[ Home ] [ Up ]

ASC, PO Box 589, Marshall, MI  49068    phone 269-781-4021   fax 269-781-7400  email kimojim@aol.com

Bylaws of Aero Sports Connection, Inc. 8/6/94

Aero Sports Connection, Inc.

POB 589

Marshall, Michigan 49068

Overview/purpose

The mission of the ASC is to serve the entire Ultralight Community as an incubator for the development of smaller "Wings" of groups. ASC and its Wings (as represented by its Wing Directors) are organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes to aid the ultralight community in improving safety, training, and communication through the sharing of registration, training, FAA exemption, and other programs. This concept is envisioned as providing both the leverage and power of the large organization, while providing the individuality and flexibility of the smaller wing groups. The ASC is a nonprofit organization.

ASC Board of Directors

The ASC Board consists of the current Wing directors, the CEO, the Directors at large, the Administrative director, and the appointed advisors (FAA, Airport interface, and community liaison). The board may appoint or remove advisors by simple majority vote.

Wing Definition and Development Guidelines

Introduction

The idea of ASC Wings is based on the concept that a group of pilots in a given type of vehicle will wish to have their own identity. These pilots still want the benefits of a larger, stronger organization of ultralighters and its programs. ASC is a Nonprofit organization. The structure of ASC is intended to allow, support and nurture these individual "Wings" through the educational activities of the ASC Directors for each Wing. ASC is to serve as an "incubator" for the startup, development and growth of such groups. ASC is not intended to be the overriding organization. ASC is intended to support and shield these wings from a subservient posture. The "Wings" will take the front position in literature, training, and communication at the Wing unique level. For example, the Wings will be called "PARA WING, ASC" instead of placing ASC first.

Wing Requirements

Mission Statements for the Wing must define vehicle type which is uniquely served by the Wing.

The position for Director must be voted on yearly. The Director candidates must have been ASC members for a minimum of one year. The Director will be responsible for handling all Wing specific educational issues and the 5-10% "Wing specific" training issues of the ASC Exemption and registration programs. The Wings will receive specific amounts of the annual members fees to be used for the Wing activities. These will come from membership fees form each member who has specifically designated the wing as their emphasis. The ASC Director for the Wing is responsible for accounting for the funds appropriately and specifically assuring adherence to the tax exempt limitations as specified herein, showing payments and distributions in furtherance of the organizational purpose.

Wing Definition

Any ASC member who has been a member for at least one year may petition to establish a new Wing. The petition must contain the base mission statement for the wing. For example, "PARA WING, ASC, established to serve the Parawing ultralight community." Another example is, "DESIGNER WING, ASC, established to serve the broader technology needs of the individual ultralight designers in both private and commercial environments." The petition must be supported by the signatures of a minimum of 25 ASC members.

Petitions must be reviewed by the ASC Board. Board approval requires a two thirds majority approving vote. The ASC Board consists of the current Wing directors, the CEO, the Directors at large, and the appointed advisors (FAA, Airport interface, and community liaison). The board may appoint or remove advisors by simple majority vote. The initial wing Director will be the Petition originator for the first full voting year.

Wing Benefits

Each Wing will have appropriate access to the programs and exemptions needed for operation. The Wing will receive funding each quarter based on the number of member renewals that designate the specific wing as their emphasis. Accounting for the funds used by the wing will be necessary, accounting for the funds appropriately and specifically assuring adherence to the tax exempt limitations as specified herein, showing payments and distributions in furtherance of the organizational purpose.

Each Wing will have at least one page dedicated to that Wing in a national magazine, if available. ASC will provide the top level Advance Flight Instructor training support. This will be based on the basic training exemptions and the added five or 10% that is unique and provided by the Wing.

Wing Responsibility

The Wing will be responsible for several main functions associated with their unique needs. The Wing will provide the necessary information to upgrade the exemptions of vehicle and training to account for the Wing unique factors. The Wing will be responsible for handling the Wing unique educational and training issues. The Wing will be responsible for sending the Wing Director to the board meetings. All Wing structure and operation will be the Director's responsibility. It is anticipated that this function will be achieved through a board and possibly a regional representative system, depending on size of the Wing. The Wing must ultimately serve the unique needs of that specific community for the entire United States.

Wing Directors

Wing Directors will have prime responsibility for funds accounting and Wing unique issues. Wing structure will spring from primary guidance of the Director. The Wing Director will be responsible for accounting for the funds appropriately and specifically assuring adherence to the tax exempt limitations as specified herein, showing payments and distributions in furtherance of the organizational purpose. The Wing Director will also serve as a Director on the Board of Directors of the ASC.

Wing Voting Requirements

Wing voting and ASC voting will be mandatory with each membership renewal. The voting process will be continual, concluding each year on August 6. That is about one month before the ASC convention. All positions of Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) are subject to the continual vote process. Any ASC member who has been a member of the Wing for more than one year may petition to be a Director of that Wing. The petition should be submitted at least one month before vote closing of the current year. The name will be added to the year long ballet as of the first new ballet mailing. Renewals that do not contain a complete ballet will be returned without renewal until a ballet is included. The continual ballet will include both the CEO and the specific Wing Director balloting information.

Club Requirements

Clubs may form without fees. Each club is required to provide written reports each year showing at least five (5) valid ASC members per club. Clubs will receive quarterly reports, yearly handbook updates. Clubs are not a direct entity within ASC. However, those individual functions which specifically achieve furtherance of the organizational purposes may be funded, as appropriate. Any financial support to specific functions must be accounted for appropriately, specifically assuring adherence to the tax exempt limitations showing payments and distributions in furtherance of the organizational purpose.

Overall Meeting Requirements

All formal meetings of the ASC at the Club, Wing, or ASC Board level will be open meetings with the following limitations:

1) Open meetings allowing, at least, any ASC valid member, and, normally, the general public. The definition of closed meeting may only exclude general public and media, but may not exclude valid ASC members. ASC membership will be considered verified if that person can show a valid ASC membership card under his name.

2) For each meeting, nonvoting members may not speak in the meeting until all voting member discussions and votes have taken place and the voting meeting has been closed. At that time, the meeting will be opened for comment from the floor.

3) If, as a result of this discussion, further action is required by the voting members, the discussions from the floor will be closed and the voting members will reconvene and resolve the matter. The resolution may reverse previous actions, potentially even replacing those decisions.

4) All voting actions shall be in the form of a motion, seconded by a different voting member. This will be followed by voting member discussions. At a call for the vote, the voting members will vote and the majority will prevail. If a motion is defeated, it is nullified. In order for a counter proposal to prevail, it must follow the same procedure and be accepted by a majority.

5) No other requirements will be imposed on the meetings by the ASC Board.

Membership fee usage

The Board of the ASC will define the membership fee usage. The fees will go to support the following needs:

1) Wings basic funding and magazine subscriptions.

2) Club communication and training, such as handbooks, reports and items.

3) ASC staff positions, including positions of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vice Presidents as defined by the Board.

4) ASC exemption and program support.

5) ASC facility requirements.

6) ASC emergency reserve funds as necessary and defined by the Board.

7) Any excess funds beyond necessary reserves, will be divided by the board between the Wings and specific Club functions with the associated limitations and reporting requirements as specified herein.

ASC tax exempt limitations

The ASC is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding sections of any future federal tax code.

No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future tax code.

Upon dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ASC

Jim Stephenson

POB 589

Marshall, MI 49068

phone 616-781-4021 fax 616-781-7400

notes: The By-laws were revised on 1/23/96 to clarify intended meanings and clearly specify language required by the Tax exempt status of 501(c)(3).

Copyright all rights reserved, ASC(r) 
Last updated: July 05, 2008.