THE BILLINGTON SEA/TOWN BROOK WATERSHED ASSOCIATION ARTICLE 1 SECTION I - NAME This organization shall be known as the Billington Sea/Town Brook Watershed Association, a.k.a. BSA. SECTION II - GOAL The goal of the BSA shall be to promote and encourage the understanding, protection, and management of Billington Sea/Town Brook and watershed ecosystems in Plymouth, Massachusetts. SECTION III. - OBJECTIVES The objectives of the BSA are
ARTICLE 2 ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP - Any individual who is interested in the protection, preservation, restoration of Billington Sea/Town Brook, and watershed. ARTICLE 3 DUES A. Members shall pay dues annually, per household, to be considered in good standing in the BSA. B. Members shall pay dues in the amount set forth by the Board and approved by the Membership. C. Notices of dates when dues are to be paid are to be provided to the Membership in a timely fashion. D. The Membership shall be required to approve any proposed dues increase at a special or general membership meeting. A thirty day written notice of this meeting and the Board’s intent to change membership dues shall be provided. ARTICLE 4 SECTION I. - OFFICERS There shall be four officers of the BSA: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary. SECTION II - OFFICER DUTIES A. President - The President shall direct efforts toward the achievement of the goals and objectives which are set forth in these Bylaws and preside over all meetings; rule on all questions of procedure and order; enforce the Bylaws of the BSA; preserve order; appoint all committees; call special meetings as necessary; require all officers and directors to make necessary reports; conduct meetings of the BSA; and insure proper accounting of the BSA Treasurer books. Full powers are vested in the President to speak, write, and represent the BSA. All other correspondence representing the BSA requires the President’s approval. (The Treasurer’s normal business transactions are exempt from this regulation). In the absence or inability of any of the officers to perform their duties, the President shall appoint a successor until the next general election. In the absence or inability of the President to perform duties, these duties shall vest, in the order: the Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Board Member by seniority. B. Vice President - The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of presidential duties as directed by the President and shall preside at BSA meetings in the absence of the President. C. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial matters of the BSA. Duties include keeping an accurate account of the financial transactions of the BSA, keeping individual dues accounts for members, having custody of the funds of the BSA, maintaining written records of all financial transactions of the BSA (including, but not limited to, receipts, vouchers, payments, income, required submission of state, federal and local forms and fees), preparing an annual budget with presentation to the Board for approval; presenting all financial records of the BSA for examination by the Board upon request; executing and file with State, Federal, and local authorities all reports that may be required by law and maintain such records; and abiding by these Bylaws. The President shall appoint a Board member (s) annually to review the records of the Treasurer and report findings back to the board. D. Secretary - The Secretary shall keep attendance and minutes of all board, general membership, and special meetings and shall read the minutes of the preceding meeting at the next scheduled meeting. Minutes are approved with revisions as necessary. Copies of approved minutes are provided to all Board members in a timely fashion. Minutes of general membership meetings are read and approved, with revisions as necessary, at the next scheduled general membership meeting. ARTICLE 5 BOARD MEMBERS - The Board may appoint additional members to the board. Their term shall expire fourteen days after the next general election. ARTICLE 6 SECTION I. - Executive Board The Executive Board, referred to as “the Board,” shall be the governing body of the BSA and, as such, shall administer the affairs, manage all assets of the BSA, and perform duties as prescribed in the Bylaws. The Board shall consist of all officers, all sitting directors, and any additional board members. SECTION II. - Board Meetings There shall be a minimum of three Board meetings and one general membership meeting annually to conduct the affairs of the BSA. SECTION III. - Records The Board shall keep a record of its proceedings and shall prepare an annual report for the general membership meeting. SECTION IV. - Quorum and Attendance A majority of Board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any board meeting. Special Board or membership meetings may be called by a majority of the Board members and/or the President. Any Board member who, without good cause, does not attend three consecutive board meetings may be asked to resign or may be removed from the board by a majority vote. SECTION V. - Board Member Recall Procedure Any Board member who is negligent of assigned duties, or refuses to adhere to the policies established by the board, or refuses to abide by the decisions of the board may be recalled by the following procedures: A) the Board shall take a no confidence vote on the individual in question, and a majority vote of the entire board is required to pursue the next step B) within a maximum of 30 days and a minimum of 14 days the board may schedule a recall hearing C) the individual in question will be given written notice of the no confidence vote and proper notice of the recall hearing D) at the recall hearing, the individual shall have opportunity to address concerns of the board E) the Board shall take a recall vote after the hearing F) a majority vote of the entire Board is required to recall G) the individual in question will receive a written recall decision of the board. ARTICLE 7 SECTION I. - Election of Officers Officers shall be elected from the general membership. Eligibility for election requires good standing in the BSA for one year. An exception may be made by a majority of the Board when an office is vacant and is not able to be filled by a member in good standing who has been a member one year. In this case, a member who has not been a member for one year but is willing to fill that vacant position may do so. SECTION II. - Elections All officers shall be elected annually at the general membership meeting. SECTION III. - Election Voting Voting shall be by secret ballot when there is more than one nominee for a given office. In those instances where there is only one nominee for a given office, a motion shall be made by the President and seconded by a member in good standing that one vote in favor shall be cast by the Secretary. Counting of ballots, as needed, shall be performed by the Secretary, in the presence of the membership, and results announced on the day of the election. SECTION IV. - Quorum A quorum of ten BSA members present is required to hold elections. SECTION V. - Tie Votes Tie votes shall be broken by a run off election of the tied candidates. SECTION VI. - Term of Office All newly elected officers shall take office 14 days after the election is held and results are announced. Term of office shall continue until 14 days after the next election. ARTICLE 8 SECTION I. - Annual General Membership Meeting The BSA annual membership meeting shall be held during the months of July or August. SECTION II. - Notice A thirty day written notice of the general membership meeting shall be given to all BSA members. Included in this notice shall be a call for nomination of officers and board members at large. Nominations may also be made from the membership present at the general membership meeting. ARTICLE 9 WATER MONITORING DIRECTOR - The water monitoring director shall be appointed by the Board at the first board meeting following the annual officers' election. The director shall propose an annual water monitoring program including a budget for the program. The water monitoring budget shall be approved by the Board. The director shall be responsible for the scheduling and conduction of all sampling and data collection; shall be responsible for preparation of written reports to the board regarding data findings and recommendations, at the discretion of the board; shall be responsible for maintaining all water monitoring equipment including calibration checks as required per manufacturer recommendations; and shall be responsible for quality assurance and control procedures for laboratory and field work. The water monitoring program shall be in compliance with the current Environmental Protection Agency recommended guidelines and/or any other agency guidelines which the Board deems necessary. All data, summaries, recommendations, and interpretations of information obtained shall be supplied to the board upon request. Water monitoring information may be shared with other interested parties at the discretion of the board. ARTICLE 10 SECTION I. - Bylaws Provision For matters which there are no provisions made in these bylaws, the President shall have the authority to put the question for immediate action by the Board. Any provisions passed by the board shall be effective forthwith and shall require ratification as in Article 10, Section III in order to become a permanent part of these bylaws. These bylaws shall be dated and be in force and in effect until repealed or amended according to Section II of this Article. All former bylaws are there by declared null and void. SECTION II. - Amendments These Bylaws may be repealed, altered, or amended by the following: A) proposed changes shall be submitted in writing to the board B) all proposed changes, approved by the board, shall be available in writing for discussion at the next general membership meeting. The proposed changes shall be adopted only when a majority of the members present at the next general membership meeting vote in favor thereof. SECTION III. - Parliamentary Procedures Procedural questions which are not addressed in the bylaws shall be decided by Robert’s Rules of Order, revised. SECTION IV. - Distribution Every member of the BSA shall receive a copy of the current bylaws upon request. ARTICLE 11 NOMINATING COMMITTEE - The nominating committee shall be appointed by the President and consist of three board members who shall present slate of eligible candidates to the membership at the annual general membership meeting. ARTICLE 12 SECTION I. - Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the BSA shall commence on July 1 and end on June 30th of each year. SECTION II. - Financial Operations The financial operations of the BSA shall be such as to stay within the budgetary limitations as adopted by the board. The Treasurer shall honor and pay for only those expenditures which are within the approved budgetary allotments and/or which have been previously approved by the Board. ARTICLE 13 DONATIONS - Donations may be accepted from parties who wish to advance the goals and objectives of the BSA. ARTICLE 14 TAX EXEMPT STATUS - The Board shall insure that the BSA maintains tax exempt status with state and federal authorities. ARTICLE 15 BACKUP DOCUMENTS - The following BSA documents require backup copies: Treasurer Reports, Meeting Minutes, and Water Monitoring Reports. Backup copies are to be distributed to one or more officers in electronic format. Date Revised: 7/14/06 Previous Bylaws ARTICLE 1 SECTION 1 NAME - This organization shall be known as The Association For The Betterment Of Billington Sea and called A.B.B.S. SECTION 2 GOAL - The goal of the association shall be to promote and encourage the understanding, protection, and management of Billington Sea and its watershed ecosystems in Plymouth, MA. SECTION 3 OBJECTIVES - The objectives of the association are to encourage all individuals interested to become actively involved in the association; provide means for education, and for dissemination of information related to maintaining and protecting Billington Sea; encourage, assist, and support the development of local, state, and national programs promoting lake and watershed protection, restoration, utilization, and management.
ARTICLE 2 ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE 3 DUES
ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS There shall be four officers: the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The President shall attempt to achieve the goals and objectives set forth in these bylaws and preside at all meetings; rule on all questions of law, procedure and order; enforce the laws and regulations of the association; preserve order; appoint all committees; call special meetings when necessary; require all officers and directors to make their reports; open and close all meetings; shall require proper accounting to be made of the books of the Treasurer. Full powers are vested in the President to speak, write, and represent the A.B.B.S. with the approval of the Vice President or the board. All other correspondence representing The A.B.B.S. will require the President's approval and signature (The Treasurer's normal business transactions are exempt from this regulation). In the absence or inability of any of the officers to perform their duties, the President shall appoint a successor until the next general election. In the absence or inability of the President to perform his/her duties, these duties shall vest in first, the Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, or any other board member according to seniority. The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties; shall preside over any meeting in his/her absence. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of the financial transactions of The A.B.B.S.; keep a separate dues account for each member; have custody of all funds of The A.B.B.S.; shall sign receipts, vouchers, and checks of The A.B.B.S.; shall prepare a budget annually after conferring with the President and the Vice President to present to the board; shall present all records of The A.B.B.S. for examination by the board upon request; shall execute and file with State and Federal authorities all reports that may be required by law and maintain such records; shall abide by any regulations as may be imposed by the board providing they do not conflict with these bylaws or any State or Federal regulations. The President shall appoint an officer annually to review the records of the treasurer. ARTICLE 5 SECTION 1 THE EXECUTIVE BOARD referred to as "The Board" shall be the governing body of the A.B.B.S., and as such shall administer the affairs and manage all assets of the A.B.B.S., and shall perform its duties as prescribed in these bylaws. The Board shall consist of all officers, all sitting directors, and any additional board members. SECTION 2 BOARD MEETINGS There shall be a minimum of six board meetings and one General Membership Meeting annually to conduct the affairs of The A.B.B.S. (see article 7, sec. 1) SECTION 3 RECORDS The Board shall keep a record of its proceedings and shall prepare an annual report for the general membership meeting. SECTION 4 QUORUM & ATTENDANCE A majority of all board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any board meeting. Special board or membership meetings may be called by a majority of the board members to the President. Any board member who, without good cause, does not attend three consecutive board meetings may be asked to resign, or may be removed from the board by a majority vote. SECTION 5 BOARD MEMBER RECALL PROCEDURE Any board member who is negligent of his/her duties, or refuses to adhere to the policies established by the board, or to abide by the decisions of the board may be recalled by the following procedure: 1) The board shall take a no confidence vote on the individual in question, and a majority vote of the entire board is required to pursue the next step. 2) Within a maximum of 30 days and a minimum of 14 days the board may schedule a recall hearing. The individual in question will be given written notice of the no confidence vote and proper notice of the recall hearing, where they will have an opportunity to answer concerns of the board. 3) The board may take a recall vote after the hearing in which a majority vote of the entire board is required to recall. SECTION 6 VOTING All officers, directors, and board members shall be entitled to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the board. The President shall vote only in the case of a tie vote. Any question shall be decided by a majority vote of the members present. ARTICLE 6 SECTION 1 ELECTION OF OFFICERS Officers shall be elected from the general membership and to be eligible shall be in good standing for a period of one year. SECTION 2 ELECTIONS of all officers shall be held annually at the general membership meeting. (see article 7, section 1) SECTION 3 ELECTION VOTING shall be by secret ballot except in those instances where there is only one nominee for the office. Counting of the ballots shall be performed in the presence of the membership and results announced the day of the election. SECTION 4 A QUORUM of ten members shall be necessary for the election. SECTION 5 TIE VOTES shall be broken by a run off election of the tied candidates. SECTION 6 TERM OF OFFICE shall be one year between elections. All newly elected officers shall take office 14 days after the election is held and results are announced. ARTICLE 7 SECTION 1 THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING shall be held during the months of July or August, at this meeting elections for all officers shall be held. SECTION 2 NOTICE a thirty day written notice shall be given to all members of the general membership meeting. Included in this notice shall be a call for nominations of officers. ARTICLE 8 THE WATER MONITORING DIRECTOR shall be appointed by the board; shall be responsible for the recruitment and training of the water monitoring team and maintaining their interest, motivation while encouraging feedback, shall propose a water monitoring program annually within its set budget, and advance commitment from volunteers to execute; shall be responsible for scheduling all sampling and data collection; shall be responsible for maintaining all water monitoring equipment including calibration checks as required per manufacturer's recommendations; shall be responsible for quality assurance and control procedures for laboratory and field work. The water monitoring program shall be in compliance with the Environmental Protections Agency's recommended guide lines and / or any other agency the board deems necessary. All data, summaries, and interpretations of information obtained shall be supplied to the President upon request and other parties as appropriated or mandated. The Water Monitoring Director shall be required to submit a final report at the conclusion of each water monitoring season; shall be requested to attend all board meetings and will be entitled to vote on all issues. ARTICLE 9 BOARD MEMBERS The board may appoint additional members to the board and they shall be referred to as "Board Member". Their term shall expire fourteen days after the general election and they may be re-appointed thereafter. ARTICLE 10 SECTION 1 BYLAWS PROVISION Any condition arising for which no provisions are made in these bylaws, the President shall have the right to put the question for immediate action by the board. Any provisions passed by the board shall be effective forthwith and shall require ratification as in article 10, section 3 to become permanently documented in these bylaws. SECTION 2 THESE BYLAWS shall be in force and effect on 8-1-94 until repealed or amended according to section 3 of this article. All former bylaws are hereby declared null and void. SECTION 3 AMENDMENTS These bylaws may be repealed altered or amended by the following method of procedure. Proposed changes shall be submitted in writing to the board. All proposed changes shall be included in the next membership mailing prior to the next general membership meeting. The proposed changes shall be adopted only when majority of the members vote in favor thereof. SECTION 4 PARLIAMENTARY LAW procedural questions not addressed in these bylaws shall be decided by Robert's Rule of Order, revised. SECTION 5 EVERY MEMBER shall receive a copy of these bylaws. ARTICLE 11 THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE shall be appointed by the President and consist of three board members who shall present a slate of eligible candidates to the membership at the annual general membership meeting. ARTICLE 12 SECTION 1 THE FISCAL YEAR of The A.B.B.S. shall commence on July 1 and end June 30. SECTION 2 THE FINANCIAL OPERATIONS of The A.B.B.S. shall be such as to stay within the budgetary limitation as adopted by the board. The Treasurer shall honor and pay only those bona fide expenditures within the budget allotments, and which have been previously approved by the board or designee. ARTICLE 13 DONATIONS will be accepted from those individuals who do not wish to become A.B.B.S. members but would like to contribute to the goals and objectives of The A.B.B.S. LINE 34 OF 990-EZ At the Annual General Membership of the Organization which was held on 8/1/98, the following changes were unanimously approved from the Quorum present:
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