Bylaws of the Adirondack Mountain Club Black River Chapter

(As amended in 2001 and approved at the Annual Dinner on November 3, 2001)

Article I

Name

This organization shall be named the Adirondack Mountain Club, Black River Chapter, hereinafter the “Chapter”.

Article II

Organization

This Chapter shall be regulated by and subject to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Adirondack Mountain Club, Inc. hereinafter, the “Club”.

Article III

Objectives

The objectives of the Chapter shall be to further wilderness and conservation values through recreation, advocacy and education concerning the Adirondack Park, Black River and Tug Hill Regions and related areas:

A. Conservation

1. To advocate and to broaden popular support of Article XIV, Section 1, of the New York State Constitution, which provides that the “lands of the state constituting the Forest Preserve shall be forever kept as wild forest lands”.

2. To support efforts to acquire additional public lands and conservation easements within the Adirondack Park and other significant lands within the Black River and Tug Hill Region in order to ensure preservation of, and public access to, ecologically or recreationally significant areas consistent with access provisions of the State Land Master Plan.

B. Recreation

1. To organize and conduct outings and to encourage outdoor recreation in the Adirondack Park, Black River and Tug Hill Regions in a manner which shall minimize the environmental impact on the wild forest character of the region.

2. To mark and maintain recreational trails, consistent with the objectives of the Club and the requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

C. Education

1. To sponsor and support participation in activities which promote the responsible use of the New York State Forest Preserve, parks and other wild lands and waters.

2. To encourage public interest in and knowledge and appreciation of all natural, historic, economic and human resources, especially of the Adirondack Park, Black River and Tug Hill Regions and the relationships among them.

3. To create and encourage public interest through education, in the principles of the conservation of natural resources, especially of the Adirondack Park, Black River and Tug Hill Regions.

Article IV

Membership

  1. Categories of Membership: Membership in the Chapter shall be categorized in accordance with Article IV, Sections 1 through 14, of the Adirondack Mountain Club Bylaws, but all Chapter members with the exception of Affiliate members shall have the privilege of full voting rights within the Chapter provided they are 18 years of age or older.
  2. Dues: Dues shall be paid to the Club offices. Dues of Affiliate members shall be set from time to time by the Chapter.
  3. Expiration: If a member has not remitted his or her dues within 4 months following the expiration of his or her membership, he or she shall be dropped from the Chapter’s membership rolls.

Article V

Officers and Appointive Positions

A. Officers: The officers of this Chapter shall be: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Director, three (3) Chapter Advisors. All officers shall be voting members of the chapter. These officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.

1. Chair is responsible for conducting the business of the Chapter and shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Chapter Board; shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, except the nominating committee, and shall perform all other duties ordinarily devolving upon the office of the Chair.

2. Vice Chair assists the Chair. Should the Chair become temporarily unable to act as such or the office become vacant, the Vice Chair shall perform all duties of the chair until such inability ceases, or in the case where a vacancy occurs, until an incoming elected chair assumes office.

3. Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Chapter and the Chapter Board, and shall perform all other duties ordinarily devolving upon the office of Secretary.

4. Treasurer shall receive the Chapter’s portion of the membership dues from the Club and account for the same; shall make payment of expense specifically authorized by the Chapter Board and routine normal Chapter expenses; and shall perform all other duties ordinarily devolving upon the office of Treasurer. An audit, or third party review, of the Chapter treasury shall be performed each year between the Annual Meeting and the end of the year and at any other time deemed necessary by the Chapter Board.

5. The Chapter Advisor’s responsibility is to help oversee the operation of the Chapter and aid in making policies and decision.

6. Director shall represent the Chapter on the Board of Directors of the Club; represent the views of the Club to the Chapter; and represent the views of the Chapter to the Club. The Director shall be elected and serve as specified in the Club Constitution and Bylaws.

B. Appointed Committee Chairs: Outings, Membership, Conservation, Currents Editor, Publicity, Trails, Education

1. Committee Chairs serve at the pleasure of the Chapter Chair, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Members holding appointive positions shall be responsible for managing certain important functions, not of a policy-making nature, under direction of the Executive Committee.

2. Committee Chairs may appoint additional members to their committee.

3. Special Committee Chairs and/or Special Committees may be appointed by the Chapter Chair, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

(Duties of Elected and Appointed Offices are included in an addendum to the Bylaws, and are not considered part of this document. The duties of appointed officers will be reviewed as appropriate by each new Executive Committee and structured according to the current needs of the organization.)

Article VI

Elections and Terms of Office

A. Elections shall be held during the Chapter’s Annual Meeting.

B. Duration of Terms of Office:

1. The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer’s terms shall be one (1) year. They may serve three (3) consecutive terms at a maximum. They are ineligible to be elected to the same office after serving three (3) terms until at least one (1) year has intervened.

2. The Chapter Advisor’s term of office shall be three (3) years. A Chapter Advisor may not serve consecutive terms. One (1) Advisor shall be elected each year, with a total of three (3) Advisors serving at one time. In order to implement this result, the Chapter Board may shorten some terms of office for some of the Advisors.

3. The Director’s term of office shall be that which is specified in the Club’s Constitution and Bylaws. (3 two year terms)

C. Vacancies: Any vacancy occurring before the expiration of an Executive Committee member’s term of office may be filled by the Chair with the approval of the Officers and Directors. When appointed to fill a vacancy, the individual so designated shall serve only during the unexpired term of his or her predecessor.

D. Terms of Office shall commence on January 1st following election.

E. Nominations: A Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) voting Chapter members, at least one of which shall not be a member of the Executive Committee nor an appointed Committee Chair, shall be appointed by the Chair each year by June 1st. This committee should deliver a slate of candidates for nomination, to the Secretary, by August 1st. A notice of these nominations shall be publicized to all members entitled to vote not later than the notice of the Annual Meeting.

Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting, provided that the nominee has given his/her consent in writing or by voice. If there is more than one candidate for an office, a vote by secret ballot will be taken of the voting membership present. The candidate receiving a plurality of votes cast shall be declared elected.

F. Removal from Office: A member of the Executive Committee can be removed from office if at least two-thirds (2/3) of the other elected members of the Executive Committee present agree to the removal.

Article VII

Meetings and Voting

A. Annual Meeting: Shall be held during the period between October 1st and December 1st. The Chapter membership will be notified of the time and place at least two (2) weeks prior. There shall not be a minimum quorum.

B. General Meetings for the membership will be determined by the Chair and may be held in conjunction with an inning or other function where the general public is invited to attend.

C. Chapter Board Meetings: The Chapter Board shall consist of the Executive Committee and the appointed committee Chairs. Meetings shall be held at least five (5) times per year. However, the Chair may call a Chapter board meeting whenever deemed necessary and must call a Chapter Board Meeting within two weeks after receiving a written request from at least three elected members of the Chapter Board. A quorum shall be at least fifty percent of the elected members.

D. Plurality Vote: For all issues voted on at the Annual Meeting, General Meetings, or Chapter Board Meetings, decisions will be rendered based on a plurality of the votes cast, except as specified under Article 6, Section F and Article 9.

Article VIII

Administration

The administration of the Chapter shall be vested in the Chapter Board. Final decisions of the Chapter Board will be rendered by the Executive Committee. Committee Chairs shall also attend Chapter Board Meetings, may be called to give reports, and shall provide input to the Chapter Board.

Article IX

Amendments

Any proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall first be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Committee. If so approved, it shall be submitted in writing to the voting members. A two-thirds approving vote of those responding within a maximum of two weeks shall be required for adoption.