NEW JERSEY ARTICLE I
NAME This organization shall be called “The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jerseyâ€.
ARTICLE II – AFFILIATION
This organization is a member of The Garden Club of New Jersey and The National Garden Clubs, Inc.
ARTICLE III – MOTTO
The motto shall be “Watch Us Growâ€.
ARTICLE IV – OBJECTIVES
This non-profit organization shall be organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific objectives and in furtherance, but not by way of limitation, of such objectives: To further the education of members and the public in the fields of gardening, horticulture, botany, landscape design, floral design, conservation of natural resources, civic beautification, environmental education, garden therapy and related garden club objectives. To do and perform all other acts necessary to carry out the purpose of this corporation as a not-for-profit corporation in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and the New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation Act, being N.J.S.A. 15A:1-1 et. seq. and any changes thereto.
ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP
1. The membership will be limited to a maximum of 175 active members. Associate membership will not be limited.
2. There shall be three classes of membership: active, associate and honorary.
A. An active member must attend four general meetings, participate in all major fundraisers and serve on at least one committee per club year to continue active membership (May 1 to April 30). Exceptions may be made by the Board of Directors.
B. An associate member is a member who has been an active member for 12 years. The member shall present a letter to the Board of Directors requesting associate status. A majority vote of approval by the Board of Directors is required for this status change. An Associate member may not vote, hold office or chair a committee. Although active member requirements do not apply to associate members, participation in club activities, including the all major fundraisers, is encouraged.
C. An honorary member is recommended by the President and is elected to this class by a majority vote of approval by the Board of Directors. An honorary member has all the rights and responsibilities of an active member, but is not required to pay dues. This membership is conferred for exceptional service to the club.
3. Admission to membership
A. To qualify for membership, an applicant must be sponsored by a member and be able to fulfill active member requirements. A minimum membership of one year is required to qualify as a sponsor.
B. No member shall sponsor more than two applicants per club year. The sponsor shall contact the Membership Chair to obtain an application form. The sponsor will be responsible for completing the application with the applicant and mentoring said applicant for one year. The sponsor will write a letter of recommendation and return it with the completed form to the Membership Chair. A majority vote of approval by the Board of Directors is required for admission to membership. If there is no vacancy, the applicant’s name will be placed on a waiting list.
C. Transfer: A transferee from another Federated Garden Club must present to the Membership Chairperson a letter from the President of the former club. Upon a majority vote of approval by the Board of Directors and the payment of current dues, the transfer shall become effective at the next opening on the membership list.
D. Readmission: A former member of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island in good standing may be readmitted, however, they must follow the procedure for a new membership status, which must be in writing, and present them to the Board of Directors for approval by a majority vote. Previous active years of membership will be included in total years of active membership to qualify as an Associate Member.
ARTICLE VI – NOMINATION and ELECTION of OFFICERS
1. The officers of the club shall consist of a President, First Vice-President, Second Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary. These elected officers are the Executive Committee. All terms of office shall be for two years, except the President who shall serve for one year. No officer will be eligible for consecutive terms in the same office with the exception of the President, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer who are eligible to serve for two consecutive terms. Qualifying officers with a second term option will be asked, by the Nominating Committee, if they wish to exercise the option. If they choose to exercise the option, they will become the Nominating Committee’s candidate for said office.
2A. The Second Vice-President shall serve as Chairperson of the Nominating Committee and will select two active members to serve on the committee. There shall be no more than one Board of Directors member of the two members selected.
2B. In January, the general membership shall be requested to submit the names of candidates for expiring officer terms to the Nominating Committee for consideration. A candidate for the office of President must have served on the Board of Directors for a minimum of one year. All candidate submissions must be received prior to the February general meeting. The candidates must have expressed a willingness to be a candidate and serve if elected.
3A. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall report a slate of nominees to the Board of Directors in March. A majority vote of approval by the Board of Directors is required to present the slate to the general membership in March. After the slate is presented, nominations from the floor will be accepted and nominations will be closed. The nominees must have expressed a willingness to be nominated and serve if elected.
3B. If there is more than one candidate for any office, an election shall be conducted in April and decided by a majority vote. If there are no nominations from the floor, resulting in a single slate, the chairperson will immediately declare that the nominees are elected by unanimous consent.
4. Upon election, the incoming President shall be designated President-Elect and become a member of the Board of Directors.
5. A vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Such appointee may continue in that office if nominated and elected at the next election.
6. Elected officers are installed at the June meeting each year.
ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
1. PRESIDENT – The President shall:
A. Preside at all meetings of the Club and Board of Directors. Serve ex-officio as a member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.
B. Upon election, appoint the chairpersons for all committees, except the Nominating Committee. Submit the names of the Standing and Special Committees and Chairpersons to the Board of Directors for approval by a majority vote.
C. Attend the Annual Meeting of The Garden Club of New Jersey, the Presidents’ Meeting and the District VIII Meetings.
D. Have the discretion to appoint a Parliamentarian to assist at meetings.
E. Perform all other duties consequent upon the office.
2. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT – The First Vice-President shall:
A. Perform the duties of the President in the absence of or as directed by the President.
B. This office includes the duties of Program Chairperson.
3. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT – The Second Vice-President shall:
A. Serve as Membership Committee and Nominating Committee Chairperson.
B. As Membership Chairperson, keep the official list of the membership and the attendance. At each meeting, take attendance and record the attendance in the official record.
C. Receive any applications for membership and present the applications to the Board of Directors for approval by a majority vote. Inform the applicant of the Board of Directors decision.
D. Receive letters of resignation, requests for leaves of absence and changes in members.
E. Update Garden Club of New Jersey membership records for all membership changes.
4. TREASURER – The Treasurer shall:
A. Collect and deposit all monies belonging to The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and shall pay all expenses as authorized by the Board of Directors.
B. Read the Treasurer’s Report at both the Board of Directors and general meetings.
C. Serve as Finance Committee Chairperson and call a finance meeting to prepare a budget to be submitted to the Board of Directors in April and the Active Membership in May for approval by a majority vote.
D. Pay all bills approved and submitted by the committee chairpersons. Bills will be paid only for expenses incurred by that particular committee’s members within the amount of its annual budget.
E. Work with an accountant to insure all appropriate financial forms are properly filed.
5. ASSISTANT TREASURER – The Assistant Treasurer shall:
A. Assist the Treasurer in collecting and depositing all monies belonging to The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and shall pay all expenses as authorized by the Board of Directors.
B. Serve on the Finance Committee
C. Be responsible for Holiday Tour of Homes finances and submit a final report.
6. RECORDING SECRETARY – The Recording Secretary shall:
A. Keep the minutes of all meetings and shall have charge of all papers pertaining to the office.
B. Maintain a list of policy changes that have been voted on by the Board of Directors, including the date they were adopted.
C. Send a draft of the minutes of both the Board of Directors and general meetings to the Board electronically. Post the general meeting minutes on the meeting room bulletin board and provide a copy for the Newsletter.
7. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY – The Corresponding Secretary shall:
A. Handle correspondence with the members and others.
B. Confirm dates, places and parking as needed for regular meetings.
C. Select the person for the Thought of the Day.
D. Collect the mail from the PO Box. Officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the adopted parliamentary authority.
ARTICLE VIII – BOARD of DIRECTORS
1. There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of the Executive Committee, the immediate Past-President and the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees.
2. The Board shall meet each month prior to the general meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the President with the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Directors
3. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of eight members of the Board of Directors.
4. The approval by a majority vote of the board members present is required to carry a motion unless otherwise stated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES
1. Standing and Special Committees shall be established by the President as required for the operation of the Club and shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
2. Each Standing Committee shall have one vote at Board of Directors meetings. Chairpersons holding multiple positions are limited to one vote.
3. The Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer as Chairperson, President, Assistant Treasurer, Special Projects Chairperson and all major fundraiser Chairpersons.
4. All committees must adhere to the Bylaws, Standing Rules and Policies. Any changes must be approved by the Board of Directors by a majority vote.
ARTICLE X – GENERAL & ADDITIONAL MEETINGS
1. The General meeting of this Club shall be held on the second Thursday of each month for as many as ten months, unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the President with the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Any business which can be transacted at a general meeting can be transacted at an additional meeting.
2. The quorum of a general meeting shall be 50 active members.
3. The approval of a majority vote of the active members present is required to carry a motion unless otherwise stated in the Bylaws.
4. Meetings may be suspended by the President with the approval of a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XI – FINANCES
1. The Club fiscal year shall be May 1-April 30.
2. The books of the Treasurer shall be reviewed annually after the close of the fiscal year by an accountant approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The final written report will be given to the Board of Directors at the September meeting.
3. The President, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer shall be authorized to sign checks and transfer funds from the savings account to the checking account.
4. The President, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer shall be authorized to sign for and open the safe deposit box.
ARTICLE XII – DUES
1. Members are responsible for paying dues on or before April 30. A member in arrears after April 30 will automatically be dropped from membership and will be so advised. The member may request to be reinstated, but if there is a waiting list they will be placed at the end of the list.
2. Dues for the various classes of membership: A. Annual dues for active and associate members shall be determined by the Finance Committee and approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. B. Honorary members are not required to pay dues.
ARTICLE XIII – ELECTRONIC VOTING
Electronic voting is allowed at the discretion of the President following the procedure in the Standing Rules.
ARTICLE XIV – AMENDMENT of the BYLAWS
These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the active members present at any general or additional meeting provided the amendment has been submitted in writing to the members prior to the meeting and has been approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XV – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in “Roberts Rules of Order, Revised†shall govern The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and Standing Rules.
ARTICLE XVI – LIABILITY
The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, is incorporated. The club shall, however, carry sufficient liability insurance to protect the club, the membership and their guests.
ARTICLE XVII – RESTRICTION of USE of FUNDS
No substantial part of the activities of the club shall be carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and the club shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Not withstanding any other provision of these articles, the club shall carry on only those activities permitted to a club exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as it now exists or as it my be amended and the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act N.J.S.A.15A:1-1, et seq.
ARTICLE XVIII – USE of NAME or EMBLEM
The emblem of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey may not be used or copied in any way or for any purpose other than official application by the Board of Directors. The name of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey shall be used only on awards, publications, programs, etc. authorized by the Board of Directors. The name of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey shall not be used to endorse a candidate for office, product, lecture, tour or organization except as ordered by the Board of Directors. The list of the Board of Directors of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, their officers and members is not available for distribution to others or for use in advertising purposes, except by special vote of the Board of Directors.
Amended and Adopted March 2026
STANDING RULES
1. The Annual Meeting shall be held in May. At this meeting, written reports from Standing and Special Committees shall be submitted for filing.
2. A member may apply to the Board of Directors for a one year leave of absence for health, family problems or special circumstances. Approval by a majority vote of the Board of Directors is required for this leave of absence. Dues are applicable to retain membership.
3. The emblem of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey may not be used or copied in any way or for any purpose other than official application by the Board of Directors. The name of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey shall be used only on awards, publications, programs, etc. authorized by the Board of Directors. The name of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey shall not be used to endorse a candidate for office, product, lecture, tour or organization except as ordered by the Board of Directors. The list of the Board of Directors of The Garden Club of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, their officers and members is not available for distribution to others or for use in advertising purposes, except by special vote of the Board of Directors.
4. Expenditures not included in the budget and exceeding $100.00 must be approved by the Board of Directors.
5. New members shall be inducted into membership in any month deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.
6. Any violation deemed unworthy of a member will be brought to the Executive Committee for review. After careful review, the Executive Committee will advise the Board of Directors of its findings and, by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, the member found to be noncompliant will be dismissed as a member immediately.
7. All major fundraisers ticket price and number of tickets to be sold must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors as final arbiter.
8. The immediate Past President shall serve as a member of the Board of Directors and advisor to the sitting President for a term of one year. The immediate Past President and the immediate past major fundraiser chairpersons shall serve as advisory members of the Finance Committee for a term of one year.
9. A. Voting by electronic mail (email) is permitted under the Bylaws at the discretion of the President. Such calls of vote are to be reserved for issues of an urgent nature. This may arise, for example, in the event that action is considered desirable at a time between regularly scheduled meetings.
B. The President shall present action to be approved in the form of a motion and send it to each member of the appropriate voting body by email. The President shall request confirmation of receipt and specify time period for voting.
C. Comments, either positive or negative, may be made by any voting member and shall be sent to all.
D. Votes on the motion are to be emailed to the Recording Secretary within the stated time period.
E. At the end of the voting period, the Recording Secretary shall send a report to the President which will include:
1. Record of those sent the motion
2. Number of votes cast
3. Number in favor
4. Number opposed
F. A majority vote is required to pass the motion.
G. The President will immediately email the Recording Secretary’s Report to the appropriate voting body and declare the result of the vote.
H. The motion, Recording Secretary’s Report and result of the vote shall be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.
10. Upon dissolution of the club, all assets will be given to other 501(c)(3) organizations within the Long Beach Island community. A majority vote of the active membership shall select the receiving organizations.
11. The Standing Rules may be amended by a majority vote of the active members present at any general or additional meeting provided amendment has been approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Amended and Adopted March 2026