Documents

West 123rd Street Block Association Bylaws

Name: Founded in 1988, this organization is the West 123rd Street Block Association (the “Block Association”) located on west 123rd Street, between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevards.

Mission: to improve life on the block by pooling the talents and resources of our residents for mutual social and economic benefits.

Purpose:

● the promotion of safety and general welfare for the block’s residents, as well as the greater Harlem Community;

● Preserve and improve the quality of life of our immediate community;

● Increase civic participation; and

● Support and celebrate a diverse and inclusive community.

Membership: Membership is encouraged for those who live on West 123rd between Malcolm X and ACP. People who live on adjacent blocks are welcome to participate in The Block Association.

Rights of Members:

● Voting: Members of the Block Association have the right to vote in elections of Officers and amendments to the Bylaws. Each Member is entitled to one vote on issues brought before Block Association meetings.

Board of Directors and Officers: The business of the Block Association shall be managed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”), composed of 4 Officers. Officers must be 18 years of age or older.

The Board reserves the right to create new leadership positions within the Board of Directors if necessary.

Elections to the Board of Directors shall be held every year, beginning in June 2022, at a general meeting by secret ballot, with each Member having one vote for each elected office. A member who chooses to hold a Leadership position must submit a nomination form to the current Block Association President no less than TWO weeks in advance of elections. The last act of the outgoing Board will be to hold these elections to transition to the new Board. As part of the transition, all books and records as well as signatory powers of bank accounts are to be passed to the incoming team, in a timely manner, no less than 30 days from the formation of a new Board.

Vacancies in any seat shall be filled for the un-expired term. The President will invite volunteers to apply for the open positions, in consultation with the remaining Board Members.

Positions and their respective responsibilities are as follows:

President: The President serves as the head of the Block Association and represents the voice of the Board of Directors. The President will:

i. With the Secretary, relay any messages the Block Association wishes to communicate to community organizations and government entities and ensure community announcements are similarly conveyed to the Officers and Block Association Members;

ii. Maintain dialog with relevant local organizations;

iii. Oversight of the Block Association’s fundraising efforts and the procurement of grant money;

iv. Oversight of the organization’s finances; and

v. When necessary, co-sign legal documents and checks on behalf of the organization.

Vice President: The Vice President assists the President and other Block Association Officers in all Block Association activities and will assume leadership and oversight duties when the President is absent or unavailable. The Vice President will:

i. Work with the President and Treasurer to pursue fundraising efforts;

ii. Represent the Block Association at community-related meetings and events and provide reports on content of those meetings to the Block Association Officers;

iii. Play an active role on special committees and in Block Association programs and activities; and

iv. Any other additional responsibilities as requested by the President

Treasurer: The Treasurer is the financial warden of the organization. The Treasurer will:

i. Maintain an accurate record of all Block Association Members;

ii. Manage the collection and distributions of funds for the Block Association;

iii. Maintain accurate and transparent records of Block Association;

iv. Provide a quarterly summary of the Block Association financial status to Members;

v. Serve as signatory and co-signer on behalf of the organization with the Block Association President (or Vice President in the absence of the President) for the Block Association bank accounts, checks and legal documents;

vi. Work with the President and Vice President to pursue fundraising efforts.

Secretary: The Secretary serves as the communications hub of the Block Association. The Secretary will:

i. Keep minutes of all meetings and maintain all records pertaining to the affairs of the Block Association;

ii. Supervise and maintain the Block Association’s digital media platforms including the website;

iii. Relay any messages the Block Association wishes to communicate to community organizations and ensure community announcements are similarly conveyed to the Officers and General Membership;

iv. Conduct general correspondence of the organization at the direction of the President and other Officers;

v. Ensure that advance notification of meetings is disseminated to the General Membership and Officers; and

vi. Ensure the Bylaws are available to the General Membership

Any Officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the President or Secretary. Officers may be removed for excessive absence or for acting against the stated mission and purpose of the Block Association by a majority vote taken at a meeting of the Officers. Vacancies will be filled promptly by a special election held along the same general lines as regular elections of officers.

Treasury: The Block Association shall maintain a treasury for block improvement projects. A financial report will be given at Block Association meetings.

Disbursement of funds will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Requests for block purchases $50 or under may be approved by the Treasurer via email or other written approval without consent by the other Officers; amounts greater than $51 must be approved by a majority of Block Association Officers. Itemized receipts must be presented to the Treasurer in advance of reimbursement.

At no point will any monies be reimbursed or distributed to any member of the Block Association’s Board of Directors or Block Association Members without prior written authorization from at least two officers.

Meetings: Meetings will occur (every 2 mos on the 3rd Weds of odd number months) or as otherwise dictated by the convenience of the General Membership and Officers. Additionally, the Board will meet no less than twice per year to review the overall soundness of the Block Association, its missions and its financial stability.

Committees: The President may establish special purpose committees.

Amendments: These Bylaws may be amended by Block Association Officers and are subject to majority vote of the membership.