Documents

CONSTITUTION OF THE CASS RIVER HOMEBREW CLUB

ARTICLE ONE –  Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Cass River Homebrew Club

Section 2. National Affiliation

The rules and regulations of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) shall be

followed when not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of the Cass River Homebrew Club

Section 3. Purpose

The purpose of the Cass River Homebrew Club shall be:

To promote the art of homebrewing and be stewards of the craft;

To educate its members and general public with regard to the brewing arts;

To encourage membership in the pursuit of experimentation and the development of

new skills in the art of homebrewing;

To continue to develop new skills in the judging of craft beer, wine, cider, and mead, and

share these skills with the general public;

To foster the responsible use of the products of our craft; and

To celebrate with our fellow members on successes and opportunities to improve in our

own craft.

ARTICLE TWO – Membership and Responsibilities

Section 1. Membership

Membership in the Cass River Homebrew Club is open to any person who pursues the

art of homebrewing, has an interest in learning more about the craft of beer, wine, cider,

mead, or other fermented craft beverages, or who enjoys and celebrates craft and

homebrew, either their own or the work of others.

A person is considered a member in good standing if they are current on dues.

Section 2. Dues

Dues for a one-year membership of $20.00 are to be paid upon joining Cass River Homebrew Club. Dues shall be collected in January and the Treasurer shall keep a record of those whose membership is set to lapse at year end.  Dues for couples’ membership (those at the same household) shall be $30.00   New Membership dues paid any time after September 30th of each year shall be $10.00 through the month of December.  Guests are free for 2 meetings at the discretion of the Officer Board

Section 3. Return of Cass River Homebrew Club Property

All elected officers and any members, upon completion of their term in office,

assignment, or membership shall return to the Cass River Homebrew Club any and all papers,

documents, and property deemed to be important to the operation and history of, and

belonging to the Cass River Homebrew Club.

Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the Cass River Homebrew Club and civil

action if deemed necessary.

ARTICLE THREE – Governance and Positions

Section 1. Governance

The governance of the Cass River Homebrew Club shall be through an elected Executive

Board.

Section 2. Elected Officers

The officers of Cass River Homebrew Club shall be a President, Vice-President,

Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, if there is a pressing need as determined by the

Cass River Homebrew Club and Membership, a Sergeant-at-Arms may be elected.

Section 3. Appointed Positions

In addition to elected officers, the Executive Board may appoint a Web Administrator

and Committee Chairpersons, in addition to needed positions for events. A Committee

Chairperson may appoint needed positions such as Liaisons, Consultants, and

committee members as required.

Section 4. Eligibility

All elected officers and appointed positions should be members in good standing with

Cass River Homebrew Club who have not been removed from an office in the last three

years.

Section 5. Term of Office

All elected offices shall be held for a period of one year, commencing at the January

meeting following elections, and terminating one year later.

President and Vice-President shall have a two-term limit in office. Secretary and

Treasurer shall not be term-limited from office. Appointed positions shall be reviewed

when the needs of the club change, the position is no longer needed, or as brought up by

Membership in a general meeting. Appointed positions shall not be term-limited.

Section 6. Removal from Office

Any officer, as determined by a majority of the Executive Board, found not performing

his/her duties, may be removed from office, subject to the approval by a majority vote of

the membership. Any officer missing six General Membership meetings during his/her

term of office, or three consecutive General Membership meetings, without reasonable

excuse, shall be eligible to be removed from office by a majority vote of the General

Membership.

A reasonable excuse shall be determined by the Executive Board.

Section 7. Vacancy of Office

Any interim vacancy on the Executive Board shall be filled by appointment by the

Executive Board, subject to the approval by a majority vote of the membership at the

next General Membership meeting following the vacancy. If a Sergeant-at-Arms has

already been elected, they shall fill the duties of the roll until this majority vote may be

had, with the exception of the role of President, who shall be replaced by the

Vice-President. The office of the Vice President shall therefore be filled as though

vacant.

At the next General Membership meeting, there will be open nominations for the vacant

office and an election held thereafter. No current Executive Board member may be

elected to fill the role, but shall maintain their current role and duties, with the

exception of the Sergeant-at-Arms, as well as the Vice President, who shall replace the

President if removed.

Section 8.  Duties of Elected Officers

A. President

The duties of the President shall be as follows:

a. To uphold the Constitution and By-Laws of the Cass River Homebrew Club

b. To interpret the Constitution and By-Laws thereof when necessary.

c. To set the theme and agenda for the meetings.

d. To call meetings to order and conduct them in an orderly manner.

e. To call for special meetings when necessary.

f. To form committees when necessary.

g. To coordinate events, meet-ups, and communication on behalf of Cass River Homebrew Club to other national, regional, and local organizations and clubs.

B. Vice-President

The duties of the Vice-President shall be as follows:

a. To assist the President with his duties.

b. To coordinate and organize Club events and Committees

c. If the President is absent from a meeting, the Vice-President shall assume the

President's power for that meeting.

C. Secretary

The duties of the Secretary shall be as follows:

a. To take the minutes of General Membership meetings.

b. To maintain a file of all minutes.

c. To track and announce upcoming events of interest to the General Membership.

d. To maintain club documents, historical documents, legal paperwork, and by-laws.

e. If the President and Vice-President are both absent from a meeting, but a quorum is

still met, then the Secretary shall chair the meeting.

D. Treasurer

The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:

a. To administer the Cass River Homebrew Club’s finances.

b. To collect and document monies owed to the Cass River Homebrew Club.

c. To manage the club’s Check book and arrange to have the President, Vice

President and Treasurer have check signing authority.

c. To reimburse expenses incurred by members on behalf of the Cass River Homebrew

Club.

d. To submit a report to the General Membership on a monthly basis of revenues and

expenditures during the General Membership meeting

e. To maintain the inventory and/or whereabouts of club property and merchandise.

f. To maintain paid member records for the purposes of ensuring General Membership

meeting quorum.

E. Sergeant-at-Arms

The duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be as follows:

a. To provide quorum at meetings and to fulfill the duties of absent Executive Board

Members

b. To step into the role of a removed Executive Board member until open elections can

take place.

c. To maintain order and security in the event the Executive Board is unable to do so.

d. To arrange for a light snack to be served during the General Membership meetings and to collect donations to cover the cost of said snack.  General Members can volunteer to provide a light snack in order to assist the Sergeant-at-Arms.

         F. Duties of Non-Elected Positions

                     a. Web Administrator

A Web Administrator shall be appointed by the Executive Board and approved by the

General Membership. They shall remain in their position until removal or resignation.

The duties of the Web Administrator shall be as follows:

a. To maintain and update Cass River Homebrew Club’s Website and/or Social Media,

and maintain passwords.

b. To ensure that costs associated are paid with the assistance of the Treasurer.

                     b.  Committee Chairperson

A Committee Chairperson shall be appointed by the President and approved by the

General Membership on an as-needed basis. They shall remain in their position until

removal or dissolution of their committee. The duties of the Committee Chairperson

shall be as follows:

a. To manage committee business and set an agenda within the purview of their

committee.

b. To have committee meetings as needed and to set meeting agenda.

c. To maintain a record of committee meetings and report to the General Membership

during monthly meetings when a report is requested by the Executive Board.

d. To work within the budget set by the General Membership and Executive Board, or to

bring requests for funding and the like to the Executive Board and General Membership

for consideration.

e. To appoint and approve Committee members, and specialized committee roles such

as Liaisons, Consultants, and to provide supervision to them.

f. To serve as “point person” to members and non-members regarding purview of

Committee roles and responsibilities.

ARTICLE FOUR – Elections

         Section 1. Eligibility

Any member in good standing who is not term-limited from office may run for an

elected office.

         Section 2. Nominations

Candidates shall be nominated by another member at the November Meeting. Candidate does not have to be present at the meeting, but must accept the nomination in order for

the nomination to be voted upon (those not present may submit a written confirmation,

or accept over the phone). The method of collecting nominees' names shall be done at

the discretion of the President or whoever is chairman at those meetings. Those who

decline nomination for an Executive Board position shall not move to vote by the

General Membership.

         Section 3. Balloting

A secret ballot election shall be held at the December membership meeting. Only paid

members in good standing may vote. The President shall determine how the secret

balloting will take place.

         Section 4. Tally

The President shall form a committee of two or three members not running for office to tally

the ballots.

After tabulating the results, any ties shall be broken by a vote by the Executive Board

minus any member thereof running for said office.

The new officer for each office shall be that person with a majority of the votes for that

office.

ARTICLE FIVE – Installation of Officers

         Section 1. New Officers

At the December membership meeting, officers-elect will begin a one-month transition,

wherein club properties shall be handed over, and necessary changes to club accounts

shall be made. Installation of the new officers shall occur at the January meeting.

         Section 2. Officers Filling Vacancies

Any officer filling a vacancy shall be installed at the meeting at which the membership

voted its approval.

ARTICLE SIX - Meetings

         Section 1. General Membership Meetings

Membership meetings shall be held on the first Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Tri

City Brewing in Bay City, Michigan, unless otherwise specified by the Executive Board or

General Membership. Changes to location, meeting time or frequency shall be approved

by General Membership and advertised on Social Media and the Cass River Homebrew

Club website.

All members are encouraged to attend these events and meetings. Guests are also

welcome at General Membership meetings

         Section 2.  General Meeting Quorum

A voting quorum at a Membership Meeting shall be no less than ten percent (10%) of the

paid membership as reported by the Treasurer, as well as three members of the

Executive Board.

         Section 3. Officers Meeting

To expedite the General Meetings the General Membership may vote to allow for separate Officers Meetings to discuss the business of the Club.  The Officers will then report on the business of the Club by the posting and distribution of complete minutes of the Officers Meeting. The General Membership and or the Executive Board my vote to suspend this practice at any General Membership Meeting.

         Section 4. Officers Meeting Quorum

A voting quorum at an Officers Meeting shall be no less than three members of the

Executive Board. All items that pass Officers voting must be presented via the official minutes at a General Membership Meeting.  Any purchases over $100 require the vote of the General Membership.

         Section 5.  Attendance of Officers Meeting

All General Members in good standing are welcome to attend and present items for discussion at the Officers Meetings

ARTICLE SEVEN – Amendments

         Section 1. Resolutions

From time to time, it may be necessary to modify this Constitution and By-Laws. The

procedure shall be as follows:

         a. Any individual, or committee, or the Executive Board may write a resolution to

modify this Constitution and By-Laws. It shall include the reason for the change, the

article, the section, the paragraph, etc., where the change will occur, and what the

change will be.

         b. If an individual member has drafted a resolution, he/she may present it to the Board

of Directors for presentation to the membership or bring it to a membership meeting for

presentation to the membership. The purpose of presenting it to the membership is to

inform them about it.

         c. After presentation the General Membership shall vote on whether or not to accept the

resolution for consideration.

         d. The resolution shall be posted on the website after the initial membership approval.

         e. At the next membership meeting, the resolution will be voted on by the paid

membership. A 2/3 majority is required for the resolution to be adopted.

BY-LAWS OF THE CASS RIVER HOMEBREW CLUB

ARTICLE ONE – Membership Agreements

         Section 1. Membership Agreement and Code of Conduct

The Executive Board shall codify a membership agreement that is required for all

members. The agreement shall outline acceptable behavior and risks assumed by

members.

         Section 2. Release of Liability and Hold Harmless

The Executive Board shall codify a release of liability and hold harmless that is required

for all members.

         Section 3. Probation and Dismissal of a Member

The Executive Board shall hold an Officers Meeting with all Officers present. There must be a 60% vote to dismiss or put a member on probation.  A letter shall be sent laying out the reasons after verbal warnings according to the Code of Conduct.

ARTICLE TWO - Additional Membership Categories

         Section 1. Couples Membership

A Member’s spouse or significant other who has not paid dues shall be considered a

non-voting member for the purposes of all Cass River Homebrew Club activities.

         Section 2. Family Membership

A Member’s adult children (21 and older) who live within the same household shall be

considered non-voting members for the purpose of all Cass River Homebrew Club

activities.

         Section 3. Honorary Lifetime Membership

The Executive Board may elect to designate any person an Honorary Lifetime Member

of the Cass River Homebrew Club for extraordinary service to the club, as recognition of

the integral role they have played in the Cass River Homebrew Club’s success over time.

Honorary Lifetime Membership entitles such person all the benefits of full membership,

but all dues are waived for the lifetime of the Honorary member. Honorary Lifetime

Members can be nominated by the Executive Board and must receive a 2/3rds vote by

the General Membership.

ARTICLE THREE - Liability Insurance

The club shall maintain appropriate insurance coverage for its members and guests for

any events hosted, sanctioned by, or participated in by the club. It shall be the

responsibility of the Treasurer to maintain club insurance and ensure it does not lapse.

ARTICLE FOUR -Competitions

         Section 1. Club-Hosted Competitions

At this time there are no established annual competitions to be hosted by the Cass River

Homebrew Club. If the club would like to host a competition, a simple majority of the

General Membership must approve. Planning and organization of these competitions

shall be completed by a committee, whose chairperson shall be appointed by the

guidelines set within this document. These competitions may, at the discretion of the

Executive Board and/or General Membership, be open to other clubs and may be

sanctioned by the BJCP/AHA. Sanctioning of these two competitions shall not be a

requirement for holding them.

         Section 2. Other Competitions

The Executive Board reserves the right to involve the Cass River Homebrew Club in

organizing competitions in conjunction with other clubs, local businesses, or other

national, regional, and/or local organizations.

         Section 3. Ad-Hoc Competitions

The General Membership may propose Ad-Hoc competitions, such as Wort Warrior, or

other events open to club members. The rules and by-laws of these events shall be

determined by and voted on by the General Membership.

         Section 4. CRHC Brewer of the Year Competition

Members in good standing may choose to participate in the Brewer of the Year Competition held at the Club Officers discretion. Rules to the evaluated and established each year by the Officer Board. The intent of the competition and honorary award is to acknowledge extraordinary brewers in the CRHC and promote the Club in general to the public by this award.  The Officer Board may dedicate up to $100 towards a jacket/shirt of the honorees choosing and they will be acknowledged on the Brewer of the Year plaque that is on display currently at TriCity Brewing Company.

ARTICLE FIVE -Beer Judge Certification Program

         Section 1. Reimbursement of costs of Certification

Members in good standing may request reimbursement from the Cass River Homebrew

Club for the payment of Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) online entry exam fees, for 1 test only, approx. cost $10, at the desecration of the Executive Board upon successful completion of the test.

The club shall not cover practice materials, or transportation costs and incidentals as part of the BJCP examination. Exceptions may be made in extraordinary circumstances and with the approval of a majority of the General Membership.

Requests must be made in person at an Executive Board Meeting who will then present it to the General Membership at a meeting, and requestor must provide detailed report of expense, as well as proof of certification.

         Section 2. BJCP Practice and Materials

The Cass River Homebrew Club, may, with approval of the Executive Board, purchase

practice materials or host events to help prepare club members for the BJCP Exam.

Participants must be members in good standing, or may pay a fee to participate in

events. If materials are donated by club member(s) they may have discretion as to the

use. Usage of materials donated by the community or non-members shall be determined

by the General Membership.

ARTICLE SIX – Dissolution

         Section 1. Dissolution of Cass River Homebrew Club

The Cass River Homebrew Club may be dissolved by written consent of no less than

two-thirds of the members in good standing. In the event of the dissolution of the Club,

other than for purposes of reorganization, whether voluntarily, involuntarily, or by

operation of law, after payment of the debts of the club, its property and assets shall be

distributed for one or more exempt purposes for the benefit of the club purpose as shall

be selected by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE SEVEN – Effective Date of Document

         Section 1. Effective Date

This Constitution and By-Laws shall be considered in effect when approved by at least

two thirds of the membership present at the General Membership meeting where this

document is put to a vote. 

CASS RIVER HOMEBREW CLUB MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

I understand that I represent not only Cass River Homebrew Club, but I also am an

ambassador of the Home Brew hobby to my community. Therefore, I agree to follow this

member code of conduct during club-organized or club-sanctioned events, and promise

 to do the following:

● I will always show respect to my fellow club members at all times, and provide

encouragement, help, or constructive critique as requested and needed;

● I will always show respect and appreciation for meeting and event hosts, as well

as community members, other clubs, and businesses who support the Cass River

Home Brew Club;

● I will never taunt, harass, or threaten physical violence or unwanted physical

attention upon another member of the club, or a member of the wider

community;

● Never use abusive or vulgar language, or make racial, ethnic or gender-related

slurs or derogatory comments at club events that may tarnish the reputation of

Cass River Home Brew club, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), or

the craft of home brewing in the community;

● Always abide by club by-laws, Federal, state, and local laws and ordinances when

participating in a club-sanctioned event or when representing Cass River Home

Brew Club to the community;

● I will encourage healthy and safe decisions by fellow club members as well as

members of the community, and model safe decisions when it comes to

consuming alcohol;

● I will not falsely represent the Club in any manner.