Bylaws

On 19 October, 2016 Stony Point Grange officially adopted revised bylaws, effective immediately.

Article 1 Meetings

  • The bi-monthly grange meetings shall be held on the first and third Thursday of each month, starting at 6:30pm
    Meeting date(s), time(s) and/or location(s) may be altered, on an as needed basis, by vote of the Grange (or by the Master and Execute Committee if a full meeting cannot be convened in time).
  • A special meeting may be called by the Master or, in their absence the Overseer, when deemed necessary for the good of the order.
  • Any and all appropriate measures must be taken to ensure all Members of the Grange are aware of any alterations to the standard meeting schedule in a timely manner.
  • A minimum of seven (7) Members are required for quorum.

Article 2 Draping the Charter

  • The Charter shall be draped and a religious program presented for one (1) meeting after the passing of a Member. The meeting date shall be selected by the Grange based on availability of the decedent’s family.

Article 3 Rent

  • The Family/Woman’s Activity Chairperson will be in charge of the grange calendar.
  • The standard fee for the Grange hall shall be three hundred dollars ($300).That includes the use of the kitchen. The Grange will provide utilities for heat, water and electricity for normal use. The Grange reserves the right to classify what constitutes “normal use”.
  • There also will be a one hundred dollar ($100) deposit that will be refunded if the Grange is left in the condition it was before the rental. This means no alterations to the interior or exterior of the Hall or the Grounds without written consent of the Grange. The renter is responsible for any necessary cleanup, including removing refuse, to insure the Hall and the Grounds are left in the same condition as when rented. The renter assumes all responsibility for any damages or accidents that occur at the Hall or the Grounds while renting.
  • The Grange will allow alcohol on the premises under the following conditions:
    Renter must have a certificate of insurance with Stony Point Grange listed as an additional insured
  • An additional One hundred and fifty dollars ($150) deposit is required. This deposit will be refunded thirty (30) days after the event concludes.
  • The use of the dishwasher is not included in the above fees. If the dishwasher is to be used, a grange member must operate it. The renter will pay said Member one hundred dollars ($100) for operating the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is needed for multiple days, an additional fifty dollar ($50) per day fee will be charged for all days after the first.
  • Any person wishing to use the Hall or the Grounds for other than grange work must have the consent of the Executive Committee.
  • A Grange member in good standing using the hall shall make a donation of a minimum of twenty-five dollars ($25) in lieu of the standard rental fee.
  • A Member of the grange must be present to open and close the Hall and be sure the building is secure after the Hall is rented.
  • If an organization requests to rent the Hall on a repetitive basis it must be approved by a vote of the Grange. The rent schedule shall be set by the same vote. A current valid insurance certificate must be produced to the Grange annually showing the organization has liability insurance.
  • The standard rental fee may be changed as the Grange sees fit (especially for short and prolonged events).

Article 4 Dues

  • The Grange shall collect dues equal to the value of current State and National Grange dues combined.
  • Dues are payable quarterly, semi-annually or annually starting January first of each calendar year.
  • The Grange shall allow Members in good standing to miss one (1) dues payment. If this happens, the Member(s) shall lose their Good Standing and voting statuses. They will have until December first of said year to repay missed dues and become current, at which time their voting and Good Standing status will resume. The Grange shall vote to remove any members who remains delinquent as of January first the following year.
  • The Junior Leader, one assistant, and the Family Activities Director shall have their dues paid by the Grange.
  • The Grange will pay the dues of Member(s) in active service to any branch of the armed forces for more than four (4) years as long as said Member(s) is in good standing upon entering service.
  • After a candidate have received the Fourth Degree they are a full member and their dues begin at the beginning of the next quarter through September 30th of the current Grange year. Example, if receiving the Fourth Degree in June, their dues will start the first of July.
  • The annual word will not be given to a member not in good standing.

Article 5 Application For Membership

  • The initiation fee of five dollars ($5) must accompany the application.
  • If a candidate is elected and fails to present themself for the initiation, the grange is not obligated to refund their fee.
  • A person wishing reinstatement must pay a fee of one dollar ($1) plus one year’s dues in advance.
  • A person joining on a demit: If joining within the Grange year of issue, pays the dues for the remainder of the current Grange year. If the demit is not for the current Grange year, they must join as a reinstated member.

Article 6 Appeals for donations

  • The usual amount is twenty-five dollars ($25) for all appeals.

Article 7 Use of Grange Property

  • The following items cannot be taken from the grounds except for grange use: Electrical appliances, cooking utensils, and/or silverware. If another organization requests the use of these items the request must be granted by a vote of the Grange.
  • The tables and chairs may be lent, at the discretion of the Grange, to any organization requesting them in exchange for a donation to the Grange. They must be returned in good condition or be replaced, at the borrower’s expense if damaged.
  • Members in good standing can use the chairs and tables after approval by the Executive Committee.
  • All items that are taken from the Hall or the Grounds must be returned within a mutually agreed time frame in the same condition as they were rented in.
  • Rental availability will be based on a first come bases, with Members taking priority over requests from non-Members, and Grange sponsored activities trumping all requests.

Article 8 Miscellaneous

  • The Grange shall pay the registration fee and either the hotel or mileage for delegate(s) to State Grange sessions.
  • The Grange will contribute up to half of the registration fee for leadership school, youth camp, and young married and adults weekends or other official State or National Grange sponsored events if the grange has the funds available.
  • A committee shall be formed at least once every three (3) years to review and, as needed, propose changes to this document. Changes may also be proposed at any other time the Grange sees fit. In order to be accepted, the proposed changes must be read before the Grange and voted upon during no fewer than three (3) regular consecutive meetings.

NOTE: All references to “the Grange” contained in this document refer to Stony Point Grange #1694 and it’s current members. All references to “the Hall” or “the Grounds” shall refer to the Grange Hall building and the property it resides on. References to “the Renter” shall refer to any individual(s) or organization(s) (or their appointed representative) entering into a mutually agreeable contract with “the Grange” to use “the Hall”, “the Grounds,” and/or any property belonging to “the Grange” in a manner outlined in the agreement signed by “the Grange” and “the Renter”