By-Laws

Article I - Name

The name of this society shall be the ‘The SCUBA Club at Virginia Tech’. The society’s official abbreviation shall be ‘SCVT’.

Article II - Purpose

The object of the SCVT shall be to promote awareness of diving, water safety, awareness of diving environments, and to provide opportunities for safe diving. The SCVT shall fulfill these objectives through education of divers and non-divers as well as maintaining proper environmental care at each and every dive site.

Article III - Members

Section 1. Membership in the SCVT shall be limited to SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) divers certified through a nationally recognized SCUBA certifying agency - such as but not limited to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). This is not limiting as members may join the club without being certified if they are getting their certification through the club itself.

Section 2. The initiation fee shall be determined by majority vote at the regular SCVT meeting following the meeting for election of officers. The annual dues for the following year shall be determined in a like manner.

Section 3. Any member desiring to resign from the SCVT shall submit their resignation in writing to the Secretary, who shall present it to the Executive Board for action. The Officers will vote to release any member desiring to resign by a ⅔ vote. Any member who did not pay their dues for that particular semester is not a member and, therefore, does not have to apply to resign. This excludes any persons that will be graduating or leaving the University for any extended period of time.

Section 4. No active member shall be denied the right to participate in any event of the SCVT, except where it would otherwise conflict with these bylaws.

Section 5. A member shall be deemed an active member in good standing provided that member has paid dues in accordance with the policies of the SCVT. Active members in good standing will be entitled to all privileges of the SCVT including voice and vote.

Section 6. A member shall be deemed an active member in bad standing if the member has failed to pay dues by the date established by the policies of the SCVT and no more than seven calendar days have passed since the date required for payment of dues. Active members in bad standing shall be afforded all privileges of the SCVT except the privilege of voting proxies but active members in bad standing shall be entitled to voice and vote.

Section 7. A member shall be deemed an inactive member if the member has paid dues but has more than two unexcused absences from required events of the SCVT. Inactive members shall be entitled to all privileges of the SCVT including voice but excluding vote at meetings of the SCVT. Inactive members shall not hold office nor serve on committees of the SCVT without the approval of the SCVT.

Section 8. Instructors retained by the SCVT shall be classified as contractual members of the SCVT. Contractual members shall be allowed to serve as ex officio members on committees of the SCVT at the pleasure of the Executive Board. Contractual members of the club in the form of dive instructors are given the same freedom of voice as anyone within the SCVT and are given the privilege of voting when affecting them directly; for instance, any dates and times for classes and checkout dives.

Section 9. Upon the signed recommendation of one member, seconded by another member, and by three-fourths vote by ballot at the annual meeting, honorary life membership may be conferred upon any person who shall have rendered notable service to the SCVT. An honorary member shall have none of the obligations of membership in the SCVT, but shall be entitled to all of the privileges except those of making motions, of voting and of holding office. Honorary members shall be allowed to participate as ex officio members of committees of the SCVT at-the pleasure of the Executive Board.

Section 10. Temporary membership isn’t a valid membership for the SCVT. Those who have not become members of the club by paying dues and being a certified diver will not reap any benefits given to the members of the club.

Article IV - Officers

Section 1. The officers of the SCVT shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Dive-Director, a Marketing Director and up to five Gear Officers. The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the SCVT.

Section 2. These positions may be elected by volunteerism and popular vote by all capable within the club. The elections for the following year will take place in March and the elected officials will assume their duties immediately alongside the current officers for the remainder of the school year. There will be a transition period for the new officers from March until May.

Section 3. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot to serve for one year or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the meeting at which they are elected.

Section 4. No member shall hold more than one office at a time. Members may remain as Active Officers for consecutive years as long as they remain an active member of the SCVT and there is no other willing to take over said position. Those offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall only be held by current students of the University that are active members of the SCVT.

Article V - Meetings

Section 1. The regular meetings of the SCVT shall be on the second Wednesday of each month unless otherwise ordered by the SCVT.

Section 2. The first regular meeting in February shall be known as the pre-annual meeting and shall only be for officers. The first regular meeting in March shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of election of officers, approval of the annual budget, and any other business that may-arise.

Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the President or by the Executive Board and shall be called on the written request on ten active members of the SCVT. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Notice shall be given in accordance with Article X.

Section 4. Quorum is defined such that at least thirty percent of the voting membership must be present at a meeting to conduct business.

Article VI - Executive Board

Section 1. The officers of the SCVT including the Dive Directors shall constitute the Executive Board. Each office is entitled one vote on the Executive Board. Whenever more than one person holds a single office, each person in that office is allowed an equal fractional vote on Executive Board.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the SCVT between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the SCVT, and shall perform such other duties as specified by these bylaws. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the SCVT, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the SCVT.

Section 3. Unless otherwise ordered by the Board, regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held on the Monday prior to regular meetings of the SCVT. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President and shall be called upon the written request of three members of the Board. The purpose of the special meeting shall be stated in the call. Notice shall be given in accordance with Article X.

Section 4. Notice, as required by Article X of these Bylaws, may be retroactively waived by the Executive Board by a two-thirds vote of its membership. Notice of meetings in which Article X is retroactively waived shall be reported to the SCVT and noted in the minutes.
(Added by Amendment #1 to the SCVT Bylaws)

Article VII - Committees

Section 1. A Finance Committee composed of the Treasurer and four other members of the SCVT shall be appointed by the President promptly after each annual meeting. It shall be the responsibility of this committee to prepare a budget for the fiscal year beginning the first day of April, and to submit it to the SCVT at its annual meeting. The Finance Committee may from time to time submit amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year, which may be adopted by three-fourths vote of the Executive Board. These amendments shall be reported to the SCVT at its next regular meeting.

Section 2. An Audit Committee of three members, who are not officers, may be appointed by majority vote of the club at the pre-annual meeting to audit all accounts of the SCVT at the close of the fiscal year if club finds it to be necessary. This committee will present its report at the annual meeting in March.

Section 3. Other such committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the President as the SCVT or the Executive Board shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the SCVT. The chairpersons of such committees shall be appointed by the President. The President (or Presidential designate) shall be an ex officio member of all committees.

Section 4. Committees shall meet at times established by their chairpersons unless otherwise ordered by the SCVT. All minutes of committee meetings shall be maintained by the Secretary and posted in accordance with the policies of the SCVT.

Section 5. There shall be an Education Committee, consisting of all the active Instructors, the Dive Directors and the President. This committee shall be in charge of determining the need and schedules for classes, approving new instructors, and other tasks set forth in the club policies and procedures.

Article VIII - Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 1990 Edition, shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and special rules of order the SCVT may adopt.

Article IX - Amendments

These bylaws may be amended by the procedure described in this section. The proposed amendment must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board for review and clarification. The Secretary shall inform the SCVT of receipt of proposed amendment at its next regular meeting. The amendment may be discussed at the meeting in which notice of receipt is given. If by majority vote the SCVT decides to pursue the proposed amendment, the amendment will be voted on at the next regular meeting of the SCVT following posting of the notice in accordance with Article X. At such meeting a two-thirds vote will be sufficient for adopting the amendment.

Article X - Notices

In cases requiring notification of the SCVT and its officers, adequate notice shall be deemed as given so long as either (in order of preference):

  1. Individuals requiring notification have been contacted by telephone by the Secretary at least three days prior to any meeting or event requiring notification of the SCVT or its officers
  2. Attempts to contact individuals requiring notification have been made by mailing-notice to the address supplied by such individuals as a mailing address or electronic mailing address
  3. Other methods ordered by the SCVT provided such notice is also posted on a bulletin board or web page designated for notices by the Executive Board at least two weeks prior to its inception.

In addition, notice shall be posted on a bulletin board or web page designated for such purpose by the Executive Board by the Secretary at least three days prior to any meeting or event requiring notification of the SCVT or its officers.

Article XI - Proxies

A proxy allowing a voting member the power to vote for another member authorized to vote is hereby expressly allowed, provided:

  1. That written authorization is given to the Secretary to present to the Executive Board for verification at least two days prior to the meeting in which the proxy is to be authorized
  2. That the written authorization mentioned above includes the authorizing member’s dated signature, specifically lists which single person will be authorized to exercise the proxy and what issue the proxy is authorized for, and
  3. The member authorized for voting the proxy is an active member in good standing.

In all cases where a proxy is used, except in cases of secret votes, the Secretary will record in the minutes who voted the proxy and for whom the proxy was voted and the vote. Under no circumstance shall one single person vote more than two proxies for a single motion and no member shall authorize more than two proxies for a meeting.

Article XII - Policies and Procedures

Section 1. A manual listing the policies and procedures of the SCVT will be maintained by the Secretary and be made available to members of the SCVT. All policies and procedures must be approved by the Executive Board or the SCVT.

Section 2. Committees of the SCVT may make recommendations for additions and changes to the polices and procedures. Specifically the policies and procedures manual shall include but not be limited to procedures for rental of SCVT equipment, policies for maintenance of SCVT equipment, list of nationally recognized SCUBA certifying agencies, criteria for excused and unexcused absences.

Article XIII - Adoption

A two-thirds vote of the members of the SCVT present August 2018 will be required for adoption of these bylaws. These bylaws supersede any pre-existing constitution, bylaws or charters of the SCUBA Club at Virginia Tech (formerly known as the Virginia Tech SCUBA Club).

Article XIV - Duties of the Officers

Section 1. The President is the official representative of the SCVT. The President shall oversee and approve all operations of the SCVT, and have final authority in the delegation of SCVT funds in so far as the President will be accountable and responsible to serve the needs of the SCVT, and the President shall preside at meetings of the SCVT and Executive Board, and perform other duties as assigned by the SCVT.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall be responsible for fund-raising and social activities, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the President. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall also assume the duties of the President.

Section 3. The Secretary is responsible for all non-financial records of the SCVT specifically the minutes of the SCVT meetings and committee reports, and to make the minutes available to officers and members of the SCVT in accordance with the policies and procedures of the SCVT. In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall call regular meetings of the SCVT to order until the immediate election of a President pro tern. Also, the Secretary, shall with the Treasurer, maintain the SCVT’s official membership roll, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Section 4. The Treasurer is responsible for accounting of all moneys of the SCVT, and for maintaining all financial records of the SCVT. The Treasurer shall with the Secretary maintain the SCVT’s official membership roll, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Section 5. The Dive Directors shall have primary responsibility for all dive related activities of the SCVT, including diver training, trips, equipment maintenance and rental, and contracting of instructors. The Dive Directors shall periodically review the policies and procedures of the SCVT to ensure safe and fair practices. Also, the Dive Directors shall act as liaisons between the SCVT and dive stores and instructors, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Section 6. The Webmaster shall be responsible for keeping information current and updated on the SCVT web page. This shall include, but not be limited to club photos, sale of classes, member associations state and club information, club meeting information, club officer listing and member listings.

Section 7. The Marketing Director will work in conjunction with the Vice-President and the Treasurer to organize advertising and fundraising events both to fund future club activities and events or for charitable contributions.

Section 8. The Gear officer(s) shall be responsible for maintaining the gear room and the gear inside of it. The gear officers will report to the Dive Director for set times to man the gear room and to assist in any club related activities including but not limited to classes, discover scubas and checking gear in and out for trips. Up to four gear officers may be elected with the option of a fifth as a substitute.

Article XV - Filling of Vacancies and Disciplinary Procedures

Section 1. In the event a vacancy arises because an officer of the SCVT or a member of its committees or boards is unable to complete their term, the President shall appoint a replacement for the vacant position either permanently for the remainder of the term or temporarily for a period not to exceed 3 months. The appointee shall thereafter serve in all respects as officer or committee member being replaced.

Section 2. The SCVT shall approve the appointment of replacement officers by a simple majority vote at the next regular meeting of the SCVT.

Section 3. In the event that the President is unable to fulfill the duties of the office of President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in addition to the duties of Vice-President. The Vice-President shall act in all respects as the President until confirmed by the SCVT by a simple majority vote at its next regular meeting.

Section 4. If the SCVT does not approve the appointments of the President (or when the SCVT does not confirm the Vice-President to the office of President) notice of vacancy in a office shall be posted in accordance with Article X of the Bylaws. Nominations of eligible persons shall be permitted for the vacant position immediately and such persons nominated-shall-be listed-on-the notice of vacancy. The SCVT shall elect person or persons to fill vacancies for officers in the manner determined by the Bylaws at its next regular meeting.

Section 5. Members of the SCVT, particularly those serving as officers of the SCVT, may be disciplined by the SCVT. Disciplinary measures include but are not limited to removal from committee assignments, impeachment from office, censure, or expulsion. The disciplinary measures and under what circumstances such measures shall be applied shall be noted in the policies and procedures manual of the SCVT. The section of the policies and procedures manual dealing with disciplinary procedures may only be amended by the procedures detailed for amending the bylaws.

Section 6. The Executive Board shall investigate charges against members. Specific charges must be presented in writing to the Secretary with the dated signatures from two general members (including active, inactive or honorary members but excluding contractual or temporary members) of the SCVT. The Executive Board shall promptly investigate the merit of the charges. It shall by simple majority vote decide whether to pursue an investigation.

Section 7. In the event, that a member or members of the Executive Board are charged, notice of a meeting to select an investigations committee shall be given in accordance with Article X. At this meeting, the SCVT shall charge an investigation committee which shall be composed of no more than five members and no less than three active members. The members presenting charges and the officers charged shall not be members of this committee.
(Added by Amendment #2 to the SCVT Bylaws)

Article XIV - Contracts and Financial Operations

Section 1. The endorsements of both the President and Secretary, when authorized by the Executive Board or the SCVT, shall be sufficient to enter the SCVT into contracts and to terminate such contracts.

Section 2. Prior to committing the SCVT into a contract, the President or Secretary shall announce the proposed contract by at least one of the following methods listed:

  1. At least 28 days in advance of endorsing the contract the SCVT shall be notified and ratify the proposed contract by a simple majority vote at a regular meeting of the SCVT. In addition, the President or Secretary shall briefly inform the SCVT at each meeting, until the contract is endorsed by the President and Secretary, that the SCVT will be entering into a contract.
  2. At least 14 days in advance of endorsing the contract (the monetary value of this contract may not exceed $5,000.00) the Executive Board shall be notified and ratify the proposed contract by a 2/3 vote.
    In all cases, notice that a contract has been entered or terminated shall be announced at the next regular meeting of the SCVT and noted in the minutes. In addition, either method listed above may be used to amend contracts in which the SCVT is involved.

Section 3. The endorsements of both the President and the Treasurer, when duly authorized by the Executive Board or the SCVT, shall be sufficient to withdraw funds from any account, fund or portfolio of the SCVT. The President, Vice-President and Treasurer shall establish policies and procedures for safeguarding the financial interests of the SCVT. They shall ensure these policies are adhered to by the SCVT and its officers and that they are periodically reviewed. (Added by Amendment #3 to the SCVT Bylaws)