Club’s Bylaws

BY-LAWS OF THE
ORANGE COAST RADIO CONTROL CLUB INCORPORATED
A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION

Article I – Purposes and Powers

Section 1:

The name of the corporation is Orange Coast Radio Control Club, Incorporated, a California Corporation, hereafter referred to as the “club”.

Section 2:

The purposes for which this club is formed are:

a. The specific and primary purposes are to provide an educational and social environment with coordination and guidance in the recreational activity of building and flying radio controlled model airplanes.
b. The general purposes and powers are to have and exercise all rights and powers conferred on non-profit corporations under the laws of California, including the power to contract, rent, buy, or sell personal or real property; provided, however, that this club shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities with the intention of making a profit.
c. Notwithstanding any of the above statements of purpose and powers, this club shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any other activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the primary purposes of this club.

Section 3:

This club is organized pursuant to the General Non-profit Corporation Law of the State of California, including, but not limited to, Part I of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporation’s Code of the State of California and Section 23701g of the California Taxation and Revenue Code and Section 501(c) (7) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof and it is organized for non-profit purposes.
Section 4:

The county of this state where the principal office for the transition of business of the club is Orange County, California.

Article II – Annual Meeting

Section 1:

The annual meeting shall be held concurrently with the regular meeting of the membership in January of each year.

Section 2:

At the annual meeting, the new Board and Officers shall take office. Other business may be transacted that is with in the powers of the club.
Section 3:

Notice of the annual meeting of the members shall be given in writing not less than twenty (20) days before the meeting to the members in good standing by the secretary of the club by electronic means, if available, or by mail, using the addresses appearing on the records of the club. Such notice shall specify the purpose of the meeting and the date, place, and time of the meeting.

Article III – Special Meetings

Section 1:

Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by the President, by the Board of Directors, or by three or more members in good standing.
Section 2:

Notice of all special meetings of the members shall be given in writing not less than twenty (20) days before the meeting to the members in good standing by the secretary of the club by electronic means, if available, or by mail, using the addresses appearing on the records of the club. Such notice shall specify the purpose of the meeting and the date, place, and time of the meeting.
Section 3:

Special meetings may cover only items listed in the notification for the special meeting.

Article IV – Business Meetings

Section 1:

A business meeting shall generally be held by the Board of Directors once each month. Such meetings may be attended by any member in good standing. Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the President, or any two (2) Directors. At least five days advance notice shall be given to all directors, stating the time and place thereof. Every act or decision done or made by a simple majority of the total number of directors at any meeting duly called as set forth herein, is the act of the Board of Directors.

Article V – Regular Meetings

Section 1:

The meeting of the membership shall generally be held once each month. Such meetings may be attended by any member in good standing. At least five (5) days advance notice shall be given to the members in good standing, stating the time and place thereof.

Article VI – Voting

Section 1:

The annual election of Board members shall be by electronic means or written ballot postmarked no later than the first Monday of November. The six Regular members and the one Junior member with the highest vote totals shall be seated on the Board.

Section 2:

Each member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote.

Section 3:

Each director shall be entitled to one vote at any meeting.

Article VII – Quorum

Section 1:

A quorum for a special meeting with non-electronic or mail in ballots is defined as a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting membership of the Club. Business at a General Meeting may not be conducted unless a quorum is present and at least two (2) elected directors are present.

Section 2:

A quorum for Business Meetings is defined as a minimum of seven (7) Directors. Business at a Business Meeting may not be conducted unless a quorum is present.

Article VIII – Directors

Section 1:

Subject to the limitations of the Articles of Incorporation, of these By-Laws, and of the Corporation Laws of the State of California, as to action that may be authorized or approved by the members, all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under authority of, and the business and affairs of the club shall be controlled by, the Board of Directors.

Section 2:

The authorized number of directors is eleven. This number may be changed by amendment of the By-Laws. One director is designated to be a Junior member.

Section 3:

The Directors for the following year shall be nominated by the General Membership at the Regular Meeting in October of each year. The names shall then be published in the next issue of the club Newsletter. Election of the Board of Directors shall take place via electronic or mail in ballot. All members in good standing are eligible to vote.
Section 4:

The term of office of each director shall be until the next annual meeting or special meeting at which his successor is elected, except for club officers who shall serve on the Board of Directors for a period of (1) year after the end of their term of office.

Section 5:

Vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled by vote of the majority of the remaining directors. A director so chosen must be a member in good standing and shall serve until the next annual meeting or special meeting at which his successor is chosen.

Section 6:

Any Director who misses three consecutive Board Meetings, or a total of six Board Meetings in any calendar year, shall be subject to recall, and replacement per Article VIII, Section 5.

Article IX – Officers

Section 1:

This club shall have as officers a President, Vice President, Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers shall be elected by and from the incoming board of directors. A Director may hold two (2) or more offices, except for director serving a President, who may not hold another office. Each officer shall hold office until his successor is elected. Any officer may be removed by a majority vote of the membership whenever, in their judgment, removal would serve the best interest of the club.

Section 2:

Each of the officers shall perform the duties usually incident to his office such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors or these By-Laws.

Article X – Duties of Officers

Section 1:

President: Shall preside at all meetings of the club and executive board.

Section 2:

Vice President: Shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President and serve as chairman of the Program Committee.

Section 3:

Secretary: Shall keep minutes of all meetings and report thereon at regular meetings and executive board meetings as directed by the presiding club officer. The Secretary shall be responsible for non-financial filings with the state of California and all filings with the AMA and obtain all needed insurance certificates as they are required.

Section 4:

Treasurer: Shall collect all dues and be responsible of all moneys of the club, keep an accurate account of all income and expenditures of the club funds and report thereon at regular meetings directed by the presiding officer. Proof of all expenditures must be kept for a period of seven (7) years. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial filings with the I.R.S. and the State of California.

Article XI – Qualifications for Officers and Directors

Section 1:

Members shall not be eligible for nomination or election as director until they maintain membership in good standing for at least six months.

Article XII – Committees

Section 1:

Committees may be appointed by the President of Board of Directors as necessary.

Section 2:

Committee chairpersons shall be associate members of the Board of Directors, but without voting rights. Committee chairpersons will normally attend business meetings but are not subject to the attendance requirements for directors.

Article XIII – Membership

Section1:

Membership shall be open to persons who are found to be interested in radio controlled airplane building and flying. In accordance with the Federal Equal Opportunity Act, this organization prohibits discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, martial status, age, individuals with disabilities or veterans.

Section 2:

Members in good standing shall be those members whose dues are paid for the club and AMA, according to the records of the treasurer of the club.

Section 3:

Members shall be classified as follows:
a. Open Member: An open member is a club member who has reached his nineteenth birthday as of the first day of July of the current year. An open member in good standing is granted all rights and privileges of the club under these By-laws and the Club’s Operating Procedures.
b. Junior Member: A junior member is a club member who has not yet reached his nineteenth birthday as of the first day of July of the current year. A junior member in good standing is granted all rights and privileges of a regular member.
c. Associate Member: Associate memberships are newsletter recipients. The membership badges of Associate members shall be marked “NON FLYING” and the requirement for concurrent AMA membership shall not apply. Associate Membership does not entitle the bearer to participate in the business of the club.
d. Honorary Member: Honorary memberships may be given by the Board of Directors. These memberships shall be for the fiscal year in which they were granted and shall be free of dues. These memberships do not entitle the bearer to participate in the business of the club and are controlled by other provisions on these By-Laws, relative to club flying activities
Section 4:

Past Presidents shall be given life membership to the club. These memberships shall be free of dues. Participation in club events shall be contingent upon membership in the AMA. A person holding life membership in the club who does not provide evidence of current AMA membership shall revert to “NON FLYING” membership, as provided for in section 3 of this article, free of dues for each year in which evidence of AMA membership is not provided.

Section 5:

The club by a vote of it’s members is affiliated with the national association known as the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), by qualifying under the provisions of the By-Laws of the AMA governing charter clubs. Membership in the club requires concurrent membership in the AMA, except for non-flying members.

Section 6:

In compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Public Law 106-102, regarding collection, storage and use of any non-public information that is obtained during the processing of membership collected from the application or by other methods including but not limited to, telephone, e-mail, or facsimile transmission will not be disclosed to anyone outside the organization without consent of the parties involved. Such information may be disclosed to an affiliate third party (AMA) as permitted by law.

Article XIV – Loss of Membership

Section 1:

Membership in the club may be revoked for any of the following reasons:
a. Non-payment of club and AMA dues.
b. Violation of the provisions of the By-laws, any club rule or agreement duly adopted by the Board and/or membership at large, or conduct not consistent with the principles of decency and good character or detrimental to the best interest of the club and its members.
c. For deliberate misrepresentation of information on the membership application.

Section 2:

Revocation of membership shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors. After investigation of any case presented, it shall require the approval of at least seven (7) members of the Board to revoke membership, except for non-payment of club or AMA dues.

Section 3:

The statement of suspension or expulsion of any club member shall be mailed to said member at least 15 days prior to action being taken, to provide the member the opportunity to attend the Board Meeting in their own defense. Notification shall be by registered mail.

Article XV – Dues and Assessments

Section 1:

Annual Dues

Annual dues shall be established by the Board of Directors and remain in effect until the next change. The Board of Directors may not increase the annual dues more than once a year, or by 50% or more, without the approval of the general membership.
a. Annual dues are due and payable by January 31 of the membership year to coincide with the AMA accounting year. Dues are delinquent if not paid by the regular meeting in February.
b. New membership dues for the months of July, August, and September shall be one-half (1/2) of the annual dues, and shall be one-quarter (1/4) of the annual dues for the month of October. New membership dues for the months of November and December will be the full annual amount and will expire at the end of the next calendar year.

Section 2:

Special assessments may be charged to each member for the acquisition, development, or improvement of a flying site(s). Notification of proposed Special assessments shall be made to the membership not less than sixty (60) days in advance of a vote at a regular or special meeting. Special assessments must be approved by a majority vote of the membership in accordance with Article VI of these By-laws.

Article XVI – Alcoholic Beverages and Controlled Substances

Section 1:

It shall be the policy of this club that drinking of alcoholic beverages or being under the influence of alcohol, or controlled substances, except for legally prescribed drugs and medications, while attending any meeting, program, or flying session shall be considered detrimental to the best interest of the club.

Article XVII – Safety Officer

Section 1:

A Safety Officer shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. Assistant Safety Officers may be appointed by the Board of Directors as required to assist the Safety Officer.

Section 2:

The Safety Officer’s duties, as well as all qualified club marshals, shall include but are not limited to:
a. Pre-flight inspection of new or repaired aircraft, when required.
b. Analysis of causes for any crash, including pilot error, when injury or property damage results.
c. Preparation of Club flying site rules.
d. Enforcement of AMA Safety Code.
e. Denying individual pilots from flying if their conduct or aircraft are not suitable.
f. Supervision of Spectator areas.
g. Supervision of flight line and frequency control.
h. Know the location and shortest route to medical, hospital, police, and fire facilities
i. Review flying field safety rules at a regular meeting once per year.

Article XVIII – Field Marshall

Section1: A Field Marshall shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. Assistant Field Marshalls may be appointed by the Board of Directors as required to assist the Field Marshall.

Section 2:

The Field Marshall’s duties shall include but are not limited to:
a. Supervision of the flying site layout including parking, flight line, pits, etc.
b. Know the location and shortest route to medical, hospital, police, and fire facilities.
c. Supervision of the transmitter impound area.
d. Enforcement of F.C.C. license requirements.
e. Enforcement of sound emission standards and flying field regulations.

Article XIX – F.C.C. License

Section 1:

All members must have a valid F.C.C. license if operating radio transmitters on the 6-meter band or other frequencies where such a license is required. Members must carry the license with them at all flying activities and show it upon request by authorized field monitors.

Article XX – Guests

Section 1:

All members are welcome to bring guests to any regular meeting and to bring guests to any regular club flying activity. Guests may not vote or transact club business, but may be invited to participate in flying activities when appropriate and the guest is otherwise qualified to participate in the activity, including membership in the AMA.

Article XXI – Insurance

Section 1:

All members are required to be AMA members and thus have AMA personal liability insurance. The club shall secure and maintain AMA liability insurance on the club meeting site and on club sponsored activity sites.

Article XXII – Newsletter

Section 1:

The club shall publish a newsletter to inform the members of the past and future club activities and to provide information of general interest to the club. The newsletter shall be published once a month.

Section 2:

The newsletter shall have as its primary purpose:
a. To inform the members of the club activities including the place, time, and purpose of any club activity and the results of such activity.
b. To inform members of business conducted at the regular and special meetings by publishing condensed minutes of the meetings. In this capacity, the newsletter may replace the reading of the minutes at the meetings.
c. To inform all recipients of the newsletter of club affairs which are of current interest (both official and unofficial) or which may serve to promote club welfare.

Section 3:

The newsletter shall have as its secondary purpose:
a. The dissemination of club information to “friends of the club” and to model or other club publications approved by the Board of Directors.
b. The publication of technical articles that are considered to be of general interest to the club, but which are not generally available.

Article XXIII – Dedication and Dissolution

Section 1:

The property of this club is irrevocable dedicated to recreational club purposes and no part of the net income or assets of this organization shall ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer, or member thereof or to the benefit of private persons.

Section 2:

On the dissolution or winding up of this club, its assets remaining after payment of, or provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of this corporation club, shall be distributed to a non-profit fund, foundation, or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for recreational purposes and which has established its tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 23701g of the California Taxation and Revenue Code.

Section 3:

If this club holds any assets on trust, or the club is formed for charitable purposes, such assets shall be disposed of in such a manner as may be directed by decree of the superior court of the county in which the club has its principal office, or petition therefore by the Attorney General of California or by any person concerned in the liquidation in a proceeding to which the Attorney General is a party.

Article XXIV – Amendment of the By-Laws

Section 1:

The By-laws may be changed at any regular or special meeting by two-thirds vote of attending members in good standing constituting a quorum or by a simple majority of electronic and mail in ballots received by a designated date. All members are to be notified of the proposed changes in writing at least twenty (20) days prior to the meeting.

Article XXV – Standing Rules

Section 1:

The club may create written standing rules that govern the day-to-day operation of
The club and its flying site as required. Adoption or changing of standing rules shall be by a simple majority vote of electronic and mail in ballots of members in good standing.

Article XXVI – Flying Site

Section 1:

Members shall follow all procedural, safety, and sound control regulations in force at the club flying site.

Section 2:

Members are subject to verification of compliance of their aircraft to the established sound emission regulations and shall allow their aircraft’s sound emissions to be measured when requested by the club field marshal or other duly empowered individual.

Section 3:

Failure to adhere to the procedural, safety, and sound emission standards can, and will result in the following disciplinary actions:
First Offense: A written warning. Second Offense: A fine of $25.00 payable to the club. Failure to pay fine within thirty days will result in dismissal from the club.

Article XXVII – Chartering Bodies

Section 1:

The club shall be an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered club.

Section 2:

All members of the club, except Associate and Honorary members, shall also be members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

Section 3:

The club may additionally seek charters from other organizations but mandatory membership in any additional chartering organization by individual members shall not be required.

Revised September 16, 2013