Bylaws of the PC Club of Costa Rica

(As amended and approved at the general meeting, 20 October 2007)

Be it known that the PC Club of Costa Rica, founded in Escazu in June, 1993 is reorganizing itself and will operate under these new bylaws from April, 2005, henceforth.

1) The name of this civil organization shall continue to be the "PC Club of Costa Rica."

2) The PC Club's aim is to promote computer activities among its members and to instruct them in computer use and maintenance.

3) The Club shall be made up of three bodies; the Membership, the Board of Directors, and the Ombudsman.

4) Anyone of good moral standing may be a member regardless as to gender, age, culture, race, religion or nationality. If there is any question about a new member that potential member will be interviewed at a board meeting to determine whether said person can benefit from membership.

5) Duties and benefits of members:

a) Members must pay any annual dues and initiation fees, as determined by the Board.

b) Members may attend any and all meetings of the club, and should attend the Club's annual or special assemblies.

c) Members may participate in all special events, parties, auctions, classes or field trips offered by the Club.

d) Members have full access and use of all the Club's online facilities.

e) Members may and should offer themselves as candidates to positions on the Board or on special committees that may be organized from time to time.

6) The Board of Directors shall consist of at least four members; the President, the Vice-President, the Program Chairman, and the Treasurer. The Board or the General Assembly may add Board Members at Large, with or without special titles or designations, without limit, but all such designations must be approved and elected by the General Assembly.

The Board members shall be elected for a period of two years.

In the case of resignation, incapacity or death of a Board member, other than the President, the President may call a special assembly to elect a new person to fill said position or the board may appoint a Member at Large of the Board to act in that position for the remainder of the outstanding term of office. Generally the Board will be guided in choosing which of these two possibilities to follow by considering the length of time remaining before the next regular election for that position.

The Board shall meet at least once a month. All Board rulings and decisions shall be made available to the membership opportunely in the newsletter, on the web site and/or in general membership meetings.

7) Duties of the President:

The President shall represent the Club before outside persons or organizations except where he has designated another Board member to carry out this duty in specific cases. The President shall conduct the Board and the general membership meetings. He shall wield an extra vote in the case of a tie in voting in any Club meetings where official voting takes place. In the Annual Assembly the President shall render a report of the Board's work over the previous year.

8) The duties of the Vice-President:

These are same as those of the President when, and only when, the President is absent or incapacitated. If the president, as approved by the Board, is permanently incapacitated or resigns, the Vice-President must call for a special Assembly to elect a new President within 30 days. Until that time, the Vice-President will act as the President. The Vice-President will also carry out any special duties, commensurate with his position, that may be assigned him by the President.

9) The duties of the Program Chairman:

The Program Chairman shall be responsible for assessing club member’s computer learning needs and recommending strategies to meet these needs.

10) The duties of the Treasurer:

The Treasurer keeps and accounts for the Club's funds. He accepts monies from the membership to pay dues or any other charges that the Board may have levied and notifies the Membership Chairman of new members and their data. In Club auctions or similar events, he collects and accounts for monies paid. The Treasurer will render an annual accounting at the Annual Assembly and will dispense Club funds as instructed by the Board and/or President. The Treasurer shall open a bank account in his name specifically for the Club's funds if he deems the amount of Club monies to make such necessary and will maintain an official list of members. He will give financial report at each general membership meeting.

11) The duties of Members at Large:

Any Members at Large on the Board will carry out such duties as required by the President or the Board, including substituting for temporarily or permanently missing Board members. These members may be called upon by the Board, to head up any committees organized by the Board.

12) The Ombudsman:

There will be an Ombudsman who is a separate body of the club and not a member of the Board of Directors. He or she must be a member of the Club and will serve for a period of two years. The responsibilities of this position is to attend all meetings of the board and General Meetings of the members, to serve as an oversight person to assure compliance of the Bylaws and to answer questions or inquiries from the membership as to the operation of the Club or the Board. The Ombudsman will be elected by the membership at the same election in which the President is elected.

13) Elections:

The President, Treasurer, and the Ombudsman shall be elected on odd numbered years while the Vice-President, Program Chairman, and any Members at Large on even numbered years. These elections will take place in October during a General Assembly. Members newly elected to one of these positions will take office on the first of January of the next year.

14) Special Assemblies:

Any member may propose any changes to these Bylaws. Such a proposal will be promulgated on the Club's web site. This will be voted on at the next General Meeting, making that meeting a General Assembly. The change must be approved by 75% of those members present in order to be accepted, and upon receiving such a vote, will go into effect immediately.

15) Normal Meetings:

The Board should call at least one general membership meeting per month. These are for computer related matters, members' education or enjoyment. Votes, on matters the Board wishes to consult with the membership, may be taken but these are not binding on the Board. One or more of these meetings may be purely social events or parties, as per the Board's plans for such.

16) The Club domain:

The Club will maintain its domain, pcclub.net, hosting this where such is economically feasible and where all needed services are included. This web site will be offered to members to further their interests and the goals of the Club. The Club may open other domains if it feels that such is needed.