Arizona Traditions Pickleball Club Bylaws 
Revised and adopted by the Club at the December 2, 2023 General Meeting.

Article I – Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Arizona Traditions Pickleball Club.

                 Club hours are 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM 7 days a week.

Article II – Purpose
Section 1. To promote, teach, and play the sport of Pickleball in a safe environment; to provide the opportunity for all club members and other AZT residents to learn and improve their play and encourage social Pickleball in the community.

Section 2. These bylaws willfully comply with the Arizona Traditions bylaws, and club rules, regulations, and procedures.  In the event of a conflict between these club bylaws, the governing documents of the AZT HOA shall prevail.

Section 3. This club shall be operated as a Non-Profit Organization in accordance with Arizona statutes, and the bylaws of the AZT HOA.  Nonprofit is defined as: With few exceptions, club income should not greatly exceed expenses (operating expenses and capital requirements) resulting in a net operating gain.  Where revenues do exceed expenses, the net gain should be used to foster continued club growth and activity.  Club dues may be adjusted to comply; the general membership must approve any other donations.

Article III – Membership

Section 1. All residents (per HOA/Charter Guidelines), who are in good standing with the Arizona Traditions Home Owners Association, and without discrimination as to race, religion, color, ethnic culture, or national heritage, are eligible for membership. Neither shall there be any precondition for membership, nor will members be required to join any national, state, or regionally affiliated organization.  Each club member shall have one vote.  The length of residence shall not be used to determine membership qualification.

The AZT HOA/Charter Guidelines dated September 2022 state a resident is “Owners, lessees or renters of residences in Arizona Traditions and including a tenant, spouse, parent, child, significant other or any other person who resides in the Community but is not on the deed.”

Section 2. Members shall abide by the AZT Pickleball Bylaws and Rules and Guidelines for Pickleball Court Play.

Section 3. Membership will be terminated by: (1) voluntary withdrawal, (2) non-payment of their dues or assessments, (3) violations of the provisions of these bylaws, and (4) violation of published rules, guidelines and regulations established by the AZT Homeowners Association.

Section 4. Guests

During fall/winter club time, 7-11 am guests shall:

• Follow HOA/Charter Guidelines.
• Abide by the AZT Rules and Guidelines of Play.
  
• Be residing / visiting in your home.
  
• Be accompanied by a club member or resident.
  
• Only play on Court 6.
  

Non-residents and guests that are not visiting in your home shall not be allowed 
to play during club time in the fall / winter season.

Section 5. Member Code of Conduct:

Upon receipt of a discriminatory conduct violation the AZT Pickleball Board shall conduct a thorough and confidential investigation with all parties. The alleged violator shall receive written notice that the incident merits no further discussion or receive a written notice setting forth a sanction to be imposed.

Sanctions: (The current Board shall decide the progression of the sanctions if an additional offense occurs prior to the end of the previous offense. The current Board will decide the length of termination after the 3rd offense.)

1st offense:
 The violator shall receive a warning and probation for one month.

2nd offense:
The violator shall be suspended from the club for two weeks.

3rd offense:
The violator’s club membership will be terminated. 

Article IV – Meetings

Section 1. There will be a minimum of three (3) general meetings per year. Dates and times determined by current needs. Notification will be made 7 days in advance of all general meetings.

Section 2. Special general meetings shall be called by the President or upon request of at least five club members.   Such meetings shall take place within 7 days and members must have at least a 3-day notice given regarding time, place, and agenda of the meeting.

Section 3. An Annual Meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing officers, setting fees, and general planning for the season’s activities.  Only club members in good standing will be eligible to vote.  A quorum shall consist of at least three Officers and 10% of the club membership. Once a quorum is established, a vote can be passed by the majority of members present at that meeting.  Voting procedure will be by show of hands, voice, written, or email ballot.

Section 4. The conduct of all Pickleball Club general meetings will not be required to follow Roberts Rules of Order but the intent of Roberts Rules of Order will be followed as stated below.  This will ensure all Pickleball Club members can voice their opinions and suggestions for consideration by the officers.

The meeting shall be called to order by the president.

During any Pickleball Club general meeting, any Pickleball Club member in good standing can make a motion.  If the motion is seconded by another Pickleball club member in good standing the president must allow consideration of the motion. i.e.,

• Members in good standing can debate the motion.
• The maker of the motion has the first right to the floor if he/she claims it.
  
• Debate must be confined to the merits of the motion.
  
• Each speaker shall be provided a reasonable amount of time to present his/her opinions.
  

When debating the motion:

• Listen to the other side
• Focus on the issues, not personalities
  
• Avoid questioning motive
  
• Avoid interrupting the speaker
  
• Be polite
  

After all members have had the opportunity to express their opinion the president shall have the officers vote (or all club members that require it) on the motion as presented by the author or modified by the author.  Prior to the vote the secretary must read the motion as it will appear in the minutes.

Delaying the vote shall not be allowed unless the author agrees.

The meeting shall be terminated via a motion and favorable vote by the officers.

Secretary shall record minutes of the meeting from the call to order to the adjournment.  The voting on any motion must be documented by name.   The minutes shall be distributed to the membership via email within two weeks.

Similar conduct will also be followed at the annual meeting.

Article V – Dues

Section 1. The amount of membership dues shall be determined annually by the officers and ratified by the membership. 

Dues should be paid by January 1 each year

The Treasurer will email the club secretary the names of members who have not paid

The Club secretary will send an email to those members to determine if they will continue as club members.
If yes, they have 5 business days to pay their dues
If no, their contact information will be removed from the club email list

Per the AZT club charter policy, each club member has equal rights, responsibilities, and obligations including equal membership dues.  

The yearly membership dues shall be the same for each club member.   If the Pickleball Club sponsors a yearly dinner, the dues shall include the cost of one dinner for that member.  If one non-member spouse or significant other of a member wants to attend the dinner, a fee that covers the one dinner cost shall be assessed.  A former member that can’t play due to health reasons or any other reason can attend the dinner for the same dinner fee.  This dinner fee should cover the cost of the dinner, with no significant profit or loss to the cub.

Article VI – Officers and Their Duties

Section 1. The officers shall consist of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director.  Any active member of the Club is eligible to run for these offices. 

Section 2. Terms of office shall be two years from January 1 to December 31.  Officers may serve no more than one consecutive term. At the end of the term the officers will not be able to serve or run for any other office for one year.

Section 3. If an officer resigns, he or she will not be able to run for any office for one year unless the resignation was due to illness or unforeseen circumstances.

Vacancies in any office may be filled by the president and ratified by a majority of the members at the next scheduled general meeting.

Section 4. The term of any club officer may be terminated by the board or general membership per the following procedures.

Any club officer can be removed from office with a petition signed by over 50% of the Pickleball members in good standing. or Executive Committee Any club officer can be removed from office with a positive vote from at least 3 club officers.

Section 5: Duties of Officers

A. President shall:

• Assume Club leadership
• Be spokesperson for the Club   
  
• Preside over all Club general meetings
  
• Call special meetings as needed
  
• Appoint chairs of committees
  
• Coordinate with AZT/HOA officials and other clubs
  
• Be responsible for reviewing “Guidelines and Rules” for Club’s for safety concerns
  
• Be responsible for requirements not covered by the Club Bylaws
  
•  Appoint a club member to manage the Hold My Court online sports system that includes ladders, online play schedule, and court reservation systems
  
• Appoint a club member to facilitate the guest policy
  
• Appoint a club member to manage the commemorative brick program
  
• Appoint a club member to be the Social Director
  
• Appoint a club member to be Webmaster for our website.
  

 B.  Vice President shall:

• Assume the duties of the President in his/her absence.
• Assist the President concerning Club functions as necessary.
  
• Be responsible for Traditions Today article due in by the 15th of the month.
  
• Ensure the Pickleball Club is compliant with the AZT Charter Club Policy.
  
• Ensure members and guests are abiding to the Rules and Guidelines of play.
  
• Facilitate the program to have club name tags.
  

C.  Secretary shall:

• Record minutes of the Board and Club meetings.
• Be responsible for determining if a quorum exists at meetings.
  
• Notify AZT HOA of changes to the officers.
  
• Send via email and post Club notices to all Club members. The email list shall not be given to any outside party.
  
• Notify AZT HOA each new term via email the contact information for the Board Members within 14 days of the beginning of their term.
  
• Transfer the Club's current email account and password to the successor.
  
• Ensure new members complete the Application Form and Waiver.
  
• Email new members a welcome package that includes the Club Website to introduce them to the Charter Club Policy Bylaws, Play Schedule, Rules, and Guidelines of play.
  
• Email the new club members' contact information to the Board Members.
  
• Ensure members and guests are abiding by the Charter Club Policy and Rules and Guidelines of play.
  
• Maintain and update Club roster.
  
• Transfer all records to the successor upon completion of term.
  

D.  Treasurer shall:

• Collect and record club dues.
• Disburse all funds.
  
• Provide a monthly detailed financial report to the Board.
  
• Submit year-end financial reports to AZT HOA.
  
• Submit year-end financial report to the Club Members at the Annual Meeting.
  
• Assure compliance with the Charter Club Policy pertaining to financial reports.
  
• Ensure members and guests are abiding by the Charter Club Policy and Rules and Guidelines of play.               
  

E.   Director shall:   

• Be responsible for any tasks assigned by the president.
• Advise of conformity to Charter Club Policy, Bylaws, and Rules and Guidelines of play.
  
• Ensure members and guests are abiding by the Charter Club Policy and Rules and Guidelines of play.
  
• Have experience with Club policies and practices.
  

 
Article VII – Nominations:    

Section 1. Nominating Committee:

A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.  The committee shall consist of at least three (3) members. The nominating committee participants will be announced via email from the Club Secretary. 

The nominating committee will be responsible for obtaining a bio from each candidate thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting. The nominating committee will forward the bios to the Club Secretary.  The Secretary will email the bios to the membership 20 days prior to the annual meeting. The nominations are closed.

The nominating committee shall advise the candidates the duties required for each office they are interested in occupying.

Officers are not allowed to serve on the Nominating Committee. Persons serving on the nominating committee may not be nominated to office. 

Section 2. Election

The President shall ensure all club members have the means to vote in the election of officers. 

A. One candidate running for each office:

The chairman of the Nominating Committee presents the candidates for each office at the Annual Meeting. Nominations for the election closed 20 days prior to the Annual Meeting. (See Article VIII Section 1).  Nominations from the floor or write in nominations are not allowed.  The nominating committee is discharged from its duties. 

B.  More than one candidate running for an office:

The chairman of the Nominating Committee presents the candidates for each office at the Annual Meeting. Nominations for the election closed 20 days prior to the Annual Meeting.  (See Article VIII Section 1).  Nominations from the floor or write-in nominations are not allowed. Paper ballots will be available to Club Member to vote for the candidate of their choice. The ballots will include the names of the candidates for each office. There may be offices that are uncontested. The nominating committee will collect the sealed ballots.

The President shall ensure all club members have the means to vote in the election of officers.

Club members that are not present at the meeting may vote via email to the nominating committee. The Secretary shall send an inquiry to the membership 14 days prior to the election date to determine the members that will vote via email. The Nominating Committee shall email ballots to those members. The email vote shall be accepted no later than the day of the Annual Meeting.

The nominating committee shall tally the paper ballots and the email ballots.  All nominating committee members shall be present during the vote tally. The nominating committee shall email the results of the election to the Pickleball Board President no more than 3 days after the election. The nominating committee is discharged from its duties. 

The President will notify the board of the election results. The President will notify the candidates of the election results.

The Club Secretary will email the election results to the membership.

Article VIII – Fiscal Year

Section 1. The fiscal year of the Club shall start the 1st day of January and shall end on the 31st day of December same year.

Article IX – Amendments

Section 1. The bylaws may be amended by two-thirds majority vote of the members in attendance, with an explanation and discussion of the proposed changes.

Article X – Conflict of Documents

Section 1. In the case of any conflict between any part of these bylaws and the CC&R’s, Articles of Incorporation, or Bylaws of Arizona Traditions Homeowners Association, that part of these bylaws shall be inoperative.

Article XI – Dissolution

Section 1. On dissolution of the club, all funds remaining in the treasury shall be distributed equally among other AZT clubs.

Section 2. Any equipment loaned to the club shall be returned to the lender.  All other equipment purchased or donated to the club shall be given to the AZT Activities director for use of AZT residents.

Bylaws