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Constitution and By-laws

(as of February 23, 1960, revised 2002, revised May 15, 2007)

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PREAMBLE

The purpose of this Association is to promote the general welfare of the residents and property owners of the Sleepy Hollow Area, as defined herein, and to stimulate interest in the improvement of civic, educational, and other mutually beneficial activities for the betterment of the community and its residents.

In order that the Association may be governed properly and with decorum and good order, the residents and property owners of the Sleepy Hollow Area do hereby adopt this Constitution and By-Laws as the governing instrument for the Association and its members.

Article I. NAME

The name of the Association shall be "SLEEPY HOLLOW CITIZENS ASSOCIATION".

Article II. BOUNDARIES

The term "Sleepy Hollow Area", as used in this Constitution and By-Laws, means all of the territory included within the following boundaries: Beginning at the intersection of Aspen Lane and Sleepy Hollow Road, thence westerly and northerly along Aspen Lane to the intersection with Arlington, thence westerly along Arlington Boulevard to the intersection with South Street, thence in a southwesterly direction along South Street to the intersection with Holmes Run Road, thence along the exterior boundary of residential property on the West side of Holmes Run Road to the intersection with Sleepy Hollow Road, thence in a northerly direction along the west side of Sleepy Hollow Road to the intersection with Aspen Lane, the point of the beginning, with the exception of all properties zoned for commercial purposes.

Article III. MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1. Any resident of a household in the Sleepy Hollow Area, as defined in Article II, and any person owning real property in such area shall be able to enroll the household in the Association by payment of the annual dues. All residents of an enrolled household shall be members of the Association.

Section 2. Annual dues shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25) per household. The exact amount shall be set by vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Dues shall be payable during the annual membership drive held each fall and a household for which dues have not been paid by December 31 of each year shall be in arrears and not in good standing. Failure to pay the dues by December 31 shall bar residents of the household from voting on any matter that comes before the Association and from holding office in the Association. Residents of the household may be reinstated as members of the Association by payment of current and arrears dues at any time.

Section 4. Each household in good standing shall be entitled to one vote in the conduct of the Association's business.

Article IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. The Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2. The officers named in this Article and the delegates named in Article VI shall be elected at the March meeting of the Association by majority vote of the households represented and in good standing.

Section 3. At least thirty (30) days prior to the March meeting, the President shall appoint a Nomination Committee of three members to select a slate of candidates for presentation to the membership, provided, however, that additional nominations shall be permitted from the floor at the March meeting. The slate of candidates proposed by the Nomination Committee shall be published in The Legend, the official publication of the Association, at least five (5) days prior to the March meeting.

Section 4. Officers and Delegates shall take office on April 1 of the year elected and shall hold office for one year or until their successors shall have been elected and installed in accordance with this Constitution. The President shall not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms; other officers shall not serve more than four (4) consecutive terms in the same position.

Section 5. Vacancies caused by death or resignation, or any other cause, in the office of President and/or First Vice President shall be filled by automatic succession for the remainder of the term of office with the First Vice President succeeding the President and the Second Vice President succeeding the First Vice President.

Section 6. In the event of a vacancy caused by death or resignation, or any other cause, in the office of Second Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer, the President, with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive Committee, may appoint a member of a household in good standing to fill such vacancy until the next regular election.

Section 7. Any officer who shall absent himself from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Association may be held to have forfeited his office and his office may be declared vacant by a majority vote at a meeting of the Association. Such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with this Article.

Article V. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as are customarily a requisite of the Office of President. He shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

Section 2. The Vice Presidents, in their numerical precedence, shall, at the request of or in the absence of the President at any meeting, preside and exercise the powers and perform the duties of the President at such meeting.

Section 2.a. The First Vice President shall be responsible for the development and conduct of programs at the general membership meetings.

Section 2.b. The Second Vice President shall be responsible for membership activities, publishing the membership directory, and maintaining an up-to-date record of the Association's membership.

Section 3. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of each meeting of the Association and the Executive Committee, shall keep an official copy of the Constitution and By-Laws, and shall be custodian of all records of the Association not specifically delegated to some other official by the Constitution and By-Laws or by action of the Association. The Secretary is responsible for all correspondence of the Association not coming under the jurisdiction of another officer, shall keep a proper record of such correspondence, and shall record the results of all ballots and elections in the minutes.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all Association funds. The Treasurer shall pay bills and disburse funds in accordance with the annual budget adopted by the Association. The Treasurer shall keep accurate records of all receipts and disbursements and shall make regular reports to the Association and the Executive. The Treasurer, working in conjunction with the President and the Executive Committee, shall prepare the annual budget of the Association. At the end of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall prepare a statement of receipts and disbursements for submission to the Association.

Article VI. DELEGATES

Section 1. Two (2) delegates to the Fairfax Federation of Civic Associations and two (2) delegates to the Mason District Council of Citizen Associations shall be nominated and elected in the same manner and at the same time as officers of the Association.

Section 2. Whenever the Association is eligible to have representation other than as provided in Section 1, the delegates shall be appointed by the President.

Article VII. COMMITTEES

Section 1. The governing body of the Association shall be the Executive Committee which shall consist of the Officers named in Article IV, the immediate Past President, the Delegates named in Article VI, and the Chairs of the following Standing Committees: Safety and Security, Zoning and Land Use, Social Events, and Communications.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall consider and act upon all matters presented to the Committee, shall make recommendations to the Association, as appropriate, and shall conduct the business of the Association between Association meetings, provided, however, that the actions of the Executive Committee shall not conflict with previous actions taken by the Association. The Executive Committee shall adopt and submit for approval to the May meeting of the Association a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of each year and ending June 30 of the following year.

Section 3. The President of the Association may appoint such special committees and advisory committees as deemed appropriate.

Article VIII. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Association shall be held each calendar quarter, and may be held coincident with the Association's social events. The meeting for the first quarter shall be held in March, at which officers will be elected as called for by Article IV, Section 2. At least five (5) days prior to the meeting for the third quarter, a schedule of the date and time of the regular meetings shall be established by the Executive Committee and published in The Legend. Any changes to that schedule shall be published in The Legend at the earliest time.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President or Executive Committee at any time. On petition of at least one-fourth of the enrolled households in good standing, the President shall be duty bound to call a special meeting. Written notice of special meetings shall be provided at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

Section 3. At any regular or special meeting of the Association, a minimum of ten (10) households represented and in good standing at the meeting shall constitute a quorum for all purposes.

Section 4. At all meetings of the Association, the Executive Committee and any standing or special committee, decisions shall be made by majority vote of the households represented and in good standing, unless otherwise specifically provided in the Constitution and By-laws.

Article IX. CONDUCT OF MEETING

All meetings of the Association shall be conducted in accordance with the latest revision of Robert's Rules of Order, provided that they are not in conflict with any specific provisions of the Association's Constitution and By-Laws.

Article X. HISTORIAN

The President may appoint an Historian who shall continue to serve at the pleasure of succeeding Presidents.

Article XI. AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the represented and in good standing at any regular meeting provided that a written copy of the proposed amendment has been published in The Legend at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

Article XII. CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION

Interpretation of the Constitution and the By-laws, to the extent from time to time necessary, shall be made by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive Committee.