MMCL BY LAWS
Revision November 5, 2023
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this club shall be the Military Modelers Club of Louisville (MMCL).
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
Section 1: A. To promote friendship among modelers. B. To promote education in the art of modeling. C. To promote communication among the membership. D. To publish a monthly newsletter providing information on club activities, modeling and membership. E. To promote and conduct exhibitions and shows.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
Any individual, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation or national origin may submit an official application for membership. Any person may apply for membership during any part of a calendar year. Only members who live within a reasonable distance (~ 1 hour) from Louisville may hold elected officer positions.
Any applicant accepted for membership agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of the Constitution and By-Laws of MMCL along with regulations and directives promulgated by the Executive Committee.
Members in Good Standing shall be privileged to vote, hold club office, serve on committees, attend any meetings, receive all MMCL publications, have access to MMCL social media platforms and member’s-only access to the MMCL website, and enjoy all other privileges of membership.
Section2:
A. The membership fees of this club shall be ten dollars ($10.00) for senior members (senior members - Sixteen (16) years of age and older) and three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) for junior members (junior members - fifteen years of age and younger). Each member shall be deemed an active member for one calendar year.
B. Membership fees are due at or before the meeting in January and will be considered delinquent anytime thereafter.
Section 3: Code of Conduct.
Members should adhere to a code of conduct at club meetings, functions, shows, and on official MMCL social media. Members will conduct themselves in a non-threatening manner when interacting with the public and other members, and shall abide by these by-laws when conducting official MMCL business. Members will not falsely present themselves or the work of others as their own. Only appropriate subject matter will be allowed during all MMCL functions and online activities. Members not following polite rules of etiquette may be subject to aforementioned disciplinary actions. New members may be vetted as necessary on social media and may have their activities first cleared by MMCL moderators to assure MMCL and community standards are met in online forums. Newsletter article publications and Online Posting restrictions will be at the discretion of the editors, moderators and executive committee.
ARTICLE IV: AFFILIATION
Section 1:
This club shall be affiliated with an international association known as the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS), and with The Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.
Section 2: At least five (5) active members of MMCL must concurrently be members of IPMS to maintain this affiliation.
Section 3:
All officers must be members of IPMS.
ARTICLE V: LOCATION
Section 1: This club is intended to serve persons residing in Kentucky and Southern Indiana who desire to join. However, persons residing in any location throughout the world may apply for membership.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1:
Meetings shall be regularly scheduled for the third (3rd) Thursday of each month unless changed by a majority vote of the general membership during a preceding meeting. Meeting times and places shall be designated by a vote of the general membership.
Section 2:
Special meetings may be called at any time by direction of the President for special business or social reasons.
Section 3:
A business meeting may be transacted by the membership present at any monthly or special meetings.
Section 4:
Decisions regarding club activities, direction, or purpose shall be determined through a vote of the general membership present at any meeting based on a majority vote.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
Section 1:
The officers of the club shall consist of the following; President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Show Chairman, two Executive Members-at-Large, and, if deemed necessary by the general membership, an Auditor and a Corresponding Secretary. Club officers shall constitute the Executive Committee. An odd number of Executive Officers shall be enlisted to ensure tie-breaking votes.
Section 2:
Officers will serve for a full 2 year term. Officers shall be elected by the general membership during the November OR last scheduled meeting every two years and shall take office during the first meeting of the following year.
Section 3:
Nomination and Election
A. Candidates for office shall be determined through an oral or write-in procedure whereby the general membership may state or post names of candidates on a ballot provided by the President during the October meeting. Ballots shall be returned to the President no later than one week prior to the November meeting.
B. The President shall ensure the ballots are totaled and the two candidates receiving the most write-in nominations for each position are presented to the general membership for consideration and election during the November meeting.
C. Election shall occur by secret written ballot during the November or last scheduled meeting of every other year, (the term of all officer's is two (2) years). Candidates for each position receiving the majority of votes cast shall be appointed to office for which nominated. The President shall not vote in the general election except in a case of a tie vote. The President's vote shall be considered the tie-breaker.
Section 4:
A. Vacancies in offices, except for the President, shall be filled for the unexpired term by one of the Executive Members-at-Large. In the case of the President, the Vice-President would fill the President's position and the Member-at-Large would fill the Vice-President's position.
B. If the Executive Members-at-Large is already serving in an office, the officers may appoint a person from the general membership to serve in the vacant office for the unexpired term.
Section 5:
All persons serving in officer positions shall be present for a minimum of three-quarters (3/4) of all scheduled meetings during the year. Any officer failing to meet this standard may be removed from office by a majority vote of the general membership.
ARTICLE VIII: DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
Section 1:
The President shall preside at all meetings and perform such duties as is required by the office of President. In addition, the President shall be the ex-officio chairperson of all committees. The President shall not be less than 18 years of age.
Section 2:
The Vice-President shall assist the President, preside at meetings in the absence of the President, fill any un-expired term of the President, compile the Club Meeting Agenda, and perform other duties as directed by the President.
Section 3:
The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the general membership and shall make a report of such meetings as directed by the President, keep a list of all members in good standing, publish a monthly newsletter, and develop correspondence as directed by the President.
Section 4:
The Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds, make deposits, pay bills, and make monthly reports of fund status at scheduled meetings. In accordance with Kentucky state law, the Treasurer shall not be less than 18 years of age.
Section 5:
The Executive Members-at-Large shall assist other officers as directed by the President, preside at meetings in the absence of any other officer other than the President, and fill the unexpired term of any officer except the President.
Section 6:
The Auditor and the Corresponding Secretary may be appointed by the President as required.
ARTICLE IX: SHOWS, CONTESTS, & EXHIBITIONS
Section 1:
A. A show manager shall be selected by club vote as an Executive Board Member.
B. A show committee shall be selected by the show manager and approved by the Executive Committee.
C. The manager and committee shall organize and manage all shows and exhibitions.
D. Any funds received as a result of shows or exhibitions shall be turned over to the Treasurer for proper disposition.
E. Anyone entering any contest is prohibited from judging the category in which they enter. This does not apply to non-MMCL modelers.
Section 2:
<Reserved>
Section 3:
Contracts must be drawn by an officer 18 years of age or older.
ARTICLE X: DISCIPLINE
Section 1:
A member, whose written and/or spoken words or actions are deemed detrimental to the good of the MMCL mission, may be dropped from the rolls of MMCL by the Executive Board. Any such member will be notified by the President of the action taken and will receive a pro-rated refund of any dues paid for that year.
Ex-members so dismissed may reapply for membership one year after dismissal. Any such re-application will be subject to re-evaluation by the Executive Board.
Section 2:
If a member is facing disciplinary actions from the executive board, they may request a club hearing to plead their case and will be granted said hearing to be held before the general membership of the club and final outcome shall be determined by a majority vote of the general membership.
ARTICLE XI: DISSOLUTION
Section 1:
Upon dissolution, remaining funds shall be distributed by the Treasurer, in the club's name, to the Crusade for Children.
ARTICLE XII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section1: ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER NEWLY REVISED shall govern the club in all cases in which applicable and in which the rules are not inconsistent with these bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII: METHODS OF AMENDING
Section 1:
These bylaws may be amended by a majority secret ballot of the general membership. Proposed changes to the bylaws must be published in the club newsletter before being voted upon and such published notice shall state that a vote on the proposed changes will be held at the next regularly scheduled meeting.