BYLAWS OF SILVER CITY

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INTRODUCTION
 
It is the intent of the Silver City Junior Motor Sports Association; also known as the Silver City Quarter Midget Club to provide our children access, and introduce them to the sport of Motor Car Racing.   Additionally, it is our goal to guide and assist our youngsters in improving their self-confidence and coordination and to instill in them the self-control and sportsmanship needed to participate in this great
competitive sport.   Furthermore, it is the intention of this club to be a non-profit organization that relies on the talents and the dedication of its membership to operate the track and to function as a body.  It is not a pay to race track. All members 
should contribute their respective talents, skills and knowledge to achieve the common goals.

 

…...Bylaws
SILVER CITY JUNIOR MOTOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION
 
ARTICLE 1:  MEMBERSHIP

Section 1:

A. Any person 18 years of age or older may apply for membership.  General qualifications are good character, sportsmanlike conduct, a desire to work with youngsters, a willingness to do their fair share of the work necessary to run this club, and to promote the sport of Quarter Midget Racing.

 
Section 2:  

Types of Membership

A. Active - Voting, conditional

B. Dual – Non-Voting

C. Honorary – Non-Voting

D. Lifetime – Voting, conditional

E. All classes of memberships with voting privileges  will conform to the “QMA FAMILY MEMBERSHIP” as defined in the “QMA Racing Rules and Specifications Directory”.

F. Alternate Handler – (Voting Conditional)

 
Section 3:
Definitions and Responsibilities of Memberships
A.  Active

1. An active member may be an individual or a family unit. (A family unit consists of at least one eligible driver, one legal parent or legal guardian).

2. A family unit Must have a ½ or ¼ midget and/or driver of a ½ or ¼ Midget.

3. A family unit must sign in and attempt to time or race in at least 50% of all the completed race meets scheduled at this track and attend 50% or more of the regularly scheduled monthly meetings and participate routinely in other matters not directly involved in handling ½ or ¼ midgets, such as working in the concession stand, scoring tower, announcing, cornering, flagging, track setup and cleanup, etc.  An individual must attend 50% or more of the regularly scheduled monthly meetings or and participate routinely in other matters not directly involved in the handling of ½ or ¼ midgets, such as working in the concession stand, scoring tower, announcing, cornering, flagging, track setup and cleanup, etc.

4. Must participate on at least two eligible committees, one club and one race day. Eligible committees will be determined by the Board of Directors dependent on club needs. BOD will designate which committees are race day vs. non-race day committees.

5. Must complete at least one work party prior to race season, and one at close of season to winterize track as scheduled by the President. This requirement must be fulfilled or an assessment paid before a member will be allowed to race at this club’s track. The dollar amount of the assessment to be set in the club rules. To obtain credit for a work party, a member or a substitute, (substitute must be previously arranged with the President) must work at least ¾ of the allotted time of that work party. The President may assign alternate jobs or duties.

6. The Secretary will be responsible for recording the memberships’ participation so that a summary of each member’s participation is available monthly. These records may, upon request, be viewed at the monthly meeting only. These records will not be challengeable by after they are 2 months old.

7. Must pay club dues as outlined in the club rules.

8. Must be a member of QMA either through this club or another Quarter Midget Club.

9. Must have insurance approved and accepted by this club and QMA

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B.  Dual

1. A Dual Member must be a full member of another track and must be in good standing, and pay their QMA dues.

2. Is not required to fulfill work parties, concession duties or promotional events.

3. Must participate in race day duties when signed in.

4. May participate in our track championship (points).

5. Must pay dues as outlined in the club rules.

6. Must have insurance approved and accepted by this club and QMA.

 
C.  Honorary

1. An Honorary Membership is a membership that is bestowed upon an individual, family, group, or other organization by this club.

2. There shall be no requirements placed on any Honorary Member.

3. There are no dues.

4. This is a club membership only, not QMA.

 
 
D.  Lifetime

1. A Lifetime Membership is exactly the same as an Active Membership except for the following:

   1. The Club will pay QMA dues and assessments.

   2. There will be no Club dues, charges or assessments levied against a Lifetime Member

   3. The Club will pay for any insurance necessary to participate in QMA events 

2. Any member of this club may be proposed for a Lifetime Membership by any other member of this club.  The proposed member must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous Membership in this club.  Proposals for Lifetime Membership must be submitted to the Board of Directors through the Club Secretary.  The Board will consider and vote on the proposal.  Only favorable votes will be brought to the general membership for their approval.

3. When a lifetime Membership is approved by the club it will become effective on the first day of January following the club's approval.

4. A Lifetime membership will only last as long as this Club is affiliated with QMA.

5. A Lifetime Membership may be revoked only if all of the following occurs:

   1. 2/3 of the complete Board of Directors must vote for revocation.

   2. The Board must present the results of this vote to the general membership with the recommendation that it be voted on at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

   3. 2/3 of the members eligible to vote that are present at this next meeting must vote for revocation.

   4. Revocation will become effective immediately.

 

E.  Alternate Handler

1. Any individual

2. Must pay club dues

3. Must have insurance approved and accepted by this club and QMA

4. Must be a QMA member

5. Is not required to fulfill work parties OR concession

6. Can ONLY vote on club matters (non QMA) if members of the family are not in attendance

 
Section 4:
Application for membership

A. Completed applications for active membership in this club along with the appropriate dues, fees and other monies must be submitted to this club through the Treasurer or President.  The treasurer will give the application to the club Secretary.  A prospective new active or dual member shall be voted on and approved to move forward at the next club meeting.  The application must be voted on and approved by a majority of club members present at the next general club meeting.  If accepted, the new active member will be on probation until they have raced or attempted to race in at least four race meets.  After this probationary period, the membership application will be to the general membership again by the club secretary for approval.  The application must be voted on and approved by a majority of members present at the next general business meeting.  If the application for Active membership is rejected, all monies paid will be returned to the rejected prospective member.

 
Section 5:
Voting and Eligibility for Offices

A. Active and Lifetime Members are the only members that may be elected to an office, hold an office or vote, except as specifically stated elsewhere in these Bylaws.

B. To preserve their privilege of voting at club meetings and eligibility for a position on the Board of Directors a member must be in compliance with all of the requirements of Article 1, Section 3, as it applies to their class of membership.

C. If an already elected Member of the Board of Directors is found to be ineligible, they will be given 30 days to remedy the situation.  If the situation is not remedied within this time the Board Member will be removed from office and replaced at the next scheduled monthly meeting.  The Board may temporarily fill this vacancy until the next meeting.  Hardships will be considered by the Board of Directors as stated in section 6.

D. Any member eligible to vote on the first day of the month will be eligible to vote through the end of the month unless their membership is suspended or terminated.

E. The only members eligible to vote on QMA rulings are those whose QMA dues are paid through this club. Only 1 (One) vote per membership. The other provisions of this section will not affect eligibility to vote on QMA matters.

F. Members transferred from another club will not have voting privileges for 1 year unless unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.

G. Any member who accepts a nomination for an upcoming board position must have a valid QMA and Silver City membership for the upcoming year prior to being elected.

 
Section 6:
Hardships and Relief

1. Written application for relief from any requirements of Article 1 that may cause hardship may be made to the Board of Directors by any member.  The Board may look at any and all circumstances, alternate positions, duties, services or participation at this club or on the regional national levels. Relief may be granted or revoked by a majority vote of the Board members present.  If relief is granted it will be valid until revoked by the Board. Relief may be revoked by the Board of Directors at any time without explanation.  Written notice of revocation of relief must be given to the member at least 30 days before it becomes effective, along with the remedies necessary to prevent a lapse in voting or racing privileges.

 
ARTICLE II: CLUB MEETINGS
Section 1:
Club meetings will be held monthly as stated in the Club Rules except in the month of December. Deletion of any meetings can take place by approval of a majority vote of active members in attendance.
 
Section 2:
A quorum is 15% of the members eligible to vote. A quorum shall be present at all meetings in order to conduct club business.
 
Section 3:
Special Club meetings may be called at any time and place by the Board of Directors.  If called, each member must be notified by mail, email, or phone at least five (5) days in advance of the meeting date.
 
Section 4:
The Team Leaders of the Committees will respond to an email or a survey from the Board on the Monday of the scheduled Club Meeting week to inform of any topics to be discussed at the meeting.
 
Section 5:
Parliamentary procedure shall govern all club meetings.
 
ARTICLE III:  OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1:

A. The Board of Directors shall consist of ten (10) persons: President, Vice President, Race Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Technical Director, Safety Director, Publicity Director, and Two (2) members at large.  This order represents the chain of command.

B.  No officer shall hold more than one (1) elected club office position at any one time.

Nominations for Officers and the Board of Directors will be accepted at the regularly scheduled October meeting. Elections will take place at the November meeting.

C.  No member may run for more than one (1) office of position on the board.

D.  No more than one member of a family may be   nominated for, or elected to the Board of Directors, unless they are separately and individually members of this club each in their own right. A written request for exception to this rule may be submitted to the Board of Directors.  The Board will submit this request to the general membership at the next meeting, along with their recommendations. If the exception is granted it shall be for one year only,  and must be requested again in any future years.

 
Section 2:
All Board of Directors terms will begin on January 1st. Voting for the President and Treasurer will take place in an even year and voting for the Vice President and Secretary will take place in an odd year. All other positions will be voted on yearly.
 
Section 3:

A. All affairs of the Association (Club) shall be handled by the Board of Directors, but at no time can the Board act in direct opposition to the general membership’s wishes, the Club Bylaws or the Club Rules.

B. The Board of Directors shall be limited when new projects are considered to report to the general membership for their approval and ratification for any amount greater than $1,000.  The BOD may temporarily fill vacancies in its own membership until the next monthly meeting, appoint special committees, and in the case of a dispute involving a member of the Board, he/she shall present the case to the membership at the next meeting.  

C. A Director may be removed by a 2/3 vote of all the active membership for cause.  The membership will be notified that a vote will be taken in the monthly “call to meeting” notice.

 

Section 4:
The Board of Directors shall meet monthly.   A quorum of six (6) Directors must be present. The first half-hour of this meeting will be designated as the open portion.  Club members may present questions at the open portion of the meeting for specific problems.  Dates of the monthly Board of Directors meeting will be announced in the monthly newsletter.
 

Section 5:

A. Any racing decision made by a Director can be appealed in writing to the Board of Directors.  If a member has a further discrepancy they must file in writing to the Regional Director. The Regional Director’s decision is final.

B. Special Board of Directors meetings may be called at any time by any Board member.  Seven board members must be present.

 
Section 6:
Any circumstances which may serve as grounds for removal from office will be submitted prior to the next regular Board of Directors meeting.   Action of the Board of Directors will be predicated by a vote of the entire Board of disposition and brought to the membership at the next monthly meeting.

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ARTICLE IV:  DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Section 1:
The President:   Will be elected by the members.  The President shall be chief executive of the Club and shall, subject to the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of business and other Officers of the Club.  The President shall preside at all Club meetings.  The President shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and of all standing committees.  The President shall refrain from voting, except for secret balloting or when necessary to break a tie.  The President may appoint such aids, assistants and committees, as he may deem necessary.  Such appointees shall have the power to remove any member, driver, or handler from a race meet or club meeting.  Failure to leave immediately will result in the automatic suspension for four race meets.  The President shall be bonded.
 
Section 2:
The Vice President:  Shall be elected by the members.  The Vice President shall assist the President.  In the absence or incapacity of the President, he shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President.  The Vice President shall have the power to remove any member, driver, or handler from a race meet or club meeting in the absence of the President.  The Vice President shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or Board of Directors.
 
Section 3:
The Race Director:  Shall be elected by the members.  The Race Director shall be directly responsible to the Board of Directors for the administration and interpretation of all rules, regulations, classification of all cars and drivers, and all racing procedures having to do with the conduct of all qualifying, competitive training and educational programs and race events.  They make no technical, safety or scoring decisions unless requested to do so by the Starter, Technical Director, Safety Director or Head Scorer, nor may they serve in any of these capacities while they are Race Director.  The Race Director must appoint one or more assistants approved by the Board of Directors.  The Race Director has the authority to place a single car(s) into another division [class] at weekly events.  The Race Director will oversee all racing events.  The Race Director must respond in a timely manner to all involved parties when a written protest is received.  Generally this should be within one hour of the end of that race meet, whether or not a decision has been made.

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Section 4:
The Secretary:   Shall be elected by the members.  The duties of the office are as follows:
 

A. To keep a careful and authentic record of the proceedings of the organization.

B. To prepare a roll call and call it at all monthly meetings.

C. To preserve all documents of the organization except those specifically assigned to others.

D. To provide the team leader of each committee with a list of the members of his committee, together with all papers and instructions intended for it.

E. To provide the presiding officer with the order of business for that day which he/she may not be familiar with at the earliest possible date.

F. To read all the papers that may be called for by the assembly.

G. To bring to each meeting a copy of the Bylaws and standing rules of the organization, together with a list of all standing and special committees.

H. To carry on all official correspondence for the organization.

I. Keep a current list of drivers and when they participated in race meets.

J. The Secretary will be responsible for recording a member’s participation in a manner such that the summary of each person’s participation is easily identifiable on a monthly basis.  These monthly summaries may be viewed at the monthly meeting only. If a member is present (otherwise a one month extension will be granted) and neglects to dispute his/her summary prior to the close of that meeting, the record will be unchallengeable.

 
Section 5:
The Treasurer:  Shall be elected by the members.  The duties of the office are as follows:
 

A. Collect monies due and owing, and hold all monies and securities owned by the Silver City Junior Motor Sports Association In such a manner as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.

B. all bills approved by the Board of Directors.  Keep true records of all monies received and disposed by him/her, and preserve proper vouchers for such expenditures.

C. Make an oral report at monthly meetings together with a written report of all receipts, disbursements and financial condition of the Silver City Quarter Midget Club concerning the preceding month.   At the January meeting, an annual report will be given reviewing the previous year.  Also, the Treasurer will report at such other times and to such extent as the President or Board of Directors may order.

D. Shall be bonded. Has the responsibility of filing all legal notices.

E. Books will be open to the Board of Directors.

 
Section 6:
The Technical Director:  Shall be elected by the members. The Technical Director, as head of the Technical Department, is directly responsible to the Board of Directors for the administration and interpretation of all rules having to do with the specifications of all cars as to design, general construction, size, weight, fuel and engines.  The Technical Director must appoint one or more assistants approved by the Board of Directors.
 
Section 7:
The Safety Director:  Shall be elected by the members.  The Safety Director, as head of the Safety Committee shall be directly responsible to the Board of Directors for the administration and interpretation of all rules having to do with all driver equipment, the handling of all fuel, gasoline and other volatile substances, all safety equipment on all cars, including, but not limited to, fuel and exhaust systems, roll cages, bars, and safety belts and harnesses, as well as all rules and regulations involving the safety of drivers or the public in the conduct of all qualifying, competitive, training or education programs and events.  The Safety Director must appoint one or more assistants approved by the Board of Directors.  She/he also have the responsibility of the safety of the chutes.
 
Section 8:
The Publicity Director:  Shall be elected by the members.  The Publicity Director, as head of the Publicity Committee, shall be directly responsible to the Board of Directors to promote car shows, parades and any other activity for the good will of Quarter Midget Racing.  The Publicity Director must appoint one or more assistants approved by the Board of Directors.
 
ARTICLE V:  ADDITIONAL BYLAWS

Section 1:
The Club will bear a prorated share of $1,500.00 of the operating expenses as incurred by the Regional Director of Region One on behalf of the Club or the Regional Board of Directors ($1,000.00 is to be designated towards Regional Trophies and $500.00 is to be designated towards the Annual National Meeting.
 
Section 2:
There shall be no alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs at any club meeting or in the race track area. There will be no consumption of any alcoholic beverages on the premises until completion of the last racing event which is when the last checkered flag is thrown and all participants have exited the track.
 
Section 3:
There will be a moment of silence at the beginning of the Club meeting for departed members and people associated with racing.
 
Section 4:
DELETED - 2012
 
Section 5:
No QMA dues will be accepted until club dues have been paid.
 
Section 6:
We will run our races according to QMA rules unless stipulated differently in the Club rules, which would pertain only to weekly races.
 
Section 7:
DELETED – FEB. 18, 1994
 

Section 8:
All members, new and old, at the beginning of the racing season, will be instructed on “cornering” and safety equipment.
 
Section 9:
Members that join our club in September, or after, will be members for the following year.
 

Section 10:
Suspension and Termination:

A. Who may be Suspended or Terminated:  Any person in or around Silver City Quarter Midget race track, attending any meeting or function of this club or otherwise participating in the operation of this club, may be suspended from some or all further participation in any club event, function, or matter.

B. Grounds for suspension and/or termination will include, but are not limited to:

1. Violation of any Club Rule or By-Law.

2. Unsportsmanlike conduct

3. Inappropriate or questionable behavior.

4. Failure to abide by the directives of any duly authorized Club Officer 

C. Procedure for Suspension and Termination:

1. Any member may submit, in writing to the Board of Directors a complaint against another person.

2. Upon receipt of this complaint the Board will be obligated to investigate and resolve the matter in the most expeditious manner possible.

3. Once the Board of Directors determines that a suspendable event did occur they will follow the QMA code of conduct.  Published QMA Code of Conduct procedures must be followed for all conduct matters. Exception: Any conflict between members may be resolved by the club officials at the time of the occurrence. The maximum action that may be taken is to remove offending member(s) from the facility for that day only. If all parties involved in the conflict agree, the matter is closed and no further action will be necessary. Any disciplinary action, including probation that continues beyond the day of occurrence will require use of the QMA COC procedure with correct documentation.

D. Removed per QMA BOD

E. Removed per QMA BOD

 

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Section 11:

A. Club rules may be opened and changed at the regularly scheduled monthly meeting in February by a majority vote of the members eligible to vote.
B. The club Bylaws may be opened and changed at this meeting only if a 2/3 of eligible members are present to vote.
C. Anytime during the year the Club Rules and /or Bylaws may be changed if a written petition is submitted to the Board of Directors requesting that the rules or bylaws be opened.  This petition must be signed by at least 2/3 of all of the members eligible to vote.  A meeting with notification to all members will be called to decide the issue.  Using this procedure a two-thirds majority vote of the members eligible to vote that are in attendance will be required to pass the change.
D. Bylaw or rule changes will go out to the members of our club via email at least 30 days before the actual vote.
 
Section 12:
No money, tangible property, compensation, or other donations in excess of $50.00 may be given to any member without the following procedure being followed.  A request must be submitted to the Board of Directors for their consideration.  If approved by a majority of the Board of Directors the request will be scheduled for consideration by the general membership at the next regular monthly meeting. Notice to this effect will be published in the next newsletter.  The request will be discussed and upon a motion to bring it to a vote; a secret ballot will be held.  Approval will require a 2/3 majority of the eligible voting members present.  This section shall not affect the reimbursement to members for authorized expenses or purchases made on behalf of the club.
 
Section 13:
Deleted September 2008 by per BOD by member vote.
 
Section 14:
Moved to Article V, Section 10 C 3 March 2015

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ARTICLE VI: DISSOLUTION

Section 1: Process
This club may be dissolved and its activities terminated by a ¾’s majority vote of all Active and Lifetime members regardless of their eligibility to vote under other articles of these bylaws provided that a petition signed by ¾’s of all Active and Lifetime Members stating this purpose is submitted and a special meeting is called for the purpose of this vote. At least two (2) weeks written notice of this meeting must be given to all members.
 
Section 2: Dissolution:
After payment of all debts and obligations the remaining assets shall be donated to QMA, or in the absence of QMA or a succeeding sanctioning body, to any worthy “not for profit” organization, subject to Club approval.

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ARTICLE VII: CHANGE IN SANCTIONING BODY

Section 1:
Silver City Junior Motor Sports association currently runs under the sanctioning body of Quarter Midgets of America. If at any time, a member(s) wish to change the sanctioning body, the following procedure must be followed:

A. A letter of intent must be submitted to the Board of Directors at least 30 days before the next monthly club meeting. Within that letter a full description of the intentions of the change of sanctioning body with positive notes as to why it would benefit Silver City Junior Motorsports Association known as Silver City Quarter Midget Club. This letter must be signed by ⅔ (two thirds) of active members with their names and phone numbers printed to the right of their signatures.
B. At the next club meeting, after the BOD has had the letter for at least 30 days, the said parties of the letter may bring this up during the New Business Agenda of the meeting. Discussion should be made by and between the club members present at the meeting. No motion shall be made at this meeting.
C. At the next monthly club meeting, at least 30 days from the date that the matter was originally discussed, a motion may be made to change sanctioning bodies. Motion must be made and seconded and must be won by at least 2/3 (two-thirds) of the club membership.
D. If the motion does not pass, then in order for the motion to be brought up again, the entire process must be restarted, starting with the letter of intent being given to the BOD.