> About Us > Bylaws > Multihull Council

Multihull Council

Article I – Name
The name of this organization shall be the Multihull Council of the United States Sailing Association.
Hereinafter, the Council may be referred to as the “Council,” and the United States Sailing Association may be referred to as “US SAILING.”

Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the Multihull Council is to function as authorized and described in Bylaws 202, 222, and 511 of the US SAILING Bylaws, and other provisions of the US SAILING Bylaws and US SAILING Regulations as appropriate. Any conflicts between the US SAILING Bylaws and this document shall be resolved in favor of the US SAILING Bylaws.

The purpose on the Council includes:

1. To promote and support the interests of those who sail multihulls.

2. To provide a forum for those who sail multihulls, as well as manufacturers of multihull boats, spars and sails, to discuss matters of interest and exchange information.

3. To advise and coordinate with US SAILING's committees, councils, directors and staff in matters which affect member organizations.

4. To help develop and maintain handicap rating systems for multihulls.

5. To recommend to US SAILING's Board of Directors the establishment of national championship events and qualifying criteria.

6. To formulate and promulgate safety programs for multihulls.

7. To establish and promote sailing and race training programs which, in part, introduce and expose US SAILING members, prospective US SAILING members and youth to multihull sailing and/or multihull racing.

Article III Definitions

1. "Multihull" shall refer to yachts of two or more hulls. It shall include but not be limited to catamarans, trimarans, and proas.

2. "Areas" are those geographical territories in which US SAILING has grouped sailing associations to carry out certain functions of US SAILING.

Article IV – Membership
Section One – Description. The membership of the Council shall be as follows:

1. All organizations dedicated to the interests of multihull racing who are members of US SAILING shall be entitled to membership in the Council.

2. Each member organization of the Council shall be entitled to appoint from its membership one representative to the Council and an alternate for such representative if it so chooses.

3. Members of the Executive Committee shall be members of the Council.

4. Individuals who are US SAILING members and are identified as multihull sailors shall automatically be Associate members of the Council.

5. Associate memberships may be authorized by the Executive Committee of the Council for organizations or for other individuals wishing to support the Council.

Section Two – Terms of Office.
Terms of office for the Executive Committee of the Council are described in Article V, Section Two.

Article V – Officers
Section One – Officers, Executive Committee and Duties.

1. The Officers of the Council shall be a Chair, Vice Chair and a Secretary who shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Council.

2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Council and one Area Representative from each Area of US SAILING. Each Area may elect or otherwise designate an alternate representative.

3. The Chair of the Council or, in his absence, the Vice Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Council and the Executive Committee.

4. The Chair of the Council shall be a member of the House of Delegates of US SAILING. With the consent and advice of the Executive Committee, the Chair may designate another member for this position.

5. The Chair of the Council shall occupy the Council’s seat on the US SAILING Nominations and Governance Committee. With the consent and advice of the Executive Committee, the Chair may designate another member for this position.

6. The Chair of the Council is the Chief Operating Officer of the Council. He shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee, chairs and committees to carry out specific assignments.

7. The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings at all meetings. Minutes of all meetings shall be distributed promptly to all Executive Committee and Council members.

8. The Executive Committee may act on all matters that do not require a vote of the full Council. The Executive Committee will report all votes to the Council at its next meeting. Action may be accomplished by a majority vote of the entire Executive Committee by means of email, telephone, fax or a special meeting.

9. All persons serving on the Executive Committee shall be individual members of US SAILING.

Section Two – Terms of Office.

1. The term of office for Council Officers shall be one year or until the election of their successor. They shall be elected by a majority vote of the Council members at the annual meeting.

2. The term of office for Area Representatives shall be two years or until the election of their successor. Representatives from Areas A, C, E, F and J shall be elected in even numbered years and Representatives from Areas B, D, G, H and K shall be elected in odd numbered years.

3. No member shall be eligible to serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office, with the exception of the office of Secretary and Area Representative.

Section Three – Vacancies.
A vacancy in the office of Chair shall be filled by the Vice-Chair automatically assuming the office of Chair for the remainder of the term. A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair shall be filled by election at the next annual meeting. A vacancy in the office of Secretary shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee for the remainder of the term. For the purposes of the term limits contained in
Section Two above, service of half a term or less in an office shall be ignored, and service of more than half a term shall be considered a full term.

Article VI – Meetings
Section One – Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of the Council shall be held at the same location and dates as the session of US SAILING Annual Meetings. The purpose of the meeting shall be for elections and the conduct of such other business as may legally come before the meeting. No later than thirty days before the meeting, the Secretary shall cause the notice of the meeting to be posted on the US SAILING website and sent electronically or through other means to the Officers and Executive Committee of the Council.

Section Two – Spring Meeting.
The Spring Meeting of the Council shall be held as part of the session of US SAILING meetings held
during the spring each year. No later than thirty days before the meeting, the Secretary shall cause the notice of the meeting to be posted on the US SAILING website and sent electronically or through other means to the Officers and Executive Committee of the Council.

Section Three – Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Council may be called as described in Section 214 of the US SAILING bylaws.

Section Four – Quorum.
1. Representatives from at least five members shall constitute a quorum for meetings of the Council.
Written proxies without an individual representative cannot be used to establish a quorum. Action
shall be by a majority vote of members and proxy votes. Telephone conference attendance (as
described in Section Five below) may be used to establish a quorum.

2. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for meetings of
the Executive Committee. Written proxies without an individual representative cannot be used to
establish a quorum. Action shall be by a majority vote of members and proxy votes.

3. Proxies shall be in writing, may be in the form of a fax or electronic mail, and shall be delivered to
the Secretary no later than the roll call of the meeting at which they are in effect.

Section Five – Transaction of Business by Telephone and Other Means
1. Telephone Conference. Any member of the Council may participate in a meeting of the Council
by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons
participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation by such means
shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.

2. Electronic Mail. The Council Executive Committee shall have the authority to conduct business by
electronic mail provided that all communications by any members are copied to all other
members of the Committee and that any decisions made using this method shall be made by the
affirmative vote of at least sixty percent of the entire membership of the Committee. Decisions
made using this method shall be incorporated in the minutes of the next meeting of the Council.

Article VII – Elections

Section One– Positions.
The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary shall be elected at the annual meeting. Also at the annual meeting, the Council shall elect (or appoint by virtue of position) members to serve on the US SAILING House of Delegates as described in US SAILING bylaw 222.

Section Two – Nominations.
The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each position described in Section One
above. Additional nominations may be made from the floor during the annual meeting.

Section Three – Nominating Committee.
1. At the Spring meeting, the Chairman of the Council shall appoint a Nominating Committee
consisting of a Chair and three members, all of whom shall represent separate Areas of US
SAILING. In addition, the current Council Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of the
Nominating Committee.

2. The duties of the Nominating Committee shall be to prepare and distribute to members of the
Council slates for the following to be elected at the annual meeting:

Chair of the Council
Vice Chair of the Council
Secretary of the Council
Area Representatives to the Executive Committee and Council as outlined in Article V,Section Two, Paragraph 2.

3. The Nominating Committee shall select one nominee for Area Representative from the Areas of
US SAILING from among nominees submitted by the members within an Area, except that if by
agreement the member organizations within an Area nominate only one candidate, such
candidate shall be the nominee. If no nominees are submitted by the member organization, the
Nominating Committee shall select the candidate.

4. The report of the Nominating Committee shall accompany the notice of the annual meeting.

5. Independent nominations of candidates meeting the same qualifications may be made from the
floor at the annual meeting, with evidence of consent from nominee.

6. The committee shall make nominations as described in Section Two and Three above, and shall
make available the list of nominees to all members of the Council not later than thirty days prior to
the meeting at which the election shall take place. Posting said list on the US SAILING website
shall be construed as meeting this requirement.

7. In performing its duties, the committee shall assure that its nominees comply with all of the
requirements contained in these bylaws and the bylaws of US SAILING.

Section Four – Voting.
1. Each member of the xecutive Committee shall have one vote at Executive Committee and
Council meetings.

2. Each member of the Council shall have one vote at Council meetings.

3. Associate members are not entitled to voting rights.

Article VIII – Committees
Special committees may be appointed by the Chair. It is expected that the Adult Championship and
Youth Championship Committees will be standing Committees that will not require reauthorization from year to year.

Article IX – Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the
Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Council may adopt.

Article X – Amendment of Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended at any annual, spring, or special meeting called for such purpose, by a two-thirds vote of the members present in person or by proxy, provided that the proposed amendment was included with the notice of the meeting. Such approved amendment shall become effective upon compliance with US SAILING Bylaw 301, Section 2 (7).

Adopted October 18,1985
Amended March 26,1988
Amended October 22,1998
Amended/Reformatted November 16, 2006