By-Laws of North Fort Worth Alliance
The By-laws can be opened in pdf format NFWA_Bylaws
Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be the North Fort Worth Alliance, hereafter referred to in this document as the ‘Alliance’. It is a not-for-profit organization. The name of the Alliance or names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in connection with any commercial concern, partisan interest, or for any purpose not appropriately related to the promotion of the objectives of the Alliance.
The permanent address and mail address the Alliance shall be the address of the current president as shown in Exhibit A.
Article II – Purpose
The primary purpose of the Alliance is to act as an advocate for the residents in its defined area as well as those residents whose community has been accepted for membership and to also provide a means to foster communication and cooperation among its member communities in order to protect and enhance the north Fort Worth area.
Article III – Boundaries
The boundaries of the Alliance shall be the north Fort Worth city limits, Highway 377 on the east, and Highway 156 on the west. This area includes parts of Fort Worth Council Districts 4 and 7. The southern border shall be North Tarrant Parkway. These boundaries constitute the ‘Alliance Area’ for the purposes of these By-Laws.
Article IV – Membership
Membership in the Alliance is open to any neighborhood organization (group, association or civic group) which seeks to revitalize and/or improve conditions within the Alliance Area as previously defined. The terms neighborhood group and association shall mean either a voluntary neighborhood association or a mandatory homeowners’ association. All neighborhood groups and associations are encouraged to register with the Fort Worth Neighborhood Associations office.
A. An organization as described above within the Alliance Area wishing to be a member can become so recognized by the President upon vote of the membership present at any regularly scheduled meeting.
B. An organization as described above in the north Fort Worth area which lies outside of the defined Alliance Area may apply for membership in the Alliance by written statement addressed to the President. The President will then submit the request to the Executive Committee for consideration. The number of memberships of organizations located outside of the Alliance Area is limited to 50 percent of the number of members located within the Alliance Area.
A majority vote of the Executive Committee is required for acceptance to membership. The President will present the recommendation of the Executive Committee to the general membership at the next regularly schedule meeting for a vote in accordance with the procedures in Article VII, if necessary. Organizations so admitted to membership shall have all the same privileges as those organizations lying within the Alliance Area.
Article V – Leadership
The leadership of the Alliance shall consist of the officers and an Executive Board as described below.
A. The elected Officers shall be as follows: President, Vice President, and Secretary. The Officers will serve a one year term, from September of each year until the following September and may succeed themselves.
1. President – The President must reside within the Alliance boundaries but will not be considered a voting member of the Alliance and can only vote in the case of a tie. The President should be able to envision the entire Alliance community and effectively balance any potentially conflicting interests and needs of the individual organizations. The duties of the President include activities necessary to fulfill the Alliance business, some of which are outlined below as well as other duties as deemed necessary from time to time. The President may appoint an alternate spokesperson for a specific function as needed.
a. Acts as the official spokesperson of the Alliance by communicating its position on issues as decided upon by the membership.
b. Develops meeting agendas
c. Facilitates the meetings
d. Cultivates relationships with other organizations, committees, and elected and other officials who may be able to influence events in the Alliance area .
e. Shall have voting rights only in the event of a tie vote.
2. Vice President – The Vice President must reside within the Alliance area but will not be considered a voting member the Alliance, except when the Vice President is also the sole representative of a neighborhood or association.
The duties of the Vice President shall include, but are not limited to, being responsible for filling in for the President in his/her absence and assisting the President in conducting the business of the Alliance.
3. Secretary – The Secretary must reside within the Alliance boundaries but will not be considered a voting member of the Alliance, except when the Secretary is also sole representative of a neighborhood or association.
The duties of the Secretary include activities necessary to fulfill the business of the Alliance, some of which are outlined below as well as other duties as deemed necessary from time to time under the direction of the President.
a. Makes arrangements for the meeting places.
b. Notifies the membership of the date, time and place of each meetings.
c. Records and publishes via electronic means the minutes of each meeting.
d. Maintains Alliance correspondence.
e. Maintains and distributes as necessary, a current list of names, addresses, telephone numbers, and electronic mail addresses of the executive board members, the general members, as well as a schedule of when the membership organizations hold their respective board and organization meetings.
f. The Secretary will also serve as Treasurer until such time as it becomes necessary to assess and collect membership dues.
4. The Treasurer (when need for the position is determined) – The duties of the Treasurer include activities necessary to fulfill the business of the Alliance, some of which are outlined below, as well as other duties as deemed necessary from time to time under the direction of the President.
a. Is responsible for keeping accurate records, including all receipts and disbursements, of any funds that belong to or are in the custody of the Alliance.
b. Any checks written from any bank accounts opened by
the Alliance will require the signatures of the Treasurer and the President or Vice President.
c. Responsible for the Alliance financial records and to have them available for audit and/or review at the end of each fiscal year and/or upon special request by a voting member; said request must be submitted in writing.
d. Other duties as deemed necessary from time to time.
B. Executive Board – The Executive Board shall consist of the following: The Officers and two At Large Directors. The At Large Directors will be appointed by the President. The At Large Directors will typically be former officers and/or long-time individual members who will serve the dual purpose of continuity and consistency for the Alliance as an organization.
C. Committees – The Alliance shall have working committees as needed. Each committee shall select a chairperson. Committees can be called into existence by a vote of the members or by the President.
Article VI – Meetings
A. The Alliance will meet monthly except for November and December of each year and at any other time deemed necessary by the President.
B. A quorum is met when fifty (50) percent of the member neighborhoods are in attendance at a duly called meeting.
Article VII – Parliamentary Authority
Procedures at all meetings shall be conducted with due regard to parliamentary practice in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, serving as the authority on all points not covered specifically by these By-Laws. Action may be taken on business that properly comes before the Alliance at its stated meetings when a quorum is present and a motion has been approved by a simple majority, except as otherwise stated in these By-Laws (see Article VIII – Amendments) of the members in attendance.
In the event that a quorum is not present at a duly called meeting or there is not time before a regularly scheduled meeting or time available to call a special meeting to establish a position on an issue, it is acceptable at the sole discretion of the President, to take a vote of all neighborhood and association members by use of electronic means. In the case of a vote taken by electronic means, approval of a motion requires a simple majority of those voting, except as otherwise stated in these By-Laws (see Article VIII – Amendments)
Article VIII – Amendments
Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed at any stated meeting of the Alliance. To adopt the said amendment, a fifty (50) percent vote of all member associations must be secured at the next duly called meeting, provided that the notice of such meeting contained the proposed amendment(s). At the sole discretion of the President, when a quorum in not present at said meeting, amendments to these By-Laws may be voted on using electronic means, but only after the amendments have been presented at a stated meeting of the Alliance.
Such amendments shall be effective as of the date of enactment. Amendments cannot be made more than once in a 12-month period.
Article IX – Dissolution
All liabilities and obligations of the Alliance must be paid, satisfied, and discharged. Assets held by the Alliance upon conditions of return must be returned in accordance with such conditions upon dissolution of the Alliance. The remaining assets may be distributed to such societies, organizations, or non-profit corporations engaged in activities substantially similar to those of the Alliance.
Adopted: May 17, 2014
EXHIBIT A
The current address for the North Fort Worth Alliance is:
In Care of Russell Fuller
3517 Alta Loma Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76244