Membership is required to utilize the range. Sarasota Archers' range is not open to the public without a membership. Memberships are available for individuals or families. Membership rates are shown in the applications. Members who participate in the Saturday workdays (six per year) receive a discounted membership.
To become a member of Sarasota Archers, please select the Forms & Waivers tab to view and download membership forms. Instructions for completing them are found on the forms. For more information, please contact us by email via info@SarasotaArchers.org, or visit the club during the monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm.
SARASOTA ARCHERS INC
CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
March 11, 2025
CONSTITUTION
NAME
The name of the club shall be Sarasota Archers, Inc., abbreviated SAC. The club maintains social media including an intranet site managed according to By-Laws Section VIV: Social Media.
ADDRESS
The address of the club is 4570 17th Street Sarasota Florida 34232.
PURPOSE
The purpose of our club shall be to promote and foster Field Archery, Target Archery, Bow Hunting, and to introduce the Archery Sport to both adults and youths. We will cooperate with the Florida Wildlife Commission to secure improved bow hunting conditions and privileges and to publicly promote the sport of archery. Sarasota Archers is a private nonprofit club, requiring membership to enter the grounds and utilize the ranges, except at such times when the club grounds shall be made open to the public. SAC is a member in good standing of the Florida Archery Association and the National Field Archery Association.
ARCHERY CODE OF ETHICS
As Archers, we will respect all others in matters of their normal social rights and privileges, their privacy, and their property.
As Archers we will respect the rules of safety applicable to our sport. Furthermore, we will respect both the laws written to prescribe its legal pursuit and those usages, written and unwritten.
As Archers, we will respect the natural environment, persistently seeking to maintain or improve its established ecology.
As Archers, we will respect the need for ethical conduct among youth or the uninitiated and will pass onto others all the skills, attitudes, and knowledge essential to good sportsmanship.
As Archers, we will fully respect all wildlife on Sarasota Archery property, according it suitable opportunity for escape, and our constant efforts to maintain its healthy habitat.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE 1 MEMBERSHIP
There shall be four (4) types of membership. Individual participating membership, Individual non-participating membership, Family participating membership, and family non- participating membership.
Section 1: Individual Membership
Part I Adult Membership shall be available to anyone 18 years of age or over.
Part II A regular SAC member is entitled to all rights, benefits, and privileges of the club.
Part III Work Party Requirements: A regular SAC participating member shall be required to attend the mandatory number of work parties as identified on the annual membership form to qualify for a reduced membership rate. Failure to fulfill the required minimum number of work parties and hours entailed in those work parties will result in the member being assessed the full membership rate the following year. Non-participating members are not required to attend work parties.
ALL MEMBERSHIP DUES AND WORK REQUIREMENTS WILL BE PRORATED ONLY FOR NEW CLUB MEMBERS (NOT RENEWING MEMBERS) ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE OUTLINED IN ARTICLE II OF THE BYLAWS.
Section 2: Family Membership
Part I A family membership shall include spouses or partners and children under eighteen (18) years old residing in the same household. All children under the age of eighteen (18) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while on the property or receive special dispensation from the President.
Part II Listed adult family members are entitled to all rights, benefits, and privileges as an individual. Only family members over the age of eighteen (18) will have voting privileges in Club Officer elections.
Part III Work Party Requirements: Only adults over the age of eighteen (18) in SAC participating family memberships are required to attend work parties as identified on the annual membership form to qualify for the reduced family membership rate. Failure to fulfill the required minimum number of work parties and hours entailed in those work parties will result in the family being assessed the full membership rate the following year. Non-participating family members are not required to attend work parties.
ALL MEMBERSHIP DUES AND WORK REQUIREMENTS WILL BE PRORATED ONLY FOR NEW CLUB MEMBERS (NOT RENEWING MEMBERS) ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE OUTLINED IN ARTICLE II OF THE BYLAWS.
Section 3: Honorary Membership
Part I An honorary member is entitled to all rights, benefits, and privileges of the club with the exception of voting.
Part II Since no dues will be assessed on an honorary member, status as an Honorary member must be approved by a minimum of three (3) Board Members without any objections or a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board of Directors if objections are raised. It will be renewable from year to year.
Part III Work Party Requirements. Honorary Members are expected to contribute to the club through participation in work parties.
Participating individual and family members who fail to perform their volunteer workdays and elect to discontinue their membership will NOT be able to rejoin the club at a later date without paying the full membership rate.
Section 4: Exceptions
The Board of Directors may deny an application for membership if it determines the membership may prove detrimental to SAC.
ARTICLE II DUES
Section I: Individual Membership
The club shall assess yearly individual participating and nonparticipating membership dues. The membership shall run for (1) one year starting January 1st of each year. Any member who does not pay their membership dues within 30 days of January 1st of each year shall be declared delinquent and lose all rights and privileges until the dues are paid. The full membership amount is due for any members joining from January 1 through June 30. Only new members who join from July 1 to December 31 pay half the annual membership fee. Full annual membership dues are required for any renewing members regardless of time of year. Renewing members who do not renew by the annual deadline will not be pro-rated regardless of the month they decide to renew.
Section II: Family Membership
The club shall assess yearly participating and nonparticipating family membership dues. The membership shall run for (1) one year starting January 1 of each year. Any family that does not pay its membership dues within 30 days of January 1st of each year shall be declared delinquent and lose all rights and privileges until the dues are paid. For any new family joining on or after July 1st of the year, the membership fee shall be half the full family membership fee. Full annual family membership fees are required for any renewing members regardless of the time of year they renew. For children under eighteen, a waiver form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian for each child.
The participating and non-participating membership fees can be found on the membership form. They are subject to change and will be announced each year. Every member must complete a Membership form (click the Forms & Waivers tab in the main menu of the website) annually and verify their information including address, phone number and email address. In addition, annually each member must complete, sign, and submit a waiver form.
Membership forms and waivers are available on site at the main clubhouse area as well as on the website.
A member can elect to ask SAC not to use their email address to send SAC communications, but it is then their responsibility to ensure they are up to date with all club rules, events, etc.
Renewing members are defined as any individual adult member or family whose membership has lapsed within 24 months of the date they are reapplying for membership. Previous members whose membership has lapsed for more than 24 months shall be considered new members.
ARTICLE III OFFICER ELECTIONS
Section I: Election of Officers
Part I: Adult regular members over the age of eighteen (18) in good standing are entitled to one ballot.
Part II: Family Memberships in good standing are entitled to one ballot per adult member.
To vote in an election, the member must have all their dues paid in FULL and have been a member for at least 90 days prior to the election.
Section II: Elections
Elections are held annually at the February membership meeting. Officers are to be elected by a majority vote of the members physically present at the annual meeting. A quorum of members is not required to be present for an election. Officers may be elected for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
Section III: Term of Office
So as not to disrupt the entire board, the board members will be elected in different years. There are no term limitations for Board positions.
Section IV: Vacancies
In the event an office becomes vacant, the President shall appoint a person to fill the unexpired term of that office with the approval of a majority of the Board.
Section V: Eligibility for Holding Office
To be eligible to hold an office, a member must be:
A. An adult 18 years or older In good standing for a minimum of twenty-four (24) consecutive months.
B. A member or obtain membership in the Florida Archery Association and the National Field Archery Association within six months of joining the board.
C. In attendance for at least half (1/2) of the club meetings and functions in the last twelve (12) months.
D. A member of the club.
E. A regular attendee at Board meetings. If any Officer or Director misses two (2) consecutive meetings without just cause or extenuating circumstances, the Board can at its discretion vote to remove that Officer/Director. The Board will determine what constitutes just cause or extenuating circumstances.
Section VI: Board of Director Responsibilities and Duties
The Board of Directors shall consist of the following (8) officers: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Range Officer and (3) At Large Officers.
A. President – Presides over all meetings and directs other officers on their duties and assignments. Ensures that the club runs in accordance with the constitution and by- laws. Directs all club functions. Coordinates with all county personnel and ensures the club is in accordance with all local, state, and federal rules and regulations. Acts as the primary liaison with national and local archery clubs and organizations. Directs, manages and coordinates promotional activities.
B. Vice President – Assists the President and presides over the organization in the absence of the president. The Vice President provides back up in the absence of other board members when needed.
C. Treasurer–Maintains accurate financial records for the club and prepares financial reports as required. Only the President, Vice President and Treasurer will be authorized access to the bank accounts that the club may hold.
D. Secretary–Maintains the minutes of all meetings and provides the minutes to the board for approval before posting to the membership. Maintains an accurate and updated listing of all club member email addresses. Ensures the club website contains updated information on club events.
E. Range Officer- Assists in supervising work details during Sarasota Archer work events. Ensures range is maintained in good condition – grass mowed, debris cleared from the lanes, etc.
F. At-Large Member - Supports and assists the club as assigned. If SAC ever expands instruction, then one (1) of the At Large Members serves as the Instruction Coordinator for the club. The Instruction Coordinator responds to questions about teaching and oversees archer instruction by assisting new archers on the club’s property. The Instruction Coordinator ensures that all teachers have provided the necessary documentation to the club to include their certification, safety, background check, and insurance documents. All members and guests under eighteen (18) who are receiving instruction or practicing on the property must be accompanied by an adult archer at all times on the field course(s).
A quorum is required for a board meeting to be held. A minimum of three (3) Board members constitutes a quorum for purposes of holding Board meetings.
Regular and special meetings of the general membership, Board and committees shall operate under the current edition of the Roberts Rules of Order, newly revised, except as otherwise provided herein.
The President may appoint a committee for any needed purpose. Members of SAC may serve on more than one (1) committee.
ARTICLE IV SPECIAL MEETINGS
A meeting may be called by the President at any time or by written request of any five adult members of the club. The request must state clearly the object of the special meeting, and no other business may be transacted at that time. All club members must be informed of the meeting and the purpose. The meeting shall not occur sooner than two weeks after receipt of the request.
ARTICLE V METHOD OF AMENDING THE BY-LAWS
The By-laws may be amended at any regular meeting by over 50% vote of the membership physically present at the meeting if notice of the amendment has been presented to the members at least one regular meeting prior to the vote and at least two emails have been sent to all the members.
ARTICLE VI GUESTS
Club members are allowed to bring up to four shooting guests to the club at any one time and utilize the range provided the guest(s) signs the appropriate insurance waiver. A new insurance waiver must be signed every time the guest(s) is on-site. Members are allowed to bring the same guest(s) three times. After the third visit, the guest(s) must either join the club or pay a fee to be determined by the Board of Directors for each subsequent visit. Members must always accompany the guest(s) while on-site.
ARTICLE VII REMOVAL OF MEMBERSHIP
Section I: Loss of Membership
Loss of membership will occur for the following reasons:
A. Failure to pay membership dues and fees within the deadlines established by the board.
B. Failure to abide by the constitution and by-laws.
C. Any action which would reflect dishonor or disgrace on the club.
D. Safety violations
E. Teaching for money on club property
F. Damaging, abusing, or misusing club equipment or property
G. Giving out keys to the storage areas or the combination to gate and/or storage area
H. Any prohibited action as stated on the waiver
I. Bringing pets/dogs on club property
J. Bringing alcohol, drugs, or firearms on property
K. Harming wildlife unprovoked on property
Loss of membership shall be determined by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors after consideration of the violations involved.
Section II: Removal of Membership Procedures
Part I. Charges brought against any member or members under Article VII, Section I, shall be investigated by the Board of Directors.
Part II. Any member or members who has been charged shall have the right to defend themselves before the Board of Directors.
Part III. Failure to appear before the Board of Directors on request shall be grounds for removal from the membership.
Part IV. If anyone is removed from membership for actions other than delinquent dues, the county must be notified.
ARTICLE VIII WAIVERS AND WORK PARTIES
All members must sign the insurance waiver forms before using the archery range. This must be done annually. All guests must sign a waiver at every visit.
Whenever there is a work party on the range, the range will be closed until the work party has completed the work.
To receive credit for a work party, the members must arrive at or before 9AM when tasks will be assigned. Members arriving later will not receive credit. Only adult members in a family membership are required to participate in work parties.
No minors will be left unattended or unsupervised at any time.
ARTICLE VIV: SOCIAL MEDIA
No member can create, administer, modify, or update any official social media sites for SAC without the express approval of the President and Board of Directors. There will be a designated Social Media Coordinator who will ensure that information posted to all social media sites is up-to- date and accurate. The Social Media Coordinator will maintain a list of the official club social media accounts and their respective passwords. The list will be kept current with a copy provided to the club secretary.
ARTICLE VV: TOURNAMENTS
Invitational tournaments and club tournaments/leagues will be held on the club grounds. The official rules and regulations of the FAA (Florida Archery Association) and NFAA (National Field Archery Association) shall govern all tournaments.
Part I: Invitational tournaments will be open to the public. An entrance fee will be charged to recoup club expenses. Such tournaments will be approved by the Board of Directors.
Part II: Club tournaments/leagues are open to members in good standing only. Such events will not carry an entrance fee. Events can be organized and executed as per the duties of the board members.
When invitational or general club tournaments and shoots are scheduled, there will be a designated Tournament Chairperson who shall have the responsibility and the authority to organize, supervise and regulate all shooting practice and competition.
When a tournament participant pays their registration fee to a tournament, (s)he automatically agrees to abide by the rules of the said tournament.
A tournament participant may question a Tournament Chairperson or Official. If (s)he is not satisfied with the decision, (s)he may commence formal protests with the SAC President or any member of the Board. The decision rendered by the Board shall be final.
All tournament participants must abide by the SAC rules, regulations, and code of ethics.
ARTICLE VVI: INDEMNIFICATION
Sarasota Archers, Inc. shall indemnify any person who is serving or has served as a member of the Board of Directors (and the executor, administrator, and heirs of such person) against all reasonable expenses (including, but not limited to, judgements, costs, and legal fees) actually and necessarily incurred by said person in connection with the defense of any litigation, action suit, or proceeding civil, criminal, or administrative -- to which the person may have been a party by reason of being or having been a member of the Board, except the said personal shall have no light of reimbursement for matters in which the said person has been adjudged liable to SAC for negligence or misconduct in the performance of said person’s duties.
Non-Exclusive. The rights of indemnification shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of all other rights to which such members of the Board of Directors may be entitled.
ARTICLE VVII: DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution of Sarasota Archers, Inc., all assets remaining after all claims have been satisfied shall be transferred equally to or among any archery clubs within Sarasota County, Florida, whose membership exceeds one hundred individuals. In the event that no such club exists, then said assets are to be transferred to the Florida Archer Association in trust until the time that such a club does exist.
These By-laws are approved and dated. Any revisions to these By-Laws will be done by Amendment only.
Last updated: March 2025