THE TIERRA VERDE WOMEN’S CLUB

BYLAWS

Article I: Name

The name of the club is the Tierra Verde Women’s Club, Inc. (TVWC), a non-profit corporation registered with the State of Florida.

Article II:   Objective

The Tierra Verde Women’s Club is a non-profit club organized for social purposes.

Article III:   Club Funding

A.    Dues support club operations and programs.  These funds are to be used to supplement the cost of  Socials and Special Events, and to pay administrative costs including the website, mailings, printing, insurance, banking, financial filings, and other similar club business.  The Board is responsible for the management of all club funds.

B.    The Board is authorized to raise funds through dues, Board authorized events, the 50/50 or other similar raffles and events.  Interest Groups cannot raise funds.

C.    TVWC is not a fundraising or service group for charitable organizations.

Article IV: Membership

A.    Membership will only be open to residents of Tierra Verde who pay the required dues.  A Resident is defined as a Tierra Verde residential property owner or a Tierra Verde resident providing proof of a minimum six-month lease or meeting a special condition approved by the Board of Directors (BOD).

B.    Should a member move from Tierra Verde, she will only retain her membership by paying her annual dues without interruption.  If annual dues are interrupted and the previous member would like to rejoin, they must be a Resident per Item A above.

C.    Dues are payable each year by September 1^st for an annual membership term defined as September 1^st to August 31^st.  A member may join at any time during the year however her renewal date will be September 1^st for the following membership year.

D.    The Board has the right to charge a guest fee for Socials and/or Special Events.

Article V: Socials / Interest Groups

A.   Membership Socials will be held September through April, as scheduled by the Board and established for the year.

B.    Members MUST register to attend any Social and/or Special Event.  Any member who does not register WILL NOT BE ADMITTED to the event.  No Walk-Ins will be allowed.

C.    No alcohol will be purchased with club funds. A cash and/or credit bar will be available at Socials and Special Events.

D.    Definition of “guest participation” at Socials, Special Events and Interest Groups will be communicated in the Club Evite or from the Interest Group Leader scheduling the event.  Interest Group Leaders and the Social Chair must ensure that members are given priority over guests to ensure inclusion at any Club function.

E.     Interest Groups are organized for specific activities and must be approved by the Board of Directors.  Interest Groups may meet throughout the year.  Interest Group members must be members in good standing of the TVWC.

 

Article VI: Board of Directors

Directors of the club will consist of President, Social Chair, Interest Group Chair, Membership Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The Social, Interest Group, Membership Chair, Secretary and Treasurer positions may include Co-Chairs, as deemed necessary by the Nominating Committee or Board of Directors.  Each Co-Chair will have one vote and share the workload equally.  In order to conduct a TVWC BOD business meeting, at least 51% of the board members must be present in person or via conference call.  The term of office is May through April.

Article VII: Nominating Committee and Appointed Positions

A.    A Nominating Committee of five will be selected by the Board Advisor. The Committee shall include the Advisor, current President and three previous Board members.

B.    The new slate of Directors will be ratified by 51% of voting members.

C.    Vacancies occurring during a term will be filled by appointment of the President. If the vacancy is that of the President, a vote of the Board will be taken to fill the position with a current Board member. If no Board member can fill the position, then the Board may vote to select a previous President or Board member from the membership.

Article VIII: Bylaws and Standing Rules Changes

A.     The Bylaws may only be amended by a vote of the membership.  The Board of Directors will prepare any changes and present them to the membership for a vote via email. Members will have seven (7) days to reply with their vote.  Any change to the Bylaws must be ratified by 51% of voting members.

B.     The Standing Rules may be modified by the Board of Directors in order to conduct club business.  Any change to the Standing Rules will be ratified by 51% of the Board members.

C.     All changes must be posted on the TVWC website.  Bylaws and Sanding Rules are located on the Home Page under the Join Us tab and can be found by clicking on the Bylaws & Standing Rules heading.

Bylaws Revised as of July 1, 2024

 STANDING RULES

Article I: Duties of the Elected Board

A.    The President schedules, conducts, and presides at Board meetings on a regular basis.  She selects a Board Advisor and appoints the following non-voting Support Leaders: Website Coordinator, Sunshine Coordinator, Graphic Designer, Financial Regulatory Advisor, and Historian/Photographer.  She may appoint committees for specific projects.  In addition, she reviews the preparation of the annual budget in coordination with the Treasurer and oversees the budget during the year.  She is authorized to sign checks and oversees all club events.

B.    The Social Chair plans and presents for Board approval all scheduled Socials, venues, themes, and associated estimated costs per person  and executes them as directed.  The September Interest Group Social is planned with the Interest Group Chair.  The April social includes the induction of the new Board.  The Social Chair provides pre-event planning and After Action reports to the Board.

C.    The Interest Group Chair seeks new Interest Groups and leaders throughout the year, obtains Board approval for them and assists with their start-up.  She updates the Club’s Interest Group web pages.  She works with the Social Chair on the September Social.  She monitors the existing Interest Groups.

D.    The Membership Chair maintains a record of paid members and provides name tags at Socials. She verifies that everyone who joins is a resident of Tierra Verde.  She manages the annual membership renewal and new member drive. In addition, she tracks member attendance at Socials and Special Events.  Membership manages each social event check-in process, determines No Shows after each social and works with the Treasurer to invoice No Show fees after the social.  She also monitors the website for payments, and she suspends any member who does not pay her No Show fees after 30 days

E.    The Secretary keeps minutes of the Board meetings.  She presents these written reports at each BOD meeting for Board approval.  She performs other duties as requested by the President

F.    The Treasurer is the custodian of all club funds.  She creates and maintains the budget, pays all Club bills and manages the checking account.  She is authorized to sign checks and assures that the signature of the President and Treasurer are kept on file at the bank.  The Treasurer deposits monies in the TVWC local bank account and balances the monthly statement.  She keeps an itemized account of all monies and presents a financial report at each Board meeting.  She collects dues and Social/Special Event fees and maintains a database of paid members in cooperation with the Membership Chair. The Treasurer invoices event cancellation/No Show Fees to those members identified by the Membership Chair. The Treasurer maintains a financial report available to all members on the TVWC website.  In May, the incoming President and Treasurer review the bank account with the current President and Treasurer.  The Treasurer coordinates with the Sunshine Coordinator for a memorial remembrance in event of a member’s death.

Article II: Duties of the Board Advisor

The Board Advisor will be selected by the President.  She will have served as a Board member in the past. She shall be Chair of the Nominating Committee.  The Committee will select a slate of Directors for the following year.  Before the March Social, the slate of Directors will be presented for a vote and ratified by a majority of the voting members on the TVWC website.  She will conduct the Presentation of Directors at the April Social and is responsible for purchasing the outgoing President’s gift on behalf of the BOD and general membership.  She will plan a business meeting in May for the outgoing Board to share information and give their records to incoming Board members.  The bank account is to be transferred at this time.  She will verify that all records have been transferred.  She will advise the Board using her knowledge of the club, the Bylaws and the Standing Rules.  At the first meeting, she will address the Board as to the responsibilities and obligations of serving on the Board.

Article III: Duties of the Support Leader

A.    The Website Coordinator will maintain and update the website.  She will assist with the creation of Evites and help train members

B.    The Historian/Photographer will take pictures and collect photos to prepare a photo book of club activities through the April Social to present to the President, as well as a copy for the club. This position may be split between two members.

C.    The Sunshine Coordinator will arrange for birthday and other appropriate cards to be sent to the members of the TVWC. These cards may be mailed or emailed as decided by the Board. In the event of the death of a current member, the Sunshine Coordinator will work with the Treasurer to send a memorial remembrance. The cost is limited to $100

D.    The Financial Regulatory Advisor will be responsible for filing the TVWC’s Tax Return and the TVWC Corporate Annual Report to the State of Florida.  She also may give input to yearly renewals of insurance policies or other financial matters

E.    The Graphic Designer will work with the Social Co-Chairs to design posters, programs, and evite graphics.  She will also work with Interest Group Leaders to design graphics for evites for the different groups as requested.

Article IV: Policies

A.    Membership Socials will be held September through April usually on the 4th Thursday of the month, except November and December.

B.    Interest groups are open only to paid members. The Interest Group Leader has the responsibility to ensure everyone in her group is a paid member in good standing of the TVWC.

C.    Any changes to the Standing Rules must be presented to the Board for a vote. Changes shall be approved by a 51% vote of the Board members. The purpose of the Standing Rules is to conduct the day-to-day business of the club.

D.    Members of the Club must adhere to the Privacy Policy. (See Section VI, Privacy Policy below.)

E.      Code of Conduct Statement: All members of the TVWC are expected to act in a civil and courteous manner at all gatherings of the club. Any member that presents liability issues or distracts others from the enjoyment of the club due to impolite actions or intoxication will be asked to leave the event by the event leader. The president will speak to the member at a later time and follow up with an email citing this Standing Rule. At the discretion of the Board, her membership may be terminated. No dues will be reimbursed.

Article V: Monetary Policies

A.     A minimum of $7000  shall be left in the TVWC checking account for the next Board.

B.     Special Event budgets and activities shall be approved by a 51% vote of the Board.

C.    End of the year gifts budget for Board members and Support Leaders shall be determined each year during the board budgeting process.  The President’s gift shall not exceed $125, and all other gifts shall not exceed an average of  $70.00 per board member or support leader.

D.    A 50/50 drawing will be included at the Socials, as determined by the Board.

E.     Social or Special Event Cancellation Policy¹.  For all Club Socials and Special Events, the “last date to cancel” a reservation without the member incurring the full charge for the event will be posted on the Evite.  The instructions, on how to cancel a reservation, are on the www.tvwcinparadise.com Club website. 

Should a member have to cancel her reservation or is a no-show for a Social or Special Event the following applies:

1.     All cancellations and no shows for paid events, regardless of date of cancellation, shall incur a $5.00 cancellation/no show fee.

2.     No cancellations will be accepted after the last day to cancel, and the member will be billed the fee listed on the Evite, plus the $5.00 cancellation/no show fee.

3.     A member who is registered for an event and is a NO SHOW will be charged the fee listed on the Evite plus the $5.00 cancellation/no show fee. 

4.     If the event required a prepayment in order to reserve a seat, the amount prepaid will be applied toward the fee listed on the Evite and the member will be billed for the additional cost to cover this fee plus the $5.00 cancellation/no show fee.

5.     Non-attendance and cancellation fees are due payable to the club, within 30 calendar days.  If the fee is not paid, membership shall be suspended for non-payment and the member may not participate in ANY club activity until it is paid.

Note¹: This same policy applies to guest cancellations.

Article VI: Privacy Policy

A.    Personal Data Collected –  The Tierra Verde Women’s Club (TVWC) collects personal information during the following processes: “Becoming a Member”, “Update Your Profile” and similar feedback forms. TVWC never shares your information with anyone or organization outside of our club members unless you have given us specific permission to do so.

B.    Use of Data Collected – The data that we collect from members is used to create online membership directories which are only available to club members. Members of the TVWC should not use this information for solicitations or any other business purpose. In addition, this information allows us to inform you about TVWC events, socials, and to notify you of what is happening within the club. By becoming a member, you are giving TVWC permission to contact you by email, text, phone or postal mail. The demographic information we collect, such as neighborhood and full-time or part-time membership, gives us information about your TVWC Club membership in order to improve our organization.

C.    Socials / Special Events / Interest Group Photos - At Socials, Special Events and some Interest Group gatherings, photos taken may be posted on our private website. By attending any TVWC event you are granting permission for your photograph to be posted on our website.

D.    Third Parties and Unaffiliated Sites – TVWC website may also hyperlink to other sites managed by third parties. These links are provided for your convenience only. By clicking on these links, you may leave the TVWC site. TVWC has no control over these third party owned sites. TVWC makes no warranty regarding and does not endorse any linked site, the information on them, or any products or services described. Any questions, concerns or complaints should be addressed with the administrator of those sites.

TVWC Standing Rules Revised as of July 2, 2024