BROOKSIDE
NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION

Article I – Name & Purpose

This organization shall be named the “Brookside Neighborhood Association,” also known as the “BNA.” The BNA is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to strive to maintain, enhance and improve the quality of life of the neighborhood. The Association boundaries shall be as follows:
Riverside Drive on the west
Interstate 44 on the south
Lewis Avenue on the east; and
31st Street on the north.

Article II – Goals

•    To cultivate and support ideas and actions which promote community spirit and identity, thus benefiting the BNA neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.
•    To maintain and promote neighborhood property values, so that all decline is discouraged and all improvements are commended.
•    To promote a safe and secure neighborhood free from all crime, including vandalism.
•    To support, enhance and cultivate any civic improvement to the Neighborhood while avoiding commercial endorsements or affiliations.
•    To promote adherence to City of Tulsa codes and regulations by all Neighborhood residents and businesses.

Article III – Membership

The membership of BNA shall consist of three membership categories, as follows:
•    Regular Membership: any homeowner or renter living in the Neighborhood
•    Associate Membership: any person who may own property or operate a business in the Neighborhood or not be a resident of the neighborhood.Members in this category are not eligible to hold office or vote on BNA business.
•    Courtesy Membership: persons designated by the BNA President. Members in this category are not eligible to hold office or vote on BNA business and do not pay dues.

To be a regular or associate member in good standing, a person must pay dues for the membership year beginning January 1 and support the goals and objectives of the BNA. A single membership includes all members of a household, but only vote. Dues paid after September 1 are applied to the next membership year. All members receive BNA and related mailings.

Article IV/A – Board of Directors (Membership)

Section 1.  The Board of Directors of the BNA shall be comprised of the Executive Committee, Area Representatives and Chairpersons of Permanent Committees. All of the above shall be regular members of the BNA in good standing at time of election or appointment and term of office. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for formulating BNA policy in accordance with Articles I and II of these Bylaws and the wishes of the general membership as expressed and adopted at any annual business meeting. The Board shall be responsible for conducting the regular and ordinary business of the BNA and shall meet at least six (6) times during the membership (calendar) year at a time and location convenient for a majority of Board members. Board members shall be open to any member of the BNA. A quorum shall consist of seven (7) members.

Section 2.  The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors shall be comprised of the BNA elected officers (President or Co-Presidents, hereafter referred to as President(s), Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) and the Immediate Past President.Vacancies in the elected positions on the Board of Directors shall be filled by the President and ratified by this board. The Vice-President shall automatically fill the President’s position should it become vacant.

All members of the Executive Committee shall have full voting privileges on the Board.
The Executive Committee shall meet only when the President(s) or a member of the Committee deems it necessary to expedite BNA business. Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors at the next called or scheduled Board meeting.A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of three (3) members.

Section 3.  Area Representatives appointed by the President(s) to the Board of Directors shall be representatives of each of the six areas within the BNA boundaries as defined in Article I of these Bylaws. Although several persons may be appointed from any one designated area, only two appointees from a designated area shall have full voting privileges on the Board. The six areas are, as follows:
1.  Northwest: Riverside Drive to Peoria Avenue, 31st to 41st Streets
2.  North Central: Peoria Avenue to Utica Avenue, 31st to 41st Streets
3.  Northeast: Utica Avenue to Lewis Avenue, 31st to 41st Streets
4.  Southwest: Riverside Drive to Peoria Avenue, 41st to I-44
5.  South Central: Peoria Avenue to Utica Avenue, 41st to I-44
6.  Southeast: Utica Avenue to Lewis Avenue, 41st to I-44

Section 4.  Committees within the Board of Directors shall include but not be limited to the committees below.The BNA President(s) shall appoint all committee chairpersons, who then shall select their own committee members.Exception: All members of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President (see Article V).

A. Permanent Committees: Zoning, Newsletter, Public Relations/Events, Historian, Membership Recruitment. Chairpersons shall have full Board voting privileges.
B. Standing Committees: Nominating, Budget, Bylaws. Chairpersons shall not have voting privileges on the Board.

Article IV/B – Board of Directors (Duties)

Section 1.  The President(s) shall:
•    preside at all BNA meetings
•    sign BNA documents as required
•    co-sign all treasury disbursements over $200.00
•    report significant events and activities to the Board of Directors and to the general membership at all program and business meetings of the BNA
•    represent the BNA at all community events, activities and meetings as required and appropriate. Only the President(s) shall be authorized to speak for the BNA in the community at large unless another person is designated to do so by the BNA President.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall:
•    preside at all BNA meetings in the absence of the President(s)
•    shall represent the BNA at all community events, activities and meetings as requested by the President
•    shall automatically succeed to the office of President should it become vacant.

Section 3. The Secretary shall:
•    be responsible for recording minutes of all Board, Executive Committee and annual business meetings
•    shall responsible for keeping all BNA correspondence and BNA documents not kept by other Board officers
•    shall also notify Board members of all scheduled and called Board meetings.

Section 4.  The Treasurer shall:
•    be responsible for all financial matters pertaining to the BNA
•    collect and deposit all monies
•    prepare an annual budget; prepare disbursements
•    furnish regular treasurer reports to the Board of Directors
•    prepare a year-end report for presentation to the general membership at the annual business meeting
•    maintain all membership records
•    prepare the BNA books for audit.

Acceptance of the Treasurer’s reports by the Board of Directors and/or the general membership shall constitute authority of the Treasurer to transact financial business on behalf of the BNA in accordance with the Bylaws.

The signatures of the President(s) and the Treasurer shall be required on all disbursements over $200.00. The Board of Directors shall approve all expenditures over $200.00 prior to any disbursement being made.

The Treasurer shall keep the membership records of the BNA and provide regular membership reports to the Board of Directors. The BNA membership list shall not be given or sold to persons or organizations outside the BNA.

At the end of the membership year, the Treasurer shall prepare the books for an internal audit to be performed by two members of the Board as appointed by the President(s). The written report of the audit shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for acceptance and approval.  Copies of the audit and report shall be filed with the records of the Secretary and the Treasurer.

Section 5.  The Immediate Past-President shall serve in this capacity only as long as the person serving as the President occupies that position. The primary duty of the Immediate Past-President shall be serving as adviser to the Board of Directors, especially to the current President(s). Other duties may be assigned by the President(s).

Section 6.  The Area Representatives shall represent their areas on the Board of Directors and shall be a line of communication between the Board and their areas.  Area Representatives shall notify the Board of special interests and concerns related to the areas they represent. (See Article IV/A, Section 3).

Article V – Nomination and Election of Officers

The President(s) shall appoint the Nominating Committee to consist of one current Board member and two BNA members at large.The Committee shall be appointed by September 1 each year. The Chair of this committee shall have no vote on the Board of Directors in the capacity of Chair of the Nominating Committee.

The Nominated slate of officers shall consist of the following elective Board positions: President(s), Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. All nominees for these elected positions shall be regular members of the BNA in good standing. Nominees for the office of President(s) shall have served a minimum of one year on the Board of Directors prior to nomination to this office.

The nominated slate shall be published in the BNA newsletter preceding the annual business meeting in the fall. The slate shall be presented at this business meeting with a call for nominations from the floor before the election is held. The person making a nomination from the floor shall have the consent of the prospective nominee prior to nomination. If there is more than one nominee for any office, then the vote must be taken by secret ballot.Otherwise, a motion “to accept the slate by acclamation” may be accepted by a voice vote.

Election of these officers shall be based on a simple majority of regular members present at the annual business meeting provided a quorum (25) exists. The term of office for elected officers shall be for one year with the option to serve another consecutive one-year term upon nomination and election by the regular membership. A person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be entitled to serve two full and consecutive one-year terms in that positions provided that he/she is nominated and elected.

Article VI – Meetings

Section 1.  Annual Business Meetings of the general membership of the BNA shall be held at a time and location determined by the Board of Directors and for which reasonable notification to the membership has been made. A quorum shall consist of twenty-five (25) regular members in good standing. The purposes of the annual business meeting are, as follows:
•    Officer Reports
•    Election of Officers
•    Approval of membership dues for the following year
•    Conduct any other business related to the BNA

Section 2.  Program Meetings of the BNA shall be held at least two times a year at times and locations selected by the Board of Directors and announced in a BNA newsletter prior to the meetings. Only in extraordinary circumstances and only after the regular membership is properly notified in writing shall official BNA business be conducted at a program meeting.

Section 3.  Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be open to any member of the BNA wishing to attend. However, if a BNA member has an item of business to present to the Board of Directors, then this member should schedule a Board meeting time with the President(s) to ensure that this item of business can be put on the meeting agenda. A quorum for any Board meeting shall consist of seven (7) voting members.(See Article IV/A, Section 1.).

Article VII – Association Funds

Section 1.  Dues shall be established by the general membership at the annual business meeting of the BNA upon recommendation of the Board of Directors. A simple majority vote of the regular members present shall determine the dues for each membership category for the following membership year provided that a quorum is present.

Section 2.  The Board of Directors shall have the authority to disburse BNA funds in accordance with the stated purposes and policies of the BNA provided that this body does not bind or commit the BNA beyond 25% of BNA funds on hand at any given time to any single disbursement over the period of the full membership year without a majority vote of the general membership PRIOR to the disbursement of these funds.

 

Article VIII – Amendments to the Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended at any general membership business meeting by a majority vote of the regular members present provided that a quorum exists and that at least 15 days notice of proposed amendments shall have been provided to the BNA membership in writing.

THESE BYLAWS WERE APPROVED BY THE BNA MEMBERSHIP ON NOVEMBER, 2008.