MISSION STATEMENT

Girth and Mirth of Columbus is a not for profit social club for men of large stature and their admirers. We are open to any gay/bisexual male 21 years of age or older that wishes to join. The club is intended to provide an informal outlet for members to meet new people for fun and friendship through our social gatherings.

ORGANIZATION

The governing and voting body of the club is comprised of a board that includes president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, member at large, parliamentarian, and a historian. The board can be adjusted based on club size and need (e.g., 3, 5, 7, etc.) to prevent any ties in voting on club issues.

Any voting member has the right to table a vote. If more than two voting members are absent voting on any issue will be postponed until next board meeting and adequate members are present to finalize vote. In matters that are critical to club operation, a vote can be held with a minimum of 5 voting members.

All Officers will serve a 12-month term of Office. Nominations for President, Secretary, and Historian will occur in
April and May at the socials, and immediately following ballots will be sent out via email or mail for those who do not have email. These members will serve office from July to June. Vice President, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Member at Large will be nominated in October and November socials. Ballots will immediately follow. These members will serve terms from July to June. This is to provide staggered nominations and elections so at no time will a board ever be fully replaced at one time to provide for consistency in operation of the club and to assist in transition of the new board members. The first nominations will be held in April 2003. If there is only 1 person running for a position, that person shall automatically get the position.

If for any reason a board member is unable during their term to fulfill obligations as required by office, open nominations will be held at the next club social and a new board member elected immediately.

The club and all members will be governed and adhere to the following rules and regulations as set forth by the Board.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to any male with verification of age of 21 or older. We regret the fact that we are unable to include those under 21, but due to liability issues we are unable to at this time.

New guests or attendees are allowed two free meetings to determine if they wish to join with a completed membership application and dues payable upon attendance of third meeting.

All members including board members will be required to pay yearly dues as established by the club.

All members including board members are required to abide by all rules and regulations as set forth in the bylaws of the club otherwise member may face expulsion and revocation of their membership.

The club reserves the right to deny or cancel any membership.

The board can grant a person or persons one of the following membership types. (If in unanimous agreement)

Honorary Lifetime Membership: awarded in recognition for outstanding continued support and contributions to the club.

Honorary Yearly Membership: awarded to members of other G & M club members for contributions and support during the year.

Scholarship/ Hardship Membership: awarded to a person or person(s) that wish to join or continue as members and have proven the inability to pay for membership due to financial constraints.

CLUB DUES

Club dues have been set at $20.00 dollars for a single and $35.00 dollars for couples membership per year.

All dues are payable to Girth & Mirth of Columbus by check, cash or money order in person to the treasurer or by mail with pre-addressed membership form. (Do not send cash by mail, as we will not be responsible for lost mail) You may also opt to pay via paypal from our website location at www.gmcolumbus. com for an additional fee of $1 to cover our costs of accepting online payments.

New Members dues are payable by the third meeting.

Current Members by no later than 30 days after membership due date, otherwise notification of unpaid dues will be sent by treasurer to member for payment by next meeting or membership will be revoked.

Notification of membership renewal will be posted in the newsletter the months of November and December as a reminder. Payment of dues is expected no later than January 31st.

Only one notification of past due membership fees will be sent on January 31st, if dues are still not paid after February 15th, the club will consider the member has non-renewed.

Dues will be pro-rated on a quarterly basis based upon when you join for conformity of dues collection on a yearly basis.

MEETINGS

Club Socials will be held for all members on the fourth Saturday of each month, but can be changed due to conflicting holidays or special events. All members shall be notified of any change via email.

Socials will start promptly at 7:00 p.m. with the first 30 minutes devoted to informing members of club business, announcements, and any after meeting activities etc. Any motions, proposals, suggestions for board agenda from membership may be presented during this time.

Club social meetings will end no later than 10 p.m., however the host may extend social hours if he so chooses.

Club Board meetings will be held 1 hour prior to the monthly social with any interested members invited to be present. These meetings can be changed due to conflicting holiday or events and all members shall be notified of such change.

The secretary will provide an agenda to each board member based on minutes from previous meeting at least 2 days prior to board committee meeting.

Board members have final approval to spend up to $100.00 in club monies without a vote from the club members.

GENERAL RULES

At no time during any official Girth & Mirth of Columbus Board meeting or social will the use of illegal drugs be tolerated and will result in expulsion from the club.

At no time during any official Girth & Mirth of Columbus board meeting or social will the excessive use of alcohol be tolerated. Repeated excessive use of alcohol will result in expulsion from the club.

At no time during any official Girth & Mirth board meeting or social will any lewd or lascivious behavior by and/or between members or guests be tolerated. In addition any intentional vandalism or destruction of any property (e.g., building, fixtures, furnishings or grounds) hosting official club functions will result in offending party(s) being expelled from the club and charged for all damages.

At no time during any official Girth & Mirth of Columbus board meeting or social will the possession of a firearm be tolerated and will result in expulsion from the club.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PRESIDENT

Responsible for the health and well being of the club, and is responsible that all board items and positions are being properly attended too.

Responsible for promotion of the club through public contacts, websites, publications and other means. Assist in all other operational functions.

Listen to input from his fellow club members to ensure all concerns, suggestions, and recommendations are being addressed.

VICE PRESIDENT

Assist the president in all operational functions of the club as needed.

Stand in for the president in any meetings or functions that the president is unable to attend.

Responsible for assisting in promotion of the club and it's social events.

SECRETARY

Records all meeting minutes for both board meeting and for socials.

Prepares and distributes agenda for board and recap for socials. Responsible for maintaining roster of club membership: including input of new member information, modifying member information as needed, and removal of ex-members from roster.

Collect mail from Club post office box and distribute accordingly.

Responsible for providing sign in sheet for all club events, socials, special events and entering information into membership roster.

Assist other board members as needed.

TREASURER

For the collection of membership dues and donations.

Entrance fees for any club functions or events, if applicable.

For the deposit of all funds into the Girth & Mirth bank account and for making the corresponding ledger entries.

For financial reports to the board and members when requested.

BIG MAN AT LARGE

Plays a major role in planning club functions.

Help with the recruiting process.

Serve as the social coordinator, ensuring that all members are enjoying themselves.

HISTORIAN

The Historian will be responsible for the archiving and upkeep of all public records for the club and will make them present at anytime any member requests to see them.

The Historian shall also assist fellow board members as needed.

PARLIMENTARIAN

The Parliamentarian will recommend any bylaw changes that need to be made are brought to the boards attention and shall monitor the club to be sure the bylaws are adhered to.

The Parliamentarian shall also assist fellow board members as needed.

VOTING PRIVELEGES

The following voting privileges are extended to general members who are in current status:

All spending over $100 by the club

All Board Elections

Approval of Bylaws and revisions

Special Events and Charities