Bylaws of the Ada Sunrise Rotary Club

Revised December 2024

Article I: Election of Directors and Officers

Section 1 - At a meeting one month prior to the annual meeting for election of officers on the third Friday in December, the presiding officer shall ask for nominations by members of the club for president, secretary, treasurer, and two (in even years) or three (in odd years) members of the board of directors. The nominations may be presented by a nominating committee or by members from the floor, by either or by both as a club may determine. The nominating committee may be appointed by the board. The nominations duly made shall be placed on a ballot in alphabetical order under each office and shall be voted for at the annual meeting. The candidates for president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected to their respective offices. The candidates for director receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared elected as directors. The president elected in such balloting shall serve as a member of the board as president-elect for the year commencing on the first day of July next following the election, and shall assume office as president on the first day of July immediately following the year of service on the board as president-elect.
Section 2 - The officers and directors, so elected, together with the immediate past president shall constitute the board of directors. The president may also name an executive secretary, a sergeant-at-arms, and a Rotary International Foundation chair.
Section 3 - A vacancy in the board of directors or any office shall be filled by action of the remaining members of the board.

Article II: Board of Directors

The governing body of this club shall be the board of directors consisting of at least ten (10) members of this club, namely, at least five (5) directors elected in accordance with article I, section 1 of these bylaws, the president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and the immediate past president.

Article III: Duties of Officers

Section 1 - President It shall be the duty of the president to preside at meetings of the club and board and to perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of the president.
Section 2 - President-elect It shall be the duty of the president-elect to serve as a member of the board of directors of the club, to preside at meetings of the club and board in the absence of the president and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board. These duties may include serving as the club program chair.
Section 3 - Secretary It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the records of membership, record the attendance at meetings, send out notices of meetings of the club, board and committees, record and preserve the minutes of such meetings, make the required reports to RI, including the semiannual reports of membership, which shall be made to the general secretary of RI on or before January 1 and July 1 of each year, and including prorated reports to the general secretary on or before October 1 and April 1 of each active member who has been elected to membership, which shall be made to the general secretary of RI, the monthly report of attendance at the club meetings, which shall be made to the district governor within 15 days of the last meeting of the month, collect and remit to RI subscriptions to The Rotarian, and perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of secretary.
Section 4 - Treasurer It shall be duty of the treasurer to have custody of all funds, accounting for same to the club annually and at any other time demand by the board, and to perform such other duties as pertain to the office of treasurer. The treasurer shall direct the payment of the club's taxes and make other required filings to the IRS. The treasurer shall send dues invoices to club members and collect and deposit dues into the club account. The treasurer shall pay club dues to Rotary International. Upon retirement from office, the treasurer shall turn over to the incoming treasurer or to the president all funds, books of accounts, or any other club property.
Section 5 - Sergeant-at-Arms The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall include setting up for meetings, leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and other duties such as are usually prescribed for such office as may be prescribed by the president or the board.
Section 6 - Executive Secretary The duties of the executive secretary shall be such as are usually prescribed for such office and such other duties as may be prescribed by the president or the board.

Article IV: Meetings

Section 1 - Annual meeting An annual meeting of this club shall be held on the third Friday in December in each year, at which time the election of officers to serve for the ensuing year shall take place.
Section 2 - The regular weekly meetings of this club shall be held on Friday at 6:45 a.m. Due notice of any changes in or cancelation of the regular meetings shall be given to all members of the club.
Section 3 - Change of Meeting For good cause and with reasonable notice, the board may change a regular meeting to any day during the period commencing with the day following the preceding regular meeting and ending with the day preceding the next regular meeting, or to a different hour of the regular day, or to a different place.
Section 4 - One-third of the membership shall constitute a quorum at the annual and regular meetings of this club.
Section 5 - Regular meetings of the board shall be held at a time and place designated by the President. Special meetings of the board shall be called by the president, whenever deemed necessary, or upon the request of two (2) members of the board, due notice having been given.
Section 6 - A majority of the board members shall constitute a quorum of the board.

Article V: Fees and Dues

Section 1 - The club does not charge an admission fee before an applicant can qualify as a member.
Section 2 - The membership dues shall be determined by a vote of the board before for the start of each new year. Dues are payable quarterly with the understanding some of each semiannual payment shall be applied to each member's subscription to The Rotarian magazine.

Article VI: Method of Voting

The business of this club is conducted by ballot, which may be distributed and collected at a meeting, online, or through the postal system. The board may also employ voice vote or ballot at board meetings as it deems appropriate.

Article VII: Committees

Section 1 - The president shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint the following standing committees:
  • Membership Committee
  • Club Service Committee
  • Community Service Committee
  • Vocational Service Committee
  • International Service Committee
  • New Generations Committee
a) The president shall, subject to the approval of the board, also appoint such sub-committees on particular places of club service, vocational service, community service, international service, and new generations of the board.
b) The club service, vocational service, community service, international service, and new generations service committees shall each consist of a chair who shall be named by the president from the membership of the board, and not less than two (2) other members.
c) The president may appoint ad hoc committees as necessary.
d) The president shall be ex officio a member of all committees and, as such, shall have all the privileges of membership thereon.
e) Each committee shall transact such business as is delegated to it in the bylaws and such additional business as may be referred to it by the president or the board. Except where special authority is given by the board, such committees shall not take action until a report has been made to the board and approved by the board.

Section 2 - Membership Committee
a) The chair of the membership committees shall be responsible for all membership activities and shall supervise and coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of membership.
b) The president may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint as many of the following sub-committees as necessary on particular phases of membership:
  • Membership
  • Membership Development
Section 3 - Club Service Committee
a) The chair of the club service committees shall be responsible for all club service activities and shall supervise and coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of club service.
b) The president shall, subject to the approval of the board, appoint as many of the following sub-committees as necessary on particular phases of club service:
  • Club bulletin committee
  • Fellowship committee
  • Finance committee
  • Program committee
  • Public relations committee
  • Rotary information committee
Section 4 - Community Service Committee
a) The chair of the community service committee shall be responsible for all the community service activities and shall coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of community service.
b) The president may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint the following sub-committees as deemed necessary on particular phases of community service:
  • Human development committee
  • Community development committee
  • Environmental protection committee
  • Partners in service committee
Section 5 - Vocational Service Committee
a) The chair of the vocational service committees shall be responsible for all vocational service activities and shall coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of vocational service.
b) The president may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint as many of the following sub-committees as deemed necessary on particular phases of vocational service:
  • Vocational Awareness committee
Section 6 - International Service Committee
a) The chair of the international service committee shall be responsible for all international service and shall coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of international service.
b) The president may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint as many of the following sub-committees as deemed necessary on particular phases of international service:
  • Rotary Foundation committee
  • Polio Plus committee
  • International Youth Projects committee
  • Elizabeth Schmelling International Student Award committee
Section 7 - New Generations committee
a) The chair of the new generation committee shall be responsible for all new generation service activities and shall coordinate the work of all sub-committees appointed on particular phases of new generations service. b) The president may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint as many of the following sub-committees as deemed necessary on particular phases of new generations service:
  • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) committee
  • Interact committee
  • Rotaract committee
  • 4-Way Speech Contest Committee

Article VIII: Duties of Committees

Section 1 - Membership Committee: This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in matters relating to membership development. The chair of the membership committee shall be responsible for regular meetings of the committee and shall report to the board on all membership activities.
  1. This committee shall consider all proposals for membership and shall thoroughly investigate the character, business, social and community standing, and general eligibility of all persons proposed for membership and shall report their decisions on all applications to the board.
  2. This committee shall devise means for encouraging attendance at all Rotary meetings, including attendance at district conferences, intercity meetings, regional conferences, and international conventions by all club members. This committee shall especially encourage attendance at regular meetings of this club and attendance at regular meeting of other clubs when unable to attend meetings of this club; keep all members informed on attendance requirements; promote incentives for good attendance; and seek to ascertain and remove the conditions that contribute to unsatisfactory attendance.
  3. Membership Development Committee. This committee shall review continually the club roster shall take positive action to initiate and present to the board the names of suitable persons to suggest for membership.
Section 2 - Club Service Committee: This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in matters relating to club service. The chair of the club service committee shall be responsible for regular meetings of the committee and shall report to the board on all club service activities.
  1. Club Bulletin Committee. This committee may endeavor, through the publishing of a weekly club bulletin, to stimulate interest and improve attendance, announce the program of the forthcoming meeting, relate highlights of the previous meetings, promote fellowship, contribute to the Rotary education of all members, and report news of the club, of its members, and of the worldwide Rotary program.
  2. Fellowship Activities Committee. This committee may promote acquaintance and friendship among the members, promote participation by members in organized Rotary recreational and social activities, and do such work in pursuance of the general object of the club as may be assigned by the president or the board.
  3. Magazine Committee. This committee may encourage reader interest in The Rotarian, sponsor a magazine month, arrange for brief monthly reviews of the magazine on regular club programs; encourage the use of the magazine in the induction of new members; provide a copy of the magazine for non-Rotarian speakers; secure international service and other special subscriptions for libraries, hospitals, schools, and other reading rooms; send news items and photographs to the editor of the magazine; and in other ways make the magazine of service to the club members and non-Rotarians.
  4. Finance Committee. This committee shall be responsible for submitting an annual operating budget to the Board of Directors for approval no later than June 1 of each year. The budget shall provide year-to-date figures for the previous fiscal year as well as reasonable forecasts for all revenue sources, by source, and estimates of all expenses, by category. The donations expense shall enumerate by done all prior year donations and all budgeted donations. The amounts budgeted for individual donations shall be viewed as the maximum amount each donee may receive without further action by the board. The president may direct the treasurer to fill all donor requests as presented without again seeking board approval so long as they are equal to or less than the amount stipulated in the approved budget. An "other donations" category may be included in the budget which may be used to honor individual donation requests. These requests must receive approval by at least 2/3 of the voting members present at the approving board meeting. The Finance Committee shall present a quarterly status report to the Board of Directors, showing the current operating budget as approved by the board and year-to-date actual totals for all categories. If, at any time, the board feels that a portion of the budget requires revision, they shall propose the changes to the Finance Committee for review and vote on the changes at the next board meeting.
  5. Rotary Information Committee. This committee may inform prospective members about the privileges and responsibilities of Rotary club membership; keep members informed about the history, object, and activities of Rotary at all levels; and oversee the orientation of new members during their first year in the club.
  6. Program Committee. This committee shall prepare and arrange the programs for the regular and special meetings of the club.
  7. Public Relations Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans to give the public general information about Rotary, its history, object, and scope; and to secure effective publicity for the club through print, broadcast, and social media; to use Rotary International advertising and public service materials in the development of local communications
Section 3 - Community Service Committee: This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in their community relationships. The chair of this committee shall be responsible for the community service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of community service.
  1. Human Development Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in dealing within the community with the welfare of human beings of all kinds throughout the whole span of life by providing assistance and support to those in need.
  2. Community Development Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in working to make the community a better place to live by improving the physical condition of the community and its facilities.
  3. Environmental Protection Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in monitoring and improving the quality of the community's environment.
  4. Partners in Service Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in building relationships with other Rotary-sponsored organizations within the community and in cooperating with them in service.
Section 4 - Vocational Service Committee: This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in their vocational relationships and in improving the general standards of practice in their respective vocations. The chair of this committee shall be responsible for the vocational service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of vocational service.
  1. Vocational Awareness Committee. This committee shall be responsible for encouraging a better understanding of job classifications represented by club members. Periodic regular club meetings will be scheduled at the business location of selected club members to promote understanding of the nature of the various businesses visited.
Section 5 - International Service Committee: This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in matters relating to international service. The chair of this committee shall be responsible for the international service activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of international service.
  1. Rotary Foundation Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans which will increase awareness of Rotary Foundation programs, increase per capita giving by ASRC members, and encourage members to become Paul Harris Sustaining members with a personal goal of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow.
  2. Polio Plus Committee. This committee may devise and carry into effect plans to increase awareness of the need to eradicate Polio throughout the world.
  3. International Youth Projects Committee. This committee will devise and carry into effect plans to extend hospitality to international students enrolled at East Central University and/or exchange students enrolled in area public schools.
  4. Elizabeth Schmelling International Student Award Committee. This committee shall assist Ada Sunrise Rotary in selecting the winner of a $250 scholarship award each year to an international student attending East Central University. The Ada Sunrise Board of Directors will review all applications and select the award winner. The Board will notify the ECU Foundation stating the name of the recipient and authorize the Foundation to pay the money from the Ada Sunrise Rotary Elizabeth Schmelling International Student Award fund to the student according to Foundation procedures. Deadline for applications is March 31; the winner will be selected in April and announced at the ECU Awards Convocation in May. Application forms will be supplied by Ada Sunrise Rotary. Criteria for the scholarship include: 1) at least sophomore standing with a chosen major; 2) 3.0 GPA; 3) personal summary of academic achievements, educational goals, and financial need. Students not selected may re-apply in the future.
Section 6 - New Generations Committee: This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans which will guide and assist the members of this club in discharging their responsibilities in their relationships with young people. The chair of this committee shall be responsible for the youth-related activities of the club and shall supervise and coordinate the work of any committees that may be appointed on particular phases of new generations service.
  1. RYLA Committee: This committee shall recruit applicants for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp and will provide financial sponsorship for at least one camper each year.
  2. Interact Committee. This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans to sponsor and provide guidance to the Interact Clubs at area schools.
  3. Rotaract: This committee shall devise and carry into effect plans to co-sponsor and provide guidance to the Rotaract Club at East Central University.
  4. 4-Way Test Speech Contest Committee. This committee shall assist in recruiting students to patriciate in the 4-Way Test Speech Contest.

Article IX: Leaves of Absence

Upon written application to the board, setting forth good and sufficient cause, a leave of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending the meeting of the club for a specified length of time, no longer than twelve (12) months. Dues are not collected from members taking leaves of absence.
Note: Such leave of absence does not operate to prevent a forfeiture of membership; it does not operate to give the club credit for the member's attendance. Unless the member attends a regular meeting of some other club, the excused member must be recorded as absent except that absence authorized under the provision of article VIII, section 2(b) of the standard Rotary club constitution is not computed in the attendance record of the club.

Article X: Finances

Section 1 - The treasurer shall deposit all funds of the club in a financial institution named by the board. There shall be two accounts: one for club operations and one for service projects. Additional accounts shall be opened as needed.
Section 2 - All bills shall be paid only by checks signed by two of the following officers: Treasurer, Secretary, President.
Section 3 - Officers having charge or control of funds shall give bond as may be required by the board for the safe custody of the funds of the club, cost of bond to be borne by the club.
Section 4 - The fiscal year of this club shall extend from July 1 to June 30, and for the collection of members' dues shall be divided into four (4) quarterly periods. The payment of per capita dues and magazine subscription to RI shall be made on July 1 and January 1 of each year on the basis of the membership of the club on those dates.
Section 5 - The Finance Committee shall prepare or cause to be prepared no later than June 1 a budget of estimated income and estimated expenditures for the year, which, having been agreed to by the board, shall stand as the limit of expenditures for the respective purposes unless otherwise ordered by action of the board.
Section 6 - An annual financial statement shall be made available to the club.

Article XI: Method of Electing Members

Section 1 - A prospective member must attend club meeting three times before being proposed for membership. A member proposes a candidate for membership to the board, or another club proposes one of its transferring or former members.
Section 2 - The board approves or rejects the candidate's membership within 30 days and notifies the proposing member of its decision.
Section 3 - If the board approves the candidate's membership, the prospective member is invited to join the club.
Section 4 - Following the election, the president shall arrange for the induction of the new member; the club secretary shall issue a membership card and shall report the new member to RI; and the club shall provide appropriate literature for presentation at the induction and assign a member to assist in the assimilation of the new member.

Article XII: Resolutions

No resolution or motion to commit this club on any matter shall be considered by the club until it has been considered by the board. Such resolutions or motions, if offered at a club meeting, shall be referred to the board without discussion.

Article XIII: Selection for Service Awards

This club recognizes outstanding service by a member by annually naming "Rotarian of the year." All members with at least one year of service are eligible for consideration, provided they have at least 80 percent attendance during the year. No later than the last meeting in May, club members shall, by written ballot, select the honoree. The member receiving a majority of votes shall be honored as Rotarian of the Year at the final meeting of that year. If a majority is not determined with the first ballot, a second ballot shall be prepared with the names of the two candidates receiving the most votes. Alternatively, a recipient may be nominated and approved by acclamation at a regular club meeting. The president shall determine the form of the written ballot.

Article XIV: Order of Business

The president shall establish a regular order of business for club meetings. Rotary International offers this example:
  • Meeting called to order
  • Introduction of visiting Rotarians
  • Correspondence and announcements
  • Committee reports if any
  • Any unfinished business
  • Any new business
  • Address or other program features
  • Adjournment

Article XV: Amendments

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting, a quorum being present, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall have been provided to each member at least ten (10) days before such meeting. No amendment or addition to these bylaws can be made which is not in harmony with the club constitution and with the constitution and bylaws of Rotary International.

Article XVI: Incorporation

This club is authorized by the Board of Directors to be incorporated as a 501(c)(4) entity in the State of Oklahoma and shall maintain compliance with all IRS regulations governing such entities.

Article XVII: Dissolution

On dissolution of the Club, after paying all liabilities the board of directors shall vote by simple majority to distribute any remaining assets to any charitable, educational, or philanthropic organization as recognized by the IRS sections 501c(3)(4) or (6).
 
Signed by Christine Pappas, Secretary, Ada Sunrise Rotary Club 2/18/2025