As Amended December 4, 1986 [1], October 13, 1989 [2], February 8, 1991 [3], December 4, 1992 [4], December 4, 1994 [5], October 2, 1998 [6], December 3, 1999 [7], October 8, 2004 [8], October 7, 2005 [9], October 12, 2007 [10], December 4, 2009 [11], February 4, 2011 [12], December 7, 2012 [13]. 

 

ENACTMENT CLAUSE

The adoption of these by-laws by the Corsair Yacht Club Members repeals and nullifies all by-laws and amendments in existence prior to date of adoption. The use of the male gender herein also denotes the female gender. [1]

 

ARTICLE  I - Names & Colors

Section 1 - This non-profit corporation herein referred to as “Club” shall be known as Corsair Yacht Club. The Corsair colors shall be black and gold. The Club burgee shall be a  triangular pennant with a black margin and a gold field with a proportional gothic “C” in black. The Club emblem shall be a replica of the Club burgee in a field of black bordered with gold.

 

ARTICLE  II - Purpose

Section 1 - The Corsair Yacht Club, a non-profit corporation, is created that all members may so associate themselves as to secure the maximum pleasure and usefulness of their respective pleasure crafts and through this association, further promote good fellowship among members as well as others interested in the field of yachting. Members in good standing only shall share in the benefits as mentioned above.

 

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1 – There shall be five (5) classes of membership – Regular, Honorary, Associate, Junior and Cruising.  Both spouses in all membership classes are members with the rights, responsibilities and privileges of that membership class.

 

SECTION 2 – The Regular Membership class of the Club shall not exceed seventy-five (75) memberships. Regular Members must be over twenty-one years of age and be owners and operators of an operable Yacht Class 1 or larger and who shall be duly elected in the club in the manner hereinafter prescribed. [10]

 

SECTION 3 – Only Regular Memberships shall have the right to vote. A Regular Membership shall have only one vote (one boat, one vote). The person casting the vote must be in “good standing” as provided hereinafter. [10]

 

SECTION 4 – There will be only one Regular Membership per qualifying boat. [10]

 

SECTION 5 – In order to remain in good standing, each Regular Member shall attend at least three (3) regular meetings and three (3) official cruises in their own boat each calendar year.  Work Parties may each be used as a makeup dinner or cruise.  Other events, as approved by the Board on an annual basis may also be used as a makeup dinner or cruise.  To have their attendance counted, the member must appear in person at the location and the time of the function.  At least one spouse in each Regular Membership must remain in good standing.  These requirements may be waived upon written request to the Board of Directors and subject to their approval. [8,10]

 

SECTION 6 – Any Regular Membership who disposes of their boat or whose boat becomes inoperative may maintain their membership for a period of one (1) year from the beginning of the next calendar year, by notifying the Board of Directors and receiving the approval of a majority of the members present at the next meeting. [10]

 

SECTION 7 – Any person whom the club shall wish to honor, may by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors and approval by the majority of the members present at the next meeting, be elected an honorary member.  They shall not vote or hold office, nor is boat ownership or payment of dues obligatory. An Honorary Membership shall continue only until the 1st of January of the year succeeding that of election to membership at which time the honorary membership shall be acted upon by the board of directors and approved by a majority of the members present at the next meeting. [10]

 

SECTION 8 - A Regular Membership that has continually been in good standing for a minimum of ten (10) years may be eligible to convert to an Associate Membership upon submitting a written request to the Board of Directors.  Associate Memberships will be available only at such time when the Regular Membership is full. An Associate Membership applicant will retain Regular Membership until an opening is available.  An Associate Membership will be granted in chronological order of its submittal, and only when a Prospective Member has been qualified and accepted a Regular Membership.  A four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Board of Directors plus approval by a majority of the Regular Memberships at the next regular meeting will be required to become an Associate Member.  The maximum number of Associate Memberships shall be ten (10).  An Associate Membership will continue from year to year upon receipt of the annual dues at the required time.  An Associate Member in good standing may return to the Regular Membership by following the procedure under article IV; however, the application fee and initiation fee will be waived. Associate Memberships will pay the same dues at the same time as a Regular Membership and will receive two tickets to the Commodore’s Ball.  An Associate Membership will not be required to own a qualifying boat. In order to remain in good standing at least one spouse in each Associate Membership will be required to attend three (3) club activities (official cruises, regular meetings or official work parties) each calendar year to remain in good standing.  An Associate Membership may not vote or hold office. [7,10]

 

SECTION 9 - Children or grandchildren, between the ages of 6 and 26 years, of regular, honorary, associate, or cruising members sponsored by their parent or grandparent may, upon application, be elected to Junior membership.  Election shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.  Junior Members may not vote or hold office in the Club.  Junior Members may, if they wish, form a formal group, elect their own officers, hold meetings and collect dues as they see fit.  The Club may require approved adult supervision of junior activities at its discretion.  Parents or guardians of Junior Members shall hold the Club harmless of any liability of any nature whatsoever while participating in any event under the auspices of the Club.  [2]  In order to remain in good standing, all Junior Members shall attend at least one official cruise each calendar year. This requirement may be waived upon written request to the Board of Directors and subject to their approval.  Annual dues for Junior Members shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, subject to the ratification of the membership, and shall be considered delinquent on December 31st of the preceding year. [4,9,10,11,12,13] 

 

SECTION 10 - Any Regular Membership who is away on an extended cruise for a length of time, which precludes their required attendance, may apply for Cruising Membership status. This request is to be sent to the Board of Directors and must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. A Cruising Membership's annual dues will be one-fifth (1/5) the dues of a Regular Membership and are due and payable according to Article V, Sections 1 and 2 of these by-laws. These dues will not include two (2) tickets to the Commodore's Ball. Voting privileges will be suspended during this time and an opening will be made for a new member. Upon return from the cruise, the Cruising Membership will be reinstated as a Regular Membership in the first available opening, dues to be prorated on an annualized basis if an opening occurs in any month other than January. The Club burgee may be flown with Cruising Membership status. [12]

 

SECTION 11 – The surviving spouse of any Membership may assume that Membership status, provided they qualify in all respects for that class, by notifying the Board of Directors in writing of their intent to do so, or they may request transfer to Associate Membership status, in accordance with Section 8.  In the event that the Associate Membership is full, the Board may waive the limit for a surviving spouse.  The surviving spouse of an Honorary Member may continue their membership as an Honorary Member by requesting the Board of Directors in writing of their desire to do so and in accordance with Article III, Section 7. [10]

 

ARTICLE  IV - Election of Members

Section 1 - Proposals for membership shall be filed by a sponsor on the approved application form, accompanied by a photograph and shall be presented to the Secretary who shall record the date the application was received by him as well as the applicant’s name and mailing address, placing him on the Club mailing list. The application fee for a prospective member shall be one-fourth (1/4) of the dues of a Regular Member and be payable with their application and on each anniversary date. The Secretary shall then turn the application over to the Chairman of the Membership Committee who shall begin an investigation of the proposed member. The applicant must attend at least three (3) regular meeting or other Club shore functions and at least three (3) official cruises in his own boat within a twelve (12) month period that is counted from the last anniversary date. Each work party, or other events as approved by the Board on an annual basis, may be used as a makeup dinner or cruise in meeting these requirements. After completing the requirements, The Membership Committee shall meet and discuss the results of their observations and investigation of the proposed member. [1, 8] The Membership Committee shall recommend to the Board of Directors to approve or disapprove the application of the proposed member. The Board of Directors shall then vote upon the application of the candidate, a four-fifths (4/5) vote shall be required for acceptance. If acceptance is approved, the proposed member’s name shall be submitted by mail to each Regular Member and a period of ten (10) days shall elapse after said mailing before the proposed member shall be permitted to qualify. Should any objection be filed against the admission to membership of any proposed member thus presented, the same shall be reduced to writing and given to the Secretary and by him referred to the Board of Directors which, same shall decide whether or not the objection shall be sustained. The action of the Board of Directors shall be final. All objections against the admission to membership of any proposed member shall be kept in confidence of the Board of Directors. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify the Sponsor of a candidate for membership of the Board of Directors’ decision. If the person so elected fails to qualify by payment of his initiation fee and presentation of a suitable photograph for publication in the roster within a period of thirty (30) days from the date of notification of his election to membership, his election shall be null and void.

 

ARTICLE  V - Dues and Fees

Section 1 -  Annual dues shall be due and payable on November 1st and delinquent on December 31st of the preceding year, however, upon approval of the Board of Directors, a portion of the dues payable may deferred and will not be deemed delinquent until after such date as approved by the Board. The dues shall include two (2) tickets to the Commodore’s Ball. [1,2,7,8,12] 

 

Section 2 - Memberships whose dues are delinquent, after written notice from the Secretary, shall be considered resigned. In order to rejoin the Club, they must submit an application for new membership in accordance with Article IV, Section 1. [12]

  

Section 3 - New membership shall pay an initiation fee of 25% of the annual dues amount. This entitles each Membership to a Club Burgee, a Club Emblem, a Membership card, a copy of the by-laws, a membership key, and a Fleet Roster. [1,6,12] 

 

Section 4 - A new membership initiated into the Club in January shall pay the full amount of dues. After January, the dues would be pro-rated for the month of initiation as per the following chart:

 

                    January 100%

                    February 91.7%

                    March 83.3%

                    April 75.0%

                    May 66.7%

                    June 58.3%

                    July 50.0%

                    August 41.7%

                    September 33.3%

                    October 25.0%

 

No new memberships shall be initiated into the Club in November or December.

 

Section 5 - The Board of Directors shall have the right to adjust the fees and dues to suit the needs of the Club, subject to the ratification of the members.

 

ARTICLE  VI - Discipline

Section 1 - Any Member may be suspended or expelled by the Board of Directors for conduct injurious to the welfare of the Club. Upon written complaint of one or more Members, the Board shall investigate the circumstances connected with such alleged misconduct, and if in their opinion the charges are substantiated, they shall thereupon furnish the Member whose conduct is in question, with a written statement of the charges preferred against him, and such member shall be given at least one (1) week’s notice of the time when and the place where the same shall be considered by the Board of Directors; and every such Member shall have the right to appear before the Board and be heard in answer to the charges before final action is taken.

 

Section 2 - At any time within thirty (30 days after such suspension or expulsion of a member by the Board of Directors, any ten (10) Members of the Club may request (by written request addressed to the Board in care of the Secretary) that a special meeting of the Club be called for the purpose of hearing an appeal from the action of the Board in suspending or expelling the member; and thereupon and within fifteen (15) days such a meeting shall be called, and the appeal from the action of the Board shall be submitted to it. On the hearing of such an appeal it shall require the vote of four-fifths (4/5) of the Members present at the meeting, where at least one-third (1/3) of the Membership must be present, to reverse the action of the Board of Directors and to restore the Member in question to his membership.

 

ARTICLE  VII - Administration

Section 1 - The Government and Management of the Club shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of the Commodore, the Vice Commodore, the Rear Commodore, the Fleet Captain, the Port Captain, and five (5) elected Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer and the Junior-Staff Commodore shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors in an ex-officio capacity. The Junior-Staff Commodore may cast a vote only if there is not a quorum present and his vote makes a quorum.

 

Section 2

A. The elected officers of the Club shall be the Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, Fleet Captain and Port Captain. They shall hold office until the 1st of January of the year succeeding their election and thereafter until their successors have been duly elected and installed.

 

B. It shall be the duty of the Commodore to:

1.  Preside at all meetings of the Club and of the Board of Directors.

2.  Call Special meetings of the Board of Directors at his discretion or at the request of the Board of Directors.

3.  Make temporary appointments.

4.  Appoint all committees in accordance with his disposition.

5.  Appoint the Secretary-Treasurer for his incumbent year subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

6.  Keep a log of his year as Commodore and be passed to each ensuing Commodore along with preceding logs to better prepare the incoming Commodore.

C. It shall be the duty of the Vice Commodore to:

1.  Assume the duties of the Commodore and act as Chairman of the Board of Directors in the absence of the Commodore.

2.  Procure entertainment for meetings and parties for the ensuing year.

3.  Arrange for reservations for shore-side functions for the ensuing year.

4.  Chair the trophy committee and procure suitable trophies for all occasions requiring same.

5.  Prepare the master calendar of events for the ensuing year for the Corsair roster.

6.  Recruit as many newer members as possible to be on committees.

D. It shall be the duty of the Rear Commodore to:

1.  Promote acquaintance of new members with other members and guests, at home or away.

2.  Design and furnish plaques to all Members of the Club attending the Annual Catalina Harbor Cruise in their own boats.

3.  Chair the Membership Committee.

4.  Take charge of the raffles of the monthly meetings and parties and procure prizes for same. [3]

E. It shall be the duty of the Fleet Captain to:

1.  Command the Fleet at Sea and at all anchorages other than the Fleet’s Base.

2.  Be responsible for Flag Etiquette.

3.  Have custody of the Corsair Bell, keep it in a high state of luster and see that it is at hand for all meetings. [3]

4.  Take charge of the sale, inventory and accountings of Club Burgees and other official club paraphernalia.

F. It shall be the duty of the Port Captain to:

1.  Sell dinner tickets at all regular meetings and at all other Club functions where tickets are necessary.

2.  Command the fleet at Fleet’s Base.

3.  Keep an accurate log of all members and guests at all Club meetings and social functions at home.

4.  Supervise the keeping of an accurate log of all members and their boats on cruises and give a report of the same at meetings.

 

Section 3 - Five (5) Directors shall be elected each year and shall hold office until the first meeting in January of the year succeeding their election and thereafter until their successors shall have been duly elected and installed.

 

Section 4 - Should a vacancy occur in any elective office, it shall be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired term.

 

Section 5 - Any member of the Board of Directors who shall absent himself for three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board without being excused shall forfeit his office.

 

Section 6 - A quorum of the Board of Directors shall be six (6) of ten (10).

 

Section 7 - It shall be the Duty of the Secretary - Treasurer of the Club to:

A. Keep a true record of the proceedings of the Club in a book provided for that purpose.

B. Have custody of all reports, documents, and communications connected with the business of the Club.

C. Keep a correct roll of all the members, together with the dates of their election to membership.

D. Notify in writing each new member of his election and his initiation fees, and dues.

E. To be sure a written notice is sent to each Director of each Board of Directors meeting. Said written notification to be given no less than five (5) days prior to the meeting.

F. Notify in writing each member of every general meeting of the Club.

G. Cause the necessary books and papers to be in readiness at the place of any meeting in the event of his inability to attend said meeting.

H. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the by-laws or pertain to the Office of Secretary, and are not otherwise provided for, but which may be prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors.   

I. Collect and hold in the name of the Club all income and savings of the Club. 

J. Pay all legitimate bills contracted by the Club which same shall be subject to review and approval by the Board of Directors.

K. Keep a true and complete record of all club money and property along with all disbursements thereof.

L. Make a quarterly report to the Board of Directors of the financial condition of the Club and to all governmental agencies as required by law.

M. Send to each member a statement of dues at such times as the Board of Directors shall prescribe.

N. Notify, in accordance with Article V, Section 2 hereof, each member whose dues are in arrears.

 

ARTICLE  VIII - Elections

Section 1 - On or before the 30th of October each year a Nominating Committee shall be appointed by a quorum of the elected members of the Board of Directors and shall consist of the Vice Commodore and two (2) members from the membership-at-large. The Committee shall within twenty (20) days report to the Secretary of the Club its nominations for all officers to be filled at the Annual Election. The Committee shall present one or more for each office and eight (8) or more nominees for the non-office holding members of the Board of Directors. It shall require a majority vote of the Committee to nominate and their report shall be signed by the Committeemen who concur therein.

 

Section 2 - A copy of the report of the Nominating Committee shall be mailed to each Member within ten (10) days after receipt by the Secretary.

 

Section 3 - Other nominations may be made by petition of five (5) members, provided such petition is filed with the Secretary of the Club not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the election. In the event of nominations by petition or other written notice of all nominations made to each member not less than ten (10) days prior to the day of the election.

 

Section 4 - The annual election of the Officers and Directors shall be held on or before the fifteenth (15) day of December of each year, by ballot at a regular meeting fixed for the same.

Section 5 - An adequate supply of ballots shall be available at the election. Such ballots shall show the offices to be filled and the name of all nominees for each office.

 

Section 6 - Each member must cast his ballot in person.

 

Section 7 - The Secretary shall read the roster and the Nominating Committee shall distribute the ballots to the members present. The Commodore shall appoint a committee of three (3) to collect the ballots and count the votes. The Chairman of this committee shall report the results to the membership.

 

Section 8 - A member may not run for more than one office as defined in ARTICLE VII, Section 2 (A), in any one year. The nominating committee may place in nominations the names of the same candidates for Port Captain and Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE  IX - Meetings

Section 1 - Regular Meetings: There shall be one (1) regular meeting per month as designated by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2 - Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called (a) by the Commodore; (b) by order of the Board of Directors; or (c) by petition signed by one-fifth (1/5) of the total enrolled Members, which petition shall specify in detail the propositions to be placed before such meeting. Ten (10) days notice of special meetings shall state in detail the purpose or purposes of the meeting and no business or propositions not specified in such notice shall be considered at any special meeting.

 

Section 3 - A quorum shall consist of one-third (1/3) of the Members of the Club.

 

Section 4 - Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the procedure of this Club.

 

ARTICLE  X - Accounts and Funds

Section 1 - The Board of Directors as a whole shall constitute the Finance Committee of the Club. They shall designate the bank or banks wherein its funds shall be deposited, and shall be responsible for the Club’s funds and financial affairs.

 

Section 2 - All checks shall be signed by the Secretary-Treasurer or one other designated by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 3 - It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to secure from each officer or committee in charge of any activity, a written report after each event, setting forth the receipts and expenditure incident to the activity. From such reports, immediately after the Annual Election, the Board of Directors shall budget the Club’s expenditures for the current year. No budget shall be adopted which will exceed the reasonably certain income for the Club by more than ten (10) percent.

 

Section 4 - No appropriation shall be made and no debt shall be authorized at any meeting of the Members except upon motion of the Board of Directors, or unless a Special Meeting of the Members shall have been called for that purpose.

 

Section 5 - The Board of Directors shall incur no indebtedness exceeding one year’s income of the Club, unless authorized to do so at a Special Meeting of the Members.

 

Section 6 - The Commodore, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint an auditing committee consisting of three (3) Members, excluding the current Board of Directors and Flag Officers. The committee shall include a Staff Commodore and/or a Past, but not outgoing Secretary/Treasurer, at a minimum. They shall carefully examine all records of the Secretary-Treasurer pertaining to the Club’s finances, insurance and tax records, audit his books and report their findings to the Board of Directors. The audit shall be made from time to time as the Commodore shall prescribe. A final audit shall be presented at the February Board Meeting. [8]

 

ARTICLE  XI - Yacht Routine

Section 1 - Yacht Routine, as may be from time to time prescribed by the Board of Directors, shall be considered the Official Rules of Yachting Etiquette of the Club.

 

ARTICLE  XII - Amendments 

Section 1 - These by-laws may be amended and additional provisions added thereto at any regular or special meeting of the Members at which at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Members present vote in favor of said amendment or addition, but no amendment or addition to the by-laws shall be voted upon at any meeting of the Members unless at least twenty (20) days notice has been given thereof by mailing a copy of the proposed amendment or addition together with a notice of the meeting to each Member.