Bylaws
effective August 21, 2016
Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be the Arkansas Chess Association.
Article II: Purpose
1. To promote interest and enjoyment in chess through educational programs, community outreach, tournaments, matches, to acquire property to construct and erect a building for corporate purposes, for the use of the members of the corporation; and other activities. Said corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under 501(c)(3) of the International Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.)
2. To develop, publicize, and direct the following ACA tournaments each year.
a. The Arkansas Championship
b. The Arkansas Open
c. The Arkansas Memorial
d. The Arkansas Scholastic Championships
i. Barber Tournament of (K-8) Champions (grades Kindergarten through 8th grade)
ii. Denker Tournament of High School Champions (grades 9th through 12th grade)
iii. National Girls Tournament of Champions
e. The Arkansas Quick Chess Championship
f. The Game/60 Championship
g. Others as resources and cooperation among affiliates allow.
3. To provide regular publications (minimum of 4 issues per year) and/or website furnishing chess news and articles of interest to the membership.
4. To work with the United States Chess Federation (USCF) in promoting chess activities. The Association shall be the USCF’s official State affiliate for Arkansas.
5. To work with local affiliates of USCF (city, school, or prison) to mutually promote each other’s chess activities, meetings and tournaments.
6. To operate exclusively for educational, recreational, and social-welfare purposes. No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in previous articles hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Article III: Membership
1. Regular Membership. Any person may become a regular member of the ACA upon payment of dues for one year.
2. Definition. Any member residing in the State of Arkansas who is 16 years of age or older at the time of the election and whose ACA and USCF membership is current through the end of the month in which the election is held, is a Voting Member, with the privilege of casting one vote on matters of ACA business.
3. Rights and Privileges. Each regular member shall receive a member card noting the renewal date. Each member shall be entitled to receive a copy of the ACA Newsletter, to participate in the Annual Membership meeting (pursuant to the voting requirements of Article III – Section 2), and to enjoy all other rights and privileges of membership not herein enumerated.
4. Revocation of Membership. The Executive Board, by unanimous vote, may revoke or suspend the membership of any member for good cause. Any person aggrieved by any action of the Executive Board may appeal to the General Membership at the next Annual Meeting.
Article IV: Organization
1. Ultimate authority in the Association shall rest in the membership; such authority is exercised at periodic General Membership Meetings, to be held at least once per year.
2. Between General Membership Meeting the business and activities of the Association shall be governed by the Executive Board, in accordance with these bylaws. The Executive Board shall consist of (4) officers and one (1) member-at-large from each non-scholastic USCF affiliate within the State of Arkansas. The four officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting as described in Article IV section 3 and 4 with each member-at-large elected by their affiliate annually. The officers shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
3. The terms of the office for President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be two years or until successors are elected. There shall not be a limit on the number of times the membership may elect them. All terms of the office on the Executive Board shall expire at the end of the General Membership meeting in the appropriate year, at which time the next term of office begins.
4. The President and Vice President shall be elected in odd numbered years; the Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected in even numbered years.
5. No individual on the Executive Board shall hold more than one office on the board nor shall have more than one vote.
6. Between elections, the President shall appoint an acting officer, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, until the next election or special election can be held for this office at the next General Membership Meeting.
7. Any member of the Executive Board may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the full Executive Board.
8. Any member of the Executive Board shall be regarded as having resigned as an office or member-at-large upon missing two duly scheduled meeting of the Executive Board during the same twelve months, with exception to be made by the Executive Board. Upon resignation, the position shall be filled as listed in section 6 above.
9. Any voting member who is 18 years of age or older, shall be eligible for election to the Executive Board.
10. The officers of the Executive Board shall have at least USCF Club level tournament status.
Article V: Duties of Officers
1. The President shall:
a. Preside at all membership meetings and Executive Board meetings.
b. Appoint all committees. The term of office of each committee shall terminate at the next election, or before as is provided at the time of appointment.
c. Appoint delegates, voting members, and alternate voting members to the USCF, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
d. With the advice and consent of the Executive Board, be responsible for all the planning, marketing and implementation of all details of the ACA tournaments listed in Article II, section 2, either directly or by delegation.
2. The Vice President shall:
a. Assist the President.
b. Preside at meetings and carry out all the duties of the president in the absence of the President.
3. The Secretary shall:
a. Keep the minutes of all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board and Furnish copies to Executive Board members.
b. Provide notice of Executive Board meetings.
c. Conduct the correspondence of the Association.
d. Keep mailing lists, emails, cell phone numbers of current Association members. Also, maintain a Facebook page for the Arkansas Chess Association with Member at large from each affiliate being able to contribute information related to their clubs.
e. Provide each board member with a copy of board meeting minutes.
4. The Treasurer shall:
a. The general fund shall be used for all ACA business as approved by the Executive Board. The Associations fiscal year shall run from August 1 of each year until July 31 of the next year.
b. Keep all funds in one account in one financial institution.
c. Ensure that both Treasurer and President signs all checks for expenditures, any two officers may write checks at an ACA sponsored event, only in the absence of and with the approval of the Treasurer.
d. Ensure that back signature information is updated immediately following a change of the signatories.
e. Maintain a list of the Association’s property.
f. Provide a financial report at Executive Board and Membership meetings.
g. Provide itemized financial statements at the request of the Executive Board and for annual inclusion in the Association’s publication.
h. Prior to the Annual Membership Meeting, the President shall appoint the Treasurer and two other members to the task of reviewing the financial records of the ACA in preparation for the Treasurer’s required annual report.
5. All officers shall turn over all official Association materials to their successors or the current President within two weeks of the change of officers.
6. At Executive Board or General Membership meetings a majority vote shall determine the interpretation of these Bylaws with the understanding that the ambiguous expression be amended as soon as practicable.
Article VI: Meetings
1. A quorum at Executive Board meetings shall consist of four of the members.
2. Except as provided in these Bylaws, a simple majority of those voting at an Executive Board meeting shall be necessary to pass motions.
3. The Executive Board shall meet at least twice annually at reasonable intervals to conduct the business of the Association. These meetings shall be open to all interested observers. Between meetings the officers shall conduct the business of the Association in accordance with these Bylaws.
4. Special Executive Board meetings may be called by the President, or by the Executive Board at a regular meeting, or by three Executive Board members submitting written requests to the secretary. In the last case, the secretary shall arrange a date, time and site for such a meeting to take place within 28 days of receiving the qualified request.
5. The secretary shall send notices of Executive Board meetings, including the date, time, and place, and tentative agenda, to each Executive Board member at least 14 days before each meeting and place a meeting notice in the Association’s publication/website/Facebook page if practical and timely.
6. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be used at all meetings of the General Membership, Executive Board and all committees in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules which have been adopted.
7. An annual meeting of the General Membership shall be held in conjunction with the Arkansas Championship. The President shall schedule this at least 30 minutes prior to the first Sunday round of the Arkansas Championship, with advance notice from the Arkansas Chess Association.
8. The Executive Board may call special General Membership meetings upon two weeks notice. On matters requiring immediate attention and the meeting notice requirement isn’t feasible, the President shall have the flexibility of polling the full board individually by telephone or by conference call with the results reported to the Secretary and logged for future reference.
9. Ten members shall constitute a quorum at General Membership meetings.
Article VII: Distribution of Assets on Dissolution
1. Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations as said Court shall determine which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.