Constitution

Article I Name

The name of this organization shall be the Delpark Manor Civic Association.

Article II Purpose

Section I 

Objective: To provide a medium for cooperative action by the membership on matters of mutual interest, in order to make the community a better place in which to live.

Section II

The Association shall have no jurisdiction over the actions of its individual members.

Article III Territory

Delpark Manor shall include all that section of Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, State of Delaware, as bounded and described according to the plan of Delpark Manor as recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds in and for the County of New Castle.

Article IV Membership

Section I 

All adult residents of Delpark Manor are eligible for active membership.

Section II 

Active members shall be those who have accepted the Bylaws of the Association and have paid the dues.

Section III 

Active members shall be entitled to vote, hold office and to participate in the meetings and activities of the Association. Voting, however, shall be limited to two votes for each household.

Section IV

The Board of Directors shall have the power to confer honorary memberships in the Delpark Manor Civic Association.

Article V Officers and Representatives

Section I 

The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.

Section II 

Delpark Manor shall be divided into 10 districts as designated on the attached map. Each district shall have one representative. The representatives together with the Executive Committee shall constitute the Board of Directors.

Article VI Amendments

Section I 

An amendment to this Constitution or the Bylaws may be proposed at any meeting.

Section II 

The proposed amendment shall then be voted upon at two successive meetings of the Board of Directors.

Section III 

The Amendment shall then be voted upon by the members of the Association. A two-thirds majority of the active membership will be required to adopt the proposed amendment. 

Article I Officers

Section I Term and Election

The officers shall be elected by the members of the Association to serve a term of one year beginning with the month of June. The election shall take place one month prior to the beginning of the term.

Section II Vacancies

In case a vacancy occurs in any office, except that of President, that office shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors, and the person so appointed shall serve only to the end of the unexpired term. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President, who automatically becomes President for the unexpired term.

Section III Duties

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors. He/she shall execute in the name of the Association all contracts and agreements authorized by the Board which shall always be attested by the signatures of the President and the Secretary or Treasurer. He/she shall be ex-officio a member of all standing committees. The Presidency shall not be held by any member for more than two consecutive terms.

The Vice President shall perform the duties of the president in the latter’s absence or inability to attend to the same and shall assist the President in the performance of his/her duties.

The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors and shall record all votes. He/she shall see that proper notices are given of all meetings of the Association and of the Board.

The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate records of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Association. He/she shall deposit all monies to the credit of the Association in a suitable banking institution and shall disburse the funds as approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer, together with one other officer, shall sign all checks or vouchers.

Article II District Representatives

Section I Terms and Election

District Representatives should reside in the District they represent and shall be elected by the members in that District to serve a term of one year beginning with the month of June. Nominations shall be by any member of the district, or by the outgoing District Representative.

Section II Alternates

Each District Representative shall have the right to appoint an alternate to attend meetings of the Board of Directors and to cast his/her vote.

Section III Vacancies

In case of failure of a district to elect a representative, or in case a duly elected representative or his alternate fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors, the President, with the consent of the board, shall appoint an interim Representative of the District to serve until the next general election.

Section IV Duties

It shall be the duty of the District Representative to bring before the Board of Directors the opinions, suggestions and recommendations of the members in his/her District on all matters affecting the general welfare of the Association and to vote on behalf of his/her District on all matters acted upon by the Board.

Article III Recall

Any officer or director may be removed from office by the Board of Directors at a special meeting or by the members of the Association at a special meeting.

Article IV Committees

Section I Executive Committee

The four officers of the Association shall prepare the agenda for the Board of Directors’ meetings, scrutinize proposals for action by the Association and report to the Board on their recommendations. The President shall be chairman of the Committee.

No action of the Committee shall be binding on the Delpark Manor Civic Association without the vote of the Board.

Section II Financial Committee

Three members of the Association including the Treasurer, who shall not be chairman, shall constitute the Financial Committee. The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint the members of the committee and shall designate the chairman. This Committee shall arrange all budgets and shall review and assist in an advisory capacity all fundraising projects. No action of this Committee shall be binding without a vote of the Board. The Financial Committee shall arrange completion of an inventory of the assets of the Association and an audit of the books 30 days before each Annual Meeting of the Association.

Section III Election Committee

Three members of the Association shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, to conduct the annual election of officers and District Representatives. This committee shall be appointed at least three months before the Annual Meeting of the Association. The Election Committee shall prepare the slate of nominees for officers and District Representatives at least two weeks before the Annual Meeting.

Section IV Standing Committees

The Board of Directors shall create such standing committees as may be considered necessary to conduct the affairs of the Association. The chairman of all standing committees shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the board, to serve a term of one year. The chairman of the standing committees shall appoint their own committee members subject to a vote by the Board.

Section V Special Committees

The Board of Directors shall create such special or temporary committees as may be considered necessary. The chairman of such special committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. The Chairman of special committees shall appoint their own committee members subject to vote by the Board.

Section VI Dissolution of Committees

Any committee may be dissolved by the Board of Directors except the Executive Committee, Financial Committee and Election Committee, which committees may be dissolved only by amendment of the Bylaws.

Article V Dues

Dues in the amount specified by the Board of Directors shall be payable annually to the Treasurer or his/her agent on or before Jan. 1 for the fiscal year, which begins Jan. 1.

Article VI Meetings

Section I General Membership

A meeting of the members of the Association shall be held at least once annually in the month of May for the purpose of hearing the annual reports of the activities and the financial status of the Association and to elect officers for the new term.

Special meetings of the members of the Association may be called by the Board of Directors or by the President, if petitioned to do so by at least 10 percent of the members. Such meeting must be held within 30 days from the date of petition.

Section II Board of Directors

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held each month except during the months of July and August.

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or the Board.

Section III Quorum

At regular meetings of the members of the Association, any number may constitute a quorum, and a majority of those present is sufficient to carry a measure.

For special meetings of the members, one-tenth of the members of the Association are needed for a quorum, and the majority of these are sufficient to carry a measure.

At regular meetings of the Board of Directors, any number is sufficient to do business, and of these a simple majority is sufficient to carry a measure.

For special meetings of the Board, a quorum shall be one-half of the representatives, and of these a simple majority is sufficient to carry a measure.