Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc.

ARTICLE I   ORGANIZATION

1. The name of the organization shall be the Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc.

2. The Society may change its name by a majority vote of the membership body.

ARTICLE II   PURPOSES

1. This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

2. The objectives and purpose of the Society shall be to promote the history, heritage, traditions, and sentiment of Clan Donnachaidh, promote Scottish heritage and customs within the State of Florida, and to promote a spirit of kinship amongst members of Clan Donnachaidh throughout the world.

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

Membership in Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. shall be open to either:

The Society particularly espouses those persons who by birth, marriage, or adoption bear the names of Robertson, Duncan, and Reid, and the names of other accepted Septs of Clan Donnachaidh which include: Collier, Colyear, Conochie, Cunnison, Dobbie, Dobbin, Dobie, Dobinson, Dobson, Donachie, Donachy, Duncanson, Dunnachie, Hobson, Inches, Kynoch, MacConachie, MacConchie, MacConechy, MacConich, MacConnochie, MacCullich, MacDonachie, MacGlashan, MacInroy, MacIver, Maciver, MacJames, MacLagan, MacOnachie, MacRobbie, MacRobert, MacRoberts, MacRobie, MacWilliam, Read, Reade, Robbie, Roberts, Robinson, Robson, Roy, Skene, Stark, Tonnochy (and other variations in the spelling of these names).

Any person interested in The Society’s objectives and purpose, subject to their payment of the annual dues.

ARTICLE IV   MEETINGS

1. The annual membership meeting of the Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. shall be held as soon after the “Central Florida Scottish Highland Games” each year as possible.

2. The Secretary shall cause to be mailed to every member in good standing at his/her e-mail or postal address as it appears in the membership roll book of this organization, a notice telling the time and place of such annual meeting.

3. The paid general membership present at the annual meeting shall elect the Officers and any Directors for that year, and all meetings shall be conducted following Roberts Rules of Order or other similar Rules of Order.

4. In order to be elected as a Director or Officer, current year dues must have been paid prior to the start of the Annual Meeting.

 

ARTICLE V   VOTING

1. Voting will be done by one of the following methods using the specified Rules of Order:

A. Voice
B. Raising of hands
C. By written ballot

2. The candidate with the simple majority shall be deemed the winner. In the case of a tie in both a voice and rise of hand, a written ballot will be conducted until the majority is reached.

 

ARTICLE VI   BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The business of Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. shall be managed by a Board of Directors.

Any Director, who is not an elected Officer, shall be nominated and elected at the Annual Meeting of the Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. for a term of one year.

The first meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held regularly after the “Central Florida Scottish Highland Games” each year. Additional meetings may be held when notice is given via electronic or postal mail or telephone when special meetings are deemed necessary. Such meetings shall have relaxed rules of order to facilitate all e-mail and conference call meetings. The Secretary shall document and record all meetings.

Each Director shall have one vote and such voting may not be done by proxy. An affirmative voting process will be used in all Directors’ Meetings (i.e. majority of votes cast).

If a Director/Officer cannot complete their term, the office shall be filled by a vote of the majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors and that person shall serve until the next scheduled election.

The Directors can, at any time, cause audits of funds and/or an inventory of goods belonging to the Society to occur at any time. Such audits or inventories will include participation of at least two Directors or shall be contracted to an independent entity. Any such audits or inventories shall result in a written result of any findings.

The President of Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. by virtue of his office shall be Chairman of the Board of Directors. The remaining elected Officers shall also be Directors. Any nominated Director candidate(s) must be a paid member of the Society and acknowledge their willingness to serve in writing or in person. Further, they must be willing to act as a primary convener (with or without participation of an Officer) for at least one (1) Game per year which the Clan will attend and act as a willing participate in meetings throughout the year which are held to promote growth in and manage the affairs of the Society.

 

Powers

 

1. The Board of Directors of the organization shall conduct all the activities and affairs of this organization and also exercise all corporate powers, subject to the provisions of the laws of this state, the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws;

2. The Board of Directors shall have full control and discretion as to the use of the contributions received by the organization unless its use has already been designated by the contributor;

3. The making of contributions and grants and otherwise rendering financial assistance for the organization’s purposes expressed in the Articles of Incorporation and these Bylaws shall be within the exclusive power of the Board of Directors;

4. In furtherance of the organization’s purposes, the Board of Directors shall have power to make grants to any organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and/or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and directly related to furthering the objective and purpose of the Society;

5. The Board of Directors shall review all requests for funds from other organizations and require that such requests specify the use to which the funds will be put, and if the Board of Directors approves such a request, they shall authorize payment of such funds to the approved grantee;

6. After the Board of Directors has approved a grant to another organization for a specific purpose, the organization may solicit funds for the grant to the specifically approved project or purpose of the other organization; however, the Board of Directors shall at all times have the right to withdraw approval of the grant and use the funds for other charitable, religious, educational and/or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; 

7. The Board of Directors shall require that the grantees furnish a periodic accounting to show that the funds were expended for the purposes which were approved by the Board of Directors;

8. The Board of Directors may, in its absolute discretion, refuse to make grants or contributions or otherwise render financial assistance to or for any or all the purposes for which funds are requested;

i)         A Director or Officer may be removed from office when sufficient cause exists for such removal. The Board of Directors may entertain such charges and may remove said Director or Officer when sufficient cause exists for such an action as long as a quorum is present. The Board of Directors shall adopt rules for such a hearing as it may, in its discretion, consider necessary for the best interests of the organization.

 

Duties

 

1. Perform any and all duties imposed on them collectively or individually by law, by the Articles of Incorporation or by these Bylaws;

2. Appoint and remove, employ and discharge, and except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, prescribe the duties and fix the compensation, if any, of all officers, agents and employees of this corporation;

3. Supervise all officers, agents and employees of the corporation to assure that their duties are performed properly;

4. Meet at such times and places as required by these Bylaws;

5. Register their mailing and e-mail addresses with the Secretary of the corporation, and notices of meetings mailed, emailed, telegraphed or faxed to them at such addresses shall be considered valid notices thereof.

 

Compensation for Directors

 

Directors shall not receive any compensation for their services, except that each director is entitled to receive from the corporation reimbursement of expenses incurred by the director in the furtherance of the corporation's business. Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation for that service. The salaried individuals can not vote on their own compensation and the compensation decisions shall be made by the unrelated board members. 

ARTICLE VII   OFFICERS

The Officers of the Clan Donnachaidh Society of Florida, Inc. shall include a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Historian and Treasurer. If five Officers are not elected during the Annual Meeting, the Society can continue to operate with a few as three Officers. Specific duties of the Officers, Directors and the Web Master shall be in writing, maintained by the Secretary, and reviewed periodically for accuracy.

 

     A. President:

 

The President (or the Vice-President in his/her absence) shall preside at all Society meetings.

The President shall appoint all Committees, temporary or permanent and decide the life of such committees.

The President can officially appoint Directors on an interim basis, based on the majority vote of the Directors.

The President shall be ultimately responsible for ensuring that all books, reports, and certificates required by the Society By-Laws, Local, State, and Federal regulations are properly kept and/or filed and will be accountable for all property owned by the Society and keep the property in good working order/organized/inventoried.

The President may be listed as a signer on the bank account only in the absence of two other Officers thereby preserving the integrity of the Office of the President.

The President shall have such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the chief executive of an organization.

 

  B. Vice- President:

 

1. The Vice-President shall, in the event of the absence or inability of the President to exercise his office, become acting president of the organization with all the rights privileges and powers as if he had been the duly elected president.

 

     C. Secretary:

 

1. The Secretary shall take and record the official minutes of all meetings.

2. The Secretary shall insure timely filing of any certificate required by federal or state entities, which would be necessary for the operation of the Society and shall be listed as the primary addressee for such certificates.

3. The Secretary shall give and serve all notices to members of this organization.

4. The Secretary shall be the official custodian of the records and seal of this organization.

5. The Secretary shall be the primary back up Officer listed as an authorized signer on the Society bank account.

6. The Secretary shall ensure all Directors sign the required annual Conflict Statement and shall place, on the annual Directors meeting agenda, a requirement to review Article XII, Section 7 relating to Periodic Reviews.

7. The Secretary shall attend to all correspondence of the organization and shall exercise all

duties incidental to the office of Secretary including advising the Directors/Officers of any correspondence/communication received which could impact Society operations.

 

      D. Historian:

1.  The Historian shall gather and maintain clan history (written and visual) involving the Society, as well as, any history relating to the Clan Donnachaidh as a whole.

2.  The Historian shall make available such history to all members of the Society and to any person contacting the Society who may be interested in obtaining this information.

3.  The Historian shall be a visible presence at all gatherings involving the Society and be available to answer questions and inquiries concerning the Society or the Clan Donnachaidh to any interested parties.

4.  The Historian shall attempt to interview individual members concerning their involvement in the Society, especially long time members to compile memories of the Society for newer members.

5.  The Historian shall provide the Secretary any articles, books or suggestions for material to be included in the Donnachaidh Doings newsletter.

 

     E. Treasurer:

 

1.  The Treasurer shall maintain custody of all funds belonging to the Society.  Both signers of the checking account shall assume equal responsibility for the funds. The Treasurer shall cause to be deposited in a regular business bank or credit union the total of all funds collected by the Society and to reconcile this account at least monthly.

2.  The Treasurer will be the primary officer who shall sign checks or drafts of the organization. No special fund may be set aside that shall make it impossible for the Treasurer to sign the checks issued upon it or participate in an accounting of any funds.

3.  The Treasurer shall render not less than once per year, a written account of the finances of the organization and such report shall be included in the minutes of the annual meeting. Written quarterly reports shall be completed and kept available upon demand by any individual.

4.  The Treasurer shall maintain the Official Roster of Members based on the payment of dues by the members of the Society.

5.  The Treasurer shall assist the Secretary with the completion of any State or Federal renewal certificates incidental to fund accountability.

5.  The Treasurer shall exercise all duties incident to the office of Treasurer to safeguard and account for the funds of the Society.

 

Compensation to Officers and Directors:

Neither Officers nor Directors shall receive any compensation for their services, except that each Officer is entitled to receive from the corporation, reimbursement of documented/receipted expenses incurred by the Officer/Director in the furtherance of the corporation's business.

 

ARTICLE VIII  DUES

 

Local Dues shall be payable on or before January 1 of each year. Only those members who have paid dues prior to the Call of Order of the Annual Meeting shall cast a vote in the Annual Meeting.

 

The annual dues structure for Local Dues shall be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors who may recommend changes to the members based on the current financial strength of the Society. Any change to the dues structure or amount requires an affirmative vote of the members. The current membership form shall clearly state the dues amount for that year.

 

As an Affiliated Branch of the Clan Donnachaidh, the Florida Branch will accept International Dues on behalf of Members through June 30th and will forward those funds to Scotland. The Florida Branch receives no special consideration from Scotland for this service nor does it retain any of those funds.

 

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

 

The Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the Directors as needed in order to operate and manage the Society without a vote by members; however, any changes shall be ratified by members in the following Annual Meeting and a copy of the current Bylaws shall be maintained on the website. Electronic signatures by the Directors are permissible. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording and maintaining a record of such votes.

 

ARTICLE X   IRC 501(C)(3) Tax Exemption Provisions

1. Limitations on Activities

No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall be for propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by Section 501(h) of the Internal Revenue Code), and this corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on or behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, this corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on

1. By a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3)  of the Internal Revenue Code, or

2. By a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

2. Prohibition against Private Inurement

No part of the net earnings of corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, directors or trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes of this corporation.

3. Distribution of Assets

Upon the dissolution of this corporation, its assets remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this corporation shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Such distribution shall be made in accordance with all applicable provisions of the laws of this state.

4. Private Foundation Requirements and Restrictions

In any taxable year in which the corporation becomes a private foundation as described in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, the corporation

1. Shall distribute its income for said period at such time and manner as not to subject to tax under Section 4942 of the Internal Revenue Code;

2. Shall not engage in any act of self-dealing as defined in Section 4941(d) of the Internal Revenue Code;

3. Shall not retain any excess business holdings as defined in Section 4943(c)  of the Internal Revenue Code;

4. Shall not make any investments in such manner as to subject the corporation to tax under Section 4944 of the Internal Revenue Code;

5. Shall not make any taxable expenditure as defined in Section 4945(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE XI Conflict of Interest Policy and Compensation Approval Policies

1. Purpose of Conflict of Interest Policy

The purpose of this conflict of interest policy is to protect this tax-exempt corporation’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the corporation or any "disqualified person" as defined in Section 4958(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and as amplified by Section 53.4958-3 of the IRS Regulations and which might result in a possible "excess benefit transaction" as defined in Section 4958(c)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code and as amplified by Section 53.4958 of the IRS Regulations. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations.

2. Definitions

(a) Interested Person.
Any director, principal officer, member of a committee with governing board delegated powers, or any other person who is a "disqualified person" as defined in Section 4958(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and as amplified by Section 53.4958-3 of the IRS Regulations, who has a direct or indirect financial interest, as defined below, is an interested person.

(b) Financial Interest.

A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family:

(1)  an ownership or investment interest in any entity with which the corporation has a transaction or arrangement,
(2)  a compensation arrangement with the corporation or with any entity or individual with which the corporation has a transaction or arrangement, or
(3)  a potential ownership or investment interest in, or compensation arrangement with, any entity or individual with which the corporation is negotiating a transaction or arrangement.

Compensation includes direct and indirect remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are not insubstantial.

A financial interest is not necessarily a conflict of interest. Under Section 3, paragraph B, a person who has a financial interest may have a conflict of interest only if the appropriate governing board or committee decides that a conflict of interest exists.

3. Conflict of Interest Avoidance Procedures

(a) Duty to Disclose.

In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of committees with governing board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or arrangement.

(b) Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists.

After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the governing board or committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists.

(c) Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest.

An interested person may make a presentation at the governing board or committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest.

The chairperson of the governing board or committee shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement.
After exercising due diligence, the governing board or committee shall determine whether the corporation can obtain, with reasonable efforts, a more advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict of interest.

If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the governing board or committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in the corporation’s best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. In conformity with the above determination, it shall make its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.

(d) Violations of the Conflicts of Interest Policy.

If the governing board or committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose.

If, after hearing the member’s response and after making further investigation as warranted by the circumstances, the governing board or committee determines the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.

 

4. Records of Board and Board Committee Proceedings

The minutes of meetings of the governing board and all committees with board delegated powers shall contain:

(a)  The names of the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of interest, the nature of the financial interest, any action taken to determine whether a conflict of interest was present, and the governing board’s or committee’s decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact existed.

(b)  The names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating to the transaction or arrangement, the content of the discussion, including any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement, and a record of any votes taken in connection with the proceedings.

 

5. Compensation Approval Policies

A voting member of the governing board who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the corporation for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.

A voting member of any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the corporation for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that member’s compensation.

No voting member of the governing board or any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from the corporation, either individually or collectively, is prohibited from providing information to any committee regarding compensation.

When approving compensation for directors, officers and employees, contractors, and any other compensation contract or arrangement, in addition to complying with the conflict of interest requirements and policies contained in the preceding and following sections of this article as well as the preceding paragraphs of this section of this article, the board or a duly constituted compensation committee of the board shall also comply with the following additional requirements and procedures:

(a)  the terms of compensation shall be approved by the board or compensation committee prior to the first payment of compensation.

(b)  all members of the board or compensation committee who approve compensation arrangements must not have a conflict of interest with respect to the compensation arrangement as specified in IRS Regulation Section 53.4958-6(c)(iii), which generally requires that each board member or committee member approving a compensation arrangement between this organization and a "disqualified person" (as defined in Section 4958(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and as amplified by Section 53.4958-3 of the IRS Regulations):

1.   is not the person who is the subject of compensation arrangement, or a family member of such person;
2.   is not in an employment relationship subject to the direction or control of the person who is the subject of compensation arrangement
3.   does not receive compensation or other payments subject to approval by the person who is the subject of compensation arrangement
4.   has no material financial interest affected by the compensation arrangement; and
5.   does not approve a transaction providing economic benefits to the person who is the subject of the compensation arrangement, who in turn has approved or will approve a transaction providing benefits to the board or committee member.

(c)  the board or compensation committee shall obtain and rely upon appropriate data as to comparability prior to approving the terms of compensation. Appropriate data may include the following:

1.   compensation levels paid by similarly situated organizations, both taxable and tax-exempt, for functionally comparable positions. "Similarly situated" organizations are those of a similar size and purpose and with similar resources
2.   the availability of similar services in the geographic area of this organization
3.   current compensation surveys compiled by independent firms
4.   actual written offers from similar institutions competing for the services of the person who is the subject of the compensation arrangement.

As allowed by IRS Regulation 4958-6, if this organization has average annual gross receipts (including contributions) for its three prior tax years of less than $1 million, the board or compensation committee will have obtained and relied upon appropriate data as to comparability if it obtains and relies upon data on compensation paid by three comparable organizations in the same or similar communities for similar services.

(d) the terms of compensation and the basis for approving them shall be recorded in written minutes of the meeting of the board or compensation committee that approved the compensation. Such documentation shall include:

1.   the terms of the compensation arrangement and the date it was approved
2.   the members of the board or compensation committee who were present during debate on the transaction, those who voted on it, and the votes cast by each board or committee member
3.   the comparability data obtained and relied upon and how the data was obtained.
4.   If the board or compensation committee determines that reasonable compensation for a specific position in this organization or for providing services under any other compensation arrangement with this organization is higher or lower than the range of comparability data obtained, the board or committee shall record in the minutes of the meeting the basis for its determination.
5.   If the board or committee makes adjustments to comparability data due to geographic area or other specific conditions, these adjustments and the reasons for them shall be recorded in the minutes of the board or committee meeting.
6.   any actions taken with respect to determining if a board or committee member had a conflict of interest with respect to the compensation arrangement, and if so, actions taken to make sure the member with the conflict of interest did not affect or participate in the approval of the transaction (for example, a notation in the records that after a finding of conflict of interest by a member, the member with the conflict of interest was asked to, and did, leave the meeting prior to a discussion of the compensation arrangement and a taking of the votes to approve the arrangement).
7.   The minutes of board or committee meetings at which compensation arrangements are approved must be prepared before the later of the date of the next board or committee meeting or 60 days after the final actions of the board or committee are taken with respect to the approval of the compensation arrangements. The minutes must be reviewed and approved by the board and committee as reasonable, accurate, and complete within a reasonable period thereafter, normally prior to or at the next board or committee meeting following final action on the arrangement by the board or committee.

6. Annual Statements

Each director, principal officer, and member of a committee with governing board delegated powers shall annually sign a statement which affirms such person:

(a)  has received a copy of the conflicts of interest policy,
(b)  has read and understands the policy,
(c)  has agreed to comply with the policy, and
(d) understands the corporation is charitable and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes.

 

7. Periodic Reviews

To ensure the corporation operates in a manner consistent with charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews shall be conducted. The periodic reviews shall, at a minimum, include the following subjects:

(a)  Whether compensation arrangements and benefits are reasonable, based on competent survey information, and the result of arm’s-length bargaining.

(b)  Whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management organizations conform to the corporation’s written policies, are properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and services, further charitable purposes, and do not result in inurement, impermissible private benefit, or in an excess benefit transaction.

8. Use of Outside Experts

When conducting the periodic reviews as provided for in Section 7, the corporation may, but need not, use outside advisors. If outside experts are used, their use shall not relieve the governing board of its responsibility for ensuring periodic reviews are conducted.