PARKVILLE RECREATION & PARKS COUNCIL, INC. CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, AND BOUNDARIES
Section 1
The name of this organization shall be Parkville Recreation and Parks Council, Inc.
Section 2
The principal office of this council is located in Parkville, Baltimore County, Maryland. The address is 8601 Harford Road, Parkville, Maryland 21234
Section 3
The Parkville Recreation and Parks Council Boundary shall include the neighborhoods bounded by:
. (a) On the West by Perring Parkway from the intersection of Perring Parkway with the city line to Satyr Hill Road, thence Satyr Hill Road from Perring Parkway to Cromwell Bridge Road.
. (b) On the North by Cromwell Bridge Road from its intersection with Satyr Hill Road to Gunpowder Falls, thence Gunpowder Falls to the Susquehanna Transmission Lines.
. (c) On the East by the Susquehanna Transmission Lines from Gunpowder Falls to Belair Road (including Belmont Park), Belair Road from Susquehanna Transmission Lines south to Double Rock Park and then along the east boundary of the park and the Parkwood Cemetery to the Baltimore City Line.
. (d) On the South by the Baltimore City line from the southern boundary of Parkwood Cemetery to Perring Parkway.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1: Objectives
- The object of this Council shall be to stimulate interest in public recreation.
- To formulate policies, advise, recommend, promote and maintain public recreation affairs in this community in cooperation with the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks and the Baltimore County Board of Education, in accordance with the laws and agreements governing public recreation in Baltimore County and the State of Maryland.
- To cooperate with local organizations interested in promoting and furthering the cause of recreation.
- To build the public recreation program in and about public school grounds, parks and facilities, and to identify that program with any organization, public or private, which promotes the public welfare, education, family relations, prevention of juvenile delinquency and vandalism, and in general work with these groups to lessen the burdens of local government.
- To offer leadership in coordinating and correlating all recreation activities of a similar nature in the community in order to obtain a maximum benefit for the citizens of this community.
- To conduct a public recreation program making use of the physical properties available in the Parkville area, and to provide for all citizens regardless of race, religion, gender, mental or physical disabilities, creed, personal beliefs, or national origin.
- To solicit the aid of existing organizations for the accomplishment of this purpose.
Section 2: Charitable Status
Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations under Section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue code (or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code).
No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the direct benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, directors, officers or their private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of Section 501 (C) 3 purposes. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code) or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (C) 2 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.
Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Membership shall be open to all persons of legal voting age (according to State Law of Maryland) within the area served by the Parkville Recreation Council, Inc.; all families who participate or have children who participate in Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. activities.
Section 2
Any member who attends four (4) general council meetings during an administrative year, and no more than three (3) consecutive absences, will be considered a Member in Good Standing and will be granted full voting privileges for a period of twelve months following the date of the fourth general council meeting attended.
Section 3
Any member in good standing of the Council is eligible to hold an elective office.
Section 4
The Executive Board of Parkville Recreation and Parks Council, Inc. has final authority over the admission of candidates to the membership.
ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE BOARD AND ELECTIONS
The Executive Board shall consist of ten (10) members: seven (7) Officers, and three (3) Directors. A simple majority of the Board present at a Board meeting shall constitute a quorum. No proxy votes may be cast.
Section 1: Elections
Elections shall take place at the annual meeting held in June. Voting shall be by secret ballot. All members of the Council in good standing and attending the meeting shall be eligible to vote in accordance with Article III, Section I. Any challenge to a voting privilege must be made prior to ballots being cast. Votes for each office shall be counted immediately following the voting, at the place of voting, by tellers appointed at the meeting and the results shall be immediately announced. Members of the Executive Board shall be elected by a majority of all votes cast for the office.
In the event that only one candidate is nominated for any office, the Secretary shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot for the nominee.
Section 2: Powers and Duties
The Executive Board shall have general charge and control of the affairs, funds and property of the Council. It shall present to the Council membership all approved major program activities and major policy changes. It shall vote upon the removal or reinstatement of all Council members.
The Executive Board shall have the final authority over the selection of all Chairpersons.
The Executive Board shall have the authority to adopt, amend, ore rescind Standing Rules of the Council by a two-thirds vote.
Any action taken by the Executive Board may be rescinded at the next general meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of the members in good standing.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 1: Composition
The officers shall be: President, Vice President, Co-Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-At-Large.
The Directors shall be: Director of Youth Sports, Director of Youth Social Programs, Director of Special Events.
Section 2: Powers and Duties of Officers
President
- Call the meeting to order at the appointed time.
- Preside and maintain order at all Executive and General meetings.
- Announce the business in its proper order.
- State all motions and put them to vote.
- Inniate special requests and motions by email and put them to a vote.
- Announce the result of every vote.
- In the event of a tie vote, the President will cast the majority vote.
- Be impartial in assigning the floor.
- Protect the rights of each member.
- Appoint and dissolve committees as needed.
Vice President
- Assist the President in the general supervision of the Council.
- Perform the President’s duties in the absence of the President.
- Perform a periodic review of council programs to insure compliance with council objectives and policy.
Co-Vice President
- Assist the President in the general supervision of the Council
- Perform the President’s duties in the absence of the President
- Act as President Pro-Tempore in the absence of both the President and Vice President
Secretary
- Record and maintain the minutes of all council meetings.
- Keep a record of all motions stated and record all votes thereon.
- Maintain any pertinent records of the organization.
- Maintain the official register or roll of members and their attendance.
- Notify the membership of meetings as necessary
- Answer and initiate correspondence in accordance with the direction resulting from a regular or special meeting or as required by the Constitution and By-Laws.
- Furnish committees and programs with all papers referred to them.
- Notify officers, committees, and delegates of their appointments if they were absent.
Treasurer
- Receive and disburse all funds of the organization in accordance with direction resulting from a regular or special meeting or as required by the Constitution and by-laws.
- Submit a written report of receipts and disbursements at each regular meeting.
- Submit books for annual audit as required by the Constitution and By-laws.
- Supervise the council-retained bookkeeper.
- Administer and control all programs budgets and advise the Board of possible deficit spending for
any program.
Member-At-Large
- Responsible for the proper conduct of all meetings of the Parkville Recreation Council Inc. in accordance with parliamentary rules of procedure.
Section 3: Powers and Duties of Directors
Director of Youth Social Programs
- Be responsible for the operation of all council fun centers and youth social programs.
- Be responsible to and assist the Vice Presidents in any way possible
Director of Sports Programs
- Be responsible for the operation of all council athletic programs
- Be responsible to and assist the Vice Presidents in and way possible
Director of Special Events
- Be responsible for the operation of all special programs and events of the Council
- Be responsible to and assist the Vice Presidents in any way possible
Section 4: Term of Office
The Executive Board members shall serve for a term of two (2) years, or until their successors are elected with the following exceptions.
(a) The office of the President shall be a one year term
(b) The Vice President and Co-Vice President shall be a one year term
(c) The Secretary and the Member at Large shall be a one year tem
(d) The Director of Sports Programs and Director of Youth Social Programs will run for election on odd numbered years for two year terms
(e) The Director of Special Events, and Treasurer will run for election on even numbered years for two year terms.
Section 5: Vacancies
A vacancy among the Executive Board shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board from a slate submitted by the Nominating Committee. Any person so elected shall serve until the expiration of the original term of office.
ARTICLE VI: COUNCIL RECREATION PROGRAMS
All approved programs that are a part of Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. are acting as an entity of Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. Program contents such as registrations, invoices, monies, receipt books, websites, website content, social media pages, and social media content are the property of Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. Each program must use Stone Alley for all registration, including the collection of funds.
Section 1: New Programs
Any individual or organization desiring to begin a new recreation program under the auspices of the council will be required to present to the Executive Board a proposal of their activity, including a proposed budget, facility requirements, at least 2 additional board volunteers, program bylaws and the target market for the program. The program must be open to all members who fall within the scope of the program. The Board will vote on approval of the new program and, if approved will present the new program to the general membership at the next general meeting. Any new approved program will be put on a one (1) year probation.
Section 2: Chairpersons
There shall be a volunteer chairperson for each council program. The chairperson shall be the primary representative of the program to the council. The chairperson shall organize a board of directors using as many volunteers as necessary to assist in the operation of the program. The chairperson shall prepare an annual budget for the program, make all deposits and request all disbursements or assign a Treasurer to carry out these responsibilities. The chairperson shall keep and update annually an inventory of all program equipment which is to be submitted at the conclusion of their session to the Executive Board. The chairperson shall insure that at least one representative of the program is present at all general meeting to present a report on the activities of that program. The chairperson shall preside at the meetings of the board affiliated with the program on an as needed basis. Any new chairperson must come before the Executive Board with a prepared annual budget, inventory of all program equipment, program bylaws, facility requirements, and a board of directors prior to the start of their program for approval. In the event that a chairperson steps down for any reason, that program will require a new chairperson. Any new chairperson under the auspices of the council will be required to present to the Executive Board a proposed budget, facility requirements, at least 2 additional board volunteers, and program bylaws. Any new chairperson will be put on a one (1) year probation.
Section 3: Program Board
Each recreation program that has more then 25 participants in a session will form a program board. The program Chairperson will serve as the President of the Board. Other members will consist of at least a treasurer and a secretary. Additional members of the board will be at the discretion of the Program President. A list of board members must be submitted to the Executive Board with the beginning budget form. Any program that does not have a board will be subject to refusal of facility requests and/or program disbursements.
Section 4: Program By-Laws
Each recreation program will establish a set of by-laws for their program. The by-laws must be submitted to the Executive Board within 3 months of the programs fiscal year. Any program that does not submit their by-laws within the time frame given will be subject to refusal of facility requests and/or program disbursements.
Section 5: Removal
Any persons may be removed from a program at any time, if the person has acted in a manner inconsistent with the rules, regulations, or a violation of the code of conduct of the Parkville Recreation and Parks Council, Inc. The final decision will be made by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board that the person’s removal would be in the best interest of the program and Parkville Recreation Council, Inc.
Section 6: Social Media
Programs are encouraged to use social media sites to provide the public with accurate, timely information concerning programs operations and events. All comments and posts must follow general rules of respectful discourse. Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. reserves the right to ask programs to remove comments and posts that directly violates our code of conduct. Social media must be used responsibly and in such a way that does not have a negative impact on Parkville Recreation Council, Inc.
Any chairperson that leaves a program, either by removal or volunteer end, must remove the social media sites immediately and have no further activity with the administration of those sites.
Section 7: Program Websites
Program websites should be publicized in an appropriate manner in accordance with the Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. code of conduct. Engaging in any activity or content that does not support the code of conduct can result in the immediate loss of Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. web-hosting privileges.
The chairperson, (or a designated program member), must be the webmaster and will be responsible for its content. The webmaster must identify himself/herself to the Executive Board. Any webmaster that leaves a program, either by removal or volunteer end, must remove himself/herself as administrator of the programs website and have no further activity with the administration of those sites.
Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. reserves the right to terminate administrative rights to any program webmasters due to just cause.
Section 8: Refund Policy
Any and all program monies paid by its members are non-refundable and non-transferable. This pertains to any and all Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. programs and events.
Section 9: Internal Appeals Procedure
Any person having a grievance with, or wishing to appeal a decision of, any program or aspect of the administration of the Parkville Recreation and Park Council, Inc. shall adhere to the following steps or procedures:
- All programs shall establish an internal method to resolve grievances in a fair and impartial manner. The procedure shall allow for a prompt hearing before neutral finders of fact. The formal rules of evidence will not apply.
- In the event you wish to appeal a decision of that program, your grievance or appeal may be presented to the Executive Board. This can be done by requisition the President to place the item on the agenda of the next Executive Board meeting. If the program had an internal means to resolve grievances, the Executive Board is limited to only reviewing whether the hearing was done in an impartial method, and whether there was a rational basis for the decision. The Executive Board should not substitute its judgments for that of the finders of facts.
- In the event that the program does not have an internal grievance procedure; or the Executive Board finds that the hearing was not done in an impartial manner, the Executive Board may hold its own fact hearing. The Executive Board will conduct a hearing and the President will preside. The formal rules of evidence do not apply. The majority decision of the Executive Board is final.
The above steps are not for the “Internal Appeals Procedure”, however, the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks does have a provision for hearing appeals, which are not able to be resolved at the Recreation Council level.
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
Section 1: Administrative Year
The Parkville Recreation and Parks Council, Inc. administrative year shall be September 1st through August 31st
Section 2: Board Meetings
The Executive Board shall meet a minimum of nine times during the administrative year. Other meetings shall be held at the discretion of the Executive Board. Executive Board meetings and General Council meeting should be held in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May and June.
Section 3: The Order of Business
- Call to order
- Approval of last meetings minutes
- Introduction of guests
- Report of the Treasurer
- Communication and Announcements
- Report of Officers, Directors and Chairpersons
- Reports of Standing Committees and Special Committees
- Reports of Department of Recreation and Parks Staff
- Old Business
- New Business
- Adjournment
Section 4: Quorum
Executive Board Meeting: A simple majority of Board members will constitute a quorum of any board meeting.
General Council Meeting: The presence of twenty-five percent of the members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for any general meeting.
Section 5: Communication
The President will designate two (2) admins for any electronic, or non-electronic registration programs to be used for communication purposes with all registered participants of Parkville Recreation Programs. The admins will send a monthly Executive Board mass email of the PRC newsletter only. Any additional information that any person or program would like communicated via the Executive Board mass email, must submit it in writing to the Secretary and will then be presented to the executive board to be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. This vote can take place via email. The Secretary will keep record of any and all email votes. No information will otherwise be included.
ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES
Section 1: Standing Committees
The following Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President with the advice and approval of the Executive Board. The President shall appoint the Committee Chairman who shall be required to report on the activities of the committee as the Executive Board requests. Committees may be added as needed. There shall be no restriction on the number of committees on which one may serve.
The President shall appoint an Auditing Committee, which shall audit the Treasurer’s records as of the end of each fiscal year, and make a report at the second regular meeting of the new fiscal year.
The Committee shall consist of three persons selected by the President who shall review all scholarship applications and select scholarship recipients.
The Committee, which shall consist of three persons selected by the President who shall propose nominees to the Executive Board to be placed on the ballot. The President will then place them on the ballot for the June meeting.
ARTICLE IX: FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall be July 1st through June 30th
Section 2: Budget
Program Chairpersons shall present a Projected Budget 30 days prior to the start of their program. This budget shall itemize all anticipated income and expenditures. Program Chairperson shall present a final budget at the closure of their program. This Budget should balance all income and expenditures with the Treasurer report. Any discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the Treasurer and Bookkeeper. Projected and Final Program budgets shall be reviewed and approved by the Chairperson and their board, and then submitted to the Executive Board for approval. Any program that does not submit a Projected Budget 30 days prior to the start of their program will be refused any and all facility requests and/or program disbursements until such is submitted and approved by the Executive Board at the next Executive Board meeting. Any program that does not submit their Final Program Budget will be subject to refusal of facility requests and/or program disbursements for the following year.
A new or proposed program not included in the annual budget shall be submitted by the person requesting the new program in sufficient time to permit adequate review by the Executive board, Directors, and the Council
An annual budget shall be formulated by the Executive Board based on the Chairpersons approved budgets and other non-activity income and expenses. This budget shall be presented for acceptance by the General Council not later than the second regular meeting of the fiscal year. The approved budget shall be the responsibility of the Executive Council. It shall be the responsibility of the Treasure to monitor each activity account and notify the Chairperson(s) and the Council of any activities exceeding the approved projected budget.
Any and all facility requests will not be honored without a valid approved program budget.
Section 3: Fundraisers
Fundraisers will be allowed by individual programs with the prior approval of the Program Chairperson and Program Treasurer.
Section 4: Carry Over
Individual programs may carry over their balance from one fiscal year to the next. However, the amount carried over shall be no greater then $1000. All moneys in excess of $1000 shall be deposited into the Council General Fund. Special expectations must be submitted in writing and approved by the Executive Board
ARTICLE X: TREASURY
Section 1: Operation of the Treasury
There shall be one Treasury for the Parkville Recreation and Parks Council, Inc. The Treasurer shall keep separate activity accounts within the Treasury. All checks shall require the signatures of two of the designated signers.
Section 2: Deposits
Every attempt should be made to deposit checks promptly, as a courtesy to the check maker and tool of efficient accounting. In any event, all income must be deposited within fourteen (14) days of the final acceptance of registrations.
All checks must be made payable to the Parkville Recreation Council, (PRC) and must be deposited along with all cash receipts into the Council checking account maintained at the Howard Bank. When accepting checks, write the program name on the back of the check in the event that a check is returned for insufficient funds. When making a deposit, write the Program Name on the deposit slip. The teller at Howard Bank should return two (2) validated copies. Keep one for your records. Attach the other copy to a completed deposit summary form and put in the bookkeepers mailbox in the office. If the bookkeeper does not receive a validated copy of the deposit slip your program will not be credited for the amount of the deposit and it will be listed as an unclaimed deposit. (see below) If the bank sends an adjustment notice for an inaccurate deposit or a returned check from your program, you will receive notice from the Council Treasurer and/or bookkeeper. The bookkeeper will adjust the Council records accordingly. Direct Deposits from Stone Alley must also be recorded with the Council Bookkeeper. Attach the last page of the Stone Alley direct deposit report to a completed Deposit Summary form and put in the bookkeepers mailbox in the office.
Section 3: Bookkeeping
Program chairpersons and/or treasurers are responsible for formulating a realistic annual program budget and maintaining accurate records of all financial transactions (deposits, expenditures and a fund balance). Programs must be self-sustaining unless otherwise authorized by the Council Board. Checks for expenditures beyond the program fund balance will not be issued without prior Board approval. The fund balance per the program’s records should be reconciled with the balance per the Council Treasurer’s report each month. Any discrepancies should be resolved with the Council Treasurer immediately upon discovery.
At the end of each month, the Council bookkeeper will record all transactions on the Council’s financial records. The Council bookkeeper will also review the monthly bank statement to identify and record other transactions not previously recorded, including deposits appearing on the bank statement for which no deposit slip was received. The Council bookkeeper will prepare a summary of these unclaimed deposits each month and attach this summary to the Treasurer’s report. The Treasurer’s report and summary of unclaimed deposits will be distributed at the monthly Council meetings. Any such deposit, which is not claimed by a program within three (3) months, will be credited to the Council general fund.
Section 4: Expenditures
Program chairpersons are authorized to purchase any necessary equipment, uniforms, supplies, etc. to operate the program. Any purchases made for the program are exempt from Maryland State sales tax. To pay for these purchases, a check request form including the payee’s name and address, the amount for which the check should be written, a description of the purchase, the program name, and an authorizing signature (Program Chairperson or Treasurer) must be prepared. Attach any copies of vendor’s invoices, register receipts, or timesheets and forward to the Council bookkeeper for payment. Program Chairpersons should retain copies of check requests and vendor invoices for their program records.
Section 5: Check Requests
The Council bookkeeper will not process any payments without an authorized check request form. For certain types of expenditures (such as refunds of program fees or monetary gifts), a vendor’s invoice will not be available. In these instances, the check request form will serve as the only support for the expenditure. All checks require dual signatures of two authorized executive board members. If you require an advance check for which you do not yet have an invoice or receipt, write receipt to follow in the upper left corner of the check request and forward it to the Council bookkeeper. When you receive the paid invoice or receipt make a copy for your records and forward the original immediately to the Council bookkeeper.
Section 6: Petty Cash
The Executive Board may allow an activity program and the office of the President a petty cash fund not to exceed $250. This fund may be replenished to its original amount upon the submission and approval of a Petty Cash Report with adequate documentation to substantiate the report.
Section 7: Account and Audit
All accounts shall be placed under the supervision of the current Treasurer. The books and accounts shall be kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals and shall be audited annually. A copy of the audited financial report shall be made available to the members of the Council. Each member of the Executive Board shall be given a full copy of the audited financial report. An audit by an outside independent audit must be conducted at least once every three (3) years.
Section 8: Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer’s report shall include the balance in all program accounts and the general fund.
Section 9: Limitation on Use of Assets
No part of the assets of this council shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, its members, trustees, officers, or other private person, except in reasonable compensation for services rendered in furtherance of its stated objective.
Section 10: Assessments
All Council programs shall be assessed per registrant at the conclusion of each session. The amount assessed per registrant will be determined by a majority vote at the general meeting where the budget is approved, not later than the second regular meeting of the fiscal year. The assessments will be applied to the General Fund to support general administrative operating expenses as well as approved Council-wide projects and equipment purchases.
ARTICLE XI: PARLIMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not covered by the by-laws, or by specific rules of procedure adopted by the Council.
ARTICLE XII: STANDING RULES
The Standing Rules may be made or amended at any regular meeting of the Executive Board by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be adopted by email or at general meetings of the general membership by Two-Thirds majority vote of members in good standing; Provided, however, that such amendment has first been submitted in writing to the Executive Board for approval or disapproval and the recommendation of the Executive Board as to its adoption or rejection shall be stated to the membership by email or at said General Meeting.
Constitution and By-Laws was approved by Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. on June 21, 2022
Adopted by the General Membership of Parkville Recreation Council, Inc. on June 21, 2022