Union Square Association (USA)

Union Square Association (USA)

THE UNION SQUARE ASSOCIATION, INC.

BY-LAWS

Preamble
The purpose of the Union Square Association, Inc. shall be to promote preservation, conservation and to improve the quality of life in the Union Square Historic District and surrounding areas.

Article I
Name
The name of this organization shall be the Union Square Association, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the Association.

The Association shall establish a post office box to be retained as the sole mailing address.

Article II
Members
Article II, Section 1. Membership
Any person living or owning property in or near the Union Square Historic District may become a member by:

A.	Contacting the Recording Secretary,
B.	Submitting proof of residence or 
	ownership,
C.	Being eighteen years of age or older,
D.	Paying his dues upon joining and 
	annually thereafter,
E.	Attending one regular meeting in the
	previous 12 months prior to being
 	granted voting rights.

or
Membership may be granted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Article II, Section 2. Rights of Members
All members have the right to:

A.	Attend all meetings of the Association,
B.	Make motions and vote at all meetings
	except Board of Directors (hereinafter
	referred to as the Board) meetings,
C.	Nominate officers and members of the
	Board,
D.	Be nominated, elected, or appointed to
	the Board,
E.	Call a special meeting of the 
	Association pursuant to
F.	Attend and address the Board at any 
	Board meeting without having to notify
	the Board in advance.

Article II, Section 3. Dues

Article III
Elected Positions
Article III, Section 1. Officers
The officers of the Association shall be as follows:

A.	President
B.	Vice President
C.	Recording Secretary
D.	Corresponding Secretary
E.	Treasurer
F.	Director of Historic Preservation

Officers?’ Baltimore City voting residence must be in or near the Union Square Historic District.

Article III, Section 2. Nominations and Elections

A.	1) The Nominating/Elections Committee
	shall consists of a Chairman and four
	members who shall be elected at a 
	regular meeting prior to the Annual 
	Meeting.
	2) At least two members of the committee
	shall not be members of the Board.
	3) This committee shall:  a) select at
	least one candidate for each office to
	be filled, b) report at the Annual 
	Meeting, after which nominations from
	the floor shall be in order.

Article III, Section 3. Election
Officers shall be elected by a majority vote, by ballot, at the Annual Meeting. If there is only one candidate for an office, the vote may be by voice.

Article III, Section 4. Term of Office

A.	Officers shall serve for a term of one
	year, or until their successors are
 	elected.
B.	Officers shall assume office February 1
	after the meeting at which elected.

Article III, Section 5. Vacancies in Office
A vacancy in office shall be filled within sixty days by a Majority vote of the members of the Board

Article III, Section 6. Duties and Powers of Officers
President
The President shall:

A.	Preside at all regular and special 
	meetings of the members and shall 
	preside at all meetings of the Board,
B.	Submit at each Annual Meeting a written
	report of the condition of the
	Association.
C.	Appoint and remove, employ and 
	discharge and fix the compensation of
	all servants, agents, employees and 
	clerks of the Association other than
	those duly elected members of the 
	Board, subject to the approval of the
	Board,
D.	Sign and make all contracts and 
	agreements in the name of the 
	Association,
E.	See that the books, reports, 
	statements and certificates required
	by statute are properly kept, made 
	and filled in accordance with law,
F.	Sign all notes, drafts or bills of 
	exchange, warrants or other orders 
	for the payment of money duly drawn 
	by the Treasurer,
G.	Enforce these bylaws,
H.	Perform all the duties incidental to 
	the position and office as found in 
	the parliamentary authority and 
	required by law.

Vice President
During the absence or inability of the President to perform his duties, the Vice President shall have all the powers and responsibilities hereby given to or imposed upon the President.

Recording Secretary
The Recording Secretary shall:

A.	Keep the minutes of all meetings of 
	the Association and the Board.
B.	Be the custodian of the records and 
	the seal,
C.	Keep the member ledger,
D.	Give or serve notices of the 
	Association.

Corresponding Secretary
The Corresponding Secretary shall present to the Board all communications addressed to him by the President or any officer or member of the Association. He shall attend to all correspondence he is instructed to handle.

Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:

A.	Have the care and custody of and be 
	responsible for the funds and 
	securities of the Association and 
	funds and securities of the 
	Association and
B.	Deposit all such funds in the name of
	the Association in such financial 
	institutions as the Board may 
	designate, such financial 
	institutions as the Board may 
	designate,
C.	Sign, make and endorse in the name 
	of the Association all checks, 
	drafts, warrants and orders for 
	the payment of money and pay out 
	and dispose of same and receipt 
	thereof under the direction of the 
	President and the Board,
D.	Keep the books of account,
E.	Render a statement of the conditions 
	of finance of the Association at each
	regular meeting of the members and at
	such other times as shall be required,
F.	Twice annually, during the months of 
	July and January following his 
	election, present in writing to the 
	members of the Association a 
	statement of all financial 
	transactions of the Association,
G.	Be responsible for the preparation of
	an annual budget to be presented to 
	the Board no later than its March 
	meeting following his election for 
	adoption.

Director of Historic Preservation
The Director of Historic Preservation shall:

A.	Be the liaison between the 
	Association and other organizations 
	and agencies in matters of historic 
	preservation and conservation,
B.	Direct Association policy regarding 
	architectural guidelines,
C.	Serve as an advocate for historic 
	preservation in all decisions of the
	Board and in all business outside 
	that is conducted by the Association.

Article IV
Meetings
Article IV, Section 1. Regular Meetings

A.	The regular meetings of the members 
	shall be held, at a location to be 
	designated by the President the first
	Monday of each month.
B.	The Recording Secretary shall serve 
	personally, or by mail, at least two
	days prior to such meeting, a written
	notice thereof addressed to each 
	member at his address as it appears 
	on the member ledger.
C.	There shall be a minimum of eight 
	regular meetings annually,
D.	The Annual Meeting, subject to the 
	requirements of Article IV, Section 
	3, shall supersede the January 
	regular meeting.  No regular meeting
	will be held in January.

Article IV, Section 2. Special Meetings

A.	Special meetings of the members may 
	be called by the President, by a 
	majority of the Board, or by a 
	written petition of 2/3 of the 
	membership.
B.	Notice of such meeting stating the 
	purpose for which it was called 
	shall be served personally, or by 
	mail, not less than two days before 
	the date of such meeting.  If mailed,
	it shall be directed to the member at
	his address as it appears on the 
	member ledger.

Article IV, Section 3. Annual Meeting

A.	The Annual Meeting of the Association
	for the selection of officers and 
	directors of the Board shall be held 
	at a location designated by the 
	President on the first Monday in 
	January or no later than the third 
	Monday should circumstances make the 
	first Monday inappropriate.
B.	The President shall serve personally,
	or by mail, at least seven days prior
	to such meeting a written notice 
	thereof addressed to each member at 
	his address as it appears on the 
	member ledger.
C.	The Chairman of the Nominating/
	Elections Committee shall chair the 
	Annual Meeting.

Article IV, Section 4. Voting

A.	Only valid members may cast a vote at
	any Association meeting.
B.	The President may cast a vote in case
	of a tie, and when the vote is by 
	ballot.  At the Annual Meeting the 
	President votes as a member.
C.	Voting for officers and members of 
	the Board shall be by secret written
	ballot.  All written ballots shall 
	be kept on file by the Recording 
	Secretary for a period of thirty days
	should validation of election results
	be necessary.
D.	Voting for all other business of the 
	Association shall be by open ballot.
E.	At regular and special meetings all 
	questions, except for those amending 
	bylaws or removing members of the 
	Board, shall be determined by a 
	simple majority vote of the members 
	present in person, subject to Quorum
	requirement.
F.	There shall be not voting by proxy.

Article IV, Section 5. Quorum

A.	The quorum for the Annual Meeting 
	shall be 25% of the members of record.
B.	The quorum for any regular or special
	meeting shall be 25% of the members 
	of record provided that a majority of
	the members of the Board is present.
C.	In the case of a meeting during which
	the bylaws will be amended, the 
	quorum for bylaws amendments shall be
	50% of the members of record and a 
	majority of the members of the Board.

Article V
The Board of Directors
Article V, Section 1. Composition
A Board of Directors who shall all be members of record shall manage the affairs and business of this Association. The Board shall consist of officers, two elected directors, and the immediate Past President as an ex-officio, non-voting member who is not counted in the quorum.

Article V, Section 2. Powers and Duties of Directors

A.	The Board shall have the control and
	general management of the affairs and
	business of the Association.  
	Directors shall in all cases act as a
	Board, regularly convened.
B.	They may adopt such rules and 
	regulations for the conduct of their 
	meetings and the management of the 
	Association, as they deem proper, not
	inconsistent with these bylaws or the
	laws of the State of Maryland.
C.	At no time shall the Board reverse a 
	decision made by a majority of the 
	members of record.
D.	The Board must submit decision 
	regarding any expense or debt of more
	than $500 to the membership for approval.
E.	The Board must notify each member in 
	writing of each Board Meeting at 
	least two days prior to such meeting 
	and must submit an agenda of that 
	meeting with such notification.  The 
	Board will not be strictly limited to
	business on said agenda.
F.	The retiring Board shall deliver all 
	correspondence, property, archives, 
	financial records, stationery and 
	funds or access thereto to the 
	incoming Board at the January Board 
	meeting.
G.	Decisions by the Board can be 
	reversed by a 2/3 vote of all 
	membership present at any special or
	regular meeting.

Article V, Section 3. Election and Term

A.	At the Annual Meeting of members the 
	Board shall be elected.
B.	Candidates for the Board shall be 
	selected by the Nominating/Elections 
	Committee.
C.	The terms of office for each member 
	of the Board shall be from February 
	through January following the Annual
	Meeting in which he was elected.

Article V, Section 4. Meetings of the Board

A.	Regular meetings of the Board shall 
	be held the third Monday of each 
	month, and at such other times that 
	the Board may determine.
B.	Special meetings of the Board may be
	called by the President at any time 
	or by written notice to the President
	bearing the signature of a majority 
	of the members of the Board.

Article V, Section 5. Vacancies

A.	Vacancies on the Board shall be 
	filled within sixty days of the 
	vacancy by a majority vote of the 
	Board members at a meeting of the Board.
B.	Any one or more of the members of 
	the Board may be removed with just 
	cause at any time by the 2/3 vote of
	the members at any special meeting 
	called for the purpose.

Article V, Section 6. Quorum
The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be a majority of the Directors and Officers.

Article VI
Committees

A.	The Standing Committees shall be:

	The Public Relations Committee
	The Membership Committee
	The Fundraising Committee
	The Program Committee
	The Historic Information Committee

B.	Appointment

	The President shall appoint 
	and shall serve as an ex-officio
	member of all committees and shall 
	designate the chairmen thereof, 
	except the Nominating/Elections 
	Committee.

C.	Special Committees

	Special Committees shall be 
	established and chairmen appointed, 
	and committee tenure determined by
	the President and/or the Board as 
	deemed necessary.

Article VII
Amendments
Article VII, Section 1. How Amended
These bylaws may be amended by an affirmative vote by 2/3 of the members present at a meeting at which the amendments are proposed, providing that prior meeting notice requirements have been completed and quorum requirements met.

Written notice shall have been sent to each member of record which notice shall have stated the amendments proposed to be made to the bylaws. Only such amendments as have been specified in the notice shall be acted upon.

Article VIII
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert?’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association 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 Association may adopt.

Footnote:
1) Throughout this document the personal pronoun ?“he?” or similar masculine terms shall indicate no gender bias.

Special Rules of Order
The Order of Business for the Annual Meeting shall be as follows:

1. Registration and proof of voting eligibility by the Treasurer and Recording Secretary,
2. Proof of notice of meeting,
3. Submission of written reports by Officers,
4. Submission of written reports by committees,
5. Oral and written report of the Nominating/Elections Committee,
6. Opening the floor for nominations,
7. Election of Officers and Directors,
8. Adjournment.

 

About our association

All about the Union Square Neighborhood

LOCATION
Just nine-tenths of a mile from the finest baseball stadium in the land at Camden Yards, the Union Square/Hollins Market Historic District is sited on the rich historical ground of Southwest Baltimore known to locals as Sowebo. We are bounded by S. Schroeder and S. Fulton streets from the east and west respectively. W. Baltimore and W. Pratt streets make up our northern and southern boundaries. Union Square proper, just west of the market, is bounded by S. Carey and S. Fulton streets from the east and west respectively, and by W. Baltimore and W. Pratt Streets from the north and south. The Inner Harbor, B&O Railroad Museum, Ravens Stadium, and the University of Maryland-Baltimore are all within walking distance. A public golf course is nearby, adjacent to the newly renovated Montgomery Park office building. Access to Interstates 83, 95 and the MARC commuter train to Washington D.C. are minutes away. The Union Square/Hollins Market District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

DESCRIPTION
Named for the charming and graceful park that lies at its center, Union Square is an exceptional and diverse urban setting. Within its borders the colorful and storied history of 19th and 20th century Baltimore unfolds through distinctive architecture, historic markets, local museums, and longtime residents. The neighborhood is home to several art galleries and artist studios, a bed and breakfast (1870 Guest House) that overlooks the square, and enjoys an uncommon synergy among its residents. United in their efforts to enhance the Union Square area, residents offer walking tours of historic sites and have formed committees to address various issues to improve the quality of life. Union Square is also actively engaged in outreach with other nearby neighborhoods and non-profit groups. This historic neighborhood, one of Baltimore's friendliest, is marked by pre- and post-Civil War architecture, period street lamps, brick sidewalks and stately row homes. The lifelong home of 'The Sage of Baltimore' H.L. Mencken is at 1524 Hollins St. The Neighborhood Design Center, whose mission it is to assist in building better communities, is at 1401 Hollins St. and Viva House at 26 S. Mount St. The commercial district runs along W. Baltimore St. and is home to a wide variety of businesses.

TYPES OF HOUSES
On the Square and on nearby streets, spacious three-story Italianate style row houses pre-dominate. Most are pre- and post- Civil War Italianate in style, but there are many examples of Early Victorian Greek Revival and Late Victorian Romanesque Revival. Many homes have ten-to fourteen-foot ceilings, tall distinctive windows, wood floors, and plaster walls. Exteriors are brick and mortar facades with attractive cornices and marble steps. On side streets and alleys are found still charming two-story and two-story-with-attic rows. House prices range from $50,000 to $275,000.

HISTORY
Much of the neighborhood is built on the former estate of Thorowgood Smith, a merchant and shipper who was also mayor of Baltimore from 1804 to 1808. In 1799 Smith built Willow Brook, a Palladian style villa popular in mid-18th century England and America. Falling on difficult times, Smith was forced to sell Willow Brook within a year and it then passed to his nephew, John Donnell. The land, comprising twenty-six acres in all, was then parceled out by Donnell's children for lots for the construction of new homes. Willow Brook's interior oval drawing room had long enjoyed local and national acclaim and it was moved intact to the Baltimore Museum of Art for permanent display.

The estate house was acquired by Emily Caton McTavish, granddaughter of Charles Carroll (signer of the Declaration of Independence). She in turn, donated it to the Roman Catholic Church which modified and renovated the structure for use as a school for delinquent girls. In 1965 the school closed for good and its buildings were dismantled. The Steuart Hill Elementary School now stands on the site. The land for the one-block, two and a half acre park was donated to the city by the Donnell family in 1847.

Notice

This is an interim website for the Union Square Association while the permanent site is being developed. Source of this text is the Union Square Neighborhood Profile at LiveBaltimore.com