ARTICLE I
Name and Objective
Section 1 ‑ This Club shall be known as "BASQUE CLUB." Its purposes and objectives are to promote and encourage the welfare of all people of the Basque Region of France and Spain by birth or descent, and to promote their social, recreational, intellectual, cultural, physical and moral welfare, and generally to do and perform all other matters and things that may be necessary or proper to carry out any and all of the foregoing purposes.
Section 1 ‑ Its members shall be confined to any male person over the age of eighteen (18 ) years, whose application is sponsored by two ( 2 ) members in good standing.
Section 2 ‑ Application must be made in writing and be signed by the applicant, setting time and place of birth, place of residence, residence phone, business address, business phone, and whether of French nationality, Spanish nationality, French descent, Spanish descent, or married to a person of French nationality or French descent, or married to a person of Spanish nationality or Spanish descent, and the applicant for membership must be recommended by a member of the Club in good standing. However, an applicant to the Club not of French nationality, French descent, Spanish nationality, or Spanish descent, must be recommended by two (2) members of the Club in good standing.
Section 3 ‑ The application shall be read at a regular meeting, entered on the minutes and referred to the Committee for Membership, who shall inquire into and report at the next regular meeting of the Club as to the character and fitness of the applicant to become a member. If the report be unfavorable the application shall be declared rejected; if the report be favorable, a ballot shall be taken and three (3) negative votes shall be sufficient to reject, but, on demand, a re‑ballot shall be had immediately. When rejected, his application cannot be again considered in the Club for a period of six (6) months.
Section 4 ‑All members of the Club in good standing at the time of the adoption of these By‑Laws shall be considered as having fulfilled all the necessary qualifications for membership to the Club and be full‑fledged members of the Club.
Section 1 ‑ The regular meetings of this Club shall be held on the 4th Thursday of each month, at 8:30 o'clock p.m., at the place of meeting to be designated by the Club. No regular meetings shall be held on legal holidays. The senior officer present shall call the meeting to order and preside at the meeting.
Section 2 ‑ Thirteen (13) members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business at all meetings, regular or special.
Section 3 ‑ Special meetings may be called by the President at his discretion, and must be called upon the written request of five (5) members in good standing, or by vote of the Club, and the recording Secretary shall notify the members be notice in writing, deposited in the United States Post Office, with the postage prepaid thereon, addressed to the members of the Club at their last known address, at least forty‑eight (48) hours before the time set for such special meeting. The written notice of special meeting shall contain and specify the objectives of said meeting. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting other than that for which it may have been called.
Officers (Nomination, Election and Duties)
Section 1 ‑ The officers of the Club shall be President, Vice‑President, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer or Sergeant‑at‑Arms and eight (8) Trustees.
Section 2 ‑ The Junior Past President shall automatically be a Trustee for the year following his term as President of the Club.
Section 3 ‑ Candidates for the offices of President, Vice‑President, Secretary and Treasurer must have been a Trustee in good standing during the preceding year.
Section 4 ‑ The officers of the Club shall be members in good standing and who have been members in good standing of the Club for one (1) year prior to the date of nomination for office.
Section 5 ‑ Nominations for officers shall be made on the 1st Thursday of September of each year.
Section 6 ‑ Elections of officers shall take place on the 4th Thursday, of September of each year.
Section 7 ‑The Secretary shall notify the members by notice in writing, deposited in the United States Post Office, with the postage prepaid thereon, addressed to the members of the Club at their last known address, at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time set for such meeting advising the members that nominations or election of officers will take place at the next meeting.
Section 8 ‑ Candidates for Trustee must be present at the nomination meeting or must notify, the President in writing by Registered Mail forty‑eight (48) hours prior to the day of the nomination meeting.
Section 9 ‑ The President shall declare in order the nomination for the particular office, appoint tellers and judges, and control the manner and form of balloting. The nominee receiving the majority of votes cast shall be declared elected.
Section 10 ‑ All officers shall hold their offices for the term of one (1) year from the first meeting, in October until their successors are elected and qualified.
Section 11 ‑ When an officer is absent from three (3) consecutive meetings, his office will be declared vacant if he cannot present a valid excuse.
Section 12 ‑Vacancies may be filled by nominations at any regular meeting and the election shall take place at the next regular meeting.
Duties of Officers
Section 1 ‑ President ‑ The President shall preside at the meeting of the Club, see that all other officers perform their duties, and that the Articles of Incorporation and the By‑Laws of the Club are observed, appoint all committees, give the casting vote when a tie occurs; examine and announce the result of all balloting and other votes; direct the Secretary to call a special meeting, when applied for in writing by five (5) members. Previous to closing the meeting, he shall ascertain from the Secretary the amount of the receipts since the previous meeting, and from the Treasurer if lie has received the name.
Section 2 ‑ Vice‑President ‑ The Vice‑President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence or inability.
Section 3 ‑ Secretary ‑ The Secretary shall keep a correct record of each meeting of the Club in a book kept for that purpose, and shall keep all books and papers of the Club ready for inspection at all times. He shall be custodian of the corporate seal and affix the same to all documents when ordered.
He shall keep a correct record of the finances of the Club and a record of the statistical data required in the application as provided in Article 11, Section 2, collect dues from the members and all other monies due the Club. His books must show the debits and credits of each member and of all others doing business with the Club. He shall give a statement of all monies received and disbursed by hire at every meeting. He shall notify all members when three (3) months in arrears of clues. He shall on election night furnish the list of members not entitled to vote. He shall turn over to the Treasurer at each meeting the monies received by him obtaining a receipt for the same. His books and accounts may be inspected by the Trustees whenever they may deem it necessary. At the termination of his office, he shall deliver to his successor, all the properties of the Club in his hands, taking receipt for the same.
Section 4 – Treasurer ‑ The Treasurer shall receive receipt for and disburse all monies belonging to the Club, and keep a regular account thereof. He shall deposit the money in the name of the Club in such bank as the Club may determine upon. All checks, withdrawals or transfers of funds emanating from the Club shall be signed by two (2) of the following four (4) officers: President, Vice‑President, Secretary or Treasurer.
Section 5 ‑ Sergeant‑at‑Arms ‑ The Sergeant‑at‑Arms shall have charge of the meeting room and keep it in order. He shall take care that no intruders participate in the meeting. He shall be held responsible for all property of the Club entrusted to his care and shall deliver the same to his successor.
Section 6 ‑ Trustees ‑ The Trustees shall examine and report on all the receipts and disbursements; audit the books of the Club semiannually in February and August of each year, compare the vouchers and records to see if they correspond with the collections and disbursements. They shall, at the expiration of their term, turn over to their successors, all documents and property connected with their office. They shall have the duties to examine the funds and properties of the Club.
Section 7 ‑ Reserve Cash ‑ Incoming officers of the Club shall be obligated to keep intact the total amount of cash left in the bank by the outgoing officers. Any expenses for social events, such as parties, banquets, picnics, rental of halls, invitations, printing, advertising, etc., shall he paid for from membership dues or from profits from new activities.
Dues
Section 1 ‑ The dues for the ensuing year shall be voted upon by the members at the regular meeting in November of each Near. The dues shall he payable annually in advance. When a member is in arrears for three (3) months, he shall be notified of his arrearage by the Secretary. A member in arrears for six (6) months shall be automatically suspended and shall be deprived of all privileges of the Club.
Section 2 ‑ A member of the Club who has been suspended from the Club for non‑payment of dues shall be reinstated upon the payment of six (6) months back dues plus six (6) months current dues.
Section 3 ‑ When a member is in arrears for twelve (12) months non‑payment of dues, he shall be automatically expelled from the Club.
Penalties
Section I ‑ All members changing address should notify the Secretary in writing. If not, the member will be considered at the last known address, and the Club will not be responsible for his failure to receive current correspondence.
Section 2 ‑ Any member in contempt of the authority of the President, using insulting language or displaying unruly conduct at any function of the Club will be suspended from the Club for a period of one (1) year.
Committees
Section 1 ‑ The President of the Club shall appoint such committees as he may deem necessary from tune to time, and he shall fill all vacancies therein. He shall be ex‑officio a member of all committees.
Club Benefits
Section 1 ‑ Any member who wishes to apply for sick benefits must immediately notify the Secretary and furnish him with a doctor's certificate within three (3) weeks.
Section 2 ‑ Members must be in the Club for a period of six (6) months before becoming eligible for sick benefits.
Section 3 ‑ Members who join the Club after the age of fifty (50) years are not eligible for sick benefits.
Section 4 ‑ Benefits for the sick are as follows:
(a) After three (3) weeks of disability, members will be eligible for fifteen ($15) dollars.
(b) An additional one ($1) dollar a day will be granted until a total of one hundred ($100) dollars is paid.
Section 5 ‑ A life‑time maximum amount paid to each member who applies and is eligible for sick benefits is set at one hundred ($100) dollars.
Section 6 ‑ In the event that the financial state of the Club is jeopardized because of the allocation of sick benefits, the officers of the Club, who must be in general agreement, have the authority to cancel the benefits.
Blood Bank
Section 1 ‑ All members in good standing have the privilege of obtaining blood for themselves and their immediate family.
Section 2 ‑ It is the duty of each member who is able, to donate blood to the Basque
Club account at the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank in San Francisco.
Alterations and Amendment of Articles of Incorporation and By‑Laws
Section 1 ‑ Alterations and amendment may he made to the Articles of Incorporation of this Club or the By‑Laws of this Club by a vote of two‑thirds (2/3) of the members present.
Section 2 ‑ Before a vote is taken on any motion to alter or amend the Articles of Incorporation or By‑Laws of this Club, the Secretary shall notify the members by notice in writing deposited in the United States Post Office with the postage prepaid thereon, addressed to the members of the Club at their last known address, at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time set for such special meeting. The written notice shall advise the members that a motion to amend or falter the Articles of Incorporation or the By‑Laws shall he voted upon at the next meeting, and the notice shall contain a concise statement of the proposed amendment or alteration.