[Name of Market] Farmers’ Market
By-Laws
Adopted [date of adoption]
Revised [date(s) of any revisions or amendments]
Article 1 – Formal Title
What is the official name of the organization that operates the market.
Article 2 – Purpose
Why does the organization exist? What is its purpose and/or mission?
Article 3 – Membership
Qualifications for becoming a member. [Who can apply, not who is guaranteed membership.]
Responsibilities of membership. [pay dues, act responsibly, show up at market, etc.]
Article 4 – Steering Committee: Officers and their Duties defined
How the makeup Steering Committee is determined [by election?].
Who is eligible for the Committee [current market members only?]
What are the offices of the organization and what are their duties and responsibilities. [Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Market Master, etc.]
Length of terms of office [elected annually?].
Should the Committee include members with no specific duties? [at-large positions]
Can the Steering Committee create other ad hoc or standing committees [or do the Steering Committee members have to do everything themselves?]?
Article 5 – Meetings
Time period during which at least one meeting of the organization must take place [for example, between December and April].
Purpose of that meeting. [standard agenda to which other items to be added]
Member privileges, number of votes per membership.
Define quorum required for meeting to be valid. [See Quorums discussion on the Intro page.] Amount of prior notice required. [One week? Two? A month?
Article 6 – Records
Are the records of the organization open to all members? [If yes, say so.]
What records shall be kept? [Treasurer’s report, meeting minutes and decisions made.]
Article 7 – Dues and Liquidation
How are the dues to be set (not the amount, but the procedure) and who they should be paid to. [Treasurer? Membership coordinator?]
Penalty for failure to pay dues.
What will happen to the organization’s assets upon dissolution of the organization? [Distributed among current membership? Donated to local non-profit?]
What about non-cash assets (signs, tables, tents, etc.)?
Article 8 – Amendments
How amendments to the by laws are to be made; amount of prior notice given; percentage vote required to pass amendments.
Page created and maintained by Tom Roberts
Created: 9-Mar-2008.