TARS Bylaws

BY-LAWS

OF

TALLAHASSEE AREA ROSE SOCEITY

Affiliated with the American Rose Society

ARTICLE I.          NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.  Name.   The Society shall be known as the Tallahassee Area Rose Society hereinafter referred to as the Society.

Section 2.  Purpose.   The Society will be a non-profit educational organization and shall operate exclusively for educational purposes.

ARTICLE II.   OBJECTIVE

Section 1.   The objective of the Society is to encourage rose culture and increase the knowledge and understanding of and interest in roses.  The Society will educate and inform members of the history, hybridization, growing, exhibiting, artistic designing and judging of roses.  Members may therefore increase their knowledge, develop skills and make evident their love of roses.

ARTICLE III.  AFFILIATION

Section 1.   The Society will maintain affiliation with the American Rose Society and will encourage individual memberships in the American Rose Society and participation in the Deep South District of the American Rose Society.

ARTICLE IV.   ORGANIZATION

Section 1.   The Board of the Society, hereinafter referred to as the Board shall be made up of the Officers and Directors each of whom shall be a member in good standing of the Society.  It shall be the function of the Board to supervise, control and direct the affairs of the Society.  In the event of a vacancy on the Board, the Board shall appoint a member of the Society to fill the unexpired term.

Section 2.   The Officers of the Society are President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 3.  Duties of Officers.

1. President --The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board.  The President may call meetings of the Board of Directors at any time or meetings of the Society with the approval of the Board.  The President shall appoint all committees and their chairmen and serve as an ex officio member of each committee except the nominating committee.  

2. Vice-President -- The Vice-President shall preside when the President is absent or otherwise unable to act and shall serve as the President-Elect and may be Chairman of a committee.

3. Secretary -- The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Society and the Board and keep records of all votes.  Following election of Officers and Directors of the Society, the Secretary shall notify the American Rose Society and the Deep South District of the American Rose Society of the names and addresses of the newly elected Officers and Directors.  The Secretary shall also report winners of the annual rose show to the American Rose Society and the Deep South District of the American Rose Society.

4. Treasurer --The Treasurer shall maintain financial records of the Society and receive and account for all funds of the Society.  The Treasurer shall pay all bills of the Society by check.  Bills incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Society may be paid without prior approval.  Prior Board approval is required for all expenditures other than in the ordinary course of business.

The Treasurer shall make a financial report to the Society at each regular meeting of the Society.  An annual financial report of all income and expenditures shall be given at the November meeting of the Society. 

All monies of the Society shall be deposited in a commercial banking institution in Tallahassee, Florida, approved by the Board. 

Section 4.   Directors.  There shall be three (3) Directors, of the Society, One (1) Director will be the immediate past President and the other two (2) Directors will be elected by the voting membership as provided in ARTICLE VIII.

Section 5.   Committees.  The following Committees shall be standing Committees of the Society and shall perform the duties as specified herein.  The President may assign additional duties other than those listed for each committee.

1. Audit Committee – The Chairman and two (2) other members shall review records of the Treasurer and report annually to the Board and Membership.

2. Consulting Rosarian Committee – The Chairman and the Committee will be composed of the American Rose Society Consulting Rosarians of the Society.  The Committee will be responsible for having a knowledgeable Rosarian contact members or others requesting assistance.

3. Hospitality Committee – The Chairman and two (2) other members will make arrangements for hosts or hostesses for regular and special meetings of the Society.

4. Newsletter – The Editor as Chairman and two (2) or more members as assistants or reporters will publish a monthly letter prior to the meetings of the Society.

5. Nominating Committee – The immediate past President shall serve as Chairman and at least two (2) and not more than four (4) other members will compose the Committee.  The Chairman shall present a slate of Officers and Directors for election at the November meeting consisting of one (1) eligible member of the Society for each elected position.  The Committee shall complete its slate of Officers and Directors in time to be listed in the newsletter prior to the November meeting of the Society.    

6. Program Committee – The Chairman and two (2) other members shall arrange and schedule programs for the regular meetings of the Society.

7. Show Committee – The Chairman, and/or Co-Chairman and as many members as necessary will be responsible for the annual rose show.  The Committee member responsible for judges of the show shall be an American Rose Society Accredited Horticulture and/or Arrangement Judge.

Other Committees deemed necessary by the President may be appointed including, but not limited to, Membership, Publicity, By-Laws, Project, Fund Raising and Library.  These Committees will be composed of a Chairman and as many members as the President shall deem necessary.

ARTICLE V.   OPERATING YEAR AND MEETINGS

Section 1.  The Society will operate on a calendar year basis.

Section 2.  The Board shall determine and schedule meetings including the date, time, and location of each meeting.  Members will be notified in advance of each meeting in the newsletter or by the Secretary. 

ARTICLE VI.   MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.   The Society welcomes any person interested in roses to become a member of the Society.  Members whose dues are currently paid will be members in good standing and shall be eligible to vote.

ARTICLE VII.   DUES

Section 1.  The amount of the annual dues shall be recommended by the Board and approved by the membership.  The consideration of a change in annual dues will be made only at the last regular business meeting of the year.  Notice of any proposed change in the dues shall be given in the newsletter preceding that meeting.

Section 2.   Annual dues shall be payable as of January 1^st.  Dues of new members shall be paid at the time of joining the Society.  Dues paid after October 1^st shall be considered paid for the next year.  Members will receive annual membership cards from the Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII.   VOTING, QUORUMS AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS    

Section 1.  The election of Officers and Directors shall be held at the last regular business meeting of the year.  The Nominating Committee shall present its slate of Officers and Directors at the meeting; however, an opportunity for nominations from the floor for each office and position of Director will be given.  Officers and Directors shall assume their duties when elected.  Elected Officers and Directors serve for a one (1) year term and may be elected for additional terms.

Section 2.  Fifteen (15) voting members, including two (2) elected Officers constitutes a quorum for any regular meeting.  A quorum for any meeting of the Board shall consist of four (4) members.  Except as provided in

Section 3 of this ARTICLE regarding changes in By-Laws, a simple majority vote with a quorum present at a regular meeting of the Society is required for all business of the Society and election of Officers and Directors of the Society.  At the discretion of the presiding Officer, a voice vote or a show of hands may be deemed sufficient.

Section 3.  A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote with a quorum present is required for all changes to the By-Laws.

ARTICLE IX.   PARLIMENTARY PROCEDURE

Section 1.  “Roberts Rules of Order, Revised” shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws.

ARTICLE X.   CHANGES IN BY-LAWS

Section 1.  The Board must approve any proposal to repeal, amend, or replace the By-Laws prior to a vote of the membership.  The membership will be notified in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to a vote on a change in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE XI.   EFFECTIVE DATE

These By-Laws will become effective upon approval by the voting members of the Society present at a regular monthly meeting.  A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote with a quorum present as set forth herein must be present to vote.