4.   The Board shall approve all expenditures, withdrawals, or transfers of

                more than $25.00.     

           5.   Accusations and Grievances Against Members.

A.               Officers of the ASHC 

The officers of the ASHC and the order of their elections shall be as follows: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Chairperson, Sergeant-at-Arms, Membership Chairperson, Editor and Web Master.

B.       Candidates for Office 

A candidate for office shall be a Member as defined in Article XI,B.

C.       Slate of Candidates 

An open slate of candidates for offices shall be prepared by the Nominating Committee to be presented at the regular November Business Meeting. Nominations from the floor will only be accepted when there is either a single or no candidate running for a given office. Such nominations from the floor will be valid when the person making the nomination states that he/she has prior permission from the nominee or when the nominee is present at the meeting. Members may run for more than one office. Any member who becomes a candidate for more than one office will be stricken from the list of candidates for all other offices once he/she has been elected. The open slate of candidates shall be presented in writing to the Editor of the HI-NOTES for publication in the November and December issues of HI-NOTES.

D.       Election of Officers 

Election of Officers shall be held annually at the regular December Business Meeting. Absentee ballots must be mailed to the ASHC Post Office Box and be received no later than 24 hours prior to the election. Votes of Members present at the Business Meeting shall be cast by secret ballot. The Officer of the ASHC shall be elected by a majority (more than 50%) of the ballots cast, including both absentee ballots and votes cast by Members present at the December Business Meeting. If three or more candidates are running for an office and no candidate received a majority (50%) of the votes cast on the first ballot, then a runoff election shall be held during the December Business Meeting between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot. Absentee ballots will be counted in a runoff election; however, absentee ballots for candidates who do not qualify for the runoff election shall become null and void. Absentee ballots shall not be solicited in a runoff election. The order of election shall be the same as set forth in Article V,A.

E.       Term of Office 

The term of office shall begin January 1^st and continue through December 31^st of that year. Outgoing Officers and incoming Officers shall hold a meeting between January 1^st and the first Business Meeting at a date determined by the outgoing Board. The installation of incoming Officer shall be held at the January Business Meeting. 

F.                Re-Election of Officers 

All Officers may be re-elected for a succeeding one-year term.

G.                Impeachment

Elected Officers and Members holding appointed positions may be impeached. A statement of grievance from a Member may be presented at a Business Meeting and the Member may request a vote, by secret ballot, to initiate impeachment proceedings. If a majority of the Members present vote to initiate impeachment, the following procedure shall be followed:

1.    Within ten (10) days, the Board shall notify the Officer or Appointee of the impending impeachment hearing, including the list of grievances, and that he/she has been suspended pending the outcome of the hearing.

2.    The Board shall appoint another Officer or an ASHC Member to fulfill the duties of the suspended Officer or Appointee on a temporary basis until the impeachment procedure has been completed.

3.    The Board will notify the membership at large of the impeachment hearing in the next HI-NOTES and will include a statement of grievance and the date, time and place of said hearing. The hearing will be held within thirty (30) days but no sooner than ten (10) days after the notification.

4.    At the impeachment hearing, the statement of grievance shall be read followed by the reading of a written response from the Officer or Appointee. The Officer or Appointee shall then be excused from the hearing after which Members may be recognized for discussion. After completion of the discussion, a vote, by secret ballot, shall be held. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Members present at the impeachment hearing is required for impeachment.

B.                Vice-President 

The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President, carry out all functions of the presidential office. He/she shall perform such other duties as requested by the Chairperson of the Board. He/she shall maintain an accurate ASHC roster of current Members, their address, telephone number and email address.

C.       Secretary 

The Secretary shall take and transcribe minutes of all regular or Special Business Meetings and Board Meetings and shall record the names of those Officers, which are present. The minutes for the regular and Special Business Meetings shall be published each month in the HI-NOTES. He/she shall obtain and keep custody of all documents and records pertaining to the business affairs of the ASHC, with the exception of these pertaining to the offices of the Treasurer and Membership Chairperson. The Secretary shall handle and sign all ASHC correspondence and keep a file copy for permanent record.

D.       Treasurer 

The treasurer shall maintain control of the ASHC checking and/or saving accounts, and provide a financial status report at every ASHC Board and Business Meeting and submit this report each month for publication in the HI-NOTES. He/she shall keep receipts or vouchers for all ASHC expenditures. He/she shall make payments by check on all expenditures approved by the Board. He/she shall have authority to pay for ASHC expenditures which do not exceed $25.00 without prior approval of the Board, provided such expenditures are authorized by an Officer of the ASHC, other than the Treasurer, and supported by written receipts. The ASHC checkbook, Bank Statement, and Journal shall be brought to the monthly Board and Business Meetings for open inspection by the ASHC Members. He/she shall maintain accurate records in the assessment and collection of dues and membership fees. At the time of collection of dues, he/she shall notify the Vice President. He/she or another Finance Committee Member shall be responsible for the collection of admission fees and the record of attendance of all ASHC functions. He/she shall notify the Vice President of the Members who are delinquent in the payment of their dues. He/she shall be responsible for ensuring that any and all required financial documents (e.g. tax returns, information returns, etc.) are prepared and submitted to the required institution in a timely manner.  Any and all financial records shall be retained by the person holding the office of Treasurer for at least seven (7) years.

E.       Social Chair 

The Social Chair shall plan and coordinate all ASHC social functions. He/she shall submit, for appraisal and approval by the Board, a budget for ASHC expenditures and admission fees for each function. Through the HI-NOTES, he/she shall provide ASHC Members with a social calendar, which has been approved by the Board. The social calendar shall include planned activities for the current month and through the 15^th of the following month. Social functions shall not be hosted by anyone other than Members or Honorary Members. The Social Chair shall assume responsibility of ASHC property and he/she shall submit a quarterly inventory to the Board.

F.                Sergeant-at-Arms 

The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be well versed in parliamentary procedure and shall correct the Board on rules of order. He/she shall keep and know the ASHC Bylaws and Amendments and shall protect the ASHC through its use. He/she shall be responsible for seeing that new Amendments are revised into the current ASHC Bylaws and these revised ASHC Bylaws are made available to the Vice President. He/she shall maintain order at all ASHC functions. He/she shall ensure attendees at functions are Members, Honorary Members, Associate Members, Prospects, or Guests of Members as defined in Articles X, C and XI.

G.                Membership Chairperson 

The Membership Chairperson shall ensure all Prospects satisfy all requirements for membership. He/she shall be responsible for informing all Prospects of ASHC functions and general expectations of them as Members. He/she shall be responsible for ensuring that a Membership Committee Member is available at all functions with both membership applications forms and business cards. When a Prospect is accepted into the regular ASHC membership, the Membership Chairperson shall turn over to the Vice President all available information on the new Member.

H.       Editor of HI-NOTES

The Editor of the HI-NOTES shall:

1.    Be responsible for the publication of the HI-NOTES, and submit a budget to the Board for the purchase of supplies and services necessary for that publication.

2.      Proofread every edition of the HI-NOTES, with the knowledge that the entire TCI Membership has access to it, and shall allow printing only of material beneficially informative and dedicated to promoting the image of tall people to TCI and the ASHC.

3.      Establish reasonable deadlines for articles to go into the HI-NOTES and shall publish the time and place of its publication.

4.      Be responsible for obtaining monthly articles from Officers and appointed persons and for soliciting articles about ASHC events from the general membership for publication in HI-NOTES.

A.      Requirements of Standing Committees

The general requirements of the Standing Committee, unless otherwise states, are as follows:

1.    All Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Board or by these Bylaws.

2.    The Chairperson shall determine the number of committee members, unless specified by the Board or by these Bylaws, and shall select the necessary Members for the committee.

3.      The Chairperson shall determine the meeting of the Standing Committees.

4.      The duties of the Standing Committee shall be to assist the President and the Board in the furtherance of ASHC business as set forth in these Bylaws.

B. Identification of Standing Committees

           1.     HI-NOTES Committee 

The Editor shall be the Chairperson of the HI-NOTES Committee and shall select as many committee members as necessary to perform all functions necessary in the preparation of the HI-NOTES and special printing.

           2.     Membership Committee 

The Membership Chairperson shall be the Chairperson of the Membership Committee and shall select an appropriate number of Members. The primary duty of this committee is to contact all Prospects and encourage participation in ASHC functions.

           3.     Welcome Committee

The Social Chair shall be the Chairperson of the Welcome Committee and the other members shall be the Vice President, Membership Chairperson, Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms. The committee members shall share in greeting attendees at all ASHC functions, registering all attendees, and collecting admission fees when appropriate.

4.                                     Miss Tall Atlanta Competition Committee

The Chairperson of the Miss Tall Atlanta Competition Committee may be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board, no later than the June Business Meeting. The Miss Tall Atlanta Competition is to be held the following October, unless otherwise directed by the Board. The Chairperson shall select at least two (2) committee members to assist in the duties of this committee.

                  The duties of this committee are as follows:

a.                   Plan the annual Miss Tall Atlanta Competition, which shall be held in October each year, unless otherwise directed by the Board, and submit a general outline of the plan to the Board for approval. The Miss Tall Atlanta Competition may be either a formal competition or a more informal event. The plan, including the competition format and the competition categories, is to be approved by a simple majority of the membership at a regularly scheduled Business Meeting before the selection of candidates can take place.

b.                   Be well versed in the TCI Miss Tall International and Miss Tall Atlanta rules, Bylaws, and expectations, and ensure all entrants are knowledgeable of and adhere to same.

c.                   Prepare and submit a budget for the Miss Tall Atlanta Competition to the Board for approval by a time specified by the Board. No expenditures shall be made or committed to without prior approval of the Board.

d.                   The Chairperson shall ensure that each entrant reads and signed the Miss Tall Atlanta Contract, which is included as a part of these Bylaws as Appendix A. This Contract may be amended as necessary through proper Bylaw amendment procedures as defined in Article XIII.

e.                   The Chairperson may select as many volunteers and sub-committee Chairpersons as necessary to execute the plans of the Miss Tall Atlanta Competition Committee.

5.                    Nomination Committee 

The Chairperson of the Nomination Committee shall be appointed by the President no later than the September Business Meeting. The Chairperson shall select at least three (3) additional Members for the committee. No current ASHC Officers can be on the committee. All Members who want to be candidates shall be placed on the slate. The slate of candidates shall be published in the November and December issues of the HI-NOTES. Purpose: To assure that anyone who volunteers to run for office is placed on the slate of candidates.

           6.    Weekend Committee

The Chairperson of the Weekend Committee shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board. The Chairperson shall select as many volunteers as necessary to assist in the duties of the committee, but in no event shall be less than two (2) Members. The duties of this committee are as follows:

a.       Plan an annual Weekend to fall on a weekend as directed by the Board.

b.       Prepare and submit an outline of activities to the Board for approval. No additional activities may be added without prior approval of the Weekend committee and one (1) Board member.

c.       Prepare and submit a budget to the Board for approval by the Membership.

d.       The  Weekend Committee will give a report to the Board and Membership at the monthly Business Meetings.

e.       A closing financial statement shall be submitted within 60 days after the Weekend is over.

            7.   Finance Committee 

The Treasurer shall be the chairperson of the Finance Committee. He/she shall select an appropriate number of Members, who must be approved by the Board, to collect admission fees and record attendance at ASHC functions in the absence of the Treasurer.

8.                   Social Committee

The Social Chairperson(s) shall select as many committee members as necessary to plan and coordinate all ASHC social functions.

A.                  Dues 

Dues of $30.00 (thirty) per year for a single Member and $40.00 (forty) per year for a married couple are due by December 31^st  for the following business year. Dues for new Members shall be at a rate of $2.50 (two dollars and fifty cents) per month for the remainder of the year but shall not exceed the amount of the total dues. A membership fee of $3.00 (three dollars) will be charged to new Members. Dues of Members activated by military service will be extended sixty (60) days after the Member is discharged from active duty. Members who have not paid their dues by December 31^st shall be required to pay a late charge of $3.00 (three dollars) provided the said dues are paid by January 31^st. Members who have not paid their dues by January 31^st shall be dropped from the ASHC roster and may regain membership only by following the procedures as outlines in Article XI,B.

B.       Subscriptions 

Subscriptions to the HI-NOTES may be requested in writing to the ASHC at the ASHC Post Office Box and must include a subscription fee of $21.00 (twenty-one dollars) per year. The Vice President shall inform the Board of all subscriptions requests and the Board shall approve or deny subscription request by a majority vote.

C.         Non-Member Fees 

At the first "house party" a Prospect attends, the admission fee will be waived except for special events as may be directed by the Board. For attendance at additional social events, Prospects will be charged Non-Member fees. Guests, as defined in Article X,C., shall pay Non-Member fees for attendance at any social events.

D.         Expenditures

            1.   All expenditures must be approved in advance by the Board unless

otherwise specified by these Bylaws and must be evidenced by valid receipts and presented to the Treasurer within thirty (30) days for reimbursement.

1.              Defined as Members of TCI Affiliate Clubs and those who attend ASHC functions with a Member, Honorary Member, Associate Member or Prospect and fall into one of the follow categories:

a.                                            Date;

b.                                           Out of town visitor;

c.                                            Friend; and

d.                                           Relative.

1.       Requirements to become a member:

a.                    Fulfill all Prospect requirements.

b.                   Complete an application to become a Member.

c.                    Complete a probational period of no less than sixty (60) days but not more than ninety (90) days.

d.                   Attend at least three (3) sponsored functions, one of which must be a Business Meeting, or with prior approval from the Board, attend paper put-out or another event in lieu of the Business Meeting within the last ninety (90) days.

e.                    Receive at least two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, by secret ballot, of Members present at the Business Meeting when application for membership is presented to the ASHC by the Membership Chairperson.

2.                          Official membership in the ASHC shall begin on the first day after all of the above requirements have been met and the new Member has paid dues per Article IX,A.

2.                          The spouse of a married Member must become a Member or Associate Member simultaneously with the Member.

C.         Honorary Member

            1.   Honorary membership is intended for those persons who have

                  provided exemplary service to the ASHC and/or whose membership

                  would significantly benefit the ASHC and its Members. Examples

                  could be persons in the public eye such as politicians or the media.

                  Honorary membership is not intended to circumvent the purpose

                  and/or intent of the ASHC as it pertains to tall people.

            2.  Requirements to become an Honorary Member:

a.       Must be at least 21 years old.

b.       Recommendation for Honorary membership must be made to the Board in writing by a Member, and include the reasons(s) for the recommendation.

c.       Must receive the unanimous approval of the Board after which the Board shall present the recommendation for Honorary membership to the Members at the next Business Meeting.

d.       Must receive a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, by secret ballot, of the Members present at the Business Meeting.

e.       Shall pay normal membership dues, however, dues may be waived when so stipulated in the recommendation for Honorary membership.

3.                    Honorary membership shall be for a term of one year, but may be renewed through the process as listed in the preceding steps (a) through (e).

4.                    Honorary Members do not have voting privileges.

A.      Associate Member

a.       An Associate Member is one who meets all requirements to become a Member except the minimum height requirement and is the spouse of a Member of Honorary Member.

b.       Associate Members do not have voting rights.

B.      Life Member

            1.   A Member may be granted life membership as follows:

                  a.   Has been a Member in good standing of the ASHC for

                        twenty-five (25) consecutive years.

b.                   Recommendation for life membership shall be made by the Board and must receive a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, by secret ballot, of the Members present at the Business Meeting in which the recommendation is made.

2.                         Life Members shall not be required to pay dues but shall retain all rights and privileges of a Member.

3.                         Life membership may be revoked by unanimous approval of the Board and a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, by secret ballot, of the Members present at a Business Meeting in which the recommendation is made by the Board.

E.         Re-instatement of Past Members

2.                   If more than twelve (12) months have passed, then the procedure defined in Article XI.B must be followed.

3.                   If the membership lapsed during the immediate past twelve (12) months as verified by the Vice President, past members of the ASHC may be re-instated as follows:

b.                   Application must be made by attending a Business Meeting and requesting re-instatement; and

c.                   Receive at least two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, by secret ballot, of Members present at the Business Meeting when the application for re-instatement is requested.

            3.   Official membership in the ASHC shall begin on the first day after all

                  of the above requirements have been met and the new Member has

                  paid dues per Article IX.A.

4.                    The spouse of a married Member must become a Member or Associate Member simultaneously with the Member.

F.       Transfers

A member of other TCI Affiliate Clubs may become Members of the ASHC as follows:

            1.   Have a letter of recommendation sent to the ASHC from the TCI

                  Affiliate Club showing the applicant is a current Member is good

                  standing. Then the applicant should:

b.                   Complete an application for membership.

c.                   Be officially measured by two ASHC Officers and meet the height requirement.

d.                   Attend at least one Business Meeting

e.                   Receive at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of Members present at the Business Meeting in which the application for membership is presented.

f.                     Pay applicable dues.

2.                          When there is no letter of recommendation, the applicant must follow the procedures for membership as defined in Article XI.B.            

G.         Member Conduct and Suspension

B.                  Improper Conduct at TCI or ASHC Function.

If any officer of the ASHC learns that a Member of ASHC has been accused of making improper advances or verbally abusing any other person while attending a TCI or ASHC function, such officer shall notify the Executive Board of such accusation. At the next Board Meeting after notification, the Board shall review the accusation and cause a letter to be sent to the accused Member, which letter shall contain the following: (1) the specific details of the alleged improper conduct; (2) that the Member has a right to appear before the Board at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting for the purpose of addressing such accusation; (3) that the subject of the alleged improper conduct will be addressed at the next regularly scheduled Business Meeting after the date of the letter; and (4) the terms of Article XI, H of the ASHC By-Laws. Such notification shall sent to the Member by certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested. Subject to the right of the accused Member to address the Members present at the Business Meeting, at the next regularly scheduled Business Meeting after written notification to the alleged offending Member, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Members present at such Meeting, the alleged offending Member shall be liable to the following:

                  a.   On their first offense be immediately suspended from all ASHC

            functions and remain on suspension for a period of six (6) months

            (at the discretion of the Executive Board).

                  b.   The second offense shall result in the immediate expulsion from ASHC and shall result in the individual being declared persona non grata, and not welcome at any ASHC host functions (at the discretion of the Executive Board).           

2.                   Grievances Against Members.

2.                   Submission of Grievances. All grievances by a ASHC Member against another Member involving conduct other than at a TCI or ASHC function shall be submitted in writing to the President, unless the grievance is directed at the President, in which case the grievance shall be submitted to the Vice-President. Grievances shall then be brought before the Board, at the next Board Meeting, for discussion and action.

3.                   Board Review. The Board shall review all grievances submitted by Members. If a Board Member is the person named in the grievance then that Board Member shall not participate in the review of the grievance or subsequent discussion and recommendation of disciplinary action which may be taken. Prior to deciding what disciplinary action should be taken, the Board shall cause a letter to be sent to the Member who is the subject of the grievance, which letter shall contain the following: (1) the specific details of the alleged conduct complained of in the grievance; and (2) that the Member has a right to appear before the Board at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting for the purpose of addressing such grievance. Such letter to the Member shall be sent by certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested.

b.                   Within thirty (30) days of the review, the Board shall notify the Member who filed the grievance as to what action, if any, has or will be taken by the Board.

c.                    Disciplinary Action Against Member.

(1)                 Reprimands. The Board shall have absolute discretion regarding written or verbal reprimands to Members.

(2)      Suspension or Expulsion. A recommendation of the permanent expulsion or temporary suspension from all ASHC functions of a Member shall by majority vote of the Board be submitted to the general membership at the next regularly scheduled Business Meeting after the Board Meeting where the Member who is the subject of the grievance has either (1) appeared before the Board; or (2) was given the opportunity to appear before the Board .

(3)       Upon a vote, by secret ballot, of two-thirds (2/3) of those Members present at the next Business Meeting, the Boards recommendation shall be either accepted or rejected.