By Laws | Chartwell Community Association

Chartwell Community Association, Inc. By Laws

Article I - Name

The name of this association shall be The Chartwell Community Association, Inc. This Association shall be governed by a Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the "Board") which are elected by the membership.

Article II - Objectives

The objectives of this Association are:

To encourage the residents in Chartwell-on-Severn to enter cooperatively into such projects as will promote the general welfare, improve and protect the appearance, value and convenience of property in Chartwell-on-Severn.
To promote a compliance with and to discourage violations of any of the restrictions applicable to the real estate situated within the limits of Chartwell-on-Severn; Sections 1, 2 and 3; of St. Andrews Hill, and of the St. Ives Community, as such restrictions are designated, set forth, and incorporated in all original deeds executed by C. Albert Merritt and others, in Declarations made by the Quadrangle Land Company and others, and in Declarations made by the St. Ives Company, all recorded or to be recorded in the Deed and Plat Records of Anne Arundel County.
To exercise all the powers and authorities which are set forth and designated in the Charter of this Corporation.

Article III - Membership

Membership in this Association shall be limited to one (1) membership per household.
The membership of the Association shall consist of three types, namely;
1. Members
2. Associate Members
3. Special Members
The qualifications for membership for each of said three types shall be as follows:
1. Members: Any person who owns and resides on property (as defined in ARTICLE II) or any person or persons in the immediate family of such property owner, residing therein; such as sons, daughters, parents, shall be eligible for privileges of the Association as hereinafter provided.
2. Associate Members: Any person living within the area defined in ARTICLE II as a year round resident, in a house or apartment rented by him, but who does not own property within the limits of the area defined in ARTICLE II, shall be eligible to become an Associate Member, as hereinafter provided.
3. Special Members: Any person who owns property (as defined in ARTCLE II), but who does not reside thereon, shall be eligible to become a Special Member.
There shall be two voting privileges for each household, which may be exercised by any one or two members of that household who qualify for membership in this Association, except that Special Members shall have no right to hold office.
If, after admission to membership, the status of any member shall change, his membership shall be immediately terminated unless such person can and does, simultaneously with such change of status, qualify for a membership under one of the other classifications established by this Article, in which event he shall continue to be a member of the Association under the classification which properly describes his new status.
Membership in the Association may be terminated:
1. Upon the request of the member.
2. Upon failure to maintain good standing because of non-payment of dues or assessments within the time designated in the By-Laws.
3. Upon determination by the Board of Directors that any member, member's children, or any resident in said member's home has flagrantly or continuously acted contrary to the objectives and purposes of the Association or has violated the By-Laws and Rules of this Association.
Application for reinstatement shall be initiated by the member in question and shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to act upon said request.
Admissions: The Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee, shall confirm the qualifications of new members and after due investigation of such qualifications as referred to in ARTICLE III shall admit such new members into the Association.

Article IV - Membership Privileges & Responsibilities

Privileges of Members: Membership in good standing shall entitle members and their guests to the ordinary use of all Association facilities, subject to the rules established by the appropriate committee of the Association.
Any guest using Association facilities must be accompanied by a member. No resident of Chartwell-on-Severn may qualify as a guest.
All persons who use Association facilities do so at their own risk.
Any facilities erected or purchased and improved by The Chartwell Community Association at the beach property and the playground property shall only be enjoyed by members of the Association in good standing and their guests.

Article V - Meetings

There shall be four regular meetings of the Association in each year; the annual meeting, which shall be held in January of each year on such day as the Board of Directors shall select; and the three remaining meetings shall be held in April, July and October of each year on such day as the Board of Directors shall select.
A special meeting may be called at any time by the President, by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, or must be called upon written signed petition stating reason therefore by 25% of the members in good standing.
Notice of all meetings of the Association, both regular and special, shall be given to all members of the Association by written notice at least seven (7) days before date set for the meeting. When special meetings and or meetings which amend the By-Laws are called, the notice shall include a statement of the items to be presented to the membership for a decision. The agenda for special meetings shall be restricted thereto.
Ten percent of the voting members shall be present to constitute a quorum, except as qualified in ARTICLE VIII, Section 2(c), provided that notification to all members of the time, place and purpose of such meeting shall be have been sent as provided in this Article.
All meetings shall be conducted by the chair in accordance with established Parliamentary procedure defined in Robert's Rules of Order revised.

Article VI - Voting

Provided a quorum is present as defined in ARTICLE V, a majority voice vote of members present at any meeting of the Association shall be sufficient to carry any motion or decide any issue except:

Amendment to By-Laws: such amendments shall require approval by twenty-five (25) percent of the association's voting members who may vote by signed written ballot prior to the meeting or in person at the meeting.
Election of Directors: Directors shall be elected as specified in Article VIII

Article VII - Chartwell Special Community Benefit District

The Board shall be responsible for preparing a proposed (following year) budget by December of each year. In addition to planned expenditures, the budget shall provide for an administrative charge of five (5) percent of the funds to be collected, but not less than $100 nor more than $1000, to be paid into the General Fund of the County.
The proposed budget shall be presented to property owners within the district for their comments and approval at the January general meeting (meeting must be held prior to January 14) of the Chartwell Community Association. The term "owner" shall include co-owners, whether the co-ownership is joint, in common, or by entirety.
For the budget to be submitted to the budget office of Anne Arundel County , a majority of those voting but not less than ten (10) percent of the property owners must vote to approve the budget submission. This ten (10) percent may include both the votes of the property owners in attendance at the general meeting and writ-in votes which must be received prior to the start of the general meeting. The signature of co-owner(s) is required to constitute the signature of the property owner.
Upon approval, the budget and the supporting tax rate shall be submitted to the budget office of Anne Arundel County by no later than January 31 for inclusion in the County's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
If defeated, the budget and the supporting tax rate will revert back to the previous year's budget (line item adjustments will be modified as necessary).
Owners of record of each plotted lot shall receive a tax bill reflecting the approved tax rate. This tax will be included as a line item in the owner's annual tax bill, these taxes will be billed on each July 1st and collectable by each September 30th.
Funds from these taxes will be available for Association use by no later than November of each year.

Article VIII - Elections of Directors and Officers

Directors shall be elected for a two year term. Candidates for the Board must be members of the CCA who are in goodstanding.
Election of Directors and Officers shall proceed as follows:
1. At the July Board meeting the President shall appoint a representative Nominating Committee which shall select a number of candidates which totals at least two more than the board vacancies; normally fifty percent of the total number of Board members, plus one for each vacancy occurring through resignation.
2. No later than two weeks prior to the October meeting, the Corresponding Secretary shall notify the membership of the candidates selected by the Nominating Committee, enclosing absentee ballots to be returned by those unable to vote in person.
3. Election of Directors shall be held at the October meeting. For election purposes only, absentee ballots shall be counted in determining whether the required numbers of members are available to constitute a quorum. Nominations of candidates may be made from the floor prior to voting. Voting shall be written ballot cast by those members present at the meeting. Following the voting, written ballots and absentee ballots will be tallied. Vacancies shall be filled by the candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast and the newly elected Board members announced following completion of the tally.
4. The newly-elected Board Members shall attend the November Board meeting at which time the retiring President shall preside over the election of new officers. Qualification for the various offices shall be at the discretion of the Board except that candidates for the office of President should have at least one year's Board experience. The retiring President and retiring Standing Committee Chairmen shall provide general information on their duties to their replacements.
5. Prior to the year end, the retiring President and all Standing Committee Chairmen shall prepare comprehensive written reports of the year's activities and submit them to the new Board.
6. The transfer of responsibilities to the newly elected officers and appointed Standing Committee Chairmen, will be effective on January first.
7. Board members may be reelected.

Article IX - Responsibilities of Board, Its Directors and Officers

The executive power of the Association shall be vested in the Board.
1. The Board shall be responsible for preparing and administrating an annual budget for the fiscal year which shall be the calendar year.
2. The retiring Board shall prepare a proposed budget and submit it to the incoming Board at or prior to the December Board meeting. This budget shall be discussed and modified as deemed appropriate by the incoming Board prior to submission to the members for approval at the January general meeting.
3. If any additions, deletions, or revisions are voted on by the membership, such changes shall be instituted by the Board provided the total budget presented is not in excess of funds available as determined by the Board.
4. Expenditures from the approved budget may only be made during the fiscal year and no expenditure may be deferred to the following year unless approved by the Board.
The number of members on the Board of Directors shall be established each year by the Board within the limitations of the following criteria:
1. The minimum number shall be ten (10) elected members plus the immediate past President.
2. As the size of the community increases the Board may, at its discretion, increase the number of elected members for the following year to a total computed as one Board member for each thirty or more families resident in Chartwell.
3. The determination of the size for the following year shall be done at a Board meeting in advance of the appointment of the Nominating Committee to select the candidates for the coming year.
4. Any member of the Board of Directors who is absent from two consecutive board meetings without a legitimate excuse may be dropped from the Board of Directors upon a two-thirds vote of Directors present at a regular meeting.
The Board of Directors shall elect a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer from within the Board.
Vacancies which occur in the Board of Directors, other than by expiration of term, shall be filled by majority vote of the Board of Directors and the individual so selected shall serve for the remainder of the original term.
The Board of Directors shall hold meetings at least monthly under such rules as they may prescribe. A quorum for the conduct of business shall consist of nine members. The President may, with concurrence of nine members of the Board, cancel any monthly meeting.
Duties of Officers:
1. President - The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors. He shall be an ex-officio member of all Standing and Special Committees. The President shall forward quarterly reports of the activities of the Association to all members.
2. Vice President - The Vice President shall have all duties and responsibilities of the President in his absence or when such duties are assigned by the President. He shall be Chairman of the Membership Committee whose duties hereinafter defined.
3. Recording Secretary - The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors. At all membership meetings he shall present a summary report of all actions taken by the Board of Directors in the interim period between the meeting of the report and the preceding membership meeting.
4. Corresponding Secretary - The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for written communications with individuals or organizations outside the Association, subject to approval of the Board of Directors. He shall be the custodian of all correspondence of the Association. As elsewhere defined, he shall distribute absentee ballots for elections to the Board of Directors, submitting same for counting at the time of the election.
5. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall have care and custody of and be responsible for all funds and finances of the organization subject to the direction and supervision of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall give bond to be paid for by the Association. He shall make all disbursements for the Association by check, all checks being countersigned by one of the following:
  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Recording Secretary
  He shall prepare quarterly statements for presentation to the Board of Directors. He shall submit all records to the Special Auditing Committee appointed at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting in January, this committee presenting an audit to the President before the transfer of responsibilities at the Board of Directors meeting following the Annual Meeting.

Article X - Committees

Standing Committee - Definition - There shall be such Standing Committees as enumerated below, the Chairman being appointed by the President and announced at the January meeting. There shall be no less than three members to a Standing Committee. One member of each Standing Committee shall be a member of the Board of Directors, designated by the President, who will report Committee activities to the Board. Members are to be appointed by the Chairman immediately following his appointment. The President shall be an ex-offico member of all Standing Committees and as such shall be notified of all committee meetings.

Each Standing Committee shall prepare an operating plan and budget, and submit them at the January Board Meeting to the Board for their approval. The budgets of all committees as approved by the Board shall be included in the General Budget to be submitted to the membership at the January general meeting.

Chairmen of all Standing Committees shall submit reports at all general membership meetings. The prior year's Chairmen shall present a report of activities during the preceding year at the January meeting.

The Standing Committees shall be as follows:
1. Membership
2. Social
3. Facilities and Grounds
4. Safety
5. Program
6. Public Service
7. Executive
8. Newsletter
Standing Committee - Duties
1. Membership: The Vice-President of the Association shall be Chairman of the Membership Committee. This committee shall promote membership in the Association; maintain a current directory of members and residents including addresses and telephone numbers; assist the Treasurer in preparing statements of dues; co-ordinate promotional activities with the Social Committee; and in general control all activities pertaining to promoting and maintaining a substantial roster of members so that the Association may represent a clear majority of Chartwell residents. There shall be two Sub-Committees under the Membership committee, the Welcome Committee and the Directory Committee. The Welcome Committee shall call on all new residents of Chartwell within thirty (30) days of their establishment of residence, present a copy of the By-Laws, and explain the activities of the Association. The Directory Committee shall update the Directory every six (6) months and republish a new Directory every two (2) years.
2. Social: This committee shall plan and administer all social functions and shall prepare an operating budget.
3. Facilities and Grounds: This Committee shall generally promote the beautification of Chartwell, maintain all entrance properties, sponsor cleanliness campaigns, and encourage residents to maintain high standards in the landscaping of individual lots. The Committee shall further be responsible for the development, management, and maintenance of any other properties under the jurisdiction of the Board. The Committee shall prepare an annual budget of operating expenses.
4. Safety: This committee shall generally promote safety in Chartwell by making residents and persons using Chartwell facilities aware of unsafe activities and correcting any unsafe conditions deemed necessary. The members of the Committee shall include those in charge of the Chartwell Security Patrol and any other residents interested in traffic and general safety. The Committee shall prepare reports of its activities as required by the President and shall also prepare an annual budget of operating expenses.
5. Program: This Committee shall arrange for speakers and for papers for all regular meetings of the Association.
6. Public Service: The chairmen or designated member of this committee shall attend meetings of the Greater Severna Park Council, Inc. and the Severn River Association, Inc. as Association delegates and report matters of interest to the Board of Directors.
7. Executive: This Committee shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and a past Board Officer. This Committee shall consult on any issues requiring action between Board meetings; and shall maintain information necessary for the perpetuation of the Chartwell Community Association, Inc.
8. Newsletter: This committee shall publish a newsletter four (4) times a year.
Special Committees - The President shall appoint such Special Committees and their chairman as he deems necessary. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Special Committees and shall be notified of all meetings. The Chairmen of all Special Committees shall submit interim reports whenever so directed by the President, and shall submit a written report of the Committee's activities upon completion of duties, said final report to be included in the minutes by the Recording Secretary.
Subsequent to their appointment and prior to budget approval by the membership, Committee Chairmen can commit expenditures up to $100 be securing approval of the President and the Treasurer. Any expenditures in excess of this amount will require the approval of the Board of Directors.

Article XI - Covenants with St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club

The 5.87 acres bordering on Kinder Road set aside as a recreational area in Chartwell, having been deeded to the Chartwell Community Association, shall be known as the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club. The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club shall operate under the direction of its own By-Laws, which shall be consistent with The Chartwell Community Association By-Laws

The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club shall be accountable to the Board of Directors of the Chartwell Community Association as follows:

1. The President of the Chartwell Community Association, or his designated representative, is an ex-offico member of the St.Andrews Swim & Tennis Club Board.
2. The President of the, St.Andrews Swim & Tennis Club Board or his designated representative, is an ex-offico member of the Chartwell Community Association Board
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club Board must have approval of their proposed annual budget from the Chartwell Community Association Board prior to presenting such budget to the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club membership for adoption.
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club Board must have approval of any proposed capital expenditure in excess of $500 per item from the Chartwell Community Association prior to presenting such proposal to the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club members for adoption. This requirement is waived if the proposed expenditure was submitted as part of the annual budget already approved by the Chartwell Community Association Board.
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club Board shall annually submit a copy of the auditor's report of the audit performed on the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club books to the Chartwell Community Association Board.
Any proposed changes in uses of the pool, tennis courts, buildings or grounds must be approved by the Chartwell Community Association Board prior to implementation.
The capital assets of the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club cannot be disposed of without the approval of 75% of the St. Andrews membership and approval of the Chartwell Community Association Board.
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club shall be responsible for the maintenance of the pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, parking lots and all facilities, grounds, plantings, and shrubbery associated with the operation and beautification of the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club. The Chartwell Community Association will budget funds annually, in the amount specified in the Chartwell Community Association approved St. Andrews budget, for the beautification and maintenance of the grounds outside the St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club operational facilities. The Chartwell Community Association shall pay St. Andrews these funds prior to the end of St. Andrews current "budget" year.
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club shall assess each of its members, including Class B and C members, a user's fee which is equal to the Chartwell Community Association annual dues. These fees shall be collected and turned over to the Chartwell Community Treasurer by May 1st each year, along with a roster of St. Andrews membership. Fees for memberships activated after May 1st shall be payable to the Chartwell Community Association by September 1st. Fees collected from Chartwell residents shall constitute payment of their Chartwell Community Association annual dues for that year.
The St. Andrews Swim & Tennis Club is responsible for such insurance of the Swim Club property as deemed prudent for fire, physical damage and liability.

Article XII - Order of Business

At Regular Meetings the Order of Business shall be as follows:

Approval of the Minutes of the previous regular meeting
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Corresponding Secretary
Report of Standing Committees
Report of Special Committees
Unfinished Business
New Business
Adjournment

Article XIII - Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of the organization, any assets remaining after payment of all liabilities shall be distributed exclusively to other organizations which are recognized as exempt from income tax under section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

In no event shall any part of the assets inure to the benefit of any private individual or individuals, except that the corporation shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered.

Name

Objectives

Mebership

Membership Privileges

Meetings

Voting

Chartwell Special Community

Elections of Directors

Responsibilities of Board

Committees

Covenants with SASTC

Order of Business

Dissolutions