Parrot Heads of Puget Sound
By-Laws
Article I. NAME
This organization shall be called the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound (PHoPS), also known as âWeb Foot Children in the Rainâ founded by Su Ross in June 1995.
Article II. MISSION
The purpose of the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound is to promote friendships and organize social activities for people with similar interests, including the enjoyment of the tropical spirit of Jimmy Buffettâs music. The organization will provide its members with opportunities to participate in a variety of volunteer efforts in the local, regional, and national community for social, charitable, and environmental causes. In the process of making new friends and having fun, the members will work toward leaving something positive behind in our communities.
Article III. MEMBERSHIP & DUES
A. Membership Statement:
1. Membership in the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound shall be open to anyone meeting the membership requirements specified in Article III Section B.
B. Membership requirements shall be as follows: Initial Members membership requirements:
1. PHoPS membership is open to anyone with the tropical spirit and desire to contribute to the betterment of their communities.
2. The person must have an interest in Jimmy Buffettâs music.
3. The person must have an interest in community service and environmental concerns and be willing to volunteer in club functions.
4. The person must have a commitment toward the success of achieving the mission of the organization and will not engage in any activities or actions that are contrary to the mission or success of the club.
5. The person must agree to and abide by all club by-laws and all Parrot Heads in Paradise (PHiP) by- laws.
6. Existing Members membership requirements: In addition to abiding by Article III.B.1 – III.B.5, all existing members must be a member in good standing, which means they are current on their dues, and have an application on file with the club via the Membership Director. Members will also have current information for their address, phone number, and email on file with the Membership Director. Members are responsible for sending any changes regarding their information to the Membership Director as soon as they are made.
C. Membership Dues
1. All members will pay dues per Article III E.1 – E.2 Inclusive
2. The Board of Directors is responsible for proposing the fee structure for membership dues, which will be voted on by the Club members in good standing at a Club Business Meeting and approved by a majority of those who voted.
3. Initial membership dues must be paid in full before an applicant can be considered an active member. Membership renewals for all anniversary dates are due annually during the period January 1-February 15.
4. Dues shall be considered late on the 16th day of February, the day after the membership drive closes.
5. By a majority vote, the Board of Directors can waive, reduce, or extend the deadline for payment of dues for any member due to financial hardship. Requests for such provision must be submitted in writing to any member of the Board of Directors within 30 days of the dues becoming due.
6. Membership dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
D. Refund of Dues
1. Refunds of dues are only made with a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
2. Any person wishing to terminate his/her membership prior to the end of their current year will not be refunded any portion of his/her dues without submitting to the Board of Directors a request for a refund at which time the request shall be voted upon. A majority vote will approve such a refund. The Board of Directors will send written notification of their decision to the member requesting a membership refund within 10 days of their decision.
3. If the Board of Directors determines by majority vote between renewal dates that a person does not meet the requirements of membership stated in Article III section B, the Board of Directors can refund a portion of that personâs dues prorated by the number of days remaining until the anniversary date, thus terminating membership in the organization and all rights and privileges therein.
4. Any person who has not paid renewal dues by the first day after the designated membership drive month has passed will be considered to have terminated his/her membership and payment of full membership dues will reinstate his/her membership under a new anniversary date.
5. Reinstatement after membership termination shall be considered renewed with no additional lanyard or membership card.
6. Any PHoPS membership that is terminated due to an infraction of the bylaws/code of misconduct as described in Article X of the by-laws will not receive a refund of any portion of their membership dues and will immediately forfeit any rights and privileges afforded by membership in the PHoPS club.
E. Membership cost: Unless otherwise modified, the membership fees are as follows:
1. Membership dues are $20.00 per calendar year for all persons age of 18 and older.
2. Keets (children of adult Parrot Heads) under the age of 18 shall be included with their parent(s) membership.
3. Initial membership dues provides:
a. Access to the two club email lists: âAnnounce Listâ and âPHoPS Listâ as long as they are in operation.
b. Club lanyard and membership card.
c. Damaged membership cards (badges) will be replaced free of charge. Lost cards will be replaced at the Clubâs replacement cost.
4. Any initial membership fee paid after November 1st shall automatically be considered paid and in good standing for the entirety of the following calendar year.
Article IV. MEETINGS
A. Types of meetings:
1. General Business Meeting â Two (2) or more General Business Meetings shall be held per year. The first General Business Meeting, which shall include the election, shall be held during the month of February. The second General Business Meeting shall be during the month of September. Additional General Business Meetings may be arranged should the need arise.
a. These meetings shall be open to all members in good standing and will be conducted by the Club President, or in his/her absence, a designated member of the Board.
b. All club decisions at the business meetings will be by a simple majority vote of those present.
c. Minutes will be taken at all meetings, reported on and presented for approval prior to or during a following meeting.
2. Board of Directors Meeting â The Board of Directors shall hold a meeting each month as needed, unless otherwise noted.
a. These meetings shall be open to all members in good standing and will be conducted by the Club President, or in his/her absence, a designated member of the Board.
b. All club decisions at the Board meetings will be by a simple majority vote of those present.
c. Minutes will be taken at all meetings, reported on and presented for approval prior to or during a following meeting.
3. Special Executive Board Meeting â Available for the Board of Directors to make decisions on any business that the Board feels necessary between regular meetings. This type of meeting may be conducted in person or via other means.
a. All disciplinary decisions will be made at a closed special executive board meeting.
Article V. OFFICERS
Board of Directors â Shall be comprised of five Officers, including President, Treasurer, Director of Communications, Social Director, and Director of Membership. Each officer shall serve a term of one year and shall act on behalf of the membership as closely as can be interpreted by direct communication, implication, or actions. Not all board positions required to be filled except those per Parrot Heads in Paradise bylaws.
A. President
1. Represent the club in functions.
2. Preside over all board meetings.
3. Act as the primary contact with all outside organizations including PHiP, other Charter Parrot Head Clubs, and commercial sponsors and ensure proper reporting to PHiP.
4. Oversee all Board Members and Committees, holding them accountable for appointed, assigned, or volunteered tasks.
5. Designate a Board Member to oversee a Board Meeting in his/her absence.
B. Treasurer
1. Record and keep track of formal accounting ledger books.
2. Balance accounts, issue checks for charities and expenditures.
3. Give Treasury Report at each Business Meeting.
C. Director of Communication
1. Record, keep and report minutes of all Board, Executive, and General Meetings.
2. Disseminate timely updates of club events, communications, and general information to the membership.
3. Act as advisor to the Technical sub-committee and/or volunteers.
4. Coordinate communication with the media, including press releases.
D. Social Director
1. Cultivate and facilitate PHoPS social & volunteer activities.
2. Serve as liaison between the Board and all event chairperson(s) to ensure event coordination.
3. Coordinate with Treasurer to account for funds generated through Club activities.
4. Track volunteer hours and activities completed for all club-sponsored events and report to the Board.
5. Maintain Treasure Chest, providing inventory to Board upon request.
E. Director of Membership
1. Maintain membership list.
2. Organize renewal drive.
3. Plan active recruiting program for new membership.
4. Maintaining club banner and all membership materials, including lanyards and membership cards making them available for all club events.
5. Coordinate with Treasurer to account for funds generated through initial & renewal memberships.
6. Coordinate New Member welcome procedures.
7. Maintain point totals for all members.
F. Any Board of Directors member may be removed for reasons of malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance of duty, or for committing an act that brings significant discredit to PHoPS. The President may suspend an Officer from the performance of his/her duties, including voting privileges, during the period between that person being impeached and the Board of Directors adjudicating the matter. In the event the President is impeached, then the senior member of the Board of Directors (one who has held office/been on the board the longest) who was not impeached may suspend the President from the performance of his/her duties during the period between the President being impeached and the Board of Directors adjudicating the matter. The post occupied by the suspended Officer shall remain vacant until such time as the matter leading to the suspension has been adjudicated by the Board of Directors or otherwise appropriately resolved.
Article VI. COMMITTEES AND VOLUNTEERS
A. Committees shall be chaired on a volunteer basis and will report updates of committee activities to the President or overseeing board member, and will be presented at the normal club meetings.
B. The Committee Chairperson for each official PHoPS sponsored event (event leader) will provide a list of attendees to the appropriate board member for point tracking.
Article VII. ELECTIONS
A. Elections and Voting.
1. The membership will elect the Board of Directors for a one-year term. The term shall be from election to election. There are no term limits.
2. Elections will be held during the February General Business Meeting.
3. Voting shall take place by secret ballot and will be determined by simple majority of those present and those who have forwarded proxy votes.
4. The election shall be conducted by the Election Committee Chairperson (an individual who is not running for a Board Position) and will be open to current club members in good standing only.
B. Nominating.
1. Nominations for Board of Director positions will be open for the month of January every year.
2. Any member in good standing may nominate himself or herself or another member in good standing, with at least six (6) months of membership.
3. Nominee campaign information, limited to one (1) page, must be received by the election committee by February 10th to be included in the pre-election information.
C. Pre-Election Information.
1. Election information will be sent to the general membership prior to the election, as appropriate. The information will include proxy information (to be used only if a member is unable to attend the General Business Meeting and they wish to participate in the election), campaign information from each candidate regardless of number of people running for a position, and any other pertinent information.
D. Write-Ins.
1. No write-in candidates will be allowed.
E. Uncontested Election.
1. If there are no contested positions, then there will be no election. If the person holding the position is the only person running for the position or only one person is running for the position, then there will be no election for that position. The uncontested candidate will be declared the winner.
Article VIII. REPLACEMENT OF BOARD MEMBERS
Replacement of a board member, should the need arise, will be appointment by the remaining board members for the remainder of the term.
Article IX. ADOPTION OF BY-LAWS
A. The By-laws, as presented shall become effective April 2001 until such time that they are amended.
B. The By-laws shall be approved by a simple majority vote at a regularly scheduled Board Meeting. Email proxy votes will be accepted.
C. Amendments â Amendments may be presented in writing to the Board of Directors at any time. The proposal should include the reason for amendment and a sample of the proposed amendment. Upon Board approval, the amendment(s) will be presented to the membership at the next business meeting. A vote will be taken at that meeting and shall be approved by a simple majority vote.
Article X. INFRACTIONS OF THE BY-LAWS
A. Any current PHoPS member may submit in writing only (signed, dated, and clearly written), within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of the stated infraction(s) to the PHoPS Board of Directors, a detailed statement regarding the alleged infraction(s) of the PHoPS By Laws, by any other current PHoPS member.
B. The Board will inform, by letter, the PHoPS member of the alleged infraction(s) against her or him. The member will be suspended and given thirty (30) days to provide a written response to the Board. If the member chooses not to respond within thirty (30) days, the Board will move forward to a decision without the member’s input.
C. After the thirty (30) day deadline, the Board will hold a special executive meeting to evaluate the alleged infraction(s) and make one of the following decisions:
1. No Action â The alleged infraction has been considered by the Board, is deemed to not be an infraction, and the Board will take no action.
2. Action â The alleged infraction has been considered by the Board, deemed to be an infraction, and action determined to be taken by a unanimous decision of the Board of Directors. The specific action is entirely left to the discretion of the Board and is to be based only upon the severity of the stated infraction.
3. Action may include but is not limited to:
a. Issuance of a warning letter to cease the behavior that is deemed to be in violation of the bylaws.
b. Suspension from attending PHiP Affiliated Concerts using Club tickets for a specific time frame (i.e., thirty (30) days, sixty (60) days, current named tour dates, etc.).
c. Suspension from membership for a set period which may include being unable to attend MOTM as membership would not be in good standing.
d. Revocation of membership. (A revoked membership may not be reinstated without prior approval of the Board of Directors. Dues are not refundable. However, a reinstatement does not require additional dues if a revocation is annulled during the same paid-up dues period as the revocation was initiated.)
D. Any PHoPS member found to be recruiting or soliciting for a charity or organization at a PHoPS sponsored or co-sponsored event or selling items for their own personal benefit, without the expressed written consent of the PHoPS Board of Directors, is considered to be engaging in an action contrary to the PHoPS mission and will be grounds for immediate membership revocation from PHoPS. If action is taken against a PHoPS member for an infraction(s) of the PHoPS Bylaws, the member will be informed in writing within 30 days of the PHoPS Board of Directorâs decision. The member who submitted the original statement of alleged infraction(s) shall be provided with a copy of the Board’s decision.
E. PHoPS Board of Directorâs decisions are considered final.
1. If a vote for action is taken toward a certain Board Member, that Board Member may not participate in the discussion of the issue or in the vote
F. At the next scheduled PHoPS General Meeting, the membership shall be informed of the decision, and the information will be properly recorded in the minutes.
Article XI. POINT SYSTEM
A. Points are earned by PHoPS members based on the system outlined in this article, and shall be effective from January 1 to December 31 (inclusive) of each calendar year.
B. Point values are determined by the Board of Directors.
C. Points may be used for various awards to members, if appropriate, to be determined by the Board of Directors.
D. In the event that Parrot Heads in Paradise (PHiP) affiliated concerts become available to the club, the PHiP ticketing rules along with the PHoPS point system will be used to allocate club tickets available for club members to purchase.
1. Based on ticket availability, one (1) club ticket will be available per qualified member in good standing, starting with the highest point earners. All qualified members in good standing will be given a deadline for purchase of these tickets. If that deadline passes, the opportunity to purchase will go to the member with the next highest total. Ties may be broken by lottery.
E. Information about the club points system, if and when it is in use, will be posted on the club web site.
Article XII. FISCAL POLICY
A. Reimbursements.
1. Members wishing to be reimbursed for PHoPS related activities such as, but not limited to, necessary supplies for official club events and other official and/or club sponsored functions, prior to spending monies shall comply with the club reimbursement rules laid out as follows:
a. Expenditure amounts up to $100.00.
1. Prior approval must be obtained from the club President or a designated board member.
b. Expenditure amounts over $100.00.
1. Prior approval must be obtained from the clubâs Board of Directors.
2. To obtain reimbursement, the member shall submit receipts to the club Treasurer.
3. PHoPS members who anticipate incurring expenses for club related activities should, after obtaining proper Board of Directors approval, seek to have an invoice directed to the club for the amount due. If this is not possible, then submit the receipts to the club Treasurer as indicated in this article.
Article XIII. PHoPS PROPERTY
All property acquired by PHoPS or on behalf of PHoPS, shall remain the property of PHoPS until is used, sold, or disposed of at the discretion of the Board of Directors. In the event that PHoPS is disbanded, all PHoPS property will be donated to a charity.
History:
Amended: February 10, 2024
Amended: September 14, 2021
Amended: February 20, 2021
Amended: September 28, 2019
Amended: February 23, 2019
Amended: September 25, 2013
Amended: September 23, 2012
Amended: February 28, 2010
Amended: February 25, 2007
Adopted: April 2001
Download PHoPS By-Laws in PDF format here