Osterville Garden Club, Inc. Bylaws
(Revised 2020)
Article I. Name
The name of the Club shall be the Osterville Garden Club, Inc.
Article II. Objectives
The objectives of the Club shall be to stimulate an interest in gardens, horticulture, conservation and floral design, as well as to improve home grounds and beautification of the villages.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Classes of Membership
There shall be four classes of membership: Provisional, Active, Associate, and Honorary.
Section 2. Provisional Membership
A Provisional Member must be sponsored by an Active, Associate, or Honorary member of the Club. Applications for provisional membership received by the Membership Chair shall be listed chronologically, and acted upon in that order by the Board. When accepted, the Provisional Member must maintain a record of participation in Club activities and submit it to the Board through the Membership Chair upon completion of the provisional year. The Provisional Member will become an active member after an affirmative vote of the Board.
All persons accepted for membership must serve their first year as a Provisional Member, unless waived by the Board. Provisional Members must meet the requirements for provisionals, as stated in the Yearbook, as well as actively participate in Club functions.
A member of another Federated Garden Club or former Osterville Garden Club member may be accepted, with Board approval, to Active Membership. A written request should be made to the Membership Chair.
Section 3. Active Membership
Active Members must participate in Club activities, serve on two committees, attend five regular meetings, bring refreshments to two regular meetings, and provide flowers for a village library twice during the Club year.
Section 4. Associate Membership.
Members with ten years active membership may request, in writing to the Board, a transfer to associate membership. Associate Members must retain an interest in the welfare of the Club and are encouraged to participate in Club activities. The total number of Associate Members shall not exceed 25% of total Club membership as of January1 of the current year.
Section 5. Honorary Membership.
A Board member may propose to confer honorary membership upon a member who has a record of outstanding service to the Club. An Honorary Member must be elected by unanimous vote at the next regular board meeting and shall become a lifetime member whose Club dues and obligations are waived.
Article IV. Officers
The officers shall be President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer.
Article V. Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall preside at all regular and board meetings, appoint chairs of standing committees and such other committees as approved by the Board, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee, be a signatory on all accounts opened in the name of the Osterville Garden Club and submit the Change of Directors filing with the State. The President, upon assuming office, shall give written job descriptions to all committee chairs and officers.
Section 2. The First Vice-President shall be the Program Chair and assist the President in all possible ways. In the absence of the President, the First Vice-President shall perform all said presidential duties.
Section 3. The Second Vice-President shall be the Hospitality Chair, supervise arrangements for regular meetings, and assist the President and First Vice-President. In the absence of the President and the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President shall perform all said presidential duties.
Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all regular and board meetings, keep on file all minutes and written reports of officers and committee chairs and provide a Club newsletter for regular meetings. The Recording Secretary is responsible for receiving and compiling committee reports for the annual report.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct such correspondence of the Club as requested by the President and shall maintain a complete record of all correspondence.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds of the Club, disburse such funds with the direction of the Board of Directors and maintain accurate books of accounts and records, which shall be submitted annually to a Certified Public Accountant for compilation and tax filing. The Treasurer shall participate as a member of the Finance Committee to formulate the yearly budget and assist the Finance Chair with preparation of the Annual Spending and Income Reports. The Treasurer shall handle all financial transactions of the Club, including monitoring and filing corporate forms.
Section 7. The Assistant Treasurer shall act as the Finance Chair. The Finance Chair shall oversee the investment of the Club’s assets, formulate and present the yearly budget for approval by the Board, and prepare an Annual Spending and Income Reports. The Assistant Treasurer shall have the authority to sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer.
Article VI. Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Club.
Section 2. The Board shall include the officers and the chairs of the following Standing Committees, selected by the Nominating Committee: Civic Beautification, Conservation, Design, Horticulture, Membership and Nominating. The past President shall serve as Advisor.
Section 3. The President shall complete the Board of Directors by appointing chairs of the following Standing Committees: Garden Therapy, Library, Publicity/Historian, Scholarship, Ways and Means, Website, Properties and Yearbook. The President shall also appoint chairs of special committees and other Directors, where needed.
Section 4. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
Article VII. Nominations and Elections
Section 1. In November of the odd-numbered years, the Board of Directors shall appoint two members of the Board and two members of the Club at large to serve with the Chair of the Nominating Committee. In November of the even-numbered years, the Nominating Committee shall present a slate of Officers and the Chairs of the following Standing Committees: Civic Beautification, Conservation, Design, Horticulture, Membership, Nominating, and the past President as Advisor.
Section 2. Any member of the Club may present a name for nomination at the November meeting in the even-numbered years, provided the nominee has expressed, in writing, a willingness to serve.
Section 3. Elections shall take place in November at the regular meeting in even-numbered years.
Section 4. All Officers and Committee Chairs shall take office at the end of the Annual Meeting the following June.
Section 5. All elected members of the Board shall serve two-year terms. Exceptions may be made by the Board.
Section 6. A vacancy among elected members of the Board shall be filled by a nominee of the President, confirmed by a majority vote of the Board, and elected at the next regular board meeting.
Section 7. A vacancy of an elected officer of the Club, prior to the commencement of the term of office, shall be filled by the Nominating Committee, confirmed by a majority vote of the Board, and elected at the next regular meeting.
Article VIII. Dues
Section 1. Dues for Active and Provisional Members shall be $40.00 annually.
Section 2. Dues for Associate Members shall be $50.00 annually.
Section 3. Persons admitted to membership after January 1st pay half the required dues.
Section 4. The Membership Chair shall be responsible for collecting dues and keeping all membership records. Dues shall be payable at the annual meeting in June. Immediately after the September meeting, the Membership Chair shall send a bill to members who have not paid their dues. A final bill shall be sent after the October meeting. After the November regular meeting, the member whose dues still remain unpaid shall be dropped from the membership by vote of the Board.
Article IX. Meetings
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held on the first Monday of each month, except January, July, and August, unless otherwise specified. Special Club meetings may be called by the Board or upon the written request of ten Club members.
Section 2. Meetings of the Board shall be held monthly unless otherwise specified. The President may convene special Board of Directors meetings.
Section 3. The Annual Meeting shall follow the regular meeting in June. It shall be for the purpose of receiving written annual reports of Officers and Committee Chairs, and for transacting any other business that may arise. All official books and permanent records must be transferred to incoming Officers and Chairs.
Article X. Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings of the Club to which they apply, when they are not inconsistent with Club Bylaws.
Article XI. Amendments
Section 1. The Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members present, provided that the proposed amendment has been approved by the Board and read at the previous regular meeting, or submitted in writing to the membership two weeks prior to voting.
Section 2. After Board approval, Standing Rules may be adopted at any regular meeting, without notice, by majority vote. They may be amended or rescinded by a majority vote if notice has been given, or without notice by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Article XII. Disposition of Assets
No part of the assets of this Corporation and no part of the net earnings shall be divided among or inure to the benefit of any officers of the Corporation or any private individual or member or be appropriated by any purpose other than the purpose of the Corporation, as herein set forth, either upon dissolution of the Corporation or at any other time.
Article XIII. Conflict of Interest
The Club shall restrict its activities so that funds shall not be used or operated for private profit of any member or special group or be used for purposes other than those in the Bylaws of the Club. The Club shall conduct its activities in a manner consistent with Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
Standing Rules
1. Donations
The Osterville Garden Club shall donate only to club-related projects approved by the Board.
2. Finances
The fiscal year shall start on the 1st of July and end on the 30th of June. Money appropriated to a committee, or for any purpose, and not used within the year, shall be automatically returned to the General Fund.
3. Guest Fees
The guest fee for a regular meeting will be $5.00, unless the Board approves a change.
4. Meeting Information
Regular meetings are held at 12:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month except January, July, and August, unless otherwise specified. Meetings of the Board are held at 10:00 a.m. on the last Monday of each month except December, June, and July, unless otherwise specified. There will be no
regular or board meetings on days when inclement weather causes Barnstable schools to be closed. Workshops will meet at times and places as noted in the yearbook.
5. Membership
Nominations for provisional membership will be considered after the applicant has attended two regular meetings. A sponsor should obtain an application form from the Membership Chair, see that it is properly filled out, and returned to the Membership Chair. The sponsor should explain the Bylaws and the Standing Rules to the applicant.
6. Properties
The Properties Chair shall be custodian of all Osterville Garden Club properties. No individual shall have the authority to grant permission to any person, group, or concern to use the name of the Club without written permission of the Board. Properties shall not be loaned except with permission of the Board. All officers and committee chairs, at the end of their term, shall deliver all equipment to the Properties Chair or to their successor. The Properties Chair shall maintain an inventory of all Club-owned properties.
7. Scholarship
The Scholarship Committee shall accept applications from residents of the Town of Barnstable, who will graduate from Barnstable Public Schools and/or Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and who have demonstrated an interest in and an ability to benefit from an education in the fields of horticulture, environmental studies or landscape design. Previous recipients will be considered. Scholarship amounts are determined and awarded by the Scholarship Committee, based on a budget allocated by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board.
8. Yearbook
The Yearbook shall be distributed annually for the sole use of the Club members for Club business.
9. Communication
All emails sent to the Club’s membership should be approved by the President prior to sending. Emails to committee members from Committee Chairs shall be copied to the President.
(Revised 2020)
Article I. Name
The name of the Club shall be the Osterville Garden Club, Inc.
Article II. Objectives
The objectives of the Club shall be to stimulate an interest in gardens, horticulture, conservation and floral design, as well as to improve home grounds and beautification of the villages.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Classes of Membership
There shall be four classes of membership: Provisional, Active, Associate, and Honorary.
Section 2. Provisional Membership
A Provisional Member must be sponsored by an Active, Associate, or Honorary member of the Club. Applications for provisional membership received by the Membership Chair shall be listed chronologically, and acted upon in that order by the Board. When accepted, the Provisional Member must maintain a record of participation in Club activities and submit it to the Board through the Membership Chair upon completion of the provisional year. The Provisional Member will become an active member after an affirmative vote of the Board.
All persons accepted for membership must serve their first year as a Provisional Member, unless waived by the Board. Provisional Members must meet the requirements for provisionals, as stated in the Yearbook, as well as actively participate in Club functions.
A member of another Federated Garden Club or former Osterville Garden Club member may be accepted, with Board approval, to Active Membership. A written request should be made to the Membership Chair.
Section 3. Active Membership
Active Members must participate in Club activities, serve on two committees, attend five regular meetings, bring refreshments to two regular meetings, and provide flowers for a village library twice during the Club year.
Section 4. Associate Membership.
Members with ten years active membership may request, in writing to the Board, a transfer to associate membership. Associate Members must retain an interest in the welfare of the Club and are encouraged to participate in Club activities. The total number of Associate Members shall not exceed 25% of total Club membership as of January1 of the current year.
Section 5. Honorary Membership.
A Board member may propose to confer honorary membership upon a member who has a record of outstanding service to the Club. An Honorary Member must be elected by unanimous vote at the next regular board meeting and shall become a lifetime member whose Club dues and obligations are waived.
Article IV. Officers
The officers shall be President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer.
Article V. Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall preside at all regular and board meetings, appoint chairs of standing committees and such other committees as approved by the Board, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee, be a signatory on all accounts opened in the name of the Osterville Garden Club and submit the Change of Directors filing with the State. The President, upon assuming office, shall give written job descriptions to all committee chairs and officers.
Section 2. The First Vice-President shall be the Program Chair and assist the President in all possible ways. In the absence of the President, the First Vice-President shall perform all said presidential duties.
Section 3. The Second Vice-President shall be the Hospitality Chair, supervise arrangements for regular meetings, and assist the President and First Vice-President. In the absence of the President and the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President shall perform all said presidential duties.
Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all regular and board meetings, keep on file all minutes and written reports of officers and committee chairs and provide a Club newsletter for regular meetings. The Recording Secretary is responsible for receiving and compiling committee reports for the annual report.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct such correspondence of the Club as requested by the President and shall maintain a complete record of all correspondence.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds of the Club, disburse such funds with the direction of the Board of Directors and maintain accurate books of accounts and records, which shall be submitted annually to a Certified Public Accountant for compilation and tax filing. The Treasurer shall participate as a member of the Finance Committee to formulate the yearly budget and assist the Finance Chair with preparation of the Annual Spending and Income Reports. The Treasurer shall handle all financial transactions of the Club, including monitoring and filing corporate forms.
Section 7. The Assistant Treasurer shall act as the Finance Chair. The Finance Chair shall oversee the investment of the Club’s assets, formulate and present the yearly budget for approval by the Board, and prepare an Annual Spending and Income Reports. The Assistant Treasurer shall have the authority to sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer.
Article VI. Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Club.
Section 2. The Board shall include the officers and the chairs of the following Standing Committees, selected by the Nominating Committee: Civic Beautification, Conservation, Design, Horticulture, Membership and Nominating. The past President shall serve as Advisor.
Section 3. The President shall complete the Board of Directors by appointing chairs of the following Standing Committees: Garden Therapy, Library, Publicity/Historian, Scholarship, Ways and Means, Website, Properties and Yearbook. The President shall also appoint chairs of special committees and other Directors, where needed.
Section 4. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
Article VII. Nominations and Elections
Section 1. In November of the odd-numbered years, the Board of Directors shall appoint two members of the Board and two members of the Club at large to serve with the Chair of the Nominating Committee. In November of the even-numbered years, the Nominating Committee shall present a slate of Officers and the Chairs of the following Standing Committees: Civic Beautification, Conservation, Design, Horticulture, Membership, Nominating, and the past President as Advisor.
Section 2. Any member of the Club may present a name for nomination at the November meeting in the even-numbered years, provided the nominee has expressed, in writing, a willingness to serve.
Section 3. Elections shall take place in November at the regular meeting in even-numbered years.
Section 4. All Officers and Committee Chairs shall take office at the end of the Annual Meeting the following June.
Section 5. All elected members of the Board shall serve two-year terms. Exceptions may be made by the Board.
Section 6. A vacancy among elected members of the Board shall be filled by a nominee of the President, confirmed by a majority vote of the Board, and elected at the next regular board meeting.
Section 7. A vacancy of an elected officer of the Club, prior to the commencement of the term of office, shall be filled by the Nominating Committee, confirmed by a majority vote of the Board, and elected at the next regular meeting.
Article VIII. Dues
Section 1. Dues for Active and Provisional Members shall be $40.00 annually.
Section 2. Dues for Associate Members shall be $50.00 annually.
Section 3. Persons admitted to membership after January 1st pay half the required dues.
Section 4. The Membership Chair shall be responsible for collecting dues and keeping all membership records. Dues shall be payable at the annual meeting in June. Immediately after the September meeting, the Membership Chair shall send a bill to members who have not paid their dues. A final bill shall be sent after the October meeting. After the November regular meeting, the member whose dues still remain unpaid shall be dropped from the membership by vote of the Board.
Article IX. Meetings
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held on the first Monday of each month, except January, July, and August, unless otherwise specified. Special Club meetings may be called by the Board or upon the written request of ten Club members.
Section 2. Meetings of the Board shall be held monthly unless otherwise specified. The President may convene special Board of Directors meetings.
Section 3. The Annual Meeting shall follow the regular meeting in June. It shall be for the purpose of receiving written annual reports of Officers and Committee Chairs, and for transacting any other business that may arise. All official books and permanent records must be transferred to incoming Officers and Chairs.
Article X. Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings of the Club to which they apply, when they are not inconsistent with Club Bylaws.
Article XI. Amendments
Section 1. The Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members present, provided that the proposed amendment has been approved by the Board and read at the previous regular meeting, or submitted in writing to the membership two weeks prior to voting.
Section 2. After Board approval, Standing Rules may be adopted at any regular meeting, without notice, by majority vote. They may be amended or rescinded by a majority vote if notice has been given, or without notice by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Article XII. Disposition of Assets
No part of the assets of this Corporation and no part of the net earnings shall be divided among or inure to the benefit of any officers of the Corporation or any private individual or member or be appropriated by any purpose other than the purpose of the Corporation, as herein set forth, either upon dissolution of the Corporation or at any other time.
Article XIII. Conflict of Interest
The Club shall restrict its activities so that funds shall not be used or operated for private profit of any member or special group or be used for purposes other than those in the Bylaws of the Club. The Club shall conduct its activities in a manner consistent with Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
Standing Rules
1. Donations
The Osterville Garden Club shall donate only to club-related projects approved by the Board.
2. Finances
The fiscal year shall start on the 1st of July and end on the 30th of June. Money appropriated to a committee, or for any purpose, and not used within the year, shall be automatically returned to the General Fund.
3. Guest Fees
The guest fee for a regular meeting will be $5.00, unless the Board approves a change.
4. Meeting Information
Regular meetings are held at 12:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month except January, July, and August, unless otherwise specified. Meetings of the Board are held at 10:00 a.m. on the last Monday of each month except December, June, and July, unless otherwise specified. There will be no
regular or board meetings on days when inclement weather causes Barnstable schools to be closed. Workshops will meet at times and places as noted in the yearbook.
5. Membership
Nominations for provisional membership will be considered after the applicant has attended two regular meetings. A sponsor should obtain an application form from the Membership Chair, see that it is properly filled out, and returned to the Membership Chair. The sponsor should explain the Bylaws and the Standing Rules to the applicant.
6. Properties
The Properties Chair shall be custodian of all Osterville Garden Club properties. No individual shall have the authority to grant permission to any person, group, or concern to use the name of the Club without written permission of the Board. Properties shall not be loaned except with permission of the Board. All officers and committee chairs, at the end of their term, shall deliver all equipment to the Properties Chair or to their successor. The Properties Chair shall maintain an inventory of all Club-owned properties.
7. Scholarship
The Scholarship Committee shall accept applications from residents of the Town of Barnstable, who will graduate from Barnstable Public Schools and/or Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and who have demonstrated an interest in and an ability to benefit from an education in the fields of horticulture, environmental studies or landscape design. Previous recipients will be considered. Scholarship amounts are determined and awarded by the Scholarship Committee, based on a budget allocated by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board.
8. Yearbook
The Yearbook shall be distributed annually for the sole use of the Club members for Club business.
9. Communication
All emails sent to the Club’s membership should be approved by the President prior to sending. Emails to committee members from Committee Chairs shall be copied to the President.