Bylaws Of

I.  SVB Designations

The name of this social club is: The Sacramento Valley Bears (SVB).

The current mailing address is: The Sacramento Valley Bears, PO Box 189311, Sacramento, CA 95818-9311 The current meeting place is: Club 21, 1211 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

II. Statement of Purpose and Goals

The SVB is a non-profit organization incorporated in the State of California . As a gay brotherhood organization, the SVB provides bears and bear admirers with the opportunity to meet and enjoy time together in a variety of environments and social situations. The SVB strives to provide a safe den for singles and couples to socialize regularly.  The SVB is an independent, non-political organization, which will not affiliate itself permanently with any bar, tavern, café, or business establishment. The SVB also works to benefit other non-profit community groups through fund- raising activities.

III. Membership

A. Classes:

General – open to males 21 years of age and over.

Couples – open to male partners residing at the same address and both eligible for general membership.

B. Requirements :

A member in good standing, either individual or couple, of the SVB must: (1) must complete a membership application, (2) attest to being at least 21 years of age, and (3) pay the annual membership dues.

The SVB does not discriminate against individuals or groups on the basis of race, religion, culture, or sexual orientation. Potential members must be clearly informed that the SVB is a gay brotherhood. The application is intended as a vehicle for outlining the purpose and goals of the SVB and to obtain pertinent application information (e.g., name, address, telephone number, birth date or age).

C. Rights

Rights of membership in good standing include: attendance at all Board, general, and committee meetings; participation in any events or functions; free participation in all discussions at general meetings; voting on actions at general meetings, volunteering to serve on committees, and running for elected positions when eligible.

D. Responsibilities

Membership responsibilities include: accepting, agreeing to, and upholding the bylaws and policies set forth by the Board and membership; serving on committees when selected; treating all members with respect; and maintaining membership in good standing.

E. Revocation

 Revocation of membership is a very serious measure. Revocation should only be undertaken after reasonable attempts to reconcile the needs of the member with the purpose and goals, as stated herein. Membership in the SVB can be revoked by a 2/3 vote of the Board. A member of the Board must petition the Board at least 14 days before a Board meeting to revoke a membership. The petition must include one of the following reasons for revocation: accusations of violent behavior at a SVB function that either threatens another person or property, or malicious behavior intended to offend, hurt, or ridicule another person or behavior or actions that are not in the spirit of the bylaws. The SVB Secretary will notify the member that his membership is in jeopardy and why by Certified US Mail. The member will be encouraged to attend the Board meeting and present any information pertinent to the issues. The Board will discuss the petition and solicit information as needed. The Board will then vote under closed session whether to revoke the membership. The member shall be notified by the Secretary of the decision of the Board by US Mail.

F. Dues

Annual membership dues are determined by the Board and approved by the general membership. No dues will be refunded in the event a member resigns from the SVB. Dues will be prorated and refunded to any member who has had his membership in the SVB revoked. Members may not vote at general meetings until dues have been paid in full. A former member who has had his membership revoked for non- payment of dues may rejoin by completing a membership application and paying all applicable dues. 

G. Term

Membership shall begin on the date the member pays his full dues and continues for one year from that date.

H. Resignation

Members may resign at any time by delivering or mailing a written notice of resignation to the Secretary. There shall not be any refund of dues when a member resigns. If a member’s dues are not paid by the 2nd general meeting of the new term, the member shall be considered as resigned.

IV. Meetings

A. Quorum

General SVB meetings require a quorum. A quorum for the general meeting is defined as all members in attendance and voting. No vote shall be considered valid without a quorum. Absentee votes are allowed only at the Election, and are counted toward the quorum.  A quorum for a Board meeting is defined as 75% of the Board members General SVB Meetings General meetings shall be held monthly for information, business, and social purposes. The President shall preside over the meeting. Members shall be notified of meeting dates in the monthly newsletter.

B.  Board Meetings

Board meetings shall be held regularly. There will be at least nine Board meetings per fiscal year, and at least one Board meeting every 60 days.

Board meetings are open to all members, except for closed sessions. Only members of the Board may vote. Officers may call additional Board meetings as needed. Closed sessions are for members of the Board only. The Board may ask other individuals to provide testimony, if necessary.

Minutes of Board meetings, committee meetings, and general meetings may be reviewed by any member at any Board meeting, general meeting, or by special request to the Secretary. Copies of the minutes may be obtained for a nominal fee, if requested.

V. Board Positions

The SVB is a democratic organization, with the Board’s power derived from the membership. The Board consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Director, and any Members-at-Large. The term of office for all Board members is one year and begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. The Board is responsible for conducting the business of the SVB and formulating policy to advance the interests of the SVB. Decisions of the Board must be consistent with the bylaws and should foremost consider the well being of the SVB and its members. No member may commit the SVB to any activity or financial decision without approval of the Board. One additional Member-at-Large position will be created for every fifty members in excess of 100 members. The Board will evaluate the membership rolls as of October 31 to determine the number of Members-at-Large for the following term.

A. Duties

President: The President is the official spokesman of the SVB. He chairs and sets the agendas for all general and Board meetings. He serves as an ex-officio member of all committees.

Vice President: The Vice President assists the President in all duties and, in the absence of the President, acts as the President. He is also responsible for the storage and disposal of SVB property. The Vice President chairs the Events Committee.

Secretary: The Secretary takes minutes at all official meetings, and is responsible for the newsletter. He is responsible for all SVB correspondence. The Secretary is also responsible for notifying the membership of the meetings and proposed bylaw amendments, maintaining SVB records, and conducting the elections.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for the SVB financial records and bank accounts. He prepares monthly reports and the annual financial statement and supervises the development of the yearly budget. The Treasurer chairs the Finance Committee. He is also responsible for any state and federal reporting requirements.

Membership Director: The Membership Director is responsible for all matters pertaining to membership. He maintains, updates, and keeps confidential the current membership list. The Membership Director chairs the Membership Committee.

Members-at-Large: The Members-at-Large represent the general members and vote as members of the Board. They assume additional duties as needed and approved by the Board.

B. Vacancies

If a Board position becomes vacant, the Board will appoint a member in good standing to fill the vacant position until the next election. The candidate must be a member in good standing of the club.

C. Resignation

A Board member may resign in writing from the Board at any time.

D. Removal of Board Members

A Board member may be removed from office for the following reasons: (1) bringing discredit to the SVB; (2) conviction of a felony while in office; (3) misappropriation of SVB funds or property; (4) failure to attend two Board or general meetings without prior approval of the Board; (5) failure to perform the duties of the office to which elected; and (6) failure to maintain membership in good standing. A request for removal of a Board member from the Board can only be made by a motion of the Board in a regularly scheduled Board meeting and must be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the Board, or by a petition of the membership signed by thirty members, who are in good standing, and presented to the President (or in the event of a request for the removal of the President, presented to the Vice-President). The request for removal will be announced at the next regularly scheduled general meeting and will be put to a vote of the membership at the following regularly scheduled general meeting. The request for removal must be ratified by two thirds of all members present and voting.

VI. Elections

Elections will be conducted by an Election Committee, appointed by the Board and under the direction of the Secretary. No member of the Election Committee may run for office. To qualify for office, an individual must be a member in good standing of the club.  A member may only hold one Board position at any given time. Board members may only be elected for two consecutive terms for the same position. Members seeking election must submit their name and the office they are seeking to the Secretary no later than the November general meeting. There shall be no nominations after that date. The Board is elected at the December general meeting. Voting is by secret ballot, and tallied by the Election Committee. The candidate receiving the most votes is elected to that position.

A member may vote by absentee ballot, or in person at the December general meeting. In early November the Secretary will send an absentee ballot and a specially marked envelope to each member in good standing. The absentee ballot, placed in the special envelope, must be received by the Election Committee by the start of the December general meeting in order to be counted.

Any Board positions for which there are no candidates at the time of the election shall be considered as vacancies and are covered by that section of the bylaws.

The minutes of the December General meeting, reflecting the election results must be made available by December 15.

VII. Committees

Committees may be formed to perform the following functions at the discretion of the Board:

A. Membership Committee

The membership committee shall consist of the Membership Director and at least two other members as appointed by the President. The membership committee shall be responsible for recruitment and retention of members.

B. Events Committee

The events committee shall consist of the Vice President and at least two other members as appointed by the President. The events committee shall be responsible for developing social and fundraising events that encourage the enrichment and fellowship of the members and provide funds to the SVB's charitable contributions account. The responsibility for marketing and merchandising of materials for the benefit of the members and as fundraising shall fall under this committee.

C. Finance Committee

The finance committee shall consist of the Treasurer and at least two other members as appointed by the President. The finance committee shall be responsible for the development of an annual operating budget, annual review of the accounting system, annual audit of all financial records, and recommendations for investments in equipment, or other fixed assets by the SVB.

D. Project Teams/Committees

The Board, for the purpose of developing and managing a specific project or event, may form other teams and/or committees. These

teams/committees shall be responsible for the development of project budgets, entertainment, marketing, and/or any other aspect of the project as it deems appropriate and in the best interests of the SVB. The Board, to ensure continuity with other projects, fiscal responsibility, and unity of purpose within the SVB, must approve all actions of project teams/committees.

E. Committee Appointments

Except as otherwise stated herein, the Board shall make all appointments to committees.

VIII. Financial Matters

A. Fiscal Year

The SVB fiscal year is from January 1 to December 31.

B. Signatory Power 

All Board members, except for Members-at-Large, shall have signatory power on SVB accounts.

C. SVB Assets

No part of the income or assets of the SVB shall ever be distributed to its members, officers or private individuals. SVB assets may to be used solely for the benefit of the members, or designated charities, in a manner deemed equitable by the Board.

D. Budget

A yearly budget, developed by the Treasurer and Finance Committee, shall be presented to the Board for their approval no later than the January Board meeting.

E. Financial Statement

Within thirty days of the end of the fiscal year, the Treasurer shall prepare a financial statement detailing revenues, expenditures, membership data, and the opening and closing balances of all SVB accounts and that statement shall appear in the SVB newsletter and/or be made available to the members upon request.

IX. Indemnification

The SVB is indemnified and held harmless of any action(s) by its members that are expressly forbidden by these bylaws. Further, no action shall be construed as an official act of the SVB unless and until it has been reviewed and approved by the Board at a regularly scheduled meeting.

X. Amendments

These bylaws may only be amended or revised in the following manner; amendments may be proposed by the Board or by a petition signed by ten members in good standing. Members shall be notified thirty days in advance of the proposed amendment(s) and the date of the vote on the proposed amendment(s). The proposed amendment(s) will be voted on at the next general meeting. Amendments to the Bylaws shall be adopted by a 2/3 vote of the members present at the meeting.

XI. Dissolution

The SVB may be dissolved by unanimous vote of the Board and ratified at the next general meeting. Upon dissolution, assets of the SVB remaining after payment of all liabilities, shall be distributed to one or more organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and fulfilling the requirements of qualifications as a valid recipient of charitable organizations as proscribed in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, in such proportions as decided by the Board. The President, Vice-President, and Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring the assets are properly distributed within 180 days of dissolution.

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Adopted by the General Membership on 07-07-99.