CONSTITUTION OF THE OMAHA SPORTS CLUB (As Amended September 14, 2001) ARTICLE I NAME 1. This organization shall be known as the Omaha Sports Club. ARTICLE II PURPOSE 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to conduct athletic and recreational activities, sponsor educational and social events, and foster sociability and the spirit of good sportsmanship. 2. This shall be a nonprofit organization. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP 1. Membership in this club shall be granted to all persons in sympathy with its purpose and who are not less than the legal adult drinking, age as prescribed by the State of Nebraska. 2 . A person’s membership shall terminate September 25. 3. Annual dues must be paid before active membership becomes effective. ARTICLE IV OFFICERS 1. The officers of the Club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. 2. All officers shall be elected annually by the membership at the Annual Meeting, and shall hold office until succeeded by the new officers. 3. Election of officers shall be by written ballot. 4. The terms of office shall be from September 26 through September 25 of the following year. ARTICLE V BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1. Shall consist of the elected officers and the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees. 2. Shall determine the policies and the activities of the Club. 3. A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. ARTICLE VI MEETINGS 1. The Annual Meeting of the membership shall be held in September prior to the 25th day. 2. Special Meetings may be called by the President or by a majority of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VII AMENDMENTS 1. The nature of the content of any proposed amendment to the Constitution or By-laws may be voted upon at any Annual or Special Meeting, provided it shall have been published in the club bulletin or special bulletin at least thirty (30) days preceding the meeting. 2. The Constitution may be amended or revoked by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members voting, either in person or by absentee ballot as provided in the By-Laws at any Annual or Special Meeting. 3. The By-Laws may be amended or revoked by a majority vote of the members voting, either in person or by absentee ballot as provided in the By-Laws at any Annual or Special Meeting. ARTICLE VIII TREASURY 1. The fiscal year shall run from September 1 to August 31 of the following year. 2. The treasury books shall be audited at the close of the fiscal year. 3. All financial transactions shall be handled through the Club Treasury. 4. The President and the Treasurer shall be bonded. Other members may be bonded as determined necessary by the Board of Directors.
STANDING RULES OF THE OMAHA SPORTS CLUB As revised July, 2008
MEMBERSHIPS Effective Date - New or renewal memberships received on or after August 1 shall be valid for the following membership year ending September 25. New Member - Any new member. Partial Year Club member - joins between March 1st and July 31st will be assessed at Fifty Percent (50%) of current annual membership fee. Applications must be postmarked March 1 through July 31.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Policy regarding controversial issues - On an issue of vital importance to the entire membership, if at a Board meeting, one-third of the Board disagrees with the majority opinion, a minority report may be presented to the membership prior to the next Board meeting. Absence from Board meetings- If a Board member has neglected his or her duties or has missed two successive meetings of the Board without proper excuse, the President shall present this matter to the Board and at their next meeting, the Board shall determine whether the member in question shall be removed as provided by the By-Laws.
COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Written Reports of Club Activities - A preliminary budget has to be presented to the board. The Chairperson of each Club activity shall present to the President/Treasurer a detailed report of any function not more than thirty days after the completion of that function explaining budget variances.. Such report shall include not only itemized income and expenses, but operating procedures, contacts and recommendations. In the case of any continuing sports activity, the reports shall be completed not more than thirty days following the end of the activity’s season. These reports shall be retained for five years in the activity Chairperson’s file for reference and use of the succeeding Chairperson. Responsibility for Participant's memberships - It is the responsibility of each Chairperson to ensure that all participants in Club activities have valid memberships.
CLUB FUNDS Money for Use in making change - The Social Chairperson be granted fifty dollars ($50.00) of Sports Club funds to be used for making change at Sports Club functions. Such Chairperson is responsible for this money and said money must be returned to the Club’s Treasurer at the end of the fiscal year. Reimbursement for personal expenses & remuneration for services - It is understood that Board members and Committee members serve on a volunteer basis and are not entitled to reimbursement for any personal expenses incurred in performing their duties on behalf of the Club. However, the Board by special agreement may state that certain expenses are reimbursable and thus be paid. Distribution of Money from Sale of Club items - That any money realized by the sale of items purchased with Club funds shall be returned to the Club funds. Sale of Food, Beverages, etc.- That no food, beverages, or merchandise be sold at any Club function unless specifically authorized by the Committee in charge and under the rules and regulations applicable to the issuance of permits. The Committee may not authorize sales for personal gains. Check Signing - Checks payable to the President be signed only by the Treasurer and checks payable to the Treasurer be signed only by the President.
CLUB PROPERTY Distribution/Loaning for Non-club use - Each Committee that is responsible for Club property shall report Inventory and the existence and condition of such property to the Club Secretary at the first Board meeting of each year. Such Club property may only be used for Club purposes unless specifically approved by the Board.
NON-CLUB ACTIVITIES Use of Club Name- That as a matter of policy, only by approval of the Board of Directors, can the Omaha Sports Club’s name be used in connection with anything other than official Club activities.
Advertisement in Club bulletin - Classified ads of no more than 25 words, pertaining to sports equipment, may be put in the bulletin free of charge and with the approval of the editor. Requests for publicity from non-profit organizations pertaining to the field of sports, education or entertainment which benefit the Club will be acted upon by the Board of Directors on individual merit, without regard to precedent.
Announcement at Club events - The announcement of Non-Club activities during Club events will require approval of the activity Chairperson. ELIGIBILITY FOR SPORTS COMPETITION Professionals - That no member of the Club may participate in any sport competition in which they are a professional. Dues and Fees - No person shall be allowed to participate in any sports activity unless they are a member in good standing and have paid league fees. Substitutes must have a valid Club membership.
CLUB FUNCTIONS Guests - Sports Club encourages guests to attend Club functions. Specific Activity Parties - The Chairperson of a specific activity has the privilege to limit the attendance at a function to the participants of that activity.
GENERAL Club Colors -That the Omaha Sports Club’s colors be blue and white. Bids - That bids from three vendors be submitted to the Board for approval for all printing jobs, equipment purchases and excursions in excess of one hundred dollars ($100.00), with the exception of the monthly bulletin and equipment from individual sports. Special Merit - That a Special Merit Award for Unsung Hero Award be awarded to a person who has done outstanding work for the Club at the discretion of the Board of Directors in any given year. Letter of Agreement - Each Chairperson shall obtain a signed agreement for all financial, contractual, and rental agreements. Constitution, By-Laws, & Standing Rules - The immediate past President or another Board member named by the President shall serve as follows: (a) Shall familiarize the Board of Directors with the contents of the Constitution, By-Laws and Standing Rules. (b) Shall ensure the enforcement of these Rules. (c) Shall ensure that the meetings are conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order (d) Shall extract from the minutes all Standing Rules and maintain a current list of same. (e) Shall ensure that copies of the Constitution, By-Laws, and Standing Rules be made available to all members upon request.
Review of Club Rules - That the Club’s Constitution, By-Laws, and Standing Rules shall be reviewed at least every five years..
BY-LAWS OF THE OMAHA SPORTS CLUB (As amended July 2008)
MEMBERSHIP 1. Membership in this Club shall be three classes: (a) Active Membership (b) Charter Membership – A person who joined the Club the first year it was organized in 1940 and had sustained a continuous membership during the year the Club was active up to the time of the Tenth Anniversary Banquet held February 1, 1950. A Charter Membership shall be in force whenever annual application is make by the Charter Member. (c) Honorary/Complimentary Membership – One which may be conferred upon a person for the current membership year. 2. Honorary and complimentary memberships shall be granted by the Board of Directors. 3. An applicant for membership must sign the following form of application: “I promise to abide by the rules and regulations of the Club, and I am of legal drinking age, as prescribed by the State of Nebraska. In consideration of Omaha Sports Club accepting this application, I waive all claims on behalf of myself or my heirs that I might have against Omaha Sports Club or its representatives. I agree not to assert any claim against them for injuries or damages sustained by me arising out of negligence or any activity sponsored or organized by Omaha Sports Club or its representatives.” 4. An applicant for membership may be rejected if the applicant’s acceptance would be considered detrimental to the best interest of the Club, in accordance with the By-Laws of the Omaha Sports Club, Board of Directors, Paragraph 6. 5. Memberships may be revoked if a member or his/her behavior is considered detrimental to the best interests of the Club in accordance with the By-Laws of the Omaha Sports Club, Board of Directors, Paragraph 6. DUES 1. Annual membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors for the following year. 2 No refund of membership dues shall be made without the consent of the Board of Directors. NOMINATION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE 1. A Nominating Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and volunteers recruited by each sports chairperson from the participants in that sport. There will be one volunteer from each sport in which less than 10% of the club’s membership participates and two volunteers from each sport with more than 10% membership participation. If no volunteers can be found, the sport’s chairperson shall serve on the Nominating Committee. The committee shall commence business no later than March 1st. In the event that a member of the committee is nominated for an office, that person shall relinquish his/her committee position. If the Chairperson resigns, the committee will choose a new Chairperson by majority vote, then recruit a new member-at-large. 2. The report of the Nominating Committee shall consist of no less than two candidates of each executive office, provided two qualified persons can be found and consent to run for each office. The report shall be published in the July and August issues of the club’s newsletter, the Sportscaster. The required qualifications for the executive officers are: (1) the President shall have served on the Board of Directors at least one year (but not necessarily the year prior to running for executive office), and (2) the Treasurer shall have some working knowledge of bookkeeping. 3. Once the Nominating Committee has selected the candidates that will run for each executive office, any other OSC member who desires to run for an executive officer position may have their names added to the ballot if a petition signed by at least 25 current OSC members is presented to the Nominating Committee by the June Board of Directors meeting. Write-in candidates will receive publicity equal to that received by the Nominating Committee’s candidates. The ballot will indicate which candidates were added to the ballot by petition. 4. The Nominating Committee shall appoint three tellers and prepare all necessary forms to conduct the election. A ballot shall be prepared for the election of all four offices. 5. A majority of the votes cast shall elect; if no majority is cast, then a second ballot shall be taken of the first two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the first ballot. In the event of a tie in the first place, those two shall be the only two candidates on the second ballot. If a tie prevents the selection of the two top candidates, a vote shall be taken between those candidates tied to determine the second candidate. FILLING VACANCIES 1. In the event the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall become President. 2. In the event the office of Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer become vacant, these offices shall be filled by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. 3. In the event the Chairperson for a committee becomes vacant, the Chairperson shall be filled by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. DUTIES OF OFFICES 1. The four elected officers shall meet together and appoint a chairperson of the standing committees which existed as of the preceding year. 2 THE PRESIDENT (a) Shall preside at all meeting of the club and of the Board of Directors and shall utilize the Robert’s Rules of Order. (b) Shall prepare an agenda before each meeting. (c) Shall be a members “ex-officio” of all committees. (d) Shall appoint special committees. (e) Shall approve and sign all Club vouchers for payments. (f) Shall see that the best interests of the Club are maintained in all activities and other matters. (g) Shall, upon retiring, automatically become a member of the ensuing Board of Directors. (h) Shall maintain all insurance policies. 3. THE VICE PRESIDENT shall assume the duties of the President in case of absence or incapacity of the President. (a) Shall organize the Annual Affair/Meeting (b) Shall oversee Special Sports 4. THE SECRETARY (a) Shall keep the minutes of all meetings which shall be dispensed to all members of the Board of Directors, and any members upon request. (b) Shall handle Club correspondence. (c) Shall give notice of all meetings of the club and the Board of Directors. (d) Shall keep the permanent records of the Club; including standing rules which may affect the membership, or officership of a member and shall not be concealed in the minutes. (e) Shall see that each Board member upon confirmation of their Board position is provided with a current copy of the constitution and By-Laws, and continuing list of Standing Rules. (f) Shall Maintain inventory records of all Club property. (g) Shall maintain a list of members of past Boards of Directors. (h) Shall maintain an electronic copy of the Constitution, By-Laws and Standing Rules of the Club. 5. THE TREASURER (a) Shall be responsible for the transaction of the Club funds. (b) Shall maintain proper financial records. (c) Shall only dispense funds upon the receipt of a voucher approval signed by the President. (d) Shall file all necessary Government reports. (e) Shall comply with all Internal Revenue Service requirements of non-profit organizations. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1. The selected chairperson will serve from November 1 ‘til October 31. 2. Shall meet at least 10 times per year. 3. The Board of Directors shall have the right of: (a) Rejecting an application for membership (b) Revoking a membership. 4. Each Board chairperson may select his/her own committees. 5. Each Board of Directors shall have the power to remove from office any officer or fellow Board member. 6. A two-thirds (2/3) vote in favor of rejecting an application for membership, or revoking a membership, or removing an officer or fellow Board member from office, shall be required by the entire Board of Directors for action. 7. The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint the Chairpersons of any newly created Standing Committee. 8. The Board of Directors shall have the power to create or disband a Standing Committee during term of office. 9. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make, amend, or revoke Standing Rules. 10. The Board of Directors may ask for submission of a budget for approval from any Chairperson. MEETINGS 1. The date and hour of the Annual Meeting/Affair shall be specified by the Vice President. 2. Special Meetings shall be specified by the Board of Directors or the President. 3. Notice of the Annual Meeting, or of a Special Meeting, shall be published in the Club bulletin or by first class mail at least (10) days preceding the meeting. 4. Voting may be allowed by absentee ballot. Guidelines to be established by the Board of Directors to ensure the fairness and integrity of the voting process. TREASURY 1. The Club treasury books shall be audited by a committee consisting of at least three persons, two thirds (2/3) of which shall not be board members. 2. Each Chairperson of a Standing Committee shall present his/her financial estimate for his activity to the Board of Directors for their approval. 3. All financial expenditures shall be by voucher. 4. In the event the Club disbands, no money shall be returned to the membership. The Board of Directors shall have authority to dispose of the assets of the Club by a donation to a worthy cause or causes, and/or by spending it for the benefit of the Club as a whole. 5. The cash receipts and disbursements of an activity may be carried on the books as a separate account until the completion of that activity, at which time any surplus shall revert to the general fund and be spent for the benefit of the general membership at the Board of Directors discretion. At the Board of Directors discretion, all or part of any surplus of a specific activity may be returned to that activities account. 6. Any non-budgeted expenditures exceeding one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be approved by the Board of Directors. 7. The Ex-Officio appoints, and is in charge of, the Audit Committee. PROPERTY 1. The sale or disposal of any Club property, with an original value over $150.00, shall be done with the approval of the Board of Directors. 2. Any purchase of real property or building shall require a vote of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those attending the Annual or Special Meeting. ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS ADOPTED OCTOBER 13, 1948 AMENDED March 18, 1953 September 11, 1953 September 13, 1957 September 14, 1962 September 16, 1972 September 7, 1974 September 10, 1977 September 8, 1984 September 14, 1985 September 15, 1992 September 9, 1995 September 14, 2001 September 7, 2007 July 2008
