PREAMBLE
The Candlewood Camera Club exists as a non-profit organization for the good of the community and all photographers, to foster photography as an art, a hobby, or a vocation, by instruction and by sharing of knowledge and experience.

ARTICLE I – MEMBERSHIP
Any person interested in furthering the above-stated objectives of the organization shall be admitted to membership upon payment of dues.

A family membership includes one or two adults and their minor children or grandchildren (under age eighteen). A minor child (under age 16) must be accompanied to any club activity by a parent or designated guardian over the age of eighteen. Drop-offs are not permitted.

ARTICLE II – DUES
Dues shall be $40 per person, payable in advance for the year. The activity year begins with the initial meeting in the fall. Dues shall be reduced to one-half this amount for individuals joining the club after the January competition. Two individuals living in the same household shall pay a combined total of $65 per year. A family membership shall be $65 per year. Dues for full-time students (high school and college) shall be $10 until graduation.

ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
Section 1. President
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and its Executive Committee and shall administer the Club’s affairs. He/she shall make all committee appointments, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee and shall appoint officers as required to fill vacancies until the next regular election.

Section 2. Vice President
The Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President in his/her absence, or if the President is unable to continue in office. The Vice President will assist in welcoming guests.

Section 3. Secretary
The Secretary shall maintain such records as may be pertinent to the organization, i.e., By-Laws and monthly newsletters. The Secretary shall send out calls for special meetings of the Club, mail out correspondence and maintain a file of such correspondence.

Section 4. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall notify members when dues are payable and act as custodian for all monies and securities of the Club, depositing them in a banking institution; pay all valid bills; keep a detailed account of all receipts and disbursements and submit an annual fiscal report. The Treasurer shall maintain a roster of all paid members.

ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, Chairpersons of all standing committees, and others as the President shall designate.

The meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at the call of the President or by agreement of three or more members of said committee. A quorum shall consist of four members; the Committee may transact business by telephone, e-mail, or mail as required.

The Executive Committee shall advise the President, and provide leadership and operational support to the activities of the Club. It shall approve all appointments to other committees, and shall itself appoint the Nominating Committee. It shall have the final authority to construe these by-laws, specifically including the rules of competition. It shall, in consultation with the Competition Chairperson, establish the competition classification of all members and approve the annual program calendar.

ARTICLE V – NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee composed of three members of the Club, not more than one of whom shall be an officer, who shall hold office from the date of their appointment until the first meeting in June. At the June meeting, the Committee shall present to the membership one candidate for each Office, to be supplemented by a call for further nominations from the floor.

ARTICLE VI – STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. Competitions and Awards
Responsible for conducting all Club competitions, including record keeping and determination of point totals and awards.

Responsible for the selection and preparation of awards for club competitions; both monthly ribbons and year-end awards.

Responsible for providing the membership with a monthly, cumulative account of point standings in all categories.

Section 2. Judges
Responsible for all arrangements to provide well-qualified judges for Club competitions and to respond to requests from other clubs for judges.

Section 3. Slides
Responsible for registering, organizing, presenting, safe-keeping and returning all slides entered in Club competitions.

Responsible for appropriate organization of slides to assist the Organization Chairperson in the selection of entries for outside competitions.

Section 4. Prints
Responsible for registering, organizing, presenting, safe-keeping and returning all prints entered in Club competition.

Responsible for appropriate organization of prints to assist the Organization Chairperson in the selection of entries for outside competitions.

Section 5. Membership/Publicity
Responsible for all activities affecting the membership aside from the duties outlined in other standing committees, i.e., public relations, publicity and advertising.

Responsible for attracting new members, greeting and introduction, and outside liaison.

Section 6. Organizations
Responsible for bringing to the attention of the membership all available opportunities for outside competition activities including the coordinating of the NECCC (New England Council of Camera Clubs), CAP (Connecticut Association of Photographers), and PSA (Photographic Society of America) events reported by their respective representatives, and for entries in competitions sponsored by these organizations, including timely delivery and return of entries and awards in cooperation with the Competition and Awards Chairperson and the Slide and Print Chairpersons.

Responsible for representing the interest of the Club in activities of the NECCC and PSA; assuring that the benefits of membership are made known to the members of the Club.

Section 7. Programs
Responsible for the planning and publicity of the programs for the mid-month meetings and printing of the yearly schedule for members.

Responsible for field trips, coordination of member interest dinners and social occasions.

Section 8. Equipment Maintenance
Responsible for the timely delivery, set-up, and storage of all necessary equipment needed for the smooth conduct of competitions.

Responsible for the presentation of slides and prints during competitions and for delivery of same to the proper Chairpersons at the conclusion of competitions.

Section 9. Refreshments
Responsible for set-up and storage of equipment, to provide coffee and hot water for tea for members and guests, and to ensure that someone is responsible for bring the edible refreshments, and milk, to each meeting.

Responsible for collecting donations, and purchasing necessary paper ware and food items, and for clean-up and storage at conclusion of meetings.

Responsible for coordinating refreshments for annual holiday party in December, and year-end Banquet in June.

Section 10. Web Site
Responsible for set-up and maintenance of club web site, including the accuracy and timeliness of all information.

All Officers and Chairpersons of Standing Committees are authorized to enlist and appoint members of the Club to assist in the proper performance of the responsibilities of their offices. It is the individual responsibility of each Officer and Chairperson to ensure the efficient and timely performance of assigned tasks by providing needed back-up and assistance.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Election of officers shall take place at the first meeting in June. Following the report of the Nominating Committee, additional nominations shall be invited from the floor. If more than one candidate has been nominated and seconded for an office, voting for such office shall be by written ballot, with election by a plurality of those present and voting. Officers duly elected shall assume office at the time of the annual banquet. The President shall not hold office for more than two consecutive terms.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Club shall be held on alternate weeks of each month (except for the summer months or when these dates conflict with holidays) as determined by availability of a meeting place and at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Registration shall begin at 7:00 p.m., and close at 7:20 p.m., with the meeting starting at 7:30 p.m. The first meeting each month will usually feature Club competition; the remaining meeting will be a presentation or workshop of special interest, as announced.

All regular meetings shall open with announcements of interest to membership, and an invitation to introduce new business from the floor. So that the available meeting time can be devoted to furthering the stated purpose of the organization, no further formal business agenda shall be regularly presented, except in response to requests of the membership in attendance. When it is apparent that Club business requires more extended discussion, standard procedure shall be to recess the business meeting until the completion of the evening program.

ARTICLE IX – BY-LAWS REVISION
Recommendations for revision may be introduced at any time by a written petition submitted to the Executive Committee and signed by at least five members. Such revision proposal will be distributed at the next regular meeting, and/or by mail at least 10 days prior to such meeting. Such revisions shall be voted upon at the regular meeting following distribution, to allow advance study. Acceptance shall be by two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

A complete copy of the by-laws shall be available to every member, and posted on the web site following adoption of said revisions. A copy shall also be given to each new member.

ARTICLE X – COMPETITION RULES
Section 1. Program Calendar
Regular Club competitions shall be held throughout the year in accordance with the published Program Calendar, subject to necessary revisions announced at least one meeting in advance.

Section 2. Competition Categories and Classification
Categories of Club competitions shall be as follows:
Monthly Assigned Subject (refer to program calendar for assignment):
Slides - Classes A and B
Black & White Prints – Single Class
Color Prints – Classes A and B

Photojournalism
Slides – Single Class
Prints – Single Class (B&W amd Color)
A Photojournalism image should have informative content, tell a story and have emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and spot news. It doesn’t necessarily require a person or people in the photo. (Based on the PSA definition.)

Open Category
Slides – Classes A and B
Black & White Prints – Single Class
Color Prints – Classes A and B
Freestyle Prints – Single Class (Complete freedom to produce whatever graphic
composition the member desires, however the image must contain an element
of an original photograph by the member.)

Member Classification – Each member shall be assigned a competition class (A or B), which may be different for the various categories (slides or color prints). A new member will normally be assigned in Class B, unless established in Class A on the basis of transfer from another Club or by professional background, as determined by the Executive Committee that the higher classification is more appropriate, consistent with the objective of well-balanced competition among member groups of comparable experience. Such reclassification upward or downward may be made at any time of the year as warranted, but only after prior consultation with the member and with announcement to the membership in attendance at the next regular meeting.

Section 3. Assistance in Preparing Entries
While the material entered must be the work of the member submitting it (see Sections 6 and 7 below), calling on the guidance and active assistance of other members is strongly encouraged in the spirit of the Club’s stated purposes (see Preamble).

Section 4. Entry Requirements
Only members in good standing (dues paid) may enter Club competitions. Entries shall conform to the following requirements:

Time – All entries shall be delivered and registered no later than 7:20 p.m., so preparations can be completed before the meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

Number of Entries
Assigned Subject: Each member may make a single entry each month in each competition category within their classification (see Section 2 above).

Open Category: Each member may make one entry each month in each print competition category within their classification, and within assigned slides and photojournalism slides and prints. Two slides in the open category may be entered each month. If two entries are submitted, the higher scored entry shall be considered for awards and yearly totals.

Therefore, a member may submit up to ten (10) entries as follows:
Prints:
1 B&W Open
1 Color Open
1 Freestyle
1 Photojournalism
1 B&W Assigned
1 Color Assigned

Slides:
2 Color Open
1 Color Assigned
1 Photojournalism

Entry Without Attendance – If members are unable to attend a particular meeting, entries may be delivered and registered on their behalf by others.

Re-Entry? Limitation – A photograph may be entered into Club competition one time only, if the photograph has received a first or second place award. If an award has not been received, an altered version incorporating new ideas and suggestions may be re-entered without such restriction until an award is achieved except as limited below.

Format Change – When a single original image (slide or negative) is used to produce a color print, a B&W print, or the slide itself, each of these three different formats will be considered a “new” photograph for entry purposes. However, a different cropping, printing technique, derivation, slide sandwich, etc., will not be considered to produce a “new” photograph unless the image re-used is an incidental element of a new composition (i.e., a screen or accent element added to a composite slide, etc.).

Section 5. Special Make-up Entries
If a competition is missed, a make-up entry may be submitted in all Open or Photojournalism categories, but not Assigned categories. Such entries shall meet all the regular entries (see Section 3 above), as well as the following:

Except in the case of new members joining after the start of the competition year, make-up entries must be submitted within two months following the missed competition. New members joining after the start of the competition year may submit make-ups (in all Open or Photojournalism categories) without such limitation within the first three competition sessions after joining.

Make-up entries will be credited toward annual point totals and will be considered for Club entry in outside competitions, but will not be eligible for monthly ribbon awards.

Make-up entries shall be noted on the registration sheet when submitted for competition.

Section 6. Slides
Slides must be photographs taken by the member; commercial processing and mounting are permitted.

Slides must be in 2x2 inch mounts, either cardboard, plastic, or glass. Standard masks are not required; special masks may be used to improve composition. The slide must be marked as follows:
1. View slide as it is to appear on the screen.
2. Place thumb mark in lower left-hand corner.
3. Invert to bring mark to upper right-hand corner, and on the inverted slide, add:
Title (optional) – top margin Your Name – lower margin
“Candlewood C.C.” – lower margin Class (A or B) – left margin

Section 7. Prints
Photographs must be taken by the member and prints can be made either by member or done commercially. Commercial film processing and mounting are permitted.

All prints must be presented on mount boards not to exceed 16x20 inches; the use of a mat or accent outline is optional. Prints may be of any size up to 16x20 inches.

The print must be marked as follows on the upper left side of the back of the mount board:
Your Name; Address; Telephone; “Member: Candlewood Camera Club;”
Title (required)); Class A or B (for color prints)
Category: B&W, Color or Digital
Subject: Open, Photojournalism or Assigned
Printed by: Maker or Commercial
Date (of entry)

In the B&W category, toned prints are acceptable only if printed on mono-chromatic material and one standard commercial chemical toner is used overall or selectively, i.e., sepia, rapid selenium, blue, silver, brown. Use of vegetable coloring, dyes, paints, or hand coloring is not permitted.

In the Freestyle category the original image must have been created and manipulated by the photographer on a computer. Original images may be scanned and/or printed by a commercial source. Original digital artistic creations are permitted in the freestyle category, but must originate from an original photograph. Images may be in either B&W or color and follow the same matting requirements as defined above.

Section 8. Return of Entries
Prints and slides will be temporarily retained by the Print and Slide Chairpersons so that they may be considered for submission in the New England competitions. Entries will be available for pick-up on a future meeting night after such selection or exhibition.

Section 9. Awards
Award ribbons shall be presented in each monthly competition based on points awarded by the panel of judges. Two awards shall be presented for each category/classification group (i.e., Assigned Subject – B&W Print). The awards shall be: First Place – “Slide or Print of the Month” and Second Place – “Honorable Mention.”

In the event of a tie in points awarded for First Place, the judges will choose one First Place winner and one Second Place winner from those tied. In the event of a tie in points awarded for Second Place, the judges will choose one Second Place winner from those tied. In the event of three or fewer entries in a category, only a First Place shall be awarded.

When few entries are received in a category/classification group, groups may be combined for judging purposes at the discretion of the Competition Chairperson; however, separate awards shall be made as stated above.

Points earned will accumulate toward annual scores. Records of prior competition results for the year to date shall be made available for inspection by the Competition Chairperson at each regular meeting.

Section 10. Annual Competition and Awards
A special year-end competition for “Slide/Print of the Year,” “George D. Huff Nature Award,” and the “Patti Johnson Flower Award” shall be held in lieu of regular competition at the June competition preceding the annual banquet.

Print/Slide of the Year – Each member may enter up to two slides, one B&W print, and one color print, all of which must have been entered in monthly competition during the current activity year. Each member submitting slides, B&W prints, color prints or freestyle prints, must have entered at least five monthly competitions in the category during the current activity year.

A single “Slide/Print of the Year” award will be made in each of the following categories, based on points determined by a panel of judges:

Slides –
1. Class A Open
2. Class B Open
3. Photojournalism
4. George D. Huff Nature Award
5. Patti Johnson Flower Award

Prints –
1. B&W Open
2. B&W George D. Huff Nature Award
3. B&W Patti Johnson Flower Award
4. Photojournalism
5. Color Open Class A
6. Color Open Class B
7. Color George D. Huff Nature Award
8. Color Patti Johnson Flower Award
9. Freestyle

For the “Patti Johnson Flower Award,” the “George D. Huff Nature Award” and the Photojournalism “Slide/Print of the Year” categories, each member may enter one slide, one B&W print, and one color print regardless of class, all of which must have been entered in monthly Club competition during the current activity year, but not included in the current Print/Slide of the Year competition.

Trophies or medals shall be presented at the annual banquet to those accumulating the highest and second-highest totals throughout the year in each category/classification, as well as to the “Slide/Print of the Year” winners, the “Patti Johnson Flower Award” winners, and the “George D. Huff Nature Award” winners.