As Amended December 2021
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1 – NAME
The name of the organization (hereinafter referred to as Region) shall be SOUTH JERSEY REGION OF THE SPORTS CAR CLUB OF AMERICA, INC. As such it shall be geographically composed of the area of the State of New Jersey south of the northern boundaries of Burlington and Ocean Counties.
SECTION 2 – PURPOSE
The purpose of the Region shall be to sponsor, organize, and regulate Races, Rallys, Solos, Concours and for other lawful purposes for the benefit of the membership. As incidental to the foregoing purposes, to own real and personal property, and to conduct fund raising and social events as deemed necessary by the membership, in any other manner to act as the local representative of the Sports Car Club of America Inc.
SECTION 3 – EMBLEM
The official emblem of the Region shall be as here set forth. It shall consist of a red shield on which “SOUTH JERSEY REGION SCCA” appears in white. Upon the shield shall be superimposed in black, a three spoked steering wheel and knock-off hub with white background, in center of which the numeral “84” shall be located.
SECTION 4 – PUBLICATION
The name of the Region publication shall be “AT SPEED” which shall be published at least quarterly. Additionally, a website shall be maintained to provide the membership and general public access to Region information.
ARTICLE II
SECTION 1 – MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to any person interested in and capable of furthering the purpose of the Region. Membership shall be a privilege and is subject to suspension or termination as provided by these Bylaws.
SECTION 2 – CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP A. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP
An individual who has fulfilled the requirements for membership in the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and the Region, and is entitled to all the privileges of membership in both organizations.
B. FAMILY MEMBER
An individual who is a family member (as defined by the Sports Car Club of America, Inc.) of an Individual Member, and who has fulfilled the requirements for, and is entitled to the same privileges as, an Individual Member.
SECTION 3 – ACCEPTANCE TO MEMBERSHIP
All individuals who have received membership from the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and have requested membership in the South Jersey Region shall be accepted for membership.
SECTION 4 – MEMBERS FROM OTHER REGIONS
A. TRANSFERS
Any member in good standing of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. may transfer his region of record to the Region by submission of a written request to the
membership office of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc.
B. DUAL MEMBERS
Any member wishing to maintain membership in this and other regions is obligated to all dues and assessments of the Region, and is entitled to all privileges except holding Office or Board Membership in more than one region.
SECTION 5 – REGION CHAPTERS
The Board of Directors may (but need not) provide for the establishment of Chapters. The Board of Directors shall set, and may from time to time modify, the standards which such organizations shall be required to meet in order to qualify as a Chapter. Such standards shall be uniform and consistent for all Chapters. The standards shall require that Chapters operate in accordance with the general policies established by the Region, and that their constitutions, policies and similar instruments not be inconsistent with these Bylaws, or policies and regulations of the Region. Chapter officers shall sign a Chapter Agreement, and further, on a yearly basis, the Region Membership Chairman provide a list of Chapter Members.
SECTION 6 – MEMBERSHIP YEAR
The Membership year of a member shall be determined by the Sports Car Club of America, Inc.
SECTION 7 – DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
A. DUES
The annual Region dues shall be established on the budgetary needs as outlined by the Treasurer and approved by the Board of Directors. All proposed changes in the Region dues shall be announced in “AT SPEED” and at any regular or special meeting and approved by the General Membership at the next meeting. No dues refunds shall be granted.
B. ASSESSMENTS
Assessments may be made by the Treasurer, approved by the Board of Directors, and approved by the General Membership only after the membership has received, by mail, thirty (30) days notice of such intent. Assessments shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the current Region dues; shall be for the period of the membership year; and shall not constitute a change in the current Region dues. The Treasurer shall bill the membership by mail (regular or email) for such assessments.
SECTION 8 – SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION
Region membership will automatically terminate for non-payment of dues, assessments, or other indebtedness at the end of a thirty (30) day period from the payable date of such dues or assessments. Region membership may be suspended or terminated for infraction of these Bylaws or the Rules and Regulations of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. Such suspension or termination shall be determined by a two-thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors. The Secretary shall inform the member, in writing, of the intended suspension or termination within five (5) days of such action by the Board of Directors. The member shall have the opportunity to be heard by the Board of Directors at their next regular meeting, upon written notice to the Regional Executive at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting.
SECTION 9 – RESIGNATION
Resignation shall be effective upon receipt of a letter of same by the Secretary.
ARTICLE III – MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
SECTION 1 – REGULAR MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the General Membership shall be held monthly on the evening of the second Wednesday of the month, unless otherwise scheduled by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2 – ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the General Membership shall be the December meeting of each year. The purpose of this meeting is to present the newly elected Directors and Officers; to present annual reports of Officers, committee chairmen, and chiefs of specialties; and to conduct other business as may lawfully come before the meeting.
SECTION 3 – SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors. A written or printed notice, stating the time, place, and purpose of any special meeting of the members, shall be sent to each member not less than seven (7) days nor more than thirty days (30) days before each meeting.
ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1 – JURISDICTION
The affairs and property of the Region shall be managed by a Board of Directors consisting of nine (9) members of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc., three (3) of whom shall be elected each year for three (3) year terms. The Board of Directors shall establish the policies of the Region and shall oversee and direct the implementation and execution of said policies.
SECTION 2 – REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION
Director may be removed from the Board of Directors due to inactivity or failure to perform the duties of his office. A two-thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors shall remove a Director from office. A Director may resign his position by submitting a letter of same to the Secretary.
SECTION 3 – FILLING VACANCIES
Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the vacated term by election by the General Membership. This election shall take place within sixty (60) days of such vacancy. If the unexpired portion of the vacated term is less than six (6)
months, then the vacancy will be left unfilled until the next regular election, unless, by petition, ten (10) members in good standing request a special election. Notice of the election shall be listed in the meeting notice. Applicable provisions of Article IV, Section 5, shall govern the conduct of the election.
SECTION 4 – REQUIREMENTS FOR NOMINATION
A prospective candidate for the Board of Directors must have been a member in good standing of the Region for the entire year preceding his nomination, must have or be willing to obtain membership in the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and must not hold an office or be a member of the Board of Directors in any other region of the Sports Car Club of America Inc.
SECTION 5 – ANNUAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The election of Directors shall be completed prior to the opening of the November regular meeting.
Prior to the September regular meeting the Regional Executive shall appoint a nominating committee chairman, who shall select up to five additional committee members. No current Director may serve on this committee. The committee shall hold at least one formal meeting (which may be conducted via telephone or video conference) for the purpose of selecting candidates for election. The committee shall present a slate of at least one candidate for each open position. The nominating committee chairman shall file a written report, listing the slate of candidates, with the Secretary prior to the close of the October regular meeting. Prior to the adjournment of this meeting, the Secretary shall announce the complete slate of candidates.
Any three (3) members in good standing may nominate a candidate. All nominations must be with the consent of the candidate.
Prior to the start of online balloting, the Board of Directors shall appoint a Teller to supervise the election. If necessary, one or more assistants may also be appointed. The Teller and the assistant(s) may not be current Directors or candidates for election. The Teller will be responsible for the online balloting and the collection of any paper ballots. The Teller will tally the votes from both sources and report the totals to the Secretary at the November meeting.
All candidates shall be printed in the October issue of “At Speed” and presented at the October regular meeting. A vote of the membership shall take place by on-line voting which will open two (2) weeks prior to the November regular meeting and close by midnight the day prior to the November regular meeting. For those who do not have access to the online ballot, a paper ballot will be available and voted on prior to the start of the November regular meeting. The candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes shall be considered elected. In the event of a tie resulting in more than the required number of candidates being elected, a run-off election will be held.
SECTION 6 – ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The Directors shall elect, from their own numbers, the Regional Executive, Assistant Regional Executive, Secretary, Treasurer, Activities Chairman, and Membership Chairman. Each Officer shall be nominated separately and elected by separate secret ballot. No Director shall hold more than one office at a time. A candidate for Regional Executive shall have served on the Board of Directors for at least one year prior to being considered for nomination.
The election of officers shall be held at the December meeting of the Board of Directors or at a special meeting of the Board of Directors prior to the annual meeting. Only Directors whose term of office included the following year are eligible to nominate and vote in this election.
SECTION 7 – ACTIONS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. All Region actions and decisions, except the election of Directors and other actions as specified by these Bylaws, shall be based upon a majority vote of those Directors voting. The Board must obtain approval from the General Membership for all decisions involving a major commitment of Region funds or personnel over an extended period of
time. The Board of Directors shall approve all annual awards and their recipients.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly at a time and place agreed upon by the Directors. The minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be published in “At Speed” and/or posted on the Region’s website.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Regional Executive or by any three (3) Directors and shall be held at the time and place set forth in the call for the meeting.
If needed, all meetings of the Board of Directors may be conducted via conference call.
ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS
SECTION 1 – DUTIES OF THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE
The duties of the Regional Executive shall be to direct the activities of the Region in accordance with the purposes and Bylaws of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc., and the Charter and Bylaws of the Region; to preside at all meetings; to have general supervision of the affairs of the Region; to make such reports to the membership as he may deem necessary or as may be required by him; to appoint, with approval of the Board of Directors, chairmen, chiefs of specialties and Board of Director liaisons to MSR, Constant Contact and the Region’s Website; to supervise the organization and direction of specific Region events; and to perform such other duties as are incidental to his office or are required of him by action of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2 – DUTIES OF THE ASSISTANT REGIONAL EXECUTIVE
The Assistant Regional Executive shall be familiar with the affairs of the Region, as in the absence or inability to act of the Regional Executive, or the temporary absence of any other Officer, shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties of that officer.
The Assistant Regional Executive shall also be responsible for maintaining an inventory of the Region’s equipment and supplies, which is to be reported at the Annual meeting and at such other times as the Board of Directors requests.
SECTION 3 – DUTIES OF THE TREASURER
The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive all dues and assessments imposed by the Region; to supervise the collection of other funds due the Region from any source; to discharge, with the approval of the Board of Directors, the debts of the Region; to maintain an adequate written record of cash flow and vouchers; to present at the Annual meeting, and at such other times as the Board of Directors requests, a full report of receipts and disbursements to date and the current balance of funds; to provide a full financial report at least quarterly at a Board meeting and at a regular meeting; to receive from each event chairman a full financial statement, itemizing all income and expenses, for that event; and to perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office and particularly those specified in Article II. The Treasurer shall not pay any bill over $250.00 unless such payment has been approved by the Board of Directors; under $250 if approved by the Regional Executive or the Board of Directors. The books of the Treasurer shall be audited by an auditing committee or Certified Public Accountant approved by the Board of Directors at the end of each year and prior to the transfer of the books to the new Treasurer.
SECTION 4 – DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY
The duties of the Secretary shall be to maintain the records of the Region; to conduct correspondence subject to the discretion and supervision of the Regional Executive; to issue required notices to the membership; to keep adequate minutes of all meetings; post all meeting minutes on the region website, and to generally perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to file all documents as required by the State of New Jersey and the Federal Government.
SECTION 5 – DUTIES OF THE ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN
The duties of the Activities Chairman shall be to chair the scheduling session of the regular meeting which follows the completion of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. events schedule; to coordinate all scheduled Sports Car Club of America, Inc., Region, and Chapter events; to arrange for programs for the regular monthly meetings; and to submit a calendar of events to “At Speed” on a monthly basis. Following the scheduling session, the Activities Chairman shall schedule additional Region events, provide the date and the name of the event Chairman and place such events on the schedule at least sixty (60) days in advance.
SECTION 6 – DUTIES OF THE MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN
The duties of the Membership Chairman shall be to maintain the record of membership; to aid in the acquisition of new candidates for membership; to collect Region dues; to confirm Region membership of all Chapter members; to provide each new member with a membership packet, including a copy of these Bylaws; and to provide an accurate list of voting members to the Election Teller.
ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES
The Board of Directors may establish committees as it deems necessary and shall outline the duties and responsibilities of such committees. All reports and actions taken by the committee must be agreed to by a majority of the entire committee. The committee chairman shall select the committee members and shall be responsible for submission of a full report to the Board of Directors, including income and expenses, if any. The Board of Directors may appoint Region members who are not on the Board of Directors to serve on a committee.
ARTICLE VII – FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Region shall be the calendar year.
ARTICLE VIII – PERSONAL LIABILITY
All persons or corporations extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against the Region or Officers shall look to the funds and property of the Region for payment of any debt, damage, judgment, decree, or any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the Region or the Officers, so that neither the membership of the Region nor the Officers, present or future, shall be personally liable therefore. There is no liability upon any Officer or official for any action taken within the scope of his duties. Should any expense or burden be imposed upon any Officer as a result of such action, said burden shall be assumed by the South Jersey Region of the Sports Car Club of America Inc.
ARTICLE IX – LIQUIDATION OF ASSETS
In the event of the dissolution of the Region, any assets remaining after all obligations have been paid shall be donated to a worthy non-profit organization.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
Amendments shall be proposed by 3 members of the Board of Directors and ten (10)
Members none of which are Board members; such proposed amendments shall be presented at a regular meeting and posted on the region’s website. Ratification of such amendments shall require approval of three-fourths of the members in attendance, including the Board of Directors, at the next regular or special meeting after they have been distributed and posted, at which time at least twenty (20) members are present; or the proposed amendment(s) may be ratified by a special online election. The Board of Directors will determine prior to the election the method for ratification. Ratification of such amendments shall require approval of three-fourths of the membership voting.
These Bylaws shall be reviewed every three years, unless a sooner need arises, by a
committee of at least there (3) members. This committee shall determine the compliance with the current Bylaws, and shall recommend any amendments or revisions as they deem
necessary at a regular meeting of the members and by posting on the region’s website. Voting shall take place at the next meeting of the members or by online ballot.
All Bylaw changes are effective upon adoption.