Bylaws Update Proposal
See the bottom of the page for Links to “Current Bylaws“, “Proposed Bylaws“, and “Side by Side Explanation“
Important Dates & Info to Be Aware Of
- Oct 1 – 31, 2024: Renew club Membership by end of day on Oct 31, 2024 in order to vote. Only members who are on the 2024-2025 Membership Roster by Oct 31st, 2024 will be able to vote.
- Oct 1, 2024: Email a link to the Club Bylaws and the Proposed Bylaws Update to the club Membership. See Club Bylaws page (scroll to bottom of page for Old, New, and side-by-side explanation)
- Oct 16, 2024: Q & A Bylaws session at the FALC at 6:30 pm
- Oct 24, 2024: Q & A Bylaws session at the FALC at 4 pm
- Nov 1 – Nov 30, 2024: Electronic voting on the Bylaws Update Proposal Votes will be counted by 2 club members along with 2 non-club residents to verify the count on a date to be determined. Approval requires 75% of the Membership. Remember that members need to have renewed their membership by Oct 31, 2024 in order to be eligible to vote.
- Dec 12, 2024: Results of vote announced at Pickleball Club Board Meeting
Topline History and Summary of Changes for the Bylaws
This bylaw update proposal has been almost 2 years in the making. Over those 2 years many members have voiced their ideas, suggestions and opinions. It was clear to anyone, who read our current bylaws, that changes needed to be made to simplify them and prepare us for the future. These original bylaws were based on the HOA bylaw template. Many of changes being proposed eliminate complex language not require for a simple sports club.
In February of 2024 the Board formed a small committee tasked with taking all the input and building a new document to better fit our club’s needs. The only guideline given to the committee was to make the document easy to read and understand. The committee finished their work in May. From May until July small focus groups (2-4 random members) were held. Participants were able to read the new proposal and compare it to the existing bylaws and give their feedback. Other than some grammatical changes and broadening of some explanations not a single change to the new document was suggested.
Now it is time for the entire membership to see the new proposed bylaws and give feedback. Here is a quick review of the changes made:
- Membership wording has been clarified to reflect our current “residents only” club makeup.
- The wording regarding court reservations has been removed as required by the HOA.
- Language regarding guests has been strengthened to reflect the wishes of the club.
- With the implementation of online voting, the need for the annual meeting has been eliminated.
- The concept of the 20% quorum was intended for the annual meeting and not for monthly member meetings. (Not relevant for sports clubs). This has been removed.
- More power has been given to the committees to operate within their manpower limitations vs. Guidelines dictated by the Board.
- Our current bylaws require a “YES” vote from 75% of the total club membership in order to amend our bylaws. Unfortunately, this means that if a member does not vote at all it equals a “NO” vote. This makes it hard for our club to make changes, when needed, to keep up with the times. The committee is proposing that we change this so that a simple majority of members who actually cast a vote can make changes to the bylaws in the future.