Constitution and By Laws

Article 1

SECTION 1: NAME

The name of the club shall be Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc., of Austin, Texas.

SECTION 2: PURPOSE

The general purpose of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. , shall be: to operate as a non-profit corporation as set forth by the laws of the state of Texas; to encourage planned trips, events and social activities for members; to provide and regulate events and exhibitions, for corvette owners; and to encourage careful and skillful driving on public streets.

ARTICLE II

SECTION 1: MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. shall be open to all persons who qualify for one of the classes of membership as defined in Section 2 of this article.

SECTION 2: CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP

• Regular Member: A member in good standing of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc., who is also a member in good standing of the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. and is the registered whole or part owner of a Chevrolet Corvette, the owners spouse, or a 16 year old or older dependent of the owner.
• Associate Member (does not own a Corvette):
•   Corvette Enthusiast: Does not own a Corvette and is/was not an NCCC Member
•   Prior Member: Members that were once regular members but currently do not have a Corvette. 
• Honorary Member: Any member who has established themselves in club esteem and who has been elected by a majority vote of the members present at a regular business meeting. Honorary membership will be for one year only. It may be renewed annually.
• Charter Member: Any member or spouse who paid his/her dues for the first year on or before December 1, 1973.

SECTION 3: DUES

Amount of dues to be paid by members shall be determined and set for the coming year by the Executive Committee. The amount of dues shall be published in the newsletter at least two months prior to the annual meeting. Annual dues shall be payable by members to the club Treasurer not later than the October social meeting. Any additional expenses incurred with late renewals shall be paid by the members involved. Dues are non-refundable and non-pro ratable.

New Members (including previous members who have let their memberships expire) joining the club prior to September 1 will be charged full LCC and NCCC dues for the current year and will renew their membership for the following year before October 15th of that same year.

New Members (including previous members who have let their memberships expire) joining the Club after September 1 receive membership for the balance of that year (up to 4 months) and the following year (12 months). This means a new member can get up to 16 months of membership for the price of 12 months. (Amended September, 2011)

SECTION 4: EXPULSION

Membership will automatically lapse for nonpayment of dues. Any member may be expelled by a majority vote of the members present at the regular business meeting. However, within a thirty-day period, the member shall have the opportunity to submit in writing, or in person, their position on any charge on which they are notified. Notification shall consist of a certified letter (return receipt requested), detailing the charges, being sent to the member’s address of record.

SECTION 5: RESIGNATION

Any member may resign by directing a letter of resignation to the secretary. Resignation shall be effective on receipt of the letter of resignation provided there is no indebtedness to the club.

ARTICLE III

SECTION 1: REGULAR MONTHLY BUSINESS MEETING

Regular monthly business meetings shall be held on the first Friday of each month, except in the case of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. All items pertaining to the business of the club shall be presented at this meeting.

SECTION 2: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

Executive committee meetings shall be held monthly on the day set by the President at the January Executive Committee meeting with the approval of the Executive Committee. The day of the meeting shall be the same day each month and shall not be more than seven (7) days after the business meeting.

SECTION 3: SOCIAL MEETING

The social meeting shall be held apart from the annual meeting, regular monthly business meeting and Executive Committee meeting.

SECTION 4: ANNUAL MEETING

The November meeting will be the LCC annual meeting and will occur in place of the regular business meeting.

SECTION 5: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ACTIONS

All action of the Executive Committee shall be reported at the regular monthly business meeting/annual meeting and in situations deemed appropriate approved by majority vote of the Executive Committee quorum. The quorum is defined as more than 50% of the Executive Committee members. (Approved and revised November 2012)

SECTION 6: VOTING

All members in good standing are awarded one (1) vote on all matters brought before the membership at a regular business meeting/annual meeting. Only regular members may vote in elections required by or affecting the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. business.

SECTION 7: PROXY VOTING

Voting by signed proxy will be allowed only for the election of officers and/or amendment of the Constitution and By-laws. Written proxies shall be delivered to the Vice-President or a person designated by the Vice-President should he or she temporarily not be available to perform this duty, either in person or by mail. Proxy votes must be delivered in a sealed envelope with the name of the office/offices and or amendment being voted on printed on the outside. The name of the individual sending the proxy shall also be printed on the outside of the envelope. There shall be only one member’s proxy delivered in any one envelope. The envelope containing the proxy must be received by the Vice-President before the start of the Business meeting in which the vote will be held. The envelope will remain sealed until the election is held. The Proxy shall be valid for the event which is stated on the outside of the envelope including a re-election should one be necessary.

ARTICLE IV

SECTION 1: OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc., shall elect from its membership a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Activities Director, Governor to the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc., Editor and five members to the Executive Committee. The elected officers and Executive Committee members shall serve from January 1, to December 31. All elections shall be by secret ballot.

SECTION 2: OFFICER NOMINATIONS

• Nominations for Treasurer and Editor of Longhorn Corvette Club, and Governor to the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. will be opened at the September business meeting and at the October business meeting. At the close of nominations at the October business meeting, the election of the Treasurer, Editor and Governor for the coming year will be held. A nominee who is not elected may be nominated for and run for another LCC office.
• Nominations for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Activities Director will be opened at the October business meeting and the November business meeting. At the close of nominations at the November meeting the election of President, Vice-president, Secretary and Activities Director for the coming year will be held. A member may run for only one position, except as noted in Article IV, Section 2, Subsection (A).
• In the event that no nominations are made for a given office, the deadline for nomination will be extended until someone accepts the nomination or until the December deadline referenced in Section 3 below. If no nomination is made by December, the current President may appoint an officer with the approval of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 3: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS

Nominations for Executive Committee members shall be opened at the November meeting after officers’ elections. Nominations shall be reopened at the December business meeting prior to the elections. The five members receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. A nominee for LCC office who is not elected may run for the position of Executive Committee member.

SECTION 4: PROTESTING ELECTIONS

Election protests will be in writing and must provide a detailed explanation of the reason for the protest. The protest must be presented to the Executive Committee at the first Executive Committee meeting following the protested election. The Executive Committee will review the facts of the protest and render a decision. It will be the Executive Committee’s duty to inform the membership of any protests and give proper notice in the event a protest is upheld and a new election must be conducted.

SECTION 5: ELECTION TIE BREAKER PROCEDURES

If a tie (two or more candidates receiving the same number of votes) occurs at an election for an officer or an Executive Committee member, another vote will be taken at the same meeting. If the re-vote produces another tie then a drawing will take place to determine the winner. The drawing will consist of the name of each of the candidates who are involved in the tie being written on a slip of paper and placed in a container. One slip of paper will be drawn from the container to determine the winner.

SECTION 6: FAILURE TO COMPLETE TERM

In the event that any officer or Executive Committee member shall resign or become unable to hold office before the end of their term the President shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, a member to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE V

SECTION 1: DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

The President shall be the chief executive of the club. The President shall preside and maintain order at all regular business meetings, the annual meeting and all executive committee meetings. The President will be responsible for the business meeting and Executive Committee meeting location. The President shall report the general condition of the club and other necessary information at the regular monthly business meeting and in the LCC BULLetin.

SECTION 2: DUTIES OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT

The Vice-President shall schedule all after-meeting parties and If needed, sitters for children during business meetings. The Vice-President shall serve as membership chairman, enlisting current members as necessary to invite prospects to join LCC. The Vice-President shall provide information regarding the club to prospective members and provide information packets to new members. The Vice-President shall be in charge of proceedings concerning the election of all officers and Executive Committee members, including the tie-breaking procedures as outlined under Article IV Section 5. The Vice-President shall be expected to attend all executive committee meetings and will assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President or if the President cannot for any reason complete the term.

SECTION 3: DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY

The Secretary shall attend all regular monthly business meetings, the annual meeting and executive committee meetings. The Secretary shall record all minutes and votes in a book kept for this purpose. The Secretary shall report all minutes and votes of the preceding month at the following regular business meeting and in the LCC BULLetin. Approval of the minutes shall be obtained. The Secretary shall have custody of the club’s records. The Secretary shall be property manager of all club equipment, maintaining a written inventory of its location and condition and reporting same in the December BULLetin.

SECTION 4: DUTIES OF THE TREASURER

The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies, saleable items, debts and obligations which belong to the club accounts. The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the club and deposit same in the club accounts. The Treasurer shall make all payments of club debts upon approval of the executive committee. All contracts, checks, drafts and notes or other orders for payment of money shall be signed in the name of the club by any two officers. The Treasurer shall give a report on the financial status of the club at all regular monthly business meetings and monthly in the LCC BULLetin.

SECTION 5: DUTIES OF THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

The Activities Director shall coordinate all competition and social (excluding after business meeting) activities pertaining to the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. The Activities Director shall further keep the club informed of all such activities and report monthly on the LCC points. All scheduling and direction of LCC events shall occur through this office. The Activities Director may appoint a committee as is deemed necessary. The Activities Director will be responsible for the social meeting location.

SECTION 6: DUTIES OF THE NCCC GOVERNOR

The National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. Governor shall be the representative of the club in all NCCC meetings, events and business. The NCCC Governor shall appoint, in his or her absence, a representative from the LCC membership to attend NCCC governor’s meetings. Said representative shall be responsible for submitting a comprehensive report of the governor’s meeting at the next executive committee meeting. The NCCC Governor shall perform those duties and functions necessary to maintain the good standing of the club in NCCC. The NCCC Governor shall report monthly on NCCC business and events at the regular monthly business meeting and in the LCC BULLetin.

SECTION 7: DUTIES OF THE EDITOR

The Editor shall be in charge of the LCC BULLetin, the monthly publication of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. and all special publications. The Editor shall solicit articles from all club members and collect monthly articles from officers for publication in the LCC BULLetin. The Editor may edit articles as necessary but not to the extent the article loses its intent or meaning. The Editor shall determine that articles relevant to club business or proposals are written in a manner which displays no malice toward others. The Editor has the authority to accept or reject any article for publication. The Editor may appoint an assistant to share the duties of the position.

SECTION 8: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall make decisions relating to finances, activities and general policies of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. The Executive Committee shall be composed of five LCC members (excluding officers), the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Editor, Activities Director, Secretary, and NCCC Governor. The President shall preside at all Executive Committee meetings. A majority vote of the quorum is necessary for an action/decision of the Executive Committee. A quorum is defined as greater than 50% of the Executive Committee members. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held monthly or as necessary to deal with emergency situations. Any member of the Committee may call for an emergency meeting. The President shall schedule all regular monthly meetings of the Executive Committee. All motions brought before the Executive Committee shall be open to discussion by all club members present. All club officers should be present at Executive Committee meetings and will perform their duties as required. (Approved and revised November 2012)

SECTION 9: OFFICER ACTIONS

Officers and Executive Committee members of the Longhorn Corvette Club shall act in and operate the club in a manner which displays and promotes a legal, moral and ethical intent. The actions of all officers and Executive Committee members shall be subject to review on a continuing basis, and may be revised by a majority vote at the regular business meeting. Failure to perform duties shall be cause for removal from office of any officer or Executive Committee member. A majority vote of the membership at any regular business meeting shall be necessary for removal from office. The officer or Executive Committee member will be allowed to defend their position.

ARTICLE VI

SECTION 1: FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Longhorn Corvette Club shall be from January 1 through December 31.

SECTION 2: INDEMNITY

The corporation shall indemnify every director or officer against expenses actually or reasonably incurred in connection with any action or suit or proceeding, civil or criminal, to which he may be made a party based on his or her actions in good faith as a director or officer of the corporation.

ARTICLE VII

SECTION 1: AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Any member may propose an amendment to the constitution and by-laws at any regular monthly business meeting or the annual meeting(1st reading). The amendment must be accompanied by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the club membership. The petition will be reviewed for validity by the Executive Committee at the next Executive Committee meeting. If validated, the proposal shall be published in the LCC Bulletin prior to the next regular monthly business meeting or annual meeting(2nd reading). The proposal shall be published again in the LCC Bulletin and then read and voted on at the following regular monthly business meeting or annual meeting(3rd reading).

ARTICLE VIII

SECTION 1: ESTABLISHMENT OF MEMORIAL AWARD

(A) The award will be named: Perry Hampton Memorial Award

(B) The award will be presented annually and will be the highest honor that Longhorn Corvette Club can bestow upon a member. This is to honor the memory of our friend, Perry Hampton, who was one of the organizers and charter members of LCC. The literature and publications of LCC will include information about the Perry Hampton Memorial Award.

(C) The President of LCC will appoint a committee of five (5) club members before the February business meeting of each year. The committee will be responsible for selecting the recipient of the award for the previous year. Presentation of the award will be in April at a ceremony planned by the committee. (Party, rally, etc.) The composition of the committee shall be the Vice-President (Chair), at least one prior award recipient, at least one member of the prior years committee, at least one member who has been in LCC less than two years and one additional member. The Executive Committee may approve variations of the committee for an unforeseen circumstance.

(D) Any member of LCC is eligible to receive the award.

(E) The selection committee shall undertake the task of choosing the recipient with the understanding that this memorial is not made lightly. The award selection shall not be made on the basis of member’s popularity, but rather shall be based upon the committee’s agreement that the recipient is the member who most closely exemplifies those qualities such as: spirit of friendship and concern for fellow Corvette owners; contribution to LCC and community; and unselfish giving of time and resources in face of his own adversity, for which we remember Perry Hampton.

(F) The award will be made in the form of a plaque approximately 9″ x 12″, and will bear: the title; an etched likeness of Perry Hampton; the name of the recipient; date and the LCC emblem.

STANDING RULES

LONGHORN CORVETTE CLUB, INC. AUSTIN, TEXAS

A standing rule is a procedural item which requires a majority vote of the Longhorn Corvette Club membership. Such item must be voted on at a regular business meeting. Standing rules do not involve amendment to the LCC Constitution, and may be altered by majority vote of the Longhorn Corvette Club membership without any prior notice being required in the club BULLetin.

Standing rules of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. include the following:

I. GOVERNOR’S FUND

The Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. representative in matters involving the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. (NCCC) is the person who holds the office of Governor. Although it is not required that this person attend all national meetings of NCCC, it is believed to be in the best interest of LCC if this person does attend the national meetings. In order to assist the Governor in his/her ability to attend national meetings, a governor’s fund has been established. This fund is to be established each calendar year and is to be used to reimburse the Governor for the cost of travel, meals, lodging and miscellaneous expenses of each trip. The fund is to be $450.00 for each of the national meetings. However, the total fund will not exceed $1,400.00 per year. It is the responsibility of the club treasurer to insure these funds are available as needed. (August 1, 2008).

II. MONTHLY BUSINESS MEETING CONDUCT

At the request and out of respect to our sponsor’s wishes, members of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. are reminded of the following rules related to conduct at the monthly business meetings:

• No drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted on the premises of the Sponsor
• No smoking is allowed within any part of the Sponsor building.
• Members should be respectful of others during the Business Meeting by removing disruptive children from the meeting area.
• All efforts possible should be directed toward keeping the Sponsor premises cleaner than when we arrived.
• All furniture is to be returned to the original location at the end of each business meeting.
• All members should leave the Sponsor building and parking lot as soon as possible after adjournment of the business meeting in order to allow security personnel to close the facility. (August 7, 1987).
• In the event the business meeting is canceled or postponed due to inclement weather or other circumstance, the President will insure that the membership is notified and reschedule the meeting as soon as possible.

III. SOCIAL MEETINGS

As required by the LCC constitution, a social meeting shall be held monthly. This meeting is held the second (2nd) Wednesday after the business meeting of each month, at 7:00 p.m. at a location published in the club BULLetin, except in the case of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. (December 4, 1998)

IV. SEPARATION OF CLUB FUNDS

The Treasurer of Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. is directed to maintain the club funds in two (2) separate checking accounts.

• A checking account shall be maintained which contains the club’s operating funds. Operating funds shall include, but not be limited to: membership dues, advertising revenue and member contributions. These funds shall be used for the everyday operations of the club. Normal expenditures shall include, but not be limited to: printing, postage, officer trophies, post office box rental, taxes, floral arrangements and party expenses.
• A checking account shall be maintained which contains the club’s events funds. The events fund shall be the depository for event registrations and member and sponsor contributions. The expenses which will normally be paid from this account include, but are not limited to: lot expenses, food and drink, trophies, T-shirts and NCCC regional assessment. The Treasurer is the manager of these funds and should make every attempt to place these funds in interest bearing accounts. With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer may transfer monies from one account to the other as needed. (August 7, 1987).

V. LONGHORN CORVETTE CLUB POINTS TRAIL

The Activities Director shall submit to the Executive Committee each January, the proposed scoring criteria for the current year’s local points trail. Upon approval of the Executive Committee, the Activities Director shall publish these criteria for the membership no later than the February business meeting. (August 7, 1987).

VI. PROPOSALS FOR REGIONAL EVENTS

Any member of Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc., wishing to chair a regional event, shall bring their proposal before the Executive Committee for approval. It must be noted that the Southwest Region Governors vote for approval of major weekends at the September regional governors’ meeting each year. A proposal for a major weekend must therefore be presented in final form to the Executive Committee no later than the July Executive Committee meeting so that general membership approval may be received at the LCC August business meeting. Proposals for second (2nd) choice weekends must be presented to the Executive Committee early enough to allow the Governor to submit the event to the regional competition director within the time for sanctioning. (Minimum of seventy (70) days before the event date). Event proposals not requiring the use of any of the club’s NCCC sanctioned events per year may be presented to the Executive Committee at any time. (Approved and revised November 2012)

VII. ASSOCIATION WITH CHARITIES

Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc., as a member of the National Council of Corvette Clubs, Inc. is committed to supporting charities. The President, with approval from the Executive Committee, shall appoint a Charity Committee to review and make recommendations relative to the LCC club charities as deemed necessary. The decision on which charity the LCC club chooses to support shall be voted upon by the membership in the Monthly General Business Meeting. (January 20, 2005)

VIII. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SPENDING AUTHORITY

The Executive Committee is authorized by the club to transact the business affairs of the Longhorn Corvette Club, Inc. This authority includes the power to approve contracts and the payment of club operating expenses. The payment of club expenses in excess of three hundred and fifty dollars ($350.00) must have approval of the club prior to commitment by the Executive Committee. Such prior approval must be granted at a regular business meeting as evidenced by the minutes of that meeting. A budget must be submitted to the Executive Committee for any expense greater than the above amount.

Prior approval of the club is not required for event expenses related to the club’s sanctioned NCCC events, provided these expenses have been included in the event or weekend chairperson’s budget for the event as approved by the club. (August 7, 1987).

IX. CLUB WEBMASTER APPOINTMENT

The LCC President, with approval from the Executive Committee, shall appoint a club Webmaster as necessary. (January 20, 2005)