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Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville (RACK)

P.O. Box 50514

Knoxville, TN  37950-0514

The Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems. 

The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment, but can create whole new ways to do things.

The Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville (RACK) was founded in 1954 as a way of promoting the interest of amateur radio operators in the Knoxville Tennessee area.

Our primary means of funding is through the proceeds from our annual hamfest (Knoxville Hamfest and Electronics Exhibition) usually held the second weekend in June.  We use our hamfest income for training of new hams, support of repeater systems, public service activities, to fund our emergency communications van, scouting support, and scholarships for hams.  Membership dues are used to cover our meeting and operating expenses, member communications, picnics, fox hunts, and field day.

Our club meets at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church on Merchants Road on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM.

Everyone is invited to attend!

Last Amended August 18, 2022

The name, purpose(s) and duration of the Corporation are as set out in

the Corporate Charter as issued by the Secretary of State, State of

Tennessee, which document is included by reference as thoroughly as if

herein reproduced in its entirety.

ARTICLE 1: MEMBERSHIP

(A) All persons interested in Amateur Radio shall be eligible for

membership. There shall be three classes of membership: Full Member,

Associate Member, and Honorary Member. In addition, Family

Membership shall be available to all members of the same family residing

in the same household.

(B) A Full Member shall hold a current Amateur Radio license. He shall

have full voting privileges and be eligible to hold office.

(C) An Associate Member shall be any other person having a bona fide

interest in Amateur Radio.

(D) An Honorary Member shall be one who has rendered outstanding

service to the Radio Amateur Club of Knoxville, Inc. or to amateur radio in

general. Honorary membership shall be conferred by a two-thirds vote of

the membership assembled. An Honorary Member shall have all

privileges to which a full member is entitled, except to vote or hold office.

(E) Family Membership is available to members of the same family

residing in the same household. Membership privileges are identical with

those of full memberships: membership category shall be determined on

the same basis as individual membership categories. Only one copy of the

Club Newsletter and other communications will be sent to the household

of Family Members.

(F) Any person interested in amateur radio as described in Article 1 may

submit a membership application in which the applicant shall express a

willingness to abide by the Bylaws and other such rules as shall from time

to time be adopted by the Club. The appropriate dues payment shall

accompany the application.

ARTICLE 2: OFFICERS

(A) The elected officers of the club shall be: President, First Vice

President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President, Secretary,

Treasurer, Director of Disaster and Emergency Response, Hamfest

Director, Education Director, and Trustee. Candidates for elected officer

positions (with the exception of the Trustee) shall be elected at the first

regular club meeting following the September meeting. Nominations from

the general membership will also be accepted at the time of election.

Those elected shall be installed and take office at the first meeting of the

calendar year and (with the exception of the Trustee) shall hold office until

the first meeting of the following calendar year. The Secretary and/or

treasurer, Hamfest Director, Education Director, Director of Disaster and

Emergency Response, and Trustee may serve consecutive terms. The

other elected officers may serve no more than five (5) consecutive terms.

(B) The Trustee shall be elected for a ten year period by ballot of the

members at the regular monthly meeting prior to the renewal of the Club's

radio amateur station license. The Trustee's ten year term of office shall

correspond to the ten year term of the station license. The Trustee is to be

solely responsible for knowing and deciding who is to be in possession of

any of the Keys or Combinations that R.A.C.K needs to secure or access

its various property.

(C) Officers may be removed from office without cause by three-fourths of

those voting at two successive regular monthly meetings. In addition, an

office shall become vacant automatically should the holder thereof cease

to be a Full Member of the Club in good standing.

(D) Vacancies occurring between elections shall be filled by the Board of

Directors and will provisionally take effect immediately. Such appointment

shall be confirmed by vote of the members present at the first regular

meeting of the club following the meeting at which the vacancy is

announced.

(E) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and of the

Board of Directors. The President shall enforce observance of these

bylaws, conduct meetings according to procedural rules adopted, decide

all questions of order, sign all official documents adopted by the Club,

appoint (except as otherwise provided in Article 2, section K) and serve as

an ex-officio member of all committees (except the President is not an ex-

officio member of the Nominating Committee) and perform all customary

duties pertaining to the office of President.

RACK BYLAWS

 - Page 3

Proposals or Motions to be submitted to the Board must be disclosed to

the Acting President no less 24 hours before the Board Meeting at which

the motion will be made. The purpose is to give the President an

opportunity to prepare a Board Meeting Agenda to allocate the time

necessary for discussion.

(F) (1) The First Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the

President, serve as Program Chairman of the Club, and perform such

other duties as the President or the Board of Directors shall direct.

(2) The Second Vice-President shall be responsible for planning and

preparations for the Club Field Day and will preside in the absence of the

President and the First Vice-President.

(3) The Third Vice-President shall represent the Club to the media

and community at large as delegated by the Board of Directors or the

President. He is also responsible for monthly meeting refreshments and

all social events such as picnics, Christmas dinners, etc. He will collect all

funds for such events and turn over to the treasurer.

(G) The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings

of the Club and of the Board of Directors, keep a roll of members and their

membership status, receive applications for membership, record the

results of elections, carry on all Club correspondence and mail written

notices to each member of every meeting of the Club. It shall be the duty

of the Secretary to keep the bylaws, duly noting amendments adopted by

the Club, and have same at each meeting of the Club.

(H) The Treasurer shall receive and document all money paid to the club,

shall keep an accurate record of all money received and expended, and

shall pay those bills which have been properly authorized. At the end of

each quarter the Treasurer shall submit to the Board of Directors an

itemized statement of receipts and disbursements. An Annual Report will

be prepared by the Treasurer and presented to the Board for approval at

each December Board Meeting which reflects the expenditures and

income incurred during the tenure of each Sitting Board of Directors. The

purpose and intent of the Report is to produce a permanent record of the

monetary gains or losses of the fiscal year that a particular Board served.

The report will be read aloud and made available for the scrutiny of the

Club Membership at the first general membership meeting of the calendar

year. All R.A.C.K. Bank Accounts requiring a Signatory will have only the

President, Treasurer, and Trustee listed as Authorized Signatories. The

Treasurer will be responsible to change and update the Authorized

Signatories annually as the newly qualified Board Members are installed.

RACK BYLAWS –

Page 4

(I) The Director of Disaster and Emergency Response shall coordinate

the

emergency response resources of the club.

(J) The Trustee shall authorize the operation of any Club radio station

working under the policies established by the Board of Directors. No one

shall operate any Club station using the call W4BBB without specific

permission of the Trustee. No one shall operate the Club station without

specific written permission of the Trustee. Since the Trustee is solely

responsible to the FCC for proper operation of the station, the Trustee

shall have the authority to permit or refuse use of the station to any person

or group.

(K) The Director of the Hamfest will be eligible to serve successive terms.

The Director of the Hamfest committee shall plan and manage the annual

Club Hamfest held during his/her term of office and shall appoint all

members of the Hamfest committee except that the Club President shall

be an ex-officio member of this committee.

(L) The Education Director shall plan and coordinate all educational

activities, including, but not limited to, classes in theory, classes in CW,

and activities involving school or scout organizations such as JOTA and

Kid’s Day activities. He/she shall also have the right to appoint assistants

to aid in specific activities.

(M) At the expiration of the term of each officer, that person shall turn over

to the successor all files and property pertaining to the office, and receive

a receipt therefore.

ARTICLE 3: Board of Directors

(A) The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice-Presidents,

Secretary and/or Treasurer, Trustee, Director of Disaster and Emergency

Response, Hamfest Director, Education Director, and the Immediate Past

President. The President of the Club shall serve as Chairman of the Board

of Directors, and the Club Secretary shall serve as Secretary of the Board.

The immediate Past President shall serve as an ex-officio member of the

Board of Directors.

(B) All power and authority of the Club shall be vested in the Board of

Directors, which shall assume responsibility for the Club's adherence to

the provisions of the bylaws. The Board shall hold regular meetings to

establish policy and to supervise normal operations. Half the members of

the Board of Directors constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors.

Elected Board members have one vote, except for the President, who

shall vote only in the event of a tie.

ARTICLE 4: MEETINGS AND VOTING

(A) At any meeting of the membership, ten percent (10%) of the members

shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Board of

Directors is authorized to establish procedures for proxy or mail ballots.

(B) Regular monthly meetings shall be held at such time and place as

shall be designated by the President.

(C) The Nominating Committee for the election process will be comprised

of the immediate past club president (if unable to serve, a past club

president shall be appointed), who will act as the chairperson, and two

RACK club members appointed by the current club President.

Nominations for each office will be announced one month prior to the

election and additional nominations may be made from the floor prior to

the election. Election shall be by simple majority of the members present

and voting.

ARTICLE 5: DUES

(A) The Board of Directors may levy on the membership such dues or

assessments as shall be deemed necessary for operation of the Club.

(B) Regular annual dues of Full and Associate Members are hereby

assessed and are due and payable at the regular January meeting each

year. Dues in arrears more than one quarter of the year shall cause

automatic loss of membership.

(C) Dues shall be prorated on a monthly basis for all new members

accepted after February. Failure to pay Club dues within 120 days after

the January due date will result in loss of membership. Membership can

be reinstated by payment of all dues in arrears; however, after 24 months,

an application for membership as described in Article 1 (F) will be

necessary to become reinstated as a Club member. If a member has

formally resigned, only a request in writing and payment of the current

year’s dues will be necessary to re-join the Club. Family membership

dues shall be one and one half times the annual dues for an individual Full

Member. Dues are waived for Honorary Members.

 ARTICLE 6: RULES OF ORDER

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order,

newly revised, shall govern the Club in all cases to which they are

applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and

any special rules of order the Club may adopt.

 ARTICLE 7: AMENDMENTS

Proposals for the amendment of these Bylaws shall be announced to the

membership then shall be discussed and voted on at the next meeting.

Adoption of an amendment shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds

of the members present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.

(Last amended August 18, 2022)