BYLAWS OVERVIEW
The Club was founded by Mrs. Talmadge E. Coffey in 1951. The Club flower is the Coconut Palm Spathe.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The objective of the Club is to encourage good gardening; to strive for excellence in the practice of horticulture; to encourage development of talent in artistic design and to stimulate interest in our environment and ecology.
COCONUT GROVE GARDEN CLUB BYLAWS, (Revised November 2021)
ARTICLE I:
Membership
1. Active Members - Limited to fifty (50). Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in maintaining and improving their environmental surroundings and who is willing to share in the work of the Club and in promoting the purposes of the Club. Membership shall not be denied on the basis of race, religion, country of origin, gender or political beliefs.
New members will be accepted into the Coconut Grove Garden Club, should vacancies occur, between April 1st and the October meeting. All Active Members are required to attend a minimum of four (4) out of eight (8) regular meetings a year, act as a host/hostess or co-host/co-hostess, and actively serve on at least one (1) committee. Members are responsible for emailing the respective Committee Chair when volunteering at an event to document their participation. Regular meetings are held September, October, November, January, February, March, April and May. December is our holiday party and is not counted as a regular meeting.
2. Associate Members - Limited to thirty-five (35). An Active Member, defined as having met all the requirements of Article I, Section 1, must have been a Member in good standing for at least five (5) years before becoming an Associate Member and must notify the Membership Chair in writing of their desire for this change in status to be approved. An Associate Member shall not be required to take an active part in the affairs of the Club but shall enjoy all the privileges of the Club. Under exigent circumstances, a majority of the Executive Board may approve the service of an Associate Member as an officer. The Associate so serving retains Associate membership status, accepts and complies with requirements for Active membership.
3. Honorary/Life Members - Honorary/Life membership shall be extended as recognition to a person whose outstanding contributions have furthered the aims of the Coconut Grove Garden Club. A member receiving this honor must be nominated by the Membership Committee chair and voted on by the Board. Honorary/Life members are encouraged, but not committed to serve. After five (5) years of no participation and or correspondence, an Honorary/Life Member will be contacted to confirm if they wish to hold membership in the Club.
ARTICLE II:
Membership Proposals and Resignations and Code of Conduct
1. A member of any membership category may propose a candidate for membership providing that the proposing member has been a member for at least one (1) year.
2. Once the proposed candidate has been accepted into the Club, the proposing member is to act as a mentor to the new member for their first year of membership.
3. The Membership Chair will work with the sponsor to facilitate the new member’s successful incorporation into the Club.
4. Members may sponsor no more than one (1) new member per year.
5. Resignation from the Club must be made in writing to the Membership Chair and the President.
6. The rules of conduct at all club meetings and sanctioned events shall be in accordance with our culture of friendship and encouragement in accordance with our objectives.
ARTICLE III:
Dues
1. Active Members - The annual dues for Active Members shall be $130.00 (one hundred thirty dollars) payable by April 1st. Any member whose dues are not received by April 1st will be considered in arrears. This may result in being waitlisted for admittance to Active membership.
2. Associate Members - The annual dues for an Associate Member shall be $160 (one hundred sixty dollars) payable by April 1st. Any member whose dues are not received by April 1st will be considered in arrears.
3. Honorary/ Life Members - An Honorary Life Member shall not pay dues.
ARTICLE IV:
Officers
The Officers of the Club shall serve a two-year term (See Article VI, #2). Terms shall alternate with the first term being the office of President, 2nd Vice President (Membership), Recording Secretary.
Second Term alternate Board is 1st Vice President (Programs), ByLaws/Parliamentarian, and Treasurer.
The Officers shall be a President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, 3rd Vice-President, a Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Bylaws Parliamentarian. The office of Third Vice-President shall always be filled by the immediate past President. These Officers shall constitute the Executive Board.
ARTICLE V:
Duties of Officers
1. Qualifications to run for the office of President include having held an Executive Board position or demonstrating significant leadership skills (for example: Chairing the Holiday Party or Kampong Luncheon). The President shall preside at all meetings and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall appoint all Chairs of Standing and Special Committees. The President shall call Board Meetings.
2. The Vice-Presidents shall, in the absence of the President, perform all duties of the President as well as:
a. First Vice-President: Program Chair: Plans in advance all programs for meetings throughout the year. Shall be prepared to greet and introduce the guest speaker and provide all arrangements required. This office may be held by Co-First Vice-Presidents due to the extensive nature of the duties.
b. Second Vice-President: Chairs the Membership Committee and shall oversee membership responsibilities of the Club including appointing the chair of the Nominating Committee.
c. Third Vice-President: Immediate past President shall conduct the orientation program for new members.
3. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and reports of the Club.
4. The Corresponding Secretary shall send communications to fellow members in consultation with the president.
5. The Treasurer researches and provides recommendations to the Board of Directors for donations to the community and the allocation of funds for Club projects and other expenditures and shall propose an annual budget for the coming year to be approved by the Executive Board prior to presentation for approval by the General Membership at the September meeting. The Treasurer is responsible for collecting all dues. The Treasurer maintains records of all financial matters, including expenditures and collections and submits a monthly status report to the Board and at the general Membership meeting. The Treasurer also is responsible for making all payments.
6. The Bylaws Chair reviews and proposes revisions to the Bylaws subject to approval by the Executive Board.
7. The Membership Chair oversees membership responsibilities of the Club including: maintaining membership status records, introducing new members, helping them assimilate into the work of the Club, maintaining name tags and keeping the membership file up to date. The Membership Chair shall keep a list of all members of the Club and remind members of delinquencies in attendance. The Membership Chair also appoints the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
8. No member may serve in the capacity of President, one of the three Vice-President positions, Recording Secretary, or Corresponding Secretary for more than two consecutive terms. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the President plus a majority vote of the Executive Board.
9. No Officers of the Executive Board may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same position.
ARTICLE VI:
Nominations and Elections
1. A Nominating Committee shall propose the slate of officers for the following year. The Nominating Committee shall be chosen each year and shall consist of three (3) members of the Club, who have not served on the Nominating Committee for the prior two (2) years and have been Active Members for a minimum of two (2) years. The Chair of the Membership Committee shall appoint the Chair of the Nominating Committee. The other two (2) members shall be nominated by the Chair of the Committee and voted on at the February General Membership Meeting.
2. The Nominating Committee shall report their slate in writing at the March Board Meeting, and the March General Membership Meeting. An election of officers shall be held at the April meeting.
3. At the March General Membership Meeting, each Officer shall be proposed for a two -year term. Even years are term of the President, Second Vice-President (Membership Chair) and Recording Secretary. Odd years shall be the First Vice-President (Programs), Treasurer, Bylaws Parliamentarian and Corresponding Secretary. Nominations from the floor may be permitted at both March and April meetings. Consent of all nominees must have previously been obtained. The election shall be held at the April meeting. When there are no nominations from the floor or only one candidate, elections shall be by acclamation. If there is more than one candidate, election shall be by ballot. A majority vote shall constitute an election, provided there is a quorum.
4. Installation of Officers shall take place at the May meeting every year.
5. In the event that a vacancy occurs in any of the elected offices of the club, with the exception of the office of the President, the vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the term by action of the Executive Board. If a vacancy occurs during the Club year in the office of the President, the First Vice-President shall succeed to the office.
ARTICLE VII:
Meetings
1. The General Membership Meetings of the Club shall be on the second Thursday of each month unless voted otherwise.
2. Special Meetings shall be called at the discretion of the President.
3. Meetings are defined as both the business portion and program portion of the meeting. The Holiday Party is not considered a meeting for attendance requirements. These meetings shall occur monthly from September through May. The May meeting shall be the Annual Meeting.
4. Quorums:
a. General Membership Meetings: Fifty-one percent of the active membership shall constitute a quorum.
b. Special Meetings: Special Meetings called at the President's discretion. Fifty-one percent of active membership shall constitute a quorum.
c. Board Meetings: The Board consists of the Executive Board (the Elected Officers), whose attendance is required, and Chairpersons of Standing Committees, who are invited by the President. Voting privileges are limited to the Executive Board, and five Officers constitute a quorum.
5. Order of Business: The Order of Business of General Membership Meetings shall be: Approval of the Minutes; Treasurer’s report; Corresponding Secretary’s report; Standing Committee reports; Old Business; New Business; Program. The program can precede or follow the business meeting at the discretion of the Program Chair.
6. Authority - Parliamentary procedure shall follow Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.
ARTICLE VIII:
Standing Committees
There shall be as many Standing Committees as deemed necessary to carry on the work of the Club. The President may appoint Special Committees as needed throughout the year. The Chair of each Committee may select other Committee members.
Standing Committees' Descriptions:
Civic/Scholarship Committee: Responsible for selection of a college bound student in the Coconut Grove Community who is preparing to study Botany, Biology or Environmental Studies. The Committee evaluates the students academic standing and civic contributions in this selection.
Community Projects: Responsible for acting as a liaison to other organizations in the community with a mission similar to ours.
Conservation Committee: Works with organizations to promote native gardening plans.
Photography: Photographs and documents events.
Historian: Helps preserve and be knowledgeable about the Club’s history. Writes an outline of previous year’s activities of the club for next year’s Historical records.
Horticulture: Responsible for answering questions pertaining to the identity and culture of plants at Club meetings.
Hospitality: Assures and organizes the refreshments at the meetings. Schedules hosts and hostesses.
Yearbook: Responsible for obtaining information from the Program, Hospitality, and Membership Committees to compile and print a Yearbook. This should be ready for distribution to the members at the September meeting.
Media: Maintains the Club website and all social media
Member Highlights: Highlights a mystery member at General Membership Meetings.
Conservation Committee: Works with organizations to promote native gardening plans.
2. Reports of Committee Chairs:
All Committee Chairs shall submit a brief written report to the Recording Secretary at the annual meeting in May to be placed on file.
ARTICLE IX:
Expenditures
Expenses that exceed the pre-approved budgetary allocation of $150 (one hundred and fifty dollars) require the approval of the Committee Chair and a majority of the Board.
Checks in the amount of $500 (five hundred dollars) or more, issued to cover expenses not included in the annual budget, must be approved by the President.
There will be no refunds issued to members who have paid for events and do not attend, or for dues paid.
ARTICLE X:
Amendments
A quorum of the Executive Board has the authority to declare an emergency. Examples include, but are not limited to, impending hurricanes, earthquakes or epidemics. Once the declaration of emergency is so made, the Executive Board must take any action they see fit in the best interest of the club.
The Bylaws may be amended at any Board of Directors' Meeting, provided there is a quorum. An approval by a two-thirds vote of the entire Executive Board is required.
Bylaws Updated and Approved by the Executive Board, June, 2024