Standing Rules
The club shall meet on the second Tuesday of the month from October to May. The executive board shall meet on the first Tuesday of the month from October to May. Annual dues are currently fixed at $25.
Only the president may send emails to the membership and must approve all posts on the website. Email, website or meeting announcements may not be used for promoting private business or personal opinions of members.
The budget shall include funds for the purchase of cards to be sent on the occasion of illness or death of a member or spouse.
Each committee shall submit a budget request to the treasurer by March 1.
Plant sale proceeds shall be used for the purchase of door prizes and other special items for the meetings.
The May meeting shall be the official Annual Meeting at which officers are installed, awards presented and the budget approved.
Under no circumstances is Shell Islands Garden Club’s contact information to be used for an unauthorized solicitation from a business, for a personal opinion or message of a political nature.
Shell Islands Garden Club History
In the summer of 1992 Betty Cattell suggested forming an island garden club to the Island Seniors. She, along with Hulda Walters, Jane Hale and Olivia Duane, obtained the information from the Federation of Garden Clubs necessary to start a club.
November 17, 1992 was the first meeting at the Community Center with 12 in attendance. Dues were $10. The name Shell Islands Garden Club was selected.
The charter was approved with 21 signatures in December 1992. Officers were Betty Cattell, president; Hulda Walters, vice-president; Olivia Duane, secretary-treasurer and Jane Hale, special events. Instrumental in the Garden Club’s development, in addition to the original founders and officers, were Helen Ann Browning, Ann Deignan, Nancy Gravenhorst, Jean Hallstead, Marjorie Herbert, Mary Jo Kirkpatrick, Jean Klein, Ann Nazaraw, Lily Smith, Lucy Teare, and Betty Tovell.
The club met at the Community Center until it could not meet there because of its Federation status. The members then met at the clubhouse at Lighthouse Condominiums, the old Sanibel Library and in private homes. Requiring more space for a growing group, members met at Sanibel’s new library. With continuing growth in membership, the Shell Islands Garden Club now meets at the newly refurbished island Community House.
The Garden Club motto is: “Gardening is good for the soul.” The club’s flower is the hibiscus.
The purpose of the club is to study the art of flower arranging, to encourage all phases of home gardening, to promote better horticulture practices and to help conserve our natural resources.
Bylaws: Shell Islands Garden Club
(Revised 2018)
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be Shell Islands Garden Club.
Article II – Purpose
The purposes of this organization shall be to encourage all phases of gardening, to promote best horticultural practices, to study the art of flower arranging, to help conserve natural resources and to promote environmental responsibility.
Article III – Membership
Section 1. Anyone interested in the purposes of the club is invited to join by completing a membership application and paying the required dues. All members are expected to participate in activities and projects of the club and attend meetings regularly.
Section 2. Guests - Members may bring guests to any regular meeting. Guests are invited to attend two meetings per year. Membership dues are required to be paid after attending two meetings.
Section 3. Honorary Member - Honorary lifetime membership may be bestowed upon a longtime member who has been a faithful volunteer for many years. Honorary lifetime members are entitled to all the privileges of individual members but are exempt from paying dues.
An honorary lifetime membership shall be conferred after a two-‐-‐-‐thirds vote of the members of the Executive Board.
Article IV – Dues
Section 1. The amount of annual dues shall be fixed by the board and voted on by the membership.
Section 2. Dues are payable by May 31 Membership will expire if not paid by May 31.
Section 3. Dues paid by a person wishing to join after March 1st will be applied to the next fiscal year.
Article V – Officers
Section 1. Elected officers of the club shall be President, 1st Vice President/Programs, 2nd Vice President/Hospitality, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary. These officers constitute the Executive Board.
Section 2. Elected officers shall have been members one year and the president shall have regularly attended Executive Board meetings for a minimum of one year.
Section 3. President, First Vice President/Programs, and Corresponding Secretary shall be elected in even number years. Second Vice President/Hospitality, Treasurer and Recording Secretary shall be elected in odd number years.
Section 4. The term of office shall be 2 years. An officer may serve for no more than two consecutive terms in the same office.
Section 5. Vacancies - A vacancy in the office of president shall be automatically filled by the First Vice President/Programs. The person named to fill the vacancy serves until the end of the term remaining.
Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Board with the exception of President may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by a majority vote of the remaining members on the board.
Article VI – Elections
Section 1. A nominating committee of three members shall be appointed by the president, approved by the Executive Board and presented at the November meeting.
Section 2. The nominating committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each office at the January meeting. There may be nominations from the floor with the consent of the nominee. A member of the nominating committee may be named as a candidate for office.
Section 3. The election shall take place at the February meeting of each year.
Section 4. If there is one candidate for each office then acceptance of the slate shall be by show of hands. If there is more than one candidate for any office then voting shall be by ballot. Ballots will be counted by two tellers, appointed by the president.
Section 5. The new officers will be installed at the May meeting and will take office at the end of business at the May meeting.
Article VII – Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall be the principal executive officer, with responsibility for supervising the affairs of the club. The President shall preside at all meetings, shall appoint all committee chairs with the approval of the Executive Board, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominations committee. The President shall notify members of meetings via email.
Section 2. The 1st Vice President shall assist the President and shall assume all duties of the President during the President's absence or inability to serve. The 1st Vice President shall plan and arrange programs and workshops for the club, subject to the approval of the Executive Board and in accordance with the interests of the membership.
Section 3. The 2nd Vice President shall plan and arrange for refreshments and decorations at each monthly meeting.
Section 4. The Corresponding Secretary shall handle all general correspondence of the club including get well, sympathy and thank you cards.
Section 5. The Recording Secretary shall keep accurate records of the club's general membership meetings and shall send the minutes to members via email. The Recording Secretary shall also keep records of the Executive Board meetings and send the minutes to Board members via email.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all revenues received by the club, shall deposit the funds in a bank approved by the Executive Board, shall pay all bills incurred by the club, shall keep accurate financial records, and shall maintain a record of club membership. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget for approval by the Executive Board and general membership and shall publish monthly financial reports.
Article VIII – Meetings
Section 1. Regular membership meetings shall be held on a monthly basis.
Section 2. For the purpose of conducting business, 25% of the total membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3. Notice of all general membership meetings shall be sent to all members by email.
Article IX – Executive Board
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of elected officers and the immediate past President who shall serve in a non voting advisory capacity.
Section 2. Four members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall meet on a monthly basis before the general membership meeting.
Section 4. The executive board shall: transact the business of the club between general membership meetings, direct committees and approve general membership programs.
Article X – Standing Committees
Section 1. The President shall appoint standing committee chairs with the approval of the Executive Board. The chairs shall serve for a term of 2 years beginning at the May meeting when the president is installed.
Section 2. Standing Committees shall be the following:
Nominating – (See Article 6)
Membership – The committee shall be responsible for maintaining an accurate membership roster, a list for submission in the annual yearbook, and for providing nametags for meetings.
Horticulture – The committee shall be responsible for horticulture education.
Floral – The committee shall be responsible for floral design, education and library flowers
Publicity/Historian – The committee shall be responsible for reporting club programs to the media including photographs where appropriate and maintaining a notebook of published articles. All communication shall be subject to the approval of the President.
Yearbook – The committee shall be responsible for the collecting of information and photographs, layout and editing of the yearbook. Subject to the approval of the President, the yearbook shall be distributed at the October meeting.
Article XI – Special Committees
Section 1. The president shall appoint special committee chairs as necessary.
Section 2. Special committees may include: Flower Show, Library Christmas Tree, Beautification, Art in Bloom, Bylaws, Fundraising and Donations.
Section 3. The Donations Committee shall consist of five members including the President. The committee shall meet in November of each year to determine the organizations to which donations are to be made and the level of funding for each. The total amount of all donations shall be specified in the annual budget approved the previous May. The organizations selected to receive donations shall be related to the purposes of the Shell Islands Garden Club.
Article XII – Finance
Section 1. Operating expenses shall be covered by collection of dues and an annual fundraiser.
Section 2. The treasurer shall submit a budget proposal for the subsequent fiscal year for approval at the April Executive Board meeting. The budget shall be presented to the membership for approval at the May general membership meeting.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall designate the financial institution in which the funds of the club shall be deposited. The funds shall be deposited in the name of the club and shall be subject to withdrawal as authorized by resolution of the Executive Board. Signature cards will include the name of the Treasurer and the President.
Section 4. The fiscal year shall begin on June 1 and end on May 31.
Section 5. The Treasurer’s books shall be submitted for audit on an annual basis after the May meeting.
Article XIII – Parliamentary Authority
The President shall name a Parliamentarian who will see that the rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws. The Parliamentarian advises the President and the club at the meetings as needed and insures that the club’s rules are followed.
Article XIV – Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the club any remaining assets shall be distributed to another organization of similar as approved by the Executive Board.
Article XV – Amendment of the Bylaws
Section 1. The Executive Board shall review and approve proposed amendments to the Bylaws before they are submitted to the membership.
Section 2. Members will be notified in writing thirty days prior to a vote on a proposed amendment to the Bylaws.
Section 3. A two-thirds vote of the members present at a general membership meeting is required to approve an amendment to the Bylaws.