RECOMMENDED ROTARACT CLUB BYLAWS

Club bylaws supplement the Standard Rotaract Club Constitution with common club
practices. The bylaws in this document are recommendations, but once adopted are
binding for the members of the club. Customize them to reflect your club’s practices,
confirm that they are not in conflict with the RI Constitution and Bylaws, the Standard
Rotaract Club Constitution, and the current Rotary Code of Policies.

Bylaws of the Rotaract Club of

____________________________________________________________.

Article 1 — Definitions

1. Board: The board of directors of this club.

2. Director: A member of this club’s board of directors.
3. Member: A member, other than an honorary member, of this club.
4. Quorum: The minimum number of participants who must be present when a vote is
taken: one-third of the club’s members for club decisions and a majority of the
directors for club board decisions.
5. RI: Rotary International.
6. Year: The 12-month period that begins on 1 July.

Your club may choose how it defines a quorum for voting purposes.

Article 2 — Elections and Terms of Office

Section 1 - Election for the offices of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and
directors shall be held annually prior to ____________. Those elected shall take
office on 1 July.

Section 2 - One month before elections, nominations for president, vice president,
secretary, treasurer, and any open director positions may be presented in writing,
from the floor, or both. Those candidates receiving a majority of the votes of the
members shall be elected.

Section 3 - If any officer or board member vacates a position, the remaining members of
the board will appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term.

Section 4 – If any officer-elect or director-elect vacates a position, the remaining

members of the board-elect will appoint a replacement.

Section 5 - The terms of office for each role are:

President — one year

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 Vice President — ______
Secretary — ______
Treasurer — ______
Director — ______

The Standard Rotaract Club Constitution requires that your club’s bylaws specify an
election process, but in no case shall more than simple majority of the members
present and in good standing be required for elections.

Article 3 — Duties of Officers

Section 1 - The president presides at all meetings of the club and the board of directors.
The president is an ex officio member of all committees and maintains regular
communication with the district and Rotary International.

Section 2 - The vice president presides at all meetings of the club and of the board when
the president is absent.

Section 3 - The secretary maintains all club records, records minutes of all the meetings
of the club and of the board and ensures that all member updates are recorded with
RI in a timely manner.

Section 4 - The treasurer oversees all funds and provides an annual accounting of them.
The treasurer shall make all disbursements under procedures determined by the
board. The treasurer shall make all records available for inspection by any club
member upon request.

Section 5 - The board of directors shall be the governing body of the club, as provided in
the constitution. In the absence of the president or vice president, the board of
directors may select an officer or director to preside at the meetings of the club.

Additional officer’s duties and terms of office may be included here. Review the Club
Leadership courses in the online Learning Center for more details on the roles and
responsibilities of club officers.

Article 4 — Committees

Section 1 - The president, with the approval of the board of directors, may appoint the
following standing committees, additional committees, or special committees as
necessary or convenient for the administration of the club, citing their duties at the time
of appointment:

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(a) Service. Each year, this committee shall plan and implement at least one activity or
service project designed to create sustainable change that directly benefits the
international community, and at least one activity or service project designed to
create sustainable change that directly benefits the local or university community.
This committee also collaborates with the Foundation committee to identify
opportunities for participating in Rotary grants to fund projects.

(b) Professional Development. This committee shall develop a comprehensive

professional development program designed to expand professional networks, allow
members to exchange ideas with other leaders, and build skills through leadership
training.

(c) Finance. This committee shall devise ways to finance any club activities requiring
funds, in cooperation with the respective committee(s). This committee also
maintains the club’s financial records in accordance with local laws, assists in
preparing the detailed annual report for presentation at the end of the year, and
helps prepare a budget for the next year.

(d) Club Administration. This committee shall be responsible for planning interesting
club meetings and fun social events, producing club communications, helping the
club treasurer collect membership dues, tracking progress toward club goals and
achieving the Rotary Citation, and other matters as appropriate.

(e) Foundation. This committee shall provide training opportunities, share information
with the club’s members, and develop fundraising strategies to motivate club
members to donate in support of The Rotary Foundation. This committee also
collaborates with the Service committee to identify opportunities for participating in
Rotary grants to fund projects.

(f) Membership. This committee shall develop and implement a plan to attract and
engage members. This committee shall also help review and follow up with the
membership leads assigned to this club.

(g) Public Image. This committee shall develop and implement a plan to tell Rotary’s
story to the public, and to promote this club’s projects and activities through
collaboration with the other committees of this club.

Section 2 – Each committee’s chair is responsible for the regular meetings and activities
of the committee, supervises and coordinates its work, and reports to the board on all
committee activities.

Additional committees and their duties may be included here.

Article 5 — Meetings

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Section 1 - An annual meeting of this club and the board of directors is held no later
than _____________ each year for the purpose of discussing plans and objectives
for the year and/or upcoming year.

Section 2 - This club meets as follows: _____________________________.

Reasonable notice of any change or cancellation of the regular meeting will be given
to all club members.

Section 3 - Each member of this club shall attend at least ______% of this club’s
regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 4 - Any member absent from a regularly scheduled meeting of the club may
make up for an absence in any of the following ways be made up as follows:

a) attend a regular meeting of any other Rotaract club or Rotary club; or

b) attend and participate in a club service project or a club-sponsored community

event; or

c) attend a convention of RI, a Rotary or Rotaract district or multi-district

conference or training seminar, or other meeting authorized by the board.

Section 5 – The board meets as follows: ________________________________.

Special meetings of the board are call with reasonable notice by the president or upon
the request of two board members.

For Rotaract clubs that have a Rotary or Rotaract club sponsor it is recommended to
plan at least one annual meeting and outline attendance responsibilities at regular
meetings to encourage collaboration, communication, and establish clear expectations
of the sponsorship relationship.

Article 6 — Finance

Section 1 - The admission fee for new members shall be ____________. Annual dues
shall be ____________ per member and are paid as follows:
__________________.

Section 2 – Before each fiscal year starts, the board and finance committee prepare an
annual budget of estimated income and expenditures.

Section 3 – The treasurer deposits club funds in a financial institution or institutions

designated by the board, divided into two accounts: one for club operations and one
for service projects.

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Section 4 – Bills are paid by the treasurer or another authorized officer and approved by
two other officers or directors.

Section 5 – A qualified person conducts a thorough annual review of all financial

transactions.

Section 6 – Club members will receive an annual financial statement of the club.

Section 7 – The fiscal year is from 1 July to 30 June.

The Standard Rotaract Club Constitution requires that your club’s bylaws specify a
timeframe in which a member must pay their dues.

Article 7 — Method of Admitting Members

Section 1 - A member may propose a candidate, a prospective member may make a

request, or another club may propose one of its transferring or former members to
join this club. The method of admitting new members of university-based Rotaract
clubs shall have the approval of the appropriate school authorities.

Section 2 - The club board should approve or reject a candidate’s membership within -
_______days and notify the candidate of its decision.

Additional qualifications or procedures for admitting new members may also be

included here. A process to address objections raised by current members may also be
included here.

Article 8 — Amendments

These bylaws may be amended at any regular club meeting, or a special meeting called
for that purpose. Changing the club bylaws requires sending written notice to each
member 21 days before the meeting, having a quorum present for the vote, and having
two-thirds of the votes support the change.

Changes to these bylaws must be consistent with the Standard Rotaract Club
Constitution, the RI Constitution and Bylaws, and the Rotary Code of Policies.

[END]

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