**GREENHOUSE AND GARDEN PROJECT BYLAWS**

 

ARTICLE I – NAME

 

The name of the organization is the “Greenhouse and Garden Project” herein referred to as the “GHGP”.

 

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the organization is to provide organic gardening and greenhouse space for agricultural research, teaching, exploration and recreation opportunities for students, staff, and faculty of UCSB.

 

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

 

Membership is mandatory for every individual plot being used.  Priority is given first to students, second to faculty, and third to staff of the university.  Current gardeners that graduate or retire may remain active at the garden.  No further community members or alumni will be accepted into the GHGP.

            Amendment 1.0: Under Special Circumstances, a community member or

            Alumni may be admitted into garden upon majority officer vote.  Ratified

            10/11/01

 

SECTION 1: VOTING MEMBERS

 

A.     Voting members of the GHGP are all members that have signed and returned the Rules and Regulations

 

SECTION 2: MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

 

The Executive Board (GHGP Officers) reserve the right to dismiss any garden members upon violation of membership requirements and responsibilities listed below.  Violation and penalties will be dealt with according to the due process section (Article 6).

 

A.     Each garden member is required to sign the GHGP Rules and

     Regulations contract.

B.     Each member must be given a copy of the GHGP Rules and

Regulations.  This document is to be read and signed at the end.  Each member thereby agrees to abide by the governing Rules and Regulations of the organization.

C.    As a campus organization abiding by the Non-discrimination Statement

in the University Policy and Procedures Manual, the GHGP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, or age.

 

SECTION 3: MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

 

A.     Each member accepts full responsibility to abide by the GHGP Rules

and Regulations.

B.     Each member is responsible for becoming active in the cooperative

(e.g. attending meetings and serving on committees).

C.     Each member is responsible to keep current on the organization’s

business.

D.     Each member should vote in elections.

E.     Each voting member is responsible for holding the GHGP elected

officials accountable for carrying out the bylaws and the mandates of the membership.

F.      Each member must abide by the decisions of the GHGP officers and

Membership.

G.     Each member must pay the yearly dues, payable at the beginning of

fall quarter.  Payments are considered late if not received by October 31.  See article VI.

H.     All members must report a change of phone number or email

immediately to the Garden Director.

            I.   Members assume full responsibility and liability for any and all actions           

                of their guests at the garden.

J.      Members are required to work two hours per quarter for the project itself, beyond work in their individual plots.  If hours are not worked, a payment of $10/hour is due at the end of the quarter, effective winter, 2002.

 

SECTION 4: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

 

The Executive Board of the GHGP, as elected officials of the organization reserve the right to revoke membership privileges for its members for just cause.  Cause for eviction shall exist when a member:

A.     Has failed to meet the requirements for membership in the GHGP.

B.     Has violated one or more of the GHGP’s governing Rules and Regulations.

 

DUE PROCESS

1.      Violations may be reported by any GHGP member.

2.      Violations must be confirmed by a GHGP Officer.

3.      If a violation is confirmed by a GHGP Officer, the seriousness of the violation will be determined by the officer.

4.      At such time, the officer will determine the penalty warranted by the violation.  The penalty may be one or more of the following options:

a.     Warning to member

b.     Recommendation(s) to correct violation

c.      Dismissal and termination of membership

5.      Any GHGP officer may issue penalties 4a. or 4b.  Termination of

Membership (4c.) may only occur by majority vote of GHGP Officers.

 

* GARDEN DISPUTE *

A garden dispute is any disagreement between garden members regarding GHGP issues, plot boundaries, and garden property.

Members in dispute will jointly agree on a third party garden volunteer to resolve the dispute.  If no agreement can be reached with the third party, GHGP officer(s) may appoint one. 

Disputes involving GHGP property or plot boundaries will be resolved by majority decision of the GHGP Officers.

 

ARTICLE IV: EXEUTIVE BOARD

 

The Executive Board of the GHGP is the governing body of the organization.  The GHGP Officers of the board conduct the daily operations of the GHGP.  The GHGP Officers will govern the organization according to the Rules and Regulations of the organization.

 

SECTION 1: COLLECTIVE DUTIES AND POWERS OF MEMBERS OF THE

                     EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

A.     All members of the Executive Board must attend potluck meetings and

any Executive Board meetings called throughout the year.

B.     Manage the daily operation of the GHGP’s land and property,

in accordance with the Rules and Regulations.

C.     Each member of the Executive Board is compensated for work with

free garden space.

Amendment 2.0 – Each member of the Executive Board is additionally compensated for work with a small stipend, drawn from the Executive Board Financial Fund only.  The Executive Board Financial Fund consists of $10 per member per year of the yearly dues.

1. Stipends are to be allocated during the 10th week of each quarter.

2. Officers will receive their full stipend if they have attended all general membership and executive board meetings.  A deduction of 20% of the stipend will be assessed for every meeting missed.

3. Stipends from the Executive Board Financial Fund will be allocated as follows:  Garden Director 60%, Greenhouse Director 20%, Secretary/Treasurer 20%.

4. The total stipend amount available to be divided to the officers (see above) will be 1/3 of the total amount in the Executive Board Financial Fund for Fall Quarter, ½ of the total amount in the Executive Board Financial Fund for Winter Quarter, and the remainder of the Executive Board Financial Fund for Spring Quarter.  No stipend will be awarded for Summer Quarter.

D.     The Executive Board shall act as a liaison between the University and

the GHGP.  Only members of the Executive Board may speak on behalf of the GHGP.

 

SECTION 2: ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE GARDEN

                     DIRECTOR

A.     Official Spokesperson.

B.     Preside over all club meetings.

C.     Manage all personnel duties.

D.     Registers organization at beginning of year and attends Office of Student Life orientation.

E.     Shall report appropriate issues with Campus Police Department.

F.      Responsible for allotting garden space and new member orientation.

G.     Responsible for contacting members about any problems with their plots.

H.     Responsible for delegating chores at potlucks and work assignments for members that miss potlucks.

I.         Responsible for communicating with Secretary/Treasurer about members that do not complete work chores at the end of each quarter.

J.       Responsible for communications with Facilities Management, Parking Services, and Environmental Health and Safety.

K.     Shall state clearly the outcome of all votes.

L.      Responsible for collecting dues and deposits from new members and either depositing them in the GHGP club account, or giving them to the secretary/treasurer for deposit in the club account.

M.    Communicates new member information to the Secretary/Treasurer.

N.     Shall correspond any water problems with members

O.     Shall distribute 2 copies of the Rules and Regulations to new members, one to be returned by the new member to the Secretary/Treasurer, and the other for the new member to keep.

 

SECTION 3: ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE GREENHOUSE

                     DIRECTOR

 

A.     Responsible for allocation of all space in the greenhouse.

B.     Liaison with Habitat Restoration Club and any other researchers using greenhouse space.

C.     Responsible for purchasing all tools and supplies.

D.     Responsible for maintenance of greenhouse, deck, and ponds.

E.     Responsible for organization and coordination of manure dumps with Horse Boarders Association.

F.      Acts as a garden director in absence of the Garden Director.

G.     Posts fliers and information about GHGP events with the Office of Student Life.

 

SECTION 4: ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE

                     SECRATERY/TREASURER

           

A.     Shall maintain all membership files.

B.     Shall keep a record of all signed Rules and Regulation forms.

C.     Shall correspond will all the members.

D.     Shall collect the yearly dues at the beginning of fall quarter.

E.     Shall collect the dues from the work chores not completed by members at the end of each quarter.

F.      Shall count votes done by secret ballot.

G.     Shall monitor financial and monetary transactions.

H.     Responsible for informing the club of financial status at quarterly meetings.

I.         Responsible for refunding deposits upon termination of membership.  Communicates with Garden Director regarding plot status for deposit refund.

J.  Shall collect signed Rules and Regulations from new members.

 

SECTION 5: ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

A.     All officers must be voting members of the GHGP.

B.     All officers must have been a member of the GHGP for at least one quarter.

C.     All officers must be in good standing with the University and the GHGP.

 

SECTION 6: TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office for the Executive Board members shall be one year along with a one month training period, with re-election possible with voting members’ electing vote.  Executive Board members may be re-elected an infinite amount of times as long as they remain in active status with the university.  Elections are held at the Fall Quarter Potluck Meeting, on the second Sunday of Fall Quarter.  The training period for new officers lasts one month after elections.

 

SECTION 7: ELECTION/VOTING PROCEDURES

 

A.     Any voting member, as defined in Article III, Section 1 including the candidate himself/herself, may nominate candidates to serve on the Executive Board at the Fall Quarter Meeting.

            B.  Elections will be first on the agenda at the Fall meeting.  Elections will

                  be conducted in this order:

1.      Garden Director

2.      Greenhouse Director

3.      Secretary/Treasurer

C.  All elections are by secret ballot.

D.     Only voting members of the organization may vote in either elections for Executive Board Officers or decisions that must be decided by majority vote, as determined by Executive Board.

E.     Once ballots are filled out by members at the general meeting for each position, they are handed to the current Secretary/Treasurer and an appointed general member to be counted.  If the current Secretary/Treasurer is running for re-election, two appointed general members will count the secret ballots.

F.      Elections and voting for garden majority may only take place if the majority of voting members present are students, staff, or faculty.

 

SECTION 8: VACANCIES

 

In case of vacancy of an elected official, a special election may be called wherein the officer leaving shall give a recommendation for his/her replacement as to who is most qualified.  If any GHGP member loses their status with the university during their service, he/she may continue their term to completion if the first six months of their service was within the UCSB regulations.

 

ARTICLE V:  COMMITTEES

 

A committee is a group of members who have volunteered to combine efforts on a specific project by the club.

 

SECTION 1:  ELIGIBILITY

 

All members are eligible for committee work.

 

SECTION 2:  TERM OF OFFICE

 

Committees shall dissolve when the project they are working on is completed.

 

SECTION 3:  DUTIES

 

A.     Committees should consist of no more than 3 people, unless the

general membership sees a need for more.

B.     Committees should designate a spokesperson to represent the group.

C.     Committees shall have approximately one month to bring back a report.

D.     All committee members shall receive 2 work hours per quarter credit upon presenting an oral report to the club.

 

ARTICLE VI: FINANCE

 

SECTION 1:  MEMBERSHIP FEES

 

A membership fee of $20 per year and cleaning deposit of $10 will be required of each member.  $10 of the membership fee goes to the Garden Fund, $10 goes to the Executive Board Financial Fund.  Cleaning deposits are refundable if garden plot is left in good condition upon vacating garden grounds (no weed piles or non-biodegradable items). Deposit refunds must be requested either in writing or via email within one month from termination of membership.  Unclaimed deposits are transferred to Garden Fund.  Yearly membership fees are due and payable by the 31st of October each year to the treasurer.  New members pay fees immediately upon joining.  Payment is considered late if not received by this time.  A late fee of $5/month will be charged if payment is not received on time.

 

ARTICLE VII:  AMENDMENTS

 

The Bylaws (Constitution) may be amended by the resolution adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the officers.  This may be done during spring or summer, prior to registration with the Office of Student Life.

 

 

These bylaws were updated on October 11, 2001 by officers Cody Bertsch, John LaBonte and Kristen LaBonte.