Bylaws
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
All regular members of the O.C.B.C.F. shall have the right to vote.
Section 2.
All individual members shall have the right to hold office except that no officer shall be related by blood or marriage to any other officer.
Section 3. Membership Requirements
a. Individuals wishing to become members may become members by pledging to work in one area for at least one tournament each year. If a member shall be unable to fulfill this obligation, his membership shall be suspended until he has arranged and completed some other form of service for the organization to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee.
b. Corporate members may become yearly members upon a contribution in cash or in kind of an amount to be determined at the annual meeting.
Corporate members will note vote, but they shall be recognized in any publications of the OCBCF during the year of their membership.
Section 4. Honorary Lifetime Members
a. Honorary membership may be awarded to individuals for outstanding activity in Costal Bend Chess, contributions to the world of scholastic chess or achievement in related fields of activity.
b. Honorary members shall be nominated by the Membership Committee, approved by the Executive Committee, and elected by majority vote of the membership present at any general meeting of the OCBCF.
c. All Honorary memberships shall be lifetime, non-voting memberships.
ARTICLE II. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1.
Three months before the annual meeting, the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a nominating committee of three members, no one of whom shall be an elected officer, to nominate candidates for the elective positions of President, First Vice-President, Second Vice- President, Secretary or Treasurer. Names of the candidates shall be publicized to the membership not less than one month prior to the election. Additional nominations may be made by members of the OCBCF who shall write in the name of the nominee on the ballot circulated.
Section 2.
No person shall be nominated who is not a member of the OCBCF in good standing and whose consent has not been obtained.
Section 3.
In cases where there is more than one candidate for an office, the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected as the officer. In the event that no candidate obtains a majority vote, the officer shall be elected in a run-off election held between the top two candidates.
Section 4.
The Board of Directors of the OCBCF shall consist of the Officers of the OCBCF. (see Record Of Bylaw Amendments)
ARTICLE III. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Election of Officers.
The officers of the OCBCF shall consist of a President, a First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, together with such other officers as may from time to time be elected or designated by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall elect each officer at such time and on such conditions, as the Executive Committee shall deem advisable. Each officer shall hold office for a term of one (1) year after his election or until his successor shall have been elected and taken office. Once elected, officers are expected and encouraged to serve in successively senior offices so that upon election to President, the member will have had the broadest possible orientation to the overall operation of the OCBCF. The terms of all officers shall, however, be subject to the right of the Executive Committee to remove any such officer at any time whenever, in its judgment, the best interests of the OCBCF will be served thereby.
a. PRESIDENT
The president shall serve as Executive Officer of the OCBCF, preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, be an ex-officio member of all committees, exercise general supervision over affairs of the OCBCF, have primary responsibility for the operation and successful completion of all tournaments and fund raising events, and perform such other duties as are ordinarily incumbent upon a President.
Additionally, the president will have the authority to annually appoint an Executive Director when as need, and subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The duties of the Executive Director will be specifically delineated by the Executive Committee. The Executive Director will act solely in support of the President, Executive Committee, or specific officers as directed by the President, and will have no final authority on his/her own.
Further, the President will have the authority to appoint when as needed subordinate officers (ex. Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer); subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. As officers of the OCBCF, they will have the authority to act on behalf of their supervising officer and will have a vote at OCBCF meetings. b. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
The First Vice-President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President whenever the President is unable to so serve. Acting under the guidance and direction of the President and/or the Executive Committee the First Vice-President’s primary role will be to coordinate all of the activities of the OCBCF that relate to entities outside of the OCBCF. These activities could include media relations, facilities, vendors, fund raising, etc.
c. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT
The Second Vice-President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President whenever the President and the First Vice-President are unable to do so. Acting under guidance and direction of the President and/or the Executive Committee the Second Vice-President’s primary role is to coordinate all of the internal activities of the OCBCF. These activities could include the conduct of all tournaments, mailings, newsletter, etc.
d. SECRETARY
The secretary shall keep and maintain an accurate record of all proceedings of the OCBCF, including meetings of the Executive Committee, in the form and manner prescribed by the Executive Committee and shall have custody of all official papers and records pertaining to actions of the OCBCF. The Secretary shall prepare such correspondence as may be required by the President and the Executive Committee, including preparation of notices of meetings where required by these Bylaws, and shall make the file all reports required by the OCBCF.
e. TREASURER
The Treasurer shall keep and maintain all books and records of fees, dues and monies collected and disbursed in the form and manner prescribed by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall also submit regular financial statements in the form, manner and frequency prescribed by the Executive Committee, prepare an annual statement for the annual meeting of the OCBCF, maintain an inventory of all physical assets owned by the OCBCF, monitor warranties on those assets, and generally perform such duties as are ordinarily incumbent upon a Treasurer.
ARTICLE IV. DUTIES AND RESONSIBILITES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1.
Members of the Executive Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities.
a. Attend at least 75% of the regularly scheduled meetings as a requirement for continued membership on the Executive Committee before and after each tournament.
b. Follow the provisions of the Constitution, Bylaws and procedures established by the OCBCF and notify the President or Executive Committee of any revisions that may be needed.
c. Maintain a file of documents, related to the office or position held. Weed extraneous items and turn over any material more than two years old to the Historian. Pass the file to the incoming officer.
ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES
Section 1.
Standing committees shall consist of the following.
a. Tournament Committee—to arrange the tournament of the OCBCF. In addition, the committee will work with the membership committee to run tournaments for prospective member schools. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
b. Fund-raising Committee—whose duty shall be to work with Businesses and Corporations to solicit funds for the work of the OCBCF. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
c. Membership Committee—to (1) promote OCBCF membership, (2) receive suggestions and make nominations for honorary members, (3) write resolutions at the meeting when honorary memberships are approved. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
d. Publicity Committee—to (1) coordinate the publicity program of the OCBCF in accordance with policy formulated by the Executive Committee, (2) advise upon budget requirements and format of all publicity of the OCBCF. The publicity Chair shall seek to publicize activities of the OCBCF in as many different ways as possible. These may include (but are not limited to ): Arranging for TV or radio announcements or interviews, newspaper stories, mail-outs, internet sites or magazine announcements. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
e. Tournament Director Committee—to (1) arrange for Tournament Directors for each tournament, (2) work with tournament directors to upgrade their Director certification. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
f. Equipment Committee—to (1) maintain the permanent equipment of the OCBCF, (2) to arrange for enough equipment for use and sale at each tournament. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
g. Trophy Committee—to arrange the trophies, medals and/or other prizes for each tournament. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
h. Concession Committee—to arrange for concessions for each tournament. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
i. Finance Committee—to (1) get input from each committee and establish a budget for the next fiscal year, (2) to arrange for an annual audit of the finances of the Federation. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee. j. Historical Committee—to collect and maintain photos, paper clippings, etc. from each tournament. The Chair shall appoint such sub-committee chairs as are necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.