Bylaws

The Ocala Jeep Club of Florida

Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc.

By-Laws

ARTICLE 1- NAME OF CLUB

This organization shall be known as the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc.

ARTICLE 2- PURPOSE

The Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. is organized as a nonprofit organization for the purpose of:

A. Providing social, educational, and recreation activities for its members

B. Participating in and supporting civic activities, to enjoy and protect all local state and federal resources and to assist various government agencies with the development of off- road trails and areas.

C. To adhere to the principles of the Tread Lightly program and the United Four Wheel Drive Association.

ARTICLE 3- MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

A. To be a member of the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. you must have a Jeep.

B. Each membership includes the immediate family.

C. All members must conduct themselves in a respectable and orderly fashion during all club activities.

D. Dues for this organization shall be $40.00 per calendar year per family membership. Memberships extend from January through December. New members joining in the months of August to December will be assessed dues of $15 for the first year only.

E. Applicants must fill out the following information: name, spouse, children, address, phone #, date joined, description of Jeep, and occupation.

F. Each membership will receive a monthly club newsletter and a yearly club vehicle decal.

G. First time applicants interested in the club can participate for free for the first activity or trail ride.

H. Dues and monies collected will be used for club purchases and expenditures for club activities, such as the buying of club t-shirts, hats, etc.

ARTICLE 4- MEETINGS

A. Official meetings will be held on the 2^nd Saturday of each month.

B. Socials will be held on the 4^th Saturday of each month.

C. Trail rides will be scheduled the 3^rd Sunday of each month. A schedule of monthly activities shall be provided.

D. Meeting and trail ride dates are subject to change.

E. An attendance or sign in sheet will be required at each meeting and event.

ARTICLE 5- VEHICLE APPROVAL AND SAFETY

A. All vehicles on off road events must be Jeeps and must have adequate equipment for legal operation. (see required safety list)

B. Seat belts are required for all occupants. (if applicable to Jeep year and model)

C. No firearms, as governed by federal, state and local laws, are allowed on trail rides.

ARTICLE 6- USE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

A. Alcohol or illegal substances are not allowed while driving as per Florida law and per Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. If these violations occur the member/members will be asked to leave the activity/trail ride.

B. Alcohol will only be permitted at campouts or other non-motorized activities.

C. Alcohol will not be permitted on scheduled trail rides.

ARTICLE 7- ADMINISTRATION AND OFFICERS

A. The officers of the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. ,shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Past President may be included as a voluntary advisory position.

B. Volunteer positions may consist of the following: Area Coordinators, Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, Merchandise Director, and Membership Director.

C. The Board of Directors shall consist of elected officials and appointed positions.

ARTICLE 8- DUTIES AND POWERS OF OFFICERS

A. The President shall preside over all meetings and shall be present at all scheduled events when possible, along with all other officers when possible.

B. The President shall have the duty to carryout the policies and decisions of the members.

C. In absence of the President the Vice President shall serve in that capacity.

D. The Secretary shall keep and preserve all records and minutes of the meetings.

E. The Treasurer shall keep accurate and complete records of the funds and accounts of this organization and shall collect all dues and maintain records thereof. He/She shall make only such disbursements from the funds and accounts of the organization as are directed by the membership. The treasurer is responsible for providing a financial report at each business meeting. The financial report will be submitted to the newsletter editor for bi-annual publication. There shall be another member of the club who will be an authorized signature on the checking account, in the event that the treasurer is incapacitated.

F. The Newsletter Editor will write about events and activities.

G. Area coordinators shall represent the club in their town/area and are responsible for contacting members in their respective areas and keeping them current on events.

H. The Webmaster will keep and update the website for the club.

I Membership Director shall keep the club membership database current.

J. Merchandise Director shall purchase and sell all club related merchandise (T-shirts, stickers, etc.)

ARTICLE 9- EXPENDITURES AND FINANCE

A. All monies received from all sources shall immediately be turned over to the treasurer.

B. Reoccurring operating expenditures shall not require prior membership approval. Other expenditures require the vote and approval of membership.

ARTICLE 10- ELECTION OF OFFICERS

A. The membership shall meet and elect officers each year.

B. The nominations shall be held at the October business meeting or as determined by the club officers. Elections will be held in November. Ballots will be used for the elections.

C. The new elected officers will take office in January of the following year.

D. Elections shall be decided by a majority vote of a quorum of 2/3 of the active membership.

E. All elected officers may run for that position again the following year. Each member may hold any elected office for a total of 2 terms.

F. In the event of a vacancy of an office, there will be a special election to fill that position.

ARTICLE 11- IMPEACHMENT

Any officer of the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. , may be impeached by a 2/3 majority vote of the membership.

ARTICLE 12- RULES AND REGULATIONS

Unless otherwise specified in these bylaws, Parliamentary procedure will govern the Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc.

ARTICLE 13- AMENDMENTS

These bylaws are amended by majority vote of the membership. Any amendment to the bylaws must be presented to the membership at a regular club meeting preceding that in which the vote is taken.

ARTICLE 14 – NONDISCRIMINATION

Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. is committed to making sure, to the fullest extent possible, that each and every person who attends, participates in, assists, works for, or observes any event or activity by, under the auspices of, or to the extent controlled by, Ocala Jeep Club, shall be entitled to be treated fairly, with respect and dignity, and without discrimination or harassment.

Therefore, Ocala Jeep Club expressly and deliberately prohibits discrimination against any such person based on race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws of the United States and the State of Florida. ‘Discrimination’ includes harassment or harassing conditions or circumstances, including persistent or repeated comments, jokes, innuendos, or other explicit or suggestive language; requests or demands for conduct; or other verbal or physical conduct that is not welcome and is personally offensive, based on any of the protected categories identified above.

Anyone who feels he or she has been a target of discrimination, or believes he or she has witnessed discrimination, should report it immediately to an officer or other responsible person with Ocala Jeep Club, other than the person or persons believed to be the perpetrator of the alleged discrimination.

ARTICLE 15 – DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS ON DISSOLUTION

On, or in the event of, dissolution of this Corporation, the board of directors shall dispose of all of the assets of this corporation exclusively for the purposes of this corporation in the manner or to the organization or organizations that are organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes and that shall at the time qualify as exempt organizations under §501 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding provision of any future United States internal revenue law, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all liabilities of this corporation. Any assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction in the county where the principal office of this corporation is then located exclusively for the purposes or to the organizations that the court determines are organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes.

ARTICLE 16 – INDEMNIFICATION

This corporation shall indemnify any person, including but not limited to, all officers, employees, directors and agents, who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorney's fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement, actually or reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, including any appeal thereof, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. This obligation shall extend to any action by or in the right of the corporation to procure judgments in its favor, except that no indemnification shall then be made in respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which such person is adjudged liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the corporation unless, and only to the extent that, the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application by the Board of Directors of the corporation that despite the adjudication of liability, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity in view of all the circumstances of the case.

Any indemnification under this Bylaw shall be made only on a determination made by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who are not parties to the action, suit or proceeding. Said indemnification is not subject to the approval of the shareholders.

This indemnification provision shall continue in effect for persons who have ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent, and shall additionally apply for the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

The corporation shall additionally have the power to indemnify any of the above designated classes of persons, extending the scope of the above indemnification provisions, with the exception that no indemnification shall be made for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or proven criminal liability, unless such additional indemnification is provided for by any resolution or agreement adopted by a majority of disinterested directors, or authorized by a majority of the stockholders.

**Articles 14-16 were added August 4, 2008

BY LAWS FOR TRAIL RIDING

1. Adhere to the Tread Lightly Program.

2. Trash – Pack it in – Pack it out.

3. Club Members are responsible for their children and guests

4. Wear your seat belts/if applicable.

5. Always help inexperienced drivers on the trail.

6. Choose your trail wisely, make good judgment calls while trail riding. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your fellow members.

7. While trail riding make sure that you have a visible on the driver behind and in front of you.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

While trail riding, if you venture on an area not marked, or a closed area, and an officer of the law issues you a ticket or an arrest or confiscation of your vehicle occurs, liability is bore solely by the owner or person doing the action.

The Ocala Jeep Club of Florida, Inc. (nor its members) is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to any vehicle. Personal Property in vehicles is solely the owner’s responsibility. Each person is there voluntarily and responsible for their actions.

(Above By-Laws were approved by majority vote at 03/10/07 Membership meeting)

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