Adopted by the Board of Governors. Revised October 2005.
1. The USJCA
The United States J/24 Class Association shall be known and referred to as the USJCA.
2. OBJECT
2.1 The USJCA shall coordinate and manage the affairs of the United States J/24 Class.
2.2 The USJCA shall have sole authority for the conduct and management of all U.S. J/24 Class events.
2.3 The USJCA shall promote expansion of the International J/24 Class of sailboat.
2.4 The USJCA shall adhere to the one–design rules of the International J/24 Class.
3. OTHER TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
3.1 The Board of Governors shall mean the governing body of the USJCA, the composition of which is defined in 9.1.
3.2 The Executive Committee is defined as in paragraph 10.
3.3 The Executive Director is defined as in paragraph 10.4.
3.4 A District shall be a territorial unit comprised of three or more Fleets within a specific Region, unless otherwise approved by the Executive Committee. Designation of Regions and Districts shall be the responsibility of the USJCA. Each District shall, by vote of Fleet Captains within the District, elect officers. The chief executive officer of the District shall be known as the District Governor who shall provide general supervision over the J/24 activities within the District. Each Governor will represent his/her District in the USJCA.
3.5 A Fleet shall be a local territorial unit that is self governed in matters not conflicting with these by-laws, and chartered by the USJCA upon application by three or more J/24 Owners not within the established territory of an existing Fleet. A Fleet shall elect its own officers from among regular members which shall include a Fleet Captain and such officers as the Fleet determines.
3.6 The Measurement Certificate shall mean the certificate issued which registers the boat in the USJCA register, and records hull and other measurements.
3.7 The USJCA Class Register of J/24s and their owners or sponsoring members shall mean the register maintained by the Executive Director.
3.8 The copyright Holder shall mean J/Boats, Inc. or its assignee.
4. OFFICES
4.1 The Principal Office of the USJCA shall be the office address of the Executive Director or as otherwise determined by the Executive Committee.
4.2 Other offices may also be established at such places as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine.
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1 The following types of membership shall be recognized:
5.1.1 Regular Members shall be sailors who have paid the prescribed annual subscription. Regular members are eligible to hold office and helm at regattas.
5.1.2 Sponsoring members shall be those individuals, companies, and corporations who provide products and/or services to the USJCA or its members. Sponsoring members may not vote nor are they eligible to hold office. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to grant this category of membership.
5.1.3 Junior members shall be sailors who have paid the prescribed annual subscription and shall not have exceeded 19 years of age by 12/31 of the year for which the application of membership is made.
5.1.4 Associate members shall be sailors who have paid the prescribed subscription and shall not vote, hold office or helm at regattas.
6. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION AND FEES
6.1 The USJCA shall be financed by annual subscriptions from active members and by collecting other fees from sponsoring members and other sources. The subscription shall be determined annually by the Executive Committee. All Members must register annually. All subscriptions and fees shall be made payable to the USJCA.
6.2 Subscriptions and fees for each calendar year are due and payable to the USJCA on January 1.
7. SUSPENSION, EXPULSION
7.1 The executive Committee shall have the authority to suspend any members for non-payment of dues, gross violations of the Rules, or after due notice for willful disregard of rulings of the USJCA. The term of suspension may not exceed one year unless suspension is extended by the Board of Governors in the succeeding year. A suspension may be terminated if the issue is brought before a meeting of the Board of Governors and a majority of votes cast are in favor termination.
7.2 A member may be expelled only if the issue of his expulsion is brought before an Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors and three-fourths of the votes cast are in favor of expulsion.
8. MANAGEMENT OF THE USJCA
8.1 The day-to-day affairs of the USJCA shall be managed by the Executive Director under the supervision of the Executive Committee.
9. BOARD OF GOVERNORS
9.1 The Board of Governors shall consist of one (1) member elected by each District, the Copyright Holder or its assignee, the Designer or its assignee, the President, the immediate Past President, the Vice President, the Technical Committee Chairman, the Finance Committee Chairman, and the Executive Director.
9.2 Each member shall have one vote, except for the Executive Director, who shall not serve as a voting member of the Board of Governors.
9.3 The Board shall have the power to select any person or entity to assist it whether a member or not, but such member shall have no vote on the Board.
9.4 At meetings of the Board of Governors, ten (10) members shall form a quorum. Approval by two thirds of the Board of Governors shall be required in order to make a constitutional change and/or a Class rule change proposal.
9.5 If a District Governor is unable to attend a meeting, the District may appoint a substitute for that meeting only. Such designations shall be in writing or electronic form and received by the Executive Director prior to the meeting.
9.6 Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors:
At its annual meeting, the Board of Governors shall:
9.6.1 Elect a President, Vice President, Governors Representative, Finance Committee Chairman, and a Technical Committee Chairman for a term ending at the next annual meeting.
9.6.2 Establish the guidelines to be followed by the Executive Committee in selecting the location and dates for future National and North American Championships.
9.6.3 Allow a District not represented at a Board Meeting to assign a proxy to any Board of Governors member in attendance so that the member can vote on that District’s behalf in accordance with rules 9.2. This proxy must be in writing or electronic form and received by the representative and the Executive Director prior to the meeting.
9.7 Voting, Motions, and Resolutions
9.7.1 The affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast by members present at any meeting of the Board of Governors shall be the act of the board.
9.8 Special Meetings of the Executive Committee or the Board of Governors may be called by the President or a majority vote of the Board of Governors. Such special meetings, whether conducted face-to-face, by electronic or other means, shall be held at a time and place designated by the President or the Governor’s Representative. Advance notice of such special meetings, whether in writing, by telephone or electronic notification, shall be made at least 3 days in advance of the meeting date.
10. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
10.1 The Executive committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Governors Representative, the Immediate Past President, the Technical Committee Chairman, the Finance Committee Chairman, the Copyright Holder or its assignee, and the Executive Director. The Governors Representative shall be elected from the Board of Governors.
10.2 At meetings of the Executive Committee, four shall form a quorum.
10.3 The Executive Committee may fill any casual vacancies among the officers and any persons so appointed shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the Board of Governors.
10.4 The Executive Committee shall appoint the Executive Director and shall set the terms of compensation and remuneration for the Executive Director and all salaried individuals consistent with those of substantially similar organizations. The Executive Director shall report to the President and the Executive Committee as required herein.
10.4.1 The duties of the Executive Director are to maintain the files and correspondence of the USJCA; to produce publication(s) of the USJCA; to act as Treasurer of the USJCA; and such other duties as the Board of Governors or the Executive Committee may from time to time prescribe.
10.4.2 The Executive Director shall not serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee.
10.4.3 The Executive Director shall maintain an agenda for the meetings of the Board of Governors. Members of the Board of Governors may place items on the agenda by submission to the Executive Director, no later than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
10.4.4 The USJCA shall issue Measurement Certificates through the Executive Director or as otherwise determined by the Executive Committee.
10.5 The Executive Committee may appoint such agents and attorneys with such powers and to perform such acts and duties on behalf of the Board of Governors as the Executive Committee may determine.
10.6 The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint other committees which shall have and may exercise such authority of the Executive Committee as it shall prescribe.
10.7 ACCOUNTS
10.7.1 The Executive Committee shall cause accounts to be kept giving full particulars of:
10.7.1.1 All amounts of money, assets, liabilities of the USJCA.
10.7.1.2 All amounts of money received and expended by the USJCA, and a detailed description of such receipts and expenditures.
10.7.2 A financial statement shall be presented annually at a meeting of the Board of Governors.
10.7.3 Payments and receipts of money shall be validated by the signature of the Treasurer or his deputy as appointed by the Executive Committee.
10.7.4 A budget for the coming year shall be presented to the Board of Governors for approval at each Annual Meeting. Payments exceeding the budget adopted by the board require prior Executive Committee approval. The Executive Committee may amend the budget as required to run the day-to-day affairs of the USJCA.
10.7.5 The fiscal year of the USJCA shall be January 1 through December 31.
11. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
11.1 The Technical Committee shall consist of a Chairman and a representative from each Region.
11.2 This committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Executive Committee regarding Class Rules, Building Specifications and Measurements, including suggested amendments or additions and interpretations.
11.3 The Technical Committee shall cooperate with the USJCA official fleet measurers and technical staffs of licensed builders to protect the one-design character of the International J/24 Class worldwide.
11.4 The Technical Committee shall be responsible for updating and maintaining the USJCA Standard Sailing Instructions, Standard Notice of Regatta, and Measurement Manual.
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