Organization & Bylaws
Landsdale Garden Club By-Laws
By-Law Committee Members: Jenniah Caldwell, Jennifer Conroy-Schwartz, Stephanie Baron Cross, Donna Gresh, Ginny Hawkins, Ronnie Sensinger, and Judy Varner
Article I:
The name of this organization shall be “Lansdale Garden Club”.
Article II: Mission
The Lansdale Garden Club will build an educational and social community linked by a love of plants and gardening.
Article III: Membership, Guests, and dues
Section 1: Any person interested in the objectives of this Club shall be eligible for Membership. To be eligible for membership the person must agree: To abide by the By-Laws, follow the Club Norms and To participate in accomplishing the purpose of this organization
Section 2: Types of Membership
- A Voting Member is defined as a person who has signed up, paid a membership fee set by the executive board and regularly attends meetings. They are able to vote in all club elections. Additional benefits of becoming a Voting member will be established by the membership committee.
- A Social Member is a person who has signed up to receive communications and attends meetings.
- A Guest is a person who attends a meeting and or program.
Article IV: Officers and their Election
Section 1: Membership shall be notified of the formation of the nominating committee and shall be invited to put their name forward for any of the positions by contacting the nominating committee chair. The slate of nominated persons shall be presented to the Executive Board for their consideration at the September meeting. The names of these candidates shall be emailed to the Membership prior to the October meeting. Names of these candidates shall also be presented to the Club at the October meeting. The Voting Members will vote on the slate of officers at the October meeting.
Section 2: A nominating committee composed of three Voting Members shall be selected by the President by the date of the August meeting. At the August meeting the Voting Members will confirm the members of the Nominating Committee.
Section 3: Voting shall be by secret ballot. Ballots will be prepared by the Nominating Committee for the October meeting. Results of the voting shall be tallied by the Nominating Committee and the results communicated to the membership.
Section 4: The newly elected officers shall be installed at the November meeting for a term of 2 years.
Section 5: The terms of the officers will be a two year overlapping cycle.
- In year one the previous vice president will become the president. A new Vice President and Program Chair will be elected.
- In year two the Secretary and Treasurer will be elected.
Section 6: When a vacancy occurs in an elective office, the unexpired term of such officer shall be filled as selected by the Executive Board.
Article V: Duties of Officers:
Section 1: The President shall preside at all meetings and shall perform all duties associated with that office. They shall recommend the chair of all committees. They shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
Section 2: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in their absence. The Vice President shall assume the Presidency when the President’s term has expired. The Vice President shall be the chair for the club’s major fundraiser, the plant sale or shall appoint another club member to this position.
Section 3: The Secretary shall keep and post all minutes, maintain the communication with the club membership through the Website and Social Media Platforms, and conduct the correspondence of the club as directed by the President.
Section 5: The Treasurer shall hold in a bank account all monies belonging to the club, except those that are held in the Venmo account. A financial statement and record of all bills paid shall be presented by the Treasurer at each meeting and a written copy given to the Secretary.
Section 6: The Program Chair is responsible for monthly programs. The Program Chair may form a subcommittee to help with the planning of the programs. The program chair will coordinate with the secretary to communicate and promote the meeting’s programs.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1: The regular meeting of the club shall be held on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m., unless otherwise specified. The meeting duration shall be determined by the program, but should not exceed 9 pm.
Section 2: Wissahickon Park Building, 765 E. Main Street Lansdale, PA 19446, is the location of the meetings, unless otherwise specified.
Section 3: Open to the Public - All meetings are free and open to the public, except for those special events that require a pre-registration and a fee.
Section 4: Executive Meetings shall occur once a month at least a week prior to the monthly meeting. This meeting will be virtual unless otherwise noted.
Section 5: Committees will meet at a time and place set by the committee members. Each committee should meet a minimum of once a month.
Article VII: Standing Committees
Section 1: The President shall recommend the chairmen of all Standing Committees to serve for at least one year. The chair of each committee shall select members to serve with them.
Section 2: The Standing Committees shall be Communication (newsletter, website, social media), Plant Sale, Lansdale Open Garden Day, Membership, Program and Field Trips.
Section 3: The President may appoint the chair for all committees unless otherwise noted.
Section 4: Records of pertinent information shall be kept by each committee chair, to be passed on to their successor. Job descriptions for each committee shall be maintained in Appendix 1 and passed on to the committee chair’s successor.
Section 5: Committee duties
- The Communication Committee is responsible for maintaining and distributing the newsletter, website, and social media of the club. The committee will be chaired by the Secretary
- The Plant Sale Committee will be responsible for holding the major fundraiser of the club. The committee will be chaired by the Vice-President.
- The Lansdale Open Garden Day Committee shall be responsible for the coordination of the Lansdale Open garden Days in conjunction with Discover Lansdale. The Chair will be selected by the Executive Board.
- The Membership Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the membership rolls and coordinating with the Secretary to make sure that all members are receiving communications. The Chair will be selected by the Executive Board.
- The Program and Field Trips Committee shall be responsible for the meeting programs and field trips. The committee will be chaired by the Program Chair.
Article VIII: Dues
Section 1: The dues for the Voting Members shall be $25 per year beginning in September. Policy for prorating the dues for those who join after September will be determined by the Membership Committee and be recorded in the appendix.
Article IX: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended and changed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at any regular meeting, provided the amendment has been approved by the Executive Committee and has been sent in writing to each member of the Club at least thirty (30) days before the meeting.
Memorandum of Understanding for 2025
The offices of President and Vice President shall be combined into Co-Presidents until the election in the Fall of 2025. This office shall be held by Jenniah Caldwell and Jennifer Conroy-Schwartz.