Constitution & By-Laws of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mastics & Shirley, Inc.

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Chamber Of Commerce Of The Mastics And Shirley, Inc.

Section 2. The objects of the Chamber of Commerce shall be:
To encourage trade and commerce: to encourage uniformity and certainty in the customs and usages of trade; to settle equitably and justly differences between its members; to promote friendship between persons in business, and to encourage high ethical standards in trade and commerce.

Section 3. The activities of this Chamber of Commerce shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian.

Section 4. No donations shall be made to any organization without the majority approval of the Officers and Directors.

Section 1. Regular Membership:

Eligible applicants include business owners, managers, principals, or authorized representatives (18+), who are aligned with the Chamber’s objectives and are either living in, doing business in, or serving clients or nonprofits in the Tri-Hamlet area or nearby. Businesses must be established for at least six (6) months prior to applying, unless waived by the Board. 

Amendment: Upon submission of a completed application and dues, members will receive a copy of the Bylaws.

Section 2. Community Resident Membership:

Individuals not qualifying for regular membership may join as community resident members at half the annual dues. They are not eligible to vote or hold elected office.

Section 1. The initiation fee shall be set by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Any application voted down by the membership shall not be resubmitted to the organization for a period of six (6) months.

AMENDMENT: Section 2 to be removed.

Section 3. The annual membership dues shall be set by the Board of Directors, payable in advance. Dues shall become due and payable from the time of affiliation with the Chamber, Applications being 
accepted in the months of November and December shall have their dues carried forward to the 
following year, however, if the amount of dues is increased at the January meeting, the new members must submit the difference of said amount. All dues must be paid within the calendar year from January 1 to Match 31 in order to be considered to be a member in good standing, meaning having paid dues.

AMENDMENT: Section 3 shall become Section 2.

Section 1 – Officers: President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Board. Must be members for 6+ months. Elected yearly.

Section 2 – Board: 10 members, 5 elected each year for 2-year terms. Officers serve 1-year. Outgoing President joins Board for 1 year.

Section 3 – Governance: Run by Officers and Board. Quorum = majority + 1. PR Director role removed.

Section 4 – Duties:

President: Leads, appoints, signs.

VP: Supports President.

Treasurer: Handles finances.

Secretary: Manages records/comms.

Sergeant-at-Arms: Maintains order.

Section 5: Officers are Board members.

Section 6: 2 missed meetings without notice = review.

Section 1. All meeting dates and locations will be decided by the President and all members will be notified, via electronic means and also announced on social media platforms and listed on our calendar on our website.

Section 2. At any meeting of the general membership not less than ten (10) shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3. A special meeting of the Chamber may be called by the President at any time he/she may deem it necessary and must be called upon written request of ten (10) members. Five (5) days notice must be given to the members by ordinary mail, prior to such a special meeting.

AMENDMENT: Section 3. Add notification via electronic correspondence.

Section 4. Meetings may be suspended between the months of July and August with approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 5. Non-member requests for the Chamber of Commerce mailing and/or membership list must be approved by the Board of directors.

Section 6. No solicitation or endorsements can be made by the Chamber of Commerce without prior approval by the Board of Directors.

Section 1: In September, the President appoints a 3-member nominating committee of active officers or directors. The chair cannot be a candidate. The slate must be ready for publication by October.

Section 2: Nominees must be members in good standing. The slate is presented at the October meeting, where nominations from the floor are also accepted. If two or more candidates run for the same position, elections are held by secret ballot at the November meeting. If unopposed, the Secretary casts a single vote.

Section 3: All nominations must be published in October via email or newsletter.

Section 4: Only members in good standing may nominate. Officer roles (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary, Sgt-at-Arms) are limited to current officers/directors. Director nominees must be members in good standing who have attended at least 2 meetings. New members must have joined at least 4 months prior and attended 2 meetings to vote.

Section 5: Vacancies are filled by the Board for the remainder of the year.

Section 6: No proxy or absentee voting is allowed.

Section1: Any member may be expelled for conduct detrimental to the good of the organization by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Officers and Board of Directors, except that such member shall be accorded. The opportunity to appear before the Board to show cause why such action shall not be taken.

Section 2. The Fiscal Year starts on January 1st. Dues become due and payable within thirty (30) days of being billed. After the first thirty (30) days a member shall be notified of his/her delinquency and given an additional thirty (30) days to clear the arrearage. After the second thirty (30) days or March 1st, a list of delinquent members shall be compiled and submitted to the Board of Directors for action as to whether they should be carried or dropped.

Section 1: Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws were originally allowed only at the May or December general meetings. Proposed changes had to be submitted in writing at the April or November meeting and shared with all members before the May or December vote. Amendments required a two-thirds (2/3) vote of eligible members present at the respective meeting.

Amendment: Changes may now be proposed in writing at any general monthly meeting. All members must be notified in advance—either by printed or electronic notice from the Secretary or President—before the next meeting. Amendments require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of eligible members present at that meeting.

Section 2: The elected Secretary is responsible for keeping an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and By-Laws, which must be available to any member upon request.

Section 1. The Chamber of Commerce recognizes its responsibility to provide the press with prompt and accurate information regarding appropriate matters. A Public Relations Committee is to be established to handle press inquiries to provide a clear picture of Chamber activity.

Section 2. Inquiries of a controversial nature will be referred directly by the Committee of Public Relations to the President for discussion. In the absence of the President, it may be necessary for the Committee of Public Relations to pursue discussion with the Vice President.

AMENDMENT: Section 2. Any Chamber member who becomes aware of an issue of a controversial nature should contact the president or vice president, who will then discuss with the public relations committee, the issue and if necessary, the issue should be brought to the board of directors for action.

Section 3. On occasion requests from the news media regarding specific information will be referred by the Committee of Public Relations and discussed with the most qualified Officer available with knowledge and responsibility for the subject in question. Normally, after consultation, the information will be released back to the news media through the Public Relations Committee. However, if because of technicalities of such information, or the need for a particularly sophisticated reply is called for the Committee of Public Relations may authorize the appropriate Officer to reply directly to the news media.

AMENDMENT: Remove Section 3

Section 4. Only the President or Vice President is responsible for distributing information to the press that originates with the Chamber and deals with Chamber activities.