Constitution/By-laws

CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS


of the
CANTERBURY WOODS CIVIC ASSOCIATION


 CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I – Name

Sec. I – This Association shall be known as Canterbury Woods Civic Association.

ARTICLE II – Purpose

Sec. 1 –  The purpose of this non-profit association is that of promoting civic betterment and community improvements in the Canterbury Woods and vicinity area of Fairfax County, Virginia.

ARTICLE III – Membership

 

Sec. 1 – The membership shall consist of those adult property owners and/or lessees of Canterbury Woods subdivisions and those property owners on Nero Street and Candace Lane who have currently complied with the dues requirements as provided in the By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE IV – Officers

 

Sec. 1 – The officers of this Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large.  In addition to the duties usually prescribed for those officers, they shall have the following specific powers and duties:

A.  The President shall call and preside at all meetings and shall have the right to vote on all questions. The President shall appoint all committees and appointive officers and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

B.   The Vice-President shall preside at all meetings and functions of the Association in the absence of the President. In the absence of both, the Secretary shall designate a temporary presiding officer. The Vice-President shall also carry out such duties and functions as may be delegated by the President.

C.  The Secretary shall keep a roll of the officers, committee members, appointive officers and members in good standing of the Association, shall keep the minutes of meetings and all written records of the Association, and shall conduct the correspondence of the Association.

D.  The Treasurer shall receive dues and maintain the funds of the Association according to procedures prescribed in the By-Laws.  The Treasurer shall make no disbursements from the Association’s funds except for purposes approved in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws and shall keep a roll of all members and the status of their dues.

E. The Member-at-Large shall assist the Association in those duties and special projects the President and Executive Committee deem appropriate.

F.  Officers may be removed upon a two-thirds vote of those members present at a general membership meeting provided that a motion to remove was made and seconded at a previous general membership meeting and that the officer has been given the opportunity to respond to the removal motion at the meeting considering such action.

ARTICLE V – Executive Committee

Sec. I – Shall consist of the five officers and chairmen of the standing committees as appointed by the President. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. The President shall be Chairman of the Executive Committee.

 

Sec. 2 – The Executive Committee shall counsel and assist the President to plan the agenda for regular and special meetings. It shall be authorized to act upon all ordinary business of the Association when the Association is not in session and upon urgent matters requiring action before a special meeting of the association can be called. The Executive Committee shall consider and act upon all matters presented to it and present its recommendation with respect thereto to the Association. Unless authorized by the Association, the Executive Committee shall not obligate the Association financially or otherwise, except shall be empowered to commit expenditures up to $700.

 

Sec. 3 – It is the general policy of this Association that committee tasks or Association projects be done on a volunteer basis without any financial compensation, If special circumstances arise, members may be paid for services, but only upon majority approval by the Executive Committee. Any member paid for such services to the Association is ineligible for membership on the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE VI – Election of Officers

 

Sec. 1 – The spring meeting shall he designated as the annual meeting for the election and installation of officers.  Each term of office shall be one year.

 

Sec. 2 – A nomination committee of not less than three (which shall not include incumbent elected officers) shall be named by the President in January. The committee shall report to the membership in March. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the election meeting.

 

 

 

Sec. 3 – A majority of the votes cast by members present shall be required for election, provided that in case no candidate has a majority, a second vote shall be held between the two candidates having the most votes on the first ballot.

 

Sec. 4 – Vacancies in office may be filled for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the Executive Committee members present at an Executive Committee meeting.

 

Sec. 5 – Records Retention/Destruction – Records of the Association will be retained on file for a period not to exceed 3 years. The first day of July each year will be the basic date of computation. Specific records may be retained for periods exceeding three years if sufficient reason exists and if so agreed to by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Records being held on extended retention will be reconsidered for destruction by the Executive Committee annually.

 

ARTICLE VII – Meetings

 

Sec. 1 – One general membership meeting shall normally be held each year in the spring.

 

Sec. 2 – Special meetings may be called by the President and shall be called by him or by the Secretary for him upon request by signed petition of at least ten or more members.

 

Sec. 3 – Except as otherwise provided by the Constitution and By-Laws, voting on all matters brought before meetings shall be by simple majority.

 

Sec. 4 – Except as otherwise provided by the Constitution and By-Laws, the meeting of this Association shall be conducted pursuant to “Robert’s Rules of Order.”

 

ARTICLE VII – Adoption, Amendments, and Limitations

 

Sec. I – This Constitution shall be effective immediately upon adoption, by two-thirds of those voting on adoption.

 

Sec. 2 – This Constitution may be amended or voided at any regular meeting by a three-fourths vote of those voting, provided that all members shall be notified at least a week in advance of a meeting at which a Constitutional amendment shall be voted on.

 

Sec. 3 – Anything in this Constitution and/or By-Laws, as amended, which would otherwise prevent incorporation of this Association shall be void.

 

Sec. 4 – Affiliation with other civic groups or with federations, conventions or associations of civic groups is permitted, provided such affiliation does not conflict with the purposes of the Association as stated in Article II, Sec. 1.

 


 BY-LAWS

ARTICLE  I –  Meetings

Sec. 1 – The regular general membership meeting of this Association shall normally be held in the spring.  The President will give notice of the time, date and place of the meetings. The notice may be in writing to each member or by publication in a local newspaper or by such other means as the President deemed appropriate.

 

Sec. 2 – All Officers and Committee Chairmen will notify the President when unable to attend meetings.

 

Sec. 3 – The order of business at meetings shall normally be as follows:

 

A.  Call to order.

 B.  Reading of the minutes of preceding meeting.

C.  Reports.

D.  Old business.

E.  New business.

F.  Elections. (if required)

G.  Adjournment.

The above order may be altered by the President unless there is an objection. After an objection, the matter will he decided by a majority vote of the members present.

ARTICLE II – Membership and Dues

Sec. 1 – Annual dues for the Association will be determined by the Executive Committee by a majority vote of those Executive Committee members present at a meeting considering such action.

 

Sec. 2 – Membership shall terminate when a member no longer owns property or resides in Canterbury Woods or other member subdivision

 

ARTICLES III – Financial Affairs

Sec. I – All funds of the Association in excess of $25 shall be kept in a Virginia bank or Savings and Loan in the name of the Association. The President at his discretion may spend up to $25 of Association funds, provided that he report the expenditure to the membership at the meeting following the expenditure.  The Treasurer and the President are the only officers empowered to write checks in behalf of the Association against its account, and the signatures of each shall be required on all checks. All funds not kept in the bank shall he kept in a Petty Cash fund by the Treasurer. He shall reimburse the Secretary and other duly authorized persons for all necessary expenses. The Treasurer shall turn over all accounts and records to the President at the meeting prior to the election meeting.

Sec. 2 – At the meeting prior to election meeting, the President shall appoint an audit committee which shall audit the books of the Association and report at the election meeting.

Sec. 3 – No member or officer shall have authority to obligate the Association for any indebtedness unless he has been duly authorized and delegated to do so at a meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE IV – Committees

Sec. 1 – A special committee may be appointed at any time by the President acting for himself, or in response to a motion approved by the members.  The first person named on a committee shall act as chairman. The committee shall serve until dissolved by the President.

Sec. 2 – The President shall establish standing committees as deemed necessary.

 

Sec. 3 – No committee shall commit the Association to the advocacy of or opposition to any subject without the prior confirmation of the President.

 

ARTICLE V – Amendments

 

Sec. 1 – These By-Laws may be amended at any regular or special meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present, provided that the membership has been notified that an amendment was to be considered at least one week in advance.

 

Sec. 2 – Debate on any subject shall normally be restricted to three (3) presentations pro and three (3) presentations con at each single meeting. Each presentation shall be limited to four (14) minutes. At the termination of the aforementioned presentations, the presiding officer shall determine by majority vote of the members in attendance whether further debate is to be permitted. Debate shall again be limited as aforementioned.  At termination of debate, the President at his discretion shall determine voting or tabling of a motion.

 

Sec. 3 – The CWCA shall have the right to sponsor and participate in the annual chartering of a Boy Scout Troop which will primarily receive applicants from Cub Scout Packs in the Canterbury Woods area. The Association shall appoint, at its annual meeting, a resident member of Canterbury Woods to serve as Institutional Representative to this troop.