REVISED: March 17, 2009

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The name of this organization shall be Lancaster Photography Association (LPA).

The Lancaster Photography Association is organized to promote all aspects of the photographic arts and operated to educate, aid and benefit, by mutual cooperation, those interested in photography and the photographic arts in and around the Antelope Valley, California area.

The elected officers of the LPA, shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Their duties shall be specified in Article VII of the By-Laws. The Board shall be comprised of the officers plus the immediate Past President and two (2) elected board members. The Officers and Board Members shall be elected for a term of one-year (July through June) and may be successively reelected.

Any person may apply for membership in the LPA, as provided for in the Articles I and II of the By-Laws.

• Section 1: If the Office of President should become vacant for any reason, the Vice President shall fill it for the remainder of the term. If the Vice President is unable to serve for any reason, the order of succession shall be the Secretary and then the Treasurer.
• Section 2: If any Office other than that of President becomes vacant, it shall be filled by appointment, by the President for the remainder of the term.

• Section 1: General meetings of the LPA shall be held monthly and shall include any business items that need to be presented to the members followed by a program, competition or special event. All general meetings shall be open to the public.
• Section 2: Board meetings shall be held bimonthly or as deemed necessary by the President for the purpose of planning, preparing and discussing matters for presentation at general meetings or critical to the effective functioning of the LPA. Any actions resulting from Board meetings that require general membership approval must be presented at the next regularly scheduled general meeting or at a special meeting as specified in Section 3 of this Article.
• Section 3: Special meetings may be called at the President’s discretion to deal with matters pertinent to the LPA.

Amendments to the Constitution may be made at any time subject to a two-thirds affirmative vote of members in good standing present at a general meeting of the LPA. The proposed changes must be announced in advance either at the previous general meeting or in the newsletter preceding the meeting. The proposed changes must be presented in detail prior to any vote being taken.

By-Laws for transaction of business may be adopted, revoked, or amended at any time by a majority affirmative vote of members in good standing present at a general meeting of the LPA. Changes shall be made in accordance with Article VI of the By-Laws.

LANCASTER PHOTOGRAPHY ASSOCIATION

REVISED: March 17, 2009

Section 1: Any person may make application for membership in the LPA. Dues shall accompany the application. Membership shall consist of the following categories:

• Junior: Persons up to their 17th birthday.

• Regular: Persons 17 years or older.

• Family: Immediate family members (husband, wife, or significant other, and dependent children under 17) residing at the same address.

• Honorary: The Board may, at its discretion, bestow a designation of honorary Member to an individual who is not a member of the LPA but who has, by his/her actions furthered the cause of photography. The Honorary Membership shall normally extend for a period of one year.

Section 2: LPA reserves the right, via a simple majority vote at an announced meeting, to terminate any member for due cause. Members whose dues are in arrears for more than three months shall have their membership cancelled after due notice.

Section 3: Voting Privileges

1. Junior members will have one vote each.
2. Regular members, will have one vote each.
3. Family memberships: member and spouse (or Significant Other) will each have one vote. Dependent family members may participate in all club activities, but will not be eligible to vote unless they become junior or regular dues paying member.
4. Honorary members will have no vote.

Annual membership dues are payable on July 1 of each year for the club’s fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The dues for any new member joining LPA between the months of January and June shall be one-half of the annual dues. In July, these new members shall pay full annual membership dues.

Annual Membership dues amounts can be changed by the Board at any regular or special meeting subject to approval by a majority affirmative vote of the members in good standing present at a general meeting of the LPA.

At the March general meeting, the President shall announce the appointment of a Nominating Committee and the names of its members.

At the April General Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall present a recommended slate of nominees. At this meeting, there shall be a call for additional nominations from the floor. Any new nominations from the floor shall be added to the ballot. New nominations must agree in person or by written note. The nomination process shall then be closed.

At the May General Meeting a ballot vote shall be taken and tallied by a representative of the Nominating Committee. The candidates receiving the most votes shall be declared elected.

If no offices are contested, a voice or show-of-hands vote may be taken.

The President shall announce the results of the election.

The newly elected officers shall be installed at the June general meeting and assume duties of their office on July 1st.

A Quorum is defined as follows:

General and special meeting - Not Applicable.

Board meeting - 4 will be considered a quorum.

Robert’s Rules of Order shall guide all meetings of the LPA.

Amendments to the By-Laws must be approved by a majority affirmative vote of the members in good standing present at a general or special meeting of the LPA. The proposed changes must be announced to the LPA membership in advance, either at the previous general meeting or in the newsletter preceding the meeting.

The President shall:

• Assume active leadership and administer the affairs of the LPA.
• Preside over all general, Board, and special meetings of the LPA.
• Approve all discretionary bills (under $500) before payment. Obligatory payments may be made without the President’s approval.
• Have approval authority over all official matter to be published and distributed by the LPA, with the exception of the newsletter.
• Have the authority to make Standing and Special Committee appointments and/or office assignments as needed.
• Have the authority to represent the LPA, or to assign members to represent LPA at outside organizational/activities.
• Appoint an audit committee consisting of two members in good standing to audit the previous year’s treasurer’s report. The appointments shall be made at the July General Meeting with the results of the audit presented at the August board meeting.
• Have the authority to appoint Member-at-Large.

The Vice President shall:

• Preside over all general meetings and Board meetings in the absence of the President. Assume the office and duties of the President in the event that the President is unable to complete his/her term.
• Have responsibility for planning and arranging programs for all meetings not set aside for other events (i.e., competitions, banquets, etc.).

The Secretary shall:

• Accurately record and maintain a file of the proceedings of all LPA general, Board, and special meetings, including the number of members attending.
• Prepare all official LPA correspondence as directed by the President.
• Preside over all LPA meetings in the absence of the President and Vice-President.
• Collect and distribute all LPA mail.
• Provide for members to have access to the Board meeting minutes.

The Treasurer shall:

• Maintain accurate records of receipts and disbursements.
• Deposit LPA monies in a banking institution approved by the Board.
• Pay all bills and make expenditures authorized by the President or the Board consistent with Article IX of the LPA By-Laws.
• Record all receipts and expenditures in such a manner that they be identified as to source and use.
• Collect dues and issue receipts in a timely manner.
• Provide a roster of current members to the Board members, the Newsletter Editor, and the Webmaster.
• Prepare an annual budget as specified in Article VIII of the LPA By-Laws.
• Prepare and present a Treasurer’s report at each Board meeting.

The Treasurer shall prepare an itemized report containing income, net worth and expenditures for the current year and a budget for the next fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The report shall be presented to the President during the month of May, along with recommendations needed for a balanced fiscal year budget.

The Treasurer shall identify discretionary line items and obligatory line items to enable the Board to review and evaluate the budget.

Expenditures over five hundred ($500.00) dollars must be approved by the Board.

Acceptance of any and all gifts, donations and equipment must be made through and approved by the Board.

In the event the LPA is disbanded for any reason, the assets shall be divided equally among the members in good standing at the time.

There shall be Standing Committees responsible for scheduled LPA events. Chairpersons for these committees shall be appointed by the President to serve for a minimum term of one year. Chairpersons may add other members as needed. Chairperson’s responsibilities shall be as follows.

The Competition Chairman shall:

• Supervising LPA Print, Slide and Digital competitions including establishment of competition themes, rules, and criteria for judging and awards.
• Be responsible for the selection of a judge, or judges.
• Maintain an accurate up-to-date record of results.
• Maintain an accurate up-to-date record of member competition category.
• Responsible for obtaining Year-end Award/Trophies and maintaining supply of competition ribbons.

The Field Trip Chairman shall:

• Plan, arrange, and schedule activities to conduct photography in the field.

The Workshop Chairman shall:

• Plan, arrange, and schedule activities which further LPA member’s knowledge and skills of photography and photographic processes.

The Newsletter Editor shall:

• Solicit input, prepare, type, edit, print, and distribute the monthly LPA newsletter in a timely and professional manner. Also responsible for assuring that new members are credited and announced in the newsletter.
• Has discretionary authority regarding format, subject matter, overall content, clarity, and brevity of the newsletter.
• Set policy for submission of articles, photographs, editorials, advertisements, and the time and means of distribution, with the goal of maximizing communications and minimizing cost.
• Provide one newsletter per month by USPS to those members who do not have e-mail. The Editor shall provide a file of the newsletter to the Web Master for forwarding to members with e-mail addresses.

Historian:

• Collecting, documenting, and maintaining an up-to-date history of the LPA.

Hostess:

• Insuring that the coffee pot and related supplies are provided at the general meeting. Coordinating with members who volunteer to provide refreshments at general meetings. Collecting donations and managing the coffee fund.

Hospitality:

• Insuring that guests and visitors are greeted and introduced at all general meetings. Also provides an informational flyer to prospective new members.

Member-at-Large:

• Shall be a liaison between the general membership and the Board.

Telephone:

• Assuring that all members without e-mail are notified in a timely manner of unscheduled or special events/activities that have not been advertised by normal means (i.e., newsletter, general meetings).
• Telephone announcements shall generally be done at the direction of the President.

Publicist:

• Publicizing LPA activities through newspapers, radio and/or television as directed by the President to increase community awareness of the LPA.

Projectionist:

• Assuring that audio-visual equipment is maintained in good working order, is available and is set up for all events for which it is required. Also advises the Board of any needed updates to the equipment.

Exhibits:

• Responsible for handling and publicizing outside exhibits for LPA membership.

Web Master:

• Maintains, updates and promotes the LPA web page. The Web Master shall e-mail the newsletter link to those members who have an e-mail address.

The President may establish or assign special committees or duties as required to conduct research or investigations into areas that affect the overall effectiveness/operation of the LPA. The assignments shall be made on an Ad Hoc basis for specific time frames.