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CINCINNATI REEF KEEPERS SOCIETY BYLAWS

1. Board of Directors


1.1 Name

  • The name of the organization shall be "The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society".

1.2 Composition

  • The Board of Directors, hereafter known, as the "Board" shall consist of 6 positions: a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a Program Director, and a Webmaster.


1.3 Elections

  • The Board shall be elected by the membership by the end of February of each calendar year.

  • The Vice President shall be responsible for preparing a slate of candidates for election of board members. Nominations for election to the Board shall be made within the "Member's Discussion" forum on The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society website. Nominations may be received by posting within a dedicated thread or by contacting the Vice President prior to the elections.

  • Each paid member shall be entitled to cast one vote in each board elections for each position. The candidate with the most votes in each of the board elections shall be declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the President will cast the deciding vote.

  • Members may be elected to not more than two board positions and no single member may hold more than one position within the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer positions. (As an example, a member may be a treasurer and a webmaster but a treasurer cannot be a president also)

  • The term of office of the Board shall be from one election until the next election. The candidates will be officially elected by the end of February and will officially hold the position starting March 1st of the same year.

  • Unsuccessful candidates are not barred from running for other positions.

  • Voting shall be by online ballot. If a candidate is unopposed, the vote shall be by acclimation. A voting poll must run at least 10 days so as to provide ample time for all members who wish to vote to be able to do so. To be a candidate for the "Key Three" postions, (3.1,3.2,3.3) you must be a paid member for 6 consecutive months and be active in the club.



1.4 Filling Vacancies

  • Vacancies on the Board will be filled by Board appointment if less then 4 months before the next election. Membership will be notified of the vacancy. Vacancies that occur with more then a 4-month lapse before the next election will be filled by an online vote by the general membership.



1.5 Conduct of Business

  • Board of Directors business shall be conducted at duly constituted meetings or by online vote. Board meetings are open to the paid members. Only Directors may vote at Board meetings. Each Director shall have one vote. All issues shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast. In the case of a tied vote, the President shall cast the deciding vote.



1.6 Lack of Quorum

  • If the situation arises that there is less than five Directors in office, then those Directors shall continue to manage the affairs of the Cincinnati Reefkeeper's Society; but, they shall, at the earliest opportunity, hold a membership meeting to elect the vacant Director(s).




2. Powers and Responsibilities of the Board

2.1 Management of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society

  • The Board shall be responsible for the management of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society. The Board members shall each hold the position of Moderator of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society website forums for the purpose of maintaining a family friendly site. Moderators of specific forums may consist of Board members along with non-board members as determined by the Board.



2.2 Finance

  • The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society fiscal year will end on December 31st of each year. The Board shall establish: the membership fees, the fees for participating in the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society activities, and the cost of the Cincinnati Reefkeeper's Society publications. The Board shall be responsible for the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society expenditures, and the general financial welfare of the Cincinnati Reefkeeper's Society. Property or equipment purchased by the club with club funds or donated to the club shall be known as Club Property. In the event the club dissolves, Club Property and Funds shall be disbursed in a manner agreeable to the remaining members and in compliance to local, state & federal laws. A financial statement will be presented at a minimum of three times per year. The financial records will be open for viewing if requested by 3 or more members.



2.3 The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society Officers

  • The Board may appoint committees from amongst the Directors and/or the general membership



3. Duties of the Officers

  • The Officers shall perform the duties as set out in this Section and such other duties as assigned by the Board.



3.1 President

The President shall:

  • Act as the Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society and provide leadership and supervision.

  • Seek to ensure that the other Officers and Board carry out their duties, but, this does not imply that the President must assume the duties of any officers who are derelict in their duties.

  • Chair all membership meetings, and serve as ex-officio member of all the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society Committees.

  • Act as an official representative and spokesperson for the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society

  • Call special meetings of the Board.



3.2 Vice President

The Vice President shall:

  • Assist the President in carrying out all of his duties.

  • Act for the President, in the Presidents absence or at the request of the President.

  • Serve as the Nominations Chairperson accepting Nominations for Board of Directors positions from the membership.

  • Conduct raffles at regular the Cincinnati Reefkeeper's Society meetings. If unable to be present, this person is responsible for finding another member who can fulfill this role during the meeting.

  • Ensure that the raffles run smoothly and that adequate raffle tickets are available.

  • Hold all raffle prizes safely.

  • Reconcile monies received for the raffle with another Board Member and turn it over to the treasurer if applicable.



3.3 Treasurer

The Treasurer shall:

  • Keep a complete and accurate record of the financial transactions of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society and make these available to the Board at all reasonable times

  • Prepare a triennial financial statement for the general membership.

  • Ensure the safekeeping of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society's financial assets.

  • Attend to correspondence relating to the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society's finances including payment of bills and annual IRS filings if applicable.

  • Maintain two current board member signatures on the banks file for proper access. The signature will consist of the treasurer's name and one other designated by the board.

  • A financial statement will be presented at a minimum of three times per year. The financial records will be open for viewing if requested by 3 or more members.

  • Maintain a current and complete record of all members, and make it available to the Board at all reasonable times.

  • Collect membership fees with a reconciliation of fees collected and the membership list.



3.4 Program Director

The Program Director shall:

  • Develop and recommend to the Board ideas for the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society membership meetings.

  • Develop contacts in the marine aquarium hobby, and hence develop a list of potential speakers for the Cincinnati Reefkeeper's Society events.

  • Make arrangements for the smooth running of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society meetings and programs include reserving monthly meeting place, booking and accommodations for guest speaker.



3.5 Secretary

The Secretary shall:

  • Compose and send letters of solicitation to potential donors of products for the various Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society events.

  • Record and track donations received.

  • Compose and send letters of thanks to all donors.

  • Establish and maintain mailing lists of local pet shops and national manufacturers.

  • Be responsible for taking & distributing minutes of all meetings.



3.6 Webmaster

Webmaster shall:

  • Be responsible for the regular maintenance of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society website.

  • Edit the website using judgment as to the suitability of submitted material.

  • Be responsible for promoting the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society over the Internet.

  • Assure that the webmaster plus at least one other designate by the Board have access and password to the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society's website.



4. Financial Transactions


4.1 Check signing

  • All checks or other documents transferring the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society funds shall be signed by two of: the President, the Vice-President, or the Treasurer. (If an undue hardship were to occur, the Secretary may sign along with one of the other three board member positions listed above)



4.2 Commitment of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society Funds

  • All expenditures greater than $100.00 must be pre-approved by the majority of the Board. All expenditures must be reported at the next meeting.



5. Membership Fees

  • An individual or family joining The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society shall pay an annual fee set by the Board. The membership fee shall be established, and may be changed when deemed necessary by a vote of the Board.

  • Membership in The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society shall be granted for a full twelve (12) months from the date of payment.

  • There may be a charge for non-members who wish to attend any of The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society meetings or activities. The charge will be set by the Board and may vary depending upon the nature of the meeting or activity. For special events, the Board may set entrance fees for both members and non-members. The Board may also limit access to certain meetings or activities so that only members may attend.



6. Rights of Members
6.1 Rights

Individual members shall have the following rights:

  • To attend all regular meetings.

  • To participate in all of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society activities.

  • To enter the monthly drawings for prizes when present at meeting.

  • To vote on any matter put before the membership.


*** Family memberships shall allow just the head of the family to enter monthly drawings and to vote on any matter put before the membership.***


7. Commercial Activities

  • No one shall undertake commercial activity at the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society meetings, events, or facilities to promote their own commercial interests, (where commercial interests shall be activities undertaken with the purpose of making money) without approval of the Board of Directors. This restriction, however, shall not prevent members from participating in commercial activities, such as advertising in the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society publications, providing such opportunities are also available to non-members. The standards required to become a sponsor is to be established by the Board.



8. By-Law Changes

  • Constitutional changes must be recommended by the Board and require that at least 51% of the Board Members votes cast are in favor of the change. Constitutional changes will not become effective until ratified by a 10 day on line poll, and require that at least 51% of the members vote cast. Suggestions for Bylaw changes must be presented to the Cinyreef BOD by Private Message.



9. Dissolution of CINCINNATI REEFKEEPERS SOCIETY

  • The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society can only be dissolved by a vote of the membership at a meeting called for that purpose. All members must receive at least one month's written notice of the time, location and purpose of such a meeting. Dissolution would only occur if two thirds of the members' votes cast at the meeting were in favor of dissolution.

  • Property or equipment purchased by the club with club funds or donated to the club shall be known as Club Property. In the event the club dissolves, Club Property and Funds shall be disbursed in a manner agreeable to the remaining members and in compliance to local, state & federal laws.



10. Addendum to By-Laws

  • All Bylaws are subject to interpretation by the Cincyreef BOD.

  • The Webmaster and the President will hold the password for the Cincyreef.com site.



11. Disclaimer

  • By joining the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society, or participating in the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society activities, or reading the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society publications, an individual agrees to hold the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society and it's Board Members harmless for any loss, harm or consequential damage, no matter how caused, resulting from the individual being a member of the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society, or participating in any the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society activity, or acting or omitting to act as a result of the information or advice received from the Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society meetings, individual members, activities, or publications. cincyreef.com is the website for The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society.The Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society does not in anyway warranty or guarantee the accuracy, availability or maturity of content contained on this site or other sites Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society links to. Use Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society at your own risk.

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