West Forsyth Touchdown Club

Constitution and By-Laws

Article 1: Name

Section 1 - The name for this organization shall be the West Forsyth Touchdown Club, hereafter referred to as the WFTC.

Section 2 – The address of the WFTC will be the same as the official address for West Forsyth High School.   That address is 4155 Drew Road, Cumming, Georgia, 30040.  Alternate addresses may be that of any active member of the WFTC Board of Directors while they are officially acting as a representative of the WFTC.

Article 2: Purpose & Mission Statement

Section 1 - The mission of the West Forsyth Touchdown Club is to provide support to the Wolverine football program through fundraising, service projects, community involvement, and school spirit.  It is our goal to enhance the Wolverine football program to build pride in the players and coaches and create open community and student support for the team.  Through financial support, we will provide both the necessities and the extras that will enable the program to compete with other top programs at the level assigned by the Georgia High School Association.

Section 2 – The following are the primary purposes of the WFTC:

1. Support the financial needs of the West Forsyth High School Wolverine Football Program.
2. Seek to encourage coaches, players, parents, teachers, students, administration, and the community to promote the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, commitment and courage as so designed to build the character of the participating players and bring credit to the community.
3. Support the coaching staff to help produce football teams of the highest competitive level.
4. Elevate the football team's and player's image in the eyes of the school, community, and themselves.
5. Encourage total community participation in the organization.
6. Support the football program, win or lose, through personal involvement in the purpose of the organization. 

Article 3: Membership and Dues

Section 1 – Membership

1. Individual membership of this organization shall be open to any person desiring to support the above Mission and Purpose of the WFTC.
2. Voting privileges are only granted to those members over 18 years of age that are currently in good standing with the WFTC and have paid their annual WFTC membership dues.
3. Only current members in good standing will be entitled to hold office, vote, serve on committees, and participate in WFTC activities and voting decisions.
4. All Blue and Gold level memberships require active participation in at least one WFTC fundraising event and active participation in at least one work activity per year.

Section 2 - Dues

1. Annual dues amount and due date for the current fiscal year shall be as decided by the Executive Board of Directors of the WFTC at the beginning of each fiscal year.
2. The fiscal year of the WFTC will begin on April 1^st of each year and will run for 12 months completing on March 31^st of the following year.
3. All WFTC dues are non-refundable.

Section 3 - Code of Conduct

1.      All members of the West Forsyth Touchdown Club shall act in good faith at all events (social and athletic). Any conduct that is violent or abusive in nature shall be considered just cause for dismissal from membership in the WFTC. Such actions should be reported in writing to the Executive Board stating the following:

·        The nature of the offensive action in detail.

·        The date of the occurrence.

·        The report must be signed by the individual reporting incident.

·        A review shall be conducted and a vote shall be taken at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Executive Board on what actions should be taken.

2.      No member of the WFTC will in any way use his/her position to influence the coaches with regard to the playing time of a son or daughter in a game.

Article 4: Officers, Board of Directors, and Elections

Section 1 – Elected Officers

1.      Officers will be elected annually at the last general membership meeting of the WFTC, usually held in November, prior to Thanksgiving.  The period of time between the November election and the beginning of the next WFTC fiscal year will be a period of turnover between the outgoing officers and the incoming officers.  During this interim period, the previous year’s Executive Board will handle all business that is conducted.  The new officers will officially assume their responsibilities at the beginning of the new fiscal year as is detailed in the WFTC Bylaws. 

2.      The elected officers of the club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. 

3.      In addition to the officers listed above, the previous year’s club President shall serve as an officer in the capacity of Past President.

4.      The elected officers will serve a one-year term that runs concurrent with the fiscal year dates for the WFTC.  

5.      If elected, the officers may serve additional terms up to a maximum of four terms total, so long as they are a current member in good standing of the WFTC as defined by these bylaws. 

6.      All officers must be members in good standing of the WFTC.

7.      Two individuals may jointly hold any officer position.   Each co-office holder will be entitled to one vote in all matters before the board.

Section 2 – Executive Board of Directors

1.      The Executive Board of Directors is made up of the President, Past President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

2.      The Executive Board of Directors shall meet on call by the President.

3.      A minimum of four (4) members of the Executive Board of Directors must be in attendance at an Executive Board Meeting for WFTC business to be conducted.

4.      The Executive Board of Directors shall have supervisory control over all of the business of the WFTC except during the election of officers.

Section 3 – Compensation

1. No officer or director shall be entitled to receive any salary or compensation (monetary or otherwise) for services performed by her/him as such officer or director for the WFTC. 

Section 4 – Election of Officers:

1. All officers of the club shall be elected annually with the exception of the position of Past President.
2. The officers elected must be members in good standing of the WFTC per the requirements as established by these By-laws.
3. The officers shall be elected to serve for one fiscal year.
4. Nominations are to be made by a nominating committee made up of three members from the WFTC appointed by the Board by the end of September each year.  The slate of candidates is to be presented to the club at the October meeting.  Election of Officers is to take place at the November meeting.  New Officers will assume their responsibilities at the first meeting after the beginning of the new fiscal year.
5. It shall be the duties of the nominating committee:

·        To nominate from the membership in good standing individuals who desire and consent to serve as members of the Board.

·        The nominating committee shall present its slate of candidates to the Membership at the regular meeting in October, at which time               additional nominations may be made from the floor.

·        The nominating committee will be responsible for determining the election procedures and format and for overseeing and conducting the election.

·        The elections of the Officers shall be held at the November meeting. 

·        Candidates receiving a majority of the votes cast for each office shall be declared as the Executive Board of Directors for the ensuing year.

Section 5 – Vacancies

1. In the event vacancies in the Executive Board of Directors shall occur for whatever reason, the remaining Directors shall nominate a successor or successors to serve out the unexpired term.  The successor or successors will be ratified by a majority vote by a quorum of attendees at the next membership meeting.
2. In the event of a temporary absence of the President, the Past President or the Vice President shall Chair the Executive Board of Directors for the period of absence (as appointed by the President).

Article 5: Board and General Membership Meetings

Section 1 – General Meetings

1. General meetings of the West Forsyth Touchdown Club will be held a minimum of once per month beginning with the onset of Spring Football practice and running through the month of November. 
2. The meeting schedule for the year will be established prior to the initial general membership meeting for the year and will be presented at the first WFTC Meeting of each year.
3. Notice of the time, date, and place of the regular meetings shall be posted on the West Forsyth Touchdown Club website (www.WestForsythTouchdownClub.com) or announced via mail, email, web posting, or phone call. Meetings shall be open to all interested persons.
4. An emergency meeting may be called by the Executive Board of Directors provided that a minimum of 7 calendar days of notice has been provided to the general membership via any of the following methods: mail, email, web posting, or phone call. 

Section 2 – Quorums at Meetings

1. There must be a quorum of Fifteen (15) active members including the Executive Board of Directors at a general membership meeting in order for official WFTC business to be conducted.

Section 3 – Executive Board of Directors Meeting and Standing/Special Committees

1.      The Executive Board may conduct business between scheduled general meeting dates in order to keep the organization in good standing.   In order for official WFTC business to be conducted at called Executive Board Meetings, there must be a quorum of at least four (4) Executive Board Members in attendance.

2.      The President will establish dates for Executive Board of Director Meetings.

3.      It is expected that standing and specially appointed committee meetings will be held periodically outside of the General Membership and Executive Board Meetings.   No official WFTC business will be executed at these meetings; however, it is expected that the chairs of such standing and special committees will provide updates and reports to the club or to the Executive Board of Directors at scheduled meetings as detailed in Section 1 and in Section 3 of Article 5. 

Section 4 – Voting and Rules of Order

1. Only members in good standing with the WFTC and those who have paid their annual dues may vote at meetings.
2. Each WFTC membership shall be entitled to only one vote per membership (family).
3. A motion shall be carried by a majority of votes.
4. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the club in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these By-Laws.

Article 6: Powers, Responsibilities, and Duties of Officers

Section 1 – President

1. The President shall be the Chief Officer of the Club.  The President shall preside at all the meetings of the Executive Board of Directors and of the general membership.  The President shall perform such other executive duties as assigned to her/him by the general club membership.
2. The President shall appoint a Chairperson for each Committee when the need arises should no member volunteer.  Such committees would include those Standing and Special Committees provided for in Article VII of this document.
3. The President may sign checks in payment of obligations of the club and contracts properly entered into by the club. 
4. The President has the authority to authorize any purchases (of any amount) that have been outlined in the WFTC’s annual operating and capital budget, assuming that the annual budget has been presented to the club and approved by both the Executive Board of Directors and the general membership at a publicized general membership meeting. 
5. The President has the authority to approve ordinary unbudgeted expenses up to $1,000.00 at any time. 
6. On an emergency basis, the President may approve expenditures up to $5,000.00, even if the expense was not originally represented in the WFTC Annual Budget providing that she/he has received authorization from a quorum of the Executive Board of Directors.

Section 2 – Vice President

1. The VP shall be responsible for leading the activities around fundraising for the WFTC.  The VP shall work with a Fundraising Committee Chairperson to carry out the various fundraising projects.
2. The VP shall work with the other members of the Executive Board of Directors to identify and approve the primary fundraising activities of the club. 
3. The VP will also be primarily responsible for determining the anticipated income and expense for all fundraising activities and will help to develop the WFTC annual revenue and expense budget line items around these activities.
4. The VP, along with the President, shall be responsible for overseeing all the operational aspects of the WFTC.  This will include management of the standing operational committees.

Section 4 – Secretary

1. The Secretary shall keep a record of all the minutes of meetings of both the General Membership and the Executive Board of Directors.  At each General Membership meeting, the Secretary will present a copy of the minutes of the previous General Membership meeting for review and approval by the WFTC.  A copy of the minutes will be made available to each member by web posting or hard copy at the general membership meetings.  
2. The Secretary is also responsible for performing or coordinating all communications and correspondence activities with the general membership of the WFTC.  This includes working closely with the Communications Committee Chairperson in these endeavors.
3. The Secretary shall provide notice of all regular and special meetings, maintain a registry of names, email addresses, phone numbers and mailing addresses of all members and officers, and keep copies on file for future reference. 
4. The Secretary will work closely with the Head Football Coach to insure appropriate communication is maintained between the Coach and the parents of the football players.  The Secretary will also maintain a roster of all current players in the program including contact information for each player and their family. The Secretary may assist the Head Football Coach in other areas as well to make sure that the WFTC and Football Program Communications all run smoothly. 
5. The Secretary will also oversee such things as the West Forsyth Touchdown Club official website, and football team calendar of events. 
6. Finally, the Secretary shall, in addition, perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the President shall properly assign.

Section 5 – Treasurer

1. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the club.  The Treasurer shall receive monies and deposit them in a financial institution approved by the club. In addition, the Treasurer shall keep a set of financial records of all receipts and expenditures of the club. 
2. The Treasurer shall make payments for club approved activities and will be the primary check signer.   All monies shall be used to promote the purpose of the club.
3. The Treasurer shall provide a report of funds on hand and receipts and expenditures at each regular General Membership meeting of the club as well as at each meeting of the Executive Board of Directors. 
4. The Treasurer, with assistance from the Board of Directors, is responsible for preparing a budget, to be presented and approved no later than the May meeting. 
5. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the President may properly assign. 

Section 6 – Past President

1. The primary role of the Past President will be to insure that a smooth transition occurs between the old Executive Board and the new Executive Board.  She/He will serve as an advisor to the new Executive Board and will assist the President as needed. 
2. The Past President shall act for the President during her/his absence or disability, shall maintain a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order and intervene as appropriate to clarify questions or conflicts as needed, and shall perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the President of the WFTC may assign.

Article 7: Appointed Committees/Leadership

Section 1 – Appointment and Responsibilities of Committees

1. Committees and their respective chairpersons shall be appointed by the President of the WFTC to perform specific functions, such as fund raising, membership drives, communications, program development, field operations, special events, public relations, concessions, and other support activities. These Committees and Committee Chairpersons shall serve until completion of their designated activity or until dismissed by the President.
2. The responsibilities of each committee shall be as designated and assigned by the President of the WFTC.  No committee, standing or special shall conduct official WFTC Business. 

Section 2 – Standing Committees

1. The following is the list of standing committees for the WFTC:
• Field Operations Committee
• Fundraising Committee
• Concessions Committee
• Membership Committee
• Special Events Committee
• Program Committee
• Public Relations Committee
• Communications Committee

Article 8: Fiscal Year, Budget, and Management of Funds

Section 1 – Fiscal Year and Review

1. The fiscal year of the WFTC shall run from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. 
2. The financial records shall be reviewed annually by the Executive Board of Directors to insure appropriate fiscal management practices are being employed and to insure compliance with these By-Laws. 

Section 2 – Banking and Signature Authority

1. The Executive Board of Directors shall designate the bank or banks in which the operating funds of the WFTC shall be deposited and determine the manner in which checks, drafts and other instruments for the payment of funds of the club shall be executed.
2. Both the President and Treasurer of the WFTC will have signature authority on the bank accounts that are established to handle the funds for the club.
3. Any checks written for amounts over $5000 require 2 approval signatures.

Section 3 – Budget and Approval

1. The President will work with the Executive Board of Directors and the chairpersons of all standing committees to develop an annual operating budget for the WFTC.
2. The President will present the proposed budget to the general membership for approval annually at the May general membership meeting.
3. Once approved, the budget will serve as the guide for operations and disbursement of funds for the WFTC. 

Section 4 – Compensation of Individuals

1. No part of the net earnings of the WFTC shall provide a real or perceived benefit to any member or officer of the organization, or any private individual (except that reasonable expense reimbursement may be paid for services rendered to or for the organization). 
2. No member or officer of the WFTC or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets on dissolution of the organization.

Section 5 – General and Capital Expenditures

1. Expenditures identified in the approved annual operating or capital budget of the WFTC require only the approval of the President of the club.
2. The President of the WFTC may approve any expenditure up to $1,000 at any time so long as it is in alignment with the general operations of the club and in alignment with the Mission Statement of the WFTC as detailed in Section 1 of Article 2 of these By-Laws. 
3. The President of the WFTC may approve any expenditure up to and including $5000 with a majority vote of a quorum of the Executive Board of Directors so long as it is in alignment with the general operations of the club and in alignment with the Mission Statement of the WFTC as detailed in Section 1 of Article 2 of these By-Laws.
4. Single expenditures greater than $5000 that are not identified in the approved budget of the WFTC will require approval of the general membership.  Approval will be by a majority vote of the general membership at a properly scheduled general membership meeting.  A quorum as defined in these By-Laws must be present at the general membership meeting for the vote to be official.
5. Any expenditure of $10,000 and above will require at least three (3) competitive bids submitted to the Board for an award decision.
6. The Treasurer shall be provided proper invoices or receipts, within 15 (fifteen) days of any expenditure. 

Section 6 – Annual Carryover of Funds

1. The WFTC shall maintain a minimum of $7,500 or 10% of the previous year’s annual operating revenues (whichever is greater) as a carryover of funds for the startup of the next year’s TD Club. 

Section 7 – Dissolution of the WFTC

1. Upon Dissolution of the WFTC and after paying or adequately providing for debts and obligations of the club, the full amount of the remaining assets shall be distributed to the Athletic Department of West Forsyth High School to be held until such time that a new Football Booster Organization is formed, or for a period of two years. 
2. If no new Football Booster Organization is formed within 2 years of the time of dissolution of the original TD Club, the funds will be deposited into the General Fund of the West Forsyth High School. 

Article 9: Quorum

Section 1 – Executive Board of Directors

1. A meeting where there is representation of four (4) or more members of the Executive Board of Directors will constitute a quorum for official WFTC business to be conducted.
2. Once a Quorum is established, a majority vote of those present will be sufficient to approve business decisions on behalf of the Executive Board of Directors.

Section 2 – General Membership

1. A general membership meeting where there is representation of fifteen (15) or more members of the club present and in good standing will constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting official WFTC business.  The quorum of 15 members may include members of the Executive Board of Directors as well.
2. Once a general membership Quorum is established, a majority vote of those present will be sufficient to approve business decisions on behalf of the WFTC.

Article 10: Uncovered Situations

Section 1 – Uncovered Situations

1. The Executive Board of Directors in a manner that is clearly in alignment with the stated Mission and Purpose of the WFTC shall deal with any and all situations that may arise that are not explicitly covered by these By-Laws.
2. After reviewing any situations that appear to not be covered by these By-Laws, the Executive Board will make recommendations as to whether the By-Laws should be amended to cover the noted situations in the future.  

Article 11: Indemnification

Section 1- Indemnification of Executive Board

1. Each person who acts as a member of the Executive Board of Directors shall be indemnified by the WFTC against expenses actually and necessarily incurred by him in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding in which he/she is made a party by reason of his being or having been a member of the Executive Board of Directors except in relation to matters as to which he shall be adjudged in such action, suit, or proceeding to be liable for gross negligence or willful misconduct, and accept any sum paid for the TD Club in settlement of an action, suit, or proceeding based on gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of duties.
2. The right of indemnification provided herein shall inure to each Director and Officer referred to in paragraph 1 whether or not he / she is such Director or Officer at the time such costs or expenses are imposed or incurred, and in the event of his death shall extend to his legal representatives.

Article 12: Amendments and Revisions

Section 1 – Amendments

1. These By-Laws may be amended or revised to accommodate necessary changes that will support the ongoing operations of the WFTC. 
2. Any suggested changes to these By-Laws must first be presented in writing to the Executive Board of Directors.  If the Executive Board recommends the changes, then the proposed changes will be presented to the general membership at a regularly scheduled general membership meeting.  Approval of any proposed amendment will be by a majority vote of the membership in good standing and in attendance at the meeting where the amendment was presented.
3. Should a properly presented  by-laws change suggestion be denied by the board, a petition containing signatures of at least 25% of the general membership in good standing shall force a vote of the general membership on the suggested change.
4. These by-laws shall remain in effect for the life of the club or until revised utilizing the procedures heretofore outlined in Article 10, Section 1 included herein.