Westbriar Civic Association Constitution

Sec. 1. The name of this Association shall be "Westbriar Civic Association."
Sec. 2. The purpose of this Association is to promote the civic interests of its members in all matters of a public nature. The Association shall not, however, endorse as such the program or platform of any political party or candidate. Nothing in this restriction shall interfere with the right of its members to engage in political activity on an individual basis or restrict the Association from working toward objectives that may coincide with those of a party or candidate.
Sec. 3. The Westbriar Civic Association shall serve the community known as the Westbriar area in Vienna, VA. Its boundaries are shown in the maps attached to this document. Such boundaries shall be flexible to the extent that persons living in proximity to the area so described, if not served by another viable Association and having a common interest with the Westbriar area, shall by a majority vote of the Board of Directors be invited to join the Association.

Sec. 1. Each adult resident of the area served by this Association is automatically a member of the Westbriar Civic Association, whether or not he or she is the homeowner.
Sec. 2. On all matters brought before any meeting of this Association, each household shall have one vote.
Sec. 3. Each household shall be assessed annual dues, the amount of which currently is $10.00
Sec. 4. A member is considered in good standing if assessed dues are paid. Otherwise, a member is considered not in good standing.

Sec 1. The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They shall have the following specific powers and duties:

1. The President shall preside at all meetings and shall have the right to vote on all questions. He shall appoint all committees and appointive officers and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President shall be the Association's delegate to all federations, organizations, or conferences of civic groups and Chairman of the delegation if more than one individual comprises the delegation.
2. The Vice President shall preside at all meetings and functions of the Association in the absence of the President. If the President does not choose to exercise the prerogatives given to him regarding comprising or heading delegations to all federations and organizations as described above, that function shall fall automatically to the Vice President.
3. The Secretary shall keep a roll of the officers, committee members, appointive officers of the Association and shall keep the minutes of meetings and written records of the Association.
4. The Treasurer shall receive and certify dues and maintain all funds of the Association in a suitable bank account. He shall keep a roll of all members and the status of their membership. He shall make no disbursements from the Association's funds except for purposes approved by the members at a general meeting or by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Constitution.
5. There shall be a Board of Directors composed of the elected President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight Zone Representatives. The Board shall have the power to set policy and conduct the affairs of the Association, subject to consent from the membership adopted at general membership meetings, and shall act as a steering committee to aid the President. The Board shall meet as required. Meetings of the Board shall be open to all members of the Association who may participate by offering motions and resolution but who may not vote. The President of the Association or in his absence the Vice President shall be the Chairman of the Board. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. A quorum of the Board shall be six.

Sec. 2. Zone Representatives. The Westbriar area shall be subdivided into eight zones, which shall be as equal in the number of households as is feasible, taking into consideration natural and street boundaries and community of interests. Said zones shall be defined in the attached maps. Members residing within each of the said zones shall be represented on the Board of Directors of the Association by a Zone Representative, who shall also act as a liaison between the Board and the members for the distributions of notices and communication. Nominations and election of Zone Representatives shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article IV.

Sec. 3. All Committee members and the Chairman thereof shall be appointed by the President, provided that such appointments and designations are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.

Sec. 1. Officers of the Association and Zone Representatives shall be elected by the general membership at a General Membership Meeting for terms of four years, with the said meeting taking place in September or October. All members who live in Westbriar and in good standing shall be eligible to vote in or to appear on the ballot or to hold office.

Sec. 2. A Nominating and Elections Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for the purpose of carrying out the procedures described herein.

Sec. 3. The Board of Directors, at its discretion, may nominate a slate of officers for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and eight Zone Representatives. Notice of the meeting and nomination of a slate, if any, shall be given to all members as far in advance of the meeting date as practical and no less than thirty days. Said notice shall also announce that nominations for said positions by the general members will be received by the Nominating and Elections Committee.

Sec. 4. Nominations for Officers or Zone Representatives may be made by any member in good standing, including oneself. Such nomination shall be in writing addressed to the Chairman of the Nominating and Elections Committee, shall state the full name and address of the nominee and the office to which he is nominated, and shall be signed by the member making the nomination and not less than three other members in good standing. If said Chairman cannot be reached, the nomination may be delivered to the Vice-Chairman of the committee or to the President or Secretary of the Association.

Sec. 5. Voting shall be by a commonly written ballot on a form prepared by the Nominating and Elections Committee. Alternatively, if the situation warrants and the attendees approve, alternative methods, such as a show of hands, may be used. A majority of the votes cast for each office shall be required for election, provided that in case no candidate receives a majority, a second vote shall be held between the two candidates having the most votes on the first ballot.

Sec. 6. Any vacancies in the offices of the Association occurring between elections shall be filled by appointment, subject to the majority vote of the Board of the Directors

Sec. 1. Meetings of the General Membership shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of the meeting shall be given to all members not later than ten days prior to the date for which the meeting has been set.
Sec. 2. A Special Meeting of the General Membership shall be held upon petition of ten or more members. The Board of Directors must then notify all members at least three days in advance of such meeting, advising them of the issue.
Sec. 3. Except as otherwise provided by the Constitution, voting on all matters brought before meetings shall be by simple majority, provided that no meeting shall conduct business unless there is a quorum present.

Sec. 1. This Constitution shall be effective immediately upon approval of two-thirds of those voting at a duly announced General Membership Meeting, provided that the total of those voting forms a quorum of twenty members.

Sec. 2. This Constitution may be amended or voided at any General Membership Meeting by a two-thirds vote of those voting, provided that an amendment must be explained to all members at least thirty days in advance of a meeting at which a Constitutional amendment shall be voted on.

Sec. 3. Nothing in the Constitution shall prohibit incorporation of the Association.

Sec. 4. Nothing in the Constitution or in the By-Laws shall limit affiliation with other civic groups or with federations, conventions, or associations of civic groups provided such affiliation does not conflict with the limitations imposed by the policy of the Association as stated; Article I, Sec. 2.

Attachment: The boundaries of Westbriar and its Zone Boundaries are a part of this document and may be found at wbcrier.com/about