BY-LAWS OF THE GFWC WOMEN’S CLUB OF SWEETWATER COUNTY (FORMERLY WOMAN’S CLUB OF ROCK SPRINGS), GFWC
REVISED 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
ARTICLE 1-NAME
The name of the Club shall be GFWC Women’s Club of Sweetwater County (Formerly Woman’s Club of Rock Springs GFWC), General Federation of Woman’s Clubs of Wyoming GFWCW.
ARTICLE II-OBJECTIVE
The objective of this Club shall be:
Section 1 – To be a representative organization to promote civic, social and personal progress, and to be ready at any time to take concerted action on any measure that affects the life of the community.
Section 2 – As a 501C(3) organization:
Item 1 – The Club shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian.
Item 2 – The Club is organized for charitable purposes.
Item 3 – The Club must not be operated for the benefit of private interests and no part of its net earnings may benefit any individual member of the Club.
Item 4 – Should the Club be disbanded, any funds still held will be distributed to charitable organizations.
Item 5 – The fiscal year of the Club shall be the same as the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), July1 to June 30.
ARTICLE III-MEMBERS
Section 1 – Membership shall consist of Active and Virtual Members.
Section 2 – Active Membership- Any woman who accepts the standards of the WCSC and carries a willingness to promote the welfare of the Club by regular attendance and cheerful acceptance of its duties may become an active member. She may attend a) General Meeting, b) membership tea, or c) one section meeting as a guest. She must pay Club dues.
Section 3-Virtual Membership- Any woman living outside of Sweetwater County, WY who accepts the standards of the WCSC and carries a willingness to promote the welfare of the Club by participating in, at least, one activity during a Club year may become a Virtual Member. She must pay dues.
Section 4 – Any active member may propose the name of a candidate for membership. A candidate desiring to join WCSC shall be sponsored by any one active member and endorsed by two active members by submitting an application form and dues to the Membership Chairman who will present it to the Board for recommendation. The Board will approve or disapprove applications and announce the names of new members at the next General Meeting following Board action. Dues will not be added to the Club’s account until the candidate’s application is approved.
Section 5 – Active members shall participate in the activities of the Club. They should be willing to hold office, appear in programs, serve on committees, thus sharing the responsibilities of the Club. They shall enjoy all Privileges of the Club including the right to vote on Club business and to sponsor new members.
Section 6 – The hostesses for each month will be responsible for arranging a luncheon or dinner and all cost of decorations and favors will be shared by all of the hostesses for that month. The hostesses will also serve as a Welcoming Committee at the door. If too busy, ask other members for assistance.
Section 7 – Any former member requesting to rejoin the Club, must follow ARTICLE III, SECTION 2, 4 and 5 to attain membership.
Section 8 – Each member is responsible for obtaining a copy of the current By-Laws.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Section 1 – The general meeting of the Club shall be held once a month from September through May. Wherever a point of order arises which is not covered by our By-laws, the rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition shall govern the Club and may be used by the Parliamentarian in her official capacity. The election of officers shall be held at the April general meeting. The general meeting in May shall be for the installation of officers only. No business shall be conducted unless approved by the Board. The December general meeting shall be the Club Christmas Party, with no business conducted unless approved by the Board.
Section 2 – Special meeting of the whole organization may be called by the President or by the Board. At special meetings only the special business will be transacted and no other.
Section 3 – Seven of the active officers, section chairmen or Board members shall constitute a quorum of any general or special meeting of the general club.
Section 4 – The Board shall meet monthly or at the call of the President or any three officers of the Board. Five members, including at least, one officer shall constitute a quorum of any general or special board meeting.
Section 5 – The June Board meeting will consist of all old and new Board members for the purpose of turning over all necessary materials to the new Board Members and instructing them in their duties. No other business will be conducted.
Section 6 – A standing committee shall meet at the call of its Chairman or any two members of the committee.
ARTICLE V- DUES
Section 1 – The entrance fee for a new member shall be membership dues through November 30. New members joining December 1 through March 31 shall be assessed full dues for the next Club year.
Section 2 – The annual dues for active members shall be determined before April 1 and are due and payable June1. (Member’s name will be dropped by the August board meeting for nonpayment of dues.) One final written notice will be sent one month before the member’s name is dropped.
ARTICLE VI – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1 – The Nominating Committee shall consist of the section chairmen plus a chairman appointed by the President.
Section 2 – It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to submit a slate of qualified members for the six executive offices to the Board at the Board’s April meeting for the Board’s approval. The consent of each nominee shall have been secured before her name is submitted to the Club.
Section 3 – Nominations from the floor are also in order. The consent of each nominee shall have been secured before her name is submitted to the Club.
Section 4 – All candidates for office may be voted upon by ballot. The one receiving a majority of votes cast by members present shall be declared elected. If no one receives a majority vote upon the first ballot, the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be the nominees for the next ballot. Where there is only one candidate for an office, election may be by voice.
Section 5 – Section Chairmen shall be elected by their respective sections at their April meeting.
ARTICLE VII-OFFICERS
Section 1 – The executive officers of the Club shall be President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor.
Section 2 – The Board shall consist of the executive officers as stated in Section 1 plus Immediate Past President, Historian, Parliamentarian, Chaplain, Cultural Arts, Education, Lending Closet, Membership and Board Notification, Publicity, Sunshine, Yearbook, Rating Guide plus Chairmen for each GFWC Special Program and Community Service Program, as listed in the GFWC Manual, plus others deemed necessary by the Board, GFWCW or GFWC.
Section 3 – Terms of Officers – The President shall serve one year with the option of a second year. The President may be invited by the Board to serve a second year or the President may present to the Board her desire for a second term. In either case the President’s name shall be subject to all provisions of Article VI – Election of Officers. If the President does not desire a second term the Vice-President will be asked to present her name for nomination and also be subject to all provisions of Article VI – Election of Officers. If the Vice-President does not wish to serve as President and there are no other Nominations as provided by Article VI – Election of Officers a pro-tem shall be appointed. The President pro-tem will be defined as the group of all past Presidents of GFWC Women’s Club of Sweetwater County, (Formerly Woman’s Club of Rock Springs) – GFWCW who are currently active in the Club as defined by Article III, Section 5.
ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 – It is the duty of the President to call meetings to order, to preside at all meetings, to announce the business before the assembly in its proper order, to preserve order and decorum. The President shall appoint all special committees subject to the approval of the board. She shall be Chairman of the Board and ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating committee. She shall be responsible to advise the board of the budgeted items. The President shall oversee the Rating Guide which is the full responsibility of all board members. She shall give a brief report of board actions at general meetings and seek general membership approval. Installation of officers shall be performed by a past president in good standing of WCSC or by a president or past president of another GFWC Club. The outgoing president shall present the incoming president with her president’s pin, and the incoming President shall be responsible for the installation ceremonies. The installing officer shall present the outgoing president with the guard for her pin.
Section 2 – The Vice-President in the absence of the President shall take the chair and perform the duties thereof. In case of a vacancy of the office of President, the Vice-President shall become President. She shall be a member of the Finance Committee and the Chairman of the Club’s Christmas fundraiser and member of other fundraising committees.
Section 3 – The recording Secretary shall keep a current record of all meetings of the Club and of the Board. The minutes of the Club and the Board shall be typewritten, and at the close of the Club year shall be placed on file.
Section 4 – The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for the correspondence of the Club. At the time of the election of new state officers, she shall send personal invitations to the new state officers to attend one Club meeting in accordance with their schedule. All correspondence shall be retained until the end of her term.
Section 5 – The Treasurer shall pay all nonbudgeted bills upon the authorization of the board, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements and present a written report to the Club at each Board meeting. Copies of the report go to the President, Vice-president, Recording Secretary and Auditor. At the general meeting she will report on transactions of the preceding month. In the absence of the Treasurer at the meeting of the Board or General Club, the Treasurer shall appoint an active member of good standing to carry out her duties. A record of the receipts and disbursements shall be submitted to the Auditor semiannually. She shall submit a list of current members to the Yearbook Chairman by August 1. She shall be a member of the Finance Committee. All checks shall require one signature only unless the check is for $150.00 or more. It shall then require two signatures. The current President and one at-large member should also have signature cards on file for the Club accounts. The Treasurer shall receive all monies due to the Club. She shall notify delinquent members of the amount of their indebtedness as required in ARTICLE V, SECTION 2 of these By-Laws. Requests for nonbudgeted donations, after the Board’s approval, will be presented to the general membership for approval.
Section 6 – The Auditor shall examine the books semi-annually at the end of December and the end of June. She shall examine the report of the Treasurer and make written reports by the August and February Board meetings. She shall be a member of the Finance Committee.
Section 7 – The Board shall review and recommend action on all the transactions of the Club and fill vacancies of officers, except that of President, subject to approval of the Club. In the event of a vacancy in the Vice-Presidency, the Board shall nominate a Vice-President subject to the approval of the General Membership.
Section 8 – All officers upon retiring from office shall deliver to their successors all guidelines and materials and other property belonging to the Club by the June board meeting. The Treasurer shall deliver all monies, completed accounts and records by June 30. The outgoing officer should give the new officer her counsel and advice on how to fulfill the specific duties of that office.
ARTICLE IX – SECTIONS
Section 1 – Upon the request of six or more members the Club, a study group called a section may be created subject to the approval of the Club. No new section shall infringe upon the rights of a previously organized section.
Section 2 – The objective of each section shall be designated by its name.
Section 3 – Each Section of the Club shall elect its own officers and plan its own program. Each Section Chairman shall be a member of the Board and shall report activities to the Membership.
Section 4 – A member of the WCSC is eligible for membership in any or all of the Sections of the Club.
ARTICLE X – COMMITTEES
Section 1 – There shall be four standing committees, namely: Finance, By-law Yearbook and Education. Other Committees and any other positions deemed necessary may be appointed by the President subject to approval of the Board.
ARTICLE XI – DUTIES OF COMMITTEES
Section 1 – It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to set up a budget for the year and to monitor fund raising. The Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Auditor. The Committee shall present the proposed budget at the April Board meeting for approval. If approved by the Board, the budget shall be presented to the membership at the April general meeting for approval.
Section 2 – A By-law Committee may be appointed by the President subject to approval by the Board when deemed necessary. It will be the duty of this committee to make any necessary revisions to the WCSC by-laws and to review the by-laws of the GFWC for the Club. By-laws shall be revised every two (2) years.
Section 3 – The Yearbook Committee consisting of the Yearbook Chairman, President, Treasurer, Program Chairman and the Section Chairmen, shall compile the yearbook.
Section 4 – The Education Committee shall oversee the awarding of grants to WWCC students. The information should be given to counsellors at the local high schools. The eligibility requirements shall be: resident of Sweetwater County, 2.5 minimum GPA, a fulltime student carrying a minimum of 12 hours or a parttime student carrying, at least, 6 hours. A maximum of 5 grants will be given for each of the fall and spring semesters. The grants will be divided as follows: 3 academic grants for fulltime students working toward an AA, AS, or a BA or BS through Western Wyoming Outreach, 1 grant for a parttime student, and 1 grant for a vocational student. The initial application process shall include either a 250-word essay or a 1-to-2-minute video. Either method should include an introduction, which grant the student is requesting, which subjects and activities the applicant enjoys, what the applicant is planning to study and why. Requests for a continuing grant must contain a summary of how previous grant(s) was spent and the continuing GPA of 2.5.
ARTICLE XII – DUTIES OF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS
Section 1 – Historian – The Historian shall compile the annual history of the Club by saving news clippings, pictures and other memorabilia. She will include a copy of the annual President’s report in this history.
Section 2 – Parliamentarian – The Parliamentarian shall keep with her a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order, current ed., and shall be the final authority on questions of Parliamentary procedure.
Section 3 – Chaplain – The Chaplain shall offer an invocation at each general meeting and at other times requested by the President.
Section 4 – Newsletter Editor – The Newsletter Editor shall be a member of the Publicity Committee and is responsible for the publication of the Club’s newsletter.
Section 5 – Board Notification – The Board Notification Chairman shall contact all Board members prior to the Board meeting.
Section 6 – Notification – The Notification Chairman shall maintain a telephone committee for General Meeting Notification. She shall provide the Treasurer with the number of people planning to attend and give the Hostesses the number expected by the Friday preceding the general meeting. The Hostess(es) will notify the restaurant of the number of reservations.
Section 7 – Lending Closet – The Lending Closet Chairman shall maintain the medical lending closet. She shall give any monies received to the Treasurer to be listed on a separate line item on all reports and specifically used for lending closet expenses. Any money spent for lending closet items will come from the GFWC Women’s Club of Sweetwater County (Formerly Woman’s Club of Rock Springs GFWC)’ checking account. She will be responsible for acknowledging any donations.
Section 8 – Membership Chairman – Membership shall be the responsibility of all members who shall submit membership applications to the Board for recommendations. The Membership Chairman shall contact prospective members, invite them to meetings or membership teas and conduct initiation ceremonies when indicated, by the Board. Article lll, Section2, 4 and 5 shall be read to each new member. It will be her responsibility to order yearbooks and to secure pins for new members.
Section 9 – Publicity – The publicity Chairman shall be responsible for news articles to the Wyoming Clubwoman as well as all Club publicity. In the news articles, GFWCW should be mentioned. She shall be responsible for contacting the newspaper. Website and Facebook editors are members of the Publicity Committee.
Section 10 – Sunshine – The Sunshine Chairman shall send cards and make telephone calls when illness occurs as well as send sympathy cards when indicated. Family members will include Spouse, Father, Mother and Children. In the event of the death of a member, spouse of a member or immediate family member including father, mother and children, the club shall present a memorial in an amount specified by the board. The Sunshine Chairman shall notify the Board of memorials to be paid and the Treasurer will issue a check.
Section 11 – Yearbook – The Yearbook Chairman shall, with the help of the Yearbook Committee as defined in ARTICLE XI, SECTION 3, compile information and publish the yearbook for the following year and make new yearbook inserts available to members at the September General Meeting.
ARTICLE XIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1 – The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Revised, current ed. shall govern the club and be used by the Parliamentarian in her official capacity.
ARTICLE XIV – AMENDMENTS
Section 1 – By-laws may be adopted, amended or repealed at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of those members present provided that there is a quorum and the proposed amendment shall have been presented in writing and read at the previous regular meeting.
Section 2 – In the event of a local or national emergency, time requirements may be suspended.
