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BY-LAWS OF THE UXBRIDGE ROD & GUN CLUB, INC.

ARTICLE 1

Name and Location

The name of this organization shall be: The Uxbridge Rod & Gun Club, Inc. (hereinafter, the “Club”). The principal office of the Club in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be 512 West Street, Uxbridge, Massachusetts 01569.

ARTICLE 2

Purpose

Section 1. This organization is formed to promote and carry out the following purposes:

  1. to foster, encourage, and engage in rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery shooting practice and related competitions and social activities;
  2. to provide opportunities for Club members to engage in the sports of hunting, fishing, and trapping;
  3. to promote hunter safety education in the safe handling and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment for the purposes of hunting, gun collecting, target shooting, competition, and related activities.
  4. to encourage the practice of good sportsmanship in compliance with federal and state firearm and game laws;
  5. to support wildlife conservation programs and to assist wildlife management programs;
  6. to strengthen landowner-hunter cooperation and understanding, and to cooperate with other organizations which share the objectives and purposes of the Club; and
  7. to own, manage, and operate real property for the foregoing purposes.

ARTICLE 3

Officers

Section 1. The Officers of the Club shall include a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.

Section 2.  Officers shall be elected annually by secret ballot and shall serve a term of one (1) year. Nominations will be accepted at the January and February regular monthly meeting. Election of Officers shall be the first order of business at the March regular monthly meeting. Officers shall assume their duty immediately upon election.

Section 3.  Duty of Officers

  1. President. The President shall be the Executive Officer of the Club and shall preside, when present, at all Club meetings.
  2. Vice President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall assume all duties and responsibilities of the President.
  3. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect all funds paid to the Club, shall issue receipts therefore, and shall keep a true account of such funds using modern methods when available. The Treasurer shall deposit funds paid to the Club in one or more bank accounts of his or her choice with the prior approval of the membership, and shall disburse funds only in payment of duly approved expenses. The Treasurer shall give a report at each regular monthly meeting. In the event the Treasurer is unable to attend a regular monthly meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a written Treasurer’s report to a Club officer which shall be read at the meeting. The Treasurer shall provide copies of current bank statements to the President at each regular monthly meeting. The Treasurer shall maintain custody of all valuable documents of the Club. Promptly upon election, the Treasurer shall conduct an inventory of all valuable Club documents with one or more Officers.
  4. Secretary. The Secretary shall give such notice of regular monthly meetings and of meetings of Officers as are required by these Bylaws, and shall keep a record of all regular monthly meetings and of all meetings of Officers. The Secretary shall have charge of all correspondence, and shall keep on file all documents not entrusted to other Officers. If the Secretary shall be absent from any regular monthly meeting or any meeting of Officers, the designee of the Officer presiding at such meeting shall perform the duties of the Secretary.

Section 4. The President shall, within 30 days of his or her election, appoint a Member to act as chairperson of each of the following standing committees of the Club. Each such chairperson shall serve until the March regular monthly meeting following his or her appointment. All committee chairpersons shall submit a written or oral report at each regular monthly meeting.

Fish
Game
Trap
Archery
Kitchen
Pistol
Rifle
Field Day
History
Work
Hours
Clubhouse
Membership
Website
Maintenance & Grounds
Forestry
Audit
Best Management Practices

Section 5. If a vacancy shall arise in the office of President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary, such vacancy shall be filled by nomination made from the floor at a regular monthly meeting, and election shall be held at the regular monthly meeting next following such nomination.

Section 6. No Officer may hold more than one (1) office, except in the case of an emergency requiring that an Officer hold more than one office which shall be a temporary assignment. In the event that an Officer is temporarily assigned to a second office, such assignment shall terminate on the first to occur of: a.) ninety (90) days following such assignment; or b.) the evening of the fourth regular monthly meeting following such assignment. At the fourth regular monthly meeting following such assignment, the Club shall elect or temporarily assign a different individual to the office.

ARTICLE 4

Board of Advisors

Section 1. A Board of Advisors, consisting or eight (8) members, shall be elected at the March regular monthly meeting. The President shall serve as the ninth (9th) ex officio member of the Board of Advisors. If there are less than eight (8) candidates to serve on the Board of Advisors, or if a vacancy shall arise, the President may appoint any Member in good standing to fill such vacancy.

Section 2. The Board of Advisors Officers shall be elected annually by secret ballot and shall serve a term of one (1) year. Nominations for the Board of Advisors shall be accepted beginning at the January regular monthly meeting and closing at the end of the February regular monthly meeting. Election of the Board of Advisors shall be held at the March regular monthly meeting.

Section 3. The Board of Advisors shall meet in a timely manner upon receipt of notice of a vote of the Club membership regarding business that needs to be addressed. Any five (5) members of the Board of Advisors shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4. The duty of the Board of Advisors shall be to: a.) review all issues referred to it by the floor and to have a recommendation to present at the regular monthly meeting or special meeting next following such referral; and b.) advise the Club on any issue that the Board of Advisors, on its own initiative, determines is necessary or appropriate to render advice or a recommendation to the Club. The Club will post an updated list of names of membership candidates in a conspicuous location in the Clubhouse. It will be the responsibility of the membership to notify the Officers of any and all names of candidates that they believe should be denied membership to the Club and the reasons therefore. This information is to be taken to the next regularly scheduled meeting for deliberation by the floor.

Section 5. The Board of Advisors shall review any candidate or candidates for membership that the body charges them with by majority vote from the floor at a regular monthly meeting, and with at least a thirty (30) day advance notice prior to membership installment. The Board of Advisors will then make its recommendation to the body at the next regular monthly meeting.

ARTICLE 5

Membership

Section 1. Membership Eligibility. Any citizen of the United States, upon making proper application, paying dues, and paying initiation fees and assessments, may become a member of the Club.

Section 2. Code of Ethics. Members of the Club shall abide by the ethics of sportsmanship and of firearm use, including safety, complying with applicable law, respecting others, and care of the environment.

Section 3. Suspension or Revocation. The failure of a member to comply with federal law, state law, these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, or Committee Rules and Regulations shall be grounds for immediate suspension or revocation of membership by any duly elected Officer. Any such suspension or revocation by an Officer shall be voted upon by the voting members of the Club at the meeting of the Club (monthly regular meeting or special meeting) next following such suspension or revocation. Suspension or revocation shall be upheld by the concurring vote of a majority of members present at such meeting. Any member whose membership has been suspended or revoked shall have the right to appear in his or her own defense at the meeting at which his or her suspension or revocation is to be voted upon. The membership of any member may be reviewed by a committee consisting of Officers and the Board of Advisors, or by a committee appointed by them, for infractions of federal law, state law, these Bylaws, or Club Rules and Regulations. Upon such review, the member may be temporarily or permanently expelled upon notice of expulsion to the member by registered mail and the opportunity to appear in his or her own defense at the meeting at which his or her expulsion is to be voted upon.

Minimum Membership Requirements. All new applicants for membership, and any member advancing to full Adult Membership from Junior Membership or Auxiliary Memberships to Adult) Membership shall, without exception, provide at the time of application:

If a resident of Massachusetts: i.) a License to Carry Firearms (“LTC”); ii.) a Firearms Identification Card (“FID”); or iii.) acceptable results of a name-based criminal record check from Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (“CORI”). If a resident of a state other than Massachusetts, the equivalent of: i.) an LTC; ii.) an FID; or iii.) an acceptable CORI; each of which shall be issued by the state in which the applicant resides.

A CORI, or equivalent, of any applicant for membership shall be reviewed by a committee consisting of Officers and the Board of Advisors prior to being accepted for membership or Adult Membership. An applicant may be denied membership by the committee reviewing the application.

Section 4.  Membership Duration. Club membership shall run from March 1st to the last day of the following February. Any adult wishing to become a member shall be placed on a waiting list. When an opening is available, new members will be accepted in the order their names appear on the waiting list, and they shall be so notified by the chairman of the Membership Committee.

Section 5.  Rights and Liabilities of Members. Members shall have no right, title or interest whatsoever in the income, property or assets of the Club, nor shall any portion of such income, property or assets be distributed to any member(s) upon the dissolution or winding up of the Club. No Member shall be personally liable for the debts, liabilities or obligations of the Club, nor shall any member be subject to any assessments levied on the Club.

Section 6.  Types of Membership.

  1. Adult Member. Adult Members:
    • must have attained the age of 18;
    • have full voting rights at all regular monthly meetings and special meetings; and
    • have use of all Club grounds, pond, and facilities in accordance with these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, and Committee Rules and Regulations.
  2. Probationary Member. Upon admittance to Adult Membership, members shall serve a probationary period of one (1) year during which each member shall satisfy the following requirements. Only upon satisfying the following requirements may the Probationary Member become an Adult Member after the one year probationary period:
    • work twenty (20) hours for the improvement of the Club (such hours shall be supervised and signed off by an Officer or Committee chairpersons, and must be fulfilled by January 31st of the one year probationary period); and
    • attend at least three (3) regular monthly meetings during the one year probationary period (subject to a right of appeal described below).

Probationary Members may sponsor an Auxiliary Member or a Junior Member for membership.

Probationary Members may not vote at Club meetings.

A Probationary Member may appeal to the chairperson of the Membership Committee for a waiver of the requirement to attend at least three (3) regular monthly meetings during the one year probationary period. Grounds for such waiver may include, but shall not necessarily be limited to: inability to attend meetings due to work requirements such as second shift, extensive work- related travel, or extended illnesses. Any request for such waiver, and the grounds therefore, shall be made in writing to the chairperson of the Membership Committee who shall refer such request to the Board of Advisors for a ruling. All requests for such waiver should be made no later than the December regular monthly meeting. All such waiver requests shall include supporting documentation such as: a.) (in the case of inability to attend the minimum required meetings) a letter from the Probationary Member’s employer, on company letterhead and signed by the employer, stating the reasons the Probationary Member was unable to attend the required meetings; and b.) (in the case of extended illness) a note from the Probationary Member’s doctor explaining generally the circumstances of such illness.

C. Auxiliary Member. An Auxiliary Member must become an Adult Member after three (3) years as an Auxiliary Member unless the membership is full, in which case they may remain an Auxiliary Member for one (1) additional year. Auxiliary Members:

  • must have attained the age of 18;
  • if a spouse or significant other/partner of an Adult Member, may remain an Auxiliary Member indefinitely;
  • if a daughter, son, niece, nephew, stepchild, grandchild, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law of an Adult Member or Probationary Member, shall become an Adult Member (upon serving a one year probationary period as a Probationary Member) within three (3) years unless the Auxiliary Member cannot have use of the Club (i.e. school, military or relocation);
  • shall comply with federal law, state law, these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, and Committee Rules and Regulations;
  • may not revert to an Auxiliary Member once admitted as an Adult Member;
  • may be a Junior Member who has not elected to become an Adult Member (subject to the one year probationary period as a Probationary Member) upon attaining the age of 18;
  • have unaccompanied use of all Club grounds, pond, and facilities in accordance with these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, and Committee Rules and Regulations;
  • shall be issued a key to the Club gate and Clubhouse; and
  • may not bring guests to the Club.

An Auxiliary Member who wishes to become an Adult Member (subject to the one year probationary period as a Probationary Member) shall have priority on the membership waiting list over those who are not Auxiliary Members.

The membership of an Auxiliary Member shall cease if the Adult Member who is the sponsor of the Auxiliary Member fails to renew his or her membership or their membership is revoked, whereupon the Adult Member is responsible for returning all keys in the possession of the sponsored Auxiliary Member.

Adult Members are responsible for the conduct of any sponsored Auxiliary Member. The penalty to the Adult Members for failure of the sponsored Auxiliary Member to comply with these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, or Committee Rules and Regulations may include loss of membership.

D. Junior Member. A Junior Member must be sponsored by an Adult Member or a Probationary Member, and:

  • must between the ages of 6 – 18 (Junior Members who have not attained the age of 6 shall not pay dues);
  • must be a daughter, son, niece, nephew, stepchild or grandchild or any non- related child under the age of 18;
  • shall not be issued a key to the Club gate or the Clubhouse; and
  • shall comply with federal law, state law, these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, and Committee Rules and Regulations.

The membership of a Junior Member shall cease if the Adult

Member who is the sponsor of the Junior Member fails to renew his or her membership or their membership is revoked.

Junior Members must be accompanied by an Adult Member, a Probationary Member, or an Auxiliary Member while on Club grounds.

Adult Members or Probationary Members, as the case may be, are responsible for the conduct of any sponsored Junior Member.

A Junior Member is eligible to become and Adult Member (subject to the one year probationary period as a Probationary Member) at the first renewal period after their 18th birthday.

Upon attaining the age of 18, a Junior Member may elect to become an Auxiliary Member rather than an Adult Member.

Life Member and Honorary Member. A Life Member:

  • must have attained the age of 65;
  • must have been an Adult Member in good standing for not less than ten (10) consecutive years;
  • need not pay a membership fee but must pay for keys and other costs or fees assessed to members; and
  • shall comply with federal law, state law, these Bylaws, Club Rules and Regulations, and Committee Rules and Regulations.

Any Auxiliary Member who is the spouse or significant other of an Adult Member who becomes a Life Member shall also be an Honorary Life Member and shall be subject to the above requirements for Life Members.

Honorary Life Membership is a privilege bestowed by vote of the floor and review of the Board of Advisors, in honor of an individual’s dedication and service to the Club. Honorary Life Members shall be subject to the above requirements for Life Members, except that Honorary Life Members need not have been an Adult Member in good standing for not less than ten (10) consecutive years prior to being voted an Honorary Life Member.

ARTICLE 6

Dues

Annual dues, assessments, fees, etc. shall be determined and voted upon at the December regular monthly meeting, and shall be in effect for the following fiscal year.

ARTICLE 7

Meetings

Section 1.  The regular monthly meeting shall be held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Clubhouse. If the first Monday of a month is a federal or state holiday, the meeting shall be held the following day.

Section 2. Fifteen (15) voting members shall constitute a quorum at any regular monthly meeting or any special meeting. Not less than two (2) Officers shall be present and shall preside at any special meeting.

Section 3. A special meeting may be called either: a.) upon motion and vote of a majority of voting members at a regular monthly meeting; or b.) by vote of not less than fifty percent (50%) of the Officers.

Section 4. The aggregate total of all individual appropriations or expenditures approved at any single regular monthly meeting shall not exceed ten thousand and 00/100 dollars ($10,000.00).

Section 5.  Any individual appropriation or expenditure in excess of ten thousand and 00/100 dollars ($10,000.00) may only be approved at a special meeting called in accordance with this Article.

Section 6. In the event of a bona fide emergency or urgent matter, the Officers, acting together with the Board of Advisors, may approve such expenditures or make such monetary decisions as are in the best interest of the Club in light of the circumstances.

ARTICLE 8

Financial Matters

Section 1.      Establishment of Funds and Accounts.    The Club shall, from time to time, establish such funds and accounts as are necessary and convenient for the Club’s business and in furtherance of the Club’s purpose. Funds or accounts may be either: a.) separately held banking, checking, or other type of account with a banking or investment institution; or b.) an accounting mechanism which divides an actual account with a banking or investment institution into two or more separate funds or accounts. The following funds shall be established and maintained. Deposits shall be made into any fund established by the Club at the beginning of each fiscal year upon closing the membership and collection of dues.

  1. General Operating Fund. The General Operating Fund shall be the “general ledger” from which the Club’s operating costs and other appropriations for Club activities shall be paid.
    • Adult Membership Dues Allocation: Sixty-Five percent (65%) of Adult Membership dues shall be deposited into the General Operating Fund.
    • Auxiliary Membership Dues Allocation: One hundred percent (100%) of Auxiliary Membership dues shall be deposited into the General Operating Fund, unless such dues shall be designated to be deposited to any other fund by the associated Adult Member.
    • Operational Budget Reserve Allocation: An allocation shall be made from the General Operating Fund at the beginning of every membership year. The purpose of the Operational Budget Reserve Allocation is to reserve sufficient funds to insure the ability of the Club to pay monthly and annual bills for the Club’s operation. Prior to the beginning of the membership year, the Treasurer shall create, maintain and review a list of known expenses of the prior year including such expenses as utilities (telephone, electric, oil), waste disposal,  alarm monitor charges, insurance, taxes, and any other recurring expenses. An amount equal to one hundred five percent (105%) of the total expenses for the prior year shall be the Operational Budget Reserve Allocation. The Operational Budget Reserve Allocation shall not be eligible to be used for any other purpose during the membership year. Any funds remaining in the Operational Budget Reserve Allocation at the end of the membership year shall be returned to the General Operating Fund.
  2. Building Fund. The Building Fund shall be used for building maintenance and capital improvements.
    • Expenditures from the Building Fund shall be for maintenance and capital improvement (i.e. major repairs, remodeling, new construction, or property improvements) of Club facilities and grounds only.
    • Adult Membership Dues Allocation: Ten percent (10%) of Adult Membership dues shall be deposited into the Building Fund. All new member initiation fees collected shall be deposited into the Building Fund.
  3. Other Accounts. The following accounts are established by the Club for the following purposes.
    • Fish Account. Twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) of Adult Membership dues shall be deposited into the Fish Account. All fishing-related expenses shall be paid from the Fish Account at the discretion of the Chairperson of the Fish Committee.
    • Game Account. Twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) of Adult Membership dues shall be deposited into the Game Account. All game-related expenses shall be paid from the Game Account at the discretion of the Chairperson of the Game Committee.
    • Debit Account. The President and the Vice President shall have custody and use of debit cards for general purposes, subject to a limit of two thousand and 00/100 dollars ($2,000.00) in available funds.
    • Junior Activities Account. Any and all funds raised through the efforts of Junior Members shall be deposited into the Junior Activities Account. Expenses for Junior Member activities shall be paid from the Junior Activities Account.
    • Membership Account. All Membership dues shall be deposited into the Membership Account before distribution to other accounts.
    • Stabilization Account. Sixty percent (60.0%) of work hour fees shall be deposited into the Stabilization Account as a reserve to be used to pay for unexpected expenses. Voting is required to spend money from the Stabilization Account.
    • Land Acquisition Account. Forty percent (40.0%) of work hour fees shall be deposited into the Land Acquisition Account to be used to pay for land acquisition. Voting is required to spend money from the Land Acquisition Account.
    • Reserve Account. The Reserve Account shall be the account used to hold funds raised by the following divisions. Expenditures from the following divisions may be made by, and at the discretion of, the Chairperson of the Committee associated with each division.
      • R1: Pistol. $1,000.00 deposited yearly from the General Operating Fund.
      • R2: Rifle.  $1,000.00 deposited yearly from the General Operating Fund.
      • R3: Archery.   $1,000.00 deposited yearly from the General Operating Fund.
      • R4: Pigeon. This account is self-funded.
      • R5: Kitchen.    $1,000.00 deposited yearly from the General Operating Fund.
      • R6: Forestry.     $500.00 deposited yearly from the General Operating Fund.
      • R7: Security. This account is self-funded.
      • R8: Trap. This account is self-funded.

ARTICLE 9

Order of Business

The order of business at all regular monthly meetings and special meetings shall adhere to Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Procedure. Regular monthly meetings shall be conducted as follows:

  1. Meeting called to order by the President or Vice President, or other presiding Officer
  2. Reading and approval of minutes of previous meeting
  3. Treasurer’s report
  4. Report of the Board of Advisors
  5. Officer’s reports
  6. Reports of all standing committees
  7. Old or unfinished business
  8. Introduction of new business.
  9. Adjournment.

ARTICLE 10

Amendments to Bylaws, Adoption and Amendment of Club Rules and Regulations

Section 1.      These Bylaws may be amended at any regular monthly meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the voting members present at such meeting. Any proposed amendment shall be presented in writing and read aloud at a regular monthly meeting, and the vote shall be at the next regular monthly meeting. Written notice of the proposed amendment, and the date of the regular monthly meeting at which the amendment shall be voted upon, shall be sent to all voting members.

Section 2. Nothing in these Bylaws shall prohibit the Club from adopting or amending, from time to time, Club Rules and Regulations regarding such matters as fishing, hunting, use of Club grounds and facilities, or the conduct of members and guests while on Club property. All such Club Rules and Regulations shall be posted in the Clubhouse. The adoption or amendment of any Club Rules and Regulations shall be by the following procedure. Any voting member may, by a motion made at a Club meeting, propose to adopt a new rule or amend an existing rule. If the motion passes by a simple majority of voting members present at such meeting, then the text of the new or amended rule shall be published in its entirety on the Club website, and may also be published in the meeting minutes of the next newsletter of the Club. If the concurring vote of a simple majority of voting members present at the next regular monthly meeting approves the new or amended rule unaltered, then the new or amended rule shall be adopted. If significant revisions to the new or amended rule are proposed and agreed upon by majority vote, then the vote to adopt the new or amended rule shall be at the next regular monthly meeting, and so on until the proposed new or amended rule becomes final, if at all.

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