BYLAWS OF THE
TRI-CITY MODEL RAILROADERS

(Approved 9/6/72, Revised 1/6/73, 11/6/78, 4/20/81, 9/13/82, 10/9/82, 3/7/88, 3/7/94, 5/4/98, 6/7/99, 9/27/2004, 5/21/2007, 4/28/2008)

ARTICLE I
100% NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION

Membership in the Tri-City Model Railroaders (TCMR) requires membership in the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). In order to maintain a 100 Percent NMRA status in accordance with NMRA procedures, the TCMR will collect and make payment to the NMRA for each member’s annual dues in accordance with the members NMRA category and TCMR Policy.

ARTICLE II
MEMBERS

SECTION 1. CLASSES OF MEMBERS

All classes of TCMR membership require NMRA membership. The Tri-City Model Railroaders (TCMR) shall have four (4) classes of members as follows:

• Regular Member - Any person 18 years of age or older, interested in model railroading, residing in the Mid-Columbia Empire, and interested in taking part in the modeling and social activities of the club. Requires a minimum of NMRA Basic Membership. The regular member is entitled to:

o Voting rights on all matters pertaining to club business except that business conducted by the Board of Directors (if the regular member is not a member of the Board of Directors).

o Hold office, and as an officer, conduct the business of the TCMR commensurate with the Office held.

o Participate in modeling, operation, and construction of the club layout and other club activities.

The regular member shall be responsible for damage to club and personal equipment when the damage is done during non-operating periods by the regular member, his/her family member, or personally invited guest. (Club equipment damaged during operating sessions shall be repaired by the committee members assigned to repair. Responsibility for and cost of repairing personal equipment damaged during operating sessions belongs to the person owning the equipment.)

All members must complete a one year probationary period. During the probationary period, a probationary member may be dismissed following approval by a 70% quorum at a regular business meeting.

· Family Members - The spouse and/or minor child of a Regular Member may become a family member(s) of the TCMR. Requires NMRA membership. Family Members do not have voting privileges, nor may they hold office.

• Student Member - Any person, at least fourteen and not yet nineteen years of age or a student between the ages of 19 and 25 years possessing valid student identification and interested in model railroading. Student Members under the age of eighteen years must have a signed statement with his/her parent's (or legal guardian's) signature attesting to the parent's or guardian's acceptance and liability for the Student Member's actions. Student members must be members of the NMRA. Student Members have the same voting privileges as regular members, and they may hold office. .
• Associate Member – Closed Membership available only those members who chose this category prior to May 2007. An Associate Member may attend regular and business meetings and social activities for enjoyment and fellowship. The Associate membership is for current members that chose the class prior to May, 2007 and do not wish to participate in model building or operations of a TCMR sponsored layout on a regular basis. Associate Members must have as a minimum NMRA Basic membership. Associate members shall be entitled to vote only for elections of TCMR officers. Applications for a new Associate membership or to change an existing membership to an Associate Member are no longer accepted.

SECTION 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE INTO MEMBERSHIP

• Applicants for Regular and Student membership and existing members who upgrade from Associate membership to Regular membership must attend at least one business meeting of the TCMR prior to applying for membership.
• Applicants for Regular and Student membership shall apply in person at a business meeting, and if accepted, must pay the initiation fee and first month's dues at the same meeting. If not an NMRA member, they must also pay the first years NMRA dues. Exception to the initiation fee is a prior member who moved away from the area may be reinstated when he/she returns to the Tri-Cities area again by meeting the requirements of the membership being applied for.
• A seventy percent (70%) majority of those voting at the meeting shall be required for a prospective member to attain membership.

SECTION 3. MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING

Only members in good standing and entitled to vote as described above may exercise their vote. Members in good standing are considered to be member's three months or less behind in their dues.

SECTION 4. DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

• Members who are three months delinquent in dues will be notified by mail of such delinquency and will have two weeks or until the next business meeting (whichever is longer) to show cause or pay all back dues or delinquent members will be dropped from the roster. Acceptance of reasonable cause must be approved by a vote of the membership. To be reinstated, any member dropped due to delinquency must pay a full initiation fee and be approved by a seventy percent (70%) quorum at a business meeting.

• Members who cause excessive damage to club or personal equipment or misappropriate club funds or property shall be dismissed from the TCMR.

• Officers missing more than three regularly scheduled business meetings during their yearly term may be removed from office and an election held to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE III
DUES AND INITIATION FEE

The dues and initiation fee structure is established in the TCMR policy. The dues structure is published in the monthly newsletter, The Ashpit, and on the application form for prospective members. Proposed dues and initiation fee changes will be published in the meeting minutes prior to the next business meeting. Dues and Initiation fee changes, require a 75 percent favorable vote of the quorum at the business meeting,

ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING

The business meeting in April will be the annual meeting of the membership. If an optional meeting is desired, written notice shall be sent to each member of the TCMR at least two weeks prior to such meeting and at least two weeks prior to the regular annual meeting schedule. Election of officers, board members, and normal business of the club shall be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 2. REGULAR MEETINGS

At this time, regular meetings will be published in The Ashpit. Any date shall be changed by majority vote of a quorum at a business meeting.

SECTION 3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

The Board of Directors' meetings shall be held as required at the request of a board member. All members are welcome to attend.

SECTION 4. BUSINESS MEETINGS

Business meetings shall be held monthly to conduct the business of the club. Any date shall be changed by majority vote of a quorum at a business meeting. Meeting location, time and date will be published monthly in The Ashpit. Meeting minutes and related club activities will be published monthly in The Ashpit.

SECTION 5. QUORUM

At any meeting of the membership, those members in good standing present and voting shall constitute a quorum. Each eligible member shall be entitled to one vote in accordance with the voting privileges stated in Article II. A simple majority of the quorum is necessary to conduct business except as noted elsewhere in the bylaws.

ARTICLE V
OFFICERS

SECTION 1. TITLES

The officers of the TCMR shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

SECTION 2. DUTIES

• President - The duties of the president shall be to exercise the duties inherent in the office and to call and preside over such meetings of the membership and Board of Directors as shall be deemed necessary.
• Vice-President - The duties of the vice-president shall be to function in the absence of the president in all matters.
• Secretary - The duties of the secretary shall be to take minutes of all business and Board of Directors' meetings and all other secretarial duties pertinent to the office.
• Treasurer - The duties of the treasurer shall be to receive and be accountable for all funds belonging to the TCMR and to pay the obligations incurred by the TCMR.

SECTION 3. TERMS OF OFFICE

All terms of the officers will run for one year from May 1 through April 30. Officers are elected at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 4. VACANCIES

Vacancies for officers shall be filled at the next regular business meeting. When possible, two weeks advance notice shall be given of this election.

ARTICLE VI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP

The Board of Directors of the TCMR shall consist of the four officers of the club and three directors.

SECTION 2. TERMS OF OFFICE

The directors shall serve for three years, and the terms of office shall be staggered so that one director is elected for the full term of the board each year. A term of office is from May 1 through April 30 of the following year. Officers shall serve as indicated in Article V Section 3.

SECTION 3. DUTIES AND AUTHORITY

The Board of Directors shall administer the affairs of the TCMR to the best interest of all members. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to spend up to fifty dollars ($50.00) per action without approval of the general membership. Any expenditure in excess of fifty dollars shall first be approved by the general membership.

SECTION 4. QUORUM

Four members of the Board of Directors shall represent a quorum for a Board of Directors meeting.

SECTION 5. MEETINGS

Any member of the board may call a Board of Directors meeting.

SECTION 6. VACANCIES

In the event of a vacancy for a director, the board shall appoint a new board member to fill the vacancy for the duration of the term.

ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 1. AMENDING THE BYLAWS

These bylaws may be amended by a 75 percent vote of the quorum at any business meeting of the TCMR. Any amendments shall be sent to the voting membership at least two weeks prior to the vote.

SECTION 2. BALLOTS AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS

• A ballot containing the nominated officers and board members shall be sent to all regular, junior, and associate members before the Annual Meeting.
• A written absentee ballot, sealed in a signed envelope (signed by the voting member), shall be accepted from any member of the voting membership provided it is delivered to the secretary prior to the vote.