Constitution and By-Laws

June 5, 1991, May 3, 1995, June 5, 1996, January 8, 1997, March 3, 1999, September 1999, May 2001, April 2, 2007, July 3, 2013, July 1, 2014, July 1, 2017, & June 8, 2022 

Article I – NAME 

Sec. 1: The name of this organization shall be “The Burlingame Hillsborough Neighborhood Club,” hereafter referred to as “BHNC.” 

Article II – PURPOSE

Sec. 1: To provide women opportunities to develop friendships through General Meetings and activities promoted by BHNC. 

Sec. 2: To inform members of civic activities and opportunities of service in the community. 

Article III – MEMBERSHIP 

Sec. 1: Membership Eligibility Requirements: 

A. Any woman who resides in Burlingame or Hillsborough is eligible for membership. Membership in BHNC commences upon acceptance of dues.

B. Any BHNC member of one fiscal year or more may sponsor one woman who resides in either the city of Millbrae or the city of San Mateo for club membership. Such sponsorship shall be limited to a single new member per fiscal year. 

C. A member of good standing, regardless of her current residence, may continue her membership as long as she continues her dues without interruption. 

Sec. 2: The Executive Board may, when in its judgment the interest of BHNC demands such action, suspend or drop from the roll of membership any member who by her conduct disturbs the harmony or endangers the good name or usefulness of BHNC. 

Sec. 3: Honorary membership may be granted by the Board to a member of BHNC for over 25 years of membership and over 90 years of age.

Article IV – DUES AND FINANCES 

Sec 1: Annual dues shall be set by the Board at the April Board meeting. 

Sec. 2: Annual dues shall be payable by July 1 of each year. Non-payment of dues by July 1 shall be considered as resignation and shall result in automatic deletion from the roster. 

Sec. 3: New members joining BHNC after January 1 shall pay half the annual dues until the following July 1. 

Sec. 4: Any new member joining after March 1 to June 30 shall pay annual dues that will cover the remainder of that fiscal year and the next full fiscal year. 

Sec. 5: The fiscal year of BHNC shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30. 

Sec. 6: The books shall be audited at the close of the fiscal year by a qualified person designated by the Board. The audit report will be available upon request to all members. 

Sec. 7: In the event BHNC ceases to function as such, the Board shall, after paying bills, dispose of all assets of BHNC to charities chosen by the Board. 

Article V – OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS 

Sec. 1: The elected officers of BHNC shall be President, 1st Vice President-Programs, 2nd Vice President-Venues, 3rd Vice President-Membership, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers shall be referred to as the Executive Board. 

Sec. 2: A nominating committee (the “Nominating Committee”), chaired by the immediate past President (the “Advisor”) and consisting of two additional Board members and two members from the general membership, shall be approved by the Board at the March Board meeting and announced at the March General Meeting. The Nominating Committee shall present the proposed slate to the Board at the April Board meeting and to the membership at the April General Meeting. 

Sec. 3: Election of officers will be held at the Hosted Annual Event, at which time nominations may be made by the general membership. 

Sec. 4: A majority vote of the members in attendance at the Hosted Annual Event shall elect the Executive Board. 

Sec. 5: Installation of the Executive Board shall take place at the June General Meeting. 

Sec. 6: The elected officers term of office shall be one year. However, an officer may be re-elected to the same office. 

Article VI –DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Sec. 1: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Board, the Board and BHNC, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President or her 5 appointee shall preside over General Meetings and represent BHNC at community functions/events. 

Sec. 2: The 1st Vice President shall be responsible for programs, shall preside in the absence, or at the request, of the President, and shall act as an aide to the President. She will be responsible for purchasing the President’s gift to be presented at a General Meeting at or near the end of her term in office. 

Sec. 3: The 2ndVice President shall be responsible for booking the venues for the monthly General Meetings. She may make financial arrangements with the venues within the budget and guidelines set forth by the Board. 

Sec. 4: The 3rdVice President shall be in charge of membership. She shall receive and keep a record of membership dues, and pay the same to the Treasurer. 

Sec. 5: The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all BHNC proceedings, the Board and Executive Board, file and be responsible for all papers and documents pertaining to this office. 

Sec. 6: The Treasurer shall receive all monies paid to BHNC for dues and other items. The Treasurer shall prepare a projection to the new Board at its first meeting in August, and prepare a monthly report of income/expenses to the Board each month. The Treasurer shall deposit BHNC funds in a bank designated by the Board. All outgoing checks shall be signed by the President, the Treasurer, the 1st Vice President, or 2ndVice President (2 of 4). Upon request, any financial report prepared will be available to all members. 

Sec. 7: The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the general correspondence of BHNC, read communications, acknowledge speakers and donations, and keep a record of the same. 

Sec. 8: The Advisor may attend all Board meetings for the period of one year and shall chair the Nominating Committee. 

Article VII – THE BOARD 

Sec. 1: The governing body of BHNC shall be the Executive Board and the Appointed Officers, hereafter collectively referred to as the Board. 

Sec. 2: The Board shall plan ways and means of carrying out the purpose of BHNC and simplify and condense the business. The Board may incur indebtedness as monthly expenses necessitate, not to exceed the amount budgeted in BHNC’s bank account. Any non-budgeted expense must get Board approval. 

Sec. 3: In order to conduct business, a quorum of the Board must be present and shall consist of fifty percent of the Board members plus one. Sec. 4: Vacancies on the Board shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board, with the exception of the President’s office, which is automatically filled by the 1st Vice President. Article 

VIII – MEETINGS 

Sec. 1: General Meetings shall be held monthly on the first Wednesday of each month. The date may be changed only by a vote of the quorum of the Board. 

Sec. 2: The June Board meeting shall be a transitional meeting between the outgoing and the newly elected officers. Business will be conducted as usual by the outgoing officers. Incoming officers will be duly installed and shall assume their duties during the June General Meeting. 

Sec. 3: The date of the November General Meeting shall be designated as Founder’s Day. 

Sec. 4: One General Meeting during BHNC’s fiscal year will be designated as a “Hosted Annual Event '' and limited to members only, with the expenses to be defrayed by BHNC. 

Article IX – APPOINTMENTS 

Sec. 1: The Executive Board shall appoint members as Appointed Officers, who shall be responsible for: Activities: For example: Hosted Annual Event, General Meeting / Luncheon RSVPs, Activities Publicity/Outreach: For example: Member Recruitment, New Member Greeting Content Creation: For example: Newsletter (editing), Website (webmaster) Communication Distribution: For example: Zoom, Email Communications, Print Newsletter Editor, Proofreading Additional Appointed Officers shall be appointed as the Executive Board may deem necessary. 

Sec. 2: Any Member may chair a special committee with approval of the Executive Board. The President may invite any chair of a special committee to a Board meeting for comments without voting privileges. The plans of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee, shall be presented to the entire Board for discussion and approval. 

Sec. 3: The Executive Board can replace an Appointed Officer at its discretion. 

Article X –METHOD OF VOTING 

Sec. 1: The business of the Board shall be transacted by voice. 

Article XI – RULES OF ORDER 

Sec. 1: The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern BHNC in all cases to which they are applicable and consistent with BHNC’s by-laws or Standing Rules.

Article XII – AMENDMENTS 

Sec. 1: The constitution and by-laws may be amended by the following procedures: a) Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Board. b) Proposed amendments shall be approved by the Board. c) Proposed amendments approved by the Board shall be broadly presented to the membership via newsletter, website, email or any other method of communication. d) Proposed amendments, approved by the Board, shall be voted upon by the general membership in attendance at the next Hosted Annual Event and shall be approved by a majority written vote. 

Article XIII – ACTIVITIES 

Sec. 1: Any member in good standing is encouraged to join in BHNCs activities. On termination of membership in BHNC, the member will automatically be withdrawn from BHNC’s organized activities. 

Sec. 2: No activity groups with outside governing boards shall be part of BHNC. Sec. 3: Non-members may only attend two activities per BHNC’s fiscal year. In addition, non-members may attend a maximum of two General Meetings/luncheons per BHNC’s fiscal year. 

1. No advertising or commercially-oriented message shall be accepted for publication in any BHNC publication - whether newsletter, website, email or any other type of communication.

2. No member serving on the Nominating Committee may be nominated for an Executive Board position. 

3. Members who fail to cancel reservations within 48 hours of any General Meeting/luncheon or other BHNC functions will be charged the same.

4. Board meetings will be held on the Monday morning prior to the General Meeting for that month unless voted on by the Board at a prior Board meeting. 

5. The President shall receive a gift of up to a value of $200 at the end of the President’s term of office. 

6. The directory is furnished for the sole purpose of facilitating social contact among the membership and should not be otherwise employed without prior express written approval of the Board.