BURTON 4-H CLUB

BY-LAWS

Revised 03/30/98

ARTICLE I

GROUP NAME

Section 1.   Name. The name of this group shall be the Burton 4-H Club.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE AND RELATIONSHIP

Section 1.   Purpose. The purpose of the Burton 4-H Club is to provide educational and youth development opportunities for its 4-H members through project work, meetings, demonstrations, judging, community service and other related events.

Section 2.    Relationship. The Burton 4-H Club is responsible to the Tulare County 4-H Leader Council. 4-H Councils are accountable to the University and obligated to follow policies and procedures established by Cooperative Extension.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.    Qualifications. The University of California does not discriminate in any of its policies, procedures, or practices on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, medical condition, or disability. The Burton 4-H club of Tulare County affirms and complies with this University of California policy.

Section 2.    Enrollment. New members may enroll in Burton 4-H upon entering the 4th grade and continue to be members until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 19. Enrollment for all members of Burton 4-H will only be accepted between July 1, and the first Monday of December. No exceptions will be made.  The Community Club Leader will notify the Cooperative Extension Office about the public notification plan.

Section 3.    Transferring Members. Members wishing to transfer from another 4-H club must be in good standing with that club before being accepted into Burton 4-H. The Community Club Leader will contact the former club. The transferring member’s Record Book is also subject to review by the Community Club Leader. Transferring members will be accepted into the club as stated in Section 2.

Section 4.    Member and Leader Fees.  Each club member and leader is responsible for paying their own 4-H Insurance and duplication fee at the time of enrollment into the club. The 4-H insurance and duplication fee is established by the Tulare County 4-H Leader Council and shall not exceed the established amount.

Section 5.    Member in Good Standing.

To be in “good standing” with the club a member is required to:

• A) Submit a completed record book at the end of the club year by the announced deadline. A member who fails to turn in a completed record book will not receive credit for their year’s work, nor will they receive a year pin or stripe. Members must complete the proper forms and have leader’s signatures in order to receive credit.

• B) Attend BOS of the club meetings. On the third absence, the member will be dropped from the club. The Community Club Leader will coordinate with the club secretary on attendance.

• C) Serve on at least two refreshment committees and one other (non-refreshment) committee during the year. This will be coordinated by a Parent Committee Member.

• D) Abide by the by-laws of the Burton 4-H club and the 4-H Code of Conduct.

• E) Attend project meetings. Attendance requirements will be established by the

Project Leader. Members will NOT be in “good standing” if they fail to do any of the above items, and will not be eligible to enter the 4-H Fair or Porterville Fair. The Community Club Leader will notify a member by a letter or phone call if his/her “good standing” is in jeopardy.

Section 4.    Participation. Each member will be on the agenda one time during the year to give a project report. This will be coordinated by the corresponding secretary.

Each member is encouraged to sale at least 10 tickets to the 4-H Chuck wagon Breakfast. Families with two members are encouraged to sale at least 15 tickets and a family with three or more members are encouraged to sale at least 25 tickets. Any member who takes tickets to sell, must return all unsold tickets by the first Monday of October (unless prior arrangements have been made with the Community Club Leader), or the member will be financially responsible to the club for the cost of the tickets - The top three sellers will receive Burton 4-H sweatshirts. Members selling 25 or more tickets will receive a pin for their hat. All members who sell 10 or more tickets will be entered into a special drawing for prizes.

Section 5.    Conduct.  All members shall conduct themselves like ladies and gentlemen at all 4-H meetings and 4-H events. Failure to do so could mean dismissal from the Club. All members must abide by the current 4-H Code of Conduct at all times.

Section 6.    4-H Uniform.  Members are encouraged to wear their 4-H uniform to 4-H events. All members should check with the fair or competition for proper attire in the show ring. The uniform consists of 4-H hat, white shirt with green tie for boys, and 4-H hat, white blouse and green scarf for girls.

Section 7.    Junior/Teen Leaders To be a Junior/Teen Leader in a project, the member must have completed 1 year in the project- There must be a mutual agreement between the Project Leader and the Junior/Teen Leader as to their capability of working together. Junior Leaders must at least be in the seventh grade. Teen Leaders must at least be in the tenth grade.

ARTICLE IV

MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

Section 1.    Regular Meetings.  There shall be at least ten (10) regular meetings each calendar year. Normally, the meetings will be the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. and held in the Burton Elementary School Cafeteria on Morton Street. Notification of changed meeting dates will be by phone call or mail. Meetings will be held between August and June. Special dates may be announced; due to conflicts i.e., fog, holidays, or other events.

Section 2.   Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President with the Community Leader’s consent.

Section 3.    Meeting Notice. Notices of all regular or special meetings shall be in the form of a newsletter or phone call.

Section 4.    Attendance.

The club policy is:

• Excused Absences: If a member is unable to attend any regular or special club meeting, the member is to call the club President, secretary or Community Leader prior to the meeting to be excused. An excused absence is sickness, attendance at another 4-H function, or a family emergency.

• Unexcused Absences: A member will automatically be dropped from further participation in all club activities after three (3) unexcused absences. The Community Club Leader will mail a warning letter after two (2) unexcused absences. After the third absence, the member will be dropped.

• Tardiness: A member, who is tardy to a meeting, must report to the secretary at the end of the meeting to receive attendance credit. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence.

• 100% Attendance Pin: Any absence (excused or unexcused) will forfeit the 100% attendance pin. Perfect attendance pins will be awarded to those members who attend all meetings from August through June.

• Meeting Points Pin: A special pin will be awarded to those members receiving 30 attendance points. (There is a total of 50 points possible during the year.) Five (5) points are possible at each meeting; they are:

2 points - wearing the 4-H uniform, or wearing the Burton 4-H t-shirt or sweatshirt.

1 point - being in attendance before the meeting is called to order.

1 point - bringing your record book or a notebook to the meeting.

1 point - having a parent or guardian in attendance at the meeting.

Section 5.    Business. Club business shall only be transacted at regular or special meetings or Executive Board.

Section 6.    Closed. Meetings. No meeting(s) shall be secret or closed. Parents, leaders and other visitors may attend meetings and express opinions, but shall not be entitled to a vote.

Section 7.    Quorum.  A quorum at regular and special meetings shall consist of those who attend the meeting, provided the meeting has been properly called, and provided a simple majority of the membership is present.

Section 8.    Voting Eligibility.  All active members shall be eligible to vote at all club meetings

Section 9.    Procedure. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings, and in situations not covered by these bylaws.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS AND DUTIES

Section 1.    Officers.  The officers of the club shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Corresponding Secretary, Flag Bearer, Song leader, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Parliamentarian and others as the club deems necessary.

Section 2.    Term of Office. The term of office for all officers shall be for one year, July 1 to June 30.

Section 3.    Officer Duties. Listed below are the officer duties:

• President : The President shall preside at all club meetings and executive board meetings keeping in mind at all times the best interests of all the 4-H members. With the Community Leader’s consent, the President may call a special meeting at any time.

• Vice President: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. The Vice President shall serve as general chairperson of all committees and shall strive to provide a special program to the club at least once during the year.

• Secretary: The secretary shall keep the minutes of the 4-H club meetings, which shall be read at club meetings, and keep a correct and current roll of all members of the club. At the end of the 4-H year, the secretary shall submit a completed Secretary’s Book, which will be submitted to the Tulare County Cooperative Extension Office by the announced deadline.

• Treasurer: The treasurer shall receive and deposit all money belonging to the

Burton 4-H Club and shall pay it out only upon the order of the Club President or             Community Club Leader, and, with the approval of the club. The treasurer shall make a    monthly report at regular club meetings. At the end of the 4-H year, the treasurer shall submit a completed treasurer’s Book, which will be submitted to the Tulare County Cooperative Extension Office by the announced deadline.

• Reporter: The reporter shall write a news release for each 4-H meeting and event for the local, newspaper. He/she shall also collect and organize news articles about 4-H events for the Reporter’s Book. The reporter shall submit a completed Reporter’s Book at the end of the 4-H year which will be submitted to the Tulare County Cooperative Extension Office by the announced deadline. More than one reporter may be elected.

• Corresponding Secretary: The corresponding secretary shall act as the club’s correspondent and read the correspondence at club meetings. The corresponding secretary will also mail out monthly newsletters to all club members. He/she will also coordinate monthly Project Reports.

• Flag Bearer: The flag bearer is responsible for the Burton Banner, club microphone system, and 4-H Emblem flag and bring these to each meeting. He/she will also assist the club secretary in keeping track of club property, which is part of the Secretary’s Book. More than one flag bearer may be elected.

• Song Leader: The song leader will keep track of club members birthdays and lead singing of Happy Birthday at all meetings. He/she may also selected appropriate music for other club events, such as the club potluck, More than one song leader may be elected.

• Sergeant-at-Arms: The sergeant-at-arms will greet members, leaders, and visitors/guests at the door, hand out appropriate material for the meeting, and other duties as necessary to get ready for the meeting. He/she will also assist the parliamentarian in keeping order at the club meetings, and assist with the set-up and clean-up at all meetings. More than one sergeant-at-arms may be elected.

• Parliamentarian: The parliamentarian will strive to teach club members Robert’s Rules of Order for operating a business meeting and shall keep order at all’-club meetings. The parliamentarian is usually appointed by the President, with approval by the Community Club Leader.

Section 4.   Officer Eligibility Requirements.

President and Vice President: Must be a member in good standing, completed 2 years of 4-H work, held at least 1 executive office for 1 year, be entering the 8th grade or above, and must have at least a Silver Star ranking.

Secretary and Treasurer: Must be a member in good standing, completed at least 2 years of 4-H work, be entering the 7th grade or above, and have at least a Bronze Star ranking.

Reporter: Must be a member in good standing, be entering the 6th grade or above, completed 1 year of 4-H work, and have at least a Bronze star ranking.

Flag Bearer, Song leader, and Sergeant-at-Arms:  Must be a member in good standing.

Parliamentarian: Should be a Past President.

ARTICLE VI

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1.    Executive Board Members.  The executive board shall consist of all elected officers, Parliamentarian, Community Club Leader, and parent committee.

Section 2.    Purpose. The purpose of the Executive Board is to develop a budget which will be presented to the Club for approval. The Executive Board will also establish and set goals, and develop a written plan of work for the year. When necessary, the Executive Board shall propose any new amendments to the bylaws.

Section 3.    Meetings. There shall be at least four meetings of the Executive Board each year. All members and parents are welcome to attend any Executive Board meeting during the year.

Section 4.    Quorum. A quorum at Executive Board meetings shall consist of those members who attend, provided the meeting has been properly called.

ARTICLE VII

ELECTIONS

Section 1.    Nominations. In March, any member wishing to run for an office shall request an “Intent To Run For Office” form from the Community Club Leader. The form will list the job description of each office. Both the member and their parent(s) must sign the intent form, agreeing to fulfill the responsibilities of the office. Upon returning the signed form to the Community Club Leader, the member’s name shall be submitted to the nominating committee (or Executive Board). If an office does not receive any nominations, then the Executive Board will seek out members to run for the office. In April, the nominating committee will present a slate of officers to the club.

Section 2.    Balloting. The membership will vote by ballot in May. Write-in nominations will be taken from the floor before the election. Election will start with the President and carry through the Sergeant-at-Arms.

Section 3.    Installation of Officers. The new officers will be installed at the June Meeting or End-of-Year Party.

ARTICLE VIII

COMMITTEES

Section 1.    Standing Committees. Committees, standing and special, will be appointed by the Executive Board as needed.

ARTICLE IX

REVENUES

Section 1.    Use of Club Funds. The Club shall deposit its funds in a commercial checking or savings account. All withdrawals of funds shall be authorized by a vote of the club members and shall require two signatures of authorized Officers or Leaders. Persons authorized to sign club checks will include the Club President, Vice President or Secretary, and Treasurer and the Community Leader or Parent Committee member. The required signatures should be from unrelated people. The Burton 4-H Tax I.D. Number is to be on file for banking purpose.

Section 2.    Fund Raising Activities. All funds collected for the club shall be in compliance with the policy of the California Cooperative Extension, federal, state and local laws and regulations. Particular care shall be exercised in the use of the Burton 4-H Club name. Lotteries and raffles shall not be used for fund-raising purposes.

Section 3.    Disbandment of Club. In the event that the Burton 4-H Club must be disbanded, all assets (including equipment, property, bank accounts, etc.) remain the property of the Tulare County 4-H Leader Council and held in escrow for three years and then disbursed at the discretion of the Executive Council.

4-H CODE OF CONDUCT

The following guidelines are designed to make your experience at 4-H events satisfying to you and to all others attending. This means that all participants members, leaders and staff, shall respect the individual rights, safety and property of others, While you are attending 4-H events, you are representing all of 4-H.

1.    Everyone is expected to attend all planned sessions, workshop and field trips of the event and to be in appropriate dress. Delegation chaperons are responsible for insuring that members participate in all sessions of the planned program activities.

2.    All participants are to be in their assigned area at curfew and to comply with the quiet hours, lights out, and other rules of the event.

3.    At overnight events, only conference participants may be in dormitory areas. No one will be in the sleeping areas of members of the opposite sex. Lounges may be used only for working committees and social activities.

4.    Parking permits must be secured and cars parked in assigned areas.

5.    No member or leader may leave the grounds unless permission in secured from the adult in charge of the delegation. 4-H members must be accompanied by an adult. Adults must notify another adult in the delegation before leaving grounds. Adults should develop a sign in and sign out sheet for anyone leaving the conference grounds.

6.    The possession and use of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs other than prescribed medication is prohibited. Participants (including adult leaders) are not to smoke in group meetings, in sleeping areas, or while wearing any part of the 4-H uniform.

7.    Setting off fire alarms or tampering with extinguishing equipment or other emergency equipment is prohibited.

8.    Gambling and betting by adults and youth representing 4-H is prohibited.

9.    Obscene and discriminatory language, rough-housing and insubordination will not be tolerated at any time. Youth members should demonstrate respect to older adults. Display of overly affectionate attention between boys and girls is discouraged. Room service such as phone calls, food, laundry or others will not be permitted.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENTS

Section 1.    Amendments. Amendments to the Bylaws may be made without approval by the State Office, provided they do not depart from the intent of the bylaws herein stated. Amendments shall be read at a regular or special meeting of the Burton 4-H Club one month in advance of final action, or shall be; sent by mail to every member at least one week before final action. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the 4-H members present at any regular or special meeting.

Certificate of Adoption of Bylaws.

This is to certify that the above bylaws were adopted as the Bylaws of the BURTON 4-H CLUB by the members at their meeting held on the 30th day of March, 1998.