Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club Bylaws

Article I. Name. The Name of this organization will be the Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club.

Article II. Purpose. To bring together women residents and property owners of the Plantation for fellowship.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Eligibility. Membership in the Club shall be open to women residents and property owners of Hilton Head Plantation.

Section 2. Dues.

A. Dues. Membership dues will be established by the Executive Board and are payable to the Treasurer upon joining and annually at the beginning of each fiscal year thereafter. Dues for new members who join the club after March 1 will be reduced to 1/3 of the annual amount. This reduction will not apply to returning members.

B. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year is June 1 through May 31. Dues are payable as of June 1 each year.

C. Activity Groups. A member must be up-to-date with annual Club dues in order to participate in a Club Activity Group.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Club shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 2. Eligibility. A candidate for officer or director shall have been a member of the Club for at least one year.

Section 3. Election. Officers and directors shall be elected annually. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of a chairman, two Board members, one of whom shall be the outgoing Vice President, and two members-at-large at the February meeting. The Nominating Committee will present a proposed slate of officers and directors at the March meeting, and the election shall take place at the April meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor. All nominees must have given prior consent to their nominations. Election shall be determined by an affirmative vote of a plurality of members present. Newly elected officers and directors shall take office at the May meeting.

Section 4. Duties.

A. President. The President shall preside over all meetings and be responsible for conducting all necessary business between meetings by calling meetings of the Executive Board or by obtaining its approval for any action taken. The President shall appoint committees necessary to carry on the work of the club and shall serve as ex officio a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

B. Vice President. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in her absence. She shall serve as chair of the Program Committee and be a member of the Nominating Committee.

C. Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall preserve all records, and record and report all proceedings of the Club.

D. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct and keep records of all official correspondence. She shall also coordinate sending general information and meeting notices to members, receiving meeting reservations, and providing name tags for meetings.

E. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive all monies, pay bills and keep records of all financial transactions.

Section 5. Re-Election. Except for President and Vice President, an officer is expected to serve two one-year terms in her position. However, no officer may be elected to serve more than two (2) consecutive years in the same office.

Section 6. Vacancies. In case of vacancies occurring between elections, the Executive Board shall appoint an officer or director to fill the vacancy until a special election is held. A special election to fill the unexpired term may be held at any regular meeting.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. Meetings. Meetings of the Club will be held the second Tuesday of each month from August through May at a time determined by the Executive Board, except when otherwise ordered by the Club or Executive Board. The May meeting shall be the annual meeting.

Section 2. Quorum. The quorum at any regular meeting shall be one-tenth of the total membership.

Article VI. Executive Board

Section 1. Authority. An Executive Board consisting of current officers, the immediate Past President and up to eight elected directors shall be empowered to conduct all necessary business of the Club that does not violate Club policy. The Board may adopt or revise standing policy statements by majority vote.

Section 2. Meetings. Meetings of the Board shall be called at the discretion of the President or at the request of a majority of the Executive Board.

Article VII. Directors and Committees

Section 1. Members. Directors shall be elected to serve for two-year terms or until their successors are elected. Their election shall be held in accordance with Art. IV, Secs. 2,3, and 6. No Director may be elected to serve more than one two-year term in the same Director position.

  • By Law Amendment to Article VII Directors and Committees as of 2008
    • Be it resolved that Article VII, Sections I and II are amended to combine the positions of Publicity and Historian to one (1) Director.
  • By Law Amendment to the Amendment of Article VII Directors and Committees as of 2008 said Article was voted to be rescinded.
    • Be it resolved that Article VII, Sections I and II are amended to:
      • In the case that a director(s) cannot complete a term for any reason, the HHP Women’s Club Board may appoint a member of the HHP Women’s Club as a replacement to the vacated position(s).
  • By Law Amendment to Article VII Directors and Committees as of 2015
    • Be it resolved that Article VII, Section 1 is amended to increase Directors from six to seven by adding a second Membership Director as needed.
  • By Law Amendment to Article VII Directors and Committees as of 2019
    • Be it resolved that Article VII, Section 1 is amended to increase Directors from seven to eight by adding a Social Media Director as of 2019.

Section 2. Duties. The Directors shall be the chairmen of the Standing Committees and their Committees and duties shall include:

A. Activities. Coordinates the various Club Activity Groups and acts as liaison with Group leaders

B. Hospitality. (3 Directors) Coordinates social arrangements for monthly meetings, except December and May.

C. Membership. (2 Directors) Acts as liaison to new members. Maintains and manages Club emails, e-address list and distribution of emails. Coordinates the annual distribution of the Directory.

D. Publicity. Coordinates Club publicity.

E. Social Media Director. Coordinates the Club’s Facebook page and provides approval for members and appropriate posts. Takes Photographs at Club meeting and maintains a digital collection of photos. Also manages and updates the Club’s website.

Section 3. Other Committees. Other committees may be appointed by the President as shall from time to time be necessary to carry on the work of the Club.

Article VIII. Activity Groups

Section 1. Membership. The Club shall sponsor for its members an unlimited number of Activity Groups for the purpose of bringing together small groups of members who share a specific common interest. Individual groups will be directed by Club members.

Section 2. Fees. All members of Activity Groups shall pay Club dues. An individual group may also charge its members a fee to participate.

Section 3. Independence. Activity Groups are financially independent, and each Group is responsible for its own finances.

Section 4. Responsibility. The Activity Groups shall be coordinated by the Activities Director.

Section 5. Standards of Behavior. Members of Activity Groups and the Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club at large must remember that they represent HHP Women’s Club at all times during club events and activities. Being kind, respectful, courteous, and tolerant of everyone participating in meetings, events, and activities is absolutely expected of all members. Any member who does not comply with these guidelines will be asked to discuss the questioned behavior with the Officers and Directors of the Board. Upon the vote of a majority of the Board of the Women’s Club, any member who repeatedly violates the Standards of Behavior may be removed from Women’s Club membership.

Article IX. Parliamentary Authority. Parliamentary authority for the Club will be “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised”.

Article X. Amendments. These Bylaws may be amended or revised at any regular meeting or special meeting of the Club by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of members present, providing that a notice of the proposed amendment has been previously presented to the membership.

Amended 1990, April 1992, March 1995, December 1998, May 2001, May 2003, May 2008, May 2009, May 2011, March 2015, September 2019.

Policies

Fund Raising. HHPWC provides a yearly budgeted amount for charitable donations which is disbursed by decision of the Executive Board as the need arises. In order to be fair to all organizations it is the policy of HHPWC that fund raising via ticket sales, raffles, subscription or other means by groups NOT sponsored by HHPWC will not be permitted at HHPWC functions.

Assistance to Needy. HHPWC is occasionally approached to assist individuals or families in need. It is the policy of HHPWC that, in these cases, an announcement of such needs may be made at a club meeting. Involvement by individual members or as a group of members is encouraged. However, the Club as a whole has no obligation to sponsor such activities.

Membership.

A. Membership in the Club shall be open to women residents and property owners of Hilton Head Plantation.

B. A member who moves off the Plantation may maintain her membership until the end of the fiscal year.