Constitution and By-Laws

May 31, 2019 rev.

Photo Credit: Dick Hunt

ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be The Photographic Federation of Long Island hereafter referred to as the Federation.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The objectives and purposes of the Federation shall be:

  1. To cultivate and promote a close relationship and good fellowship among the member

    camera clubs of Long Island and the five boroughs of New York City and good fellowship within the membership.

  2. To provide educational events, programs and competitions by and for the member

    camera clubs and to provide informal meeting places for these activities.

  3. To further the artistic and technical knowledge of photography in the greater New York area.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership in the Federation shall be open to all camera clubs on Long Island and

    the five boroughs of New York City provided they meet the following requirements:

    1. A camera club with at least six (6) club members may request Federation membership by submitting an application to the Board of Directors for approval.

    2. Payment of dues shall accompany the club membership application.

  2. For the purpose of conducting the business of the Federation, each club shall be considered a member with one vote and shall designate one person as its official delegate with voting privileges.

    1. In the absence of the delegate, an alternate delegate may be named to cast the vote of the club.

    2. It is the responsibility of the delegate to bring the club’s information to the Federation and to keep their camera club informed of the Federation’s actions.

  3. Individuals who are members of a Federation camera club in good standing shall be considered individual members of the Federation with all the rights and privileges, including the right to hold an office, receive honors and awards and participate in all the activities of the Federation.

  4. Honorary members are individuals or organizations which have rendered unique or outstanding service to photography and/or the Federation and have been approved for this recognition by the Board of Directors. Honorary members are not required to pay dues.

E. Membership in the Federation may be suspended for the following:

  1. Failure to pay dues by the second monthly competition

  2. Conduct which is considered in opposition to the objectives and purposes of the

    Federation as determined by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

  1. The following shall be the officers of the Federation and shall be elected by the membership at the May delegates meeting: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer.

  2. The elected officers shall constitute the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for the general management of the Federation and the administration of its affairs.

  3. The Executive Committee shall meet at least bimonthly. Additional meetings maybe called by the president or three members of the Executive Committee.

  4. REMOVAL OF AN OFFICER

    1. An officer of this Federation may be removed for conduct which is considered in opposition to the objectives and purposes of the Federation and/or failure to act in accordance with the constitution.

    2. The Board of Directors shall initiate the process by presenting a written statement of charges which shall be voted upon at a regular or special meeting of the Board.

    3. Upon a 3/4 vote by the Board of Directors present and voting, the officer may be immediately suspended and an acting officer appointed, in accordance with the constitution, to serve until the conclusion of the hearing.

    4. Within 3 days of the Board vote, notification to delegates shall be sent, using electronic or paper delivery, detailing the charges, as well as setting a date and time for a hearing to be held at a special meeting of the Federation.

    5. A hearing date shall be scheduled with a minimum of 10 days notification, but not more than 15 days.

    6. A certified written notification shall be sent to the individual, detailing the charges, as well as the date and place of the hearing.

    7. At the hearing, each side shall be given the opportunity to present their position to the Federation. Upon conclusion of the presentations, delegates will vote to affirm or vacate the Board’s findings. A 2/3 vote by delegates present and voting shall be required for affirmation.

    8. The failure by the charged officer to attend the hearing will constitute an automatic affirmation of the Board’s findings

    9. A certified written notification shall be sent to the individual detailing the findings of the hearing.

. ARTICLE

V - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
A. The duties of the President shall be:

  1. To preside at all Federation Delegates, Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings.

  2. To appoint Chairpersons of all committees, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, except the Nominating Committee, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

  3. To act as the Federation spokesperson.

  4. To administer the activities of the Federation.

  5. To perform any other duties requested by the Board of Directors or membership

B. The duties of the First Vice President shall be:

  1. To assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President.

  2. To perform any duties requested by the president, Board of Director or membership

C. The duties of the Second Vice President shall be:

  1. To assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President and the First Vice President.

  2. To perform any duties requested by the president, Board of Directors or membership

D. The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be:

  1. To take minutes and preserve them for each called meeting and present them when requested.

  2. To keep all records of the Federation, Delegate, Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meetings.

  3. To prepare ballots for elections when necessary.

E. The duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall be:

1. To notify the members of all meetings and special events

2. To conduct the correspondence of the Federation.

F. The duties of the Treasurer shall be:

  1. To maintain the financial records of the Federation.

  2. To take custody of all Federation funds and assets.

  3. To disburse the funds of the Federation as required and maintain records thereof.

  4. To prepare a report of the Federation's financial situation at each Delegate and Board meeting, and whenever requested to do so by the Executive Committee.

  5. To provide a written copy of financial report to all delegates

  6. To serve as chairperson of the Finance Committee

ARTICLE

  1. The Board of Directors shall be made up of the Executive Committee and at least three and up to seven members who shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

  2. The Board of Directors shall meet monthly unless changed or cancelled by the president with the approval of the Board. Additional meetings may be called by the President, or at the request of 3 Board members.

  3. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the Federation and shall have the power of establishing policies, procedures and practices within the guidelines of the Constitution.

  4. The Board of Directors shall approve all policy changes, committee reports and financial reports.

  5. The Board of Directors must approve all expenditures over $100.00 which are not included in the yearly budget.

  6. The immediate past president in good standing is automatically a member of the Board of Directors and shall serve for one year.

VI - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTICLE
A. The Standing Committees of the Federation shall be: Competition, Education,

Finance, Honors, Program, Ethics Review and Public Relations with responsibilities as listed:

1. The Competition Committee shall supervise the monthly competitions and the

VII - DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEES

Leonard Victor Competition, select judges and be responsible for all record keeping in conjunction with the competitions. The Competition Committee shall make recommendations for any rule changes to the Board of Directors. The Committee shall insure that all equipment needs are met and maintained to insure excellent operating condition.

  1. The Education Committee shall be responsible for all classes, seminars, forums to further the photography knowledge of members in the camera clubs and in the community.

  2. The Finance Committee shall be chaired by the Treasurer and will be responsible for preparing a yearly budget to be presented to the Board of Directors

  3. The Honors Committee shall consist of 4 members, appointed by the President with approval of the Board of Directors. The terms of two members shall expire in June of each year.

  4. The Program Committee shall be responsible for the Federation’s programs, including fund-raising programs.

  5. The Public Relations Committee shall develop and direct a publicity program that informs the membership and general public about the Federation through publicity, advertising and information sharing.

  6. The Ethics Review Committee shall develop a Federation Ethics Statement and Policies, encourage the compliance with those policies, review and investigate matters that are referred to the committee and present their findings and make recommendations for action to the Board of Directors.

B. There shall be the following ad hoc committee:

  1. The Nominating Committee Chairperson shall be elected each year by the Board of Directors to provide candidates for office for the ensuing year. The delegates shall elect two other committee members.

  2. Additional ad hoc committees may be formed by the Board of Directors, as needed, to conduct the activities of the Federation.

  3. The President shall appoint all other committee chairpersons, and the chairpersons shall select the members of their respective committees. Committee chairpersons shall prepare a report of activities and progress whenever requested by the President or the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VIII - ELECTIONS
A. Election of Federation officers shall be held annually.

  1. The Nominating Committee shall be elected in the month of January and report at the April meeting, at which time further nominations maybe made from the floor.

  2. Further and final nominations and elections shall take place at the May delegates meeting. The consent of the nominee to serve if elected shall be required in person or by written notice to the Nominating Committee.

  3. If more than one nomination to an office is made, a written ballot shall determine the election.

  4. When a candidate is unopposed for office, the name shall not be distributed on a ballot to the membership; and when there is no contest, the Secretary shall be instructed to cast a single ballot.

  5. A tallying committee of three (3) delegates shall be appointed by the President for each election and report the results immediately following the election.

  1. All officers shall be elected by a plurality of the delegates present and voting.

  2. The new officers shall be installed during the first meeting in June and shall

    assume their duties thereafter.

B. The term of office for elected officers will be one year, or until their successors are elected or their removal as per Article IV, section D. An officer may be elected for a second consecutive term. An officer serving two years in office may be re-elected to the same office after a hiatus of one year.

C. By action of the Board of Directors and with the approval of the delegates an officer may be elected to additional one-year terms.

D. The 1st Vice President assumes the Presidency upon a vacancy in the office of President. In this instance, the 2nd Vice President assumes the role of 1st Vice President. E. The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall fill all other vacancies.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS

  1. Regular meetings of the Federation shall be held once a month unless changed or canceled by the Board of Directors. The year will begin in September and end in June.

  2. The annual meeting of the Federation shall be held in May unless changed or canceled by the Board of Directors.

  3. Special meetings of the Federation may be called by the President, or at the request of 3 Board members, or 20% of the member clubs. Members shall be notified in writing not less than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting, stating the purpose for which the meeting is to be held. No other business except that for which the meeting is called may be transacted at the meeting.

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
A. Amendments may be proposed by a delegate of a camera club that is in good standing and shall be incorporated into the Constitution provided that:

  1. Prior written notice of the amendment is given to all member camera clubs

  2. The amendment is read at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which action

    is taken upon it

  3. There is two thirds (2/3) vote in favor of the amendment.

  4. If a quorum is not present, the voting may be done by email. Voting by email

    shall be open for a minimum of five (5) full days, during which time discussion can take place and votes can be changed.

BY LAWS

ARTICLE 1 - MEMBERSHIP
Camera club members shall be in good standing on payment of dues. Camera clubs which are not in good standing and not in compliance with the objectives of the Federation may be removed from the Federation.

ARTICLE 2 - DUES
A. The Board of Directors shall determine the dues in April for the next season, subject to the approval of the membership. Next season’s dues to be communicated to the delegates immediately.
B. Dues shall be due at the first meeting in September and payable not later than the second competition of each year. New camera clubs shall pay their dues at the time the membership application is received and membership approved.

ARTICLE 3 - ORDER OF BUSINESS
The order of business shall involve the calling to order, roll call of clubs, reading of minutes of the last meeting, reports of the boards and standing committees, reports of special committees, unfinished business, new business, announcements and adjournment. The order may be changed at the discretion of the President or by vote of the membership.

ARTICLE 4 – ROBERT’S RULES
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Federation in all cases to which applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and By-laws.

ARTICLE 5 - QUORUM
A quorum for the Board of Director’s meeting shall be five (5) members of the board, and a quorum for the Delegates part of the meeting to be a majority of the delegates, for the transaction of all business.

ARTICLE 6 - VOTING IN BUSINESS MEETINGS

  1. All voting shall be by voice vote, except that at the request of a majority of the members present at any business meeting, a closed vote may be taken.

  2. In the event of an emergency which requires the action of the Board of Directors between regularly scheduled meetings, electronic voting (using email) shall be permitted, providing:

    1. All members of the Board are notified of such a vote
    2. Voting shall be open for a minimum of 48 hours, during which time discussion

    can take place and votes may be changed.
    3. All votes and discussion shall be forwarded to all members of the Board of

    Directors
    4. Such votes shall require a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors for passage.

ARTICLE 7- AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

A. Amendments may be proposed by any delegate of a camera club that is in good standing and shall be incorporated into the By-laws provided that:

1. Prior written notice of the amendment is given to all members.

2. 3. 4.

The amendment is read and discussed at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which action is taken upon it.

A quorum of the members in good standing is present of which a majority votes in favor of the amendment.
If a quorum is not present, the voting may be done by email. Voting by email shall be open for a minimum of five (5) full days, during which time discussion can take place and votes can be changed.

ARTICLE 8 - DISSOLUTION

A. None of the funds is to accrue to the benefit of any members or members of the Federation. Should the Federation dissolve at some future date, all of its assets after payment of outstanding obligations shall be assigned and paid over to some charitable organization which is photographically oriented.

B. This Constitution and By-Laws as written shall be in effect upon ratification by the members.

Passed and Ratified April 27, 1973 Amended and Passed Nov 19, 1976 Amended and Passed Jan 22, 1988 Amended and Passed Jan 1990 Amended and Passed Dec 2000 Amended and Passed Sept 2007 Amended and Passed Apr 26, 2010 Amended and Passed Nov. 30, 2012 Amended and Passed May 31, 2019