Port Jefferson Civic Association was registered with the New York state as not-for-profit corporation on September 17, 1990. It went dormant in 2006 and was formally reconstituted on February 21, 2023.
Constitution
Adopted April 1989, amended April 2001
ARTICLE I
The name of this Association shall be the PORT JEFFERSON CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
ARTICLE II
The ideals and purposes of this Association shall be to promote the civic welfare of Port Jefferson and vicinity, preserve the quality of life, and to act as a forum for the common interests and concerns of the community.
ARTICLE II A
In the event this Association should ever dissolve, all monies in the treasury are to be donated to a non-profit charitable institution or institutions acceptable to the State of New York.
ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP
Any resident of Port Jefferson and vicinity who subscribes to the aims of the Association and their fulfillment may apply for membership. Port Jefferson and vicinity shall be defined by Incorporated Village, school and fire district boundaries.
ARTICLE IV
Dues for membership shall be as determined by vote of the general membership and shall be payable on the first of May each year, the beginning of the Association’s fiscal year.
ARTICLE V
The Officers of the Association shall consist of President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer.
ARTICLE VI
The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, three Directors, and Archivist.
ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS
Membership meetings shall be held monthly except June and August which shall be optional. The Association shall hold an annual meeting during the month of April for the election of its Officers and Director and may hold such regular and special meetings as may be necessary in the manner prescribed in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended as follows:
Section 1. A proposed Amendment shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors and read to the members at the next regular or special meeting.
Section 2. The voting on the Amendment shall be at the following membership or special meeting. A two-thirds vote of the voting members present at the meeting and in good standing shall be necessary for adoption.
Section 3. Meeting notices to members should inform them that an Amendment or Amendments is or are going to be proposed and voted upon.
By-Laws
ARTICLE 1 – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. There is both an individual membership and a (discounted) family membership. A person desiring to become a member of the Association may do so by depositing the full annual dues with the Treasurer of the Association. A membership card indicating acceptance of the applicant as a “member in good standing” shall be available from the Treasurer upon verification of qualification according to Article III of the Constitution fifteen (15) days after receipt of the dues. [amended April 2001]
Section 2. A member who shall fail to pay his/her dues by November 1st of a current fiscal year shall be dropped from the rolls of the Association.
Section 3. A new member (including a member dropped from the rolls of the Association) shall become a “member in good standing” fifteen (15) days after paying his/her dues, per provision of By-Laws, Article I, Section 1.
Section 4. A “member in good standing” is a current member who has paid his/her dues for the current fiscal year or a new member who has obtained a membership card in his/her name.
Section 5. A membership card for each “member in good standing” will be available from the Treasurer at general meetings or may be mailed.
ARTICLE II – MEETINGS
Section 1. A membership meeting may be called (a) at the direction of the President, the Executive Committee or Directors; or (b) at the written request of at least ten members in good standing, submitted to the President; or (c) at the date or dates previously decided by a regular membership meeting. All meetings shall be properly publicized in the local newspaper or by direct correspondence to the members.
Section 2. A quorum shall consist of eleven members, including a minimum of two Officers, in good standing at a regular membership meeting, and four of the Board of Directors at board meetings.
Section 3. The order of business of regular membership meetings shall be as follows:
a. Call to order
b. Reading and adoption of minutes
c. Reports of Officers: President, Secretaries, and Treasurer
d. Bills and Communications
e. Report of Committees, standing and special
f. Old Business
g. New Business
h. Informal round table discussion
i. Adjournment
Section 4. Issues requiring vote shall be decided by a simple majority of the vote of members in good standing present at the meeting and voting.
Membership cards may be required in order to vote. The Chair will vote only in the event of a tie.
Section 5. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association and Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
ARTICLE III – QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Only a member who has reached his/her twenty-first birthday and has been a member in good standing for the preceding 12 months and has paid his/her dues for the year he/she is standing for election, can be a candidate for an office or directorship. The Board of Directors may waive any of the above qualifications.
ARTICLE IV – TERM OF OFFICE
Section 1. The elected term of office for all officers shall be one year.
Section 2. The term of director is three years; one retiring the first gear, one the next, and one the third year.
Section 3. No regular director or officer shall succeed himself for the same office more than once except the Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Archivist, and Corresponding Secretary.
ARTICLE V – NOMINATIONS
Section 1. A Nominating Committee consisting of five members, all in good standing, shall be appointed by the President in January of each year. This Committee shall nominate candidates for the various offices and directorates of the Association for the coming year. This Committee shall elect its own chair.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall present the names of nominees to the members of the Association either by a written communication from the Corresponding Secretary or at the March membership meeting.
Section 3. At the annual meeting held in April, before the election takes place, additional nominations for the various offices may be made by any member of the Association in good standing. The nominee must agree to serve if elected.
ARTICLE VI – ELECTIONS
Section 1. The Officers and Directors shall be elected by a majority vote of those members who are in good standing and are present and voting. In case there are three or more candidates for an office and no one shall receive a majority, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be voted upon again.
Section 2. During the procedure of election the meeting shall be presided over by a member who is not a candidate for any office in that election.
Section 3. Voting shall be carried out by a secret ballot or by a show of hands as determined by a majority vote of the members present and in good standing at the annual-April membership meeting.
Section 4. The Chair shall designate a committee to count votes and announce the results officially.
Section 5. The newly elected Officers and Directors shall take office on May 1st after their election at the annual meeting held in April of the same year.
ARTICLE VII – VACANCIES
Section 1. Should the office of the President be vacated, the Vice-President shall automatically take over the duties of President for the unexpired term.
Section 2. In the event of vacancy in any office, the Board of Directors shall fill the office for the unexpired term, or until the next annual meeting as the case may be with Directors.
Section 3. An Officer or a Director not attending three consecutive Board of Directors sessions or three membership meetings in a sequence, without a legitimate reason, shall be reported to the next Board of Directors meeting for such action as said Board may deem necessary.
ARTICLE VIII – ARCHIVIST
Section 1. Documents, records and property of the Association not currently used by Officers or committees shall be in the possession and safekeeping of the Association’s Archivist.
Section 2. These records and documents shall be accessible to the Officers and Directors of the Association at any time, and to any members of the Association upon the written recommendation of three members of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The Archivist shall be elected for three years at an annual meeting and may be re-elected. He is a member of the Board of Directors and is required to attend Executive Board meetings.
ARTICLE IX – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The duties of each officer shall be as follows:
Section 1. The President shall (a) see to it that the Constitution and ByLaws of the Association are enforced, (b) supervise the activities of the Association; (c) serve as official representative of the Association; (d) release for publication announcements of policies approved by the Association; (e) preside at all Board of Directors sessions and membership meetings; (f) appoint chair of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee; (g) issue an annual report of the Association’s activities; and (h) co-sign all checks with the Treasurer.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall assume full responsibility of the duties of the President in his absence or incapacity and shall perform such other duties as shall be assigned or requested by the President.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall (a) record and keep an accurate account in writing of the proceedings of all membership meetings and the Board of Directors sessions; (b) in the absence of the President and Vice-President, conduct meetings.
Section 4. The Corresponding Secretary shall (a) attend to the correspondence of the Association as directed by the President; (b) issue a call for all meetings; (c) conduct meetings in the absence of the President, Vice-President and Recording Secretary.
Section S. The Treasurer shall (a) keep a detailed and correct record of the finances of the Association and a roll of membership; (b) present a written report to each membership meeting of all monetary transactions since the preceding meeting, and a yearly report at the first membership meeting following the expiration of the fiscal year, (c) make out and co-sign all checks with the President as ordered by the Board of Directors or membership meeting. The Treasurer’s books shall be audited at the close of each fiscal year either by an auditing committee appointed by the Board of Directors during the month of April each year or by a Public Accountant with such reasonable expense of said audit to become an obligation payable on April 30th.
ARTICLE X- DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
It shall (a) formulate the policy of this Association; (b) exercise general executive powers; (c) carry out the decisions of the membership meetings; (d) authorize payment of incidental, nominal bills not to exceed $100.00; and (e) approve the payments of bills for expenditures authorized by the membership meetings, exceeding $100.00.
ARTICLE XI – COMMITTEES
The President shall appoint the Chair of all committees deemed necessary with the exception of the Nominating Committee. Each established committee shall, after due deliberation by the Officers and Directors, be specifically charged with its responsibility and limitations. Committee Chairs shall serve at the pleasure of the President, or until a new President is elected.
ARTICLE XII – EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Section 1. A member whose action or behavior is detrimental to the ideals and purposes of the Association or to the members thereof, may be requested to resign by the President of the Association upon written recommendation of the majority of the Board of Directors of the Association. In the event that such a member shall fail to comply with the request of the President, such a member may be expelled at any membership meeting by majority vote of the members in good standing present and voting, provided that two weeks’ written notice be sent to all “members in good standing” of the Association stating that such a vote will be taken at the meeting. The vote shall be by secret ballot.
Section 2. Prior to the Board of Directors making any recommendation regarding expulsion of a member, the Board of Directors shall first notify such member of the charges against him and permit him to appear before the Board of Directors to answer such charges. The accused member shall be presented with such charges in writing.
ARTICLE XIII – ASSOCIATION SUPPORT
It shall be the policy of this Association to provide support to groups or associations, consistent with the general policies of this Association and subject to the approval of the general membership at a regular or special meeting.
ARTICLE XIV – ENACTMENT
The contents of the above, having been adopted by the membership meeting of April 1989, are in force as the Constitution and By-Laws of the Port Jefferson Civic Association from that date on.