Nightlighters By-Laws

Following the rules

THE NIGHTLIGHTERS CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

NAME AND PURPOSE

The name of the club shall be THE NIGHTLIGHTERS. It is organized to conduct formal ballroom dinner dances and other social functions, as directed by the Board of Directors (hereafter called the BOARD).

MEMBERSHIP GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

Members shall be married couples only, each couple constituting one membership. There are two exceptions: The surviving spouse of a member or a past member couple, may be a dues paying, active member. If a married couple, who have been members of The Nightlighters in good standing for at least five (5) consecutive years divorces, they will be eligible to individually retain their membership in The Nightlighters, similar to the organization's by-laws pertaining to widows/widowers. Each one may decide independently of the other to retain their membership by paying individually the annual dues that are charged to a couple. Any pro-ration will be provided at the time of their renewal.

To become members, a couple must be sponsored by a member and approved by the Board. The number of members is not limited. The Board may deny or revoke a membership.

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

Past Presidents who are long term members may be granted a lifetime, non-dues paying membership. This decision is at the discretion of the Board.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board is the governing body of the Club and shall consist of the Officers as set forth in Section 4-A, B, and C. The Board shall meet bi-monthly and at other times as called by the President. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled by appointment of the President, with the approval of the Board. Board members shall be couples, with each position being held jointly by husband and wife. Each person shall have one vote.

BOARD MEMBERS

OFFICERS

President. The chief Executive Officer. Presides at all meetings of the Board and at all functions of the Club.immediate Past President. Shall be a member of the Board with full voting rights.

Vice President. Presides in the absence of the President, appoints dance directors and obtains advance reservations for dance locations. These arrangements should be made approximately one year in advance.

Secretary. Keeps the minutes and records of the meetings of the Board. Maintains a file of pertinent records for the Board, including copies of the Constitution and By-Laws. Sends out Board minutes and notices of meetings to the Board members.

Treasurer. Receives and disburses all funds of the Club. Maintains accounts in the name of the Club in a financial institution approved by the Board. Prepares financial statements for each Board meeting. Prepares an annual budget and handles other financial matters as directed by the Board. Prepares a year-end financial statement to be submitted to the Board for review and placed in the Newsletter. The President, Vice President, or Treasurer shall be authorized to sign checks, drafts, and other financial documents for the Club. The Board may authorize additional signatures. All records are subject to audit when requested by the Board.

Membership Chairman. Maintains membership records. Solicits new members, especially from guests who attend dances. Receives applications for membership and presents these to the Board with recommendations. After membership is approved, sends a letter of welcome, outlining how the Club functions, encloses a current copy of the By-Laws and Club Directory. Publishes a directory of the membership for annual distribution.

Hospitality. Greets and welcomes guests at each dance. Extends support/sympathy to members as needed.

DANCE DIRECTORS

There shall be six Dance Directors. Each Director shall host one dance during the year in accordance with the guidelines for Dance Directors..............................................................................

STANDING COMMITTEES

Data Management. Maintains current master membership lists, prints mailing labels and supplies list for annual directory.

Music Coordinator. Arranges bookings for the orchestras. Is available to assist the Dance Director with the music for the dinner dances.

Newsletter Editor. Publishes a bi-monthly newsletter providing highlights of Board meetings, names of new members, recognition of service to the Club, and other events of interest to the membership.

Social Events. May coordinate special social events as needed.

DANCE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

The Club shall hold a formal dinner dance on the second Saturday of February, April, June, August and October and the first Saturday of December. These dates are subject to change by the Board. Other social events shall be held as directed by the Board.

DUES

Dues hall be $75.00 per year or such other amount as directed by the Board. This is payable upon the acceptance into membership and each twelve months thereafter. The Membership Chairman shall send a statement for the dues at least two weeks in advance of the due date.

FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year shall be a calendar year beginning the first of January of each year.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

At the September Board meeting of each year, the Vice President shall present to the Board a slate of nominees for Officers, Dance Directors and Standing Committees. The Board, at its discretion, may accept, reject or alter, in whole or in part, any or all of the nominees. This new slate of nominees will be presented to the membership at the October dance.

TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office shall be for one year. Installation shall take place at the December dance. To effect a smooth transition of the administration, a joint dinner meeting of the new and old Board members shall be held within the four week period following the election in October. The cost of the dinner may, at the discretion of the Board, be paid from Club funds.

APPROPRIATE ATTIRE

For the formal dinner dances, Gentlemen are to wear tuxedos and ladies are encouraged to wear long ballroom gowns.

GUESTS

Members are encouraged to bring guest couples to dinner dances. However, no guest couple may attend more than two dances per year. The formal dress code may be relaxed for guests. Gentlemen guests may wear business suits and lady guests may wear street length cocktail dresses.

AMENDMENTS

The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board, provided due notice has been given to the membership through the Club newsletter or other written communication prior to adoption. All revisions of the Constitution and By-Laws shall be serially dated.

QUORUM

A quorum of the Board shall be four couples or eight individuals.