AMENDED 8 June 2011 by Crichton Club membership

CRICHTON CLUB CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE ONE Name and Mission
The name of this association shall be the Crichton Club of Columbus, Ohio. Its purpose shall be to bring together persons representing town and gown who wish to consider questions of intellectual, aesthetic, and public interest. The meetings shall be of a social character so far as may be consistent with and helpful to the objective named.

ARTICLE TWO Officers
The affairs of the Club shall be in the hands of a Board of Directors, consisting of twelve members, four of whom shall be elected each year for a term of three years - or until their successors have been elected. Directors shall serve no more than two successive terms.  A person called upon to fill out the term of a departing director may serve the remainder of that term in the name of the departed director and may then serve two successive terms in his or her own name.  The Board shall elect from its own number a President and a Vice-President and may appoint from its own number or from outside the Board a Treasurer, and a Secretary, each officer to serve for two years.  An officer may be re-elected or reappointed for an additional year.  An officer elected before his/her last year of a board term may be re-elected or re-appointed for one additional year.

ARTICLE THREE Duties of Officers
The duties of the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be such as usually pertain to these offices (for details, please refer to Duties and Responsibilities of Board Officers & Directors and Committees).  The President shall at any time appoint such committees of the Board or outside the Board as the President shall deem necessary for the successful carrying out of the business of the Club. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Club committees. The Board shall determine the time and place of all Club meetings, shall provide for suitable programs, and shall see that the proper provision is made for the reception and social entertainment of the members and guests. Six members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Board shall have the power to fill by election from the members of the Club any vacancy that may occur within the Board. The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Board and of all meetings of the Club. 

ARTICLE FOUR Election of Directors
Before the Annual Meeting of the Club, the President shall appoint a Governance Committee consisting of three Directors. This Committee shall nominate members to fill vacancies among Directors. A term of office for a director shall be three years.  The general membership of Crichton Club is encouraged to submit to the Governance Committee, or to any other Director of the Club, the names of potential candidates. The Committee shall confer among themselves and consult the other directors in order to nominate a candidate for each position. The President shall obtain the prior consent of each candidate and make clear the duties and responsibilities. The candidates shall then be presented to the annual or a subsequent meeting for approval.

ARTICLE FIVE Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for overseeing membership affairs each year.  The Membership Chair may work with the President and/or an ad hoc Membership Committee in performing the duties related to new and renewing Club members.

ARTICLE SIX Membership
New members shall be elected in the following manner: A nomination for membership shall be made by another member or members in writing on forms provided for the purpose. There shall be a primary and a secondary sponsor for each nomination. It is understood that the nominee shall have signaled a willingness to join before the application is presented to the Board. The forms may be requested from the Membership Chair; each shall be signed by the primary sponsor and returned to the President or the Membership Chair by a date to be determined by the Board.

Nomination forms shall be presented to the Board for formal approval, upon which a letter of invitation shall be sent from the President to each nominee via mail or email. This letter shall welcome the nominee and note the fees and the deadline for replying. The Membership Chair shall notify the primary sponsor of each new member. If any nominee does not signify acceptance of membership by returning the form with the appropriate fee enclosed by September 1, the primary sponsor shall be notified, and if a response is still not forthcoming,
the name shall be dropped.

ARTICLE SEVEN Initiation and Reinstatement Fees and Dues
Fees, along with annual dues, shall be determined from time to time by the Board. All new members shall pay an initiation fee, as well as the annual dues.

The fiscal year of the Club shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.  The deadlines for the payment of dues and other fees shall be determined and announced by the Board.

On a schedule to be determined by the Board in the spring, the President and Membership Chair shall send a letter to invite all current members to renew their membership with a statement of the dues payable by the stated date. Immediately after the deadline, a second
notice shall be sent to all members who have not paid.  If on October 1, the dues remain unpaid, the unpaid members shall be dropped from the Club lists unless the Board shall otherwise authorize.

All dues and initiation  fees shall be sent to the President or Membership Chair as directed; receipt and amount of dues and fees shall be recorded and the checks forwarded to the Treasurer as soon as possible for deposit in the Club’s account.

ARTICLE EIGHT Meetings
The annual meeting of the Club shall be held at such time as the President shall determine after the last program meeting of the year. Notice of this meeting shall be sent by mail or email to each member in good standing not fewer than ten days before the day set. Under ordinary circumstances there shall be three program meetings of the Club each season, held between September and June, at such time and place as shall be determined by the Board.

The President with the aid of the Corresponding Secretary shall give due notice of each program meeting to each member by mail or email. The program shall consist, in general, of a paper or address delivered by a person distinguished by learning or ability in any line of thought or action. The Board shall provide suitable social features; the meeting shall usually be followed by a reception for the distinguished guest.

The Board may, at its discretion, issue a few invitations for any meeting to persons not members.  In issuing such invitation, it shall be the effort of the Board to provide for the presence of personal friends of the speaker and also other persons who may have a special interest in the subject of the meeting. Notice of the intention to bring a guest, with the name of such guest and the place of residence, together with the appropriate fee shall be sent in advance to the Treasurer.

Upon request of a majority of the Board, the President shall call a special business meeting of the Club. Members shall be notified of such meetings in the same manner as for the annual meeting, and the announcement shall state the character of the business to be transacted. Any number of members who shall present themselves at an annual or business meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ARTICLE NINE Amendments

Any amendment to this Constitution shall first be presented to the Board. Upon ratification by
a majority of the Board, the amendment shall be  drafted and sent by mail or email to every
member of the Club. At the next meeting of the Club, regular or called, it shall again be
presented to the members, when it will become effective upon a majority vote of those present. 

Amended 15 June 2000
Revised 10 October 2007
Amended 13 May 2008
Amended August 2008
Amended 8 June 2011