Reno Silver Blades Fencing Club Bylaws
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PRINCIPAL LOCATION
Section 1. The name of the organization shall be the Reno Silver Blades, Inc., hereafter
referred to as "the Club."
Section 2. The principal location of the Club shall be Reno, Nevada.
ARTICLE II: DEFINITIONS
Section 1. "Fencing" shall refer to the sport of fencing, as defined by the United States
Fencing Association (USFA) and the Fédération International d'Escrime (FIE).
Section 2. "Notification in writing" or "notice in writing" will constitute any written
notification that is delivered by one or more of several methods including, but not limited to: hand delivery, electronic mail, or postal mail.
Section 3. "Notification" or "notice" (sans "in writing") will constitute any notification,
written or unwritten, delivered by one or more of several methods, including, but not limited to: notification in writing as outlined in Section 1, posting of written notification in a public area, posting of written notification on a website administered by the Club, verbal communication.
Section 4. "The General Body of the Club" shall be the entire membership of the Club,
including all Junior and Senior members in good standing, as outlined in Article V, Section 2.
Section 5. "The Academy" shall refer to the Reno Silver Blades Fencing Academy, the
facility at 2450 Valley Road, leased by the Club, and operated by the Executive Committee of the Club.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of the Club shall be to practice, promote, and assist in the
development and advancement of the sport of fencing in the greater Reno area.
ARTICLE IV: PROPERTY
Section 1. The Club may rent, lease, or own any real or personal property necessary to
further its purpose as stated in Article II.
Section 2. The Club may enter into an agreement with any private or public entity to operate
and manage any facility so long as it is consistent with the purpose of the Club, as stated in Article II.
ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP AND PRIVILEGES
Section 1. Membership in the Club is open to anyone who is interested in the sport of
fencing. Page 2 of 6
Section 2. Senior members of the Club shall be those members who are over the age of 16
and who have paid their dues, as outlined in Article X. Junior members of the Club shall be those who are under the age of 18 and who have paid their dues, as outlined in Article IX.
Section 3. Senior and Junior members of the Club shall have one vote apiece during
meetings of the General Body of the Club. Junior members of the Club shall not be allowed to cast votes at meetings of the General Body of the Club. The votes of Junior members shall be cast, by proxy, by a parent or legal guardian.
Section 4. All privileges of Club membership, with the exception of enfranchisement, shall
be held equally by all members of the Club, both Junior and Senior.
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
Section 1. The Club officers shall be as follows:
A. President
B. Vice President
C. Secretary
D. Treasurer
E. Events Coordinator
Section 2. The duties of the Club Officers shall be as follows:
A. President. The President shall perform the following duties:
1. Preside over all Club functions as chair.
2. Oversee all of the Club's financial matters, except expenditures of greater than
$500, which must be approved by the general membership of the Club.
3. Act as liaison between the Club and other organizations, including, but not limited
to, business associations, the USFA, and other fencing organizations.
4. Supervise the day-to-day operations of the Club. As long as the Club maintains the
Academy, this shall include supervision of the day-to-day operation of the Academy.
5. Assist other Officers in the performance of their duties.
B. Vice President. The Vice President shall perform the following duties:
1. Assume any and all duties of the President should the President be unable to
perform those duties for any reason.
2. Assume other duties, as delegated by the President.
3. Assist other Officers in the performance of their duties.
C. Secretary. The Secretary shall perform the following duties:
1. Take the minutes of all meetings of the General Body of the Club, and provide the
General Body of the Club with access to those minutes within 14 days of any such meeting. Page 3 of 6
2. Take the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, provide the General
Body of the Club with access to those minutes within 10 days of any such meeting, in accordance with Article VIII, Section 3.
3. Maintain an up-to-date roster of Club Members, including contact information.
This list is to be distributed to the General Membership of the Club no less than once every calendar year.
4. Correspond with Club Members regarding Club Business.
5. Assume other duties, as delegated by the President.
D. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall perform the following duties:
1. Collect and disburse monies under the supervision of the President and the
Executive Committee.
2. Maintain up-to-date financial records for the Club, and publish monthly finance
reports in a public manner each month.
3. Assume other duties, as delegated by the President.
E. Events Coordinator. The Events Coordinator shall perform the following duties:
1. Schedule and advertise events in the Reno area. These events should include, but
are not limited to: fencing tournaments, holiday parties, and social events.
2. Ensure that local events are properly manned or staffed. This may include, but is
not limited to: arranging for referees, organizing a bout committee, and renting venues.
3. Coordinate transportation to, and lodgings for, events held in other cities.
4. Assume other duties, as delegated by the President.
F. Officer of the Watch. Each Club Officer shall be required to serve as Officer of the
Watch one weeknight each week. The watch schedule shall be determined by the Executive Committee. The responsibilities of the Officer of the Watch are as follows:
1. Open the Academy no later than 5:00 PM and close the Academy no earlier than 9:00 PM.
2. Ensure that all persons on the premises of the Academy are acting in a safe manner.
This includes, but is not limited to: ensuring that all fencers are wearing appropriate equipment, ensuring that all fencers are fencing in a safe and respectful manner, maintaining the cleanliness of the Academy, and ensuring that unsafe Club equipment is removed from accessible equipment racks, and either repaired or discarded.
3. Enforce Club policies with regards to fee schedules.
4. Interact with the public. This includes, but is not limited to: answering the phone
and taking messages; greeting drop-ins and explaining Club policies, fee schedules, and class schedules; and generally acting as host for the evening.
5. Otherwise ensure that the Academy functions normally during their watch.
6. Article VI, Section 2.F shall not apply if the Club does not maintain a lease on the
Academy. Page 4 of 6
ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS AND PROCEDURES
Section 1. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting in May, as described in Article
VIII, Section 3. Officers shall serve a term of one "fencing year," commencing on 1 August and ending 31 July of the following year.
Section 2. Only the officers, or their duly appointed representatives, are authorized to
conduct any business in the name of the Club, relevant to the purpose of the Club as stated in Article III.
Section 3. Any Senior member who will be over the age of 18, and will have been a member
of the Club for 6 or more months at the commencement of their term, may be nominated to the position of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Events Coordinator. Any Senior member who will be over the age of 18, and will have been a member of the Club for one year or more at the commencement of their term, may be nominated for the position of President.
Section 4. No person may hold more than one office concurrently.
Section 5. If a quorum has been established as described in Article IX, Section 6, nominees
may be elected by a simple majority.
ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be a standing committee consisting of the
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Events Coordinator. The Executive Committee shall be presided over by the President. All members of the Executive Committee shall have one vote apiece during meetings of the Executive Committee. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of all members of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open to the General Membership of
the Club. General Members of the Club shall not cast ballots during Meetings of the Executive Committee.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall hold a regular meeting once every calendar
month. The last order of business at each meeting of the Executive Committee shall be to schedule the next meeting of the Executive Committee. The general membership of the Club shall be notified in writing of next meeting of the Executive Committee, and minutes of the last meeting shall be made available, no more than 10 days after the last meeting.
Section 4. Any member of the Executive Committee may call an unscheduled meeting of the
Executive Committee by notifying the other members of the Executive Committee and the General Membership of the Club no less than 10 days before unscheduled meeting. Minutes of unscheduled meetings must be made available no more than 10 days after the meeting. Page 5 of 6
Section 5. The Executive Committee may hold emergency meetings, without notifying the
General Body of the Club, with the unanimous consent of the members of the Executive Committee. Minutes of an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee must be made available no more than 5 days after the meeting.
Section 6. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for routine operation of the Club.
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for scheduling meetings of the General Body of the Club, as outlined in Article IX.
Section 7. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for maintaining and managing
Club property. The Executive Committee may levy reasonable fees in order to maintain and manage Club property.
Section 8. The Executive Committee shall create and dissolve ad hoc committees as it sees
fit. The Executive Committee shall appoint members to newly created committees. The rules governing ad hoc committees shall be determined by the Executive Committee at the time of creation.
ARTICLE IX: MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL BODY OF THE CLUB
Section 1. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the General Body of the
Club.
Section 2. Regular meetings of the General Body of the Club shall be held each quarter. The
first quarter meeting shall be held in August, September, or October; the second quarter meeting in November, December, or January; the third quarter meeting in February, March, or April; and the fourth quarter meeting in May, June, or July. Members of the Club must be notified in writing of the time, place, and agenda of regular meetings no less than 30 days before the meeting is to occur.
Section 3. An annual meeting of the General Body of the Club shall be held each May to
elect new Club officers. This meeting may be combined with the fourth quarter regular meeting, as outlined in Article IX, Section 2.
Section 4. The Executive Committee may call a special meeting of the General Body of the
Club by unanimous consent of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee must give notification in writing of the time, place, and agenda of a special meeting of the General Body of the Club no less than 10 days before the special meeting is to occur.
Section 5. Any member of the Club may request a special meeting of the General Body of
the Club by presenting a petition that has been signed by at least 33% of the current membership to the Executive Committee. Upon receipt of such a petition, the Executive Committee must call a special meeting of the General Body of the Club, to occur no more than 30 days after receipt of the petition. Notification in writing of the time and place of the special meeting must be made by the Executive Committee no less than 10 days prior to the special meeting. Page 6 of 6
Section 6. For the purposes of regular, annual, and special meetings of the General Body of
the Club, 33% of the Club's membership must be present to establish a quorum.
Section 7. Any member of the Club may designate any Senior member of the Club as their
proxy at any regular, annual, or special meeting of the General Body of the Club. This proxy must be in writing, and a copy given to the Executive Committee at or before any meeting of the General Body of the Club.
Section 8. If a quorum has been established as outlined in Article IX, Section 6, a motion
may be passed by a simple majority. Voting shall take place by voice vote. Any member present may request that voting be conducted by some other method, including, but not limited to: show of hands, open ballot, secret ballot.
ARTICLE X: CLUB DUES
Section 1. The Club may choose to levy dues as it sees fit. The Club may choose to collect
dues annually, monthly, or not at all.
Section 2. The Club's dues and collection intervals shall be determined by the Executive
Committee. Upon amending the Club's dues or collection intervals, the Executive Committee must call a special meeting of the General Body of the Club, as described in Article IX, Section 4. If a quorum has been established as outlined in Article IX, Section 6, the General Body of the Club may veto the dues amendment by a 2/3 majority of those present. If a quorum is not met, or dues amendments are not vetoed, dues amendments shall go into effect no less than 30 days after this special meeting.
ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Section 1. Proposed amendments to these bylaws must be submitted to the Executive
Committee in writing no less than 10 days before a regular meeting of the General Body of the Club.
Section 2. If a quorum has been established as described in Article IX, Section 6, bylaw
amendments may be ratified by a 2/3 majority of the members present or proxied at a regular meeting of the General Body of the Club.
ARTICLE XII: RATIFICATION BYLAWS
Section 1. These bylaws must be ratified by 2/3 of the current membership of the Club.
Votes for or against these bylaws must be in writing. Votes may be submitted at the meeting of the General Body of the Club scheduled for 13 July 2006, or may be hand delivered to any member of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. If ratified, these bylaws will go into effect 1 August 2006.