LACC Handbook
The La Crosse Area Camera Club is a group of diverse people with a common interest: photography. Some of us shoot digital, some slides, some print film. We shoot nature, people, places, still life, abstract, and more. Some of us have sold photos, some had never shown our photos to others before joining. We have members who have been shooting for decades and some who are still learning to use their camera. Our members are young and old, male and female. The only requirement is an interest in photography.
Here are some of the benefits of membership:
- Monthly Programs: One meeting each month is an educational program. The program is sometimes a speaker giving a talk or demonstration, sometimes a hands on workshop, sometimes a field trip. To see the planned programs for this year, check out the current club schedule
- Photo Evaluations: The other meeting each month is the photo evaluation. Members submit their photos to a panel of three judges. These judges score each photo and rank them. At the meeting, the photos are shown and the judges take turns summarizing their thoughts on each photo.
- Field Trips: Several times a year, we meet outside of the regular meeting times on location in the area for a photo session. Locations include nature parks, local festivals, and other special events. These field trips can show you new places in the area to photograph or allow you to see a familiar place through another photographer's eyes.
- Newsletters: Each month from September to May and once over the summer, members receive a copy of the Groundglass. This has information about club happenings, evaluation results, and other photography news and tips.
- The website: The website is a resource for existing members as well as prospective ones. Not only is there general information about the club, but also an event calendar to keep up with any changes to the schedule, archived issues of the Groundglass, a discussion forum where you can chat with other members, photography articles, and much more.
- Community: Perhaps the most important thing we offer is our members. In this club you will find others who share your passion for this wonderful hobby. You will have a chance to learn from those more experienced and teach those less experienced. At meetings, field trips, impromptu get togethers and more, you will be able to join others in what can often be a solo hobby and each time come away with something new.
Interested? Come check us out!
Membership
Guests are welcome to attend a few meetings to check us out before joining, though you won't be allowed to enter the photo evaluations until you are a member.
If you're ready to join, just fill out a membership application and pay your dues for the year to the treasurer (John Zoerb).
Dues are as follows:
Student...................................... $15 Single Membership............................ $20 Family Membership............................ $25 Surcharge for receiving Groundglass by mail....$5
Returning members: Dues are expected in September and must be in before you can enter the evaluations. If you have not paid by the end of November, you will be dropped from the roster and will no longer receive the Groundglass.
New members: You may attend up to three regular meetings before paying dues but cannot enter evaluations until you join. If you are joining after January, you will be charged half the normal cost of that membership class.
Meetings
Meetings are held at 7pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays every month from September thru May, except the fourth Tuesday in December. There is also an informal summer schedule. We meet at the Wesley United Methodist church at 721 King St in La Crosse. (see map below). The meetings generally are over before 9pm. After the meeting, we go to the restaurant next door for dessert and more photo talk.
In addition to meetings, we have several parties and photo outings throughout the year. See the schedule for a complete list of meetings and events.
Photo Evaluations
One meeting each month is a photo evaluation / competition. Members may submit original work to a panel of three judges, who are also members, and have their work critiqued and ranked. The judging takes place on Sunday before the meeting and the results are shown at the meeting.
While structured as a competition with places given, the focus is on having others critique your work and give you ideas on how you may improve it. By submitting your photos you will get feedback from an impartial audience which can tell you more about how you are doing than the typical response from friends and family.
See the pages below for more information.
General Rules
Entrants must be paid members of La Crosse Area Camera Club.
Each entrant may enter two images into each category.
Entries must be prepared as explained in Preparing and Submitting Entries.
Entries must be submitted by 5:oo pm on the Saturday before the judging takes place. Judging is held on Sunday at 6:30 at the home of John and Gloria Zoerb. A drop box for entries is available at the Zoerb’s home.
Images will be judged based on 3 criteria: technique, composition & impact. See What the Judges Look For for more information.
While we don't place a limit on manipulation for categories other than nature, all entries must start as a photo. The photo and any manipulation must be the work of the entrant. Entries into Nature cannot be manipulated.
Any evaluation entries receiving an acceptance, honorable mention, 3rd, 2nd, or 1st place shall be eligible to be entered in the End of Year Competition.
A and B Skill Levels
Because not everyone is at the same skill level, the photo evaluations are divided into two categories: A (for Advanced) and B (for Beginner). New members can choose which group they feel they belong in. There are no special requirements to be in group A, but you will be judged against experienced photographers. If you don't feel ready for that, you can ask to be in group B.
Any person in group B that gets first place in any category during Year End will automatically be placed in group A the following year. Occasionally, someone will win with a "lucky photo" and overall not be ready to move to Group A. If that happens, you can request to remain in group B.
What the Judges Look For
Have you entered any of your photographs into the competitions yet? If you did enter something that didn’t do as well as you hoped, do you know why? Knowing what the judges will be looking for may make it easier to enter your treasures for evaluation. And watching and listening to the results can be an experience to learn from.
TECHNIQUE
When evaluating for technique, the judges look at such things as focus, lighting, exposure, and presentation. But what, really, are they looking for?
Focus is the easy one – usually. The subject of a photograph should be in focus. Does the image need to be entirely in focus, such as a landscape, or is selective focus of one part of the scene needed to isolate the subject? Determine your focus by deciding what your subject is.
Lighting is another factor to consider when evaluating a photograph. Is the lighting of the photograph appropriate for the subject? Side lighting will bring out texture while front lighting will provide the absence of shadows. Back lighting, whether rim light, silhouette, or ethereal shapes, is very dramatic. The intensity of the light (the soft light of an overcast day vs. the hard edge of direct sun or electronic flash) and the color of the light (the warm light of early morning and late afternoon or the cool light of noon sunshine) are also taken into consideration when evaluating an image.
Lighting and exposure go hand in hand. Is the image overexposed (too light)? Is it underexposed (too dark)? Or is it right on? A camera’s metering system exposes for 18% gray. A light subject, such as snow, will require more exposure than the camera’s meter suggests. And, because film and digital sensors can’t handle the range of light form deep shadow to bright highlight that our eyes can define, the exposure of a contrasty subject must be made to favor either the shadow or the highlight.
Presentation means simply submitting a slide that is clean rather than dusty and full of fingerprints. In the print competitions, the matting should compliment the photograph rather than compete with it. The mounting of the print should be even – no bubbles under the print and mounted square to the mat board (none of the backing showing). For digital, make sure the image is the recommended size as small images are hard to judge.
COMPOSITION
Composition is the arrangement of all the elements in the picture so that subject is presented in an attractive manner. When evaluating composition, the judges look for such things as placement of the subject on a “1/3” position, the use of a “line” leading the eye to the subject, foreground interest, and the use of a frame for the subject. Is the subject presented properly as a horizontal or vertical? Does the subject blend in to the background, or is it well separated? If you shoot your subject from more than one angle, trying different compositions, you are bound to present your subject in an attractive manner.
IMPACT (INTEREST)
Technique and composition are tangible areas of evaluation. There are rules to measure against. Impact is the intangible area of evaluation.
Most photographs with good technique and good composition will present an acceptable interest. What changes a photograph from good to “Wow” is the creativity used to come up with the subject; it is the originality of the presentation of a common subject; it is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Impact is what makes us laugh at the image, pull back in disgust, or wish we had taken that shot.
When you are starting out submitting images for competitions, it is very difficult to evaluate your own work. Go over your photographs with a critical eye to select several possibilities. Then have someone look over your possibilities for a second opinion. This person does not have to be a photographer – just someone who will look at the photographs with an impartial eye and say which ones they prefer, and hopefully why.
So, have you entered any of your photographs into competition yet? Now that you know what to look for, what are you waiting for?
Preparing and Submitting Entries
The Club currently accepts entries submitted as slides, prints, or digital images. Each of these has its own rules for preparation.
Submitting Digital Images
- Digital images can be submitted via compact flash, 3 ½” floppy, CD or email.
- Emailed images should be sent to photoeval@lacrosseareacameraclub.org. CF, floppy, and CD should be dropped off at John’s house. Do not email them to Jerry's account.
- The images must be in JPEG format.
- The images are projected at 1024 wide by 768 high. We suggest sizing them to 1200 by 800 pixels because a slightly larger size is better if your photo wins Year End and is printed in the Tribune. Due to cropping and other reasons, you may not get these exact numbers. That's ok. Just size your images as close to this as possible. Larger images will be resized down by the projector but anything larger than 1200 by 800 gets too big for email. Smaller images will not be resized larger and are difficult to judge. Also remember that the projector is always in landscape mode. If you have a portrait image, you still want it to be close to 768 pixels high but the width will be much smaller than 1024. That's ok as the projector will add black bars to the sides to compensate.
- The file name should be as follows:
- The first letter of the month
- Class (A or B)
- (O)pen / (P)eople / (N)ature
- Then a space followed by the title with proper case and spaces between words
- End it with .jpg
- Example: "SAO My Favorite Photo.jpg" is September, class A, open.
- After saving to CD, etc, double check to make sure the filename is correct.
- Make sure you have your name on the CD, etc.
- Any digital image accepted for year end may need be re-submitted in May so keep a copy of the image as submitted.
Submitting Prints
- The category for prints is either color or black and white, generally alternating each evaluation.
- All entries must be mounted on stiff board or foam core.
- Prints may be matted but not framed.
- The print size must be at least 5x7 and no more than 16X20.
- When using an 8X10 (12) mount, the print must be 5X7 or larger, up to 8X10(12).
- When using an 11X14 mount, the print must be 8X10 or larger, up to 11X14.
- When using a 16X20 mount, the print must be 8X10 or larger, up to 16X20.
- Identifying information such as the maker's name or the title should not be visible from the front.
The following four items must appear on the back of all prints submitted for evaluation:
- Maker’s name
- La Crosse Area Camera Club
- Title of image
- An indication of which side is the top such as an arrow or the word “top”
Submitting Slides
These five items must appear on all slides submitted for evaluation:
- Maker’s name
- La Crosse Area Camera Club
- Title of image
- Category of entry
- Thumb spot: Hold the slide by the corner with your left hand as you want the image to appear on the screen. Mark a “thumb spot” where your thumb is.
Glass mounts are not acceptable for club competitions due to the possible damage to slides if the glass mount should break. Slides may be “cropped” by using various masks or Erie slide mounts. Never use plastic or cellophane tape to mask a slide; they get gooey and can cause damage.
Being a Judge
For each evaluation, three club members are needed to judge. Two of the judges need to be in A class and one in B. These three judges meet along with the judging chair to view, critique, and score all the images submitted. You don’t need to have any prior judging experience to volunteer; you can learn on the job.
So what is it like to be a judge?
You meet with the other judges on the Sunday before the evaluation meeting, usually around 6pm, and it lasts until around 9pm or later, depending on the number of entries. The judging is broken down by media (projected and prints), then subject for projected (Open / Nature / People), and then by class (A / B). Each section is judged individually. First, all the images are shown fairly quickly to get a feel for them. Then they are shown again, slower, to give you time to decide on a score. During this time, no discussion of the images is allowed.
You will be given a sheet for scoring that has the images numbered and broken down by subject and class. Each image is given a score in each of three areas: technique, composition, and impact. (If you have no experience in critiquing, you may find it helpful to read the article “What the Judges Look For” before judging.) The three scores are then added to form a total score for the image. When a section (subject & class) is finished, you read off your total scores for each number to the judging chair. The chair will total the scores from the three judges and determine the places to be awarded. If there are ties or other issues (such as not enough entries in a section) the chair and judges will decide how the places will be awarded.
After all the images are judged and the scores collected, the images are shown again and opened up for discussion. This gives all the judges a chance to say what they liked and didn’t like about the image and what could be done to improve it.
The judging chair takes all the scores and the images and puts them together for the evaluation results meeting. At this meeting, all the images are shown (still within subject and class) from the lowest score to the highest. The three judges take turns giving a critique of the images as they are shown. This can be a summary of the discussion from the judging or your own thoughts if you can’t remember what was discussed on that image.
So now you know what judging is all about. Next time the president calls for judges, be sure to volunteer and try it out for yourself.
Year End
In June of each year we have the Year End photo evaluation. Any photo that placed with acceptance or higher during the year is automatically entered into this competition. This includes includes images that were voted in for acceptance by the membership. Three judges, who are from outside the club, will re-judge all the photos for this final competition. To see if you have any photos eligible for the current year end, see this photo list sorted by maker
The first Sunday in June (usually) is the Year End banquet. We all get together at a local restaurant for drinks and dinner and then we view the results of the evaluation. Plaques and trophies are awarded to the winners.
You can view the results of past Year End evaluations by clicking on a club year below.
Executive Board
President: Peder Schoenfeld
Vice President: Gerald Bonsack
Treasurer: John Zoerb
Secretary: Michelle Cox
Judging Chair: Gerald Bonsack
N4C Contact: Dick Gagne
Affiliations
The La Crosse Area Camera Club is a member of the North Central Camera Club Council (N4C) as well as the Photographic Society of America (PSA). Both of these organizations provide additional opportunities for members to have their work judged along with conventions, newsletters, and much more.
North Central Camera Club Council (N4C)
From the N4C website:
N4C is a non-profit organization dedicated to public education and learning in the science and art of photography. It is an organization of about 40 camera clubs in the North Central States area of the United States of America.
The N4C covers the following states: Iowa, Wyoming, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas.
The N4C Bulletin is available to LACC members here.
The N4C Handbook contains a wealth of information about the organization. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to host it on the website due to privacy and copyright issues. If you would like a copy, please send an email to n4chandbook@lacrosseareacameraclub.org and the PDF will be emailed to you ASAP.
The current edition is 2006-2007 with a file name of N4C06076A.pdf. It is 2.4MB, so please be sure your mailbox has enough room.
Entering N4C Competitions
For those wishing to get more feedback, or a different point of view, regarding your photographic skills, you can submit your work to the monthly N4C events.
Slides:
You can enter one slide in each of the following categories:
- 2 X 2 Pictorial
- 2 X 2 Nature
- 2-1/4 X 2-1/4 slides
- Contemporary
- Photojournalism
- Photo-Travel
Prints:
You can also enter one print in each of these categories:
- Black & White (no class)
- Nature - Class A or B (A-you print)
- Color A or B
- Contemporary
- Photojournalism
Slide Essay:
You can send in two entries every other month for Stereo slides and an annual "Slide Essay". (Here is a PDF with more information)
Slides, prints, and slide essays must be given to Dick Gagne by the 9th of the month that they are being judged, so that they can be sent to the judging club, somewhere in the eleven state N4C Region. You will get a sentence or two feedback, as well as a score.
Digital Images:
Starting in 2006-07, the N4C is implementing a digital competition. The only category is open and the club as a whole can enter up to 8 images, one per member.
If you are interested in entering, email your images to n4ceval@lacrosseareacameraclub.org or get them to Peder on a CD. Images must be in jpg format, sized to 1024x768, and have the title as the filename. They must be received by the first meeting each month. If we receive more than eight entries, the club will need to pick the best eight to send. If we receive less than eight entries, we will ask the makers of the top photos in our previous monthly competition permission to submit those to make up the difference.
For more information on any of these competitions ask a board member, or refer to the N4C Handbook.
Photographic Society of America (PSA)
The PSA is a worldwide organization for photography enthusiasts from amateur to professional. Membership is available for individuals, camera clubs, and councils. They offer a monthly magazine, photo and digital competitions, study groups via mail and the internet, how-to programs, an annual conference and more.
If you'd like to see a sample of the PSA magazine, John occasionally brings his older copies to meetings to give to whoever wants them.
More information can be found on the PSA website.
Bylaws
La Crosse Area Camera Club By-Laws
Revised October 2005
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1. This organization shall be called the La Crosse Area Camera Club, a non-profit group dedicated to sharing photographic interests and promoting photography in the community.
1.2. Membership
1.2.1. Eligibility. Membership is open to any resident of La Crosse and area who has an interest in photography. There are no membership restrictions.
1.2.2. Participation. Any person who has joined the club is free to participate in all club activities, except while in arrears of dues when he/she may neither vote nor enter or judge competitions.
1.2.3. Member. The term, member, as used in these bylaws shall mean, one who is not delinquent in payment of dues. Any exceptions shall require the approval of the Executive Board.
1.2.4. Classes.
1.2.4.1. There shall be two classes of members based on photographic skill as defined below. The purpose of these classes is to provide some degree of equivalence among members when engaged in competition.
1.2.4.1.1. The "A" Class is composed of the more experienced advanced photographers.
1.2.4.1.2. The "B" Class is composed of beginning photographers or those generally less skilled than "A" class members.
1.2.4.2. A person, when first joining the Club, has the prerogative of joining either the "A" or "B" class.
1.2.4.3. Status-Changes
1.2.4.3.1. Any "B" member winning a first place in an end-of-year-competition in any division automatically will be placed in the "A" class.
1.2.4.3.2. A member may be placed in the "A" class by decision of the Executive Board based on demonstrated excellence in his/her photographic work.
1.2.4.3.3. Any member desiring to change his class status, either from "B" to "A", or from "A" to "B", shall make an appeal to the Executive Board requesting a change. The Executive Board is authorized to grant such a request based on the quality of the member's photographic work.
1.3. Representation Any activity in which the Club is represented, or the name of the Club is used, such as (but not limited to) photographic contests, publicity or conventions, shall be under the complete directorship of the President with the approval of the Executive Board. The Chairperson of any such activity shall be appointed by the President, as approved by the Executive Board.
1.4. Competitions.
1.4.1. Subject to revision by the Executive Board, each year there will be held at least:
1) Eight general interest (open) projected competitions.
2) Five general interest nature projected competitions.
3) Three general interest people & human interest projected competitions.
4) Four general interest (open) black & white print competitions.
5) Four general interest (open) color print competitions.
In addition, there will be an annual end-of-year competition in each division (note 2.2.2) for both class "A" and "B" members. Entries for this competition will be taken from those selected in accordance with 6.2 from the competitions listed in (1 through 5) above.
1.4.2. If there are only entries from one member (one or two slides or prints, in that class), those entries will be judged. Any award given, will be at the judges discretion. If less than four entries are entered in a given class, by two or more participants, those entries will be judged and places awarded at the discretion of the judges. If there are five or more entries, then awards will be determined per 6.2.4.
1.4.3. All entries submitted to Club competitions must have been photographed by the member.
1.4.4. All entries, which have been awarded at least Acceptance in a Club competition, are not eligible to be re-entered in future Club competition without substantial modification.
1.4.5. All entries should be picked up immediately after the competition. Any entries not picked up will be retained by the Judging Chairperson at the maker's risk. It is the maker's responsibility to resubmit to the Judging Chairperson all accepted entries for the year end competition.
1.4.6. A cumulative point merit system is also available if club members choose to participate (see addendum).
1.5. A Camera Club "year" is defined as beginning with the day after the annual Club banquet and ending with the annual Club banquet the following year.
1.6. The Groundglass is the official publication of the Club.
2. PROJECTED IMAGE DIVISION INFORMATION
2.1. Open Competitions.
2.1.1. An open competition is one in which there are no restrictions in subject matter.
2.1.2. Slides entered in competition must be regular 35mm mounts (2X2 size). The slide itself may be a 35mm, superslide, or smaller size, so long as it fits the regular mount.
2.1.3. A member may enter not more than two slides or digital images in the "projected" competition.
2.1.4. Slides shall be turned in to the Judging Chair prior to the start of judging.
2.1.5. Slides must be legibly marked with at least the following information:
1 ) A thumb spot in the shape of a donut in the lower left corner when in the desired viewing position
2) A title.
3) Name and address of entrant.
4) The words "La Crosse Area Camera Club" or letters "LACC".
5) The competition designation ("A" or "B", "The Category, Open, Nature, People & Human Interest ").
2.1.6. For digital images submitted via email, the message text should include:
1). Title (filename).
2). Name and address of entrant.
3). The competition designation (Class "A" or "B", "The Category, Open, Nature, People & Human Interest ").
For images submitted on a removable storage media, that media shall be labeled with:
1). Name and address of entrant.
2). The words "La Crosse Area Camera Club" or letters "LACC".
3). Included should be a text file defining the competition designation (Class "A" or "B", The Category , Open, Nature, People & Human Interest), along with image title(s) (filenames).
2.1.7. Projected images entered in open competitions may have been taken at any time during the past.
3. NATURE PROJECTED IMAGE DIVISION INFORMATION
3.1.1. The rules for images in Open competitions also apply to the Nature Competitions except as noted in 3.1.2.
3.1.2. Nature constitutes subjects based on the absence of the hand of man. This also means there shall be no cultivated plants, domestic animals, tame birds, contrails, or museum scenes allowed as entries in this division.
4. BLACK AND WHITE (B&W) PRINT DIVISION INFORMATION
4.1. All Black & White competitions will be open.
4.2. All entries must be mounted. Either 8X10, 11X14 or 16X20 are acceptable.
4.2.1. When using 8X10 (12) mounts, the print must be 5X7 or larger, up to 8X10 (12).
4.2.2. When using 11X14 mounts, the prints must be 8X10 or larger up to 11X14.
4.2.3. When using 16X20 mount, the print must be 8X10 or larger, up to 16X20.
4.3. A member may enter not more than two prints in each competition.
4.3.1. These prints will be divided into class "A" and "B" as defined as in 1.2.4.1.1 & 1.2.4.1.2.
4.4. Print Identification.
4.4.1. Prints must be titled, on the reverse side.
4.4.2. Prints must be marked on the reverse side, upper left-hand corner, with the following information:
1) Makers Name and address.
2) Title
3) Class designation ("A" or "B") .
4.4.3. The name or logo of the entrant must not appear on the front of the print, unless covered to conceal it.
5. COLOR PRINT DIVISION INFORMATION
5.1. Color print competitions will be open.
5.2. A color print must have come from a negative, transparency or a digital image originally shot by the member, but may have been commercially or personally printed.
5.3. All entries must be mounted. Rules for mounting B& W prints also apply to color prints.
5.4. A member may enter not more than two prints per competition.
5.5. The rules on B&W print identification in 4.4.1 through 4.4.3 also apply to color prints.
6. JUDGING
6.1. General Information.
6.1.1. A judge must be a member, except for outside judges invited with the approval of the members.
6.1.2. Physical conditions should be as conducive as possible to judging, i.e. quality projector and screen, controlled lighting, temperature, sound, etc. In slide competitions, judges should be seated as close as possible to the axis drawn from the projector to the screen.
6.1.3. Class "A" entries shall be presented and judged as a group separate from the class "B" entries.
6.1.4. Typical sequence of monthly judging is as follows:
1) Judges briefly view all entries in the competition by class.
2) Judges view the entries and evaluate them.
3) Results are computed and given to the Judging Chairperson.
4) The entries are critiqued one at a time.
6.1.5. The names of the makers, titles and scores shall not be revealed until the judging is finished.
6.1.6. During the judging, no one shall make statements about any entry that will influence the judges.
6.1.7. All challenges (see 6.2.5) shall be made only after the judging is completed.
6.2. Point System of Judging.
6.2.1. There shall be three judges: two from "A" class and one from "B" class.
6.2.2. A maximum of 15 points is to be awarded for each entry by each judge on a scale of 2 to 5 points for each category defined in 6.3, except in the People and Human Interest category, where a score of 2 to 4 points is awarded for technique and composition and 2 to 7 points for interest. Each category shall be given equal weight except as noted in 6.2.3.
6.2.3. Weighted Judging.
6.2.3.1. Judging of "A" class entries shall be done equal weight to each of the 3 categories specified in 6..3
6.2.3.2. Judging of "B" class entries should place emphasis on composition and interest, and less on technique.
6.2.4. Recognition shall be given in each competition for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. If there are more than 25 entries in a single competition, the judges shall award 3 Honorable Mention and Acceptance awards up to the remaining top 25% of the entries. If less than 25 entries, the judges may use their discretion in awarding up to 3 Honorable Mention, and as many Acceptances as they deem deserving.
6.2.5. In case of strong disagreement about an entry that did not receive at least an Acceptance, a simple majority vote, by members present, may be taken which could assign it an acceptance.
6.3. Judging Criteria. Entries shall be objectively evaluated against a standard of achievement of excellence in three categories:
TECHNIQUE: Includes focus, lighting, color rendition, exposure, print quality, and mounting.
COMPOSITION: Arrangement of all elements within the picture area so that the subject matter is presented as a harmonious, well balanced photograph.
INTEREST: Includes originality, imagination, interpretation, subject impact, mood, and humor.
7. OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE BOARD AND ELECTIONS
7.1. President. The function of the President is to preside over all Club activities, to ensure that proper photographic equipment is available for Club competitions, and to coordinate the efforts of the Executive Board.
7.2. Vice President. The function of the Vice President is to perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, and to assist the President in administrative decisions. (Note: The Vice President normally runs unopposed for the position of President the following year.)
7.3. Treasurer. The function of the Treasurer is to collect membership dues and maintain financial records including a Club checking account. The Treasurer shall submit to the President a financial statement following completion of his/her annual term of office or within 30 days of leaving office.
7.4. Secretary. The function of the Secretary is to maintain Club minutes and membership list, handle correspondence, Club notices, edit the Groundglass, and record results of Club competitions.
7.5. Directors. There shall be two directors, one who is the most recent past-president and the other who is elected by members, who's function is to assist the President and other officers in Club policy-making and organization.
7.6. Judging Chairperson. The Judging Chairperson will collect and organize entries for the monthly competitions and arrange outside judges for the end-of-year competition. At no time is the Judging Chair or his/her associates liable in any way for any entry due to loss or damage.
7.7. Executive Board. The officers listed in 7.1 through 7.5, who must be members, constitute the Executive Board whose function is to provide direction and continuity to Club activities. The Board shall serve as nominating Committee for election of officers.
7.8. Election of Officers.
7.8.1. The Nominating Committee will present a proposed slate of officers to the members prior to the elections. Nominations will be accepted from the floor.
7.8.2. Nominees shall be elected by secret ballot at a regularly scheduled meeting prior to the Annual Banquet with a simple majority of the members voting as the basis for election.
7.8.3. Elected officers assume their duties following the banquet.
7.8.4. A person may succeed him/herself in office.
8. DUES
8.1. Dues are used for ordering programs, paying postage, publishing the Groundglass, purchasing awards, and further financing Club activities.
8.2. The Executive Board will establish dues.
9. REVISIONS AND CHANGES
9.1. Bylaws.
9.1.1. Any member may propose a change to the By1aws by submitting that change to the Executive Board.
9.1.2. A bylaw change becomes effective when passed by a simple majority vote of the members present at a regularly scheduled meeting.
9.1.3. Notice of a proposed bylaw change must have been published in the Groundglass prior to voting on the change.
9.2. Executive Board Actions. Any action of the Executive Board may be annulled or changed without prior notice by a simple majority vote of the membership present at a regularly scheduled meeting.