Bylaws

ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this association shall be:  ORTONVILLE RECREATION EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION, INC.
(“OREA”).  The association shall be incorporated under the laws of the State of Michigan as a non-profit
corporation.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
OREA was organized for the following purposes:
A. To preserve, protect and improve Ortonville Recreation Area equestrian campground, facilities and
bridle trails used by the general public for recreational equestrian activities, and;
B. To promote and educate the general public on equestrian recreational activities and benefits, and;
C. To assist and support Michigan Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) efforts to preserve,
protect and improve Ortonville Recreation Area equestrian campgrounds, facilities and bridle trails
by maintaining good communication and working relationship with DNR’s Parks and Recreational
Division, and;
D. Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes,
including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt
organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of
any future federal tax code.
ARTICLE III
Membership
A. Membership shall be open to interested individuals, families, businesses and organizations upon
payment of association dues.
B. Membership shall be offered in following classifications:
1. Single members are those eighteen years and older.  They are entitled to one vote on the
election of board members and other matters brought to them by the Board of Directors.
2. Family members consist of couples, parent(s) or legal guardian(s) and all children under
the age of 18. They are entitled to one vote for each family member over the age of
eighteen.
C. Membership shall not be transferable.
D. Dues shall be established by the Board of Directors.E. Annual dues for membership are payable by January 31st except in the case of new members
whose initial dues are payable upon application for membership and may be prorated at fifty (50)
percent for those joining after September 30 each year.
F. The membership year shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31.
G. Members shall be considered in good standing if dues are paid no later than January 31st of the
current membership year, and up-to-date membership form and signed hold-harmless agreement
are on file for the current year.
H. Any member may voluntarily withdraw or may be suspended or expelled by majority vote of the
Board of Directors for violation of the Bylaws, non-payment of dues or for conduct deemed
detrimental to the association.
I. Membership shall not be restricted based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap,
familial status, age, or marital status.
ARTICLE IV
Board of Directors
A. All property and affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Board of Directors
B. The Board of Directors shall consist of fifteen active members of the association.
C. All Directors shall be elected by the general membership and shall serve a term of one year.  The
term of Directors shall commence with the first Board of Directors meeting of the new membership
year.  Nominations for Directors may be submitted by any member in good standing.  The Board of
Directors may nominate further individuals.  Ballots will be sent to the general membership.
Ballots must be returned by the deadline date established by the Board of Directors.  Election of
Directors is by a plurality of the vote.  Election results will be announced at the December Annual
Membership meeting.
D. Any Board member may voluntarily withdraw or may be suspended or expelled by majority vote
of the Board of Directors for violation of the Bylaws, non-payment of dues, missing three
consecutive regular Board of Directors meetings, or for conduct deemed detrimental to the
association.
E. When there are openings on the Board of Directors, Directors may be nominated by any member at
the Board of Directors meeting.  A two-thirds vote of Directors attending the meeting is required to
add the Nominated Director to the Board.  The term of Directors elected by the Board of Directors
ends at the termination of the current membership year.
ARTICLE V
Officers of the Association
A. The association shall have four elected officers:  President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
B. Officers will be elected by the Board of Directors from among their number at the first meeting of
the new membership year by a plurality of the Directors present and shall serve in their respective
offices for a term of one year.C. In case of vacancies, officers other than President shall be appointed by the President with the
approval of the Board of Directors to finish any partial term.  If the Office of President is vacant, the
Vice President will become the President.
ARTICLE VI
Duties of Officers
A) Duties of the President
1) Preside at all OREA meetings at which he/she is present and he/she shall have the right to vote.
2) Establish the agenda for meetings.
3) Coordinate OREA programs/activities.
4) Have executive authority to see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried
into effect.
5) Establish committees to carry out programs/activities approved by the Board of Directors and
appoint committee chairs with the approval of the Board of Directors.
6) Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
7) Install newly elected officers.
Call special meetings as outlined in the Bylaws.
9) Be responsible for the management of the business affairs of OREA.
10) Carry out OREA business between meetings, approve expenses and sign checks for expenses
authorized by the Board of Directors.
B) Duties of the Vice President
1) Conduct meetings in the absence of the President.
2) Assume any/all duties of the President upon the request of the President which pertain to Section
A #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.  Carry out other duties that may be assigned by the President or
Board of Directors.
3) Serve the remainder of the President’s term if for any reason he/she cannot complete the term.
C) Duties of the Secretary
1) Keep a record of the minutes of each meeting and present them to the Board of Directors at the
subsequent meeting.
2) Monitor OREA correspondence.
3) Ensure that notices of meetings of OREA and of the Board of Directors are communicated to the
membership.
4) Keep a record of any revisions to the Bylaws and any other Association rules.
5) Coordinate the annual election of directors.D) Duties of the Treasurer.
1) Have custody over and be responsible for all funds of the Association
2) Accept moneys and give receipts, including all dues and memberships.
3) Assure accurate books and records are kept.
4) Present a report of income, expenses and fund balance at each meeting. He/she shall keep receipts
presented for expense payments and make them available to members upon request.
5) Establish a separate OREA account and issue checks to cover all expenses authorized by the by the
Board of Directors in general budget or by appropriation. Receipts for expenses shall be required
for reimbursement.  Checks shall be signed by both the President and Treasurer.
ARTICLE VII
Meetings
A. The Board of Directors shall meet regularly as established by the Board of Directors.  Any member
or interested individual may attend these meetings.
B. Sixty percent of the number of current OREA Directors shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors.
C. The Annual Meeting shall be held in December of each year on the day of the Board of Directors
meeting.  The time and location of the meeting will be established by the Board of Directors and
will be communicated to the membership of OREA no less than twenty days prior to the meeting.
D. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President whenever deemed
necessary and all Directors shall be notified no less than twenty-four hours prior to such meeting.
E. Special meetings of OREA may be called by a majority of the Board of Directors.  Five days written
notice will be given to members along with the reason for calling such meeting.
F. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order,
Simplified and Applied.
G. For any motion before the Board, the Board may choose by two-thirds majority of those present to
open the vote to all members present.
H. For any motion before the Board, the Board may choose by two-thirds majority of those present to
open the vote to all members through a member ballot.
I. Outside of meetings, affairs of the Association may be conducted through electronic
correspondence, including putting forth and seconding of motions and electronic voting on
motions before the Board of Directors, coordinated by the President of the Association and
recorded by the Secretary of the Association.  Results of any motions shall be included in the
minutes presented at the next Board of Directors meeting.ARTICLE VIII
Committees
A. Committees shall be established by the President to carry out the programs/activities approved by
the membership.
B. Committee chairs shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.
C. Committee chairs shall keep a record of the proceedings and actions of their respective committee
as a history and to assist successive committee chairs.
D. The following are the standing committees for the Association:
1. Legal Committee
2. Communications Committee
3. Membership Committee
4. Trails and Work bee Committee
5. Fund Raiser and Activities Committee
6. Elections Committee
E.  ARTICLE IX
Amendments
The Board of Directors, by majority vote of Directors present, may amend or change any provision
under these Bylaws.  Amendments and changes may also be proposed by any voting member in
good-standing.  All proposed Bylaw amendments or changes are to be submitted to the Secretary,
in writing, or electronically, no later than the meeting prior to the meeting at which it is to be
presented.
ARTICLE X
Indemnification/Insurance
Officers and board members may be indemnified by the Association to the fullest extent permitted
by the laws of the State of Michigan.  The association may purchase insurance protecting its officers
and directors from civil liability occasioned by their conduct in office.
ARTICLE XI
Disclaimers
A. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its
members, trustees, officers, or other 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 the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof.B. 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 any candidate for public office.
C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, 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.
ARTICLE XII
Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of the 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.  Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of
Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located,
exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine,
which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
These Bylaws were originally approved and adopted by the Ortonville Recreation Equestrian Association
Board of Directors by way of special meeting on the 11th day of March, 1998.
Amendments to replace the original Article 1, section D, Article XI, and Article XII were approved and
adopted by the Ortonville Recreation Equestrian Association Board of Directors at the regular Board of
Directors meeting on the 10th day of June, 2003.
These revised bylaws were approved by the Ortonville Recreation Equestrian Association Board of Directors at the regular Board of Directors meeting on the 9th
 day of September, 2003.