BARC Constitution and By-Laws

Preamble

Wishing to secure for ourselves the pleasures and benefits of an association of persons commonly interested in Amateur Radio, we hereby constitute ourselves the Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club and enact this Constitution as our governing law. It shall be our purpose to further the exchange of information and cooperation among members, to promote radio knowledge, fraternalism, and individual operating efficiency, to provide public service and disaster communications, and to so conduct Club programs and activities as to advance the general interest and welfare of Amateur Radio in the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek community.

1.0 Membership

Any individual with an interest in Amateur Radio may become a member of the Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club (hereafter the "Club").

• Membership will commence upon the submission of a membership registration form and payment of dues to the Club treasurer
• Memberships run on a calendar year basis and renew upon timely payment of dues

All members shall fall into one of the following two categories:

• Full Member — A member who holds any class of an FCC amateur radio operator's license
• Associate Member — A member who does not hold a currently valid FCC amateur radio operator's license

All members are expected to:

• Abide by this Constitution and By-Laws document and all policies and procedures established by the Club
• When attending club meetings, thoughtfully consider all motions on the floor and vote conscientiously
• Keep their membership current by timely payment of applicable dues

2.0 Governance

Club governance shall be implemented by:

• An Executive Committee
• A Planning Group
• The Club Membership

and in accordance with this Constitution and By-Laws.

The membership shall participate in club governance through:

• Voting on motions presented at regular or special club meetings
• Voting on a Club budget for the following calendar year at the December meeting
• Electing officers and members-at-large

The making of and voting on motions and voting in Club elections are limited to Full Members in good standing.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the:

• Club Officers
• Members-at-Large

The Executive Committee shall:

• Participate on the Planning Group
• Conduct essential club business that may arise between general membership or Planning Group meetings
• Document all club policies and procedures
• Call special general membership or planning meetings as deemed necessary

The Planning Group shall be comprised of:

• The Executive Committee
• Committee chairpersons
• Functional Coordinators
• Interested General Members

The Planning Group shall be chaired by the Club president.

• Address specific club business, activities and functions
• Recommend committees and/or functional coordinators to implement specific club functions and activities
• Specify club facility requirements and capabilities
• Assist the president with General Membership Meeting agendas
• Recommend and present to the general membership for approval: Club policies and procedures; a Club budget no later than the November meeting; motions appropriate for general membership approval
• Ensure harmonization between the various committees and functional coordinators
• Oversee, and assist as necessary, committee and functional coordinator activities

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

• Senior Director
• Junior Director

Officers and Members-at-Large must be Full Members (as defined in section 1.3) of the club, at least 18 years of age and in good standing for a minimum of one (1) year prior to their election.

• Officers shall serve for a term of one year and may be re-elected
• The president and vice president are limited to two consecutive terms of office
• Members-at-Large shall serve for a term of one year
• The junior director shall assume the senior director position at the conclusion of his/her term

Officers and the junior director shall be elected yearly by the general membership at the December general membership meeting.

The senior director position is assumed by the current junior director.

Officers and Members-at-Large may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at a General Membership meeting.

2.4.7.1 — Duties of the Club President. The president shall:

• Preside at all general, special, planning and executive meetings
• Conduct all meetings in accordance with this Constitution and By-Laws
• Perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office of the president

2.4.7.2 — Duties of the Club Vice-President. The vice president shall:

• Assist the president
• Preside in the president's absence
• Perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office of vice president

2.4.7.3 — Duties of the Club Secretary. The secretary shall:

• Record and retain accurate minutes of all general Club meetings
• Execute all Club correspondence as necessary
• Retain the Club Constitution and By-Laws, Policies and Procedures and other Club documents, and have the same available at every meeting for consultation upon request
• Update the Club Constitution and by-laws to reflect amendments, revisions, and additions approved by the Club
• Abide by section 6.1 Succession of Office

2.4.7.4 — Duties of the Club Treasurer. The treasurer shall:

• Receive all monies of the Club
• Keep an accurate account of all receipts and expenditures
• Submit a budget for the following calendar year to the planning committee no later than the October meeting
• Submit annual IRS 501(c)(3) reports as required by law
• Prepare a monthly financial report for each regular general membership meeting
• Maintain an accurate membership roster
• Present club financial records annually to the Auditing Committee
• Submit the Auditing Committee report to the Club secretary
• Recommend to the Executive Committee, for approval, a deputy treasurer who: is a Full member in good standing; will have the authority to make purchases for the Club in the absence of the treasurer; will NOT have voting authority on the Executive Committee
• Abide by section 6.1 Succession of Office

2.4.7.5 — Duties of the Junior and Senior Directors. The junior and senior directors shall:

• Be aware of concerns and opinions of the general membership
• Serve as a voice for the general membership at Executive and Planning Committee meetings
• Additionally, the incoming Senior Director shall serve on the Auditing Committee as described in Para. 3.2
• The Junior Director will serve as the Clubhouse Safety Director to ensure that all club activities, projects, and equipment installations in the radio room and associated area are conducted safely and in compliance with known requirements
• The Senior Director will assume the role of Clubhouse Safety Director in the absence of the Junior Director
• The Junior Director will communicate any safety concerns directly to the President

3.0 Club Committees & Coordinators

The following Standing Committees/Coordinators shall be established to handle the affairs of the Club under the direction of the Executive Committee:

• Emergency Coordinator — The emergency coordinator shall represent the Club as the Greene County ARES assistant emergency coordinator for the Bellbrook and Sugarcreek Township area and shall be responsible for maintaining an effective working relationship with the City of Bellbrook and Sugarcreek Township.
• Clubhouse Committee — The Clubhouse Committee shall be responsible for the operation, maintenance and improvement of the clubhouse.
• Field Day Committee — The Field Day Committee shall be responsible for planning and implementing the annual ARRL Field Day event.

The Planning Group shall establish and present to the general membership for approval documentation to govern the function of each standing committee or coordinator.

Special Committees shall include the following:

Nominating Committee

The nominating committee shall consist of three members elected from the floor at the September meeting to establish a slate of candidates for and oversee the December elections. The committee shall serve until the conclusion of the elections. Officers shall not serve on the nominating committee. Members of the nominating committee may run for office, if otherwise eligible.

Auditing Committee

An Auditing Committee shall be formed annually at the November general membership meeting for the purpose of conducting an audit, with the cooperation of the treasurer, of the Club financial records. The Auditing Committee members shall consist of:

• Two members-at-large elected from the general membership who do not currently hold an office or other elected position
• The senior director for the upcoming calendar year

The audit shall commence after the December 31st closing of the Club's books. The Auditing Committee shall present their report at the February meeting. This committee shall serve until its report has been accepted by the membership.

The Executive Committee shall establish and present to the general membership for approval a charter document to govern the functioning of each Special Committee.

Ad-hoc committees may be chartered as needed to handle temporary affairs of the Club under the direction of the Executive Committee. The Chairman of an ad-hoc committee shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee. The term of office of said chairman and committee shall expire with the term of elected officials appointing them. They are, however, eligible for reappointment by the succeeding officers.

4.0 Functional Coordinators

Functional coordinators are individual members responsible for carrying out specific club functions as established by the Planning Group. These coordinators shall report to one of the club's committees. The responsible committee shall establish and present to the general membership, for approval, a description document for each functional coordinator.

5.0 Club Meetings

Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of all official club meetings where motions and voting may take place.

General meetings of the club membership are held monthly on the third Thursday. Special meetings of the club membership may be called by the Executive Committee or the President. A minimum of seven (7) days notice for any special club meeting must be provided to the membership by mail or electronic means.

General membership meetings of this Club shall be open to the public, but the privilege of making motions, debating, and voting shall be limited to Full Members.

A minimum of ten general members plus two Executive Committee members, one of which shall be an officer, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum has not been established general discussions may be conducted but no voting may occur.

Planning Group meetings are held monthly on the first Thursday. Special Planning Group meetings may be called by the president.

Attendance is expected of all Executive Committee members plus any Functional Coordinators and Committee Chairpersons identified on a given planning meeting agenda. Attendance is highly encouraged for all functional coordinators and committee chairpersons. Any Club member is welcome to participate.

The president shall establish timely planning meeting agendas which identify the expected attendees.

Planning Group meetings shall be conducted for discussion of Club business with greater specificity than is practical during general Club meetings. The president shall establish rough consensus among the Full Members present for all Planning Group actions.

The president, at his/her discretion, shall determine if attendance is sufficient to conduct the Planning Group meeting.

The president may refer any Planning Group action for ratification by the general membership or Executive Committee.

Executive committee meetings may be called at anytime by the Club president for the purpose of conducting essential club business between regularly scheduled meetings.

A minimum of four (4) Executive Committee members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum has not been established, general discussions may be conducted but no voting may occur.

Standing committee meetings shall be held according to the specific committee charter.

Remote meeting attendance refers to real-time participation in any club meeting by electronic means, including audio and/or video teleconference. The Club may offer remote meeting attendance as a convenience but is not obligated to ensure availability of communications infrastructure, either internal or external to the Club, or operator personnel. The remote attendee assumes all risk of any and all telecommunication breakdowns, including those caused by human error.

The Club shall establish procedures to validate the identity and standing of a Full Member in remote attendance.

When remote attendance is made available and is functional for a Club meeting, any remote attendee who is a validated Full Member in good standing:

• Shall be afforded the same rights and privileges, with respect to club governance as established in section 2.0 Governance, as a Full Member physically present at the meeting
• For meetings where Club elections are held, the Club shall establish remote election voting procedures in compliance with the intent of section 6.0 Club Elections

6.0 Club Elections

The Nominating Committee shall report at the November meeting the names of one or more candidates for each office and members-at-large. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the November meeting. The consent of each nominee must be obtained prior to voting.

The election and installation of officers and members-at-large shall be held at the December meeting. A member may submit a signed and sealed absentee ballot to the secretary prior to the election meeting. An absentee ballot once cast shall constitute the member's official and final vote.

The president shall call for three volunteer tellers to count the ballots. The tellers shall be Full Members who are not officers, candidates, nor family members of the same. The candidate receiving a majority of votes for each office shall be declared elected.

The treasurer and secretary, as established by this Constitution and By-Laws, are official record holders for the Club. The outgoing secretary and treasurer shall meet with his/her successor to transfer and discuss all items and records belonging to the club no later than December 31st following the regular annual elections or within two weeks of any special off-cycle election. If a successor has not been identified all items and records are to be surrendered to the Club president.

Should the office of the president become vacant, the sitting vice president shall assume the club presidency. Should the office of vice president, treasurer, or secretary become vacant, or remain unfilled after a regular Club election, the president may select a willing Full Member in good standing to fulfill the duties of the office. At the pleasure of the president, the acting officer will serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee until the appointee or an alternate nominee is approved by the membership. A call to approve the president's appointee or an alternate nominee shall occur at each subsequent General Meeting until the seat is filled.

7.0 Membership Dues

For the purpose of providing funds for operating expenses, membership dues shall be payable by all members. Membership dues structure shall be established by the Executive Committee for approval by the general membership. The Executive Committee shall review the dues structure annually.

All dues are payable annually in advance between November 1st and the January meeting. A member becomes delinquent if dues are not paid by the end of the February meeting and shall be dropped from membership of the Club.

Applicants joining the Club during the membership year shall pay the full amount of dues between January 1st and May 30th, and one-half the full amount of dues between June 1st and October 31st. Beginning November 1st new applicants may become members of the Club by paying the full amount of dues for the next membership year.

8.0 Suspension or Removal of Members

The Executive Committee shall have the authority to suspend or expel any member of the Club for conduct counter to the interests of the Club or Amateur Radio. A suspension or expulsion may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at a General Membership meeting.

9.0 Subordinate Club Documents

In the event of a conflict between a subordinate governing document of the Club and this Constitution and By-Laws, then this Constitution and By-Laws document shall take precedence. Subordinate documents include but are not limited to committee charters, functional coordinator descriptions, and policy and procedure documents.

10.0 Dissolution of the Club

Should it become necessary to dissolve the Club, the disposition of all Club assets shall be done in a manner which is compliant with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code, or corresponding section(s) of any future federal tax code, and the laws of the State of Ohio. Assets may be sold or auctioned to cover any obligations of the Club as governed by said law.

11.0 Amendments

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended or revised by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at a General Membership meeting. Proposals for such shall be submitted in writing at a regular meeting and shall be voted on at the second regular meeting after submission. The membership must be notified by mail or electronic means within seven days following submission of the proposed amendment. Amendments become effective immediately upon approval.

Changes to the constitution that are deemed less than substantial by a vote of the Executive Committee are not considered amendments and can be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Changes to the constitution that are not considered substantial enough to be considered amendments are strictly limited to spelling and grammar corrections, clarification language that strengthens the obvious intent of a section, font and typeface changes, and reformatting. The Membership can override the Executive Committee's determination and force the full amendment procedure with a simple majority vote of members present at the next Membership meeting.

Revision 17 December 2025. Authorized by the President; acknowledged by the Secretary. See the full document for the complete Table of Revisions.