| I. |
Background of the Club |
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The Club was created in 1998 by 10-12 individuals wanting to grow their businesses. On February 2, 2001, the Tri-Cities Business Connection was incorporated as a Washington Business League (EIN #912089959).
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| II. |
Purposes of the Club |
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A. |
The primary purpose of the Club is to promote the businesses of Club members. |
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B. |
To allow only one member per business category. Conflicts of interest are disallowed. A member may claim a maximum of two (2) business categories and shall have exclusive promotional rights for those categories within the context of TC-BC. This does not necessarily preclude multiple members from providing similar services but each member may only promote those areas of their business for which they hold officially recognized categories. Members are discouraged from expanding the scope of their businesses into categories already held by other members. Members may not promote areas of their business that fall under a category already held by another member. Members may not acquire a category if it is already held by another current member of the club. |
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C. |
To promote fellow businesses to others in your daily life. |
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D. |
To help people who need a service provided in the Club make direct contact with that member. |
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E. |
To invite quality businesses representing new categories not yet represented in the Club.
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F. |
To encourage members to personally use Club member services for your own needs.
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| III. |
Government of the Club |
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A. |
The Club is organized and registered as a non-profit 501(c)3 Washington corporation categorized as a business league. |
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B. |
Registered By-Laws require a minimum of four (4) officers consisting of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. |
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C. |
Conduct of Club meetings shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order (current version).
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| IV. |
Officers |
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A. |
Elected Officers (Executive Board) |
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1. |
President: The President shall preside at all meetings. S/He shall appoint all committees to conduct the business of the Club as necessary and shall be ex-officio of all committees. The President is the officer designated to sign official Club documents and contracts. |
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2. |
Vice-President: The Vice-President shall assist the President. In the absence of the President, s/he shall assume the duties of the President. The Vice-President will maintain a current copy of membership categories both represented and still open. |
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3. |
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have command over all accounts payable and receivable and have charge over Club funds excluding special funds authorized by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall disburse funds with the Executive Board’s approval. The Treasurer shall keep the current official roster of members; this roster will be available to the membership at the first meeting of each month. The Treasurer shall keep current records on all members. If the Treasurer has a planned absence, s/he shall convey the books to the designated substitute or the presiding officer, normally the President. The Treasurer shall prepare an up-to-date report on the finances of the Club at least monthly. |
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4. |
Secretary: The Secretary shall maintain a current copy of the By-Laws of the Club as well as the Standing Rules of the Club. S/He shall maintain a complete record of the business of the Club. The Secretary provides ballots for election of officers and new members. The Secretary will report at least monthly on the value of tips submitted. S/He shall take notes at all Executive Board Meetings and transmit a copy to the members via e-mail.
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B. |
Election of Officers |
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1. |
Election of Club officers will be conducted on the first Wednesday of September. |
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2. |
Members may contact the Secretary in advance of the election of officers and vote by proxy. |
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3. |
The election will be by paper ballot rather than show of hands. A simple majority of those present will decide the winner. |
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4. |
The Secretary conducts the election and counts the ballots. |
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5. |
One vote per membership. |
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6. |
Each elected and appointed officer will serve for one (1) year. |
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7. |
An officer may be elected to serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. |
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8. |
Newly elected officers will take their offices at the following meeting to allow turnover discussions to take place.
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C. |
Appointed Officers |
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1. |
Membership Chairman - The Membership Chairman will be at each meeting early to greet members as they arrive and to welcome guests. It will be his/her responsibility to record those present on an attendance sheet at each meeting and provide it to the Vice-President to track attendance. S/He will review the list of business categories currently represented and still open and will make recommendations to the membership weekly on categories we would especially like to have filled. |
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2. |
Programs Chairman - The Programs Chairman is responsible for having a Club member make a presentation each week showcasing his/her business. The presentation should be approximately 15 minutes in length. The opportunity for presenting will be rotated among all members so that every membership has a chance to present. A schedule of presentations, past and future, shall be available to the membership at each meeting. |
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3. |
Sergeant at Arms - The Sergeant at Arms is custodian of the “tip basket.” The Sergeant at Arms will either explain or delegate a member to explain the process of giving tips, what a good tip is, and fines for not having a guest or a tip. At the first meeting of each month, the Sergeant at Arms will provide to the Treasurer an accounting of monies received in the tip basket as well as turn over to the Treasurer any money over $20. $20 is to be kept in the tip basket for making change.
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D. |
Executive Board |
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1. |
By definition, the Executive Board shall be made up of the four elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) as well as the three appointed officers (Membership Chairman, Programs Chairman and Sergeant at Arms). |
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2. |
The Executive Board shall preside of the weekly general membership meetings and facilitate the regular administrative affairs of the club. The Executive Board shall also hold regular Board meetings to discuss official TC-BC business, mediate member disputes, etc. |
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3. |
The Executive Board shall have authority to conduct business on behalf of the general TC-BC membership in circumstances not requiring general membership approval as outlined in the TC-BC standing rules and By-Laws. Each Executive Board Member shall have one vote in deciding issues before the board. In the event of a tie vote, the TC-BC President shall cast the deciding vote.
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| V. |
Meetings |
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A. |
Club meetings begin promptly at 7:10 am every Wednesday. |
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B. |
The location of our Club meetings is the Old Country Buffet at Columbia Center. |
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C. |
The goal is to adjourn by 8:15 am. |
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D. |
To reduce annoying distractions during the meeting, there is a $1 fine if a member’s cell phone, PDA, or other device sounds. |
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E. |
Attendance is a key factor in the success of the Club and TC-BC takes this seriously. Each member exclusively represents the category in which they are doing business. Lack of attendance precludes another business that might do business in that same category from becoming a member. |
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F. |
Attendance at each weekly meeting is obligatory. The Vice President shall remind all those present at each meeting of the importance of regular attendance and the implications of unexcused absences. |
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G. |
Members who cannot attend a meeting for a valid reason must contact a member of the Executive Board in advance in person, by telephone, by letter, by phone, or by e-mail. The absence will then be excused. In the rare instance that advance notification cannot be made, an absence may be excused by contacting a member of the Executive Board sometime during the same day of the meeting. A maximum of fifteen (15) excused absences will be granted per calendar year. The requirement by a member of more than fifteen (15) excused absences per year shall constitute their voluntary resignation from the club unless they have been approved for a Leave of Absence. Three consecutive unexcused absences will constitute voluntary resignation from the Club. |
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H. |
Four unexcused absences per calendar year will constitute voluntary resignation from the Club. |
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I. |
Members may contact the Executive Board for an extended leave of absence should circumstances require. Leaves of Absence are intended to be used for unusual circumstances that may require a member to be absent from regular meetings for an extended period of time. Leaves of absence are not intended to allow a member to miss meetings regularly for the purpose of normal business. Members are discouraged from taking leaves of absence as poor attendance to TC-BC meetings negatively impacts the production and receipt of tips between businesses. The Executive Board reserves the right to deny requests for Leaves of Absence.
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| VI. |
Membership |
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A. |
Membership is limited to one business membership per business category. Categories are added at the request of the members. Initial category assignments, additional category acquisitions and changes of categories for members must be submitted to the general membership for approval. A member’s category/categories shall be limited to primary specific products and/or services they actually provide (i.e., products/services that are not sub-contracted to other individuals or businesses that are not salaried employees of the member’s business). Approval will not be granted for categories not reflective of a business’ main products/services. |
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B. |
Due to the exclusive nature of TC-BC and its focus on promoting business between members, membership in other local tips networking groups (e.g., “Le Tips,” “B.N.I.”) are disallowed for current TC-BC members. |
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C. |
The Vice-President will maintain a current copy of business categories which are assigned to current members of the Club as well as vacant categories. This list will be available at all meetings. |
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D. |
More than one representative from a business membership may attend the meeting, but only one representative may vote and speak when the tip basket is passed. |
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E. |
Members are encouraged to invite potential members as guests. Members who wish to bring a guest should contact the Vice President first to determine that the potential member’s category is not already taken by another member. Our group strongly supports each other and vouches for the integrity and work performance of each of our members; Club members are encouraged to be judicious with invitations. |
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F. |
The guest’s breakfast will be paid for by the Club. The sponsoring member pays for the guest’s breakfast and submits the receipt after the meeting to the Treasurer for reimbursement. |
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G. |
Guests may attend a maximum of two Club meetings prior to making a decision whether or not to join. |
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H. |
A guest desiring to join the Club must complete an application and submit it to the Membership Chairman along with a check for the appropriate dues. The check will not be deposited until the application is accepted and approved by the Club. |
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I. |
The Membership Chairman will choose to either accept the testimony of three or more Club members who have used the applicant’s services and can verify the quality and customer service common to Club members, or assign one or two long-time members to visit the applicant at his/her work place and discuss Club membership. This is a good opportunity for examination of the applicant and allows for candid discussion to ensure “a good fit” and that everyone’s expectations are reasonable and acceptable. |
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J. |
The applicant’s application will be discussed at the next meeting. The applicant should not be present for this meeting. Members who are vouching for the applicant or who have visited the applicant will report on the business. Open discussion is encouraged. |
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K. |
Balloting will be conducted by the Secretary on paper ballots. A simple majority of those present will decide the result of the applicant’s membership. The applicant’s sponsor will notify the applicant of the results. The sponsor will then be responsible for mentoring the new member. |
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L. |
Complaints |
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1. |
If a Club member receives a complaint regarding service by another Club member (either from a referral tip or from his/her own experience), the member is encouraged to go to the other member, detail the situation, and allow the member to resolve the complaint. |
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2. |
If the complaint cannot be resolved, or if there are multiple unresolved complaints, the member may address the issue with the Executive Board at its regular monthly meeting.
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| VII. |
Dues |
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A. |
The Treasurer will send out dues notices early in January to all Club members. |
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B. |
Dues are $95 per year payable at the first meeting in February. Members joining later in the year may either pay $95 for the year or $30 per quarter for each remaining quarter in the year. |
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C. |
Should a member be unable to pay his dues in full by the due date, s/he may state his/her case to the Executive Board. Members agree to abide by the decision of the Executive Board. |
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D. |
Dues are non-refundable should a member voluntarily resign or be dropped from membership. |
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E. |
Members whose dues have not been paid by the first meeting in March, and who have not made payment arrangements with the Executive Board, will be notified by registered mail (and hopefully by other friends/members) that they will be dropped from membership at the first meeting in April if they are not brought current or arrangements made with the Executive Board. |
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F. |
Executive Board members and Appointed Officers will receive credit for annual dues based on the number of months served. Those serving for the entire year will receive full credit for annual dues. Those serving a portion of the year will receive pro-rated credit for annual dues based on the number of months s/he served on the Executive Board or as an Appointed Officer. Credit will apply to the following year’s annual dues.
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| VIII. |
Programs |
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A. |
The goal is to rotate among the members and allow an opportunity for each member to showcase his/her business before the group. |
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B. |
The Program Chairman will schedule a member presentation each week. Presentations are to last approximately 10-15 minutes including a question and answer period. |
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C. |
Members are encouraged to present at least once a year. Contact the Program Chairman to sign up for an opportunity to present. |
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D. |
The Program Chairman will coordinate the presentation schedule, notify members in advance of their presentation date, and announce upcoming presentations at each meeting. |
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E. |
The Program Chairman will maintain and make available to all members a schedule of upcoming presentations for a month ahead of time so members might see what to expect as well as properly plan for their own presentations.
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| IX. |
Passing the Tip Basket |
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A. |
Each week the tip basket is passed to every member to collect tip sheets and fines and allow members to give a mini 30-45 second commercial. |
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B. |
The Sergeant at Arms (or designated member) will explain the process of giving tips, what a good tip is, and fines for not having a guest or a tip. |
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C. |
Use of the tip sheet will be explained each week. The white (top) copy goes to the person performing the tip and the yellow (bottom) copy goes into the tip basket for collection later by the Secretary. |
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D. |
An outside tip is an interested individual who wants contact to be made for a service that a fellow member can provide. All contact information needs to be given to the member for which the service is desired. |
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E. |
An inside tip is a service performed by a member for a fellow club member. Inside tips should also have contact information, unless it has already been performed. |
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F. |
Each member is responsible to be aware of who holds each business category and publicly give tips and appreciation only for the represented business service. (For example, Betty’s Beauty Salon offers haircuts and Ed’s Salon offers manicures/pedicures. Since each business offers a different product, there is no category conflict. If the member goes to Betty’s, gets a haircut and uses Betty’s new manicure service, the member’s tip would mention only Betty’s great haircut.) |
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G. |
Fines are to be dropped in the tip basket. |
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1. |
$1.00 for no tip |
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2. |
$1.00 if cell phone, PDA or other device beeps or rings during the meeting. |
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3. |
$1.00 if member’s mini-commercial on what a good tip for them is extends over what the appointed timekeeper deems appropriate. |
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4. |
Fines are on the Honor System |
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H. |
A member giving 4 or more tips at a meeting has the option of receiving back $1.00 from the tip basket. |
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I. |
Each member must provide at least two (2) tips per month. A member who fails to produce the minimum of two (2) tips in a given month shall be placed on a three (3) month probationary period. If the member fails to produce at least two (2) tips per month during the probationary period, failing to do so will constitute their voluntary resignation from the club. Failure by a member to produce at least two (2) tips in any three months of a calendar year shall constitute their voluntary resignation from the club.
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| X. |
Changes to Standing Rules |
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A. |
Proposed changes to Standing Rules may be made at any regular meeting. |
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B. |
The change may be presented in writing by any member in good standing and given to the President. |
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C. |
The Secretary will promptly send out an e-mail notification of the proposed change to all members so that they have due notification of the proposed change, a chance to consider it, and have the opportunity to attend the next meeting and participate in discussion of the proposed change. |
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D. |
Action on the proposed change will be taken at the following regular meeting. |
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E. |
The Secretary will conduct balloting by written ballot. Approval of the proposed change will be by a simple majority of those members present. Notification of results will be sent out promptly to the membership via e-mail. |
Rev. O – 1/11/2006
Rev. 1 – 4/5/2006 (added VII, F)
Rev. 2 – 9/12/2007 (added IX, I)
Rev. 3 – 10/31/2007 (expanded II, B), (added IV, D), (expanded V, G), (expanded V, J),
(expanded VI, A), (added VI, B), (expanded IX, I)
Rev. 4 – 5/7/2008 (expanded VI, A)
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