SDBN Bylaws

Updated May 2007

1. PURPOSE: To network with other business people in order to increase each member’s business. This is accomplished by utilizing the other members’ services whenever possible and by referring each member’s business, social, and community contacts to the other members in the group.

2. DUES:

• $100.00 initiation fee to join;

• $25.00 refund if member brings in 2 guests or 1 new member in his/her first six months of membership. (One award per member.)

• $50.00 per year to renew membership, payable on the first meeting in May each year after member’s first year.

• $25.00 fine will be assessed if renewal dues are not paid by the second meeting of the month.

• $90.00 every 3 months for breakfast dues, payable on 01/01, 04/01, 07/01 and 10/01.

• $25.00 fine will be assessed if quarterly breakfast dues are not paid by the second meeting of the month.

3. FINES: There is a "positive penalty" system to keep members accountable and on track.

• $1.00 - Late for the meeting (after 7:15 a.m. pledge of allegiance);

• $1.00 - No lead/referral;

• $ .25 - Not wearing your name badge;

• $ .25 - No guest;

• $ .25 – If you did not shake the hand of the “Secret Greeter”;

• $ .25 – If you did not discuss SDBN with a potential guest;

• $5.00 - No show if the member is the scheduled speaker or presenter at a weekly meeting;

• $TBD - No show at a social event after signing up to attend, based on cost of food per person;

• $1.00 - Reward if member gives 4 or more leads in any one meeting.

4. ATTENDANCE: If a member misses 2 consecutive unexcused meetings or 4 total (excused or not) in one quarter, the member’s status in the group will be reviewed by the board of directors. The member is subject to termination via a majority vote by the board of directors if it is deemed to be the appropriate action.

5. BUSINESS LEADS/REFERRALS: A member must pass a minimum of 2 qualified leads/month. If not, the board of directors will review the member’s status. The member could be subject to termination via a majority vote by the board of directors if it is deemed the appropriate action.

6. MEMBERSHIP: Each member is required to bring in at least 1 new member or have 2 qualified guests attend a meeting, per year. If not, the board of directors will review the member’s status. The member could be subject to termination via a majority vote by the board of directors if it is deemed the appropriate action.

7. OTHER LEADS GROUPS: An SDBN member is not allowed to be a member in any other lead/networking organization, defined as a group of people whose sole purpose is to generate leads for the other members and have only one representative of each business category, similar to SDBN (such as LeTip or BNI). It is acceptable to participate in a city’s Chamber of Commerce.

8. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The board will be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Coordinator (held by the immediate past President).

9. OFFICERS: The group will have the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Program Monitor, Social Coordinator, Ethics Committee (three members), Sergeant-at-Arms, and Webmaster.

10. ELECTIONS: Elections for new officers will be held once each year in February. In so far as practical, these positions will rotate each year. Consent of the elected official is required for re-election. The process will be written or verbal nominations for any position during the SECOND meeting of the month. The Secretary will have written ballots to pass out during the next (3rd) meeting where each office will be voted on using the ballots. Individual voting will be kept confidential. Members, who know in advance that they will not be able to attend the third meeting of the month to vote, may use a proxy form by contacting the Secretary prior to the third (voting) meeting. A member of the ethics committee will be appointed by the president to count the ballots at the meeting and announce the new officers. In the event of a tie vote, a second vote will be taken after the two tied candidates have  each spoken to the group. The new board will assume control of the group on the FIRST MEETING IN MARCH. Should a vacant position arise during the year, the President will appoint another member to fill the position; if the vacancy is one of the board members, then the entire group will nominate and vote on a new member to fill the position, using the procedure described above. Upon completion of his or her term, the President will automatically become the Membership Chairperson.

11. MEETING TIMES: Breakfast meetings will start promptly at 7:15 a.m. and end at 8:30 a.m. Meetings will be held weekly on a designated day. The timing of socials will vary and be at the discretion of the board to determine upon recommendations of the Social Coordinator.

12. LEAD/REFERRAL REPORTING: The lead/referral master will submit a written report following the master outline, during the first meeting of the month with regard to the prior month.

13. BUSINESS MIXERS: The group will have at least 2 socials/year. The breakfast meeting will be skipped the week of a social. The format and location of the social is at the discretion of the board (member’s place of business vs. restaurant, business vs. casual, etc.) upon recommendations of the Social Coordinator. The socials budgets will be set in consideration of the Network’s fiscal health. Attendance at social events is encouraged.

14. EXCLUSIVITY OF EACH POSITION: Each position/business category in the group is to be represented by a single member. Members are to immediately express a potential conflict to a board member if they feel that a guest/potential new member would represent a threat/conflict to them in regard to their business interests in the group. Should there be a "gray" area of possible overlap between a current member and a guest/potential new member, then, at the existing member’s request, preference would be given to the existing member and the guest would be informed that they cannot join the group due to the conflict of interest.

15. ETHICS COMMITTEE: An ethics committee is to be comprised of 3 members who are not members of the current board of directors. Their purpose is to hear potential grievances between members; to discuss the alleged charge/charges in private with the parties involved; to report any and all grievances to the board and to come up with and vote on a recommended course of action in order to rectify the situation. Should the committee’s recommendation be to terminate a member, then it would take a majority vote by a combination of the board of directors and members of the ethics committee.

16. DESCRIPTION OF OFFICERS/POSITIONS:

President:

• To start (after the timekeeper does the pledge), preside over and adjourn the meetings;

• To run/organize the board of directors meetings (Date, time and frequency to be determined by board;

• To oversee any business, make announcements at the business mixers.

Vice President:

• To run the meeting if the President is absent;

• To order any printing and supplies that the group needs;

• To oversee all the committees and do committee reports at the meetings.
   

Secretary:

• To take weekly attendance and report any variance from requirements at each board meeting.

• To take minutes at the Board of Director’s meeting;

• To send out warning or termination letters that the board determines need to be sent;

• To take attendance at the business mixers.

Treasurer:

• To pay for breakfast each week;

• To collect and deposit breakfast dues;

• To maintain and balance the group’s checkbook;

• To work with the social chairperson and pay for nightly mixers (food, etc.);

• To report financial status weekly during committee reports;

• To provide a written report of the Network’s financial status at each monthly board meeting.

Membership Chairperson:

• To make recommendations to the B.O.D. on ideas for growth;

• To call all guests within 2 business days of them attending a meeting;

• To head the New Membership Luncheon Committee.

New Membership Luncheon Committee:

• Made up of Membership Chairperson and one other member of the group;

• Meets with all new members to discuss ways on giving and receiving good leads and bringing guests to meetings;

Lead Master:

• To collect all written leads at each meeting and compile a written monthly report that is passed out to the members at the first meeting of each month;

Sergeant-At-Arms:

• To start meetings at 7:15 a.m. by leading the group in the pledge of allegiance;

• To monitor and inform the speakers of their time allotments;

Social Coordinator:

• To plan, coordinate and implement ideas on locations, menus, etc. for the social events and recommend to the board these plans at least 6 weeks in advance of any social event.

• To coordinate the planning and execution of the social event.

Program Monitor:

• To keep a written log of the speakers for the weekly meetings at least 2 months in advance. Speaker list is to be handed out to all members and new members are put into the rotation at the next available opening;

• To call both speakers & presenter on Monday or Tuesday prior to the weekly meeting.

Webmaster:

• To maintain the Network’s website and keep membership information and other pertinent Network information on the web current.

New Member Inspection:

• This will be a member other than the new member's sponsor who volunteers or is selected by the president for each potential new member;

• To visit potential new members at their place of business after their second meeting in order to interview them, go over our bylaws, qualify them as members, ascertain their level of commitment, fill out and complete the membership application and collect check(s) for initial membership dues. Prorated breakfast dues will be collected by the treasurer at the conclusion of the first meeting after acceptance into the group.

Member at large:

• One position for each monthly meeting of the board of directors will be available to one member of the general membership. Anyone who wishes to discuss certain issues or anyone who desires to see what occurs during a monthly board meeting may attend by notifying the president. If a member wishes to attend a board meeting the second time in the calendar year, he or she will be required to pay their own meal.

17. NEW MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS: Every new member must attend the next New Membership Luncheon after joining the group. The New Membership Luncheon will be held on the last Wednesday of the month at a place/time to be determined. A fine of $10.00 will be assessed if any new member fails to attend the Luncheon within the allocated time frame.

18. DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Any member who has a complaint or grievance against any member, individual board member or with the board collectively shall put the complaint in writing to the President. The President shall forward the complaint to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee shall review the complaint and provide a written response to the member and the President within 2 weeks of the date of the written complaint. If the written response is not satisfactory to the member, he or she and the ethics committee will be invited to the next board meeting to discuss a solution. In the event the above process does not resolve the dispute, the aggrieved member and the President shall mutually agree upon a neutral third party (not a member of the group) to hear the dispute and render a final and binding decision. The aggrieved member shall pay any costs related thereto in full. The parties agree that the foregoing shall be the sole means of resolving disputes and hereby waive their right to sue or litigate such matters.

19. CHANGING/ADDING TO THE BYLAWS: It shall take a 75% majority vote by the entire group in order to amend the bylaws. The vote shall be by written ballot during a breakfast meeting with any absent members to vote by proxy and reported to the secretary.