Board of Directors Resource Page

BIG POND ASSOCIATION BY-LAWS

(Amended at the Annual Meeting July 28, 2001)

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of this non-profit organization shall be the “Big Pond Association Inc”, hereinafter referred to as the

“Association”. The Association shall be incorporated as a not-for-profit membership corporation pursuant to the provisions of the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

The purpose of the Association is to preserve, protect, monitor, maintain and enhance the environmental, aesthetic,

recreational and economic values of Big Pond and its watershed and to provide education with respect thereto.

The Association shall work in conjunction with federal, state, and local agencies, public and private, to benefit Big Pond a

body of water located in Otis, Massachusetts, owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and accessible to the

general public.

The Association is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes as specified in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal

Revenue Code. The Association shall use its funds only to accomplish the purposes specified in these By-laws. No part

of net earnings, gains or assets shall inure the benefit of or be distributed to officers, directors, other private individuals, or

organizations organized and operated for profit, except to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered by outside

providers.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to all interested parties who share a concern for the purposes of the Association.

ARTICLE IV - DUES

The annual dues of the Association shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

They shall each perform the duties customarily associated with their respective offices.

It is the intent of the Association that under normal conditions officers will move through the chairs in reverse order of

rank. As the Second Vice President becomes Vice President , the Vice President becomes President.

The officers shall be elected, from the membership, by a majority vote of the members present at each Annual Meeting.

The term of office shall be two (2) years, but each officer shall continue in office until a successor has been duly elected.

Section 1. President

A. It shall be the duty of the President to preside over meetings of the members and the Board of Directors and perform such duties as pertain to the office.

B. The President is the spokesperson of the Association and is responsible to approve all Association commitments and contracts, as well as all correspondence sent by the Association.

C. The President is responsible for appointing a Nominating Committee, which will report back to the Board of Directors with a recommended slate of officers and directors to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

D. The President shall be the repository of all Association documents. 

Section 2. Vice President / Second Vice President

A. The Vice President and Second Vice President shall assist the President in the conduct of his or her duties.

B. In the absence of the President, the Vice President and Second Vice President, respectively, shall assume all powers and perform all duties of the President.

Section 3. Secretary

A. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Association, and in case of inability to attend any meeting shall cause the necessary books and papers to be conveyed to the place of the meeting.

B. The Secretary shall cause to be published and distributed all notices which are required by the Association, its Officers, Board of Directors or By-laws.

C. The Secretary shall keep a roll call of those present at all meetings.

D. The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of all meetings.

Section 4. Treasurer

A. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to sign all checks, notes and drafts drawn by the Association.

B. The Treasurer shall have custody of the cash, securities and books of accounts of the Association.

C. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the development of an Annual Budget and will present it to the Board of Directors for its approval prior to presentation at the Annual Meeting for final ratification by the membership.

D. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

E. The Treasurer shall be authorized to make payments in accordance with the approved Budget without further authorization. All non-budgeted expenses must be approved by the Board of Directors or, at their discretion, referred to an Annual or Special Meeting of the Association for approval. A report of all expenditures shall be presented at each meeting of the Board of Directors or the Association.

F. The Treasurer shall, within a reasonable time after receipt of funds, deposit all monies in the bank prescribed by the Board of Directors.

G. All funds collected on behalf of the Association by any member and all proceeds from activities of the Association shall be turned over to the Treasurer.

H. The Treasurer shall maintain a current list of members of the Association.

ARTICLE VI - DIRECTORS

The Association shall have fifteen (15) Directors, five (5) of which shall be elected from the membership, to a three-year

(3) term of office, at each Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors may also, from time to time, elect to a lifetime term a member as an Honorary Director in recognition of their loyal service to the Association. An Honorary Director may attend all Board of Directors meetings as a nonvoting Director.

ARTICLE VII - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The business of the Association shall be managed by a Board of Directors who shall have or may exercise all of the powers of the Association, except as otherwise reserved to the membership by these By-laws. The Board of Directors consists of the Officers and Directors of the Association. If an Officer cannot serve out his or her term, then he or she will be replaced by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors, and the person chosen shall serve until the term expires. If a Director is unable to complete his or her term of office, a member may be elected at the next Annual Meeting to serve until the term expires.

The Board of Directors shall hold meetings at least three (3) times a year at such times and places determined by the Board of Directors provided that seven (7) days notice is given. When necessary, special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President with as little as one (1) day’s notice.

A quorum for the purposes of transacting business at all meetings of the Board of Directors shall be ten (10).

The Board of Directors shall hold a meeting at least one (1) month prior to the Annual Meeting for purposes of establishing the date, place and agenda for the Annual Meeting.

The Board of Directors shall manage the financial transactions of the Association in a fiscally responsible manner.

The Board of Directors is required to provide an annual audit of all Association finances.

ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES

The President may appoint Committees as the need arises with the approval of the Board of Directors. Under no circumstance shall any Committee or individual commit resources of the Association without prior approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX- MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Annual Meetings - The Annual Meeting of the membership shall be held in the month of July at a date, time

and location determined by the Board of Directors. The purposes of the Annual Meeting, in addition to those prescribed

in these By-laws shall be to elect officers and directors, receiving reports of officers and committees, and other business as

determined by the Board of Directors. If no Annual Meeting has been held during the month fixed above, a Special

Meeting in lieu thereof may be held and such Special Meeting shall have the purposes of these By-laws and have all the

force and effect of an Annual Meeting.

Section 2. Special Meetings - A Special Meeting of the membership may be called at any time by a majority of the Board

of Directors. A Special Meeting of the membership shall also be called by the Secretary, or in the case of death, absence,

incapacity or refusal of the Secretary, by any other Officer, upon written application of ten percent (10%) of the membership. Any action at a Special Meeting shall be confined to the call of said meeting.

Section 3. Notice of Meetings - A written notice of the date, time and location of all meetings of the membership stating the purposes of the meeting shall be mailed to each member at least fifteen (15) days before the meeting. Inclusion of such notice in the Association’s newsletter shall constitute proper notice.

Section 4. Quorums - At any Annual or Special Meeting of the membership, a quorum for the purposes of transacting business shall consist of the members in attendance.

Section 5. Voting - Each paid membership is entitled to one (1) vote.

Section 6. Proxies - No Proxy votes, written or verbal, shall be accepted at any Association meeting.

ARTICLE X - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

All procedural questions not resolved by formal Articles herein shall be determined in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of

Order Revised”.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

These By-laws may be amended at any Annual or Special Meeting of the membership, provided that written notice is

given to the membership at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the meeting at which these proposed changes will be

presented.

The proposed amendment shall be accepted by a minimum two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present.

Amendments to the proposed amendment shall be made by any member according to standard “Robert’s Rules of Order

Revised”.

ARTICLE XII - FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Association shall commence on January 1 and terminates on December 31.

ARTICLE XIII - DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution, or final liquidation, of the Association, any remaining assets shall, after payment or the making of

provisions for payment of all lawful debts and liabilities of the Association, be distributed to a non-profit successor

organization or, if no such successor exists, for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of

the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Big Pond Association Mission Statement

A 501C3 Organization

The Big Pond Association will protect and preserve the ecology of Big Pond in Otis, Massachusetts including the well being and environmental protection of the lake through testing, education, observation, and communication.

Benefits of Membership in the Association

Membership and participation in the Association is open to all friends of Big Pond. Below, please find some of the many opportunities for you to get involved in advancing our Mission Statement and preserving Big Pond for generations to come.

Association Volunteer Efforts

Weed Watcher Program

The BPA has been a charter member of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Weed Watcher program since its inception in 2002. Several times during the summer trained volunteers from the BPA check strategic areas of the lake for any non-native invasive plants. The BPA works hand in hand with the DCR with periodic educational seminars to train more and more Association members in weed identification techniques. We are proud that we still have not detected any Eurasian Milfoil or any other non-native invasive weed species in the lake. There are two invasive wetland species that occur along the shoreline. Phragmites can be found along the east shore of the lake by Iced Tea Brook. In 2005 there was an opportunity to have this substantial stand treated via a grant from DCR, unfortunately the property owner at the time refused permission. Another stand of Phragmites was treated in 2005 via a DCR grant acquired by the BPA in the mouth of the creek and this treatment was successful. From time-to-time Purple Loosestrife can be found along the shoreline and property owners have been very receptive to pulling or having this invasive plant pulled by the BPA.

Adopt-A-Boat-Ramp

The Big Pond Association also organizes an Adopt-A-Boat-Ramp program. Each weekend volunteers will go down to the boat ramp at the end of the creek and make sure that there is no litter in the area and to be certain that the information board that was erected by the BPA is stocked with informational brochures on how boaters can avoid introducing non-native invasive species to Big Pond. The effectiveness of this program has been confirmed by a DCR Boat Ramp Monitoring Survey where it was found that boaters launching at Big Pond and the Otis Reservoir had the greatest awareness of exotic invasive species in the state.

Camp Bonnie Brae work project

Camp Bonnie Brae is the oldest continuously operation girl scout camp in the nation and recently celebrated their 100th Anniversary. They occupy over 4,200 feet of shoreline along the north shore of Big Pond. Each summer the Big Pond Association sets aside a Saturday morning to paint, hammer, and saw at the camp to pitch in with the maintenance of the camp. This experience has proved to be very rewarding over the years to both our volunteer members and our neighbors at the camp.

Winter Shoreline Inspections

On three occasions during the off-season (later November, late January, and March) the Big Pond Association conducts shoreline/cottage inspections to make certain that there has not been and storm damage or vandalism. Property owners are notified of any problems via telephone or email. 

Water Quality Monitoring

The Big Pond Association maintains a water quality monitoring program utilizing state of the art equipment and procedures. This ongoing program assesses several key parameters of water quality and the results are being used to monitor the health of Big Pond over time. The goal of this important program is to be able to identify and prevent water quality problems before they occur.

Grant Projects

Diagnostic/Feasibility Study

The EES Group was contracted by DCR to assess the conditions and water quality of Big Pond during the 2004 season. The data that we use in our Water Quality Monitoring was derived from this study. The full study can be viewed on the Big Pond Association website at bigpondassociation.com.

Boat Ramp Improvement

As a part of a DCR Demonstration Grant, a concrete plank boat ramp system was installed at the boat access at the end of the creek in 2005. This system has helped to eliminate erosion and has also made it easier and smoother to launch boats.

Events

Annual Meeting

The Big Pond Association holds annual meetings to discuss the Association’s operations and to educate members in ways to protect and preserve the water quality of Big Pond. Guest speakers are brought in to inform members of the latest threats to water quality and ways to mitigate those threats. As a result, most members have an elevated awareness to be on the lookout for invasive weed species, zebra mussels, and anything else that might pose a danger to Big Pond. They have also put into practice the many ways that they have learned to protect and preserve our water quality. Many members will come early to the meeting so they can shop at the “Big Pond Store” and pick up the latest Big Pond themed apparel, glassware, calendars, and other assorted items. All proceeds from merchandise sales go into the lake management fund.

Canoe/Kayak Poker Run

This event is one of the highlights of the summer season for both participants and station tenders of all ages. This event regularly draws between 150 and 200 participants who paddle for prizes. Anyone is invited to participate so long as they are in or on a self-propelled craft. Participants work their way around the lake where they stop at 10 well marked stations and draw a card. There is an educational station at one of the stops where participants may draw an extra card if they can identify an invasive species. Bring your best hand to the Pot Luck Supper held that evening at the Magovern complex and play for prizes in each of three divisions; Kids division – under 18 – and adults. A grand prize is awarded to the individual with the best hand, regardless of division.

Pot Luck Supper

This is an annual highlight for both young and old. Bring the whole family, your best hand from the poker run, and don’t forget to bring a dish for the pot luck. The Big Pond Association provides hotdogs, hamburgers, and soda/water. Everyone on the lake is encouraged to attend whether or not they participated in the poker run. You will not regret coming! This is a great way to meet new friends from around the lake and renew old acquaintances. The “Big Pond Store” is also open at the Pot Luck Supper so don’t forget to bring your wallet and help us add the lake management fund.

Big Pond Rocks

The newest of our events, this is just like Tanglewood coming to Big Pond. The concert is held at the Magovern complex. Bring your blanket, folding chairs, picnic basket, and beverage of choice and enjoy a great evening of entertainment featuring Crossroads from West Hartford. Donations at this event go to pay for the band and to add to the lake management fund.

Big Pond Regatta

Come and sail away with your neighbors on a leisurely afternoon cruise around the lake. Sailboats of all types and sizes (sailboards, too) are encouraged to participate. This is a great photo opportunity for land lubbers, as well. Take pictures of your neighbor’s colorful sails set against the backdrop of the Big Pond shoreline.

Fourth of July Boat Parade

Recently revived by the Big Pond Association, decorate your boat in a patriotic theme or let your imagination run with any other decorative theme that you like. Join in a parade around the perimeter of Big Pond to show off your creativity to everyone on the shoreline. Last year, over 20 boats participated in the parade and a great time was had by all participants and spectators alike.

Big Pond Golf Tournament

Make your way over to the Blandford Country Club for the annual Big Pond scramble with your neighbors on Big Pond. When you sign up for the event you can request to be on a specific team or we can pair you up with other participants. This event continues to grow in popularity, so please sign up early. After golf, retire to the clubhouse where there will be a presentation of awards, a raffle, and where hors d’oeuvres will be served. A cash bar is also available at the club house. Proceeds from this event go to the lake management fund.

Communications

Newsletter

The Big Pond Association publishes a spring and winter newsletter to inform, entertain and educate the Big Pond Community. Newsletters are emailed to everyone in our database and can also be found on our website.

Website

The Big Pond Association maintains a website at bigpondassocitaion.com. This is the source for all things “Big Pond”. You will find all of the information that you are looking for about events, volunteer opportunities, lost and found items, as well as links to all sorts of Berkshire destinations if you can manage tear yourself away from the lake.

Emails

Big Pond Association keeps a robust database of individuals that want to stay informed about Big Pond news, events, and activities. If you are not in our database but would like to receive Big Pond related information please email us at webmaster@bigpondassociation.com and ask to be included in our email blasts.