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ARTICLE I THE ORGANIZATION
The official name of our club is Friends in Harmony, aka FIH; the club is a nonprofit entity and the club’s money shall be used to benefit the club members, except for money designated by the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines to go to a charity. The fiscal year shall be from July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE II
MISSION STATEMENT
To bring together people who enjoy collecting Harmony Kingdom, by networking, sharing and fellowship. We hope to enhance and educate the collector’s knowledge and interest in Harmony Kingdom products. As an authorized independent Harmony Kingdom club we are required to support a charity which provides an opportunity for our members to strengthen the bonds between the community and ourselves.
As an authorized independent Harmony Kingdom club, we promise to abide by the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, hereby attached to the bylaws.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all persons, residing in or outside of the United States, interested in Harmony Kingdom products. Only one membership is allowed per person.
Harmony Ball Company owners, employees, Harmony Kingdom dealers and representatives, House of Peers Officers (excluding FIH’s), Officers of other Harmony Kingdom clubs and persons with conflicts of interest are welcome to join our club, but may not be a club officer or vote.
Membership runs from July 1 through June 30 of each year. Membership dues shall be paid annually on July 1. In order for a membership not to lapse, it shall be paid in full by August1. Memberships for new members enrolling between January 1 and May 1, shall be prorated by paying 50% of the dues. Members enrolling after May 1, will pay the full dues, but membership will be through June 30 of the following year. Dues are as follows: A single person is $15.00 annually; a couple, defined as two persons at the same address, is $20.00 annually. Each additional household member would be an additional $5.00. Each member shall receive a personalized club membership card after paying his or her dues in full. Membership cards will be reissued every year for members renewing their membership.
FIH reserves the right to terminate a membership if a member’s conduct or behavior is
deemed “not in the club’s best interest”, by the FIH’s officers.The club officers may recommend no more than three (3) honorary members annually, if ratified by the majority of the membership in attendance at a general meeting.
The club shall not release members’ names and/or personal information to anyone without first seeking approval from each member.
Charter members are members who joined our club during its first year, December 1997 through December 1998.
To comply with the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, there must be a minimum of twenty-five (25) members to constitute a valid club.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
Meetings shall be held on the first Sunday of every even month. The meetings shall commence anywhere from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The meetings may take place at a member’s home, a restaurant, a dealer’s store, an outside attraction, or at any other feasible place to meet. Members will be notified in advance of the time and place of the next meeting. The officers are authorized to occasionally change the normal general meeting date, as needed and/or skip holding a general meeting, as needed, but must conduct a minimum of four (4) general meetings per year.
ARTICLE V
CLUB MASCOT
Our club mascot is Daisy, the three legged-lioness housed at the Wildlife Waystation. The club has adopted her and will make an annual contribution to maintain the adoption of Daisy, until the club membership votes otherwise.
While Daisy cannot attend our meetings, her likeness, in the form of a three-legged stuffed toy shall be present at each general meeting. At each meeting, the winner of the drawing held for members only, shall take Daisy home and return her at the next general meeting. While not required, the interim owner may adorn Daisy with appropriate seasonal adornments.
ARTICLE VI
CLUB BANNER
The club banner, of Lord Byron riding his surf board, shall be kept by one of the officers at his/her home, and that person, or his/her delegate, is responsible for taking the banner to all general membership meetings, conventions, collectible shows, etc., anywhere our club will be present. He/she is also responsible for bringing the banner home. The club banner shall be treated with care at all times and between uses, shall be kept in a safe place, folded or hung neatly.
ARTICLE VII
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board is comprised of the six (6) elected officers: (1) President; (2) Vice President; (3) Treasurer; (4) Recording Secretary; (5) Correspondence Secretary; and (6) Membership Coordinator. Terms are two (2) years. Officers are required to attend the majority of the general meetings and executive board meetings. As an honorarium, the board members shall be entitled to an annual dinner, not to exceed $20.00 per person.
The duties of the Executive Board members include, but are not limited to, meeting prior to the general meetings, as necessary, or as called by the President, or by three (3) members of the Executive Board, to discuss club matters, including the upcoming agenda, events, finances and the club’s goals, etc. All Executive Board members shall be given a minimum of five (5) day’s notice of such a meeting. Three (3) members present will constitute a quorum for voting.
The Executive Board shall have the option to approve or disapprove any expenditure(s), but shall ask the membership to vote on any expenditure exceeding $100.00. The Executive Board shall develop an annual budget, shall develop ideas to meet the club’s mission and implement them, always putting the best interest of the club members first. (However, the general membership has the ability to override decisions made by the board by giving proper notice of its intention to all members and by voting in accordance with the voting procedures in Article X.) The Executive Board shall also have the authority to create special committees and positions as deemed needed for the club.
It shall be the duty of each board member, if unable to attend a meeting, to arrange in advance with another officer so that his or her duties (e.g. submit a report, etc.) are fulfilled by another board member. The Executive Board shall have the power to remove a board member from elected office for missing two (2) consecutive general or executive board meetings because of unexcused absences. Frequent absences from either the general meetings or executive board meetings or by not fulfilling his or her duties may also constitute reasons for removal from the Executive Board.
The Executive Board may fill an office for the remainder of a term. If an office is prematurely vacated or unfilled after a general election by the members, the Executive Board may either assume the responsibilities amongst themselves, or appoint someone to fill that position for the remainder of the term.
ARTICLE VIII
OFFICERS
The President is responsible for the overall management and leadership of the club. Duties include, but are not limited to preparing an agenda and presiding at the general and Executive Board meetings, developing and obtaining information, ideas and activities that will further the goals of the club members, acting as a liaison between the club and the community and representing the club at Harmony Kingdom sponsored activities.
The President shall audit the Treasurer’s fiscal year end financial report. The President is responsible to see that the annual House of Peers audit and surveys by either House of Peers or Harmony Ball Company is completed, with assistance of the Executive Board, in a timely fashion. Any duties may be delegated and/or shared with other club officers or general members.
Qualifications: Must have integrity with leadership abilities and have access to e-mail.
The Vice President is responsible for assisting the President in all delegated duties and acting as the President in the President’s absence. The Vice President shall oversee the Sunshine Committee and the Historian position.
Qualifications: Must have integrity with leadership abilities and have access to e-mail.
The Treasurer is responsible to maintain the club checking account and ensure that the club has sufficient funds to carry out its mission. The checking account shall be balanced once a month upon receipt of the bank statement. There shall be at least one other club officer who is a signatory on the checking account, who may write checks in the absence of the Treasurer. The Treasurer is authorized to pay club liabilities (bills) up to $100.00 without seeking the Executive Board approval, as long as the Treasurer verifies the necessity of the expenditure and gets an original receipt from the person submitting the bill(s). For any expenditure in excess of $100.00, the Treasurer may not pay that expense without pre-approval by the Executive Board.
The Treasurer shall receive all funds (membership, charity and other) and deposit them in the club’s bank account forthwith. The Treasurer is responsible to keep full and accurate records of all monetary transactions of the club by keeping updated ledgers of all incoming and outgoing monies. At each general meeting there shall be a report of the current financial situation for the club. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report at the end of each fiscal year, of the previous year’s finances. The Treasurer must maintain all records, statements, receipts, etc. indefinitely.
The Treasurer shall oversee the charity events and keep written records of how much money is sent to which charity, and make an annual report of charity donations by the club.
The Treasurer will do other duties as delegated or necessary.
Qualifications: Must be honest, able to maintain a checking account and prepare financial statements.
The Recording Secretary is responsible for the sign-in sheet at each general meeting and for recording the minutes at both general meetings and the Executive Board meetings and submit written minutes to the Board for approval within thirty (30) days thereafter. The Recording Secretary will report at each general meeting the minutes of the previous meeting. The Recording Secretary must maintain these records indefinitely. The Recording Secretary may be delegated other duties, as needed.
Qualifications: Must be able to comprehend and write in English.
The Corresponding Secretary, also known as the Communication Coordinator, is responsible for sending out all correspondence and club newsletters both by the U.S. mail and electronically, as directed by the President or Executive Board. The Corresponding Secretary must maintain a copy of all communications that are sent out. The Corresponding Secretary may be delegated other duties, as needed.
Qualifications: Must be able to comprehend and write in English and have computer skills, including access to e-mail.
The Membership Coordinator is responsible for producing the club’s membership applications, for being the contact for new members, for sending-out membership applications to potential members, for receiving new and renewal memberships and forwarding the check or money order or cash to the Treasurer forthwith. The Membership Coordinator is also responsible for producing the membership cards for new and renewing members, mailing them out to the new or renewing member with a thank you letter and other items approved by the Executive Board.
The Membership Coordinator is responsible for maintaining a current membership list electronically and ensuring that each member of the Executive Board has a current copy.
The Membership Coordinator is responsible for sending out due notices on or around June 1 of each year.
The Membership Coordinator is the liaison with the House of Peers Secretary and shall provide to the Secretary, upon demand, a current list of members in Excel format. The Membership Coordinator shall also work with the House of Peers Secretary to coordinate the distribution of the annual independent club piece and any other special item that needs to be distributed to the members.
The Membership Coordinator may have other duties as delegated or necessary.
Qualifications: Honest and have a computer with a version of Microsoft Excel 97
or higher
To comply with the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, the club shall have five (5)
different people in the club perform the following functions:(a) Communications Coordinator – responsible for newsletters/flyers and electronic
correspondence with the club members;(b) Membership Coordinator – responsible for the membership database;
(c) Meeting/Event Coordinator – responsible for organizing activities;
(d) Charity Coordinator – responsible for charitable activities of the club; and
(e) Helping Hands Coordinator – responsible for assisting as needed.
The above five (5) duties will be divided among the officers, as agreed upon, and may be delegated to general members, as needed.
ARTICLE IX
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board in March of each year that an election of officers is necessary. It shall consist of at least two voting club members in good standing. The Nominating Committee shall review the qualifications required of the position open for election and recruit qualified persons to run for that position, then present the slate to the general membership at the April general meeting. The President or his/her delegate shall then explain the voting procedures to the members in attendance. Within two (2) weeks after that meeting, the Corresponding Secretary shall inform all members who did not attend the April meeting, by U.S. mail or electronically, of the slate, the election date and voting procedure.
The election of officers shall take place at the June general meeting. Nominations may be accepted from the floor at this meeting, even though not on the slate. Prior approval from a member must be obtained before he/she is nominated. The voting members present shall constitute a quorum.
Voting shall be by written ballot, unless the slate contains only one nominee for a position. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for counting the ballots and reporting the results to the membership before the end of the meeting. An officer shall be considered duly elected by a simple majority vote of the members voting and his/her term shall begin July 1, unless the position is currently vacant and he/she would like to assume the office earlier.
ARTICLE X
GENERAL VOTING
At any general meeting, after proper notice to the membership regarding important items which requires the vote of the membership, shall be voted upon by a “raise of hands” vote, after allowing for discussion. There may be times when a vote is requested impromptu, regarding an issue not considered so important that notice is needed to the general membership, and those members in attendance may vote to pass or reject that item(s), again by a “raise of hands” vote, after discussion. The voting members attending shall constitute a quorum. An item is passed by a simple majority vote.
ARTICLE XI
DELEGATES
There shall be one Delegate and one Alternate Delegate elected to be the liaison between the club and the House of Peers. The term shall be for two (2) years. The election shall be done in June and follow the same voting rules as stated in Article VI above.
The Delegate is responsible to receive communications from the House of Peers and determine which communications need to be communicated to all club members and which shall only be communicated to the Executive Board members. The Delegate must also present to the Executive Board all requests made by the House of Peers that require a response or input. The Delegate shall consider all communications by the House of Peers as a priority matter and act in an expedient manner in carrying out his/her duties to act. The Delegate shall be responsible for representing our club at the House of Peers’s annual meeting and is responsible to vote for House of Peer’s officers in accordance with the club’s desires. Should the Delegate be unable to attend the House of Peers’ annual meeting, this function shall be performed by the Alternate Delegate, as first choice. If the Alternate Delegate cannot attend the House of Peers’ annual meeting, the Executive Board may select any club member in “good standing” to represent our club there.
The Alternate Delegate is responsible for backing-up and assisting the Delegate in performing all of the Delegate’s duties in the absence of the Delegate. It shall be the Alternate Delegate’s responsibility to contact the Delegate in the event that the Delegate does not respond to a House of Peers’ communication. Should the Delegate be unavailable, either because he/she is out of town or his/her computer is down, etc., the Alternate Delegate shall perform all of the duties of the Delegate, listed above, in an expedient manner. Should the Delegate be unable to attend the House of Peers’ annual meeting, the Alternate Delegate shall represent our club at that meeting.
Qualifications: The Delegate and the Alternate Delegate must be a voting club member in “good standing”, must have a computer with e-mail access, and it is preferable that he/she can attend the House of Peers annual meeting, usually in Rosemont, Illinois.
ARTICLE XII
COMMITTEES
The Executive Board is authorized to create committees and/or positions and/or recommend a member(s) in “good standing” as needed for special projects. The following are committees/positions in existence with a brief summary of their function:
(1) The Sunshine Committee – the purpose is to reach-out and touch someone who is ill, or who has a loved one that is ill, or who has passed away (includes pets), or who is having a difficult time and could use a kind word.
This will be accomplished by members of the committee sending out appropriate cards, making appropriate telephone calls, or making personal visits as the situation warrants. All members will be notified about the Sunshine Committee and given the contact numbers of the committee members, and encouraged to contact these members, if they, are another club member fit the criteria as listed above.
The Chairperson of the Sunshine Committee shall periodically submit an expense form, with original receipts, to our Treasurer to be reimbursed for the cost of cards, postage and phone calls, and any other items preapproved by the Executive Board.
(2) Historian – the purpose is to record the club’s origins and document its growth and activities.
This will be accomplished by saving articles on our club’s beginnings, saving copies of our newsletters, saving copies of articles written about our club in the Queen’s Courier, taking photos of our general club meetings and other activities which our club members are involved, including charity activities.
The Historian shall periodically submit an expense form, with original receipts, to our Treasurer to be reimbursed for the costs of film, developed photos, copying costs, etc.
(3) Newsletter Editor – the purpose is to share information with our club members concerning our club activities and Harmony Kingdom and related topics.
This will be accomplished by the Newsletter Editor publishing a club Newsletter, as frequently as the Executive Board determines. The Newsletter shall be entitled, “________”
The Newsletter Editor shall not infringe on any unauthorized copyrighted material and shall comply with the rules and regulations set forth by Harmony Ball Company.
The Newsletter Editor shall periodically submit an expense form with original receipts, to our Treasurer to be reimbursed for the costs of photos and copying costs, etc.
If there is no volunteer to be a Newsletter Editor, or the position becomes vacant, the club will send information out to members on an as needed basis, by U.S. mail, or electronically, if the member has e-mail.
ARTICLE XIII
DONATIONS RECEIVED BY THE CLUB
In furthering the goal of enhancing and keeping Harmony Kingdom collectors interested and happy, our club will actively seek to receive donations of Harmony Kingdom products, and other collectible and non-collectible gifts to use for our club drawings and raffles.
The Executive Board will actively seek donations by contacting Harmony Kingdom dealers and representatives, gift store owners and/or encourage our members to seek donations for our club. Contacts may be made by mail, electronically, in person or by the telephone. While our club will not promote any single Harmony Kingdom dealer, it will promote all dealers and stores that donate items to our club, by encouraging members to patronize these dealers and stores.
Pursuant to the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, Harmony Ball Company has promised to donate “value items” to each authorized independent Harmony Kingdom Club, two times a year, in January/February and again in June/July. Fifty percent (50%) of money received from raffles or auctions shall be donated to the club’s charity. Harmony Ball Company has also promised to donate “giveaway/door prize items” to each authorized independent Harmony Kingdom club, based on number of members, in March/April and again in September/October. The disbursement of these items is up to the individual club, and the Executive Board will determine how best to distribute these “giveaway/door prize items”.
At each general club meeting there shall be at least one drawing for members in attendance. (There is no fee for drawings, but participation may be limited to members in “good standing”, only.) At each general meeting, there may also be one or more raffles. (Unless otherwise stated, raffles will be open to anyone attending the general meeting, for a stated fee).
For all raffles wherein the item being raffled is valued at more than $300.00, the raffle shall be open not only to those in attendance at the general meeting, but also to the whole membership, even though not present. In these cases, there will be notice to all members of an impending raffle, with instructions how they can participate by mail. Deadlines set to receive money for a raffle shall be strictly enforced. Prior to any drawing and or raffle, the prize shall be announced before a ticket is drawn. The Executive Board shall determine how many drawings and raffles shall be held at each general meeting and what item(s) shall be used for the drawings and raffles. The Executive Board also makes the determination as to where the money goes from club raffles, as long as it is not inconsistent with the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, which require that a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of monies received from raffles of items donated by Harmony Kingdom and denoted as “value items”, goes to the club’s charity.Any donated item(s) which the Executive Board or any other club member would like to put out for an auction (e.g. to bring more money for a charity), must be approved by the membership in attendance at a general club meeting.
Should there be a lack of appropriate donations to use for drawings and/or raffles, the Executive Board must vote on whether to use club funds to purchase an item, how much to spend, and where to purchase it from.
ARTICLE XIV
CHARITY
Pursuant to the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, we are required to support at least one charity, which provides an opportunity for our members to contribute to the community. The charity may be local, regional or national.
Our club will only have one charity per year as the club’s official FIH charity. (This will not preclude donations of time to other charities, or participating in House of Peers or other raffles with money going to other charities). The selected charity must be an official nonprofit organization for which we can verify its existence, and what percentage of money goes toward its purpose versus administration. The term limit will be one year but may be renewed for an additional year for a maximum of two consecutive years.
Each April, the general membership will be given notice to submit nominations for the club charity. Nominations may be submitted at the April meeting and will be accepted through May 5th , by submitting the nomination to the Corresponding Secretary. The Executive Board has the right to determine whether or not the recommended charity meets the club’s general requirements. The Executive Board shall provide a list of the approved nominations to the general membership prior to the June membership meeting. Members in “good standing” who cannot attend the June meeting and would like to vote, must submit their vote by mail or electronically to the Correspondence Secretary prior to the June meeting. The general voting members in “good standing” in attendance at the June meeting, shall vote for the nominated charities, including any votes submitted by members who could not attend the meeting. A simple plurality will determine our club charity for the new fiscal year.
Pursuant to the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, Harmony Ball Company has promised to donate “value items” to each authorized independent Harmony Kingdom club, two times a year, in January/February and again in June/July. Fifty percent (50%) of money received from raffles or auctions shall be donated to the club’s charity. From time-to-time, Harmony Ball Company may donate other items with a restriction that fifty percent (50%) of money received from raffles or auctions shall be donated to the club’s charity, and our club shall comply with these mandates.
Our club will continue to sponsor Daisy, the three-legged lioness residing at the Wildlife Waystation, by paying her annual adoption fee, unless the general membership makes a motion to discontinue said payment. In that event, a vote will be taken by the voting members in “good standing” at the meeting the motion was made. A simple majority will determine whether or not to continue the payment.
From time-to-time, our club may make charitable donations above the amount required by the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines, in amounts to be determined by the Executive Board and ratified by the general membership attending the next meeting, by a simple majority.
ARTICLE XV
DISSOLUTION OF CLUB
Should it become necessary to dissolve the club either because we no longer can comply with the Authorized Independent Club Guidelines and/or the club membership votes to dissolve the club, the Secretary of the club is directed to notify all members, the House of Peers Secretary and Harmony Ball Company within thirty (30) days of the resolution to dissolve the club. Upon dissolution, any remaining donated items shall be returned to the donor and any remaining club money shall be donated to the club’s charity.
ARTICLE XVI
CONFLICTS
If there is a conflict as to how to procedurally conduct a meeting, “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised”, shall govern in all cases to which they are applicable and as long as they are not inconsistent with the intent of these bylaws.
ARTICLE XVII
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These bylaws may be amended only at a general meeting, provided such proposed amendments are presented to the Correspondence Secretary in writing 30 (thirty) days prior to the vote and notice of each proposed change is made to all members. The members attending the general meeting shall constitute a quorum. The vote shall be oral and requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority to pass.
On February 3, 2002, club members present at the Friends in Harmony meeting voted to ratify these bylaws, which become effective immediately.