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Roanoke Valley Garden Club
RVGC Organizational Information

BYLAWS
ROANOKE VALLEY GARDEN CLUB
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the ROANOKE VALLEY GARDEN CLUB, hereinafter sometimes called the Club

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Club shall be to promote gardening among amateurs, to protect the environment, to encourage conservation of natural resources, to promote civic planning and planting, to stimulate interest in artistic design of plant material, and to aid in the preservation and restoration of historic gardens in Virginia.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership shall be by invitation only from the Roanoke Valley Garden Club.
Section 2. Classes of Membership. There shall be three classes of membership: Active, Associate, and Honorary.
a. Active members shall be required to participate in Club-sponsored activities, to attend the monthly meetings regularly, and to remit the annual dues promptly. Maximum active membership will not exceed seventy (70).
b. Associate members are those members who have given at least 10 years of valuable service to the Club and now find that they are unable to fulfill the requirements of active membership. Associate members may enjoy privileges of the Club, except voting, holding office, and proposing or seconding new members. This classification shall be unlimited in number. Associate members shall not be eligible for reinstatement to active membership. Associate Members must pay full dues.

c. Honorary members are those persons whom the Club wishes to honor, either for services to the Club or for other outstanding achievements and shall pay no dues.
Section 3. Changes in membership. All requests for resignation or associate status shall be made in writing by February first to the Chairman of the Membership Committee to be effective June first of the Club year. These changes shall be voted on by the membership after approval by the Board. A member may request a leave-of-absence, not to exceed one year, at any time during the club year. This may be granted by the President at her discretion.
a. A member may resign in good standing upon giving written notice of her intent to the Chairman of the Membership Committee by February first. She shall be responsible for payment of dues for the current year and her resignation will become effective June first. In addition, all membership requirements and committee responsibilities must be met for the current Club year.
b. Any active member who has resigned in good standing may be reinstated to active membership by applying in writing to the Membership Chairman and shall automatically fill the next vacancy. A member reinstated to active membership may not hold office or propose members for two years following her reinstatement.
Section 4. Residency Requirement. Active members must meet the residency requirement: live full-time within the Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, or counties adjacent to Roanoke County.

ARTICLE IV. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1. Election of New Members.
a. Active members, provided they have been members of the Club for three years, may propose or second one name during the Admissions year.
b. One questionnaire (furnished by the Membership Committee) to establish eligibility for membership must be filled out by the proposer , signed by both the proposer and seconder and sent to the Chairman of the Membership Committee.
c. A Candidate is selected by unanimous vote of the Membership Committee. The proposed new members' names shall then be voted upon by the Board by ballot and selected by a majority.
d. Those names so chosen by the Board shall then be voted upon by ballot by the membership and selected by a majority.

e. A member of the Executive Committee shall not propose or second any nomination for membership.

Section 2. A candidate's name shall be before the Membership Committee for one Admission year (April 1 - March 31). A candidate may only be proposed three Admission years, and each year the proposer and seconder must employ the above procedure to submit the candidate's name.
Section 3. Proposals for honorary membership shall be made in writing by proposer and seconder and presented to the Chairman of the Membership Committee.

ARTICLE V. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of five active members of the Club, one of whom shall be the immediate Past President. All of these members shall serve a two-year term.
Section 2. The President, Second Vice-President, and the Corresponding Secretary shall be elected on years alternating with the elections of the first Vice-President, the Recording Secretary and the Treasurer. (President, Second Vice-President, Corresponding Secretary on even years. First Vice-President, Recording Secretary and Treasurer on odd years.)
Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers for all vacancies and Garden Week Chairman. This slate, with prior Board approval, shall be presented at the February meeting and voted on at the March meeting. All candidates must have been active members of the Club for at least three years. These officers shall assume their duties at the end of the annual meeting.
a. Terms of office shall be for two years.
b. No elected officer, with the exception of the treasurer, who may be re-elected for an additional two year term, shall hold the same office for more than two successive years, but is eligible for reselection after an interim of at least one year.
c. Vacancies occurring in office during the year shall be filled by the Nominating Committee.


ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings and shall present at the annual meeting a report of the work of the Club during the year. She shall appoint all committee chairmen, except those elected by the membership. She shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except those of Membership and Nominating. She represents the Club at the Garden Club of Virginia meetings.
Section 2. The first Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in her absence. She shall be Chairman of the Membership Committee.
Section 3. The Second Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President during the absence of the President and the First Vice-President. She serves as Program Chairman.
Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Club, the Board and the Executive Committee, and be responsible for the roll.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the official correspondence of the Club, including notification of election to new members. She sends notices of all membership meetings and notifies the Board of called meetings.
Section 6. The Treasurer receives and disburses all funds of the Club and keeps accurate records thereof. She submits a written report, copies of which are filed with the minutes at each meeting of the Club. She gives a final itemized annual report and serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee.

ARTICLE VII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Board of Directors, sometimes referred to in these bylaws as the Board, shall be composed of the Officers of the Club and the Chairmen of the Standing Committees and shall conduct the general business of the Club
a. The Board is subject to call by the President, Chairmen of Special Committees may sit ex-officio on the Board.
b. The Board shall review the policies and procedures of the committees when the President takes office.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall be composed of officers of the Club who are empowered to transact any current business of the Club, not involving a change in policy. This Committee may act for the Board in emergencies and shall review the membership status annually.

ARTICLE VIII. COMMMITTEES
Section 1. The President-elect shall appoint the following Standing Committee Chairmen:
a. Conservation and Beautification
b. Exhibits and Flower Shows
c. Horticulture
d. Hospitality
e. Public Relations
f. Virginia Museum of Transportation
g. Representatives to the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs
h. Ways and Means
i. Communication and Historian
j. GCV Awards

NOTE: Each member must serve on at least one of the following committees: Horticulture, Conservation, Exhibits and Flower Shows, Ways and Means, Transportation Museum. Each of the chairmen of the aforementioned committees shall review with the club president the goals and objectives for each year.



Section 2. Garden Week and Nominating shall also be Standing Committees. The Chairmen shall be slated by the Nominating Committee and voted on by the membership.
a. All Standing Committee Chairmen shall serve a two-year term.
b. The immediate Past President, as Parliamentarian, serves as Chairman of the Bylaws Committee.
c. The Treasurer shall serve as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
d. The First Vice-President shall serve as Chairman of the Membership Committee.
e. The Second Vice-President shall serve as Program Chairman.
Section 3. Special Committees may be authorized at the discretion of the President, with the approval of the Board.

ARTICLE IX. DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. The bylaws Committee shall supervise and propose such changes as may seem necessary for the bylaws.
Section 2. The Conservation and Beautification Committee shall educate the membership on conservation issues and foster environmental preservation and beautification.
Section 3. The Exhibits and Flower Shows Committee shall plan all exhibits and flower shows held within the Club and shall encourage Club members to enter exhibits and flower shows outside the Club, as well as our in-club flower shows. They shall also encourage members to enter and exhibit at all Garden Club of Virginia flower shows. Attendance at GCV Flower Shows is strongly encouraged.
Section 4. The Finance Committee shall prepare an annual budget.
Section 5. The Garden Week Committee shall be responsible for all phases of Historic Garden Week.
Section 6. As Chairman of the Historical Committee, the Historian shall preserve all Club records, photos, slides, and scrapbooks. She shall submit a report every two years to the Historian of the Garden Club of Virginia.


Section 7. The Ways and Means Committee shall be responsible for all fundraising activities and oversee such endeavors, not limited to, but including Plant and Pantry and Holiday House.
Section 8. The Horticulture Committee shall be responsible for preparing the horticulture exhibit for the Annual Meeting and the Board of Governors Meeting with guidelines being provided by GCV. This committee will also schedule members to attend GCV horticulture events. The chairmen of this committee are to be available for identification of plant materials, will encourage members to bring specimens to monthly meetings and to enter horticulture exhibits at GCV flower shows, and send a delegation to GCV events.
Section 9. The Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for planning all aspects of the Christmas party held biennially. They are also responsible for luncheon served to the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs upon advance notice. They are responsible for hosting the President of The Garden Club of Virginia and planning a luncheon for the combined club meeting when it is our turn every 4th year. (We co-host this meeting with Mill Mountain Garden Club, therefore we rotate the planning of this meeting with them and we are responsible for this event once every four years.)
The Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for assembling and distributing Veteran's gift bags in December.
Section 10. The Membership Committee, composed of the Officers with the exception of the President, shall consider all changes in membership status except leaves-of-absence. They shall also consider the eligibility of proposed new members according to provisions set forth in Article IV.
Section 11. The Nominating Committee shall consist of five members serving one (1) two year term. The Nominating Committee shall slate a chairman and one member one year, and two members the following year. The immediate Past President shall serve one term. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers to fill all vacancies including Garden Week Chairman (to be selected every two years on odd years), the slate to be presented, with proper Board approval, at the February meeting and voted on at the March meeting.
Section 12. Communication and Historical Committee shall release all news items as authorized by the President, and shall send all pertinent items to the Chairman of Public Relations of the Garden Club of Virginia. They shall also maintain all club records, photos, slides and scrapbooks. A report shall be submitted to the GCV Historian every two years.
Section 13. The Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs Committee shall regularly be represented at the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs' meetings, and shall serve as liaison between the Council and the Club.


Section 14. The Virginia Museum of Transportation Committee shall be responsible for working assigned shifts at the Virginia Museum of Transportation for the purpose of planting and maintaining the plantings of the Club.

ARTICLE X. MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Section 1. Ten monthly meetings shall be held each year.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President and/or Board
Section 3. The annual meeting shall be held in May, unless otherwise designated by the Board.

ARTICLE XI. VOTING PROCEDURES
A quorum shall be 39 active members at a regular business meeting and a majority at a Board meeting and committee meeting. Decisions on business matters of the Club shall require a majority vote of those in attendance at a meeting at which a quorum is present unless otherwise stated in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XII. FINANCE.
Section 1. The fiscal year shall be from June first through May thirty-first.
Section 2. Dues.
The annual assessment for active and associate members shall include dues to the Roanoke Valley Garden Club, the Roanoke Council of Garden Clubs, The Garden Club of Virginia and one ticket to Historic Garden Week
Section 3. If a member has not paid her dues after two notices, her name will be automatically dropped from the membership list.
Section 4. Each active member shall be financially responsible for her share of entertaining the Club.

ARTICLE XIII. FLOWER
The flower of the Club shall be the Iris.

ARTICLE XIV. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in "Robert's rules of Order, Newly Revised" shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the bylaws as here above set forth.

ARTICLE XV. AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the quorum provided that the proposed amendments have been submitted at a previous meeting.

Revised October 2010