Presidents Letter July

Now that July is here, summer is in full swing. While some parts of the country saw blistering heat in June or before, Michigan is fortunate to have the Great Lakes moderate the weather. The cooler Spring and warmer Fall doesn’t lengthen the overall growing season, but it does mean that we can plant later and still have a harvest before the winter frost. Although the saying is “Knee high by the 4th of July”, there are some varieties of sweet corn that can be planted right now for harvest in September. The same goes for some bean varieties and most cold weather vegetables. Check the back of the seed packet for varieties that mature in 60 days or less.

At the beginning of the month we celebrate the 4th of July — Independence Day. For most Americans it’s
a time for family and friends, picnics, and fireworks. We do like our fireworks. For others it may be a brief relaxation from work. Others are looking for stores that offer unbeatable holiday sales. Also in July the Men’s Club has elections for officers and directors to help guide us through the year. The elected board begins office on October 1st. There’s a full copy of the BYLAWS in the directory, but at the end of this letter I’ve included copies of Article V which describes the officers and duties and Article VI which pertains to our elections. For those who are new to the Men’s Club,we have 8 Officers and 8 Directors. Each year we elect all officers except the Past President, and 4 directors. For continuity, directors are elected for 2 year terms. Basically the process is as follows:

The President appoints a Nominating Committee which prepares a slate of candidates. There can’t be any current board members on the Nominating Committee. Marty Mc Millian and 4 other past presidents made up the committee.

The head of the Nominating Committee gives its slate of candidates to the Presiding Officer (Secretary or Treasurer) and reads it to the Club membership at the election meeting.

A voice vote of the members is usually sufficient for electing board members. The Presiding Officer (Secretary Ken McIntyre) makes the decision.

I hope that this is helpful in understanding the process.

ARTICLE V Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Club shall be a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer and the Immediate Past President. The President, the First Vice President in the absence of the President, the Second Vice President in the absence of the President and the First Vice President, the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer in the absence of the Treasurer are authorized to sign checks on behalf of the Club.

Section 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Club. He shall appoint all committees and be an ex officio member of them, except the Nominating Committee. He shall carry out the decisions and orders of the Board of Directors, and except as limited by the board, direct the affairs of the Club and put into operation its purposes as expressed in these Bylaws.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the First Vice President to assist the President as requested by him and, in his absence or disability, to perform his duties and exercise his powers. The First Vice President shall be the Chairman of the Program Committee.

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Second Vice President, in the absence or disability of the First Vice President, to perform his duties and powers. The Second Vice President shall be the Chairman of the Membership Committee.

Section 5. It shall be the duty of the Secretary, and the Assistant Secretary in the absence or disability of the Secretary, to faithfully record all actions taken at meetings of the Board of Directors of the Club, and to perform such other duties which usually devolve upon his office or which may be requested by the President.

Section 6. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer, and the Assistant Treasurer in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, to receive and care for all funds of the Club coming into his hands. He shall pay the bills and accounts of the Club with bank transfers or checks signed by the officers designated in Section 1 of this Article V, keep an accurate account of all his receipts and disbursements; furnish to the Board of Directors a report on the financial affairs of the Club as may be requested. At the end of his term, the Treasurer shall file with the President a financial report for the past fiscal year, and turn over to his successor the books and records of his office and the funds then in his hands.

Section 7. As soon as feasible, the new President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are to be bonded by a qualified bonding company.

ARTICLE VI Election Procedures

Section 1. On or before the first regular meeting in May, the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee, none of whom shall be an officer or director of the Club, whose duty shall be to prepare a slate of candidates for the offices to be filled at the next Election Meeting, including four candidates to serve as directors. This slate shall be presented in writing to the Secretary and read to the Club membership at the Election Meeting. Additional qualified nominations from the floor may be made at that time.

Section 2.The officers, except the Immediate Past President, and the directors shall be elected by a majority of the members present at the Election Meeting, determined by a voice vote unless otherwise directed by the presiding officer (Secretary or Treasurer). All officers, except the Secretary and Treasurer, shall be elected for a term of one year and the directors for a term of two years and until their successors are elected. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected for a term of one year which may be extended until the President informs the Nominating Committee to nominate a new candidate to fill their vacancies. Their terms shall begin on the 1st day of October following their election. The terms of the directors shall be staggered so four directors are elected each year.

Section 3. No member shall hold more than one office, or be an officer and elected a director at the same time. No officer or director, except the President, who can serve only one term, shall be eligible to serve more that two successive years in the same office or position, unless he was appointed to finish a term except the Secretary and Treasurer who may serve more than two successive terms.

The Men’s Club would welcome any newer member of the Club contacting me with an interest in serving on the Board or on our many committees and Sub Clubs.

Henry Fischer