Officer’s & By-Laws

Articles of Association and Bylaws of
The Alano Club of Puerto Vallarta

adopted by the membership on June 1994. Amended by the membership on November 1995, May and November 1996, May and November 1997, April 2000, February 2001 August 2002, and

May 14, 2017

Article I: Name
The name of this Association shall be: The Alano Club of Puerto Vallarta.

Article II: Purpose

Section 1. The specific and primary purposes for which this Association is formed are to operate an ongoing facility or facilities and to provide such other supportive services as shall be deemed appropriate for rental and use by autonomous groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step, mutual-aid, self-help groups that conduct their meetings in the English Language.

Section 2. The Alano Club may provide additional activities which are educational, social or recreational in nature and which are attendant to and supportive of the autonomous twelve-step, mutual-aid, self-help groups that utilize the Club’s facilities. Such facilities may include, but not necessarily be limited to, potluck lunches or dinners, dances, holiday marathons or celebrations, bingo games and other fund raisers, lecture series, or film festivals. In permitting such activities to occur, the Alano Club shall need to consider only that the activities further the goals of the membership and respect the traditions and customs of the several autonomous tenant groups.

Section 3. No funds, equipment or supplies accumulated or purchased by the Alano Club for use by the tenant groups are to be utilized by individuals or groups for meetings or activities held at locations other than the Alano Club. No activities involving the payment of fees or honoraria to individuals shall take place in the Alano Club. Specifically, this section is intended to prohibit the diversion of collective funds to private individuals and to exclude professionally run counseling sessions, seminars or workshops led by other individuals for fees, honoraria or reimbursement of expenses.

Section 4. Services offered to the tenant groups by the Alano Club may include but shall not be limited to the following: locating, renting and maintaining a facility or facilities; payment of electric and other utility bills; operating of a telephone answering and information machine or service; listing of meeting notices or schedules in the media and other related and necessary public information efforts; contracting and payment for repair, maintenance and cleaning services; purchase of supplies and equipment including necessary furniture, fans, air conditioners, coffee, tea, soft drinks, drinking water and related items; stocking and sale of literature approved and requested by autonomous twelve-step, mutual-aid, self-help groups that rent space from the Alano Club; financial accounting services; and such other expenditures approved by the membership.

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Section 5. In consideration of the use of Alano Club facilities and the services provided, tenant groups shall be assessed a fee established by the Membership. The fee shall be a specific set percentage of tenant group self-support collections for the month. The balance shall be retained by the Alano Club in trust accounts for distribution as specified by the tenant groups to their respective service structures or for other service-related purposes specified by the respective tenant groups.

Article III: Location

The Alano Club shall maintain a facility or facilities in the city of Puerto Vallarta, State of Jalisco, Mexico.

Article IV: Membership

Membership in the Alano Club is open to any person who is a member of one or more of the twelve- step, mutual-aid, self-help groups that utilize Alano Club facilities. One need not be a member to participate in group meetings or other activities taking place in the club, with the exception of club membership meetings, in which only club members may participate.

Article V: Dues

Members may be assessed annual dues as approved by the membership at a regular Membership meeting.

Article VI: Privileges

Paid members are eligible to participate and vote on all matters brought up by the membership for consideration at membership meetings and may vote for and serve as Officers of the Alano Club.

Article VII: Membership Meetings
Section 1. Regular Membership Meetings shall take place on the second Sunday of February, May,

August and November at the Alano Club at a time established by the Chair.

Section 2. Special Meetings of the Membership may be called by the Chair, any other two officers or ten percent of the membership.

Section 3. Two weeks written notice on the bulletin board shall be provided for any Regular or Special Meeting of the Membership.

Section 4. A quorum shall consist of ten percent of paid members but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than 5 paid members.

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Article VIII: Officers

Section 1. Between Membership Meetings the Alano Club shall be managed by the Officers of the Association consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Supply Officer and Literature Person. The Officers shall arrange for the management of the Alano Club facilities and may recommend to the membership minimum standards to ensure the safety of persons utilizing them. Additionally, the Officers may recommend rules for the utilization of the Alano Club facilities. Actions taken by the Officers between Membership Meetings are subject to review by the Membership at the next or Regular or Special Meeting.

Disciplinary action taken by any officer which results in the suspension of an individuals rights to attend meeting in the Alano Club has to be reviewed by the membership of the Alano Club. A Special Meeting to discuss the suspension is to be held at the usual hour, within seven day after the disciplinary action is taken and is exempt from the 2 week notice required for other types of “Special Meetings”.
In general, the Officers have the responsibility to maintain safety in the club and can temporarily suspend any member for violence at any time pending the Special Meeting, while membership has the final authority at the meeting to determine the nature and duration of the suspension, if any.

Section 2. The Officers shall be selected at the Regular Meeting occurring in November of each year by simple majority, with each office being filled sequentially in the order presented in Section 1 above. Only members of the Alano Club are eligible to serve. Persons in recovery from Alcohol and/or other drug problems shall have and maintain a minimum of one year of recovery to be eligible to serve.

Section 3. The Chair shall conduct all meetings of the Membership; appoint committees; ensure the proper representation of the association in all it’s relationships with outside organizations, agencies, groups, and individuals and to serve as primary contact for any existing or prospective tenant group in its relationship with the Alano Club.

Section 4. The Vice Chair shall serve in the place of the Chair should the Chair for any reason be unavailable to fulfill his or her duties and shall serve in any other capacity designated by the membership.

Section 5. The Secretary shall record, publish and maintain a record of all minutes of all membership meetings and shall ensure that proper notice is given for all Membership Meetings.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall account for all funds received by the Association, including group collections, Membership dues and other revenues, and make all expenditures on behalf of the Association. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and shall utilize all receipts information in updating the current Membership roster immediately prior to any regular or special Membership meeting in order to establish the requirements for quorum and eligibility to vote.

The Treasurer shall also serve as financial agent for all autonomous tenant groups. The Treasurer shall provide a complete report to the Membership at the regular Membership Meeting in February of all revenues received by category and expenditures made during the most resent fiscal year.

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The Treasurer shall draft a Treasure’s Manual to assure that an acceptable system of accountability is established and maintained. The Treasurer’s Manual shall be reviewed, amended as necessary, and adopted by the Membership, and shall be followed by the Treasurer in the performance of his or her duties. By this reference, the Treasurer’s Manual shall be incorporated into and become integral to these Articles of Association and Bylaws.

Section 7. The Supply Officer shall ensure that the Club is stocked with coffee and related supplies, soft drinks, drinking water, and such other furniture, equipment, and supplies designed by the Membership. The Supply Officer and the Treasurer shall work cooperatively to ensure that supplies are maintained and that funds expended for them are appropriately accounted for.

Section 8. The Literature Person shall ensure that the club is stocked with literature and medallions approved and requested by the tenant groups, including items for use during group meetings and items for sale through the Alano Club Book Store. The Literature Person and the Treasurer shall work cooperatively to ensure that literature and medallions and the funds expended for them are appropriately accounted for.

Section 9. Any vacancy occurring mid-term shall be filled by appointment by the remaining Officers, pending the next Membership Meeting. The remaining Officers may temporarily fill the position of any Officer who will be absent from the area. An Office who becomes unable to fulfill the duties of the office or who no longer fulfills the eligibility requirements, shall resign or be removed by the Membership.

Section 10. Officers shall attend all Membership Meetings and shall notify the Chair or Vice-Chair as appropriate, at the earliest opportunity prior to an absence.

Section 11. Officers shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are elected, and shall be eligible for one consecutive reelection to the same office, excepting that the Treasurer shall be eligible for three consecutive reelections to the same office.

Section 12. Officers may be compensated only for reasonable costs actually incurred in carrying out their respective duties.

Section 13. Nothing in this Article shall preclude the positions of Secretary or of Literature Person being held concurrently by the persons holding any other office.

Article IX: Operating Fund and Prudent Reserve Fund

The Association shall establish and maintain an Operating Fund and a Prudent Reserve Fund. These Funds shall be established and maintained at the levels according to the procedures specified in the Treasure’s Manual. The Treasurer shall report the current fund goal amounts to the Membership at the Membership Meeting occurring in February of each year. The Prudent Reserve fund shall be maintained in a delayed withdrawal account requiring two or more signatures for withdrawal. The signatories on the account shall be members of the twelve-step group whose rent provides the greatest support to the Alano Club.

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Article X: Fiscal Year

The Fiscal Year shall commence on January 1st of each calendar year and shall end on December 31st of the same year.

Article XI: Rules

All meetings of the Membership shall be conducted according to the most recent available edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, revised. Should these Articles of Associations and Bylaws or any of the club operating policies and procedures be in conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order, revised the former shall take precedence over Robert’s Rules of Order, revised.

Article XII: Termination

Should it be necessary for the Alano Club to cease it’s activities, dissolve and wind up its operation, all funds remaining after the payment of all legitimate debts shall be distributed to the autonomous tenant groups in direct proportion to the percentage of the rental fees paid by each respective group to the Alano Club in the most recently completed fiscal year.

Article XIII: Revision to the Articles of Association and Bylaws

These Articles of Association and Bylaws may be revised at any Regular or Special Membership Meeting. The notice of any meeting where revisions to these Articles of Association and Bylaws are to be considered shall include a copy of the proposed language.

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