BY-LAWS OF THE ILLINOIS CRUISERS YACHT CLUB

ARTICLE I
CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP, FEES, PROCEDURES
SECTION 1
Regular members shall be accepted by the recommendation of the sponsoring Member and the majority vote of the
Board of Directors. The number of regular memberships allowed in the ICYC shall be recommended by a sponsoring
member and a majority vote of the Board of Directors. A sponsoring member must be a member of ICYC for more than
one (1) year and in good standing.
Associate membership shall be accepted by the majority vote of the Board of Directors. Associate membership in the
ICYC shall be an unlimited number of people.
SECTION 2
Applications for membership shall be numbered consecutively and be considered in the order in which they are
received. Upon approval of the member, a life-time membership number shall be assigned.
Application for associate membership shall be considered in the order in which they are received.
SECTION 3
The membership fees for the Club will be required as follows:
a. Regular members shall pay an initiation fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). Initiation fees and first years dues must
be paid in full upon application and will be reimbursed in full in the event of non-acceptance. Membership cards
shall be issued upon acceptance.
b. Dues will be one hundred dollars ($100.00) per year. Dues for current members will become due and payable at the
January election of officers meeting in order to vote. Otherwise, dues must be paid no later than 120 days after the
January meeting.
c. Regular membership of the member and his or her spouse or significant other as named on the membership
application shall automatically confer membership on the other and no initiation fees will be required of one of the
members. Any other membership applications will be subject to action by the Board of Directors.
d. For purposes of Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, Election of Officers, Special Assessments, Motions
and Seconds, the spouse, or significant other, of a member shall have the same voting powers. Each member
present shall have (1) vote.
e. Associate membership cannot be held unless the applicant has been a member in good standing and cannot now be
active due to location, health, or other good and just cause.

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f.

Associate membership dues shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) per year.

g. Associate membership of the member and spouse or significant other, will automatically confer membership on the
other.
h. Associate membership will not entitle the holder to voting power or rights to hold an elective office.
i.

Associate member will be required to pay non-member admissions when attending club functions.

SECTION 4
Two-thirds (2/3) negative votes of the Board of Directors shall be considered a rejection of the application.
SECTION 5
Applications must be balloted secretly upon by the Board of Directors. A rejected applicant cannot apply for
membership for a period of twelve (12) months.
SECTION 6
Complaints of any type shall be filed in writing with the Secretary and shall be immediately presented to the
Commodore. Such complaints or suggestions may be acted upon by the Board of Directors or referred by them to the
Chairman of the proper standing committee having jurisdiction over such recommendation and/or complaint.
SECTION 7
No member may enter a motion, second, or vote on any motion unless current dues are up-to-date.

ARTICLE II
SECTION 1
Resignation of Officers or Directors must be made in writing to the Secretary and acted upon by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2
The Board of Directors, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, shall censure or suspend any member for conduct unbecoming of a
member; or implication in any occurrence detrimental to the good order, peace, or welfare of the Club; or at variance
with its Constitution, By-Laws, or rules. If the offense is such to warrant expulsion, the member in question shall be
permitted to defend him/herself, if he or she so desires, before the full Board of Directors. The hearing shall take place
no sooner than ten (10) days or no later than fifteen (15) days after the notice has been given.
SECTION 3
Members whose dues or other club accounts are one hundred twenty (1200) days in arrears shall be dropped.
SECTION 4
Anyone whose membership shall have lapsed, either by resignation or for non-payment of dues, for one hundred twenty
(120) days must pay all accrued dues and assessments plus initiation fees for reinstatement. Reinstatement must be
passed by the unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. Upon reinstatement, that member shall be reissued their
original membership number.

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ARTICLE III
ASSESSMENTS
SECTION 1
Special assessments shall be levied only when the Board of Directors find it indispensable. The amount of assessments
shall be decided upon by the Board of Directors and presented to the membership for vote. Prior to the voting of any
special assessment, all members shall be notified at least ten (10) days in advance of the voting date as to the time and
place of the vote and the nature of assessment. The assessment shall be authorized only by a majority vote of
two-thirds (2/3) of the members present at duly authorized meeting.

ARTICLE IV
ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR MEETINGS

SECTION 1
All members shall be notified of any general meeting at least ten (10) days in advance. Board members shall be notified
of all Board meetings at least (10) days in advance unless an emergency meeting is called and then every effort must be
made to contact all Board members regarding such emergency meeting.
SECTION 2
The order of business of all meetings will follow Roberts Rules of Order.
SECTION 3
At Board meetings, a quorum shall consist of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V
NOMINATION AND ELECTIONS
SECTION 1
Sixty (60) days prior to the January elections (elections will be held the 3rd Sunday of January), the Commodore, subject
to the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three (3) members who
are not members of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2
The Nominating Committee shall accept nominations for as many candidates (including themselves) for each authorized
office, as they deem advisable. Once nominated, the Nominating Committee will contact each nominee for acceptance.
If nominated for more than 1 (one) office to be put on official ballot, allowing space for further nominations.
SECTION 3
Official ballots will be emailed to all members no less than 15 days prior to the January election meeting. All absentee
ballots must be received in a sealed envelope addressed to the nominating committee on or before the January
elections. Further nominations may be made from the floor of the meeting.
SECTION 4
A secret ballot shall be taken to determine the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office. The
Election of the Officers Meeting shall be accepted as an official action of the Club by an acceptance of a quorum of the

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members present. A quorum, for this purpose, shall consist of a simple majority of the members present, providing a
written notice of said meeting was given to each member at least (10) days prior to the meeting.
SECTION 5
All Officers and Directors elected in accordance with this Article shall take office at the Commodores Ball with the
CHANGE OF WATCH ceremony.
SECTION 6
All Board of Directors may hold a specific office for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms (a term =2 years), unless
unopposed, except the Commodore. The Commodore position is limited to a maximum of two (2) 1-year consecutive
terms. Such officer shall be eligible for that particular office after a two (2) year hiatus. (See Article VI - Powers &
Duties)
SECTION 7
The immediate past Commodore will be a voting Director member of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI
DUTIES AND POWERS OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1
A minimum of three (3) general meetings annually shall be called at the discretion of the Commodore. A quorum at said
meetings will be six (6) Board members.
SECTION 2
A Financial Statement of the Clubs condition and the account books shall be available to the members at all reasonable
hours.
SECTION 3
The Clubs yearly budget shall be prepared by the Finance Committee and presented to the Board of Directors for
approval within sixty (60) days after CHANGE OF WATCH, not to exceed ninety percent (90%) of the estimated income.
SECTION 4
Appointments may be made by the Commodore for the proper operation of the Club and may be terminated by him/her
at any time.
SECTION 5
In the event of a death, resignation or expulsion of an Board member, the vacancy will be filled by the Board of
Directors.
a. The vacancy shall be filled by one of the previously elected Board of Directors.

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SECTION 6
COMMODORE: The Commodore shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors and shall be
the Chief Executive Officer of the Club. In the case of his absence, his duties shall be performed by the ViceCommodore. In the case of the absence of both, the duties shall devolve upon the Rear-Commodore. In the case of the
absence of all three, the duties shall devolve upon the Treasurer. The Commodore and Vice-Commodore shall appoint
such one-time committees as they deem necessary for the proper conduct of the Club. With the sanction of the Board
of Directors, the Commodore may appoint and send delegates or representatives of the Club to any meetings,
conventions, or regatta of any Association to which the Club belongs. The Commodore shall have the primary duty of
finding new goals for the Club and shall delegate the routine and assiduous goals to the Vice-Commodore in order to
pursue this end. He/She shall approve and disburse all funds as agreed upon by the Board of Directors. He/She shall be
the custodian of the Corporate Record Book. The Commodores term of office shall be limited to two (2) consecutive
years. If the Commodore does not receive a vote of confidence (a simple majority vote) for the second term, the office
shall be declared vacant and the Vice-Commodore shall assume the duties of Commodore. No member shall be eligible
to hold the office of Commodore unless such member shall have previously held the office of Vice-Commodore or RearCommodore of the Club.
SECTION 7
VICE-COMMODORE: The Vice-Commodore will be the working executive of the Club and will be responsible for the
completion of all goals started by the Commodore for the Club. He/She shall be Chairman of the Finance Committee.
No member shall be eligible to hold the office of Vice-Commodore unless such member shall have previously held some
other office of the Club or shall have served actively on three (3) Committees of the Club. The Vice-Commodore, either
through attrition or resignation of the Commodore, will assume the office of Commodore.
SECTION 8
REAR-COMMODORE: The Rear-Commodore shall assume the duties of the Vice-Commodore in their absence. He/She
shall be responsible for of all trophies, awards, burgees, and miscellaneous merchandise. He/She shall be chairman for
the Entertainment Committees.
SECTION 9
TREASURER: The Treasurer shall collect all dues and render each member a Statement for Indebtedness when due. The
Treasurer shall maintain accurate records of accounts, which shall become the permanent property of the Club and
which are accessible to the Board of Directors at reasonable hours. Also, the Treasurer shall perform such duties as are
usually incumbent upon the office of the Treasurer and provide a report at each regular meeting indicating the financial
status of the Club. The Treasurer shall receive all receipts (also evidence of the title of real estate or other property
belonging to the Club and shall give proper receipt thereof) and deposit funds of the Club in such bank as the Board of
Directors designate. The Treasurer shall assume the responsibility of office at the CHANGE OF WATCH meeting and
provide a report of the expenditures and receipts giving a complete account of the financial status of the Club. In
addition to fulfilling the express desires of the Board of Directors, the Treasurer will be a member of, but not the
Chairman of, the Finance Committee.
SECTION 10
SECRETARY: It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to give notice to all members of all meetings called by the
Commodore as provided in the By-Laws. He/She is to notify members of their election, suspension, expulsion, or the
acceptance of their resignation. The Secretary will maintain an accurate and current roster of all members, a record of
proceedings of all meetings of the Club and those of the Board of Directors. Unless prescribed otherwise in these ByLaws, these records shall become the permanent property of the Club unless otherwise designated by the Commodore.

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SECTION 11
BOSUN: The Bosun shall assist the Rear-Commodore in the custody of all Club property and be responsible for its
proper condition at all times. He/She shall be custodian of all trophies and awards until granted. He/She will be a
member of the Cruise Committee.
SECTION 12
DIRECTORS: The Directors shall be guardians of the Constitution and By-Laws.

ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES
SECTION 1
There shall be four (4) major Standing Committees and as many special committees as are necessary to conduct the club
business. The Chairpersons of the following Standing Committees shall be appointed by the Commodore with the
exception of the Finance Committee Chairperson, which shall be chaired by the Vice-Commodore and the membership
committee, which shall be chaired by the Secretary and the Entertainment committee, which shall be chaired by the
Rear Commodore. The members of the committees shall be selected by the respective chairperson of each committee.
The number of members on each committee will be hereinafter shown. The four (4) Standing Committees will be:
1.
2.
3.
4.

The Finance Committee

The Cruise Committee
The Entertainment Committee
The Membership Committee

SECTION 2
FINANCE:
The duties of this committee, with the assistance of the chairperson, shall be to prepare the
budget for the Club for the year and to recommend to the Board of Directors any change in membership fees, dues,
special assessments, or changes in any accommodation of the Club. This committee shall consist of the ViceCommodore as the Chairperson and not less than three (3) other members, one of which shall be the Treasurer.
SECTION 3
MEMBERSHIP:
The duties of this committee is to secure members for the club and forward all applications and
present recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding membership privileges in the Club. The Chairperson of
the Membership Committee is the Secretary.
SECTION 4
CRUISE:
The duties of this committee shall be to promote activities in keeping with the Mission
Statement. This committee shall provide a program of events scheduled for the year and shall manage such events as
they occur. The committee shall consist of up to four (4) other members, one of which shall be the Bosun.
SECTION 5
ENTERTAINMENT:
The duties of this Committee (Rear Commodore and all of the event chairman make up this
committee) shall be to arrange for and manage entertainment of a social nature, as will in their judgment, be enjoyed by
the members.

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SECTION 6
All committees, both standing and special, shall be required to inform the Board of Directors regarding their intentions
and financial requirements for the year so as to make provisions for each department of the Club. No committee will be
permitted to obligate the Club to a greater amount than appropriated by the Board of Directors. No member is
permitted to obligate the Club or use any funds not provided for in the budget unless directed by the Board of Directors.
Every committee shall be required to render a report satisfactory to the Board of Directors whenever the Board of
Directors shall require it.
ARTICLE VIII
AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS
SECTION 1
The Board of Directors shall appoint an Auditing Committee of three (3) from the regular membership whose duty it
shall be to audit the books and the Annual Reports of the Treasurer and submit their findings to the Board of Directors
before the April meeting, or at their request.
ARTICLE IX
SIGNING CHECKS
SECTION 1
The signing of checks shall be by the Commodore, Vice Commodore, or the Treasurer. All receipts collected for the Club
shall be turned over to the Treasurer who shall make deposits as set forth elsewhere in these By-Laws.

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