CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE LEAVENWORTH BICYCLE CLUB, INC. (LBC)
CONSTITUTION
(as adopted by the General Membership, January 31, 2014)
Article I, Section 1. This organization shall be known as The Leavenworth Bicycle Club, Inc. The club is incorporated in the State of Kansas in accordance with the laws pertaining to non-profit organizations.
Article I, Section 2. The objectives of the Leavenworth Bicycle Club are:
1. To encourage bicycling for health, recreation, and transportation;
2. To promote bicycle safety;
3. To improve bicycling infrastructure and facilities;
4. To further (in priority order) bicycling within Leavenworth County, the Kansas City metro area, the State of Kansas, and the United States.
Article II. Membership is open to all adults in the Leavenworth County (including Fort Leavenworth) communities interested in bicycling.
Article III, Section 1. The officers of the Leavenworth Bicycle Club shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four standing committee chairpersons. Committee chairpersons are not elected by the membership. They are selected by the president, with the approval of the Board. The President may if necessary, remove a member of any committee for just cause. Standing committees shall exist in four key areas and include overall responsibility for:
1. Buffalo Bill Century (BBC);
2. Activities and Events (A&E; excludes BBC);
3. Nomination and Membership (N&M);
4. Ft. Leavenworth (FtL).
The Board of Directors shall consist of the above officers. Other ad hoc committees may be formed by a majority vote of the standing Board and will serve as non-voting members of the board.
Article III, Section 2. The president, vice president, secretary and treasurer shall be elected for one-year terms by ballot at the annual business meeting. Announcement of candidates and offices sought must be circulated by email to the entire membership by the secretary at least two weeks before the annual meeting. In addition, the notice can be posted at local bike shops and other appropriate locations. Members can request ballots directly from the LBC secretary and any member who cannot attend the annual meeting may vote for their choice of candidates by replying to the LBC secretary. At the annual meeting the secretary will ensure that anyone who voted prior to the meeting does not vote again.
Board member duties shall be assumed upon election at the annual business meeting and continue until December 31 of the following year or until the next annual meeting. The Board of Directors shall appoint a leader to any vacant role, should vacancies occur in those offices. Acting officers will serve in the post until the next regularly scheduled election.
Article III, Section 3. The president shall preside at all meetings and perform the usual duties and exercise the usual powers of a president. The vice-president shall assume the president’s office and authority in the absence of the president. The vice-president may head some specific phase of club activity to reduce the president’s workload. The secretary shall keep all record of meetings, conduct all correspondence, and issue notice of meetings, tours, and other cycling events to members. The treasurer shall keep all moneys and pay all bills. Payments in excess of one hundred dollars ($100.00) require approval of the Board.
Article IV. The annual business meeting shall be held between November 1 and January 31 each year. The specific date shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Additional meetings may be called by the Board of Directors when required, or when petitioned by 10 members to consider any pertinent matter.
Article V. Changes to the existing constitution and amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member and shall be incorporated into this constitution if approved by a majority vote of the membership, as described above in the candidate selection process. Announcement of a proposed amendment must be circulated by email to the entire membership no less than two weeks before the date set for voting upon the amendment. The secretary will also ensure that if necessary, the notice is posted in local bike shops and other appropriate locations. Members can request ballots directly from the LBC secretary who will handle these requests and voting as shown above in the candidate balloting section.
BYLAWS
Article I. The Leavenworth Bicycle Club, Inc., shall be affiliated with the League of American Bicyclists, Inc. when complying with its rules. Individual membership in L.A.B. shall be encouraged, but not required.
Article II, Section 1. Annual dues are $15.00 for individual or family memberships. The period of all memberships shall be May 1 through April 30 of the following year. New memberships received after October 31 will be effective immediately and continue through the entire subsequent membership period beginning on May 1.
Article II, Section 2. Dissolution. On dissolution of this organization (as decided by a majority vote of the general membership present and without any provisions to meet again in the future), the funds of the organization, all residual assets, and properties (after payment of all liabilities), shall be disposed of. All excess funds will be donated to the League of American Bicyclists, Inc. If liabilities exceed assets, assets will be liquidated and applied toward liabilities.
Article III, Section 1. The president shall appoint the standing committees and their chairperson. With advice from the Board, the president can establish ad hoc committees as deemed advisable.
Article III, Section 2. All committees shall consist of no less than two members.
Article III, Section 3. The Activities & Events (A&E); Committee shall prepare a calendar of events of events, tours, and other activities of the organization. The calendar shall include the description of the event(s), including the number of miles, date, time, place of departure, and a list of required/necessary special equipment. The A&E chairperson shall appoint responsible leaders for each tour or event. The chairman may coordinate and plan activities with neighboring clubs and the League of American Bicyclists, Inc. It may announce tours and events in the local newspapers, on websites and other social media, radio, television, bulletin boards, etc., in order to promote local interest in bicycling.
Article III, Section 4. The Nomination and Membership (N&M) Committee shall be responsible for recruiting new members. The Committee is also responsible for the process of new elections including recruitment of potential candidates in advance of the election, preparing a slate of candidates per office for the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The chairperson of the N&M Committee, in coordination with the secretary, shall accept ballots up to the start of the annual business meeting, and the N&M Chairman shall announce the results of the election at the meeting. One ballot shall be accepted from each individual membership and two ballots shall be accepted from each family membership.
Article III, Section 5. The Buffalo Bill Century (BBC) Committee will handle all aspects of this critically important event for the LBC. This includes preparing a project management-type calendar of all activities necessary to plan and execute the event. The BBC chairperson shall appoint responsible leaders required for all aspects of the BBC and will coordinate with the Board.
Article III, Section 6. The vice president, supported by the Board and LBC members, will be responsible for the website and for providing all necessary coordination needed to support the activities of the LBC.
Article IV. A quorum for the purpose of conducting Board business shall consist of not less than 50 percent of the Board membership. Because the LBC is a voluntary organization, no quorum requirements shall exist for a number of members voting on proposed changes. (The Board would like to have a minimum of 25 percent of members voting on any issue requiring a vote, but recognizing the inactive nature of most LBC members, there shall be no required minimum to be obtained on any membership-wide votes.
Article V. No elected officer shall serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office. The president shall not serve more than two terms as president.
Article VI. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern club meetings in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the bylaws of this club.
Article VII. The LBC will comply with all requirements for Private Organizations (PO) operating on Fort Leavenworth. Most core requirements are already contained within this document; however, it is the intent of the Board to meet all PO requirements, including additions to the bylaws as necessary to achieve PO status. These include, but are not limited: to proper insurance coverage and limitation levels, bonding and other legitimate practices that are identified in the process of applying and receiving PO status on Fort Leavenworth.
Article VIII. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by any active member and shall be incorporated into these bylaws if approved by a majority vote of those attending the annual meeting (plus those who voted before the meeting as described in LBC ballot procedures.)
Article VIII. On all club-sponsored rides, all riders — members and non-members — shall be required to wear ANSI or Snell approved bicycle helmets. Cycling safety is a core objective of the LBC and all members are asked to personally support and promote this objective.