BY-LAWS of the CENTRAL OREGON HOMEBREWERS ORGANIZATION
(as Adopted by the Membership, August 2006)

ARTICLE I – NAME & PRINCIPAL OFFICE
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE & GOALS
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE IV – VOTING
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
ARTICLE VIII – FINANCES
ARTICLE IX - GENERAL PROHIBITIONS
ARTICLE X - BY-LAWS ACCEPTANCE

ARTICLE I – NAME & PRINCIPAL OFFICE

Section 1. Name

The name of this club is the “Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization,” hereinafter referred to as such or as “COHO” or “club”

Section 2. Principal Office

The principal office for the transaction of business is in Deschutes County, Oregon.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE & GOALS

Section 1. Purpose

COHO exists as a means for its members to learn about the science and magic of fermentation and to enjoy the products thereof.

Section 2. Goals

1. To provide a forum for the public to gather and engage in social activities focused on fermentation, with a common foundation of homebrewing.
2. To learn more about fermentation methods and techniques as well as current and historic styles of fermented potables and comestibles.
3. To promote the enjoyment of homebrewing to our community.
4. To be a source of information pertaining to the beer and wine community in our area and the community at large.
5. To actively support the local beer, wine, and spirits community with the common goal of promoting awareness of the quality products produced in our area.
6. To promote, encourage, and sponsor opportunities to participate in local, regional and national brewing competitions.
7. To progress as a club with a positive and optimistic attitude.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 - Eligibility

All persons over the age of 21 are eligible for membership.

Section 2 - Acceptance

All prospective members shall submit an initial application and keep annual dues current.

Section 3 - Non-Discrimination

Membership in the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall not be denied to any individual on the basis of race. color, creed, national origin, sex, or physical handicap.

Section 4 - Participation

Members will recognize that participation in COHO activities is entirely voluntary. Participation in these activities may include the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which may affect perception and reactions. Members will accept individual responsibility for their conduct and behavior. The Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization will neither assume nor accept responsibility for an individual's actions. Members or guests not of the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages in the State of Oregon may not consume such beverages at COHO meetings or activities. Members assume all responsibility for their guests.

Section 5 - Rights and Liabilities of Members

Applicants for Membership shall agree to abide by these bylaws. Each regular member of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall have the right to vote on club matters. Voting rights for other types of members are described in Article VII, Section 16 & Article IV. Individual members of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall not be personally liable for debts or obligations of the club. No member shall receive compensation for services rendered to the club except as otherwise approved by the officers of the club. A member may be reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of the club, subject to approval of the club officers.

Section 6 - Types of Membership

• REGULAR MEMBERS: open to all persons per Article III, Sections 1 and 2.
• INSTITUTE MEMBERS: the officers may award institute membership to organizations or companies in exchange for services or other benefits to the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization. Institute members shall not have voting rights and are not eligible to become officers. Their membership expires one year from the date awarded by the officers and may be renewed at the discretion of the officers.
• LIFETIME MEMBERS: lifetime membership may be awarded to individuals in recognition of extraordinary contributions of service to the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization. Lifetime membership shall be offered upon a vote of club membership with a minimum of eighty percent (80%) approval.

Section 7 - Membership Renewal

Membership is to be renewed yearly. All members of a single household may be included in a single membership. In this case, the household will be eligible to cast one vote.

Section 8 - Membership Obligations

Each member is required to bring homebrew, which they made, to at least one meeting or other club event per year. He or she is also required to contribute time to at least one club event per year.

Examples are:

• assistance in planning, preparation or clean-up of major COHO events such as club brew sessions, pub trips, fund raisers, etc.
• work on a homebrew competition in coordinating, preparation, stewarding, judging and clean-up; entering a beer in competition does not count toward contribution time
• talks, lectures or discussion leader of homebrewing topics presented at meetings or authorship of such articles submitted to the COHO newsletter.

This is to be enforced by the honor system.

Section 9 - Suspension and Removal of Members.

1. Each member is expected to maintain responsible conduct at club events. In the event a member does not maintain proper conduct, Sergeant-at-Arms or one of the COHO Officers will take immediate and appropriate corrective measures. This may include the suspension or expulsion of the member as deemed appropriate by an unanimous vote by the Officers.

1. A member may be expelled from the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization only when the member’s continued presence would be detrimental to the organization as a whole. Grounds for possible expulsion include, but are not limited to, sexual harassment of other members, physical or verbal abuse of other members, insistence on driving to or from club activities when visibly intoxicated, or physical destruction of a host’s facilities.

ARTICLE IV - VOTING

Section 1 - Eligibility

All members with voting rights as described under Article III, section 5, and who have paid current dues, shall be eligible to vote. A Quorum, as defined in Article IV, Section 3, shall be present for an official casting.

Section 2 - Items Put To Vote

The following items will be decided by a vote of the membership at a regularly scheduled meeting:

1. Election of officers (Plurality of votes cast)
2. Annual budgets (67% of votes cast)
3. New lifetime memberships (80% of votes cast)
4. Changes to bylaws (67% of votes cast)
5. Setting an expenditure threshold for discretionary spending by the Officers (67% of votes cast)
6. Spending of funds greater than that threshold (80% of votes cast)
7. Any other issues offered by an officer (80% of votes cast)

Section 3 - Quorum

At least two officers, including either the President or Vice President, and twenty per cent (20%) of the regular members shall be considered a quorum.

Section 4 - Election Dates

Elections shall be held during the November monthly meeting, with the swearing in of new officers at the beginning of the January monthly meeting.

Sections 5 - Nominations

Nominations may be made by any member. Final nominations are to take place during the October monthly meeting.

Section 6 - Voting Method

1. Elections for officers shall be by controlled ballot.
2. In the event a candidate is running for office uncontested, the Secretary may cast a single vote in favor of the candidate on behalf of the membership at large.
3. Votes on other issues may be conducted by any appropriate method that insures a fair determination of a majority decision of eligible voting members as determined by the
   officers.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

Section 1 - Officers

The following positions shall constitute the officers of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Sergeant-at-Arms

Section 2 - Responsibilities of Officers

President - this officer will normally conduct the meetings. He or she will be responsible for securing the meeting place. The president will also be responsible for planning the meetings and arranging for topical discussions, demonstrations, or guest speakers. This officer shall review the financial records of the club on a regular basis and have access to the club bank account. He or she will correspond with other clubs and appropriate bodies relative to club matters.

Vice President - this officer will assist the president. He or she will organize the tasting portion of the meeting and insure that there is an adequate supply of beer. He or she will also coordinate the organization of the annual picnic and holiday party.

Secretary - this officer, with assistance from the treasurer, will maintain the membership list. He or she will assist the President in corresponding with other clubs and appropriate bodies relative to club matters. Minutes from meetings shall be recorded. They shall be archived, along with all other COHO documents, in digital format. Updates shall be given to the Webmaster.

Treasurer - this officer will handle the club finances. The treasurer collects the dues and sees that they are deposited in the club's account. He or she is responsible for disbursement of funds for approved expenditures and keeps the financial records. The treasurer is also responsible for reporting on the club's financial status.

Sergeant-At-Arms - this officer will see to it that due courtesy is given to all people who are acting in the interests of the club and that order is preserved at club functions. He or she shall also maintain meeting attendance records, and assist the treasurer in elections to insure membership standing during voting.

Section 3 - Removal

Any officer of the club may be removed by a vote of a majority of the members.
Notification to the membership that an election will be held on the removal of an officer
must be included in the regular notice of the monthly meeting. The remaining officers
shall select a replacement for the position of the removed officer.

Section 4 - Resignation

Upon resignation of any officers the remaining officers shall select a person to fulfill the
responsibilities of the resigning officer for the remainder of the term.

Section 5 - Terms of Office

Elected officers’ terms shall be for one year. There is no limit to the number of terms an
elected officer may serve as long as he or she is elected in accordance with Article IV.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 1 - Annual Meeting

The Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall have an annual meeting in November of each year. This meeting will be subject to the rules for notification outlined below. This notification shall include an agenda for the meeting. The agenda shall include the election of officers and approval of the next fiscal year’s budget. The membership will also approve the amount that the Officers may spend on an activity without requiring an additional vote of the membership.

Section 2 - Regular Monthly Meetings

Regular monthly meetings will be held unless otherwise advised by the Officers. Monthly meetings are to include any items that require membership approval and new business brought up by members for consideration. They shall be held on the third Wednesday, at
6:30pm, each month.

Section 3 - Notice of Meetings

An appropriate method for notifying members of the time and place of meetings shall be established and maintained. If the time or place of the monthly meeting has been changed, the membership will be notified as soon as the change is known. If a special business meeting is called, the membership shall be notified as soon as possible.

Section 4 - Procedure

The President of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall be the presiding officer at all COHO meetings. In the absence of the President, the order of succession as presiding officer shall be: Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer. The presiding officer shall determine the order of business and shall use accepted parliamentary procedure to conduct the meeting. Subjects discussed at each monthly meeting may include, but are not limited to, minutes from the previous monthly meeting, Treasurer’s report, committee reports, identification of brewing and food volunteers for the meeting, introduction of visitors and new members, and unfinished and new business. In the event that a monthly meeting is held where regular business cannot be conducted, COHO business may be tabled until the next business meeting.

ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES

Section 1 – Executive Committee

1. Membership - The Executive Committee consists of the Officers and the immediate Past President.
2. Responsibilities - The Executive Committee may make decisions on behalf of the club when a full membership meeting cannot be called. Decisions of the Executive committee are made by a majority vote, which may be placed by telephone poll or e-mail vote. Actions or decisions of the Executive Committee shall be presented to the next meeting for approval. A quorum for such actions shall consist of three Executive Officers including either the President or Vice President.

Section 2 - Other Committees

1. Newsletter Committee:
   1. An Editor shall be appointed by the Officers
   2. An Assistant Editor (appointed by the Editor) to step in as needed when the Editor is unable to complete the required tasks
   3. the Officers, who will review each newsletter issue and write articles on the status of the club
2. Website Committee: A Webmaster shall be appointed by the Officers. He or she shall update the site on a regular basis and keep the domain name and hosting service accounts in good standing. The webmaster may appoint other members to assist in updating information.
3. Activities Committee: plans and organizes major club social activities such as picnics, Oktoberfests, pub trips, etc.
4. Competition Committee: In charge of organizing annual sanctioned homebrew
   competition and notifying the club of any other competitions
5. Education Committee: promotes the educational programs of the club such as brewing sessions, lectures, workshops, etc.
6. Fund Raising Committee: plans and organizes fund raising activities that benefit
   both the corporation and related outside groups as needed.
7. Food Committee: Responsible for arranging the availability of food and beverages
   at COHO functions. A budget will be established for this purpose by the Treasurer
   within the limits of the spending authority as set by the annual budget.
8. Quartermaster: shall maintain a record of all property owned by COHO and shall
   supervise its proper use and safekeeping.
9. Ad hoc committees, such as for special events, may be established at the request
   of the President with approval of the Officers. The President shall appoint the
   chair and members of an ad hoc committee. Ad hoc committee members must be
   members in good standing of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization.

ARTICLE VIII - FINANCES

Section 1 - Dues

Dues are paid when initially joining COHO and then annually on the anniversary of the members last payment. The dues amount is set by the officers as calculated by the current budget.

Section 2 - Payments

Dues will be collected by the treasurer. Dues may be paid in cash, money order, personal check, traveler's check, or any other cash based negotiable media. A receipt will be issued upon payment.

Section 3 - Reporting

1. The treasurer shall be prepared to report the financial status of the club at the regular meeting.
2. He or she shall cooperate fully with the president in any audit or review of the financial records.
3. Financial records shall be made available to all members in good standing upon request.

Section 4 – Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization is January 1 through December 31.

Section 5- Annual Budget

The annual budget of the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization shall be presented by the Treasurer at the annual meeting and approved by a majority of the votes cast.

Section 6. Disposition of Assets.

Should the Central Oregon Homebrewing Organization ever be dissolved or cease to exist, its financial assets remaining after payment of all debts and liabilities shall be distributed to a non-profit entity that is organized and operated exclusively for scientific, educational or community service purposes, and has established its ax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and the Revenue and Taxation Code. Priority shall be given to brewing-oriented educational organizations including, but not limited to, other home brewing organizations established in the State of Oregon.

ARTICLE IX - GENERAL PROHIBITIONS

1. No substantial part of the activities of the club shall consist of carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and shall not participate in or intervene in political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
2. COHO shall not be organized or operated for profit.

ARTICLE X - BY-LAWS ACCEPTANCE

Section 1 - Acceptance

These by-laws are accepted at the time of adoption by a majority vote of current members.

Section 2 - Amendments or Changes.

Any member or members may petition for a change or amendment to the by-laws. The petition must be presented in writing and introduced at a regular meeting. The proposed changes or amendments shall be published for review by the membership, in the newsletter or by an e-mail to all members, at least thirty days prior to the meeting at which the changes will be voted on as per Article IV, Section 2

Section 3 - Copies of Bylaws.

A copy of new or amended bylaws shall be posted to the club website within thirty (30) days of their approval and an e-mail message shall be sent to all members notifying the update.