Bylaws of the Lone Star Garden Tractor Pullers
Association
Article 1: Name
Lone Star Garden Tractor Pullers Association
Article 2: Purpose
To secure the fellowship, pleasures, and benefits of an association with persons
commonly interested in garden tractor pulling, build good character and
sportsmanship in youth and provide affordable fun for the whole family.
Article 3: Membership
Membership in this Club will be open to anyone with an interest in garden
tractor pulling, providing they have not been suspended from this Club for
unsportsmanlike conduct.
Membership in the LSGTPA consists of paying annual membership dues.
Dues shall be established by majority vote of the general membership and are
effective Jan 1 to Dec 31.
A "member in good standing" is one, who has paid their annual membership dues,
and one who has not been suspended from the Club for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Persons who have not paid their dues may attend regular Club meetings but may
not participate in Club competitions, Club sponsored events or Club
decision-making matters.
No prorated memberships.
Only members in good standing shall have the privilege of pulling at LSGTPA
sponsored pulls and voting at Club meetings.
Single: $25.00 consists of 1 person only.
Family: $40.00 consists of household members living under one roof.
University Organizations may use the Family membership.
Sponsor: $200.00 consists of 4 memberships. Members must be listed on a
membership form.
Honorary Members: By a majority vote of Club Members, any person who has
rendered meritorious service to the Club may be elected as an Honorary Member
without dues for any period of up to life.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct:
A Club Member shall be penalized by a majority vote of the Board of Directors
for:
1. Behavior that causes or can reasonably be expected to cause physical harm to
another person, including but not limited to, harassment, either verbally or
physically of another person or group.
2. Abusive, threatening, intimidating or vulgar language and actions in public.
3. Actions in direct and willful violation of club bylaws or other club rules
and regulations.
4. Any other conduct that is deemed detrimental to the best interests of the
club.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalties:
1. First offense: Written warning.
2. Second offense: Written warning, temporary suspension from voting or
participation in any Club related activities for the duration of the next two
pulls, said suspension overlapping into the next season if necessary, and
forfeiture of pull points if violation occurred at a pull. A member temporarily
suspended herein may attend the rules meeting, but will not have voting
privileges until their suspension expires.
3. Third offense: Member shall be suspended from the Club indefinitely by
majority vote of the Board of Directors, subject to majority vote by Club
Members at any meeting where a quorum is present for re-admittance.
Notwithstanding the above, any Club Member who commits abuses which are serious
enough in nature to cause the Board of Directors to reasonably determine the act
as criminal, illegal, terroristic or life threatening to any person or group,
may be suspended immediately and indefinitely by majority vote of the Board of
Directors, subject to majority vote of Club Members at any meeting where a
quorum is present for re-admittance.
Article 4: Elections
Elections shall be held once a year at the Annual November meeting.
Board Member's Terms of Office: Terms of office shall be staggered and rotating
and shall be for two years. Beginning with the 2007 season, Board of Directors
will be elected as follows: 2 directors for 1 year terms, and 3 directors for 2
year terms. For following years, as each Board Member(s) term expires, they may
continue to serve if they volunteer and are re-elected by majority vote of Club
Members. If they do not volunteer or if they fail to be re-elected,
nominations/volunteers for this two year term on the Board of Directors will be
accepted from the floor at the November meeting immediately prior to member
election by majority vote of Club Members. A vacancy of a Board of Director
will be filled by member nomination/volunteer and majority vote of Club Members
at any meeting where a quorum is present for the remaining vacancy's term.
A President shall be appointed to a one-year term by a majority vote of the
Board of
Directors and shall be selected from the elected board.
Other Official’s Terms of Office: Nominations/volunteers for
Secretary/Treasurer, Committee Chairpersons and Committee Members will be
accepted from the floor at the November meeting immediately prior to member
election by majority vote. Terms of office shall be for one year. A vacancy of
the Secretary/Treasurer or Committee Chairperson will be filled by member
nomination/volunteer and majority vote of Club Members any meeting where a
quorum is present for the remaining vacancy's term.
Article 5: Management of the Club
Board of Directors: The affairs and business of the Club shall be
conducted and managed by a five member, elected Board of Directors. They will
also preside over meetings, safety decisions, protests and any unsportsmanlike
conduct issues.
President: The President shall have no executive powers and has no other
powers except as delegated to him by the Board of Directors. The President
cannot act upon any Club business except as directed by the Board of Directors.
Secretary/Treasurer: The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for all
correspondence, the accurate recording of all motions, official actions taken at
all meetings, and for keeping Club property records and all other important club
documents. Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for Club finances. The
Secretary/Treasurer shall keep and maintain all records of fees, dues and monies
collected and disbursed as authorized by the general membership or the Board of
Directors. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep up-to-date, accurate, complete,
and comprehensive records. He or she shall submit regular financial statements
in the form, manner and frequency prescribed by the Board of Directors, prepare
an annual financial statement for the annual meeting of the Club and generally
perform such duties as are ordinarily incumbent upon a Secretary/Treasurer.
The President and Secretary/Treasurer are under the complete supervision and
direction of the Board of Directors. Any action taken by the President and
Secretary/Treasurer upon any order of club corporate or other business may only
be as supervised and instructed by the Board of Directors. This will include
duties such as signing club corporate and other legal documents and performing
other club legal and business duties requiring action by club officials.
Committees: Each Committee shall consist of a Committee Chairperson and
Committee Members. All Committee Chairpersons are responsible to the Board of
Directors. Committee members are responsible to the Committee Chairperson.
Each Committee shall perform duties including but not limited to those as
described below.
Administration: Responsible for Club and pull administration.
Administration Committee shall generally perform such duties as are ordinarily
incumbent in the administration of an organization, including but not limited to
producing forms for pull administration and scoring, membership lists,
sponsorship contacts, newsletters and maintaining Club web site.
Line Up & Scales: Responsible for tractor line up, checking hitch height
and scale weight monitoring.
Hooking & Unhooking: Responsible for hooking and unhooking tractors to
the sled.
Track Maintenance: Responsible for track layout and marking. Also track
maintenance during pull, i.e. grading, raking and maintaining boundary lines.
Scheduling & Track/Grounds Preparation: Responsible for scheduling pulls,
working with pull host contact for scheduling pull date, time, location,
arranging contract, and getting contact for track building/preparation.
Individual Club members will work with pull host on track building and
preparation.
Announcing: Responsible for announcing at pull.
Safety Tech: Responsible for tractor safety/tech inspections.
Flagging: Responsible for grounds & track safety and flagging pull
attempts.
Sled Operations and Maintenance: Responsible of sled maintenance and
sled operations at pull.
Sled Transport: Responsible for sled transportation including providing
the secretary with photocopies of current liability insurance and driver’s
licenses for all members who pull the club sled/trailer. No person or member
will be allowed to pull the clubs sled/trailer without this information being on
file with the club secretary.
Rules: Responsible for incorporating rules changes from Club meetings
into the Rule book and for producing the Rule book.
At the conclusion of his or her term of office, each Board member, President,
Secretary/Treasurer and any Committee Chairperson or Committee member shall turn
over to its successor or to the Board of Directors any and all documents,
papers, records or other materials, written, digital or otherwise, and any and
all funds entrusted to or acquired by him or her in connection with his or her
services.
Article 6: Financial
The fiscal year of the LSGTPA shall be from November 1 to October 31.
The LSGTPA shall have an operating budget for each fiscal year developed by the
Treasurer and approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. This
budget will include, but will not be limited to the following items:
1. Sled transportation at a rate set by Member vote.
2. Office supplies, printing, sled and generator fuel, sled trailer license,
water, lime, repair parts, maintenance supplies, materials, etc. These will be
budget items whether they be reimbursed to members for expenses incurred on
behalf of the Club, (receipts must be provided), or be items paid for by the
treasurer or directors from the operating account.
3. Annual insurance premiums.
4. Annual awards banquet costs, including catering, meeting room rent, plaques,
awards, and any other expenses.
5. An additional 20% above normal listed budget items to help prevent excessive
transfers between funds.
Hook fees and added prize money will be handled out of the operating fund but
will not be budgeted items.
Decisions regarding additional expenditures above the approved budget will be
decided as follows:
Expenditures up to $300 may be decided by majority vote of the Board of
Directors. Expenditures over $300 shall be presented to the Club members for
approval by majority vote at any meeting where a quorum is present.
The LSGTPA will operate from three separate and distinct funds:
Level 1: Operating Fund
The Operating Fund will be the fund from which all budgeted expenses and any
other purchases will be dispersed. The Treasurer or a majority of the board of
directors may disperse from the operating fund on budgeted club expenses and
purchases as necessary. This funds initial yearly amount will be equal to the
year’s written operating budget. In addition to funding Club budget items, the
Operating fund may be used for major club purchases and emergencies. If any
additional expenditure will cause the operating fund to fall short of the budget
amount, funds may be transferred from the permanent fund. Funds in the
Operating fund shall be kept in the Club’s checking account, and all Club
payments will be made from the Operating Fund.
Level 2: Permanent Fund
The Permanent Fund will be for all income and/or monies exceeding the amount of
the year’s Operating budget. The Permanent Fund shall be used to cover
Operating Fund shortages, which may occur in the event of major Club purchases
or emergencies that arise. Funds in the Permanent Fund may be dispersed to the
Operating Fund by majority vote of the Board of Directors up to $300.
Designation of the use and the approval of any transfer amounts exceeding $300
shall require member approval at any meeting where a quorum is present.
Level 3: Endowment Fund
The Endowment Fund is for sums of money endowed upon the Club for its long term
strength and benefit. If the endowment use is not specifically designated and if
the amount of the endowment is large enough it shall be invested in a long term
financial instrument: i.e. interest bearing CD or Money Market fund account. If
the amount of the endowment is not large enough for a CD or Money Market account
and the endowment use is not specifically designated it shall be placed in an
interest or non interest bearing savings account. Interest paid to the
Endowment Fund shall be paid to the Club’s Permanent Fund. Funds dispersed from
the Endowment Fund will be to the operating fund. Designation of the use and the
approval of any such transfer must be approved by the Club membership at any
meeting where a quorum is present.
Fund Flow:
At the beginning of each fiscal year, funds will be transferred from the
permanent fund into the operating fund to bring the operating fund up to the
budget amount. The permanent fund should never be entirely depleted, and at
least the amount required by the financial institution shall be left in this
fund in order to keep the account open. In the event that the permanent fund
does not have sufficient funds to bring the operating fund up to the budget
amount, then any income received by the club from that point forward will go
into the operating fund until the budget amount is reached. Any Club income
after the budget amount is reached will be deposited into the permanent fund.
Article 7: Amendments to Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended or changed at any meeting where a quorum is present,
on a motion by a member in good standing, which is seconded, and then passed by
majority vote, by Club Members at any meeting where a quorum is present.
Article 8: Dissolution
Club may be dissolved by a majority vote of Club Members. In the event of
cessation of business operation or dissolution, the Board of Directors shall
distribute Club assets and archive Club records in compliance with all federal,
state and local laws. Upon dissolution of the Club, the Board of Directors
shall return all borrowed property and pay all Club debts and expenses out of
Club assets. Upon dissolution of the Club, assets remaining after payment of
Club debts will be disbursed to other similar tax exempt associations and
corporations recognized by the IRS and classified as Chapter 501 corporations,
and no asset will inure to the benefit of any person or organization not
classified as a non profit charitable, educational, or historical organization
in good standing with all governmental regulations.
Definitions
Quorum is defined as members present at any Club meetings prior to a pull or any
meeting duly called by the Board of Directors.
Majority vote is defined as vote of a majority of a member quorum at any duly
called meeting.
11-10-07
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