AMERICAN COACH ASSOCIATION

SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTER BY-LAWS

Amended November 8, 1996 at Ft. Davis, Texas Rally

Amended August 1999 by mail-in Ballot

Amended November 6, 1999 at Kerrville, Texas Rally

Amended September 21, 2008 at Little Rock, Arkansas

Amended May 15, 2011 at Searcy, Arkansas

Amended  November 2, 2011 at San Antonio, Texas

ARTICLE 1 - NAME

1.1      This nonprofit unincorporated association, hereafter referred to as “Chapter”, shall be known as SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTER.

ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE

2.1      The purpose of the SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTER shall be to encourage, foster, and promote the interest of motor homing among owners of the Fleetwood Limited and American Coach motor homes, namely, American Allegiance, American Dream, American Eagle, American Heritage, American Tradition, American Revolution, Revolution, as well as any motorhome produced in the future and badged by Fleetwood as an American Coach (hereinafter the “Eligible Motor Coach (es)’) in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas; and to provide an organization encouraging camaraderie, motorhome rallies and trips, and motorhome information exchange among its member owners as well as information exchange with the manufacturer of these motor homes.

ARTICLE 3 - MEMBERSHIP

3.1 There shall be two (2) classes of membership, Regular and Honorary.

3.2      Regular members shall be those persons over the age of eighteen (18) years who own a legal interest in an Eligible Motor Coach.  Those regular members who own the aforementioned legal interest in an Eligible Motor Coach shall initially pay or be assessed one membership fee/dues and will then be considered and recognized as a regular member unit.  One vote per regular member unit may be cast in connection with chapter decisions.

3.3      Honorary members shall be those persons whom the South Central Chapter of American Coach Association especially desires to honor.  They shall be elected by the Board of Directors and shall hold such honorary membership for the year elected. Honorary members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office in this organization, but shall be entitled to participate in all other activities and rallies and meetings of the South Central Chapter.

3.4      Application for regular membership shall be made in writing and addressed to the Membership Chairman of the South Central Chapter, accompanied by payment of such fees and dues as determined by the Board of Directors.

3.5      No person shall be disqualified for membership on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or presence of any handicap.

3.6      Chapter members must also be a member of the American Coach Association.

3.7      Regular membership is deemed a personal privilege and shall not be subject to sale, transfer, assignment or bequest.

3.8      Charter members shall be those who join prior to the first Chapter rally and Founding Chapter Members shall be those who were Founders of the Chapter.

ARTICLE 4 - TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF MEMBERHSIP

4.1      All resignations shall be made in writing, addressed to the Secretary.

4.2      A member may be suspended, terminated or expelled by the Board of Directors for conduct injurious to the welfare of this organization or for failure to pay any dues or indebtedness to the South Central Chapter or American Coach Association within sixty (60) days of notification of such dues or indebtedness.  The Board of Directors may reinstate a terminated member upon such conditions, as the Board deems appropriate.

ARTICLE 5 - MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

5.1      The South Central Chapter shall hold an annual meeting at the last rally prior to November 1 of each year for the purpose of electing officers.  Other meetings may be called by the President during the year for organizing and carrying on the activities of the Chapter. Any question requiring a vote of the membership must be presented to the Board of Directors for review prior to presentation to membership. The President will state the Boards opinion on the question at the time of presentation to the membership.

5.2      Special meetings of the regular membership may be called upon petition of seven (7) or more members in writing to the President.  The petition must be received at least sixty (60) days prior to the requested date and must specifically state the exact business, including any motions, to be transacted at such meeting.  The President will notify the full membership of the time, date and place of the meeting.

5.3      Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the regular membership, except as otherwise provided by these by-laws.

5.4      Except as otherwise provided by law or these by-laws, all questions will be decided by majority vote of those regular members in attendance at a regular meeting or by written vote or electronic mail, if requested by the President.

ARTICLE 6 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

6.1      The government of the South Central Chapter shall be vested in the Board of Directors, composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and one member elected by the membership.

6.2      Regular and special meetings of the Board shall be held as directed by the President or Vice President, in the absence of the President.  Such meetings may be conducted at any annual or regular meeting of the membership, telephonic conference call, electronic mail, or fax with all available members of the Board of Directors.

6.3      A quorum shall consist of the majority of the Board of Directors, one of which shall be the President, or in the absence of the President, the acting President.

6.4      If a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, The Board of Directors may appoint a qualified successor to serve until such appointee or successor is elected at the next meeting of the regular membership.

6.5      The Board of Directors shall have the power to make such organization rules and to designate such committees, as it deems advisable to carry out the purposes of the South Central Chapter.  The President shall have the power to designate and appoint other committees as the President deems advisable to carry out the purposes of the organization.

6.6      The Board of Directors shall be held harmless from liability from all actions associated with their chapter activities.  Any liability incurred by a member shall be the responsibility of that member.

ARTICLE 7 - OFFICERS

7.1      The officers of the South Central Chapter shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, each of who shall hold the office for a one (1) year term, which shall terminate upon the election of a qualified successor.  Officers may be elected to additional terms.

7.2      The duties of the President shall be to preside at all meetings, both of the membership and of the Board of Directors and, with the Secretary, to sign the record of the proceedings of all such meetings, to sign and execute all written contracts and obligations of the South Central Chapter, and to carry out the will of the Board of Directors; to appoint Wagonmasters and committees as the President may deem appropriate, and to perform such other duties appropriate to that office.

7.3      It shall be the duty of the Vice President to assist the President in the discharge of his or her duties, and in the event of the President’s absence or disability, officiate in his or her stead and assist other officers as deemed necessary.

7.4      It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the Board of Directors and meetings of the regular membership; to keep and maintain at all times a roll of the regular and honorary members of the South Central Chapter; to receive and conduct in a timely fashion, all correspondence for and on behalf of the Board of Directors; to keep and maintain the South Central Chapter’s files; and to perform such other duties as pertain to the office of Secretary.

7.5      It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and collect all funds owed to the South Central Chapter; to be the custodian of the South Central Chapter’s funds collected; to render a report at all meetings of the Board of Directors and regular membership meetings; to pay all South Central Chapter’s bills, subject to approval of the Board of Directors or club President; to sign all checks for and on behalf of the South Central Chapter; to keep at all times an account of the funds and disbursements of South Central Chapter in proper books provided for that purpose; to render a financial report whenever called for by the Board of Directors or by the President; and to perform such duties as pertain to the office of Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall never co-mingle the funds of the South Central Chapter with his or her personal funds. Treasurer will be required to file all IRS forms to include the form 990. The Chapter name and mailing address should be the same as indicated on the chapter’s SS-4 application, which is used to obtain the chapter’s EIN (employer identification number). Any changes to the chapter’s name or contact info must be provided to ACA National as indicated in the annual Update Information for GEL section of the American Coach Association guide for Obtaining Federal and State Tax Exempt Status for ACA Regional Chapters. The annual deadline for submitting chapter update information to the National treasurer is November 1st each year.

7.6      The officers of the chapter shall be held harmless from liability from all actions associated with their chapter activities. Any liability incurred by a member shall be the responsibility of that member.

ARTICLE 8 - ELECTIONS

8.1      Prior to the regular annual membership meeting, the Board of Directors shall select a nominating committee composed of three (3) regular members.  This committee shall nominate at least one eligible regular member for each office and one to serve on the Board of Directors, as a Member-at-Large. The membership is encouraged to submit nominees, in writing, to the committee.  Eligible regular members may be nominated from the floor at the annual meeting of the membership, provided they are present to accept such nomination or have indicated in writing acceptance of nomination. The Board of Directors will be elected at the annual meeting of the membership.. This meeting is to be held prior to November 1st each year.

8.2      The Secretary shall receive the nominations and shall cause to be published in any newsletter or bulletin of the South Central Chapter a listing of the nominees at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the annual membership meeting.

8.3      The regular members not present at the time and place of the election may vote absentee by mailing or delivering to the Secretary, his or her vote in writing ten (10) days prior to the time of such election.  No voting by proxy shall be permitted.

8.4      The Board of Directors is, however, empowered to conduct the election of officers and a director by mail ballot upon such conditions and safeguards as the Board deems appropriate if, for any reason, the Board determines that a mail ballot is more expedient than the procedure set forth above.

ARTICLE 9-PRINCIPAL OFFICE

9.1      The principal office of the South Central Chapter shall be the mailing address of the Chapter Treasurer as determined at the annual election of the Board of Directors, recognizing that the residences of the officers may in the future be spread widely among different cities and states.

ARTICLE 10-AMENDMENTS

10.1    Any member(s) in good standing may submit proposed bylaw changes to the President.    

10.2     The officers of this organization shall consider any proposed changes to the bylaws.  The officers may approve or defeat proposed changes only by a unanimous vote.  Any proposed change to these bylaws shall be voted on by a quorum of the chapter members attending the next business meeting.