Incorporated July 25, 1961 

FLORIDA SAILING ASSOCIATION Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws

ARTICLE I

BURGEE
Section. 1 — The Association Burgee shall be a pennant, the fly 1.5 times the hoist. The colors shall be a green field with the State of Florida in orange.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section. 1 — MEMBERS shall be yacht clubs and sailing organizations, located within the State of Florida, and shall be classified as follows:

A) One-Design Classes, Sailing Clubs of Educational Institutions, Youth Sailing Organizations and Military Service Organizations and other Sailing Associations. Annual Dues $100.00

B) Yacht Clubs: Annual Dues $250.00

C) Individual Member: Annual Dues $5.00

Effective February 1st, 2008

Section. 2 — SUSTAINING BUSINESS MEMBER shall be a business organization having an interest in the support of the objectives of the Association and is entitled to advertise that 100% of the dues support the championship racing coordinated by the Florida Sailing Association. The annual dues for the class shall be $500.00.

The Executive Committee shall have the authority to negotiate and arrange other Sustaining Membership Agreements which are, in their opinion, in the best interest of the Florida Sailing Association and its objectives.

Section. 3 — MEMBERS shall be entitled to one (1) vote by representative, or proxy, at any meeting of the Association and shall be entitled to participate in all Association matters and have its members be entitled to hold office in the Association, and be privileged to bring Appeals before the Association. Members must maintain current membership in US Sailing.

Section. 4– Dues are due and payable within thirty (30) days after the Annual Meeting of the Association. After ninety (90) days any member shall be considered delinquent and may be automatically dropped from membership. Any member club failing to pay dues within 90 days of the annual meeting may pay a $25 reinstatement fee in addition to their annual dues. Any member club who has failed to pay current year (January – December 31) dues shall not hold any US Sailing championship event.

Section. 5 — Members may not be expelled except by a two-thirds vote of MEMBERS represented at a meeting of the Association for such action.

ARTICLE III

OFFICERS

Section. 1 — The officers of this Association shall be prescribed in Article VI of the Articles of Incorporation.

Section. 2 — Any member, in good standing, of a MEMBER Club may hold office in this Association.

Section. 3 — Officers may serve a maximum of 4 years in each of the flag positions. Circumstances may dictate a longer period of time to serve at an EXCOM position The Secretary-Treasure position not included. In case of a vacancy in any office, such vacancy shall be filled, for the duration of the unexpired term by appointment of the Commodore.

Section. 4 — It shall be the duty of the Commodore to preside at all meetings; to abide by the Articles of Incorporation and to enforce the Bylaws; to call meetings whenever necessary, or upon the written request of ten (10) Member Clubs; to make an Annual Report to the Association. He shall be in command of the Association and shall be responsible for the conduct of its affairs. He may appoint such committees for special purposes as he may deem to be necessary to conduct the business of the Association.

Section. 5 — It shall be the duty of the Vice Commodore to organize and administer the US Sailing Area D Championship events assigned to the Association and to act in all matters for the Commodore, in the Commodore’s absence or when requested to do so by the Commodore. He shall be the chairman of the Association’s adult championship regattas.

Section. 6 — It shall be the duty of Rear Commodore to develop good public relations for the Association and to encourage new memberships. He shall assist the Commodore in any special assignments and act for either the Commodore or Vice Commodore in their absence. He shall be Chairman of the Association’s Youth Championship Regattas.

Section. 7 — The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of all meetings, shall issue notices of all Association activities; and shall keep all Association records. He shall keep a record of the Association membership and collect all dues and fees due the Association. He shall keep a record of all Association income and expenses and make an Annual Report of these. He shall maintain an account in an approved Bank for the Association’s funds.

He shall be authorized to pay all normal and legitimate expenses of the Association, including normal expenses of the officers of the Association for postage, telephone calls, and incidental miscellaneous expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and any expenses approved by the Board of Governors, or members, at any meeting. He shall maintain the FSA bank credit card.

ARTICLE IV

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Section. 1 — There shall be a Board of Governors consisting of two (2) Commodore appointed at large Governors, the Officers of the Association, and the immediate Past Commodore. The appointed Governors shall serve a two year term.

ARTICLE V

ELECTIONS

Section. 1 — Election of Officers will be held as set forth in these bylaws at the Annual Meeting.

Section. 2 — All Officers must be members in good standing, of Member Clubs, in good standing.

Section. 3 — All Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of those present at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VI

MEETINGS
Section. 1 — A quorum shall consist of 25% of the total Member Clubs.

Section. 2 — The date of future annual meetings shall be set at the previous years’ annual meeting. The purpose of the annual meeting is to elect Officers and Governors and to act on such other business as may come before the meeting.

Section. 3 — Meetings may be called by the Commodore upon ten (10) days written notice when statement of the purpose of such meeting is made known.

ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES
Section. 1 — Within sixty (60) days after the Annual Meeting, the Commodore shall appoint the following Committee: A Nominating Committee consisting of not less than three (3), nor more than five (5), members with one member designated as Chairman.

Section. 2 — The Nominating Committee shall, in consultation with the Commodore, Secretary-Treasurer, make a report of Nominations for Officers and Governors to the Secretary of the Association prior to July 1st and the Secretary shall publish this slate of officers in the notice of annual meeting. Any Member Club may submit other nominations seconded by another Club, to the Secretary in writing ten (10) days before the Annual Meeting, and these will be submitted with the nominating Committee’s Report at the Annual Meeting.

Section. 3 — The Commodore shall appoint an Appeals Chairman for a period of one (1) year to be renewed up to a maximum of 4 years. The Appeals Chairman shall appoint a six member appeals board. The appeals board members shall be approved by the FSA Excom. All geographical areas of FSA, if possible, should be represented on the appeals board. Members of the appeals board shall not serve more than 4 years. Appeals conforming to the US Sailing requirements must be adjudicated by not less than four (4) of the six (6) members of the Appeals Board. The Executive Committee shall annually establish the amount of the filing fee, which must accompany all appeals submitted to the Appeals Board.

Section. 4 — The Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, and Secretary-Treasurer shall comprise the Executive Committee, and it shall be the duty of this Committee to act on applications for membership; develop a budget for the ensuing fiscal year; and conduct the routine business of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII

US SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Section 1– The Association will pay the US Sailing entry fee as required by the Area D Agreement for US Sailing Ladder Championships.

In the event that the financial resources of the Association are not sufficient to provide such assistance to the teams representing it, a lesser percentage of such amounts shall be provided and whatever is used shall apply equally to all financial assistance payments made that year.

ARTICLE IX

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Section. 1 — The Association may hold, at such time as it shall establish, a state championships of various one design. These events shall, if possible, be held each year after April 1st.

Section. 2 — The championship shall be conducted by the Rear Commodore. The Rear Commodore shall coordinate all activities with one or more member clubs in the area in which the regattas will be held.

ARTICLE X

INDEBTEDNESS
Section. 1 — The Officers of this Association may not obligate the Association for any single indebtedness in excess of $500.00 without the approval of the Member Clubs at any meeting.

ARTICLE XI

ACTIVITIES
Section. 1 — Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, this Corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by a Corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.

ARTICLE XII

JUDGES IN TRAINING
Section . 1 — A Judges in Training Program for FSA shall be administered by a US Sailing Certified Senior Judge. The program shall follow guidelines set up by the Area D Administrative Judge. This program may develop club judges as well as US Sailing certified judges. The judge administrator shall report at the AGM on the past year’s activities.