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   Arkansas Chess Association
Bylaws 

Article I – Name 

The name of the organization shall be the Arkansas Chess Association. 

Article II – Purpose 

1.        To promote interest and enjoyment in chess through educational programs, tournaments, matches, and other activities.

2.        To develop, publicize, and direct the following ACA tournaments each year:

  1. The Arkansas Championship.
  2. The Arkansas Open.
  3. The Arkansas High School Championship.
  4. The Arkansas Quick Chess Championship.
  5. The Game/60 Championship.   
  6. Others, as resources and cooperation among affiliates allow.

3.        To provide regular publications (minimum of 4 issues per year) furnishing chess news and articles of interest to the membership.

4.        To work with the United States Chess Federation (USCF) in promoting chess activities. The Association shall be the USCF’s official state affiliate for Arkansas.

5.        To work with local affiliates of the USCF (city, school, or prison) to mutually promote each other’s chess activities, meetings and tournaments.

6.        To operate exclusively for educational, recreational, and social-welfare purposes. No part of its contributions, dues, or net income shall benefit any individual, except as part of its promotional programs. The Association is not operated for profit, and neither principal nor income of any of its funds shall be used in any attempt to influence legislation. 

Article III – Membership 

1.    Regular Membership. Any person may become a regular Member of the ACA upon payment of dues for one year.

2.    Definition.  Any Member residing in the state of Arkansas who is 16 years of age or older at the time of the election and whose ACA and USCF membership is current through the end of the month in which the election is held, is a Voting Member, with the privilege of casting one vote on matters of ACA business.

3.        Rights and Privileges. Each Regular Member shall receive a membership card noting the renewal date. Each Member shall be entitled to receive a copy of the ACA Newsletter, to participate in the Annual Membership meeting (pursuant to the voting requirements of Article III – Section 2), and to enjoy all the other rights and privileges of membership not herein enumerated.

4.       Revocation of Membership. The Executive Board, by unanimous vote, may revoke or suspend the membership of any member for good cause. Any person aggrieved by any action of the Executive Board may appeal to the General Membership at the next Annual Meeting.   

Article IV – Organization 

1.        Ultimate authority in the Association shall rest in the membership; such authority is exercised at periodic General Membership Meetings, to be held at least once per year.

2.    Between General Membership Meetings the business and activities of the Association shall be governed by the Executive Board, in accordance with these Bylaws. The Executive Board shall consist of four (4) officers and one (1) member-at-large from each non-scholastic USCF affiliate within the State of Arkansas. The four officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting as described in Article IV 3 & 4 with each member-at-large elected by their affiliate annually. The officers shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer.

3.    The terms of the office for President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be two years or until successors are elected.  There shall not be a limit on the number of times the membership may elect them. All terms of office on the Executive Board shall expire at the end of the General Membership meeting in the appropriate year, at which time the next term of office begins.

4.    The president and vice president shall be elected in odd numbered years; the secretary and treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years.

5.        No individual on the Executive Board shall hold more than one office on the board nor shall have more than one vote.

6.        Between elections, the president shall appoint an acting officer, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, until the next election or special election can be held for this office at the next General Membership Meeting.

7.        Any member of the Executive Board may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the full Executive Board.

8.        Any member of the Executive Board shall be regarded as having resigned as an officer or member-at-large upon missing two duly scheduled meetings of the Executive Board during the same twelve months, with exception to be made by the Executive Board. Upon resignation, the position shall be filled as listed in section 6 above.

9.    Any voting member who is 18 years of age or older, shall be eligible for election to the Executive Board.

10.     The officers of the Executive Board shall have at least USCF Club level tournament director status. 

Article V – Duties of Officers 

1.        The president shall:

  1. Preside at all membership meetings and Executive Board meetings.
  2. Appoint all committees. The term of office of each committee shall terminate at the next election, or before as is provided at the time of appointment.
  3. Appoint delegates, voting members, and alternate voting members to the USCF, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
  4. With the advice and consent of the Executive Board, be responsible for all the planning, marketing and implementation of all details of the ACA tournaments listed in Article II, section 2, either directly or by delegation

2.        The vice president shall:

  1. Assist the president
  2. Preside at meetings and carry out all the duties of the president in the absence of the president.

3.        The secretary shall:

a.        Keep the minutes of all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board and furnish copies to Executive Board members.

  1. Provide notice of Executive Board meetings.
  2. Conduct the correspondence of the Association.
  3. Keep Mailing lists of current Association members.
  4. Provide each board member with a copy of board meeting minutes.

4.        The treasurer shall:

a.   Be responsible for the funds of the Association, maintaining separate ledgers for the Membership Dues / Newsletter Fund and the General Fund. The MD/N Fund shall be used for membership communications. The General Fund shall be used for all other ACA business as approved by the Executive Board. 

b.    Keep all funds in one account in one financial institution.

  1. Ensure that both Treasurer and President sign all checks for expenditures, any two officers may write checks at an ACA sponsored event, only in the absence of and with the approval of the Treasurer.
  2. Ensure that bank signature information is updated immediately following a change of the signatories.
  3. Maintain a list of the Association’s property.
  4. Provide a financial report at Executive Board and Membership meetings.
  5. Provide itemized financial statements at the request of the Executive Board and for annual inclusion in the Association’s publication.
  6. Prior to the Annual Membership Meeting the President shall appoint the Treasurer and two other members to the task of reviewing the financial records of the ACA in preparation for the Treasurers’ required annual report.   

5.        All officers shall turn over all official Association materials to their successors or the current president within two weeks of the change of officers.

6.        At Executive Board or General Membership Meetings a majority vote shall determine the interpretation of these Bylaws with the understanding that the ambiguous expression be amended as soon as practicable. 

Article VI – Meetings 

1.        A quorum at Executive Board meetings shall consist of four of the members.

2.        Except as provided in these Bylaws, a simple majority of those voting at an Executive Board meeting shall be necessary to pass motions.

3.        The Executive Board shall meet at least twice annually at reasonable intervals to conduct the business of the Association. These meetings shall be open to all interested observers. Between meetings the officers shall conduct the business of the Association in accordance with these Bylaws.

4.        Special Executive Board meetings may be called by the president, or by the Executive Board at a regular meeting, or by three Executive Board members submitting written requests to the secretary. In the last case, the secretary shall arrange a date, time and site for such a meeting to take place within 28 days of receiving the qualified request.

5.        The secretary shall mail notices of Executive Board meetings, including the date, time, place, and tentative agenda, to each Executive Board member at least 14 days before each meeting and place a meeting notice in the Association’s publication if practical and timely.

6.        The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be used at all meeting of the General Membership, Executive Board and all committees in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules which have been adopted.

7.         An annual meeting of the General Membership shall be held in conjunction with the Arkansas Championship. The president shall schedule this at least 30 minutes prior to the first Sunday round of the Arkansas Championship, with advance notice published in the ACA newsletter.

8.        The Executive Board may call special General Membership Meetings upon two weeks notice. On matter requiring immediate attention and the meeting notice requirement isn’t feasible, the President shall have the flexibility of polling the full board individually by telephone or by conference call with results reported to the secretary and logged for future reference.

9.        Ten members shall constitute a quorum at general membership meetings. 

Article VII – Amendments 

These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote at a General Membership Meeting, provided that the proposed amendment has been printed in the Association’s publication at least two weeks before the meeting, except that any proposal not specifically included in the advance agenda shall require a two-thirds majority vote to pass. 

Article VIII – Repealer and Effective Date 

These Bylaws take effect immediately upon adoption by the membership. All previous Bylaws are rescinded when these Bylaws take effect. If the adoption of these Bylaws results in a change in the makeup of the Executive Board, that change will take effect with the next election for that position. 

Article IX – Sundry Bylaws 

1.    No member shall receive compensation from the Association except for reimbursement of reasonable approved expenses.

2.    The President shall have the option to vote only to break a tie.