist any other duties required by the executive committee on a volunteer basis.

NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
The duties of the Newsletter Editor will be to gather, edit and prepare for printing a monthly newsletter that will be sent to an HUG members, plus certain additional copies that shall be mailed for publicity purposes.

ARTICLE 8

Elections

The principal officers shall be elected by individual ballot at an annual meeting of the organization. They shall hold their respective offices for a term of one (1) year, unless removed by power of Article 6. Term of office for principal officers shall begin January 1 following the election and run until December 31 of that same year.

Principal officers may be elected to no more than two (2) successive terms in the same office, unless t here is no candidate for that office, in which case additional term may be served.

Principal officers shall be elected by majority vote of the general membership. When three (3) or more candidates are nominated and a majority vote is not reached on the first ballot, the candidate having the lowest vote total shall be dropped from the list of candidates. Balloting shall continue and the same procedures followed until a candidate receives the required majority. When only two candidates remain on the ballot, balloting shall continue until a candidate receives a majority vote.

When only one candidate is nominated, a voice vote may be taken.

The Trustee(s), SIG Leader(s), and Newsletter Editor, shall not be elected. They will be appointed by the President, with the consent of the Executive Board and shall serve as long as either the executive board approves their continuation in their position(s) which will be reviewed by the executive board on a yearly basis; or they elect to resign. Following their appointment, they shall become voting members of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE 9

Candidate Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for nomination and election to an elected office on the Executive Board, a candidate must be a current member of the organization for a period of at least three (3) months, with the exception of the office of President, where the candidate must be a current member for a period of one (1) year prior to taking office.

ARTICLE 10

Vacancies

A vacancy occurring on the Executive Board shall be filled by Presidential appointment with the approval of the Executive Board.

A vacancy in the President's office shall be filled by the 1st Vice President ( if he or she desires if not the 2nd Vice President may take the office of President ) or if this is not possible a special meeting of the Executive Board may be called to appoint a President. The appointed President will fill all officers vacancies with the approval if the Executive board.

ARTICLE 11

Meetings

Meetings of the organization will be conducted within the guidelines as set forth in Robert's Rules of Order, and will be held on the second Tuesday of every month unless changed by the Executive Board.

Meetings will normally begin at 6:45 PM and will end with an approved motion to adjourn The Executive Board will, insofar as possible, meet in other than' a private residence. Notice of all meetings will be made in as timely fashion as possible through the best means available, normally by way of the monthly newsletter.

Special meetings may be called as necessary by the President. The Executive Board will normally meet in open session; however, the meeting may be closed if considered appropriate by the Executive Board. Any member will be admitted upon his or her request, made one (1) week prior to the meeting.

A member of the Executive Board may invite any member of the organization to attend.

ARTICLE 12

Amendments

The organizations Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the members present at the monthly meeting by the following procedure:

Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the President for review by the Executive Board at least one (1) month before the general monthly meeting. All proposed amendments shall require a majority vote of the combined general membership at the monthly meeting.

ARTICLE 13

Complaints

The following procedures are established to insure a fair hearing for any HUG member against whom a complaint may be filed or whose right to membership in HUG may be challenged.
 

To file a complaint:
The complaint shall be in writing and shall set forth in detail the charge against the member(s). The complaint shall be signed by the person(s) making the charge(s) and shall be filed with a member of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board shall then meet as soon as possible for discussion and balloting on the complaint and will be totally responsible for the disposition of the complaint, which may be either resolved by the Executive Committee or referred to the general membership for appropriate action.

All parties involved shall be notified as to the disposition Of the Complaint with fourteen (14) days of the disposition.

ARTICLE 14

Investigation and expulsion of a HUG member

The executive board reserves the right to investigate and if necessary expel any member that is found by the executive board to be disruptive during general or executive board meetings, refuses to abide by an executive board decision, has participated in any possible involvement in any form of embezzlement of HUG funds, or refuses to abide by the above stated Bylaws. An expulsion decision by the executive board will be based on majority vote of the executive committee.

In cases of expulsion the member in question is guaranteed the option of hearing by the Executive Board prior to expulsion.

In cases of a hearing at least five members, with the possibility of all Executive Board members present with the exception of the accused, of the Executive Committee will constitute a Jury. The President will be Judge. The President will be responsible for laying down the trial rules and enforcing them. A majority vote by at least five jurors will determine a decision.