|
3/30/04
DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT
_____________________________________________________________
Lions
Foundation at Albany, New York, Inc.
Policy
Manual
1.
The purpose of this Policies and Procedures Manual for the Lions
Foundation at Albany, New York, Inc. is to assist the President,
Officers and Board of Trustees, by presenting the established practices
of the Foundation in a readable form.
2.
The Policy Manual, which shall be distributed to the Officers and
Trustees, is intended to act as a guide during their terms of office, as
well as an informational source to the membership of the foundation.
3.
All language in this Policy Manual, regardless of how printed, is
to be accepted as male/female gender.
4.
FOUNDATION is to be taken to mean " Lions Foundation at
Albany, New York, Inc."
_____________________________________________________________
DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT
3/30/2004
1.
Name
The
proper name of this organization is Lions Foundation at Albany New York,
Inc. (Herein referred to as "The Foundation".)
2.
Purposes and Objectives
1.
The Foundation is organized and shall be operated exclusively for
charitable, educational and research purposes; and it is authorized to
accept, hold, administer, invest, and disburse for charitable,
educational and research purposes, such funds as may from time to time
be given to it by any person, persons, firm or corporation and make
financial and other types of contribution; provide assistance to
charitable, educational and research organizations and in general do all
things that may appear necessary and useful in accomplishing the
purposes set forth in Article 3 of the Certificate of Incorporation. All
of the assets and earnings shall be exclusively for those purposes
herein above set out, including the payment of expenses incidental
hereto. No part of the net earnings shall inure to the benefits of any
private shareholder or individual, and no substantial part of the
Corporation activities shall be for carrying on of propaganda or
otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and it shall not
participate or intervene in (including the publication or distribution
of any statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for
public office. In the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets
of the Corporation shall be distributed to the Lions supported
activities and projects and/or for charitable and educational purposes.
(By-laws Art. 3)
3.
Membership
1.
All members of Lions Clubs residing in New York State and
Bermuda, who are members of a Lions Club located in Multiple District 20
of the Lions Clubs International, New York State and Bermuda and are in
good standing in their respective club, shall be members of the Lions
Foundation at Albany. (By-laws Art. 4)
1.4 Meetings
1.
Annual Meetings-The Foundation shall hold an annual meeting each
year at the Multiple District Convention site. This meeting shall be
held at the Multiple District Convention. The president shall coordinate
the holding of this meeting with the Council Chairperson and the State
Secretary Treasurer.
2.
Notice of the annual meeting is to be published at least thirty
(30) days prior to the annual convention of Multiple District 20.
3.
All members who are in attendance at the Annual Foundation
Meeting may vote on any matter coming before said meeting.
4.
A quorum at the annual meeting shall consist of 10 elected
members.
5.
Trustees Meetings- the Board of Trustees shall hold quarterly
meetings, with the time and place being set by the Board of Trustees.
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or a
majority of the Board. The agenda for Trustees meetings shall be mailed
in advance by the Secretary. Board members who desire to bring an issue
before the Board, and it is not on the agenda, should notify the
President and Secretary 30 days in advance of the meeting.
They shall
be allowed to present their issue unless time prohibits.
6.
All Board Meeting should be designed to be completed in a
reasonable length of time in order to allow members, who are traveling
long distances, time to return home.
7.
Committee Meetings- Time will be allocated at the beginning of
all Board of Trustees meeting for committees to meet. The length of this
time will be determined by the President. Committee Chairpersons can
call a meeting of their respective committees at any time deemed
necessary to accomplish their purposes.
4.
Organization
1.
The control and management of this Foundation shall be vested in
the Board of Trustees and the officers whom it shall elect from the
Trustees at the annual meeting.
2.
The officers shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer. Each shall serve a term of one (1) year or until a
successor is duly elected. An officer may serve for more than one term
but must be elected each year for a term of one year.
3.
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the four (4)
officers and the Chairman.
4.
Oath of Office for
Officers and Trustees of the Lions Foundation at Albany.
a.
This oath shall be administered to all Officers and Trustees of
the Albany Lions Foundation at the first regularly scheduled quarterly
meeting following the annual meeting of the Lions Foundation at Albany
normally held May. In the event that an Officer or Trustee may be absent
at this meeting this oath Shall be administered at the next meeting
attended by the absent Officer or Trustee. Said Officer or Trustee may
not be allowed to vote on any matter until said oath has been
administered.
b.
"Oath of
Office"
I do
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully and conscientiously
fulfill my duties as (state position) of the Lions Foundation at Albany,
preserve and defend its By-Laws and Policies, promote its ideals,
persevere in the pursuit of its goals and cooperate with fellow Trustees
for the Welfare of the Foundation. So help me God.
4.
Duties of Officers
1.
President
1.
Shall preside over all meetings of the Foundation and the Board
of Trustees and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the
Foundation and the Board of Trustees are implemented.
2.
Shall appoint all committees and designate committee chairpersons
with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Every effort should be made
to populate these committees and chairmanships with representation from
all areas of Multiple District 20. The individuals experience and
personal skills should be a major consideration for appointment. The
President of the Foundation shall act as an ex-officio member of all
committees.
3.
Shall set the agenda for all meetings of the Board of Trustees
and of the Executive Committee in conjunction with the Secretary.
4.
The President, or his replacement, shall be responsible for the
calling of and the conduct of all meeting of the Foundation.
5.
Shall present his program and goals for the year to the
membership when accepting his term of office and shall give an annual
report of the Foundation at the Annual meeting.
1.
Vice-President
1.
Shall, in the absence of the President, perform the duties of the
President and shall perform such duties as the Board of Trustees shall
prescribe. In the event a President should become incapacitated, through
poor health, death or resignation, the Vice-President shall assume all
of the duties of the President and maintain such duties until such time
as the Board shall elect from its membership a replacement to serve the
unexpired term. In the event that both the President and the
Vice-President shall become incapacitated then the Secretary shall fill
the office until such time as the Board shall elect from its membership
a replacement to fill the unexpired terms. The person filling in for the
President shall have the power to appoint, from the executive committee,
any necessary replacements.
3.
Secretary
1.
Shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings
of the foundation and the Board of Trustees and shall forward copies of
the minutes of all meetings to the President, the members of the
Executive Board and the members of the Board of Trustees.
2.
Shall assist the President and the Board of Trustees in
conducting the business of the Foundation and shall perform such other
duties as may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the President
and/or the Board of Trustees.
3.
Shall act as custodian of the official Foundation Seal and all
legal documents relevant to the Foundation organization.
4.
Order supplies as needed for the Foundation as directed.
5.
Shall update and maintain the general Foundation records,
including the Foundation roster list, officer's list, committee
appointments and attendance records.
6.
Shall notify the Trustees of scheduled meetings with a reasonable
time, allowing for time in passage of the U.S. Mails. With the
assistance of the President, he/she will complete arrangements for all
meeting locations as requested by the Board of Trustees.
7.
Shall maintain a mailing list of the Foundation Board of Trustees
plus the following: current Council of Governors, Chairperson,
Secretary/Treasurer of Multiple District 20 and 1st. VP of
the PDG organization.
8.
Shall keep on file ballots of previous Trustees election for a
period of one year.
9.
Shall submit all bills to be paid for approval to the Finance
Committee of the Board of Trustees two weeks before each regular
meeting.
10.
Shall negotiate and maintain a nonprofit mailing permit for the
Foundation with the USPS, United States Postal Service, using the
Secretary's home address as the Foundations business address.
3.
Treasurer
1.
Shall control the receipts and disbursements of all funds of the
organization, subject to the supervision and approval of the Board of
Trustees.
2.
Shall sign all notices and documents issued by the organization.
3.
Shall keep the accounts and receive and deposit all funds
received by the foundation.
4.
Shall be an ex-officio member of the finance committee.
5.
Shall give a financial report at all regular meetings of the
Foundation.
6.
All checks less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500) in amount shall
require only one signature. All checks exceeding said amount, Five
Hundred Dollars ($500), or any checks awarded as grants and raffle
prizes must have two signatures: The President, the Vice-President, The
Secretary or the Treasurer, who shall be the primary signer of the
checks.
7.
All signers of checks, as listed in item 6 of 1.6.4 must be under
bond.
3.
Assistant Treasurer
1.
The Assistant Treasurer shall be a paid employee of the
Foundation.
2.
It shall be the duty of the Assistant Treasurer to record all
donations made to the Foundation from any Source.
3.
The Assistant Treasurer shall maintain a mailing address for the
Foundation and receive all donations for the Knight of the Blind
honorary awards. He/she shall also keep a record of all Knight of the
Blind Awards made by the foundation.
4.
It shall be the duty of the Assistant Treasurer to obtain all
plaques for the Knights of the Blind awards and to make sure of the
spelling on each plaque.
5.
An adequate computer shall be provided to the Assistant Treasurer
to maintain all records of donations from all sources and Knights of the
Blind awards and the clubs or persons who provided the necessary money
for the awards.
3.
Chairman
1. The Chairman shall be the
immediate past president of the Foundation and shall have such duties as
assigned by the Board of Trustees. The Chairman shall be an ex-officio
member of all committees and shall act as an advisor to all such
committees.
6.
Board of Trustees
1.
The Board of Trustees shall be made up of Active Lion members and
shall consist of four (4) members appointed from each district, 20-O,
20-Y2 and 20-W and for any other Districts which may join the
Foundation. The chairman shall also be a member of the Board of Trustees
with full voting privileges.
2.
The term of office for each Trustee shall be for a period of two
years and the terms will be staggered such that there will always be two
Trustees with at least one years experience. In accordance with the
certificate of incorporation, there shall be no fewer than six (6) and
not more than thirty three (33) members of the Board of Trustees at any
given time.
3.
Whenever an officer is named from the Board of Trustees, He/She
shall be replaced on the Board by a new member from the same District as
the new officer.
4.
The Trustees shall meet quarterly with one meeting to be held
during the annual convention of the Lions of Multiple District 20.
5.
Special meetings of the Trustees shall be held when called by the
President, or when requested by a majority of the Board of Trustees, by
written notice of at least 7 days given to each member of the Board of
Trustees. Said meeting will be held at such time and place, as the
President shall determine.
6.
Currently there are 12 Trustees and 4 officers. A quorum shall
consist of the presence of 9 members. Except as otherwise provided, the
act of a majority of Trustees present at any meeting of Trustees shall
be the act and decision of the entire Board of Trustees.
7.
The duties of the Board of Trustees shall be (a) to transact such
business of the Foundation as shall be necessary; (b) to approve all
expenditures and contributions consistent with the purposes of the
Foundation; (c) to prepare and submit a report on the activities and
financial status of the Foundation annually; (d) to prepare and submit a
budget on the Foundation for the coming fiscal year.
6.
Trustee Responsibility
1.
All Trustees shall be responsible for attending all Board
meetings when ever possible and for providing a feasible excuse (health,
family, conflict of meetings, etc.) for all missed meetings.
2.
In the event of 2 consecutive missed meetings without an
acceptable excuse (the President shall decide the validity of the
excuse) shall be asked to resign from the Foundations Board of Trustees.
3.
All Trustees are asked to participate in all assigned committee
activities and attend meetings as called by the chairman.
4.
All Foundation Trustees are requested to promote the Foundation
at the District level wherever possible. This would entail the
distribution of literature on behalf of the Foundation. Trustees will
make themselves available as speakers when requested by clubs within the
Trustee's home District and shall present programs concerning the
Foundation.
6.
Duties of Standing
Committees
1.
The standing committees of the Foundation shall be as follows:
a.
Advisory Committee
b.
Finance Committee
c.
World Sight
d.
Bunny Sales
e.
By-Laws and Policy Manual Committee
f.
Public Relations
g.
Fund Raising
1.
Advisory Committee
1.
The Advisory Committee shall consist of 4 past Presidents of the
Foundation.
2.
They shall function as directed by the Trustees of the Foundation
and serve in an advisory capacity to all committees of the Foundation as
well as to the current President and all officers and to the executive
committee.
3.
They shall also be ex-officio members of each committee without
vote.
1.
Finance Committee
1.
The Finance Committee of the Lions Foundation at Albany shall
consist of three trustees appointed by the President of the Foundation
on an annual basis. Their terms shall consist on one year and shall
begin and end with the fiscal year. The President of the Foundation
shall designate the chairperson of the committee.
2.
The Finance Committee shall examine all requests for funds and
shall make recommendations to the Trustees as a body in the form of a
motion. Seconds to a motion must come from some other Trustee, not a
member of the Finance Committee. If no second is forthcoming then the
motion shall die and other motions may come from the floor or from the
Finance Committee. A simple majority vote shall be sufficient to pass
any money motion both in committee and with the Trustees as a whole.
3.
It shall be the responsibility of the Finance Committee to be
sure that sufficient funds are available, in consultation with the
Treasurer or the Assistant Treasurer. It shall also be the
responsibility of the Finance Committee to insure that all expenditures
of the Trustees are in the best interests of the Foundation and of the
constituents that it strives to serve.
4.
Except in the case of an emergency, as determined by the
President of the Lions Foundation at Albany, all requests for funds must
be in the hands of the Finance Committee at least two weeks before any
meeting of the Trustees where action is to be taken.
5.
In all cases where approval is given for the expenditure of
funds, the Treasurer or the Assistant Treasurer shall disburse the funds
in the proper amount and in a timely fashion.
6.
The Finance Committee shall be responsible for the maintenance of
all records of their deliberations including their recommendations for
the expenditures of funds and copies shall be made available to the
Secretary of the Foundation as permanent records.
1.
World Sight Day
1.
The World Sight Day Committee shall consist of three Trustees
appointed by the President and the President shall designate the
chairman of the group.
2.
This committee shall be responsible for the invitation to guests
to speak before groups to educate them as to the needs of the sight
impaired of this world and for the prevention of further sight problems.
3.
A recommended budget for the events of World Sight Day shall be
prepared and placed in the hands of the Finance Committee at least two
weeks before the last meeting of the Board of Trustees before the World
Sight Day event. Discussion shall be held by the Board of Trustees
before the expenditure of any funds is authorthized.
4.
This group shall be responsible for the coordination of the
visiting speaker with schools, audiences and Districts as well as to the
accommodations and transportation for this speaker.
5.
If a dinner is to be held, the Committee for World Sight day
shall be responsible for the coordination of this event.
6.
The World Sight Day Events is not to be limited to speakers but
other avenues of the celebration of this event are to be explored.
1.
Bunny Sales Committee
1.
This Committee shall consist of a sufficient number of Trustees
so that each District making up the Lions Foundation in Albany shall
have one member plus one more. All members of this committee are to be
appointed by the President and he shall designate the chairman of the
Committee.
2.
This Committee shall coordinate the ordering of the Bunnies, the
projection as to the number of Bunnies to be ordered, the central
distribution areas of Bunnies, the notification of all groups ordering
Bunnies and the collection of all funds collected from the sale of the
Bunnies. All funds shall be forwarded to the Treasurer or to the
Assistant Treasurer and a report of all sales and monies collected from
each District shall be sent at the earliest possible date to the
Chairman of the group. The Chairman shall be responsible for creating a
report of the years sales, the number ordered, the amount collected,
those who are in arrears with their payment and with recommendations to
the President and Board of Trustees and Finance Committee for the
following years sales.
3.
The chairman of the Fund Raising Committee shall also be an
ex-officio member of the committee and shall be kept appraised of all
developments with the sale of the Bunnies.
1.
By-Laws and Policy
Manual Committee
1.
This committee shall consist of three members appointed by the
President and one of these members shall be appointed as Chairperson.
2.
The By-Laws and Policy Manual Committee is charged with the
responsibility for keeping the By-Laws and the Policy Manual up to date
in accordance with the actions taken by the Board of Trustees. These
documents are the framework for the governing of the Foundation. The
Policy Manual, in conformance with the By-Laws, is to clearly explain,
in readable fashion, the procedures of the Foundation.
3.
The committee must review the By-Laws and the Policy Manual at
least once every 12 months to determine if any changes are needed.
4.
The Trustees, or any officer, may propose changes to the By-Laws
or the Policy Manual. Proposed amendments shall be submitted to this
committee in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to a meeting of the
Board of Trustees.
5.
If the committee finds that recommended changes are in accordance
with the aims of the organization, they shall be prepared for submission
to the Board of Trustees with a recommendation from the committee as to
the passage of the amendment. These amendments, along with
recommendations from the committee, must be submitted to the Secretary
for distribution to the Board, at least two weeks prior to any regular
meeting.
6.
The Board of Trustees will review and act on these amendments at
that meeting or return them to the committee for further consideration.
7.
The committee shall, from time to time, publish updated copies of
the By-Laws and Policy Manual and each updated version shall bear the
date of publication.
1.
Public Relations
Committee
1.
This committee shall consist of three members, one of whom shall
be designated as the chairman and they all shall be appointed by the
President of the Foundation.
2.
It shall be the responsibility of the Publicity Committee to
inform the general public and all Lions of the activities of the Lions
Foundation at Albany as they strive to raise money and to assist with
the easing of eye ailments of its constituents.
3.
This effort shall be conducted through the following means:
a.
Publicity in the International, State and local Lions magazines.
b.
Where possible all forms of mass media communications, including
radio, television and the Internet shall be employed.
c.
Members of this committee, along with all Trustees, shall hold
themselves ready, whenever and wherever possible, to speak to Lions
Clubs and to public gatherings to explain the work done by the
foundation.
d.
The Committee, along with the President, shall strive to
coordinate all public statements and to ensure that the Foundation is
shown in the best possible light at all times.
e.
It shall be the duty of the Publicity Committee to coordinate the
awarding of all awards, including the Knights of the Blind distinguished
Service Award, and to see that all requests are received and processed
in a timely manner. All brochures extolling the Knights of the Blind
Distinguished Service Awards and any other awards shall carry the
following statement: "To avoid extra shipping costs the application for the Knight of
the Blind Distinguished Service Award must be received four (4) weeks
prior to the date of the awarding." Suitable publicity for each
awarding of the Knight of the Blind Distinguished Service Award and any
and all other awards shall be sent to appropriate local public press and
to all local Lions magazines and newsletters. Whenever possible,
publicity shall be given to each awardee in the State and International
Lions magazines.
1.
Fund Raising Committee
1.
This committee shall consist of three people chosen from among
the Trustees and with one being designated as the Chairman by the
President.
2.
It shall be the duty of this committee to explore feasible
methods of raising funds for the good of the Foundation and the good of
its constituents. All fund raising efforts should be within the ability,
because of manpower and expertise, of the Board of Trustees. They shall
retain control of any new fund raising efforts until such time that the
President shall deem that a separate committee shall be set up to
coordinate the fund raiser. In the event that the fundraiser is not
successful it shall be the duty of the President, with the
recommendation of the Fund Raising Committee, to end this particular
fund raising activity.
1.
Supplemental membership
for each Standing Committee
1.
Because the membership of each committee is currently somewhat
limited, each chairperson shall enlist other Lions, outside of the Board
of Trustees, in the service of their committee. While such enlistees
shall have a vote within their committee they may not have a vote on the
Board of Trustees. However, they are welcome to attend the meetings of
the Board of Trustees and to speak when invited to do so.
1.
Requesting of Funds for
Eye Care
1.
Any Lions Club from District 20-O, 20-Y2 or 20-W may request
assistance for any person within their jurisdiction.
2.
Any request for assistance from the Lions Eye Institute for a
constituent must be accompanied by a check for $100 from the Lions Club
involved.
3.
The request from the Lions Club must be sent to the President of
the Lions Eye Institute at Albany where it shall be referred to the
appropriate committee. Said request will be examined and upon approval
the necessary funds shall be requested from the Lions Foundation at
Albany. This request shall be referred to the Finance Committee who
shall receive said request and after examining this request shall make a
recommendation to the Board of Trustees of the Lions Foundation at
Albany as to the amount to be awarded, if any, and said recommendation
shall be in the form of a motion either up or down. Upon the making of
said motion it shall be seconded by some Trustee who is not a member of
the Finance Committee. If no second is forthcoming then the motion shall
die.
4.
If the motion is successful, then the Treasurer or the Assistant
Treasurer shall be directed to forward a check in the proper amount to
the Trustees of the Lions Eye Institute for further forwarding to the
Doctors of the Lions Eye Institute.
5.
It shall be the policy of the Trustees of the Lions Eye Institute
and the Trustees of the Lions Foundation at Albany that no work be done
on a patient until all policy procedures have been met, except in the
case of a medical emergency as determined by the Doctors at the Lions
Eye Institute and the President of the Lions Eye Institute.
1.
Other Committees
1.
Such other necessary standing committees may be established at
any time the needs of the Foundation may dictate and the Board of
Trustees shall approve. If new committees are to be created, it shall be
the responsibility of the committee to create its own policy manual and
submit it to the By-Laws and Policy Manual Committee for proper
drafting.
1.
Additions and Revisions
1.
Additions and/or revisions to the Policy Manual must be approved by a
majority vote of the Board of Trustees, present and voting at any duly
constituted meeting of the Board.
2.
Adoption
1.
This Policy Manual for the Lions Foundation at Albany was
approved by the Board of Trustees on ___________________(date) at a
regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees by a vote of
___________ for and ____________votes against. This Policy Manual is
hereby adopted and will become the official policy manual of the Lions
Foundation at Albany on the __________________________(date).
Signed:
________________________________________President
Date:
__________________________________________
Signed:_________________________________________
Secretary
Date:___________________________________________
|
