ByLaws

The purpose of the Jefferson County Photography Club is to pursue photography as a
hobby and as a fine art; to be an advocate for and provide assistance to emerging photographers.  In addition, to bring photographic art to all segments of the community and to serve as a resource for network for photographers of all ages and interests.  This shall be accomplished through:

a:         Furnishing a meeting place where members may associate.
b:         Promoting and encouraging the advancement in the knowledge of photography.
c:         Presenting educational lectures and demonstration of techniques.
d:         Sponsoring Club assignments, field trips and other endeavors.
e.         Providing educational outreach.
f.          Promoting photography and personal growth through competition and critique.

The club shall not be conducted or operated for profit and no part of any profits or remainder of residuals from dues, donations, or contest fees shall benefit any member or individual.  Rather, any remainders will be donated to charitable organizations or used for scholarship funding for Jefferson County students studying art, photography and/or photojournalism.

General membership in the Jefferson County Photography Club shall be open to anyone with an interest in creating, supporting, and enjoying photographic based hobby and/or art.
Note: Members do not have to reside in Jefferson County.

Membership dues are renewed in January.  Members who join after the January due date shall have their membership pro-rated accordingly.  The dues are set by the Board to help defray operational costs.  Changes in the dues will be presented to all members through an email.  They will then be submitted to the members present at the next meeting and should have a majority vote of the membership.  If the dues cause a hardship with a member, they may be sponsored by the club or another member in good standing.

A “member in good standing” of the club is an active participating member of the club whose membership dues are up to date.

a: Regular meetings of the Jefferson Photography Club will be held each month, January through December.

b: The Annual Business Meeting will take place in October.  The purpose of this meeting is to present to the membership present at this meeting an accounting of the State of the Club in preparation for the coming year.

a: The Board of Directors shall consist of:

The Board shall transact all routing club business, in addition to performing the duties specifically outlined in the Bylaws and determine club policy.  The Board of Directors is charged with the operations of the Jefferson County Photography Club and establishes policy, providing overall direction and planning for all Club activities and oversees the financial stability of the Club.

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• three Members-at-Large
• Past President.  The Past President is a nonvoting member.
• Educational Director 

The Board will meet quarterly or more as necessary.

b: Description of Duties

The President in addition to being the Chair of the Board and ex-officio member of committees, shall preside at all club meetings and the Bord of Directors meetings.  He/She will appoint or remove Chairpersons of special committees, act as club spokesperson, and generally supervise and maintain contact with club members.  Additionally, the President shall attend openings of the Jefferson County Photography Club exhibits and shall promote the goodwill of the Club to the greater Jefferson County community.  He/She shall present a “State of the Club” report at the Annual Business Meeting.

The immediate Past President shall serve as ex-officio(nonvoting) member of the Board in an advisory capacity and shall remain on the Board for a term of two years.  If the immediate past president is not available for this position, the President shall appoint a “Past President” to this position.

The Vice President shall nominate all appointees and present them to the Board for approval.  The Vice President shall assist all committee Chairperson in their duties and shall assume the duties in his/her absence.

The Treasurer shall maintain and account for the finances of the Jefferson County Photography Club, providing any financial reporting required by the Board.  An annual report shall be presented at the Annual Business Meeting.  The Treasurer will maintain the Membership database/spreadsheet with the list of Members in Good Standing.  This list will be made available to the Membership Chairperson and members of the board as needed. The Treasurer will preside Pro Tem should the President, Vice President, and Secretary be unable to fulfill their duties.

The Secretary shall maintain records of the minutes of the monthly meetings and the Board of Directors meetings.  He/she shall forward the minutes of the monthly meeting to the president for his/her review.  He/she will forward the minutes of the Board of Directors meeting to all Board members for their review.  The Secretary will handle club correspondence and, If necessary, prepare ballots for election of club officers.  The Secretary will preside Pro Tem should the President, Vice President and Treasurer be unable to fulfill their duties.

The Education Director shall be appointed by the Board and serve in a non-voting, advisory capacity. The Director, along

Members-at-Large shall be elected by the general membership and must be a member in good standing.  They are defined as current, active members within the Jefferson County Photography Club. 

Any member of the board who falls out of “Good Standing” or who is unable to fulfill their duties will be removed from the Board without advanced notification and Board will appoint a member in Good Standing to fulfill the term.

A Nominating Committee, consisting of the Vice President and two or three other members in Good Standing shall select a slate of officers who will serve for two years.  The initial slate will be chosen by October and opened to the general membership at the October meeting for nominations.  The final slate will be presented to the membership at the November meeting for approval and election.  This election process will take place every two years. 

The Membership Chairperson along when Committee members shall welcome all members and visitors to the monthly meeting and recruit new members and make application packets available to visitors at the monthly meetings.  A report of membership activity will be presented at the Annual Business Meeting.  This committee will be charged with developing membership packets, other materials related to membership and working with the Treasurer to assure the membership list is current and accurate.

Promotional Chairperson
The Promotional Chairperson and Committee will be charged with the promotion of the Jefferson County Photography Club using the club website, social media pages, (Facebook, Instagram. Etc.) and other media outlets and with advertising the annual photography competition. He/She will give a report of promotional activity at the Annual Business Meeting.   

Education Chairperson
The Education Director will be the Education Chairperson.  This committee shall promote education within the Jefferson County Photography Club as well as the Jefferson County Community.  This committee will develop and maintain a mentor program to further the growth of club members.  They will develop educational activities for the club members including organizing field trips with the Activities Director.

Activities Director
The activities Director will present photo opportunities at the monthly meeting.  This will include field / Photo op field trips.

Competition and Awards committee
The Competition and Awards Chairperson and committee shall oversee the annual Jefferson County Photography Club competitions as well as inner-club competitions.  This committee is charged with the planning and organization of the competitions as well as securing judges and awards.  They are charged with establishing the rules governing the competitions.

Election Committee
The Vice President is the chairperson of this committee as outlined in Section 4:b:3 of these bylaws.

Audio/Visual Chairperson
The Audio/Visual Chairperson and committee will be responsible for the se-up of projection equipment, maintenance of the Club’s computers, recommendations for new technical equipment, and projection of education materials and photographs during club meetings.

Additional Chairpersons and Committees may be added as an on need basis.  These will be approved by the board and the Chairpersons will be appointed by the Board.  The Chairpersons will be responsible for assigning committee members.

#6.    Amendments and By-Laws The by-laws may be amended at any regular club meeting by two-thirds majority of the members in good standing present at the meeting. Any member in good standing may propose amendments to the by-laws.  The proposed changes must be presented to a member of the Board.  The Board will put the amendment on the agenda for the next month’s meeting for discussion with the general membership. The proposed amendment will be made available to the general membership prior to this meeting.  The amendment may be voted on at this meeting and must have a at least a two-thirds majority to be accepted.