BY-LAWS

Sunflower Knitters Association

P.O.Box 13464

Overland Park, KS 66282

 

ARTICLE I

Organization

1. Name. This organization shall be known as the Sunflower Knitters Association, hereinafter referred to as “The Association”.   

(a) An exception may be made to the punctuation in the name of The Association for use in graphics and art​work.

2. Purpose. The purpose of The Association shall be:

(a) To inspire creativity and artistic expression, impart information, expand the knowledge of knitting, and to enhance the quality of workmanship. 

(b) To support the local community through charitable knitting projects.

(c) To operate as a non-profit social, educational, and charity/outreach organization. 

(d) The Association may not form a cooperative in order to obtain a business license or a tax number.

3. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of The Association shall begin May 1 and end April 30.

4. Offices. The Association will maintain its main correspondence address at P.O. Box 13464, Shawnee Mission, KS  66282.

5. By-Laws shall be reviewed every two years by the current Board members to reflect the current organization’s mission. They will then follow Article VII to have By-Laws approved.

 

ARTICLE II

Membership

1. Individual Membership.  Any person may become a member by request and payment of dues, regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability, as defined by local or federal law.  Visitors are welcome to attend two meetings before joining The Association.

2. Youth Membership.  Any person aged 17 years and younger.  A youth member is not entitled to vote or hold office, and is not required to pay dues.

3. Dues.  Dues shall be required for participation. Dues correspond with the fiscal year starting May 1, and are considered delinquent after June 1.  A member may rescind their participation in the Guild at any time for any reason.  Dues will not be refunded in part or in whole for any reason.

 

ARTICLE III

Board of Directors and Team Leads

1. Board Members.  The management of the affairs of this organization shall be vested in a Board of Directors composed of five (5) positions - President, Vice President, Communications Director, Treasurer, and Membership Director.

2. Team Leads.  As needed, Team Leads shall be chosen to assist the Board with various initiatives. 

3. Board Meetings.  There shall be at least four (4) meetings of the Board of Directors during the fiscal year.  The President or any Board member may call additional meetings. 

4. Vacancies.  Vacancies on the Board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining Board Members for the remainder of the term. Each Board Member is responsible for filling the Team Lead roles they oversee.

5. Terms.  Terms of office for each Board Member shall be two (2) years.  The Board of Directors may be re-elected and terms served may be consecutive. The length of term for Team Lead will be one fiscal year.  The decision to volunteer for another year will be made by the Team Lead along with the Board of Directors.

6. General Duties.  Each Board Member and Committee Team Lead will have the opportunity to report monthly at the business meeting.  Duties are outlined in Appendix I of the By-Laws. 

 

ARTICLE IV

Finance

1. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for establishing the cost of annual dues for its members. Dues are reviewed by the Board of Directors in October/November/December.  Any changes will be presented at the January evening meeting to be voted on at the February evening meeting.

2. Annual dues are for the fiscal year from May 1 to April 30. The amount of dues applies to new and renewing members. Payment of annual dues allows the person to become a voting member of The Association.

3. Dues shall become payable on May 1 of each year. Any member who has not paid by June 1 of the same year shall be determined inactive, removed from all The Association communications and relinquish their voting rights.

4. Monies collected from dues are allocated to support The Association expenses and programs. 

5. Annually, a budget will be prepared by the Treasurer and approved by the Board.  If an unforeseen expense is later identified (not included in the budget),  the Board has the discretion to approve payment of up to $75.  Expenses above $75 require membership approval.   The Board will be notified and the Treasurer will present the request to the membership for approval.

6. All expense requests are submitted directly to the Treasurer for payment or reimbursement. 

7. If for any reason The Association is to be dissolved or otherwise terminated, no part of the property of The Association or its monies shall be distributed to or for the benefit of the Board of Directors or members of the Guild. Upon dissolution, assets shall be distributed by the Board of Directors to charitable organization(s) they deem appropriate.

 

ARTICLE V

Meetings

 

1. Board Meetings.  There shall be at least four (4)  meetings of the Board of Directors during the fiscal  year.

2. General Meetings.  The general membership of The Association shall be scheduled to meet on the first Monday of each month at 9:30am, and the third Monday of each month at 6:30pm, unless otherwise announced in advance by the President.  All business will be conducted at the evening meeting and communicated via newsletter to the larger membership.

 

ARTICLE VI

Elections

1. Elections shall be held in alternate years for the Board of Directors of The Association.  The President and Treasurer are to be elected on even numbered years.  The Vice-President, Communications Director and Membership Director are to be elected on odd numbered years.

2. The Board of Directors, starting in January, will invite three members to be on a Nominating Committee for the purpose of nominating The Association members to serve in leadership roles. 

3. At the March evening meeting, the  Nominating Committee shall present its proposed slate of nominees to the membership.  Nominations from the floor shall be accepted at this time if prior approval has been obtained from the nominee. 

4. The election of Board of Directors will be held at the April evening meeting.

(a) Notice of the Associations election of officers and team leads shall be communicated in the newsletter prior to the April evening meeting.

(b) Sunflower Knitters Association will consider a quorum as those attending or offering email votes 24 hours prior to elections. There is no use of Proxies.

(c)If the slate consists of only one candidate for each office, the President may call for a voice vote and the slate may be elected by a simple majority of the members present at the evening meeting and emailed votes. 

(d) If more than one candidate is running for an office, voting shall be by secret ballot.  The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for distributing, collecting, verifying and counting the ballots.  The slate may be elected by a simple majority of the members present at the evening meeting and emailed votes.

 

ARTICLE VII

Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended, repealed or altered in part by publishing proposed amendment(s) in The Association newsletter at least ten (10) days prior to a scheduled monthly business meeting, and subsequent approval of the amendments by a majority of the active members present at the  meeting.

​

ARTICLE VIII

Procedure

All voting is decided by a simple majority (more than half of the votes.) Unless otherwise stipulated in By-Laws, voting shall follow this procedure:  

1.  Motion of item

2. Second of motion

3. Discussion of motion

4. Voice vote of membership present at evening meeting

5. Simple majority required to carry motion 

​

 

Approved by Board of Directors & Membership on: September 18, 2023 (Date mm/dd/yyyy)

Appendix I

The Association Job Descriptions of Five Elected Board Members & Team Leads

 

 

President 

• This is an elected position.

• This position is accountable to the general membership.

• The term for the role shall be two years. The person in the position may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for this role.

• The Association President may appoint a special projects coordinator as needed.

• Maintains documentation of a timeline for the role and responsibilities of this position.

• Assist in transitioning to the incoming President. 

Primary Duties:

1. The Association President shall preside at the business meeting.

2. The President shall attend Board of Directors’ meetings.

3. The President shall coordinate with Board Members and Team Leads to ensure basic operations of The Association. 

4. The President shall call meetings of the Board at least 4 (four) times during the fiscal year and more often as the need arises.

5. The Team Lead(s) the President works primarily with are: Programming and KITH Project Manager.

6. The President shall offer guidance and support for the Team members’ roles and responsibilities. 

 

 

Vice President

• This is an elected position.

• This position is accountable to the general membership and to The Association President.

• The term for the role shall be two years. The  person in the position may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for this role. 

• The Association Vice President may appoint special projects coordinators, as needed.

• Maintains documentation of a timeline for the role and responsibilities of this position.

• Assist in transitioning to the incoming Vice President. 

Primary Duties:

1. The Vice President shall assume the role of the President at The Association business meetings when the President is not in attendance. 

2. The Vice President shall attend Board of Directors’ meetings.

3. The Vice President shall assist other Board Members as needed.

4. The Team Lead(s) the Vice President works primarily with are: Social and Morning Meeting Team Lead(s).

5. The Vice President shall offer guidance and support for the Team members’ roles and responsibilities. 

 

Treasurer

• This is an elected position.

• This position is accountable to the general membership and to The Association President.

• The term for the role shall be two years. The person in the position may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for this role. 

• The Treasurer may appoint a special projects coordinator as needed.

• Maintains documentation of a timeline for the role and responsibilities of this position.

• Assist in transitioning to the incoming Treasurer.

Primary Duties:

1. The Treasurer shall maintain the Treasurer's email .

2. The Treasurer shall send membership payment notices to Membership Team Lead.

3. The Treasurer shall prepare and present monthly reports of financial activity at the evening business  meetings.

4. The Treasurer shall post financial activity reports to shared platforms, and digital newsletter.

5. The Treasurer shall attend Board of Directors’  meetings.

6. The Treasurer shall prepare and present the Annual Budget to The Association Board for approval in May.

7. The Treasurer shall manage The Association financial tools & accounts 

8. The Treasurer shall provide documentation and support annual audit efforts.

9. The Treasurer shall manage all money accounts and ensure that expenditures are authorized and updated to running budget totals.

10. Maintain financial and organizational documents and best practices based on state and federal requirements.

11. The Treasurer may appoint a special projects coordinator as needed.

12. The Team Leads the Treasurer works primarily with are: Charity/Outreach and KITH Financial Chair.

13. The Treasurer shall offer guidance and support for the Team members’ roles and responsibilities. 

 

 

Communications Director

• This is an elected position.

• This position is accountable to the general membership and to The Association President.

• The term for the role shall be two years. The person in the position may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for this role.

• The Association Communications Director may appoint a special projects coordinator as needed.

• Maintains documentation of a timeline for the role and responsibilities of this position.

• Assists in transitioning to the incoming Communications Director.

 

Primary Duties:

1. The Communications Director shall attend Board of Directors’ meetings.

2. The Communications Director shall share The Association’s message in a clear and consistent manner. 

3. The Communications Director shall  ensure that meetings and The Association sponsored events are clearly communicated to members. 

4. The Communications Director shall ensure the monthly newsletter is sent out a week after the Evening Business Meeting. 

5. The Team Leads the Communications Director works with primarily are: Website, Newsletter, Recorder, and Social Media.

6. The Communications Director shall offer guidance and support for the Team members’ roles and responsibilities. 

 

 

 

Membership Director  

• This is an elected position.

• This position is accountable to the general membership and to The Association  President.

• The term for the role shall be two years. The person in the position may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for this role.

• The Membership  Director may appoint a special projects coordinator as needed.

• Maintains documentation of a timeline for the role and responsibilities of this position.

• Assists in transitioning to the incoming Membership Director.

 

Primary Duties:

1. The Membership Director shall attend Board of Directors meetings.

2. The Membership Director shall maintain The Association’s membership email and direct communications to the appropriate people.

3. The Membership Director shall collect mail from the PO Box and distribute mail at meetings.

4. The Membership Director shall collect, document, and submit membership payments to the Treasurer.

5. The Membership Director shall  submit paperwork for PO Box renewal to the Treasurer before June of each year.

6. The Membership Director shall collect membership payments at meetings and give checks collected to the Treasurer.

7. The Membership Director shall document cash payments and give them to the Treasurer.

8. The Team Leads the Membership Director primarily works with are: Nominating Committee and Historical Liaison. 

9. The Membership Director shall offer guidance and support for the Team members’ roles and responsibilities. 

 

Programming Team Lead - part of the President’s Team

• This is an appointed position that reports to The Association President.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of The Association President.

• Develop, plan, and execute programming which could include educational opportunities at monthly evening meetings.

 

KITH Team Lead - part of the President’s Team

• This is an appointed position that reports to The Association President.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of The Association President.

• The KITH Team Lead is responsible for coordinating volunteers to plan and execute the Knitting In The Heartland Event.

 

Social Team Lead  - part of the Vice President’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to The Association Vice President.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of The Association Vice President.

• Creates and coordinates events for The Association and supports the Vice President efforts.

• Communicate with the Social Media Lead and Communications Lead, to publicize events’ information.

• The term for the role is two years.

 

Morning Meeting Team Lead -  part of the Vice President’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to The Association Vice President.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of The Association Vice President.

• The Morning Meeting Team Lead shall attend The Association morning meetings and lead the meeting by sharing pertinent information from the newsletter and communications, from other Team Leads, and the Board of Directors.

• Communicate how prospective members can join The Association.

 

KITH Financial Team Lead - part of the Treasurer’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Treasurer and The Association Board.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the KITH Lead and Treasurer.

• The KITH Team Lead shall coordinate with KITH Financial Team Lead to create and present KITH Budget to The Association Board by January of odd years.

• Assist in transitioning to the incoming KITH Financial Team Lead.

• Make written reports available of expenses/income and budget, with support from Treasurer and KITH Team Lead at monthly business meetings and scheduled Board meetings in odd years and even years leading up to KITH.

 

 Charity/Outreach Team Lead part of the Treasurer’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to The Association Treasurer.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of The Association Treasurer.

• The Charity/Outreach Team shall coordinate creation and donation of The Association member-created knitted and/or crocheted items.

 

Recorder - part of the Communications Director’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Communications Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Communications Director.

• The Recorder shall attend and take minutes at evening business The Association Member Meetings and Board of Directors meetings. A copy of the minutes will be sent to the Board of Directors for approval and acceptance.

• The Recorder shall  send the approved minutes to the Newsletter Team Lead by the established deadline for publication, post to approved minutes in Google Docs, and maintain minutes as a permanent record, to be made available, on request.

 

Social Media Team Lead part of the Communications Director’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Communications Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Communications Director.

• The Social Media Team Lead shall post events/information/newsletter content for morning and evening meetings through The Association's social media accounts including Facebook and Instagram, and others as tools are added.

• Maintain Sunflower Knitters Association Ravelry page and assist with answering questions in the message boards.

 

Newsletter Team Lead part of the Communications Director’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Communications Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Communications Director.

• The Newsletter Team Lead shall coordinate and publish information from other Team Leads and publish a The Association Newsletter the week following the evening meeting.

 

Website Team Lead part of the Communications Director’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Communications Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Communications Director.

• The Website Team Lead shall maintain, coordinate and publish information to The Association’s website as needed and directed by the Communications Director.

 

Nominating Committee Team Lead part of the Membership Director’s team 

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Membership Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Membership Director.

• The Nominating Committee Team Lead shall lead a team for recruiting and nominating a slate of directors for voting by membership.

 

Historical Team Lead -  part of the Membership Director’s team

• This is an appointed position that reports to the Membership Director.

• The term for the role shall last no longer than the term of the Membership Director.

• The Historical Committee Team Lead shall be responsible for maintaining and sharing Historical Information of The Association through various communication tools.