ARTICLE I: General

Section 1. Name

The name of the organization shall be the International Plastic Modelers Society,
Eagle Squadron (IPMS -Eagle Squadron). IPMS Eagle Squadron has received permission from Eagle Squadron Association (1983) to use their name sake.

Article II: Purpose
Section 1: Policies
The policies of IPMS Eagle Squadron are to be established and administered by the Executive Board (E-Board) of IPMS Eagle Squadron and the IPMS Eagle Squadron Membership.

Section 2: Club Objectives
The objectives of IPMS Eagle Squadron shall be to:

1. Encourage full participation in the improvement of Members’ modeling skills through the use of demonstrations, contests, exhibits, presentations, historical research and other worthy means.
2. Promote the welfare and support of modeling and community organizations as determined by the E-Board and Membership.
3. Regulate Membership; including the raising, use and investment by lawful means, of money to support the activities of IPMS Eagle Squadron, provided none of the revenues of IPMS Eagle Squadron serve to privately profit of any of its Members.
4. Support and promote the hobby of scale modeling to the public through public events and contests/shows, as feasible.

Article III: Membership Classifications
Section 1:
Membership will be designated according to the class that best defines the applicant requesting Membership in IPMS Eagle Squadron:

1.  Adult Membership: Anyone 18 years of age or older who pays the yearly fee (dues) designated by the E-Board, and is in compliance with the bylaws.
2.  Junior Membership: IPMS Eagle Squadron encourages Junior Membership. Anyone under 18 years of age who wishes to be a Member should attend a minimum of two consecutive IPMS Eagle Squadron club meetings before being considered by the Membership as a club Member. The annual dues are waived for all Junior Members. Junior Members, like adult Members will be on the roster for a full calendar year. If a junior Member does not attend/participate in IPMS Eagle Squadron meetings and activities for a period of 12 months, after the calendar year in which he/she joined, that junior Member will be removed from the roster. Junior participation is contingent on parent or legal guardian’s written or verbal approval. Members under the age of 16 should be accompanied with a parent/guardian at all club meetings and sponsored activities.
3. Honorary Member: Anyone or a business may become an Honorary Member by approval of the E-Board. Examples: Member on active military duty, a spouse of a former Member, a Club supporter such as a contest sponsor, and so on.
4. Guests: Guests to our activities and club meetings are always welcome. Guests are not Members but may participate in club meetings, contests, swap meets and the club raffle. Membership status & privileges will not be allowed until Membership dues are paid.

Section 2: Annual Dues for Members

1. Annual Dues are Due January 1st of each year. The dues cutoff date for returning Members is March 31. After March 31 Members not renewing will be dropped from the roster and privileges denied.
2. New applicants joining January 1st through June 30th will pay the full annual dues amount. New applicants joining July 1st through December 31st shall pay half the dues amount.

Section 3: Annual dues

1. Annual dues, returning Members: $20.00
2. Annual dues, Honorary & Junior under 18 new applicants or returning Member: FREE ($0.00)
3. There will be no refund of dues if a Member voluntarily leaves the club for any reason.
4. Dues amounts may change at the recommendation of the E-Board. A change in the dues amount must be approved by a majority of the Membership present to vote. In the case of a tie, a single coin toss at the meeting will determine the outcome.

Article IV: Membership Termination
Section 1: Termination Process
Individual Membership in the club may be terminated for any of the following reasons:

1. Request of the Member. A Member may terminate Membership by notifying the club Treasurer or other E-Board Members and be removed from the roster.
2. Lapse in Membership. A Member will be dropped from the club rolls if the Member has not paid his/her dues in full by March 31st of each calendar year.
3. Involuntary Termination. The E-Board, after giving notice to all affected parties, and after a proper review, may recommend the suspension and revocation of Membership privileges of any Member.

Examples:

1. Misconduct – Bringing discredit upon the club or upon a club Member.
2. Repeated violation of the Member Code of Conduct (see Appendix A).
3. Misrepresentation – A Member representing themselves as a club official for the purpose of profiting monetarily from the club or the individual Members.

Section 2: Involuntary Termination Process

1. The E-Board will review the issue(s). Prior to a decision being made, evidence of misconduct must be provided by the recommending Member(s). The results will be presented to the Membership for a vote for the removal of the club Member.
2. The President shall state the charge(s), the findings of the E-Board and how they reached their decision.
3. A Member deemed to be dismissed will have the opportunity to petition their stay as a member. The member in question will have no more than 15 minutes to provide his/her appeal. The Membership then has the right to ask any question of any Member of the E-Board as well as the Member charged. After questioning, the President calls for the question of expulsion and vote is taken by the Membership.
4. Should the Member be voted out with a majority vote, any paid dues amount will be returned on a monthly prorated basis up to the end of the current calendar year. A Member may be dismissed and asked not to return to a club meeting or activity for a minimum of one year for any of the following reasons: As listed above or Appendix A.

Article V: Officers and Governing Body
Section 1: Executive Board.
The Chapter Executive Board, hereinafter known as the Executive Board or E-Board, shall be the governing board of the Chapter. The Board shall have, but not be restricted to, the responsibility for planning of Chapter activities, approval of appointments, and approval of standing or special committee responsibilities and plans. The Executive Board shall consist of the following voting members, each one having a vote in E-Board matters:

• President
• Vice-President
• Information
• Treasurer

Section 2: Elected Officers
President
The President shall:

1. Preside over E-Board meetings (formal or informal) as well as all monthly meetings and call all meetings to order.
2. After consulting with E-Board Members and having been given input from the general Membership, the President shall establish the calendar of monthly meetings and contests, demos, lectures, etc., if any that will be presented at each meeting for the remainder of the year. This calendar will be completed and presented at the January meeting.
3. Be responsible for maintaining a balanced budget of funds and having the Treasurer report the status of the budget to the general Membership at the October Meeting and at any other time as directed by the President.
4. Delegate additional responsibilities, such as a committee chairman, to any E-Board Member or assigned to any Member by the President.
5. Responsible for developing the Club Contest schedule & themes, and arranging monthly demonstrations. This schedule/calendar is to be submitted to the Web Master and Information Officer.
6. Responsible for conducting an annual review of the current bylaws/procedures with E-Board and presenting the findings to the members-at-Large.
7. Acts as representative (or Proxy) of the club at the regional business meeting held annually at the Region XII Convention.
8. Direct and supervise the E-Board and all club activities
9. At the December meeting, the President shall select with input from the E-Board an outstanding Member to receive the “Haywood Griffin Most Improved Modeler Award” to a club Member who has shown the most improvement during the current year.
10. The President shall be responsible for access to the meeting facility. The President will also be responsible for serving as the liaison with the meeting facility location to maintain good relations.
11. The President shall be responsible for storing and maintaining all miscellaneous items that might be passed to him from the previous President. Examples of these items can be but not limited to: Paperwork.
12. The President shall maintain a list of all club websites passwords.

Vice-President
The Vice President shall:

1. In the absence of the President the Vice-President shall preside over all monthly meetings.
2. Advise the President in determining the yearly calendar of monthly meetings and events to take place including contests, clinics, demonstrations, etc., if any.
3. Assist the President as needed in club activities.
4. Preside over and coordinate Member and or immediate family member condolences or outreach. including ordering of donations/flowers/gift cards etc. The VP will also notify the Membership of recent condolences presented on behalf of the club.
5. Orient and introduce new Members to the Chapter.

Information
The Information Officer shall:

1. Be responsible for maintaining the clubs website and forum.
2. Once a month post a newsletter of the club activities.
3. Notify club members by email of changes to calendar, important information, etc.
4. The Information Officer shall maintain a knowledge bank of information in the E-Board forum.
5. The Information Officer shall notify the President of any passwords for club website/s and any changes to said passwords.
6. The Information Officer is allowed to recruit as many members as needed to accomplish the tasks above pending approval of the E-Board.

Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:

1. Keep and have available at every club meeting for review by the Membership if requested, accurate accounting of revenues and expenses.
2. Will complete and/or coordinate the annual IPMS Charter form; return it to IPMS in a timely manner and retain a copy for the club.
3. Shall maintain a list of names and addresses of all current IPMS Eagle Squadron Members.
4. Prepare an annual FY budget with the assistance of the E-Board to include projected annual income and expenses. The Membership will approve/disapprove of the budget by a majority vote at the October meeting.
5. Provide a written accounting of IPMS Eagle Squadron funds, abbreviated Financial Statements, and budget comparison to the President and the general Membership at the October meeting.
6. Assist the President and the E-Board determining the status of the treasury with respect to the annual planned budget.
7. Assist the President and the E-Board in determining the yearly calendar of general meetings and events to take place including contests, clinics, lectures, etc., that will be presented at each meeting.
8. Advise the President in the preparation of the annual budget and the disbursement of funds through the year. This process can project periods greater than one year, but projections past the upcoming year must be validated when the projected year occurs.
9. Maintain the integrity of all cash funds of the club at an established financial institution. The E-Board, at the Treasures’ recommendation may change banks if deemed necessary and appropriate.
10. Provide oversight and guidance to annual the club’s hosted contest expenditures for all local, Regional and National events.

Section 3: Appointed Officers
The following positions shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, from volunteers among the Chapter Members in good Standing and Life Members.

1. Chapter Contact. The Chapter Contact shall be the official liaison between the Chapter and IPMS/USA or any other entities as assigned by the E-Board.
2. Ambassador. The Ambassador shall be responsible for coordination with veterans or guests to club meetings and/or functions. The Ambassador shall be escort for said individuals at club meeting and/or functions.
3. Past President. The Past President shall provide advice and counsel to the President on club matters. The fulfillment of this position is at the discretion of the President and last no longer than one year.
4. Optional Officers. Shall be created and appointed by the President, with the approval of the E-Board.

Article VI: Nomination, Election, and Termination of Officers

1. IPMS Eagle Squadron E-Board Positions are elected annually with a general election to be conducted during the December meeting.
2. Officers will be nominated by the Membership at the December meeting.
3. All officers (voted and appointed) are required to be Eagle Squadron members in good standing. All officers will also need to be in compliance with IPMS-USA rules, at this time that means the following are required to also be IPMS-USA members: President, Vice-President, Information, Treasurer, and Chapter Contact.
4. Officer terms are January 1st to December 31st.
5. Officers are elected to one year terms and are not limited in the number of successive terms to which they may be elected except for the President. After 4 consecutive terms the President needs approval from the other E-Board members in order to run again.
6. The majority of votes by position will determine the winner. In the case of a tie, a coin toss will determine the winner.
7. An officer can be removed by a vote of no confidence and or for Membership misconduct reasons. A two-thirds majority of the Membership present at a regular monthly meeting must vote to remove an officer. A vote of no confidence can be brought up for a vote at any monthly meeting by any Member with written documentation supporting the request for vote provided to the E-Board members present at the meeting. Written documentation and evidence of lack of leadership must be submitted at the time of the vote or the request will be considered invalid.
8. If for whatever reason the President cannot fulfill their duties for the remainder of the year, a special election will be held at the next regular monthly meeting to elect a Member to the vacant position by a show of hands. All other vacated officer positions will be appointed by the President.
9. E-Board officers can conduct club business via email, clubs website and at the monthly meetings. While this is not a requirement that all E-Board members have email; email will greatly improve the flow of communications to other E-Board Members and the Membership in general. E-Board members without email are responsible for ensuring they are informed about club matters and duties.

ARTICLE VII: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Conflict of Interest. Any organization member who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the organization, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will voluntarily excuse themselves and will refrain from discussion and voting on said item.

Section 2. Change of Affiliation. A vote of two thirds of the general membership shall be required to change the organizations current affiliation with IPMS/USA. General membership shall be given 90-days’ notice in the event of such vote.

Section 3. Amendments. These bylaws may be amended or repealed and new bylaws may be adopted by the affirmative vote of two thirds of the general membership.

Section 4. Distribution Upon Dissolution. In the event of dissolution of the organization for any reason, all current funds will be used to resolve any debt or financial responsibilities of the organization. Any remaining funds will be donated equally (25%) to an aircraft museum, a military vehicles museum, an automotive museum, and IPMS/USA in the name of the organization. The aforementioned museums shall be located in the state of North Carolina, and preference shall be given to those museums that supported the organization in the past.

Appendix A
Member Code of Conduct
We, the Membership of IPMS-Eagle Squadron, have decided to adopt the uniform code of conduct printed below. This code was developed to prevent disputes within the club membership and ensure order within organization meetings and forums.

Code of Conduct
1. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with acceptable social behavior, maturity, and courtesies. This means but not limited to:

1. Members will show respect – to whomever has the floor, and not interrupt, unduly discredit, or “one-up” them.
2. Members will not argue – discussions and debate are welcome. Heated discussions and arguing are not. If this happens, you will be asked by the President or acting leading E-board member to cool it if the tempers flare. If you cannot calm down, you will be asked to leave the meeting grounds, which includes the parking area.
3. Be respectful of the decisions of E-board and the general club. It is acceptable to disagree, but not in a rude or condescending manner.
4. Intimidate or harass fellow club members.
5. Use member’s contact information (ie phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses) in an abusive manner beyond reasonable contact.

2. Members will not judge other modelers works unless asked. The statement “what do you think?” is not open invitation for full IPMS/USA or AMPS style judging. Remember to offer positive encouragement and refrain from negative comments.

3. Members will not touch another builder’s model, unless permission has been granted to you.

4. Members should have fun – this is a hobby, something to be enjoyed by all on many levels. We should let others see that enjoyment we have and share with others.