SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENTAL RADIO ASSOCIATION BY-LAWS
I NAME
The name of the Association will be:
Southern California Experimental Amateur Radio Association (SCEARA)
hereafter known as the Association.
II PURPOSE
This Association shall have the following purposes:
A. To create and maintain a linked system of amateur radio repeaters and relay machines to allow both digital and voice communications between its members.
B. To support advancement of the state-of-the-art in amateur communications.
C. To provide a system that is useable in case of disaster.
D. To maintain and support "open" repeaters for use by the general Amateur Radio Community.
E. To provide funding for the above purposes through membership dues and other activities.
III STRUCTURE
The Association shall have the following organizational structure:
A. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
B. CONTROL OPERATORS
C. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
D. GENERAL MEMBERS
E. FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
IV MANAGEMENT
A. DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1) The Board of Directors is charged with the management of the affairs and business of the Association. They shall determine and set policy of the Association.
B. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1) The Board of Directors shall consist of five (5) members, three of which shall also hold the positions of Treasurer, Secretary and Project Manager. All Board Members shall be considered to be representatives of the Association in interactions with outside groups.
a) Treasurer
1) The Treasurer shall be appointed by majority vote of the full Board of Directors.
2) Any Board Member is eligible for appointment to the position of Treasurer.
3) The service period for the position of Treasurer is one (1) year.
4) The Treasurer is responsible for:
a) Maintenance of financial and property records of the Association;
b) Collection of Membership dues, fees and assessments;
c) Arranging that signatures of the Treasurer and one other Board Member are registered with depositories of Association funds;
d) Disbursement of monies, and retention of copies of bills, vouchers and receipts to substantiate disbursements;
e) Submittal of an annual budget at the Annual Meeting;
f) Compliance to an annual financial audit, normally in conjunction with his annual report, and at other times as required by the Board of Directors;
g) Surrendering of Association financial records to the successor;
h) Any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Board of Directors.
b. Project Manager
1) The Project Manager shall be appointed by majority vote of the full Board of Directors.
2) Any Board Member is eligible for appointment to the position of Project Manager.
3) The service period for the position of Project Manager is one (1) year.
4) The Project Manager is responsible for:
a) Organization of work parties;
b) Yearly planning for the system as a whole;
c) Submittal to the Treasurer of a Works Budget at the Annual Meeting for projects in the following year;
d) Continuity of system parameters and equipment;
e) Research and Development projects undertaken using Association funds;
f) Any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Board of Directors.
C. CONTROL OPERATOR
1) A Control Operator may be appointed at a General Meeting by Majority vote of the full Board of Directors.
2) Only Associate members in good standing are eligible.
3) A Control Operator is responsible for:
a) Representing the System as a Supervisor during routine day-to-day operations;
b) Overseeing proper use and operation of the System;
c) Reasonable participation in technical support and maintenance.
D. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
1) Associate members are Amateurs in good standing who wish to support the efforts and goals of the Association in an active manner.
2) Associate Members shall have access to user command sets.
3) Associate Members shall receive the regular Association newsletter and other privileges to be determined.
E. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
1) General Members are Amateurs in good standing who wish to support the efforts and goals of the Association in a financial manner.
2) General Members shall receive the regular Association newsletter and other privileges to be determined.
F. FRIENDS OF THE ASSOCIATION
1) Friends of the Association are interested individuals who wish to support the efforts and goals of the Association in a financial manner.
2) Friends of the Association shall receive the regular Association newsletter.
G. RESIGNATIONS
1) All resignations of either Board Members or Control Operators must be in writing to the Board of Directors.
2) All Association materials in the possession of the person resigning must be returned at the time of resignation to the Association.
H. DISCIPLINARY ACTION
1) Dismissal of Board Member
a) A Board Member may be dismissed for:
1) repeated violation of the By-Laws;
2) not taking a leave of absence when away for extended periods of time;
3) not making reasonable attempts to aid in the maintenance of Association equipment at reasonable intervals;
4) improper conduct;
5) non-payment of Dues.
b) Dismissal of a Board Member shall require the unanimous approval of the other four (4) Board Members and all charges must be submitted in writing to the accursed after the secret trial.
2) Dismissal of Control Operator
a) A Control Operator may be dismissed for:
1) repeated violation of the By-Laws;
2) improper conduct;
3) non-payment of Dues.
b) Dismissal of a Control Operator shall require the majority approval of the full Board of Directors. Charges must be submitted in writing to that Control Operator ten (10) days before action is taken.
I. FILLING BOARD VACANCIES
1) Should a vacancy on the Board of Directors occur, the remaining members of the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement within a six (6) month period.
2) Only Control Operators are eligible for appointment.
3) Appointment shall be by majority vote of the remaining Board Members.
J. LEAVE OF ABSENCE
1) When a Board Member takes a leave of absence from the Board in excess of two (2) months, that Board Member may appoint, with the concurrence of a majority of the full Board of Directors, a temporary replacement chosen from the Control Operators.
2) If concurrence by the Board is not given, the full Board of Directors may appoint a Control Operator of their own choosing.
3) The Control Operator so chosen shall hold that position until the original Board Member returns from the leave of absence.
4) Control Operators may take a leave of absence when the period of the leave will be greater than six (6) months. They may forego membership fees for the half-year period if their leave spans more than three (3) months of that half-year period. The control operator must inform the board of the leave of absence in writing within one (1) month of the beginning of the leave.
V OPERATING PROCEDURES
A) DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS
Both the Board Members and the Control Operators shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation and condition of theSystem and shall be considered Supervisors of the System.
1) All Supervisors shall be furnished with a complete, Current and Released set of commands to allow proper control of the System.
2) All command sets, whether unreleased, Current or Obsolete, are considered to be property of the Association.
3) All Command Sets are Association Confidential and must not be provided to non-Supervisory personnel without prior consent of the Full Board of Directors. Any violation of this clause is grounds for dismissal.
4) All Supervisors have the responsibility to prevent usage of the System which is contrary to the rules governing the Amateur Service as defined in FCC Part 95.
VI MEETINGS
A. ANNUAL MEETING
1) One Annual Meeting shall be held each year.
2) This meeting shall be presented with a treasury audit, and conduct regular business.
3) The Annual Meeting is also a General Meeting.
4) Notification of the time and place of this meeting must be made to all Board Members, Control Operators, Associate Members, General Members and Friends of the Association at least sixty (60) days prior.
B. GENERAL MEETINGS
1) Three (3) General Meetings, in addition to the Annual Meeting, shall be held each year. These four meetings shall be scheduled for one each calendar quarter.
2) Control Operators may be nominated at this time.
3) Notification of the time and place of these meetings must be made to all Board Members, Control Operators, Associate Members, General Members and Friends of the Association at least thirty (30) days prior.
C. SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special Meetings may be called by Board Members. Notice of these must be made to all Board Members at least thirty-six (36) hours prior.
D. QUORUMS
Meetings shall require at least three (3) board Members, in good standing, to conduct business.
E. VOTING
1) Each Board Member shall have one (1) vote.
2) Proxy voting is not allowed.
3) Board Members may vote on specified items by mail or by courier; written notes only are valid and then only if signed by the absentee Board Member and received by the Board prior to counting the votes.
VI FINANCES
A. ASSOCIATION INCOME
1) MEMBERSHIP FEES
a) Membership fees for Board Members and Control operators are due on May 1 and November 1 of each calendar year and are payable within thirty (30) days of the date of receipt. Fees may be paid only for the upcoming half-year period.
b) Associate membership fees are due on a semi-annual basis and are payable within thirty (30) days of the date of receipt.
2) INCOME FROM PROJECT ACTIVITY
a) If devices, software or other tangibles designed or built by the Association using the funds of the Association should be found to have commercial value, reasonable efforts shall be made to gain income to the Association through the sale of these items.
B. ASSOCIATION EXPENSES
1) DISBURSEMENTS
The Treasurer is authorized to disburse funds as follows:
a) REGULAR DISBURSEMENTS
Routine and regular expenses within the current budget.
b) SPECIAL DISBURSEMENTS
Special expenses or regular disbursements exceeding, or not included in, the current budget, if approved by a Quorum.
2) BOARD MEMBER DISCRETIONARY PURCHASES
a) If a Board Member determines that a purchase of goods, needed by the Association, can be made where it would normally be difficult or expensive to otherwise do so, the Board Member has the authority to spend up to Two Hundred dollars ($200) per year without prior authorization by the Board.
b) The Full Board of Directors, upon review of the purchase, may modify the dollar ceiling set in section a) for that Board Member.
3) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
A Treasurer's report of receipts and disbursements since the last Treasurer's report shall be presented at each General Meeting.
VII PROPERTY
A) OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY
There are two different ownership classifications of property used by the Association. These are:
1) property owned by the Association;
2) property owned by an individual but on loan to the Association.
B) LOAN OF PROPERTY BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO THE ASSOCIATION
All property loaned to the Association for its usage must be properly documented as such and the owner must retain a receipt supplied by the Board of Directors. Acceptance by the Association of loaned equipment can be made only by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
C) LOAN OF ASSOCIATION PROPERTY TO AN INDIVIDUAL
All property loaned to the Association for its usage must be properly documented as such and the Treasurer must retain a receipt. Loan of Association equipment can be made only by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
D) PROPERTY DONATION
Property may be donated to the Association. Proper receipt shall be given by the Board of Directors.
E) DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
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VII AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
Amendments to the By-Laws shall require a majority vote of the full Board of Directors. Prior notification of each Board Member is implicit.
VIII AUTONOMY
Actions by vote within the authority of the By-Laws shall be binding on members and be Association policy.
Executed and signed this date 10 December 1986
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David A. Glawson
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Jon Trent Adams
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Gregory A. Noneman
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Christopher Williams