Article I—Name
The name of this organization shall be the Durham-Chapel Hill Torch Club.

Article II—Object
The object of this Club is to afford men and women an opportunity to meet in an atmosphere of friendliness and congeniality that will promote the free discussion and interchange of experiences, knowledge, and ideas on subjects in their chosen fields, or otherwise of interest to them, and contribute to a broader understanding and appreciation of these subjects by all.

Article III—Membership
Men and women who have maintained standards of competence and integrity are eligible for membership in this Club. To be eligible a person must also show interest in Torch objectives.

Article IV—Admission
Only a member in good standing may propose a candidate for membership in the Club. The proposal must be in writing on a form provided by the Club and submitted to the Vice-President for Membership. When the qualifications of the candidate are received, the Vice President for Membership shall submit the proposal to the Executive Committee. Upon approval by the Executive Committee, the candidate will be invited to submit an application. Upon submission of the completed application and tender of the initiation fee and the initial dues, the candidate shall become a member of the Club.

Article V—Officers
The officers of the Club shall be the President, the immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Vice President for Membership, the Vice-President for Programs, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

Article VI—Duties of Officers

a) President: The President shall oversee the affairs of the Club and preside at all meetings of the members and of the Executive Committee.

b) Past President: The Past President shall consult with and advise the President.

c) President-Elect: The President-Elect shall act for the President in that officer’s absence.

d) Vice-President for Membership: The Vice-President for Membership shall promote the search for qualified candidates for membership in the Club, and shall receive and process proposals and applications of candidates for membership.

e) Vice-President for Programs: The Vice-President for Programs shall arrange for speakers for Club meetings, schedule their appearances, and assist them in procuring the equipment needed for their presentation.

f) Secretary: The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the members and of the Executive Committee, maintain an up-to-date list of Club members, issue written notice of meetings of the members in a timely fashion, inform the caterer of the number of meals expected to be served, and file required reports with the International Association of Torch Clubs, Inc. (IATC). The Secretary shall have custody and maintain current Club records and the list of all attendees at all meetings. In collaboration with the President, the Secretary shall publicize newsworthy items about the Club and its members. The Secretary shall maintain a file of historically significant items and pass it on to his or her successor.

g) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody of the Club funds, collect and receive dues, fees, and other sums owed to the Club, make disbursements, record all financial transactions of the Club, keep the financial records of the Club, and report the financial condition of the Club at the members’ meetings. The Treasurer shall also make the required financial reports to the IATC office.

Article VII—Terms of Office
The President-Elect shall serve as an officer for three years: the first year as President-Elect, the second year as President, and the third year as Past-President. The other officers shall serve for a term of one year. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the President-Elect, it shall be filled by the Executive Committee for the remainder of the first year, and by election by the members at the May meeting for the remainder of the three-year term. All terms of office shall commence at the close of the May meeting. If a
successor is not elected when a term of office expires, the person holding the office shall continue in that office until a successor is elected.

Article VIII—The Executive Committee
The Club shall have an Executive Committee that shall function as a board of directors. The Committee shall consist of all the officers of the Club. The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the President or of any three officers. The majority of the Officers shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Committee.

Article IX—Other Committees
There shall be a Nominating Committee and other special committees as the President may appoint. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the President, the Past-President and the President-Elect, who shall serve as Chair. Any vacancy in the Nominating Committee shall be filled by the President-Elect.

Article X—Nomination and Election of Officers
Each year the Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for the offices of President-Elect, the two Vice Presidents, the Secretary, and the Treasurer for the ensuing year. These nominations shall be submitted to the members at the last meeting of the Club before the May meeting and again in the notice for the May meeting. The election of officers to serve the ensuing year shall be held at the May meeting each year.

Article XI—Meetings
Members’ meetings shall be held each month September through May. The time and place of the meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Article XII—Voting
Forty percent (40%) of the members must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of Club business at any meeting. Unless otherwise provided in these bylaws, a majority vote of the members present shall be sufficient for Club action to be effected.

Article XIII—Dues
Annual dues shall include: (a) the amount of the individual member assessment by the International Association of Torch Clubs, Inc, which will include the annual subscription to the Torch magazine; and (b) the amount determined by the Executive Committee to cover the Club’s operating expenses for the year, including the cost of dinner meetings. The notice of the September meeting shall inform the members of the amount of dues for the ensuing year, and at that meeting the Treasurer shall explain the dues amounts to the members. The annual dues are payable in full, but upon request of a member may be paid in two equal installments in September and the next in January. The amount of the initial dues payable for a new member who joins the Club in the course of the year after the September meeting shall be prorated for the balance of the nine-month period through the following May.

Article XIV—Leave of Absence
The Executive Committee may grant a leave of absence for periods of not less than four months nor longer than one year. A member granted a leave of absence shall pay the amount of the IATC dues.

Article XV—Suspension
Failure to pay the dues when due shall be cause for suspension within the discretion of the Executive Committee. A suspended member may be reinstated upon request to the Executive Committee and tender of the unpaid dues.

Article XVI—Programs
To maintain Torch tradition and to enable the members to know one another better, the Vice-President for Programs should solicit each member to provide programs at least once in any four-year period, but not more than twice in any three-year period. The Vice-President for Programs may solicit outside speakers to provide a variety of quality programs.

Article XVII—Politics
The Club shall at no time recommend or endorse any candidate for political office, nor take a group position in any way on any political issue. However, this restriction shall not in any way circumscribe free and open discussion of any issue at any Torch Club meetings.

Article XVIII—Amendments
These bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any meeting provided notice of the proposed amendments have been given to the membership not less than two weeks in advance of the meeting.