By-Laws
& T.S.A.
PREAMBLE
The object of this organization shall be to promote
cordiality and good fellowship among the members; to promulgate rules and
regulations for the conduct and general behavior at the Texas Shrine
Association Ceremonials; and to perform such other functions as the common good
of the member clown units may require.
None of the provisions herein contained shall be construed as in any
manner abridging or conflicting with the Imperial code of the Imperial Council,
A.A.O.N.M.S., now existing or hereinafter enacted.
Section 2:
The following definitions
shall apply to the following words when used herein unless the contrary clearly
appears from the context:
A.
“CLOWN UNIT” means any duly organized, properly costumed
unit, operating under the jurisdiction of any temple, formed for the purpose of
assisting in parades, entertaining and appearing at functions under the
direction of the temple. The number of
clowns, units and members in such units shall be designated by its
jurisdictional temple.
B. “TEMPLE” means any temple of the A.A.O.N.M.S. belonging to the
Texas Shrine Association.
C. “ASSOCIATION” means the TEXAS SHRINE CLOWN ASSOCIATION.
D. “CLOWN” means any Noble who is a member in good standing of a
clown unit.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
The clown units of all
temples shall be eligible for the membership herein.
A.
For the purposes of the Association, any separate clown unit
so designated by its jurisdictional temple shall be eligible for membership.
B Before any clown unit can be admitted to membership in the
Association, such membership must be approved by a majority vote of the
Association. If two or more clown units
from any one temple are admitted to membership herein, each shall pay dues and
each shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges as all other member
units.
Section 2:
Each Clown Unit with at least one duly
authorized delegate, a member of such clown unit, in attendance at any meeting
shall be entitled to three votes upon all questions coming before any such
meeting. Such three votes shall be
split or voted as a unit at the discretion of the particular delegation. Each delegation shall select its own chairman,
who will be responsible to announce correctly the vote of his Clown Unit. Furthermore, each chairman shall promptly
notify the Secretary of this Association of his selection, and no Clown Unit
shall be permitted either directly or indirectly to cast the vote of any other
clown unit.
Section 3:
In order to maintain active membership,
each clown unit shall report the name and addresses of its officers to the
Secretary of the Association and promptly notify him of any changes of either
name or address.
Section 4:
Newly joining Clown Units shall be a
member of the Association for a minimum of four (4) years prior to offering a
nominee from their unit for the office of President, only.
ARTICLE III
DUES
The dues of each Clown Unit member of
the Association shall be one hundred
fifty dollars ($150.00) per annum payable to the Secretary-Treasurer
on or before the opening of business at the Mid-Winter meeting. The same is to be used for the expenses of
the Association, as necessary. Any unit
failing to do so or in arrears in dues payment shall not be eligible to vote on
matters brought up for vote to the Association.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 1:
The elective officers of the Association shall be
as follows:
President
1st
Vice President
2nd
Vice President
Assemblymen
(Three)
Parliamentarian
Secretary-Treasurer
Section 2:
A.
Each officer shall be elected by majority of the
votes cast after nominations from the floor at the mid-winter meeting. Separate ballots shall be taken for each
office. President, 1st Vice
President or 2nd Vice President shall not be from the same Clown
Unit. The Secretary-Treasurer can be
from any Clown Unit. Assemblymen
(three) or Parliamentarian shall not be from the same Clown Unit. Each clown so
elected shall take office and be installed at the close of the annual summer
meeting of the Association, as provided in Article V, Section 1, and shall
serve for one (1) year starting at the end of the Texas Shrine Association
meeting in the summer and until the end of the Texas Shrine Association summer
meeting the next year and until his successor is elected and qualified.
B.
The Board of Directors shall be composed of all Past
Presidents and shall act in an advisory capacity. All Presidents shall automatically become members of the Board of
Directors immediately upon completion of their term of office.
C.
Vacancies to any office shall be
filled in a timely manner with a member of the affected unit. Any such clown serving as a replacement must
submit to and be qualified as is described for candidates for office in Article
IV, Section 2 D.
D.
All members for office in the
Association must have Five (5) years of membership in a local TSCA clown
unit. All candidates for the office of
2nd Vice President must be a past unit President and shall submit to
the Association Secretary a resume of his Past Shrine history and any other
pertinent information along with a letter of recommendation and certification
from his Temple Potentate. The
Association Secretary must receive the resume and accompanying letter in
sufficient time for notification of all unit heads of the proposed
candidate. All candidates not
submitting such information at least thirty (30) days prior to any such
mid-winter meeting will be disqualified as to the office of2nd Vice
President for that year.
Section 3:
No clown shall hold more
than one (1) elective office in the Association at any one time. All officers and all Past Presidents of the
Association shall automatically be delegates to the Assembly without the
formality of being elected as such.
Each Clown Unit may elect three (3) delegates to the Assembly in
addition to any of its clowns who are automatically included, provided,
however, that such increase in the number of delegates shall not operate to
increase the number of votes which may be cast by any
Clown unit.
ARTICLE V
MEETINGS
Section 1:
A.
The Association shall, with the consent of the Texas Shrine
Association, meet annually at the same time and place as the Texas Shrine
Association Ceremonial. The Association
shall also hold a regular Mid-Winter meeting during the month of March of each
year, which meeting shall not be held at the same time and place as the Mid-Winter
meeting of the Texas Shrine Association.
Any business which may be transacted at the annual meeting may be
transacted at the Mid-Winter meeting except the installation of officers.
B.
Unless otherwise provided by resolution of statute,
parliamentary procedures shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 2:
Special meetings may be
called by the President at any time or place at his discretion or when
requested by a majority of member Clown Units of the Association.
Section 3:
Representative from a
majority of member Clown Units shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business.
Section 4:
If for any reason a
Mid-Winter meeting of the Association is not held, then the Officers shall hold
a regular Mid-Winter meeting during the month of February of each year at a
time and place to be designated by the President.
Section 5:
Special meetings of the
Officers shall be held at the call of the President or by request to him in
writing by a majority of the elected Officers.
In such cases, the President shall designate the time and place, and the
call for the meeting shall be issued in writing by the Secretary.
Section 6:
Four (4) Officers shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
DUTIES
Section 1:
The President is the Chief
Officer of the Association. He will
preside over all meetings of the Assembly and of the Officers.
Section 2:
When in his judgment the
good of the Association requires it, the President shall have the power to call
special meetings, specifying the business to be laid before such a meeting.
Section 3:
The President may do all
such other acts and perform such other duties, not inconsistent with these
By-Laws, as in his judgment the interests of the Association require.
Section 4:
The First Vice President
shall assist the President and shall act in his capacity in the event the
President is absent or unable to perform his duties.
Section 5:
The Second Vice President
shall assist the President and shall act in his capacity in the event the
President and First Vice President are absent or are unable to perform the
President’s duties.
Section 6:
The Secretary-Treasurer
shall keep a correct record of the proceedings of all business meetings of the
Association and of the Officers. He
shall conduct all correspondence for the Association and collect dues from the
members. All moneys are to be deposited
in a federally insured bank or trust company in the name and subject to the
order of the Association. He shall pay
all orders authorized to be drawn on him, such order to be signed by him and by
the President. He shall have his books,
papers, and accounts at each meeting and shall make a report of his receipts
and disbursements. He shall perform
such other duties appertaining to his office as my be required.
Section 7:
The Assemblymen shall be responsible
for administering the conduct and award trophies and such other awards as the
Association shall, from time to time, establish.
ARTICLE
VII
AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended at
the Annual meetings or the Mid-Winter meetings of the Association by a
two-thirds (2/3) vote, voting as provided in Article II, Section 2. Proposed amendments shall be in writing and
shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer thirty (30) days prior to the
Annual meeting or the Mid-Winter meeting of the Association, as the case may
be; and the Secretary-Treasurer shall promptly notify each member Clown Unit
thereof. The entire section to be
amended must be fully written out exactly as it is to be read with the proposed
amendment incorporated therein.
ARTICLE
VIII
ALLEGIANCE
TO TEXAS SHRINE ASSOCIATION
Section 1:
This Association and its
By-Laws shall be subject to the approval or disapproval of the Texas Shrine
Association.
Section 2:
This Association shall not
have meetings at Texas Shrine Association meetings except upon approval of said
Shrine Association as to time and place and manner of meeting.
Section 3:
The Texas Shrine
Association shall not be responsible for any expense incurred by the
Association.
Section 4:
Any change in the By-Laws
of the Association shall be presented to the Texas Shrine Association for
approval.
ARTICLE IX
ADOPTION
These By-Laws shall become
effective upon adoption and upon approval by the Texas Shrine Association.