Cherrydale Citizens Association
Arlington, Virginia
CHERRYDALE CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
As Amended: September 1988
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Cherrydale Citizens Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the genera1 welfare of Cherrydale and/or Arlington, Virginia; to provide the citizens of Cherrydale with a means of participating in County governance; and to serve as a source of information.
Section 2. The Association shall be a non-profit organization. It shall take no part in support of, or in opposition to, any candidate for political office. The Association may take a position and express its views on any governmenta1 activity, or the action of any person or group, which affect the welfare of Cherrydale or Arlington, Virginia.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Residents, tenants, and property owners in Cherrydale are eligible to become full Association members. The boundaries of the Association shall be established by the members and described in the Arlington County map of civic associations. Any boundary adjustments must be approved by the membership and must not conflict with the boundaries of any neighboring association.
Section 2. There shall be three (3) categories of full Association member ship: regular (individual), family, and senior citizen (aged sixty-five [65 ] and older.).
Section 3. Any person not eligible for regular Association membership may become an associate member; any company or person operating a business in Cherrydale may become a business member. Associate and business members may exercise all rights and privileges of members except for: a) voting on motions before the Association; b) holding office in the Association; or c) representing the Association in any fashion.
Section 4. The membership year shall be January 1 through December 31. The rights and privileges of membership shall accrue to new members at the next regular meeting of the Association following the date on which initial dues were paid.
Section 5. Association dues are payable January 1 of each year; A member in good standing is one whose dues are paid for the current year; any member in arrears shall remain in good standing for three (3) months. A member in arrears three (3) months is no longer in good standing, and shall have his/her name removed from the membership roll. Former members shal1 have no rights or privileges of membership until reinstated by payment of dues.
Section 6. Annual dues for all categories of membership shall be set at the last regular meeting of the year for the following year.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
Section 1. Number. The officers of the Association [shall be elected from among its member in good standing and] shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Section 2. Term. The terms of office for all Association officers sha1l begin immediately upon their election and installation, continuing for one (l) calendar year or until their successors are duly elected and installed.
Section 3. Nominating Procedure. A nominating committee of three members shall be elected at the September meeting for the purpose of preparing a slate of officers (one nomination for each office) for the ensuing year. Nominees for office shall have been members of the Association for at least one (1) month prior to election meeting. The slate shall be presented to the Association at the October meeting. Nominations from the floor shall be in order at the election meeting.
Section 4. Election and Installation. The election of officers shall be the final order of business at the November meeting. Installation shall be considered effective upon election. When there is only one (l) candidate for any office, the candidate shall be declared elected by acclamation. When there is more than one (1) candidate for office, the election shall be by ballot. If no majority is received by any candidate, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be voted upon and the candidate receiving the majority of this vote shall be elected.
Section 5. Vacancies. Vacancies in any office shall be filled by an election held at the next regular meeting following the announcement of the vacancy. Nominations from the floor shall be in order at the election meeting.
Section 6. Duties and Powers.
- The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall perform such other duties as pertain to the office.
- The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President and shall perform such other duties as the President may direct.
- The Treasurer shall receive and disburse the funds of the Association. Disbursement of expenditures incidental to the operation of the Association may be made without specific authorization, provided that any such expenditures are less than $100; any extraordinary expenditures and any expenditure in excess of $100 must be approved by the Association or, if the expenditure must be made before the next regular meeting, by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall make a financial report at each regular meeting of the Association and shall keep a record of all funds received and disbursed according to good business practice.
- The Secretary shall record the proceedings of the Association maintain and update the Constitution and By-Laws, conduct the Association’s correspondence, and undertake such other duties as the President shall request.
- At the expiration of the terms of office, all officers of the Association shall turn over to their successors all books, records, and other property of the Association. The Treasurer shall submit the Association’s financia1 records to an auditing committee appointed by the President, and following the auditors’ report, shall turn over to the successor all monies, funds, books, records: and other property belonging to the Association.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1. The regular meetings of the Association shall be held monthly, except during July, August, and December. If the date or place of any meeting is changed from the date or place previously fixed for such meeting, the members shall be notified of the change in advance of the meeting.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President whenever necessary. At the written request of five (5) members, it shall be the duty of the President to call a special meeting. At all special meetings, only such business as the meeting was called to consider shall be discussed and acted upon. The business for which a special meeting is called shal1be set forth in the call.
Section 3. A quorum shall be ten (10) members.
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section l. Membership. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Association and the chairs of standing committees.
Section 2. Powers. The Executive Committee may exercise all the powers of the Association during the interval between meetings, subject to the By-laws and the expressed will of the Association.
Section 3. Meetings. Meeting of the Executive Committee shall be called by the President, or at the request of any member of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VII . COMMITTEES AND DELEGATIONS
Section l. The President may appoint delegated to civic organizations and may designate members to represent the Association concerning issues within its purview.
Section 2. The President shall establish such committees as are required; regular chairs shall be appointed for any committee so established. The creation of all Committees and the appointment of committee chairs shall be announced at the subsequent Association meeting and in the Association’s newsletter.
Section 3. Chairs shall convene committees to investigate matters within their purview and report on them to the Association. Committee meetings are open to all members of the Association; the date and location of committee meetings shall be announced at regular Association meetings when possible.
Section 4. A member introducing any subject to the Association which is then referred to a committee shall have the right to appear before that committee before a final report is prepared and presented to the Association.
ARTICLE VIII. DISSOLUTION
Section 1. Should the membership decide the dissolve the Association, the officers shall turn over all official records to the Cherrydale Library, and all monies to an organization within Cherrydale or Arlington whose purpose is to promote the welfare of the community.
Section 2. Should the Association become inactive for a period of time, all official records shall be placed temporarily in the Cherryda1o Library, and a1l funds shall be placed and remain in a savings account.
ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the parliamentary authority governing proceedings of the Association.
ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Bylaws may be made at any regular meeting of the Association by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members voting, provided that the proposed amendments were presented in writing at the preceding regular meeting or that notice of the proposed amendments was sent by the Secretary to each member ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which the amendments will be offered for adoption.