BeaufortRadioAmateurGroup

W4BFT

Beaufort, SC

Constitution & Bylaws:

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Beaufort Radio Amateur Group (BRAG)
Constitution & Bylaws
Preamble
We, the undersigned, wishing to secure for ourselves the pleasure and benefits of an association of persons interested in Amateur Radio, constitute ourselves as the Beaufort Radio Amateur Group and enact this Constitution as our governing document. The purpose of this organization is to further the exchange of information and cooperation between members, promote radio knowledge and fraternalism, improve individual operating efficiency, and conduct programs and activities that advance the general interest and welfare of amateur radio within the community.
Constitution
Be it known that we, the subscribers, do hereby associate ourselves as a body politic
and corporate according to the Laws of the State of South Carolina, regulating the
formation and organization of non-profit corporations without capital stock, and the following is our Constitution:

Article I
The name of this organization is Beaufort Radio Amateur Group (BRAG), Incorporated,
hereinafter referred to as the Club.

Article II
This Constitution and Bylaws are adopted to bring the functions and operations of the
Club up to date, superseding and repealing all like instruments, including but not limited to the Constitution and Bylaws adopted June 4, 2007.

Article III
The goals of this Club are to:
• Promote interest in amateur radio communications and experimentation.
• Provide the services of amateur radio operators in times of disaster.
• Improve operator skills.
• Expand the reservoir of trained operators and technicians.
• Enhance international goodwill.
• Advance the radio art within the community and promote further public welfare.
• Foster and promote intercommunications by electronic means for the personal benefit of members, but without pecuniary gain.
• Foster education and skills in the field of electronic communication (both communication and technical).
• Disseminate knowledge and information by electronic means.

Article IV
No part of the assets of the Club shall be the property of any individual member, and all
such assets shall be devoted exclusively to the goals outlined in Article III. No member
of the Club shall use such membership for personal gain. In the event of dissolution of
the Club, all assets shall be liquidated, and all proceeds donated to the ARRL
Foundation, Newington, Connecticut.

Article V
The principal office of the Club shall be maintained at the address of the Club President or elsewhere as may be determined by a majority of the Executive Committee, provided due written notice shall be given to the membership at least thirty days before any change.

Article VI
The officers of the Club shall be the President, the Trustee of the Club repeater (s), the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer, who shall be elected or appointed as provided by the Bylaws. The affairs of the Club shall be governed by an Executive Committee consisting
of the officers of the Club, the Immediate Past President, and two At-Large members elected as
provided by the Bylaws. All members of the Executive Committee shall be qualified as
provided by the Bylaws. No member may serve in two elected positions simultaneously.

Article VII
The Club shall have one or more classes of membership as provided by the Bylaws.
The Bylaws shall provide the privileges, requirements, and qualifications for
membership in such classes.

Article VIII
These Articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of all voting members of the Club
or, provided due notice of the proposed amendment shall have been posted on the
website or emailed at least thirty days before the regularly scheduled meeting of the
Club at which such proposed amendment is to be voted upon, by a two-thirds vote of
the voting members present at such a meeting, provided a quorum as defined in the By-
Laws are present.

Due notice for the modification of the Constitution shall be made known to members of
the Club through the preceding regular meeting, or by email to the Club members.

Duly adopted this 9th day of May 2026 by a majority vote of attending members.
Beaufort Radio Amateur Group, Inc.

By:
Harry Johansen (W4HLJ), Secretary
James Campbell (KB9LX), President
Signatures on file

BYLAWS
2026 BRAG Bylaws Adopted May 9, 2026

MEMBERSHIP
1. Under Article VII of the Club Constitution, the following are Beaufort Radio Amateur Group memberships and their requirements and benefits: Full Member, Family Membership, and Associate Member.

1.1. Membership in BRAG shall consist of three categories: full, family, and associate membership. To become a member of the BRAG, one must satisfy the following requirements:

FULL MEMBERSHIP
1. Hold a current, valid Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amateur radio license or a license issued by a foreign country of which they are a citizen, and the government of said country has entered into a bilateral or multilateral reciprocal operating agreement with the United States.
2. Show an interest in BRAG by regular use of the repeater using practices which conform to good amateur practices as established by the National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) and attending and taking part in meetings and/or functions of BRAG.
3. Direct a formal application for membership to the secretary of the BRAG. Anyone applying for membership at any general meeting will not be considered a full member of the BRAG until after the conclusion of that meeting and after processing of the application by the secretary and treasurer.
4. Pay annual dues.

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
1. Family membership shall include Full Membership privileges for all immediate family members who hold a valid Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amateur radio license.
2. Immediate family includes only members living in the same household listed with the primary member.
3. Each such member shall have one vote.
4. Pay annual dues.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
1. Register on BRAG website at http://w4bft.com.
2. Show an interest in BRAG by attending and taking part in meetings and/or functions of the BRAG.
3. Individuals studying for an Amateur Radio license
4. Other interested persons

VOTING PRIVILEGES
1. Only full and family members will be considered active voting members of BRAG, and their dues must be paid in full.

2. The Executive Committee will be able to waive a member’s dues in special cases.

3. Annual membership dues are payable and due when a member joins the Club and annually. Membership dues may be prorated at the discretion of the Committee (or Treasurer) for individuals joining the organization after the commencement of the fiscal year. Prorated dues shall be calculated on a monthly basis, with the amount due determined by the number of full months remaining in the current membership year at the time of application. Members joining during the final quarter of the fiscal year may, at the Committee's discretion, have their dues applied toward the following membership year. No proration shall apply to membership renewals. The Committee reserves the right to waive or adjust dues in individual cases where circumstances warrant, provided such adjustments are applied in a fair and consistent manner.

3.1. The Executive Committee shall set the annual dues amount before the end of the
calendar year and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at
a regularly scheduled Club meeting.

4. Members whose dues are in arrears shall be carried on the Club roster ninety (90)
days past their renewal date, whereupon membership shall automatically terminate.

5. Any member may be expelled from the Club for just cause.

5.1. Such expulsion will be based upon a two-thirds vote of the voting members present
at a regularly scheduled Club meeting.

OFFICERS

6. All Officers and At-Large Executive Committee Members of the Club shall be voting members and shall have held such membership for at least six (6) months before election or appointment to office. All Officers shall not be under eighteen (18) years of age. No more than one member of a family household may hold an Officer or At-Large member position.

7. Each Officer or Committee member may serve and continue in office until a successor has been elected or appointed, except as Section 25 of the Bylaws provides.

8. All Officers and At-Large Members shall serve without compensation except for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred as part of their duties, per the approval of the Executive
Committee.

9. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and of the
Club, shall be subject to instructions from the Executive Committee, and shall be the official
spokesperson for the Club, shall co-sign with the Treasurer all checks in amounts of
$50.01 and greater, shall execute all official documents adopted by the Club and shall perform all other duties customarily of the office. The President shall represent the Club in its relationship with the public and governmental agencies.

10. In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall act in the President’s stead.

11. The Secretary shall record the proceedings of all meetings of the Executive Committee and the Club, shall submit a summary of the proceedings at each Club meeting, and by email prior to the next meeting, shall maintain the Club’s archives, shall maintain the corporate status of the Club, shall file all non-financial reports and certificates that may be required of the Club by the laws of the State of South Carolina and shall perform all other duties customarily of the office, or the President may assign that.

12. The Treasurer shall receive all monies due the Club, depositing such in the name of the Club in a depository specified by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall draw and co-sign with the President checks in payment of obligations in amounts of $50.01 or greater known to be proper and authorized by the Executive Committee, and shall draw and sign alone checks in payment of obligations that occur regularly in amounts of $50.00 or less known to be proper and authorized by the Executive Committee.

12.1. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for developing an annual budget for the upcoming calendar year. The proposed budget shall be prepared in advance of and presented to the membership at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the calendar year, prior to the commencement of the new calendar year. The budget shall reflect anticipated revenues and expenditures for the upcoming year and shall be subject to review and approval by the membership in attendance at said meeting. Once approved, the budget shall serve as the financial guide for Club operations for the ensuing calendar year. Any significant deviation from the approved budget shall require prior authorization by the Executive Committee.

12.2. The Treasurer shall also provide updates at regular Club meetings with a summary
of account information, file any appropriate financial reports with the state and/or federal government, and supervise and invest any surplus funds of the Club prudently with the approval of the Executive Committee, and shall perform all other duties customarily of the office that the President may assign.

13. The Trustee shall be responsible for the operation of the Club repeater(s).

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

14. The Executive Committee shall be constituted as provided in Article VI of the Club
Constitution. Election shall be included in Sections 22 through 26 of the Bylaws.

15. The Executive Committee shall hold an open meeting at least bi-monthly at a time,
place, and manner designated by the President. The President or a majority of the
members of the Executive Committee may call a special meeting of the Executive
Committee at any time. The Secretary shall notify each member of the Executive
Committee at least seven (7) days before such meeting. A majority of the members of
the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Executive
Committee.

CLUB MEETINGS

16. The Club shall meet bi-monthly at a time designated by the Executive Committee. All meetings will be held in the vicinity of Beaufort, South Carolina, at a time, place, and manner designated by the Executive Committee and will make such notices as appropriate. Meetings on federal and state holidays will be rescheduled as per the direction of the Executive Committee.

17. A quorum, determined by roll call, shall consist of one-tenth of the voting members
of the Club. If a quorum is not present at a regular or special meeting, the only official
action that can be taken is to adjourn.

18. No matter deemed substantive by the presiding officer may be voted upon, although it may be introduced and debated, unless it has been presented at a regular Club meeting. The President’s decision may be overruled only by two-thirds of the eligible voting members present; in this case, the matter must be acted upon within the next two consecutive regularly scheduled monthly Club meetings.

19. The President must call special meetings of the Club upon written petition of at least twenty-five percent of the full members. The Secretary shall ensure due notice is sent by email and social media to the membership of the time, place, manner, and subject at least ten (10) days in advance of such a meeting.

20. The provisions of Robert’s Rules of Order shall prevail on questions of order or
procedure not covered by the Bylaws and/or Club Constitution.

ELECTIONS

21. Annual elections shall be held at the Club meeting in November. At this meeting, the membership shall elect the President, the Trustee, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and two At-Large Committee members.

21.1. Nominations shall be made by a Nominating Committee appointed by the Executive Committee and presented by the President. Nominations shall also be solicited from the floor at the October meeting, and a list of potential Candidates for office shall be published on the Club’s website fourteen (14) days before the November meeting, during which elections will be held.

21.2. Club members who cannot attend the November meeting in person may request
an absentee ballot from the Club Secretary. The ballot must be received at the Club
address before the November meeting, and the rear of the envelope must have
the member’s signature.

21.3. At the November regular Club meeting, additional nominations will be solicited
from the floor before voting. Additional nominations will be vetted against the current
Club roster.

21.4. The vote shall be by in-person secret ballot of verified members in good standing
and tabulated by at least three disinterested members. Absentee ballots of members in
good standing will be authenticated against the Club roster and checked against Club
members who are present.

21.5. After confirmation of the absentee ballots, the ballot envelope will be opened, and
the ballot will be included with all secret ballots taken during the meeting. The candidate
receiving the majority of valid votes will be declared the winner. Without a majority, the
two candidates with the most votes shall participate in a run-off election at that meeting.

22. Elected and appointed Officers and Committee members shall take office on the first day of the following year. To facilitate the transition of leadership, all newly elected Officers and
Committee members will be invited to all meetings for the remainder of the current calendar year.

23. At-Large members of the Committee shall serve terms of two years. One shall be elected in the even-numbered years, and one shall be elected in the odd-numbered years. If more than two positions are vacant, those elected shall draw straws to determine who shall serve for one year
terms.

24. In the event of a vacancy in any elected office, whether by resignation, removal, or
In the lack of a willing nominee, the Executive Committee, by a majority vote, shall appoint a
qualified member to such office. At no time shall any member of the Executive
Committee have two or more votes, such as those given him or her by proxy for
another member.

25. An Officer or Committee member may be removed from office before the expiration of his or her term of office by a vote of two-thirds of the voting membership present at a regular or
special meeting called for such a purpose. Any voting member of the Executive Committee may make a motion for such removal.

25.1. An Officer or Committee member position shall be considered vacant if the holder is absent
from three (3) consecutive Executive Committee or Regular Club meetings or five (5)
such meetings in one calendar year.

OTHER MATTERS

26. With the approval of the rest of the Executive Committee, the President may appoint
such committees as may be needed for the proper operation of the Club. Such
committees shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee.

27. The Club shall maintain an official website, which will provide a forum for the Club
information such as meeting minutes, financial reports, upcoming elections/nominees,
training opportunities, Club activities, and notice of any impending action required by the

Bylaws.

28. The Beaufort Radio Amateur Group (BRAG) is a voluntary association of individuals participating in Amateur Radio activities.

The organization assumes no liability for:
• Injury to members or their families
• Loss or damage to personal equipment
• Incidents occurring during scheduled or unscheduled activities conducted for the benefit of the organization.

29. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of all voting members of the
Club, or, provided due notice of the proposed amendment shall have been posted on
the website or emailed at least thirty days before the regularly scheduled meeting of the
Club at which such proposed amendment is to be voted upon, by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at such a meeting.

Duly adopted this 9th day of May, 2026, by a majority vote of attending members.

Beaufort Radio Amateur Group (BRAG).

By:

Harry Johansen (W4HLJ), Secretary

James Campbell (KB9LX), President

Signatures on file.