By Laws of the Maltose Falcons
CONSTITUTION OF THE MALTOSE FALCONS HOME BREWING SOCIETY
(As of 2023)
ARTICLE ONE
Section 1. Name
The name of this organization shall be the MALTOSE FALCONS HOME BREWING SOCIETY.
Section 2. Purpose
The purpose of the MALTOSE FALCONS HOME BREWING SOCIETY shall be to encourage all members:
To mature as brewers and beer enthusiasts;
To promote the dissemination of knowledge in the art of brewing;
To encourage and reward individuals dedicated to the brewing arts;
To educate the beer connoisseur in identifying the components of beers;
To foster the responsible use of the products of our craft; and
To celebrate the fruits of our labors.
Section 3. Membership
The membership of this Society shall be open to any person who enjoys fine beers, either by making their own or by enjoying the work of others.
Section 4. Headquarters
The headquarters of this Society shall be the Home Wine and Beer Making Shop located in Woodland Hills, CA, until such time that the shop permanently closes, or the shop asks the Society to locate elsewhere, or if the membership, by resolution, decides to locate elsewhere.
ARTICLE TWO
Government
Section 1. Supreme Law
All legislative and executive powers shall be given to and controlled by the Board of Directors.*1
The Board of Directors shall consist of all the elected officers of this Society.
Section 2. Elected Officers
The elected officers of this Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Director, Activities Director, Membership Director, Newsletter Editor, Grand Hydrometer, Webmeister, and Burgermeister/mistress. An elected office may be occupied by more then one person subject to Board approval.
Section 3. Term of Office
All offices shall be held for a period of one year, commencing at the September meeting following elections, and terminating at the Oktoberfest, one year later.
Section 4. Removal from Office
Any officer missing three Board of Directors meetings and/or six membership meetings during his/her term of office, without reasonable excuse, shall be removed from office and replaced as soon as possible.
A reasonable excuse shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Any officer, as determined by a majority of the Board of Directors, found not performing his/her duties, may be removed from office, subject to the approval by a majority vote of the membership at the next membership meeting following a report from the Board of Directors to the membership.
Section 5. Vacancy of Office
Any interim vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors, subject to the approval by a majority vote of the membership at the next membership meeting following the vacancy.
In the event the membership votes down the appointment by the Board of Directors, there will be open nominations for the vacant office and an election held at said membership meeting to fill the vacancy.
Section 6. Returning of Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society Property
All elected officers and any members, upon completion of their term in office or assignment, shall return to the Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society any and all papers, documents, and property deemed to be important to the operation and history of, and belonging to, said Society.
Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the Society and civil action if deemed necessary.
ARTICLE THREE
Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. President
The duties of the President shall be as follows:
a. To uphold the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society
b. To interpret the Constitution and By-Laws of this Society when necessary.
c. To set the theme and agenda for the meetings.
d. To call meetings to order and conduct them in an orderly manner.
e. To call for special meetings when necessary.
f. To form committees when necessary.
g. Shall be an ex officio member of all committees.
h. Shall have no vote on motions made at membership meetings and/or Board of Directors meetings, except to break a tie.
Section 2. Vice-President
The duties of the Vice-President shall be as follows:
a. To assist the President with his duties.
b. To coordinate and organize Falcons competition efforts as the head of the Competition Committee.
c. To present certificates of achievement.
d. If the President is absent from a meeting, the Vice-President shall assume the President's power for that meeting.
Section 3. Secretary
The duties of the Secretary shall be as follows:
a. To take the minutes of Board of Directors meetings and membership meetings
b. To maintain a file of all minutes
c. To submit minutes to the Newsletter Editor for publication.
d. If the President and Vice-President are both absent from a meeting, then the Secretary shall chair the meeting
Section 4. Treasurer
The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:
a. To administer the Society's finances.
b. To collect and document monies owed to the Society.
c. To manage the club’s Check book and arrange to have the President, Vice President and him/her self (Treasurer) to have check signing authority.
c. To reimburse expenses incurred by members on behalf of the Society.
d. To submit a report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis, or when requested by the President.
e. To maintain the inventory and disperseof club gear, e.g. t-shirts, hats, glasses and more.
Section 5. Public Relations Director
The duties of the Public Relations Director shall be as follows:
a. To promote the Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society to the media and the public at large.
b. To maintain a scrapbook of the Society's history and events, including, but not limited to, photographs.
c. To assist in club publications, including, but not limited to, newsletters, posters, flyers, etc.
d. To encourage and coordinate the monthly club shop brewing sessions, including finding brew masters, brewers and brewing times.
Section 6. Activities Director
The duties of the Activities Director shall be as follows:
a. To arrange to have guest speakers and demonstrations at membership meetings.
b. To arrange the club festivals
c. To arrange for tours, workshops and seminars in which the Society may participate.
d. To oversee rafflesand auctions at events and membership meetings.
Section 7. Membership Director
The duties of the Membership Director shall be as follows:
a. To maintain a current roster.
b. To issue membership cards
c. To organize membership drives.
d. To proctor nominations and elections.
Section 8. Newsletter Editor
The duties of the Newsletter Editor shall be as follows:
a. To produce the newsletter.
b. To produce and distribute the newsletter in a manner determined by the Board subject to the approval of the Membership.
c. To maintain a file of the Society's past newsletters.
Section 9. Grand Hydrometer
The duties of the Grand Hydrometer shall be as follows:
a. To arrange a tasting of commercial beers for the membership meeting
b. To help the Activities Director coordinate workshops and demonstrations.
c. To arrange the convening of the Dead Palate’s Society for the club festivals.
Section 10. Burgermeister/Burgermistress
The duties of the Burgermeister/Burgermistress shall be to arrange food for meetings, judging’s and festivals.
Section 11. Webmeister
The duties of the Webmeister shall be to research, design and maintain the club’s online presence. The site shall contain news and scheduling information, archives of recipes, photos, newsletters and other items deemed pertinent.
Section 12. Member(s) At Large
The unelected and optional position of Member at Large is designated for member(s) approved by the Board of Directors who wish to actively participate and comment on the governance of the club. They shall have no official authority or duties except those prescribed to them by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE FOUR
Quorums
Section 1.
A voting quorum at a membership meeting shall be no less than ten percent (10%) of the paid membership as reported by the Membership Director at the last Board of Directors meeting previous to the membership meeting where a vote(s) is (are) to be taken.
A quorum at a Board of Directors meeting shall consist of one half of the Board of Directors plus one.
ARTICLE FIVE
Election of Officers
Section 1. Eligibility
Any person who has been a paid member for at least six (6) months and is in good standing with this Society may run for an elected office.
Section 2. Nominations
Nominations will open at the June membership meeting and will close at the designated membership meeting before balloting commences. The method of collecting nominees' names shall be done at the discretion of the President or whoever is chairman at those meetings.
Section 3. Balloting
A secret ballot election shall be held during the designated membership meeting. Only paid members with a membership card may vote. The President shall determine how the secret balloting will take place.
Section 4. Election Meeting
Elections will occur during the August, September or October meeting as determined by the Board of Directors based on club schedule. Elections will be announced no later than at the meeting prior to the election. This will have no impact on club officers’ installation.
Section 5. Tally
The President shall form a committee of three members not running for office to tally the ballots.
After tabulating the results, the committee shall submit a report to the President as soon as possible, but no later than the next Board of Directors meeting. If any or all of the committee wish to present the report at the Board meeting instead, they may do so.
The new officer(s) for each office shall be that person(s) with a plurality of the votes for that office.
ARTICLE SIX
Installation of Officers
Section 1. New Officers
At the September membership meeting, officers-elect will begin a one month internship. Installation of the new officers shall occur at OktoberFest.
Section 2. Officers Filling Vacancies
Any officer filling a vacancy shall be installed at the meeting at which the membership voted its approval.
Section 3. Certificate for Outgoing Officers
All outgoing officers shall be awarded a Certificate of Achievement in appreciation of their terms in office at the Oktoberfest meeting following their departure from office.
Section 4. Membership Grant for Elected Officers
All officers, determined by the Board of Directors to have completed a full active term in office, will be granted a year's membership for the following year.
ARTICLE SEVEN
Meetings
Section 1. Membership Meetings
Membership meetings shall be held on the first Sunday of each month at 12:00 p.m. at the Home Wine and Beer Making Shop, unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors. The exceptions being the months there is a Festival or other special event.
All members are encouraged to attend these events and meetings.
Section 2. Board of Directors
Board of Directors meetings shall be at a time and place called by the President.
All officers are required to attend and submit a report pertinent to their office. Also, any member may attend these meetings.
ARTICLE EIGHT
Amendments
Section 1. Resolutions
From time to time it may be necessary to modify this Constitution and By-Laws. The procedure shall be as follows:
a. Any individual, or committee, or the Board of Directors may write a resolution to modify this Constitution and By-Laws. It shall include the reason for the change, the article, the section, the paragraph, etc., where the change will occur, and what the change will be.
b. If an individual member has drafted a resolution, he/she may present it to the Board of Directors for presentation to the membership or bring it to a membership meeting for presentation to the membership. The purpose of presenting it to the membership is to inform them about it.
c.After presentation the membership shall vote on whether or not to accept the resolution for consideration.
d. The resolution shall be posted in the newsletter after the initial membership approval.
e. At the next membership meeting, the resolution will be voted on by the paid membership. A 2/3 majority is required for the resolution to be adopted.
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BY-LAWS OF THE MALTOSE FALCONS HOME BREWING SOCIETY
ARTICLE ONE
Membership
Section 1. Membership
Membership lasts one year from the time the Membership Director records the members name in the roster.
Section 2. Dues
Dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership. Members shall receive a membership card, the Society's newsletter, when published, and may enjoy any other benefits that come along with membership in this Society.
Section 3. First-time Members
First time members may be charged a higher due rate for their first year’s membership. The extra fee shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. Returning Members
After one year membership, dues will be required to continue as a member. All renewals will be counted from the member’s original starting month.
Returning members who do not renew shall be placed on an inactive list. If a returning member has not renewed for a period of five years, his/her name shall be dropped from the list.
Section 5. Couples Membership
A Member’s spouse or significant other shall be considered a non-voting member for the purposes of all Maltose Falcons activities.
Section 6. Honorary Membership
The Board of Directors may elect to designate any person an Honorary Member of the Society for a time period determined by the Board at the time of dispensing such Honorary Membership. Honorary Membership entitles such person to a copy of the Society newsletter and any other benefits as determined by the Board of Directors at the time of election of that title.
Section 7. Membership Agreement
The Board of Directors shall codify a membership agreement that is required for all members. The agreement shall outline acceptable behavior and risks assumed by members.
Section 8. Membership Cards
The club shall provide to each member a card designating them as a member of the Maltose Falcons. Each card shall be minimally provided with name and a method to determine the member’s expiration date and current status. The card shall be required for all discounts and voting privileges except where waived by the Board of Directors or vendor.
ARTICLE TWO
Newsletter
Section 1. Title
The title of the MALTOSE FALCON HOME BREWING SOCIETY'S newsletter shall be "BREWS AND NEWS."
Section 2. Responsibility
The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for producing and distributing the newsletter.
Section 3. Contents
The newsletter shall include, but not be limited to, the following :
a. Minutes of Board of Directors meetings and membership meetings. Summaries of these meetings will be acceptable.
b. Articles submitted by members of appropriate length and subject matter, as determined by the Newsletter Editor.
c. A calendar of upcoming events.
d. Information about upcoming competitions.
e. Shop news.
f. Cartoons, if available.
g. Any other beer or brewing related information as deemed appropriate by the newsletter editor.
Cut-off date for submissions to the newsletter shall be determined by the Newsletter Editor.
Section 4. Frequency of Publication
Barring unpredictable circumstances, the Newsletter Editor will make every effort to publish the newsletter no later than five (5) days before the monthly membership meeting.
ARTICLE THREE
Festivals
Section 1.
There shall be three festivals per year, named as follows: (1) Mayfaire, (2) Sunfest, and (3) Oktoberfest. The festivals may take the place of the regular membership meeting of that month. The Board of Directors shall set the date for each festival.
ARTICLE FOUR
Competitions
Section 1. Number
There will be at least three (3) Society-sponsored competitions per year, one associated with Mayfaire, one associated with Oktoberfest and one designated as the Doug King Memorial Competition. These competitions may at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be open to other clubs and may be sanctioned by the BJCP/AHA. Sanctioning of these two competitions shall not be a requirement for holding them.
Section 2. Other Competitions
The Board of Directors reserves the right to involve this Society in organizing competitions other than the two mentioned above, an example of which would be a home brew competition at a county fair. If the Board of Directors chooses to organize such a competition, every effort shall be made to have it sanctioned by the BJCP/AHA.
Section 3. Rules and Awards
The rules and awards for competitions shall be determined on a per competition basis and will be published in the newsletter at least three (3) months prior to the competition.
ARTICLE FIVE
Section 1. Effective Date
This Constitution and By-Laws shall be considered in effect when approved by at least two thirds of the membership present at the membership meeting where this document is put to a vote.
*Notes and Board Decisions;
*1 “Supreme Law” Inherent in the executive powers of the Board of Directors is the ability to remove a person from the membership for cause. (2008)