CONSTITUTION (1976)

ARTICLE I 

Name The name of this association shall be the YACHT RACING UNION OF THE GREAT LAKES.

ARTICLE II Objects 

For many years sailors on the Great Lakes have enjoyed competing against each other, both locally and on an intersectional basis. In the past the Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes has fostered and promoted competition among the several Great Lakes Yachting Associations concentrating mainly on the use of boats designed to the Rule as administered by U.S.Y.R.U. The Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes is desirous of maintaining the interest in competition in racing type craft, but in addition will endeavor to promote Great Lakes Intersectional Competition in Offshore Racing-Cruising type sail yachts. An example of this type of encouragement is the overseeing of the Richardson, Bartel, and Cross series each year. The object of the Union is to encourage and assist in the promotion of intersectional racing on the Great Lakes. The Union will not be concerned with the various U.S.Y.R.U. cup championships, appeals of decisions of race committees, or activities normally handled between local associations and the U.S.Y.R.U. The Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes will maintain an Offshore Racing Committee which will serve as a clearing house relative to ideas and requirements concerning offshore racing-type yachts. The decisions and opinions of this committee will be made known to the member associations, and to the Offshore Racing Committee of U.S.Y.R.U. and C.Y.A. 

ARTICLE III Membership 

Section 1. The membership of the Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes shall consist of Member Associations of the United States of America and the Dominion of Canada located on the Great Lakes and who are members of U.S.Y.R.U. 

Section 2. Associations who are members of U.S.Y.R.U. located on the Great Lakes will be admitted to membership upon invitation only, and no application for such membership may be accepted by the secretary, nor entertained by the Executive Committee or any officer or any delegate of this Union. The Executive Committee is charged with the duty of investigating and recommending to the delegates of member Associations the desirability of prospective associations, and no prospective member Association may be voted upon without prior investigation by the Executive Committee, and its endorsement and recommendation of such prospective association to the delegates. Prospective member associations shall be finally admitted, or admitted upon a probationary basis, only upon the vote of two-thirds of the delegates of the member associations. 

ARTICLE IV Officers and Committees 

Section 1. The officers of the Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes shall consist of a President, one Vice President for each member association, one of which shall be designated as President elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. 

Section 2. Special officers for special duties may be appointed by the President to serve during his pleasure or during his term of office. 

Section 3. There shall be an Executive Committee which shall consist of immediate past President of the Union, the President, the Vice Presidents, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall be the governing body of the Union. 

Section 4. Special Committees for special purposes may be appointed, dissolved, of reappointed by the President as he shall see fit. Section 5. All officers shall hold office from date of their election or appointment until the annual meeting of the Union, and the election or appointment of their successors. 

ARTICLE V Duties 

Section1. The President shall be the ranking Executive. He shall preside at all meetings of the Union of the Executive Committee. He shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, and shall perform such other duties as may be delegated to him by the Executive Committee. He shall enforce the provisions of this Constitution and any By-Laws adopted pursuant thereto. 

Section 2. The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Union and of the Executive Committee. He shall conduct the correspondence of the Union, and report all external correspondence to the President. He shall notify each association of its election to membership. At the expiration of his term of office, he shall turn over to his successor all documents, records, files, and communications pertaining to the Union. 

Section 3. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys from members and deposit the same in the name of the Union in such banks as may be approved by the Executive Committee. He shall pay all bills contracted by the Union, and keep as accurate statement of the Union account. He shall make a detailed report at each annual meeting, and upon request of any special meeting, of all receipts and expenditures of the Union and of money remaining in his hands. At the expiration of his term of office, he shall turn over to his successor all documents, records, and funds belonging to the Union. 

Section 4. The Executive Committee shall make general recommendations to the Union in matters of policy and finance. It shall act in an advisory capacity to the President or ranking officer, and render advisory judgements on all questions submitted by the President or ranking officer. It shall assume the initiative in investigating the desirability of prospective member associations and report such desirability to the delegates of member associations, at any annual or special meeting. It shall be wholly responsible for recommending to the delegates the expulsion of member associations. It shall authorize the contracting of all bills by the Union, and no officer of the Union may contract any bills without such authorization of the Executive Committee. It shall notice and declare the vacancy in any office, by reason of absence of the officer, or his incapacity or unwillingness to serve, and direct the filling of such declared vacancy in accordance with the Constitution, or in the event of vacancies in the offices of President or Vice President, it may elect its own presiding officer, or Chairman, from its remaining membership, and proceed, at its discretion, to fill the vacancies in such offices by interim appointments, until the next annual meeting, or special meeting called for the purpose of electing officers. 

Section 5. The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the President, or ranking officer, at such time and place as he shall designate, and as often as he may consider requisite to the efficient handling of the affairs of the Union. Notice in writing of every such meeting shall be sent to each member of the Executive Committee by the Secretary in ample time to enable him to attend the meeting. Absentee members may vote by mail on questions which may be submitted to them in writing. Members so voting shall be counted as present for the purpose of constituting a quorum. 

ARTICLE VI 

Representation 

Section 1. Each member association shall be entitled to be represented by three delegates. Such delegates of member associations are the only persons entitled to vote at meetings of the Union. Their authority to act for their member associations, in case of challenge, must be in writing and certified to by the secretary, or proper officer, of such member association purporting to be represented. 

ARTICLE VII 

Meetings and Quorums 

Section 1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Union during the month of January, each year, for the purpose of election of officers, considering organizational problems, and for the purpose of scheduling sail yacht regattas and other boating and yachting events. 

Section 2. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President, or by the Executive Committee. Any four member associations in good standing may call a special meeting at any time by written petition addressed to the Secretary, or to all member associations, if the office of Secretary is vacant, at least ten days prior to the date of such meeting. 

Section 3. A Quorum at any meeting of the Union shall consist of nine delegates, as representative of at least four member associations. 

Section 4. A Quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of four members, including one elected
Officer of the Union. 

ARTICLE VIII 

Order of Meetings
Section 1. At any annual meeting, the following order of business shall be observed:
A. Roll Call:
1. Delegates of member associations.
2. Past Presidents of the Union.
B. Report of the Secretary and/or reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.
C. Reports:
1. Treasurer
2. Officers
3. Committees
D. Awarding of Trophies.
E. Unfinished business.
F. Report of the Executive Committee as to the desirability of any prospective member associations.
G. Election of any recommended prospective member association.
H. Report of the Nominating Committee.
I. Election of officers.
J. New business.
K. Adjournment. 

Section 2. The order at any special meeting shall follow the prescribed order of business of the annual meeting so far as is practicable. 

Section 3. All questions of procedure, not covered by this Constitution, shall be in accordance with Roberts Rules. 

ARTICLE IX 

Nominating of Officers Section 1. 

Two months previous to the date of the annual meeting, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members, the chairman of which normally should be the immediate Past President. This nominating committee shall publish its report at least one month before the annual meeting and the report shall be included in the call of the meeting. 

Section 2. Officers must be elected from the recommendations of the Nominating Committee, whose duty it is to provide one candidate for President, utilizing as far as practicable the practice of rotating such nominations among the member associations; one Vice President from each member association; one Secretary, and one Treasurer. The only exception to the preceding is that a name may be placed on the ballet if presented by petition of at least twenty percent of the delegates of member associations in good standing and is presented to the Secretary ten days before the annual meeting. 

ARTICLE XI 

Dues and Fees Section 1. Expenses of the Union shall be provided by the member associations, and in event of discontinuance of this Union, each member association in good standing shall be entitled to its pro rat share of the net assets remaining after all valid obligations of the Union shall have been met. 

Section 2. Each member association shall pay an annual sum as determined by the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE XII
Resignations, Expulsions, Penalties, and Discipline 

Section 1. The membership of any member association of the Union may be forfeited either by voluntary withdrawl, by disbandment, by nonpayment of dues before the next annual meeting, or by the majority vote of all of the other member associations. 

Section 2. No member association which is in arrears for any dues shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Union, nor take part in the deliberations of the nominating committee, except that any Past President of the Union, who is a member of such member association in arrears for dues, shall continue to be a member of the Executive Committee, at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE XIII By-Laws and Rules 

Section 1. The Executive Committee is authorized to make and/or amend By-Laws not inconsistent with this Constitution and make or amend rules for its own governance, and for the Union, and fix and enforce penalties for violation of such rules.

ARTICLE XIV Amendments 

Section 1. This Constitution of the Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes may be amended or a new Constitution made by two-thirds vote of the delegates of member associations at any meeting of the Union, provided that the intention to amend of to make a new Constitution is declared in the notice of meeting, and that a copy of the amendment of the new Constitution is furnished to each member association at least ten days before such meeting.

Section 2. When such amendment, or proposal for a new Constitution, is properly put before such meeting for consideration, it may, before final action thereon, be changed or amended by a majority vote, provided the changes be germane to the subject covered by this amendment as proposed.