Romans By-Laws
Rochester Male Naturists
P.O. Box 92293
Rochester, New York 14692
1. PURPOSE: Romans is a social organization of gay male naturists and gay friendly naturists who enjoy camaraderie in the nude. It is affiliated with Gay Naturists International (GNI).
2. MEMBERSHIP: The club is open to males over 21 years of age.
· Potential members shall attend two meetings and be in good standing before applying for membership and paying their annual dues.
· Good standing is defined as a member who follows the standing rules and membership responsibilities of the club defined in sections 3 and 8 of these Bylaws.
· An application for membership must be filled out and signed by the potential member to be considered. Submission of a membership application does not constitute acceptance of membership to Romans.
· Membership runs from January 1 to December 31 in any given year and entitles you to notification of events through March 31 of the following year.
· The steering committee shall reserve the right to refuse a new member’s application without comment or explanation.
· The steering committee has the right to suspend or revoke membership privileges based on but not limited to any violation of the Bylaws and policies, actions that are injurious to the interests or character of Romans, and in cases of extreme disruption to the regular operations of the group. A member may be asked to leave the group for the safety or privacy of the membership at large, or for other reasons detailed in the Bylaws.
3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP:
· Abide by the Bylaws, Policies, Privacy rules, and the Party and Event rules of Romans.
· Pay annual membership dues by March of the membership year.
· Romans members are expected to attend Romans functions with an open mind and an attitude of mutual respect; respect existing members and assist incoming members to make them feel welcomed.
· Members must have a working e-mail address to receive newsletters and announcements. All communication is done over the Internet by means of e-mail and the Romans web site. Members who do not have e-mail must make arrangement at their own expense to receive newsletters and announcements.
· Romans is 100% volunteer driven. We depend on members to take up responsibility for some aspect of the group’s administration or event planning.
4. MEMBERSHIP ROSTER: Romans maintains a membership roster which contains members’ contact information, including name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. This information is kept by the steering committee to maintain communication between the members and the club. Members in good standing also have the option to share their information with other members who have agreed to share their contact information. All members must share information equally, completely and confidentially, including name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. Any breach of confidentiality could result in the suspension or revocation of membership privileges. New members have a six month waiting period before they are allowed to share in the member roster. Once agreed to share, member’s information will be in the roster until the start of the new membership year, which is January of the following year. Romans do not sell, distribute or otherwise make our membership roster available to other persons or organizations outside of the Romans membership.
5. DUES/FEES: Membership Dues and Meeting fees are established by the steering committee with the approval of the general membership and are payable, respectively, in January and at monthly meetings. New members joining after the tenth month of the year will have their membership extended to the end of the next full year.
6. MEETINGS: Meetings are held at members’ homes approximately once a month. Potential members will be allowed to attend a meeting with the host consent. The host retains the right to deny access of any member to his home without explanation. Meeting fees are collected to help defray the host's expenses. Members should always sit on a towel. While we would like all members to host a meeting on a periodic basis, it is understood that some living situation may not allow members to host meetings at their homes. Such members are encouraged to co-host a meeting at another member’s home or help out at other events, e.g. camping trips or promotional activities. Hosting a meeting is not a prerequisite for membership.
7. OFFICERS: The officers are elected in the Fall of odd years. The start of terms is the first of January of the next year. Members in a coupled relationship are not allowed to serve together during the same term. The following Officers make up the steering committee that handles the routine businesses of the club:
· President: Presides over club meetings and has overall responsibility for administering the club’s affairs.
· Treasurer: Maintains the club’s finances including signing of checks. Treasurer will provide summary report of the club’s finances at monthly meetings. At least once annually, usually in December, the President will verify the bank balance, income and expenses for the year with the Treasurer.
· Secretary: Takes meeting notes and maintains correspondence of the club. Publishes the monthly newsletter.
8. STANDING RULES:
· Unless there are special circumstances, nudity is mandatory at all Romans meetings and events.
· Photography is permitted only with the expressed permission of those being photographed. Photographs used for promotional purposes on the Romans web site or in promotional material shall require a written release by all subjects photographed.
· Romans is dedicated to promoting social nudism. Overt sexual play is not condoned at our gatherings, most of which are held in members’ homes. Members who engage in sexual activity at an official Romans event may be sanctioned, up to and including having their membership revoked. Sexual activity is defined as any action or behavior that if continued would result in ejaculation.
· Be considerate of other member’s homes and property. Do not arrive early unless arrangement has been made with the host. Remove shoes before entering home. Reservations should be made with the host three days prior to the meeting. Cancellation of reservation must be called in ahead of meeting time. Arrive promptly and depart at a reasonable hour. All meetings are non-smoking.
· Secure your valuables; neither the host nor Romans can be responsible for personal property losses.
· Illegal drugs and mood enhancement substances, including poppers, as well as excessive use of alcohol are prohibited. Failure to comply could result in the suspension or revocation of membership privileges.
· Member’s names and contact information are confidential and are not to be divulged without the individual member’s permission. If you have special privacy needs, please notify any club officers.
· No personal business promotion or solicitation is allowed during Romans meetings or events.
· Members are required to provide their own transportation to and from Romans meetings or events.
· Always sit on a towel.
9. AMENDMENTS OR ADDITIONS: May be made to the Bylaws at the suggestion of a member or an appointed committee. The recommended changes shall be brought to the attention of the membership though the newsletter or another acceptable vehicle of communication. The notification of change shall be no less than thirty days before the balloting. Balloting shall take place at a regularly scheduled meeting. Members who cannot attend the meeting should e-mail or phone one of the officers to give their votes. A closing date for receiving e-mails and phone votes will be published in the notice for the vote. Changes will become effective if a 2/3 majority of those voting members are in agreement.
10. DISSOLVING THE ORGANIZATION: May take place following a vote by the entire membership. An individual balloting process by postal mail, e-mail or phone is recommended. If the balloting reflects the majority of the entire membership at the time, proceedings shall begin. By agreement of the membership at the time of the process, the treasury shall be donated to an organization(s) to be selected at the time of the vote to dissolve.
Revised 3/20/10
Revised 5/18/13
