ByLaws

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700 South Dixie Highway, Hollywood, FL 33020, USA

(954) 743-1955

Italian American Civic League of Broward County

Bylaws

Italian American Civic League of Broward

700 South Dixie Highway

Hollywood, Florida 33020

Revised and approved by the Officers, Board Members, and General Assembly

May 2023

Officers and Board (as listed in the document)

President: Richard Tipa

Vice President: Ronald Tipa

Treasurer: Rocco Maniaci

Secretary: Lyza Contarino

Financial Secretary: Giacomo Bottini

Trustee: Robert Calabrese

Trustee: Georgette Aquino

Trustee: Domenico DeLuca

Trustee: Raymond McCarthy

ARTICLE I

NAME

The Club shall be known as the Italian American Civic League of Broward County, a Florida

Corporation. The office shall be maintained at the Club House Building currently at 700 South

Dixie Highway, Hollywood Florida 33020. In the event that the Club headquarters should

change, the office shall be maintained at the new venue. Wherever in these By-Laws the word

Club is used, it shall mean specifically the Italian American Civic League of Broward County aka

Italian American Club of Hollywood.

ARTICLE II

OBJECT

Section 1

The general nature and object of this Club is to promote the general interest, political and

economic welfare of American citizens of Italian descent in and about Broward County, Florida,

to establish a social club in the development and pursuit of good fellowship between its

members, its care, maintenance and upkeep, and for the promotion of projects and programs to

enhance good fellowship among the members of the community. The club shall not discriminate

against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin or religion.

Section 2

This Club shall not endorse or sponsor any candidate for any public office.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1

The membership of this Club shall consist of Regular, Life and Honorary Members. Membership

cards must be signed by an executive officer.

Section 2

Regular members shall be of good moral repute and over the age of eighteen. Regular

members shall be entitled to vote at all Regular or Special Meetings and hold any elective office

except that of President and Vice President.

Section 3

The status of Life Member shall be granted to a member who has served the Club with

distinction and who has been a Regular member in good standing for no less than twenty

consecutive years. Life membership shall be granted by a majority vote of the Board. Annual

dues for Lifetime members shall be waived. Life Members shall have all the rights of Regular

members.

Section 4

Honorary membership shall be granted to such persons as being worthy of such distinction. The

honor is to be extended by a majority vote of the Board. An Honorary member cannot vote or

hold elected office.

ARTICLE IV

FISCAL YEAR

Section 1

Members coming in after June 30th will pay pro rate scale to the end of the year. All dues will be

due that January 1st.

Section 2

Elections shall be held annually on the third Tuesday in the month of December. A member,

except for honorary members shall be eligible to run for elective office only if said member is a

member in good standing.

Section 3

A member not paying dues on or before February 1st of the current year shall be in arrears, and

therefore will not be entitled to vote or attend meetings. Such member shall be dropped from the

rolls if dues are not paid by March 31st of that year.

Section 4

No elected member of the Board of Directors or officer of the Club is required to pay dues for

the year that said officer or board member is serving in said capacity.

Section 5

All new members shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V

MEETINGS

Section 1

Regular Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of the month and called to order at 7:00 PM.

All meetings will be conducted in English. Attendance of fifteen Regular Members shall

constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Directors shall be included in the count to meet

the quorum. All business of the Club transacted at the Regular Meetings shall be conducted

according to the By-Laws, Robert’s Rules of Order, unless an exception is made with the

By-Laws. A Regular Meeting can only be canceled by 2/3 majority vote of Board Members

present and voting at a regularly scheduled Board Meeting. Such cancellation is subject to

appeal by the General Assembly.

Note: Notice of all Special Meetings of the General Assembly and the purpose for the same

shall be sent to all members in good standing not less than seven days prior to the date of such

meeting. Subject matter of all Special Meetings shall be limited to the purpose(s) for which

meeting was called.

ARTICLE VI

ELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

Section 1

Procedures for the election of officers and trustees in the Annual Election shall be held at the

first meeting in November.

Section 2

Election Committee. The Committee shall be selected in the following manner:

The President shall select one member of the Board who is NOT running for elective office or

who is running unopposed to serve as Chairperson of the Committee. That person shall be

approved by a majority vote of the Board. Thereafter, the Chairperson shall request volunteers

to serve on the Committee. There shall be a total of three members on said Committee who will

be responsible for conducting the election, counting the ballots and furnishing election

information in order that the best interests of the Club may be served. The President and the

BOD will give explicit directions to the Election Committee after the conduct of the election. The

Committee shall be disbanded after election night.

Candidacy forms for all Board positions may be requested in person, by mail, email or phone by

all members in good standing until the third Tuesday of November. The forms must be

completed and returned not later than the third Tuesday of November. A list of all candidates

applying for office shall be displayed conspicuously at the Club House so that it can be viewed

by all members. The list shall be updated by the Chairperson as each application is submitted.

Once the Candidate has been reviewed and approved by the Election Committee he shall be

presented to the members at the December Regular Meeting. Any other candidate may submit

their name at this time for any office which has no candidates.

A sample ballot shall be mailed to members in good standing (insertion in Club newsletter shall

satisfy this requirement) a few days before the Annual Election Night. On the third Tuesday of

December, a second Meeting of the General Assembly will be held for the election of Officers

and open Trustee Seats. All members residing in Broward County must be present to vote.

Proxy voting will NOT be permitted. Official Ballots will be available on election night at the

Membership Office or Registration Desk. The ballot shall be printed to vote by mail by

requesting a mail-in ballot. The ballot shall be mailed, emailed, or picked-up by the member at

the club and duly elected representative. In case of illness or other extenuating circumstances

(such as illness) may request a mail-in ballot. Such requests shall be considered by the Election

Committee. The ballot for mail-in votes shall be counted at 8 PM unless delayed due to

circumstances which are beyond the control of the Committee. In the event of a tie for any

office, the Election Committee will devise a run-off procedure.

Section 3

A qualified member eligible for office is a member who has been attending Regular Meetings in

person. Such member shall have attended at least thirty percent of all Regular Meetings held

during the calendar months from December 1st thru November 30th and must have been a

member in good standing for at least one full year before applying.

ARTICLE VII

DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Section 1

President. The President shall preside at all Regular Meetings of the Club, preserve order and

decorum and enforce all the laws of the Club. The President shall cast the deciding vote upon

all questions before the Club that are tied. The President shall appoint all standing and special

committees, chairpersons and delegates who will represent the Club at any meetings, functions,

events, etc. All such appointments shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board. At the last

Regular Meeting of the President’s term of office, a complete report will be submitted in writing

showing the general condition of the Club. The President shall, upon receipt of notice that a

member is in arrears, order the Membership Office to notify the member by mail. The President

shall be de facto the Chairman of the Board.

Section 2

Vice President. The VP shall assist the President in preserving order and decorum and shall

preside over the Club in the absence of the President. He or she shall act as the Publicity

Chairman. In the event the office of the President becomes vacated for any reason, the VP shall

assume the office until the next election. In the event of the President and Vice President are

vacated, for whatever reason, the Board by majority vote shall elect a temporary President until

the next election.

Section 3

Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive from the Financial Secretary (FS) deposit slips showing

the amounts placed in the bank by the FS to the account of the Club issuing receipt therefore.

The Treasurer shall enter the amounts of such deposits consecutively in a book of records and

present the same on demand of the President, the Board of Directors and/or the Auditing

Committee. The Treasurer shall sign all checks drawn on the Treasury, provided the same have

been ordered by the Club and approved by the Board. The Treasurer shall remain in office for

the full two-year term. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the Club’s financial records. The

Treasurer shall provide all requested documents and coordinate the audit with the Trustees.

Section 4

Financial Secretary. The Financial Secretary shall be a person most qualified to hold this

position. Their actions and conduct shall be subject to approval of the President, Treasurer and

Board.

Section 5

Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall keep a full and accurate record of all

proceedings of the Club and the Board of Directors. Recording Secretary shall read all reports,

bulletins and other communications to the Club and conduct as necessary or directed by

Special Meetings saved days prior to such meetings. The RS shall perform such other duties as

required by the President and these By-Laws. An accurate mailing list of all paid-up members

should be kept up to date by this officer. The RS shall be responsible for membership and

maintaining an up-to-date roster of members dues and advertisers’ fees and shall submit same

upon request of the Board.

ARTICLE VIII

VACANCY / ABSENTEEISM

Section 1

When any Board position becomes vacant or if the Board member is absent without a valid

excuse, as decided by majority vote of the Board, missing three consecutive scheduled

meetings, General or Board, the President has the option to declare the position vacant and may

appoint a replacement. The replacement must meet the office qualifications as set forth in

Article VI, Section 3 and shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board. The replacement

shall remain in the office until the next election. Where General and Board meetings occur on

the same evening, “missing” shall constitute one absenteeism for the purpose of this Article.

Attending a meeting shall mean in person only. Electronic devices shall only be permitted for

recording of minutes.

ARTICLE IX

FUNDS AND BONDS

Section 1

Funds and all revenues or monies received by the Club on or in its behalf shall be deposited by

the Financial Secretary in the General Fund in one or more banking institutions designated by

the Board of Directors. The Financial Secretary shall then make a proper report to the

Treasurer. All checks to be valid must be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the

President, Vice President or Financial Secretary.

Section 2

The President may spend up to $500.00 for any particular expense or project without the

approval of the Board. Any expenditure in excess of $500.00 (excluding bills and repeated

contractual items) must be approved by a majority vote of the Board. There shall be no

exceptions(s) to the above limit on spending.

ARTICLE X

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1

The Board shall consist of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Recording

Secretary, and four Trustees. At the first Board Meeting of the new term, one of the Board

Members excluding the President shall be elected as Chairperson of the Board and shall remain

in this position until the next General Election. The Board President shall take nominations from

the entire Board and the Board member with the most votes shall become Chairperson. The

President shall only cast a vote to break a tie. The newly elected Chairperson shall preside over

all Board Meetings of the Club and shall conduct all business of the Board in the absence of the

Chairperson, the President shall designate one of the other Board Members to be interim

Chairperson for that meeting. If no other Board member can be designated, a Chairperson from

amongst the members can be selected. The President shall not vote on questions before the

Board except to break a tie. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2

The Board shall meet not less than once a month, unless cancelled by a majority vote of the

Board, on the first Tuesday evening of each month before or immediately following the

conclusion of the monthly General Meeting, or on call of the President. Chairperson or a

majority of the Board of Directors. Unless unanimously waived, if a Special Board Meeting is

called, Board Members shall be given a 48-hour notice of any such meeting. Any Club matters

can be discussed and voted upon at a Special Board Meeting.

Section 3

The Board may appoint a Steward who shall be under complete supervision of the Board.

Section 4

The Board shall approve, by a majority vote, any sale or transfer of any Club assets including

but not limited to its real estate holdings.

ARTICLE XI

STANDING COMMITTEE

Section 1

The Standing Committees of the Club shall consist of By-Laws, Kitchen/Activities, Membership,

Publicity, Building Maintenance, and Sunshine/Welfare. Each committee shall consist of not less

than two Regular or Lifetime Members. They shall follow the directions of the President. The

Board shall stand as the Grievance Committee and shall be led by the Board Chairperson.

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS

Section 1

Amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted in a signed, written form at a Regular

Meeting of the Club under New Business. The President shall read the proposed amendment(s)

and then refer said proposed amendment(s) to the Board of Directors for study and

recommendation. The Board shall make their recommendations to the General Membership

within thirty (30) days. The proposed amendment(s) shall then be read at the next two

consecutive meetings of the Club and, after a second reading, all Regular and Lifetime

members in good standing shall be notified by mail, email or by announcing same in the

Newsletter of the proposed amendment(s) and said amendment(s) shall be voted upon at the

following regularly scheduled meeting of the General Assembly. A two-thirds majority vote of

all voting members present is necessary for a proposed amendment to become part of these

By-Laws.

ARTICLE XIII

ORDER OF BUSINESS

A) Opening ceremony

B) Roll call of Officers

C) Reading of Previous minutes

D) Reading of report of previous Board Meeting

E) Reading of communications

F) Financial Secretary’s report including expenditures, bank balance etc.

G) Membership Report

H) Committee Reports

I) Old Business

J) New Business

K) Initiation of new members

L) Closing ceremony and adjournment

ARTICLE XIV

DECEASED MEMBER

Section 1

Based on the desire of the family of the deceased member, the Club shall provide a customary

donation to the charity of choice or flowers or gift in kind at the deceased member’s funeral or

home. Every effort will be made by the President and/or BOD member(s) to attend the funeral

services if local.

ARTICLE XV

RULES OF DISCIPLINE

Section 1

Any member, including Officers and Directors violating the prestige, rules, and regulations of

the Club as set forth by the Charter, By-Laws, and/or Board rulings, shall be subject to such

disciplinary action as the majority of the Board may deem proper, including censorship, removal

from office and/or expulsion of the offender. The decision of the Board shall be presented to the

General Assembly at the next General Meeting.

ARTICLE XVI

DISBANDMENT

Section 1

In the event the Italian American Civic League of Broward County, commonly known as the

Italian American Club of Hollywood, should cease to exist for whatever reason, the proceeds of

the sale of whatever value remains of the property will be utilized first to satisfy all outstanding

debts and legal fees. The remaining funds will go into an escrow account set-up by the

Association’s Attorney for the disbursement of funds upon approval of the BOD for scholarships

for deserving HS seniors, and to worthy non-profit charitable organizations. The amount of

funding to each will be decided by the BOD. The attorney will execute all transactions until the

funds are depleted.

Italian American Civic League of Broward County

Bylaws

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