Club Bylaws for Potential Members

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Article I.        Purpose. 4

Article II.      Goals. 4

Article III.     Membership. 4

Section 3.01     Eligibility. 4

Section 3.02     Visitors/Guests. 4

Section 3.03     Duration. 4

Section 3.04     Participation Expectations. 4

Section 3.05     Termination. 5

Section 3.06     Privileges. 5

Section 3.07     Dues. 5

Section 3.08     Liability/Hold Harmless. 6

Section 3.09     Club Membership Cap. 6

Article IV.     Meetings. 6

Article V.      Elected Roles. 6

Section 5.01     Officers. 6

Section 5.02     Steering Committee. 7

Section 5.03     Eligibility. 7

Section 5.04     Nominations. 7

Section 5.05     Elections. 7

Section 5.06     Term/Limits. 7

Section 5.07     Removal 7

Section 5.08     Vacancy. 8

Article VI.     Official Business. 8

Section 6.01     Motions Definition. 8

Section 6.02     Minor/Short Term/Single Occurrence Motions. 8

Section 6.03     Major/Long Term/Bylaws-Affecting Motions. 8

Section 6.04     Quorum/Voting. 8

Article VII.        Voluntary Positions. 9

Section 7.01     Webmaster. 9

Section 7.02     Librarian. 9

Section 7.03     HBOY/Competition Coordinator. 9

Section 7.04     Appointment Vacancy/Removal 9

Article VIII.       Budget. 9

Section 8.01     Statement of non-profit. 9

Section 8.02     Income. 9

Section 8.03     Expenditures. 9

Section 8.04     Reports. 10

Article IX.     Club Property. 10

Section 9.01     General 10

Section 9.02     Intellectual Property. 10

Section 9.03     Member Likeness. 10

Article X.      Access to Bylaws. 10

Article XI.     Change Log. 10

Article I.           Purpose

We the members of the Woodbridge Homebrewers Ale and Lager Enthusiast Society (W.H.A.L.E.S) have come together as a homebrewing club in Central New Jersey.

Article II.        Goals

• Engage in activities that promote the virtues of the homebrewing/fermented beverage hobby.
• Act as both teachers and students in the effort to brew better beer, mead, and cider through activities and presentations.
• Expand our palettes by tasting, discussing, and comparing to BJCP descriptions of styles.
• Deter irresponsible use of alcohol.
• Have fun and build social relationships with those who share these goals.

Article III.    Membership

Section 3.01 Eligibility

Individuals who are at least 21 years of age, have a significant brewing interest, are able to pay annual dues, and are prepared to participate within the confines of these bylaws shall be eligible for membership. Potential new members shall submit a completed application form to the one of the club officers and will be approved or denied prior to the next meeting. If the membership cap has been reached, the applicant will be placed on the waiting list and contacted when a spot becomes available. The club shall not discriminate based on age, race, sex or any other innate attribute.

Section 3.02 Visitors/Guests

Anyone who is generally eligible for membership is welcome to sit in at club meetings without having to join first. This participation is limited to one meeting and does NOT include any of the member privileges listed below. Tasting during flights will be allowed if there is any surplus. If seating is limited, guests will be asked to give up their seat for current dues paying members.

Section 3.03 Duration

Membership is based on a January to December cycle. New membership begins on the day dues are paid. All membership ends on December 31^st of each year.

Section 3.04 Participation Expectations

Due to club growth and limited space at meetings, the club has enacted a membership cap (section 3.09).  Therefore, in order to keep the club as active as possible, members are expected to participate regularly. Members who do not regularly participate will be asked to give up their spot to a new member on the waiting list the following year. In essence, members will earn their renewals based on a points system. There are MANY different ways to achieve renewal status so members are not forced to do everything. The steering committee shall track the earned points per member over the course of the year up to the end of November. The ways a member may earn points are intentionally left out of the bylaws so that the steering committee may augment the list when appropriate. The running list of points-eligible activities will be posted on the website under "club business".

The points required for renewals shall be established by the steering committee preceding each year. New members will be prorated based on when they joined.

Section 3.05  Termination

(a)     Disciplinary

The Steering Committee may terminate the membership of any member who, in the judgment of the committee, conducts himself in a manner detrimental to the association or contrary to its purpose and goal. Disciplinary terminations may occur at any time.

(b)    Non Participation

If the participation expectations are not met by the end of the year, the member will be denied renewal in December.

Section 3.06 Privileges

(a)     General

All members in good standing shall be permitted access to club meetings, website, sanctioned events, club brewing projects and all other activities the club participates in.

(b)    Voting Rights

Each member shall have one vote in the affairs of the club including officer and committee elections and any major decision per the official business section of these bylaws

Section 3.07 Dues

(a)     General

The club’s annual dues are $40 per member and must be paid to gain and maintain membership.

(b)    New Membership

New members that join between January 1^st and the June club meeting shall pay the full annual dues. New members that join between July 1^st and the December meeting shall pay half.

(c)     Renewals

Members that plan to renew for the following year shall pay the full amount of annual dues by the December meeting or risk losing their spot to someone on the waiting list (if the membership cap number has been reached).

(d)    Refunds/Partial Year/Discounts

Refunds are not given under any circumstances. Dues shall not be pro-rated in anticipation of missed meetings or relocation. There is currently no provision for discounts for family members, spouses, etc.

Section 3.08 Liability/Hold Harmless

1.       Each member’s participation in the club is strictly voluntary.

2.       Each member realizes that participation in club activities may involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages which may affect perception and reactions (for more info on alcohol consumption information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol.

3.       Each member shall be responsible for their own conduct and actions as well as those of their guests and accepts sole responsibility and all liability for their behavior.

4.       Each member agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the WHALES Homebrewing Club, its officers, and its members of any damages incurred through participation in the club.

5.       Members may NOT enter the club or any of its members into any legal contracts.

6.       Each member agrees to and is bound by this article by signing a profession that they have read, understand and fully accept these bylaws (hereby known as the “Bylaws Acceptance and Liability Waiver”. This signature and reaffirmation is required each year upon paying club dues.

Section 3.09 Club Membership Cap

Due to space limits at our meeting location, a membership cap has been implemented. The exact number of members allowed is purposely not written into these bylaws so that the steering committee may adjust the number as necessary based on factors such as intra-year membership loss (moving, etc). The committee will publish (on the website) the cap number that is in place at any given time. The club secretary will collect contact information from people wanting to join and will contact them as space opens up.

Article IV.     Meetings

Regular meetings of the club shall be held monthly on the third Tuesday of each month at 8:00 p.m. in the upstairs loft at JJ Bittings, Main St. Woodbridge NJ unless an alternate meeting location has been proposed and approved by membership.

Article V.         Elected Roles

Section 5.01 Officers

The officers are recognized as club leadership with specific roles and responsibilities as follows

(a)     President

• Organizes and presides at all meetings to keep agenda items on schedule,
• Responsible for overseeing all communications with external parties,
• Ensures that other elected and voluntary positions are filled and performing at reasonable standards.

(b)    Secretary

• Keeps minutes of meetings which shall be published on the club website. Custodian of all club records including Bylaws Acceptance and Liability Waivers,
• Collects contact information for any meeting visitors and new members.

(c)     Treasurer

• Receives and disburses organizational funds,
• Keeps records thereof, and maintains a current and detailed financial report,
• Presents a high-level report at each meeting and subsequently publishes the same information on the members-only area of the website.

Section 5.02 Steering Committee

(a)     Definition/Purpose

The Steering Committee shall consist of the three officers of the club, the most recent past president, and three additional elected club representatives. The committee acts upon motions that are generated in accordance with the official business section of these bylaws. Meetings will be held as needed.

(b)    Quorum

In order for a committee decision to be valid, a quorum is required and shall consist of at least two officers and two additional committee members

Section 5.03 Eligibility

In order to be eligible for any elected position, one must have been a member in good standing for at least one full year by the time the term begins. Eligibility of nominees should be verified by the president and secretary prior to the election being held.

Section 5.04 Nominations

Nominations for club officers and representatives (steering committee) will be accepted at the November meeting. Eligible members may be nominated at the meeting or privately via email to any club officer prior to the meeting.

Section 5.05 Elections

Elections will be held by closed paper ballot at the December meeting. All votes must be cast in person (no proxy votes will be accepted). Positions with only one nomination are appointed by default. Quorum for elections shall follow that of section 6.04

Section 5.06 Term/Limits

All elected positions begin January 1^st following the election and last for one full year. Members may only hold the same position for a maximum of 3 consecutive years.

Section 5.07 Removal

Any member holding an elected position may be removed from that position due to non performance by majority vote of the remaining committee members. This action is not associated with termination of membership per Section 3.04, but both actions may coincide.

Section 5.08 Vacancy

If an elected position becomes vacant for any reason, the steering committee may appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term.

Article VI.     Official Business

Section 6.01 Motions Definition

All members have a voice in the club and may influence change. Official suggestions or proposals, hereby referred to as motions, may be made from the floor during a general meeting at the end of the scheduled agenda, by posting on the steering committee forum on the website, or by contacting the steering committee via email. Motions are acted upon in a number of ways depending on the overall impact to the club.

Section 6.02 Minor/Short Term/Single Occurrence Motions

These motions fall within the relative norms of club operation and/or have a short term affect. They do not affect the general operation of the club and do not conflict with the bylaws. Examples of these types of motions include requests for agenda time to deliver a presentation, requests to coordinate a club brewing project/host a barrel, coordination of a group buy for T-shirts or suggestions to spend a small amount of club funds on promotional items.

• Action: These motions may be acted upon solely by the club president. The president may choose to delay action on the motion and/or defer the decision to the steering committee or full club vote.

Section 6.03 Major/Long Term/Bylaws-Affecting Motions

Some motions are not to be taken lightly in that they affect longer term changes to the club. These motions are likely to challenge one or more articles of these bylaws. Examples of this type of motion include changes to the regular meeting time or location, leadership structure, regular budget changes, changes to the Home Brewer of the Year (HBOY) rules, and any other item covered in these bylaws.

• Action: These motions must be deferred to the steering committee for discussion. The steering committee will act upon the motion within two months. The committee may pass a motion with a 3/5ths majority vote with quorum met. However, most decisions will be deferred to a full club vote, after committee review, either at the following meeting or by website poll (president’s discretion). If the motion is bylaws affecting, the committee will draft modification to the bylaws for membership vote.

Section 6.04 Quorum/Voting

Motions handed down from the steering committee as full membership polls require that at least 51% of all members in good standing cast a vote; otherwise the decision shall be held off for another vote when the minimum can be met.  Taking action on a motion requires a simple majority with the exception of bylaws acceptance votes which require a 3/5^th majority.

Article VII.  Voluntary Positions

There are additional roles and duties that are voluntarily performed by membership. They are:

Section 7.01 Webmaster

• Maintains the club’s online presence for purposes of public marketing of the club as well as inter-member communications between meetings,
• Ensures backup of content and coordinates server moves if necessary.
• Provides new web site capability, if possible, per steering committee request.

Section 7.02 Librarian

Maintains the club collection of books and DVDs and manages the distribution and collection of the same to the members who request to borrow them via the website.

Section 7.03 HBOY/Competition Coordinator

• Announces upcoming club-sanctioned homebrew competitions to the club and provides details for entry and/or links to the information.
• Keeps record of club member entries and results for any Home Brewer of the Year points in accordance with current HBOY rules.

Section 7.04 Appointment Vacancy/Removal

All voluntary roles are appointed by the steering committee and may be held indefinitely unless the task is reassigned by the committee at their sole discretion.

Article VIII.                      Budget

Section 8.01 Statement of non-profit

The WHALES Hombrewing club was not formed for the purpose of monetary gain. No member shall profit as a result of membership or any activity sanctioned by the club. Members that engage each other in any business or transaction would be doing so outside of “the club”. Members shall never act as employees of the club.

Section 8.02 Income

Income into the club fund typically results from two activities; dues collected from members and club-sanctioned fund raisers.

Section 8.03 Expenditures

(a)     Discretionary Expenses

The president may spend or grant permission to spend up to $50 for single purchases of necessary items. The most common item in this category is sampling cups for flights and club only competitions.

(b)    Major Expenses

Spending on anything over $50 must approved by the steering committee. Anything over $100 must be approved by a full club vote.

(c)     Reimbursement

Any member acting as purchasing agent in accordance with the above shall be reimbursed from the club fund by the club treasurer. The purchasing agent must submit a copy of the invoice/receipt to the treasurer.

Section 8.04 Reports

The treasurer shall provide monthly reports of the balance, income, and dispersal of club funds as outlined in Section 5.01d.

Article IX.     Club Property

Section 9.01 General

All materials and property purchased for club use in accordance with these bylaws or otherwise deemed as a necessity by the club shall be reimbursed out of the club account. The purchasing agent retains no rights to said materials or property whether he or she accepts reimbursement or not. This includes, but is not limited to, audio equipment, the website domain whalesbrewclub.com (and any others acquired), etc.

Section 9.02 Intellectual Property

Any and all ideas, artwork, designs or published material developed by members for club use immediately becomes property of the club and cannot be transferred back to the member for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to, the logo, written articles including reports and meeting minutes, website design and all graphics therein.

Section 9.03 Member Likeness

As a member participating in club activities, members agree to allow their pictures to be used for club promotion now or in the future without seeking damages and/or compensation.

Article X.         Access to Bylaws

The current and accepted version of these bylaws shall always be accessible on the members-only area of the WHALES website and the club secretary shall always have a printed copy at the meetings available for reference.

Article XI.     Change Log

This section will note amendments to these bylaws including the date and high level description of what changed.

• May 12, 2009 – Draft Bylaws approved by steering committee.
• June 9, 2009 – Membership comments discussed by committee, some suggestions incorporated into new draft for membership vote.
• June 29, 2009 – Final Draft approved by Steering Committee and out for club vote.
• July 21, 2009 - Bylaws approved by club 25 to 1 with 51% membership quorum met at the time of voting.
• October 19, 2010 – Issue 2 approved by membership. Revisions were limited to main section III to support a membership cap due to space limitations. Logistics changes were also supported to review new membership applications, monitor current member participation, and shift dues collection to the December proceeding the new membership cycle. The vote for accepting Issue 2 was taken on the website the month prior to the October meeting and passed 30 to 7 with quorum met (62% of membership voted while quorum minimum is 51%).

The Woodbridge Homebrewers Ale and Lager Enthusiast Society

The WHALES is an AHA registered homebrewing club based out of Central New Jersey. The club aquired its 60th member in  October 2009 which marks the largest membership in its 13 year history. Despite the beer-centric name, the club is also equally involved in the production of mead (fermented honey), ciders and wines. The club promotes an ongoing education of various brewing techniques through brewer presentations (both peer members and professional brewers alike). Membership is also encouraged to develop their palettes through regular tastings of home brewed and commercial examples of all the BJCP recognized styles. Many of the members regularly achieve at least bronze medals in regular brewing competitions and a WHALES cider project even took a gold medal at the 2009 NHC. While most of the activities are geared towards promoting and growing the home brewing hobby, it remains a great social network for folks who share at least one passion; taking a hands-on approach to the beverages we love.

JJ Bittings brewpub (Main Street) in Woodbridge, NJ h

as been the WHALES home base and meeting location for about 10 years. We are grateful to have such generous hosts. Regular club meetings occur the 3^rd Tuesday night of every month at 8pm. Depending on the agenda and the number tastings we do, most members filter out by 10:30pm. Official business usually takes an hour or so.

The club also meets for club projects at various members’ homes and has been known to move a meeting or two to a surrounding brewpub for a temporary change of scenery and an excuse to drink more beer.

Membership consists of people from all walks of life, all ages (21+ of course), and many areas of professional expertise. We’re happy to say that we also have two BJCP certified judges in our midst.

NOTE: As the club grows in size, it's especially important for new visitors to introduce yourselves to someone so that you're not lost in the shuffle. It would really help to show up at about 7:45 before the bulk of the membership arrives.

The WHALES encourage you to please enjoy homebrew responsibly. For more information about alcohol consumption, please visit the CDC website.

If you'd like more info about the club, don't hesitate to contact us.