Lake Granbury Newcomers Club

STANDING RULES

STANDING RULES
LAKE GRANBURY NEWCOMERS CLUB

Restated Effective August 2024

Membership

  1. Dues: Annual membership dues are $25.
    1. Membership renewal must be received by September 15 to be included in the directory.
  2. Guests: Members may bring guests to meetings and events.
    1. Guests may attend two meetings, activities, or a combination of meetings/activities as guests at their own expense, in addition to the Meet and Greet, before payment of dues.

General Meetings

  1. General Meeting Schedule: Meetings are held September – May unless otherwise specified.
  2. General Meeting Time:  Regular General Meetings begin at 10:15 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month.
  3. General Meeting Location: Every effort should be made to keep Lake Granbury Newcomers Club meetings in the Granbury Area.

Luncheons

  1. Members and guests are responsible for payment of the appropriate luncheon or set-up fees for reservations made unless cancellation is received by the published deadline.
  2. Members in good standing may request to be added to the Permanent Reservations List.  Members who choose to be added to this list will be billed for a meal each month unless cancellation is received by the reservation deadline.
  3. No reservations will be taken from or for a member or guest who did not cancel two reservations by the deadline, has not resolved the payment due, or brought their account current.
  4. If an event, luncheon, or program is sold out, LGNC members will receive priority. Guests will be placed on a waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Club members are responsible for payment of reservation(s) made for guest(s).
  • Members and guests who attend general meetings and do not wish to purchase lunch will be required to pay a set-up fee established by the Board of Directors.

Committees

  1. Standing Committees:  A Standing Committee is a permanent committee within the club responsible for specific ongoing functions and tasks, such as organizing events, managing communications, or overseeing membership activities. See Job Descriptions for details.
  2. Special Committees: A Special Committee is a temporary committee established to address a specific issue, task, or project and is disbanded once its objective is achieved. See Job Descriptions for details.
  3. Committee Chairs: Each committee will be led by a Committee Chair appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
  4. Meetings: Committees will meet as needed and may be asked to report their activities at regular club meetings.

Communications

  1. Newsletter: A monthly newsletter will be emailed to all members 2.5 weeks before the General meeting.
    1. Newsletters are published August – April. The club does not publish newsletters in May, June, or July.
  2. Website: The club’s website will be updated regularly with news, events, and resources. The Communications Committee is responsible for maintaining the website.
  3. Email: The Communications Committee will periodically email members to ensure timely and essential announcements are effectively communicated.

Financial Management

  1. Reimbursements: Members seeking reimbursement for club-related expenses must submit a Request for Reimbursement form and receipts to the Treasurer within 30 days of the expenditure.
    1. Income and Request for Reimbursement forms must be submitted to the appropriate Chair for approval and signature before being submitted to the Treasurer.
    1. The President must approve and sign Request for Reimbursement forms submitted by committee Chairs. All members will submit their current club year expenses to the Treasurer by May 15.
    1. The LGNC President must have her Request for Reimbursement forms signed by a Vice President.
  2. Financial Reports: The Treasurer will provide a detailed financial report at each regular meeting and a summary report in the monthly newsletter.

Programs & Events

  1. Program speakers must adhere to the purpose of their presentation, which is to inform, educate, and entertain club members and guests.
    1. Presenters agree to limit the promotion and sales of their products and services to those agreed upon before confirming the speaking engagement. 
  2. The incoming officers should evaluate all events annually, with the advice of the outgoing officers and event chairs, to determine whether they should be repeated or discontinued.
  3. Promotions: Members and guests should refrain from selling, advertising, or soliciting business at LGNC meetings, activities, and LGNC social media.

Rules for Members
To ensure transparency, fairness, and consistency, when a member is reported to have broken the Code of Conduct, these procedures will be implemented:

  1. Documentation: The incident should be reported in writing to the Board of Directors with details of the behavior and any witnesses.
  2. Notification: The member will be notified of the violation and given an opportunity to respond.
  3. Review: The President will convene a Member Conflict Committee.
  4. Decision: The committee will review each member’s written statements and responses and recommend a resolution to the Board of Directors.
  5. Appeal: The member should have the right to appeal the decision to ensure fairness.

Rules for Members of the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs

  1. LGNC Board Members, Committee Chairs, and Standing Committee members must be in good standing with dues paid current.
  2. Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the President, Treasurer, and First Vice President are the authorized signers on the account. 
  3. Checks must be signed by two authorized signers, typically the President and Treasurer.
    1. In the absence of the Treasurer or President, the second signature will be the First Vice President.
  4. Maintain a notebook, record, or digital file with notes, information, and applicable passwords and pass it on to the incoming Chair/Officer at the joint meeting of the incoming and outgoing Board of Directors.
  5. Each officer and Committee Chair will submit a year-end report at the May meeting of the  Board of Directors.
  6. All members of the Board of Directors must be fiscally responsible and good stewards of money and club inventory.
  7. All members of the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs must obtain prior Board approval if they need to exceed their respective operating expense budgets.
  8. All positions on the Board of Directors are single incumbent, except for Co-Presidents. Absentee voting is not permitted, and proxies are not allowed to vote in place of absent Board members.
  9. The Board of Directors may propose, second, and vote on motions electronically, provided that a quorum participates in the vote.

Interest Groups

  1. Interest Group leaders are responsible for ensuring their group’s participants are members in good standing and that their dues are paid.
  2. Individual Interest Groups will remain self-supporting. Under special circumstances, funding may be requested in advance from the Board of Directors.
    1. Funding requests must be in writing and must be signed and submitted by the group leader.
  3. Interest Groups must obtain approval from the Board of Directors before making any purchases for which they intend to request reimbursement.
  4. Should an Interest Group disband or cease to operate under the LGNC umbrella, all tangible items purchased with club funds, i.e., cards, shufflers, games, etc., remain the property of LGNC and should be returned to the Special Interest Group Chair.

Scholarships
LGNC Scholarships may be rewarded on an annual basis.

  1. To be eligible for a scholarship, a female applicant must:
    1. Be a Hood County resident or attend a Hood County High School.
    1. Completed the first semester of the senior year in high school.
    1. Maintained an overall grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
    1. Contributed outstanding community service during high school.
  2. The selected recipient(s) will receive a scholarship of $1,000.00 per semester for the freshman year in an accredited college or vocational school if they take a minimum of 12 semester hours and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
  3. If the organization’s funds allow, additional scholarships may be awarded.
  4. Additional funding for a previously selected recipient may only be made after the current year’s recipient has been funded. To be considered, the previous recipient must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average and achieved college sophomore or higher grade status.
  5. Selected recipient(s) will be invited to attend the May meeting to be recognized.

Charities

Donations to local charities may be rewarded by the club on an annual basis.

  1. To be eligible for a charitable donation from LGNC, an organization must:
    1. Be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization.
    1. Provide the following information:
      1. Where is their funding obtained (local, state, federal)?
      1. What percentage of the yearly budget goes towards general administrative and fundraising expenses?
      1. How many people do they serve each year?
      1. Do they have volunteer opportunities for our members?
      1. How are they managed – paid staff or volunteers?
  2. The general membership will vote on charity recipients at the April general meeting.

Changes & Amendments to Standing Rules

  1. Proposal: Any member may propose changes or amendments to the Standing Rules. Proposals must be submitted in writing to the BOD President.
  2. Approval: Changes or amendments to the Standing Rules require a majority vote of the Board of Directors to be approved.
  3. Announcement:  Approved changes will be emailed to the Membership and updated on the LGNC website.