The Michigan Amateur Radio Alliance, MARA, was founded on August 31, 1991, by Chuck Lemarbre W8VOM, James E.D. Norton KA8SHZ, Serge Lisk N8NFZ, Andy Gusack W7PG, Gary Springfield KB8AKV, John Visser NF8P, Edmund Lomasiewicz W8NZW, Lyle Griffen KB8EHM, Larry Ambruz KB8MZR, Harold Allen KB8MNI and Peter Vanduivendyke KA8ZAZ. The intention of forming this club is to:

1. Foster goodwill among the community of Amateur Radio Operators;
2. Enjoy our friends in our special hobby of Amateur Radio;
3. Use our skills to help our own community in times of emergency;
4. Fulfill the Amateur’s code both in our community and in our own membership (see attached Amateur’s code); and
5. To upgrade our skills, both technically and as operators.

1. Organization Structure
   1. President
   2. Vice President
   3. Treasurer
   4. Secretary
   5. Club Trustee (this office is appointed)
   6. Resident Agent  (this office is appointed)
2. These four (4) elected officers, President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, shall be elected at the regular meeting held for that purpose, the second Wednesday of December. Nominations for these offices shall open at the October club meeting and close at the November meeting. These five (5) positions, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and club Trustee shall also constitute the Executive Board. All officers shall be elected by a majority vote only. The newly elected officers shall assume their duties on January 1st .
3. The Duties of the President
   1. Foremost, it will be the obligation of the elected president to conduct the monthly meetings in a manner that fosters the entire involvement of the club’s membership;
   2. To appoint, in an appropriate manner, committees to resolve or create solutions to problems that the club’s membership may face;
   3. To facilitate the completion of all club business;
   4. To conduct the meeting in an orderly manner (may use Robert’s Rules of order, if deemed necessary);
   5. To take charge of responding to the members needs, whether it is in creating classes or discovering solutions to problems the club may encounter; and to
   6. Counsel the in coming president during the first 90 days.
4. The Duties of the Vice President
   1. To be of assistance to the President in executing his obligations and duties; and
   2. To always be ready to take charge of a meeting when the President is absent and fulfill all his duties.
5. The Duties of the Treasurer
   1. To maintain and keep an accurate accounting of all the club’s finances;
   2. To collect and record club dues;
   3. To make a monthly report on all club expenditures during the preceding month;
   4. To make a report to the Secretary and executive board of members who have paid their dues;
   5. To abide by all the rules and regulations regarding our non-profit status with the State of Michigan and send all financial reports to the State of Michigan as they require;
   6. To issue a valid membership card to all paid members;
   7. To be responsible for the timely payment of all club bills. Before payment, bills must be approved by the membership at a scheduled club meeting;
   8. Established utility bills, electricity, telephone, repeater site fees, web site fees,insurance and newsletter materials, can be approved once a year.
   9. To Co-Sign, with the club’s President, all the financial accounts that the club maintains;
   10. To calculate the club’s budget for the coming year based on sound and accepted accounting practices. The budget will be presented at the October meeting; and
   11. To present to the club at the October meeting, a recommendation on the amount dues should be for the coming year based on budget requirements.
   12. Club purchases must be accomplished using club funds only. The instruments used to accomplish this can be.
       1. Club checking account.
       2. Members funds can be used for a previous approved, purchase,provided a signed and dated receipt is given to the club declaring that the purchase is the clubs and not the purchasers.
6. The Duties of the Secretary
   1. To maintain a complete record of all club membership;
   2. To carry out in a timely manner all correspondence relating to club business;
   3. To record each club’s meetings, including, but not limited to;
      1. The monthly meeting and
      2. Executive Board meetings;
   4. To make a report each month, of the previous month’s meetings and any correspondence the club has; had and
   5. To make reports required by the American Radio Relay League in order to maintain our club affiliation status.
7. The Duties of the Club Trustee
   1. The club Trustee shall be responsible for maintaining the club’s FCC license;
   2. To keep records of all uses of the club’s license and insure that it is used in an appropriate manner by licensed amateurs and their respective license class;
   3. Maintain our current addresses with other amateur communications systems (i.e. keep MARC and MIPAC informed of our present status, on-the-air, call-sign use);
   4. To always be included in the technical committee and to insure that all of the club’s communications equipment is up to the manufacturer’s original specifications;
   5. Shall train two (2) officers and/or technical committee persons and keep them up to date on all repeater functions, codes, and control means (control operators);
   6. Furnish copies of all records to the Club Secretary;
   7. When the trustee’s term ends, whether through resignation or appointment of new trustee, he will turn over all records to the new club trustee; and
   8. The Club Trustee will report directly to the Executive Board of MARA.
8. The Duties of the Resident Agent
   1. The Resident Agent will be appointed at the January meeting by the board.
   2. To abide by all the Laws, rules and regulations regarding our nonprofit status With the state of Michigan.
   3. To renew our State of Michigan non-profit status each year and submit the appropriate Fee.
   4. To update the executive board listing with the State of Michigan after clubs Election..
9. Membership Requirements
   1. Membership in MARA is open to all individuals.
   2. An Amateur license is not required to become a member of MARA (though it sure helps).
   3. All members must fill out a membership information form. This information is used to provide a mailing list for the club’s newsletter, as well as provide information on your license class, if any, so we can have an idea of what might interest you in future events.
   4. Family membership will be granted when at least one (1) member of the immediate family holds a valid FCC amateur license.
   5. No membership dues are required for persons with student status under the age of 21 years.
   6. All New members will be issued;
      1. A MARA membership Card
      2. A copy of the clubs Constitution and By-laws.
10. Club Dues
    1. Dues shall be $20.00 and due on January 1st . This amount may be adjusted, as recommended by the treasurer, based on his budgetary projection for the coming year.
    2. The dues for family membership shall be $25.00. A family membership shall receive one copy of the club’s newsletter by mail.
    3. Club membership will expire on December 31st.
    4. If a member does not pay dues by February 1st , he
       1. Will not be allowed to vote.
11. Monthly Meetings
    1. There shall exist a monthly club meeting, where business proper to the club, shall be accomplished.
    2. Monthly meetings must have a minimum of five (5) members, who must be in good standing with the club. Two (2) of the members must be board members.
    3. The highest ranking board member present calls the meeting to order.
    4. Any guest at the meeting is introduced, as well as all of the MARA members present.
    5. The president asks the Secretary to make his report. The president asks if there are any corrections and/or additions to the report. The President will ask that a motion and a vote be made to accept the report as read or corrected.
    6. The President asks the Treasurer to make his report. The president asks if there are any corrections and/or additions to the report. The President will ask that a motion and a vote be made to accept the report as read or corrected.
    7. The President asks the Club Trustee to make his report. The president asks if there are any corrections and/or additions to the report. The President will ask that a motion and a vote be made to accept the report as read or corrected.
    8. The President asks for committee reports.
    9. The President asks if the club has any Old Business. If there is, the OLD Business is discussed or tabled.
    10. The President asks if the club has any New Business. If there is, the New Business is discussed or tabled.
    11. With the completion of club business, the President asks for a motion to close the meeting.
12. Nomination procedure
    1. Nominations for the offices of President, Vice‐President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be opened at the October membership meeting and closed at the November membership meeting.
    2. The nominations made at the October membership meeting will be published on the club website www.w8usa.org. At the November membership meeting, the President will ask the membership three times if there are any further nominations. The results will be published in the Club’s Newsletter no later than 10 days after the November meeting with a mail‐in ballot included.
    3. Mail in ballots will be accepted up to 5:00PM on the date of the December meeting.
    4. The President will ask three times, at the December meeting, if there are any further nominations from the floor and from mail in ballots. If there are none, the President will close the nominations.
    5. All mail in ballots will be validated that the voter is a current, dues paid member.
    6. If there is no challenge to an office, the current member can serve for another term with out voting on that office.
13. Election Procedure
    1. Mail‐in ballots will be accepted up to 5 PM of the day before the December membership meeting. All mail‐in ballots will be validated that the voter is a current dues paying member. If there is no challenge or a single nomination to an office, voting for that office will not be necessary. Otherwise, the President will instruct voting to begin for each office. The President will then instruct the secretary and one other person to count the ballots, including mail‐in ballots.
    2. The counting of the ballots will be in view of all the of the members who are present at the December meeting.
    3. If the Secretary has been nominated for an office, the Secretary will appoint and supervise two club members to count the ballots.
    4. The Secretary will have the ballots counted three (3) times. He will then report to the President that the counting of ballots is complete.
    5. The Secretary will read the total count for each nominated person for each office.
    6. In the event of a tie, the President will instruct the present members to cast ballots again.
    7. If a tie exist, the President will declare a non‐election for that particular office. He will then have the secretary communicate to each paid member that a office needs a tie breaker ballot.
    8. In the case of a tie‐breaker ballot, the secretary will instruct the membership that all mail‐in ballots must be received by 5 PM of the day before the January membership meeting.
    9. The President at the January meeting, will open the floor to voting and have the Secretary read all of the mail in Ballots, after validating that they are current dues paid members.
    10. The President will then call for a vote.
    11. The Secretary will then supervise the counting of the ballots and report to the President that counting is complete.
    12. The Secretary will then announce the ballot count.
    13. If there still exists a tie, the President will then declare a non‐election for that office. He will then appoint some one from the general membership to fill that office, excluding the members who were nominated for that office.
    14. If the office can not be filled, it can stay vacant till the next election. The Executive Board will share the duties of the vacant office.
14. Term of Office and Requirements for holding office The Term of office shall be from January 1 through December 31.
    1. Only valid club members who are in good standing and have their dues paid up may hold office.
    2. A club member may not hold an office on the Executive Board if they are already fulfilling Executive Board obligations with another local Amateur Radio club.
15. Resignation of Officers
    1. An officer’s resignation will be accepted by submitting a letter of resignation to the club’s Secretary.
    2. Officers who resign from office will not be eligible for the same office for at least one (1) year.
16. Resignation of Members:
    1. A member’s resignation will be accepted by submitting a letter of resignation to the club’s secretary. Members who resign from the club will be eligible for reinstatement at the next monthly meeting.
17. Membership in other clubs: We at MARA realize that many of our members also belong to other local and National clubs. We encourage active participation in all areas of amateur radio. We also believe that if one accepts to serve in an office, they should give their best to the club they are serving as an officer. If common sense is used when accepting an office, no problems should arise.
18. Removal of club officers
    1. If a situation arises and it becomes apparent that a problem with an officer isn’t resolvable, the said officer will be notified by the club’s Secretary at least two (2) weeks before the next club’s meeting that the officer should account for his or her actions.
    2. If the officer’s explanation isn’t acceptable, the membership can ask the officer to step down or be voted out of office at the meeting.
    3. If the officer doesn’t show up to account for his or her actions, the club may elect to remove him or her from office. The Secretary shall inform the officer that a vote was taken at the meeting.
    4. When voting an officer out of office, at least two thirds (2/3) of the voting membership present will be required.
19. Office Succession
    1. If the President’s office should become vacant, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the President for the remainder of the year, until the next election.
    2. If the Vice-President’s office should become vacant, the President has the option of either:
       1. If three (3) months or less remain until the next election, a member will be appointed to fill the vacancy;
       2. If four (4) or more months remain until the next election, the President can call for an election to vote in a new Vice President.
    3. Any of the other offices can be filled by voting in a new officer.
20. Changing the by-laws
    1. Normally, the by-laws can be changed only at the September meeting. However, changes to the by-laws can be made at other times during the year, provided the changes are endorsed by five (5) members who are in good standing and the changes have been read at two (2) meetings prior to the vote.
    2. A current, updated copy of the by-laws will be made available at each monthly meeting for inspection.
21. MARA committee appointments: The President, responding to a perceived need, may create and appoint volunteers to committees. There shall exist the following committees:
    1. 2 meter Net
    2. Technical
    3. Education
    4. Membership
    5. Special Events
    6. Awards
    7. Webmaster
    8. Bereavement
    9. Newsletter Editor
22. Club Newsletter
    1. The club will publish a Newsletter, Called “The Open Feed Line”.
    2. It shall be published 4 times a year: January, May, September and November. The November issue will include a Mail in Ballot for nominating and voting for MARA club officers.
23. Ham of the Year Gallery
    1. A photographic gallery will be maintained on MARA’s web site, showing all of the recipients of the Award.
24. Club Property
    1. All club property shall be recorded by the clubs secretary with following information:
       1. Serial number
       2. Date Purchased
       3. Value of property, at time of purchase.
       4. Disposition of property ( where is it going, what is its intended use).
       5. Where it is stored.
25. Club Dissolution – When the club is no longer a functional organization, and it is decided to dissolve the Club, the club’s assets, both property and financial, will be dealt with according to The State of Michigan’s rules on dissolution of a non-profit enity.

Revised 10-7-1993, 9-14-1995, 11-5-1996, 11-14-1999, 6-14-2001, 9-8-2004, 1-09-2008,

05-14-2008, 09-12- 2012, 06‐12‐2013, 7‐9‐2013.

Considerate… never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

Loyal… offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.

Progressive…with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

Friendly..slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner, kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

Balanced…radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school, or community.

Patriotic…station and skill always ready for service to country and community.