Red Shed Garden Bylaws – 2010

Article I.  Name and Purpose

The name of this organization shall be The Red Shed Community Garden (RSCG). The RSCG is located at 266 Skillman Avenue, at the corner of Kingsland Avenue, in Brooklyn, NY.

The purpose of RSCG is to promote, create, and maintain sustainable green space in Brooklyn, and to encourage community involvement in the betterment of the community while providing members with the joys of gardening.

The organization shall maintain an online presence at http://www.redshedgarden.com to encourage online involvement of its community year round.

Article II.  Membership and Dues

Membership shall be available to any household that agrees to subscribe to the By-Laws of RSCG. A membership is for a single household.

Memberships shall run from April 1 through December 31 of each year, but members may join at any time during the year

Membership dues are $20 per year, paid at the beginning of the season or when signing up. Members will receive a key to the garden and the combination to the shed.

Inability to pay dues should not prevent any member of the community from joining the RSCG. Please notify the membership coordinator and the treasurer if you are unable to pay.

Online access to the community features requires signing up at the RSCG web site as shown above.

All members who have Internet access shall sign up for an account at the garden web site.

Each membership shall be entitled to one vote in matters concerning revisions to the By-Laws or other issues put before the general membership of RSCG for approval. Votes will be conducted online for members who signed up to the RSCG web site and in person at the monthly meetings. Final votes tally will include votes for members who do not have Internet access or have not signed up online.

Article III.  Meetings of Members

General meetings shall be held the first Saturday of each month unless otherwise stated (*note that for the 2010 season we have decided to alternate between Saturdays and Sundays for the meetings)

Special meetings may be called by a committee chairman or the Board of Directors (Coordinators)

At meetings, decisions shall be made by a vote of the simple majority of the members present

Meeting minutes will be kept and posted online within 2 weeks of the meetings. Printed copies will also be made available within the shed.

Article IV.  Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall consist of a maximum of six Directors (Coordinators). Directors shall include Treasurer, Communications Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, and GreenThumb Contact.

Treasurer – shall be responsible for all distributions and collections for the garden, maintains accurate records of financial matters, and serves as signatory for the garden bank accounts. The treasurer will provide a quarterly summary of the garden’s financial status to the general membership. The treasurer will also oversee grant money and insurance.

Communications Coordinator – shall be responsible for overseeing all communications within the garden. He/she will administer the garden’s web site and ensure its orderly use.

Membership Coordinator(s) – shall be responsible for compiling membership registration forms, overseeing and assigning individual plots and garden keys, and overseeing and assigning open hours. In addition, shall be responsible to maintain the same records online and approve new user who request access to the online community.

GreenThumb Coordinator(s) – shall be responsible for all communications with GreenThumb, including ordering supplies, coordinating meetings, and maintain GreenThumb events calendar online.

Official decisions shall require only a simple majority of the Coordinators present at any board meeting

Elections of Directors shall be held annually at November’s general meeting by secret ballot, with each membership having one vote for each elected office. A member who wishes to hold a Director position may submit a nomination form to the current Board of Directors

Vacancies in any seat shall be filled for the un-expired term by appointment of the Directors

Directors may establish and abolish standing and special committees

Article V.   Standing Committees

The Board of Directors shall create committees as needed and appoint all committee chairs

Landscape Committee – shall oversee the general maintenance and upkeep of the garden grounds, structures and tools. This committee will post and maintain a list of suggested maintenance tasks. Projects, installations or proposals for use of common spaces should be raised first with the Landscape Committee.

Water Committee – shall oversee the collection of water for the garden. They will keep the hydrant permit up to date, oversee the use of the hydrant, and maintain the rainwater harvesting system.

Compost Committee – shall oversee the composting project, including member education, posting of signs, collection of brown materials, and the turning, monitoring and maintaining of bins

Garden Events/Outreach Committee – shall oversee all large-scale garden events such as fundraisers, educational events, plant sales, and BBQs. They shall also seek out possible contacts within the local community, such as youth organizations, other gardens, schools, etc.

Committees do not make final decisions, they bring suggestions and recommendations to the general meeting for consensus

Article VI.  Treasury

The Red Shed Community Garden shall maintain a treasury for common area development and other garden projects.

Disbursement of funds will be voted on by the garden membership. No monies will be distributed without a vote.

Itemized receipts must be presented to the treasurer in advance of reimbursement

Article VII.  Individual Garden Beds

Individual garden beds will be assigned in the early spring by the Membership Coordinator and are based on availability and garden participation. Returning members are given first priority.

Members not receiving an individual bed assignment will be placed on a waiting list and assigned a bed when/if they open up during the season. Members on the waiting list are invited to use the shared community bed for the growing of produce.

Permanent beds must be used for growing produce and edible plants.

Individual garden beds must be planted by June 1st and maintained through the entire growing season. Any individual bed left unattended or not properly maintained will be turned over to the Directors for reassignment.

No members shall take any plants or produce from an individual beds without the permission of the bed holder

Article VIII.  Common Areas

A communal bed will be available for the growing of produce. All community members are allowed to plant and harvest produce from the communal bed. This communal bed is for produce only.

Small, annual plantings may be sewn in communal areas by garden members, using their best judgment and with the understanding that the planting is not permanent. Garden members should place a sign in the planting area stating what they planted. This will prevent the plants from being weeded, planted over or otherwise immediately destroyed. Plants sown in the communal areas are just that: communal. Any garden member may harvest a modest amount of flowers or other plant life cultivated in communal parts of the garden.

Golden Rule of Communal Gardening: If you aren’t sure what a certain plant is or what it requires, please ask someone on the Landscaping Committee before you pull it out/prune it/move it.

Proposals for large annual plantings and perennial plantings should be brought to a garden meeting to discuss design, process, funding, maintenance and other project details. No large annual planting or perennial planting should take place until it has been discussed at a garden meeting.

The Landscape Committee, as defined above, should have an annual garden maintenance plan that takes into account the common areas of the garden, existing and proposed projects and projects in design and/or construction. These maintenance activities should be divided into large and small tasks. The large tasks should be assigned to garden workdays. The small tasks should be posted on the bulletin board and on the inside of the shed door, and garden members and volunteers should check this list of small tasks during open hours and other times that they are in the garden.

Article IX.  Garden Policies

Open Hours – The RSCG is required to be open to the public for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Each member shall sign up and maintain approximately 4 open hours per month. It is the responsibility of each member to find a replacement if they are unable to perform their open hours. Failure to maintain open hours is grounds for membership termination.

Organic Gardening – No pesticide, herbicides or non-organic fertilizers may be used in the garden. No treated wood may be used for garden beds. We use only organic growing practices.

Composting – The RSCG has a public composting area. Gardeners are encouraged to compost kitchen scraps and yard waste materials. Please follow the guidelines posted in the composting area.

Children – Toddlers and very young children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Children up to ages 15 must be accompanied by an adult when gardening.

Animals – Pets are not allowed in the Red Shed Community Garden

Alcohol – Possession and/or consumption of an open container of alcohol by a person of legal drinking age is illegal in New York State and the Borough of Brooklyn

Smoking – Please be respectful and dispose of butts properly. Do not throw them on the ground.

Probation & Termination – Failure to comply with all garden bylaws is grounds for probation. The Board of Directors in accordance with the seriousness of the offense will determine the member’s status. Membership may be terminated for serious offenses.

End of Season – All individual beds must be cleared of old plants at the end of the season and either mulched or planted with cover crop. All members are expected to assist with ‘closing’ the garden by cleaning equipment, storing items and removing waste at the end of season workday.

Gatherings – Members are welcome to use the garden for small gatherings. Members holding large gatherings (over 50 people) must provide notice to all garden members before the event. All gathering are free and open to the public.

Grievances – All grievances are to be brought to the Board of Directors for resolution

Article X.  Amendments

These By-Laws and the Rules and Regulations of the Red Shed Community Garden may be amended at any general meeting, when approved by two thirds of the members present. Prior to the vote, notice of the changes shall be available to the members. This must be done a minimum of two weeks before the meeting at which the vote is taken. The changes will be read to the members before the vote is taken.