CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Established 1973  Revised  2020

ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this club shall change according to the Dutch government for the global image and will now be named as 'THE NETHERLANDS Club of TAMPA BAY' and has the domain name for the URL and on Facebook, next with a chat group on Facebook called, the 'Dutch Club Tampa Bay'.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
The purpose is to promote fellowship among people of Dutch origin.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1. Eligibility - Membership is open to people of Dutch origin, and to others interested in Dutch culture.

Section 2. Dues - Annual dues shall be decided at the annual
meeting each August by a majority vote of the members present, and are payable immediately. A member whose dues remain unpaid for six months shall be suspended from the club; membership may be reinstated upon payment of dues.

Section 3. Fiscal Year - The fiscal year shall be from January 1 through December 31.

ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular Meetings - The club shall meet for special Dutch Holidays or otherwise decreed by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Annual Meeting - The August meeting shall serve as the club's annual meeting for the election of
officers, who shall take office immediately.

Section 3. Executive Committee Meetings - The Executive Committee meets upon the call of the President, or at the request of the committee itself. A majority vote of those present shall decide any issue.

ARTICLE V
OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES
Section 1. officers - The officers of the club shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer and 2 'floating' board members -stepping into a position where needed.

Section 2. Term of office - Officers shall be elected for a term. No officer may hold the same office for more than three consecutive TERMS unless no other candidates are available.

Section 3. Duties of officers.
A. President - The President shall preside at all meetings, be an ex-officio member of all committees, countersign all checks, and have general supervision overall activities of the club.

B. Vice-President - The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence, and shall chair the Hospitality Committee, and shall chair the Membership Committee.

C. Secretary - The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and has custody of the minutes. A copy of the minutes is to be sent to the  President not later than ten days after the meeting. The Secretary shall also conduct all correspondence of the club, including publication and distribution of the newsletter. The Secretary shall keep the website up to date, or delegate this to another member of the club.

D. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the club and deposit them in the name of the club in a bank approved by the Executive Committee. He/she shall disburse funds, pay all bills approved by the
Executive Committee, sign checks, keep a proper set of books and present a statement at the request of the president or at least once a year.
He/she shall also prepare the books for audit at the end of the fiscal year.

Section 4. Executive Committee - The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the club, with the President serving as chairperson.
The Executive Committee shall set goals, policies, budgets, and procedures for the club, which shall be approved by a quorum of the membership. A quorum shall consist of not less than one-third of the membership.
The Executive Committee shall have the authority to take action should emergencies arise between meetings and shall report such action at the next regular meeting of the club. In such emergencies a majority of
the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing Committees - The standing committees shall
be Hospitality and Membership and Sunshine. The chairperson of these committees
may recruit his/her own members to serve on these committees.
A. The Hospitality Committee shall act as hostess for the meetings, and be responsible for the refreshments. The vice president will oversee this.

B. The Membership Committee shall keep a complete and up-to-date list of all members in good standing. Once a year the committee shall also provide the membership with a complete list of members' names, changes, corrections, and additions at each regular meeting.
This committee shall act as the "Sunshine Committee", greeting visitors/new members and making them feel welcome. The secretary will oversee this.

C. Activity Committee for outdoor events. This committee will communicate with the board for a yearly event outside our meeting location. This can be a 'Give back to the community Tampa Bay event' or an event all members will be invited to in another location in TampaBay.

Section 2. New Committees -
The President may create new committees when the need arises.

ARTICLE VII
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. Nominating Committee.
A. A Nominating Committee of three members shall be appointed by the President at the APRIL meeting. No member of the Executive Committee shall be eligible for membership on the Nominating Committee.
B. This committee shall present a slate of officers at the annual meeting in AUGUST, after which nominations from the floor may be made. Elections shall be by ballot only when there is more than one candidate for an office. New members shall assume their duties immediately.

ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS

The constitution and by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the amendment has been approved by the Executive Committee.
Notice of the proposed amendment must be given in writing at least thirty days prior to the meeting.
 
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Proposed meeting times for 2020 and 2021 at Compton Park
August 30
October 18
December 6
January 3
February 28
April 25

At the August meeting, we will vote in our officers. This will become our General Meeting.