Standing Rules of the WCR

Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Reviewed and Revised January 2004

I. Meetings

A. Chapter General Membership Meetings

Regular membership meetings shall be held on the third Wednesday of the month unless otherwise notified. The Governing Board will determine the location. The Governing Board will decide the cost for luncheon meetings, with a reduced cost for members. Members and guests without reservations may be accommodated on a space-available basis and will be charged the full amount whether they are served a meal or not.

B. Annual Election Meeting

The annual elections shall be held in September. It may be held in conjunction with the monthly general membership meeting but no later than the 15th of October.

C. Installation Of Officers

The installation of officers shall be held in December. It may be held in conjunction with the monthly general membership meeting.

D. Governing Board Meetings

Governing Board meetings shall be held at 1:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to the third Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise notified.

Unexcused Absences: Any member of the Governing Board with three unexcused absences shall be construed as having resigned from the Governing Board.

Reinstatement: Such member, whose seat was vacated in this manner, may apply for reinstatement in writing. Reinstatement shall require a majority vote of the Governing Board.

II. Elections

A. Officer Qualifications

Members nominated for office shall have the following qualifications:

Held membership in chapter for 1 year
And/or have chaired or served on a committee

B. Officers Consent To Serve

Officer nominees shall sign a consent to-serve form after reading job description and prior to nominating committee interview.

C. Election Procedures

Rules of the day: The rules shall be read and approved by the membership prior to voting.

Those eligible to vote: At the annual election meeting for Local Chapter Officers, all members in good standing whose dues have been paid in full and who are members of record will be eligible to vote. A quorum will be called when a minimum of 20% of those attending the election are confirmed a "member in good standing."

Rules of the day: The rules shall be read and approved by the membership prior to voting

Tellers: The President shall appoint a minimum of three tellers. Nominating committee members shall not serve as tellers.

III. Installation Of Officers

A. Pin For Incoming President

The outgoing President shall have the duty of obtaining the incoming President's pin at the expense of the chapter in sufficient time for presentation at the installation ceremony. The pin can be purchased from National at the convention or through the mail.

B. Gift For Outgoing President

It shall be the responsibility of the incoming President to purchase a thank-you gift for the outgoing President as the expense of the chapter. The amount of the gift shall not exceed $150.00. The gift will be presented at the installation ceremony.

C. Plaques For Outgoing Line Officers

A plaque shall be presented to each exiting line officer at the installation ceremony at the expense of the chapter.

D. Finances

The budget for the installation ceremony shall be submitted for approval to the Governing Board as a Special Event item. Any costs in excess of the budget to be born by Event Sponsorships and the monthly luncheon sponsorships.

E. Outgoing Chairpersons

The outgoing President may, at their expense, present their outgoing chairpersons with a personal thank you gift.

IV. Duties

A. Officers

Chapter officers shall abide by the Women's Council of REALTORS® "By-laws", the Local Chapter "Standing Rules" and the duties as outlined in the "Guidelines for Officer."

Chapter President: The President takes office on January first. He/She shall furnish each officer and committee chairman with an outline of duties as outlined in the "Guidelines for Officer" as they apply to each office along with the "Chapter By-laws" and the "Chapter Standing Rules." As soon as elected, the President shall organize the year as outlined in the "Guidelines for Officers." He/She shall hold an orientation retreat for all new officers and chairmen, to be attended by a State officer as invited. The President shall travel at the expense of the chapter, to all State, Regional and National Women's Council of REALTORS® meetings and report back to the General Membership (see attached schedule of payment for travel for the President and President-Elect). The President shall preside over all meetings and special events.

Chapter President-Elect: The President-Elect shall also serve as the Program Committee chairperson and shall oversee the By-laws and Standing Rules Committee Chairperson. The President Elect will oversee Standing Rules Changes to take effect January first. President Elect also obtains sponsors for the general membership meeting and arranges for the centerpieces. The President-Elect shall accompany the President to all State, Regional and National Women's Council of REALTORSreg; meetings and report back to the General Membership. Should the President-Elect decide not to continue to the office of President, President Elect shall reimburse the Chapter for all travel expenses expended by the Chapter during their term as President Elect at the determination of the Governing Board.

Chapter Vice President of Membership: The Vice President may serve as Membership Chairperson. The Vice President shall be reimbursed for all travel to State, Regional and National Women's Council of REALTORS® meetings.*

Chapter Secretary: The Secretary will take minutes at all meetings. Dissemination may be by mail, fax, newsletter, or read at Chapter General Membership meetings. All meeting minutes will be kept in a book for the year and returned to the President for next year.*

Chapter Treasurer: All money received by the Chapter shall be deposited in the account of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of Women's Council of REALTORS® in a financial institute selected by the Governing Board. Two signatures shall be required on all checks; the signatures shall be any two of the Line Officers who are Signatory at the Bank. All money collected by the Chapter shall be turned in to the Treasurer within seven days of receipt and shall be deposited within five working days thereafter. The treasurer shall keep written and accurate records of all transactions of the Chapter account(s). The Treasurer shall perform other duties as outlined in the "Guidelines for Officers." All year-end records of the Treasurer will be turned over to the incoming President. The Treasurer shall be reimbursed for all travel to State, Regional and National Women's Council of REALTORS® meetings.*

*TRAVEL FOR ABOVE GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS shall be determined according to an approved budget able to cover expenses, determination of members desire to advance in leadership positions within the Chapter and availability of member to travel. Final determination of attendees will be made by President and President Elect.

B. Committee Chairmen (Other than elected)

The incoming President prior to the November Governing Board Meeting should make the selection of the committee chairmen. Certain Committee chairs may only be filled by a member with previous experience as a chairperson of a committee (see list of Standing and other Committees). All outgoing Committee Chairmen shall make a written report on the activities and accomplishments of the Committee at year-end. The reports will be given to the incoming President no later than the December Governing Board meeting. The incoming President will be responsible for reviewing the materials with the new and old committee chairmen. The committee chairperson will make recommendations for committee members to be appointed by the incoming President. All Committees shall have a policy and procedure relating to the purposes and functions of that committee. Co-chairmen may be appointed at the discretion of the President.

C. Parliamentarian

The incoming President may appoint a parliamentarian.

D. Nominating Committee

The nominating committee shall present its slate of officers for the following year to the Secretary prior to the August Board of Directors meeting so that she/he may present it to the General Membership Luncheon Meeting in August in order to allow time for candidates to campaign and members to participate.

V. Other

A. Membership

New Members: New member applications and dues checks or charges shall be collected by the Membership Chairperson who shall forward the National applications to Chicago and present the local membership applications to the governing board for approval. A photocopy of all checks and charges received will be given to the Treasurer along with a copy of the applications. Money for deposit will be presented to the Treasurer within seven days of receipt. Copies of all applications will be presented to the Governing board and all Committee Chairman at the board meeting when approval is given for member's acceptance.

Acknowledgment: Shall be made in the form of a card or letter of welcome by the Chapter President. The Membership Chairperson will send out the letter to newly approved members.

Induction Ceremony: At the General Membership Meetings, new members will be inducted by pledge ceremony. National and Local members will receive a new member packet and a Women's Council of REALTORS® pin. Such ceremonies may cover several months and shall be arranged to fit into the General Membership Meetings.

Guest Attendance: Potential new members and guests at chapter functions shall be greeted at the door by the Hospitality Chairperson. A guest may attend General Membership meetings. Membership Chairperson should send a written follow up to all guests along with a membership application within seven business days. The Chapter will provide ribbons designating guests.

Honorary Membership: It has been pre-determined that the surviving founders of this chapter, Marie Clare Lopez and Marie Rose Gaspar, are Honorary Members of this Chapter.

Orientation: All new members will be invited to an orientation prior to becoming inducted to the Chapter. Any past president or any current line officer of the Governing Board may give the orientation.

B. Speakers

Guest Speakers, including Women's Council of REALTORS® members, are to receive a complimentary meal and a thank-you gift under $25.00 at the expense of the chapter.

C. Reservation Obligation

Financial Obligations: Reservations for all chapter meetings and events shall be the financial responsibility of the member.

Bank Charges: Checks returned for insufficient funds will be charged back to the member for the face value of the check plus $15.00. It will be the responsibility of the Treasurer to bill the charges to the member. Guests will be charged back an additional $5.00.

Billing for Non Canceled Reservations: Reservations must be canceled prior to the deadline as listed on luncheon and event flyers. Non-canceled reservations will be billed to the member by the Treasurer within seven days of the event. The Hospitality Chairperson or Special Events Chairperson will notify the treasurer of any member who is to be billed.

Luncheon Costs: Reservations shall be $25.00 for member and $30.00 for prospective members and members without reservations.

D. Chapter Courtesy Policy

Memorials: In the case of a death of a member, an appropriate memorial not to exceed $50.00 shall be selected. In the case of a member's spouse, parent or child, an appropriate memorial not to exceed $30.00 shall be selected. This shall be the responsibility of the Chapter Secretary.

Illness, Birth and Marriage: A card from the Chapter and, if deemed appropriate, a gift not to exceed $30.00 may be sent to any member who is ill or hospitalized, has given birth or has married. The Chapter Secretary shall be responsible for sending such remembrances.

State and National Office: When a member of the local chapter is nominated or elected to a State or National Women's Council of REALTORS® office, the Governing Board will vote to determine an amount to be allocated to the election or events leading up to or following the elections. Other Chapters who require monetary support for such events may request in writing to the Governing Board. An allotment may or may not be made at the determination of the board.

E. Ways And Means

General Membership Meeting Fund Raisers: The Ways and Means Chairman shall be responsible for creating fundraisers at each General Membership Meeting. Ways and Means will raise money for the general fund through gift donors and chance drawings. Profit from items for sale to the Chapter members, guests and other Chapters (State and/or National), will also be added to the general fund.

F. Sponsors

Newsletter: The publication of the newsletter will be posted monthly on the web site.

Luncheon and General Membership Meeting: There will be two sponsors, contributing $225.00 each for a luncheon meeting. One sponsor pays for the table decorations. The 2nd sponsor fee shall be applied to costs of the newsletter, miscellaneous luncheon costs such as speaker microphone, overage, and special acknowledgments. Sponsors may choose to be greeters at the event they pay for. Sponsor will be allowed to present their commercial and distribute literature to members, and receive mention in the newsletter, as well as mention on all flyers and other advertising material.

Corporate Sponsors: Corporate Sponsor funds of $3,000 each are non-designated funds unless specified by Sponsor. Corporate Sponsors will have the following:

Company name and logo on every luncheon meeting agenda
Company name and logo on a banner or poster board at the registration table
Company name and logo with a link to your web site to appear on the electronic newsletter sent out monthly
Company name and logo with a link to your web site to appear on the Women's Council of REALTORS® web site
Opportunity to speak as Corporate Sponsor at least once a year at our monthly luncheon meetings.
Two tickets to each special event (monthly luncheons are not included in this fee)
Article in the Women's Council of REALTORS® Newsletter written by your company representative
Company logo will be on all event publications as a Corporate Sponsor
Company name will be recognized as a Corporate Sponsor at the Women's Council of REALTORS® booth at the SCCAOR Trade Show

Event Sponsor: Event sponsors will be charged a fee according to the event. The Special Events Chairman will be responsible for covering event costs with the proper number of sponsors or the proper fee amount. No event shall proceed if deemed to be in the negative.

G. Special Events

Education Event: An event to be determined by the Special Events Chairman will be held once a year to raise money for member education. Net proceeds from this event shall be used in accordance to the Policies and Procedures set forth by the Education Committee.

Membership Drive: An annual membership drive will be held. It may be determined by the Membership Chairman that more than one event is necessary.

Fund Raiser: An annual fundraiser to support our non-profit organization to promote education and leadership training as designated by the Governing Board shall be held at least once a year. Partial proceeds may be donated to charity as approved by the Board. The statement "A portion of our proceeds supports the communities we serve, and develops leadership and educational opportunities for our members" will appear on all promotional literature for our Chapter.

Other Events: Will be held as approved deemed necessary by the Governing Board.

Finances: At no time shall a Chairman go forward with an event without the advance approval of a budget by the Governing Board. No event will have a negative cash effect on the Chapter. If at any point it is determined that an event has potential for a negative cash position, an emergency meeting of the Governing Board will be called.

An Advisory Group may be appointed by the President, as deemed necessary.

I. Chapter Status

Nonprofit: The Chapter shall hold the status of non-profit at the State and National government levels

Incorporation: The Chapter is a nonprofit corporation

Insurance: The Chapter will maintain insurance coverage for liability insurance including Directors and Officer Insurance as approved by the Governing Board. In some cases where events will require special coverage, the Governing Board will decide what the required action will be.

Audit and Accounting: An annual audit of the books shall be made at the end of every year. An audit committee shall be appointed by the President of at least 2 qualified members, other than the Treasurer, to review the books no later than December 15th.

J. Special Recognition Awards

REALTOR® and Affiliate of the Year: The Governing Board shall vote on a REALTOR® member and an Affiliate member of the year in October. The candidates cannot be President, or President-Elect, but must be a member who has made significant contributions of time and effort on behalf of the chapter during the previous year. The candidates must have 24 months membership in Women's Council of REALTORS®. Plaques will be given at the expense of the chapter at the December General Membership meeting/installation ceremony.

K. State Scholarship Fund

The chapter will donate $1.00 for every active member at the end of the year or as requested to the State Scholarship Fund. The number if active members will be based on the count at the beginning of the year as determined by the Membership Chairman

Addendum "A"

Reimbursable Expenses for President, President-Elect, Vice President Of Membership, Secretary And Treasurer.

I. Item

Transportation - Best Price
Lodging - Shared whenever appropriate
Ticketed Functions Of Women's Council of REALTORS®
Meals - Not to exceed a per diem of $35.00 per person per day
Early bird registration fees - as required for certain events

Travel shall also include gas and hotel parking fees for trips made to meetings within driving distance of local chapter.

II. Payment

Receipts to be submitted as charged for budgeted Chapter expenses. Payment to be made with verified receipts.

If designated attendee is unable to complete travel/conference that is paid for by the Chapter, reimbursement from member to Women's Council of REALTORS® shall be determined at the discretion of Governing Board.
All reimbursements must be submitted within 60 days for approval and payment
Requests for payment are to be made through the treasurer and must be on the appropriate form supplied by treasurer
All payment requests to be submitted with receipts prior to payment
Treasurer to issue check within (10) ten days after board approval

Deposits must be submitted on proper form supplied by treasurer together with funds

III. Other

President to make full written report for records of meetings
President-Elect to make full oral report to Board of Directors meeting