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LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL

DISTRICT 14-F

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

 

LAST REVISION - 2009

 

 

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I

NAME

 

Section 1. This organization shall be known as District 14-F, of Multiple District 14, of the International Association of Lions Clubs, hereafter referred to as Lions Clubs International.

 

Section 2.  In this Constitution and By-laws, Multiple District 14 shall be referred to as District 14, and this District shall be referred to as District 14-F.

 

ARTICLE II

 

OBJECTS

 

Section 1.  To provide District 14-F with an efficient administrative and financial structure to advance the Purpose and Objectives of Lions Clubs International in District 14-F. It will serve to standardize, coordinate, and direct the activities, other than local activities, of all affiliated Lions Clubs within District 14-F.

 

ARTICLE III

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.  The members of this organization shall all be Lions who are members in good standing of a Lions Clubs in District 14-F duly chartered by Lions Clubs International. The boundary lines of District 14-F shall be as set by Multiple District 14 Pennsylvania State Council of Lions Clubs and approved by the Board of Directors of Lions Clubs International.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

DISTRICT ORGANIZATION

 

Section 1: Cabinet and Officers

 

  1. The District shall have a District Cabinet comprised of the District Governor, First and Second Vice District Governors, Past District Governors, Region Chairpersons, Zone Chairpersons, Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Treasurer, the District Committeepersons, Club Presidents, and the Club Secretaries. The members of the District Cabinet shall be the Officers and voting members of District 14-F. Each such Officer shall be a member in good standing of a Lions Club in good standing within the District.

 

  1. The District Governor and First and Second Vice District Governors shall be elected at the annual convention of District 14-F. He/She shall appoint, by the time he/she takes office, the Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Treasurer, one Region Chairperson for each Region, one Zone Chairperson for each Zone in the District, and all Cabinet Chairpersons.

 

  1. Any vacancy in any District office, except that of District Governor, First and Second Vice District Governors, Club Secretaries, Club Presidents, and Past District Governors, shall be filled by appointment of the District Governor for the remaining term thereof.

 

  1. If any District Officer shall cease to be an active member in the District, Region, Zone, or Club, as the case may be, to which he/she was appointed, his/her term of office shall there upon cease and the District Governor shall appoint a successor to fill said office.

 

  1. No salary shall be paid to any Officer of the District.

 

Section 2: District Cabinet Meeting

 

  1. Regular: A regular meeting of the Cabinet shall be held in each quarter of the fiscal year, with the first to be held within sixty (60) days after the adjournment of the preceding International Convention. Fourteen (14) days written notice of meetings setting forth a date, time, and place determined by the District Governor shall be given to each member by the Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or Cabinet Secretary.

 

  1. Special: Special meetings of the Cabinet may be called by the District Governor at his/her discretion, or shall be called upon written request made to the District Governor, Cabinet Secretary or Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer by ten (10) members of the Cabinet. No fewer than five (5) nor more than fourteen (14) days written or telegraphic notice of special meetings, setting forth a date, time, and place determined by the District Governor shall be given to each member by the Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or Cabinet Secretary.

 

  1. Quorum and Vote: The attendance of thirty-five (35) of the members of the Cabinet shall constitute a quorum for any meeting thereof. In all such meetings, the voting privilege shall extend to the District Governor, First and Second Vice District Governors, Past District Governors, Region Chairpersons, Zone Chairpersons, Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Treasurer, District Committeepersons, Club Presidents, and Club Secretaries. The District Governor shall vote in such meetings, only in case of a tie.

 

  1. Rule of Order: The District Cabinet meeting shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

Section 3: Regions and Zones

 

  1. District Governor shall divide the District into Regions of no more than sixteen (16) and no fewer than eight (8) Lions Clubs, and each Region into Zones of no more than eight (8) and no fewer than four (4) Lions Clubs, giving due regard to the geographical locations of the clubs. All such Regions and Zones shall be subject to change by the District Governor when, in his/her sole discretion, he/she shall deem the same necessary to the best interest of Lions Clubs International.

 

  1. Regional Meeting: At least one meeting of all clubs in a Region, with the Region Chairperson presiding, shall be held during the fiscal year at a time and place fixed by the Region Chairperson of the respective Region. Said meeting may replace a meeting of the District Governor’s Advisory Committee within that Region.

 

  1. District Governor’s Advisory Committee: In each Zone, the Zone Chairperson, the Presidents, the Secretaries, and the Treasurers of the Clubs in the Zone shall comprise the District Governor’s Advisory Committee, with the Zone Chairperson as Chairman thereof. At a date, time, and place called by the Zone Chairperson, this committee shall hold a first meeting preferably in the month of September: a second meeting preferably in the month of November: a third meeting preferably in the month of March; in accordance with Lions Clubs International’s Policies. A Region Meeting may replace a meeting of the District Governor’s Advisory Committee in that Region.

 

Section 4. District Committees

 

  1. District Governor’s Honorary Committee: The District Governor may appoint a District Governor’s Honorary Committee, composed of Past District Governors and International Officers who are members in good standing in clubs within the District, to promote harmony within the District and assist the District Governor with advice and recommendations about Lionism within the District.

 

B. Standing Committees

 

  1. Constitution and By-laws Committee: The District Governor shall appoint a committee of four (4) who shall be members of Lions Clubs in good standing, one of whom shall be from Region I, Region II, Region III, and Region IV, to serve as the Constitution and By-laws Committee. The Cabinet Secretary or Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as a fifth member of this committee during his/her term. The first four (4) appointees shall serve as follows: Region I – 1 year; Region II – 2 years; Region III – 3 years; Region IV – 4 years; and thereafter the appointees chosen to fill the vacancies shall be appointed by the District Governor for a term of four (4) years. The first chairperson shall be from Region I and thereafter the chairmanship shall rotate systematically each year from Region to Region.

 

  1. Policy Committee: The District Governor shall appoint a committee of four (4) who shall be members of Lions Clubs in good standing, one of whom shall be from Region I, Region II, Region III, and Region IV, to serve as the Policy Committee. The first four (4) appointees shall serve as follows: Region IV – 1 year; Region I – 2 years; Region II – 3 years; Region III – 4 years; and thereafter the appointees chosen to fill the vacancies shall be appointed by the District Governor for a term of four (4) years. The first chairperson shall be from Region IV and thereafter the chairmanship shall rotate systematically each year from Region to Region.

 

  1. Audit Committee: The District Governor shall appoint a committee of three (3) who shall be members of Lions Clubs in good standing. The first three appointees shall serve as follows: one member – 1 year; one member – 2 years; one member – 3 years; and thereafter the appointees chosen to fill the vacancies shall be appointed by the District Governor for a term of three (3) years. The one year member shall be Chairperson the first year, the two year member shall be chairperson the second year and thereafter the outgoing member of this committee shall be the chairperson. If a vacancy occurs, the District Governor must appoint a replacement within thirty (30) days to fill the remaining term.

 

  1. Executive Committee: An Executive Committee consisting of the District Governor, Immediate Past District Governor, First and Second Vice District Governors, Cabinet Secretary, and the Cabinet Treasurer, or Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer, shall meet at the discretion of the District Governor to handle any Emergency District business. The Executive Committee may act for and on behalf of the District Cabinet only when the members of the cabinet are not in one location or assembled in session. No Cabinet action shall be altered, amended, or rescinded by the Executive Committee. Executive Committee minutes shall be read or distributed at the next District Cabinet meeting.

 

ARTICLE V

 

FINANCE

 

Section 1.  The District Governor with the assistance of the Immediate Past District Governor, and the First and Second Vice District Governors shall prepare a fiscal budget for his/her term of office prior to the first cabinet meeting for presentation at said meeting.  The budget shall be prepared for the operating funds of the District and all other funds shall be controlled and directed by the Cabinet.

 

Section 2.  To provide revenue to defray the expenses of District 14-F, a semi-annual per capita dues as determined by the District Governor’s Budget to adequately cover the expected expenses of the District’s General Fund shall be presented at the August Cabinet Meeting or the Cabinet Meeting adopting this amendment. The dues shall be levied on each member of each Lions Club and shall be collected on or after the first Cabinet Meeting and on or after the 1st day of January in each year.  The membership of each club, for this purpose, shall be based on the June and December Membership and Activities Report (M&A).  New members or new clubs will be added on the next regular bill.

 

Section 3.  The District Governor and Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer or the Cabinet Treasurer shall collect funds due the District and disburse said funds in accordance with District Cabinet and Lions Clubs International objectives.  The District Governor shall be responsible for safeguarding all property of District 14-F.

 

Section 4.  The Audit Committee must provide an annual audit of the books and accounts of the Cabinet Treasurer or the Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer.

 

Section 5.  The outgoing District Governor must provide all District 14-F records pertinent to such audit, i.e., bank statements, records of purchases and inventory and any other records required to complete a fiscal audit or inventory shall be furnished no later than July 15th.  Upon completion, no later than August 1, the records, inventory, and other pertinent records shall be forwarded to the District Governor.  The audit results shall be forwarded to the outgoing District Governor for his/her presentation at the first Cabinet Meeting. The outgoing District Governor shall be surcharged for any deficit due to expenditures exceeding the revenues collected. This surcharge shall be paid over to the District Governor by the first cabinet meeting.

 

Section 6.  Any Region, Zone, Club or person sponsoring a District function, i.e., rally, cabinet meeting, forum, becomes financially responsible for all expenses, including speaker and related expenses, involved in said project, with the financial support of the District. The sponsor will provide the District Governor with a complete written financial report of the function at the next cabinet meeting.

 

Section 7.  The funds of the District shall be divided between restricted and unrestricted funds.

 

  1. Unrestricted funds shall be controlled and available for expenditure by the District Governor in accordance with his/her budget. Non-budgeted expenditures shall be presented to and approved by the District Cabinet.

 

  1. Restricted funds:

 

  1. By donor, shall be disbursed in accordance with the donor’s request.

 

  1. By Cabinet action, shall require a 2/3 vote of those in attendance at an official meeting of the District Cabinet for expenditure.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

AMENDMENTS

 

 

Section 1. This constitution may be amended only at a District 14-F Convention, by resolution of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee and adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast.

 

Section 2. No amendment shall be so reported or voted upon unless the same shall have been furnished in writing to each club no less than thirty (30) days prior to the convening date of the annual Convention with notice that the same will be voted upon at said Convention.

 

Section 3. Voting will be by Certified Delegates only.

 

Section 4. Each amendment shall take effect at the close of the Convention at which adopted unless otherwise specified in the amendment.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

DISTRICT 14-F CONVENTION

 

Section 1.  An annual convention for District 14-F shall be held in each year at least thirty (30) days prior to the Multiple District 14 Convention at a date, place and time upon the recommendation of the District 14-F Convention Committee.

 

Section 2.  The annual District 14-F Convention Committee shall be appointed by the District Governor to manage, record and conduct the business of the Convention. The committee members shall be Lions in good standing in the District.

 

Section 3.  A Convention Sergeant-at-arms and an Assistant Sergeant-at-arms shall be appointed by the District Governor.

 

Section 4.  The attendance in person of a majority of the delegates registered at a Convention shall constitute a quorum at any session of the Convention.

 

Section 5.  Within sixty (60) days after the close of the Convention an Official Report of the Convention proceedings shall be mailed to Lions Clubs International, the office of the Multiple District 14 Administrator and each club in the District. This shall be done by the Cabinet Secretary or Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer.

 

Section 6.  The responsibility of hosting the convention shall be rotated annually from Region to Region.

 

Section 7. The District Governor shall receive invitations in writing from places desiring to entertain the succeeding year(s) annual convention.

All invitations shall set forth such information as the District Governor shall from time to time require and shall be delivered to him/her no later than thirty (30) days prior to the convening date of the convention at which they are to be voted upon. Procedure to be followed in investigation of bids and in presentation of the same to conventions, as well as action to be taken by a convention in the event no bids are acceptable to or so received by the District Governor shall be determined by the District Governor.

 

Section 8. The District Governor shall retain and have power to change at any time, for good reason, the convention site chosen at the previous District Convention, and neither the District Governor nor the District nor any member of the District Cabinet, shall incur any liability thereby to any club or club member in the District.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

INTERPRETATION

 

Section 1.  In all cases, the Constitution and By-laws shall be interpreted to conform with the provisions of the Lions Clubs International Constitution and the District 14 Constitution.

 

 

 

 

BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE I

 

FISCAL YEAR

 

Section 1.  The Fiscal Year of this District shall be from July 1st to June 30th of the following year.

 

ARTICLE II

 

DISTRICT NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

 

Section 1. The District Governor shall appoint, by written notification received at least sixty (60) days prior to the District 14-F Convention, a

Nominating Committee of not more than five (5) members, each of whom shall be a member in good standing of a different Lions Club in good standing in the District, and shall not at the time of their appointment hold any District or International Office.

 

Section 2.  Any member of a club in the District seeking the office of District Governor or First and Second Vice District Governors shall file his/her intention to so run in writing with the Nominating Committee prior to December 31st, and furnish therewith evidence of his/her compliance with the qualifications for said office set out in the International Constitution and By-laws.  The Nominating Committee shall place in nomination the name(s) of all candidates so qualified at the next District Cabinet meeting.  If none are so received and/or so qualified, then, but then only, nominations for the office may be made from the floor at the February Cabinet Meeting.  Each candidate shall be allowed one (1) nominating speech of not more than five (5) minutes duration, and one (1) seconding speech of no more than three (3) minutes duration.

 

Section 3.  The election shall be by secret written ballot cast at the convention. The candidate receiving the largest number of the votes cast shall be declared elected.  In case of a tie on any ballot, the tie shall be broken by drawing straws by the candidates or by any other means acceptable to the candidates.

 

Section 4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of District Governor, the same shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the International Constitution and By-Laws. The Immediate Past District Governor, First and Second Vice District Governors, the Region Chairpersons, Zone Chairpersons, the Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Treasurer (or Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer) and District Governor's Honorary Committee shall convene at a date, time and place called and determined by the Immediate Past District Governor to select a replacement for recommendation to the International Board of Directors.

 

In order for a Lion to be eligible and qualified to be selected to fill a vacancy in the office of District Governor, he/she must:

 

(a) Be an active member in good standing of a chartered Lions club in good standing in District 14-F.

 

(b) Have served or will have served at the time he/she takes office as District Governor:

 

(i) As officer of a Lions Club for a full term or major portion thereof; and

 

(ii) As a member of the District Cabinet for two (2) full terms or major portion thereof;

 

(iii) With none of the above being accomplished concurrently.

 

It is encouraged that the First Vice District Governor fulfill his/her full term of office and other qualified Lions be considered for filling a vacancy in the office of District Governor.

 

Section 5.  Any vacancy in office except that of District Governor and First and Second Vice District Governors shall be filled by appointment from the District Governor for the unexpired term. In event of a vacancy arising in the office of First or Second Vice District Governor, the District Governor shall convene a meeting of the members of the existing Cabinet as provided for in the International Constitution and By-Laws and all Past International Officers who are members in good standing of a chartered Lions Club in good standing in the District. It shall be the duty of the attendees at this meeting to appoint a qualified club member as First or Second Vice District Governor for the remainder of the term. In filling said vacancy, it shall be the duty of the District Governor, or if not available, the most recent Past District Governor who is available, to send out invitations to attend said meeting and it shall also be his/her responsibility to preside as Chairperson of the meeting. The Chairperson shall convey the results to the International Office within seven (7) days together with evidence of invitations sent and meeting attendance. Each Lion entitled to receive an invitation to attend and is present at said meeting shall be entitled to cast one vote for the Lion of his/her choice.

 

In order for a Lion to be eligible and qualified to be selected to fill a vacancy in the office of First or Second Vice District Governor, he/she must:

 

(a) Be an active member in good standing of a chartered Lions Club in good standing in District 14-F.

 

(b) Have served or will have served at the time he/she takes office as First or Second Vice District Governor:

 

(i) As officer of a Lions Club for a full term or major portion thereof; and

 

(ii) As a member of the District Cabinet for a full term or major portion thereof.

 

(iii) With none of the above being accomplished concurrently.

 

Section 6. If any Region Chairperson or Zone Chairperson shall cease to be a member of a club in the Region or Zone, as the case may be, to which he/she was appointed, his/her term of office shall thereon cease and the District Governor shall appoint a successor to fill said office. Provided, however, the District Governor, in his/her discretion may determine not to use the position of Region Chairperson for the remainder of the term.

 

ARTICLE III

 

DUTIES

 

Section 1. THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S CABINET – The District Governor’s Cabinet shall:

 

  1. Assist the District Governor in the performance of his/her duties and the formulation of administrative plans and policies affecting the welfare of Lionism within the District.

 

  1. Serve in an advisory and administrative capacity only.

 

  1. Receive, from the Region Chairperson reports and recommendations which concern the clubs and zones.

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Section 1. The selling of all raffle and promotional tickets shall be prohibited at all District functions. The sponsoring Club or Organization may hold fundraisers to offset the cost of that function.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Section 1. The Policy Manual shall be utilized as a Procedural Guide and supplement for District 14-F Constitution and By-laws.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These by-laws may be amended only at a District Convention by resolution reported by the Constitution and By-Laws Committee and adopted by a majority of the votes cast.

 

Section 2.  No amendment shall be so reported or voted upon unless the same shall have been furnished in writing to each club no less than thirty (30) days prior to the convening date of the annual Convention with notice that the same will be voted upon at said Convention.

 

Section 3.  Voting will be by Certified Delegates only.

 

Section 4. Each amendment shall take effect at the close of the convention at which adopted unless otherwise specified in the amendment

 

ARTICLE VII

 

VOTING

 

Section 1.  Each club in good standing shall be entitled to one vote for each  ten members or majority thereof. The District Governor, Past District Governors, and Past International Officers that are residents of District 14-F and whose club is in good standing shall have full voting privileges without affecting delegate quotas.