Understand the Proposals

There will be 3 proposals presented on the ballot alongside the Board of Directors elections. Brief summaries of the 3 proposals are below. Detailed descriptions of each proposal follow for those who want a more complete description.

    1. Name Change: I approve changing the club name from “Eugene Swing Dance Club” to “Eugene West Coast Swing”

We’re asking members to approve changing our name from Eugene Swing Dance Club to Eugene West Coast Swing. The new name says what we actually dance, it matches our web address (eugenewcs.com), and it makes it easier for people looking for West Coast Swing in Eugene to find our club. If approved, we’ll update our legal documents and registrations to match, which may include the bylaws, state and IRS filings, and bank records.

The Board recommends a yes vote.

2. Bylaws Update: I approve adopting the updated bylaws effective Jan 1st, 2027

We’re asking members to approve a revised set of bylaws. The Board worked with an attorney to bring them up to date with Oregon nonprofit law, fix gaps and contradictions in the old rules, and match how the club actually runs. A plain-language guide, a line-by-line list of every change, and the complete bylaws will be available to members prior to the membership meeting for review.

The Board recommends a yes vote.

3. Nonprofit Section Change: I approve converting the club’s status from 501(c)(7) to 501(c)(3)

ESDC is a 501(c)(7) social club, and we’ve discovered that we aren’t able to stay within the IRS revenue guidelines for that status. We’re asking members to approve becoming a 501(c)(3) instead, which aligns better with our mission, revenue sources, and attendance composition. If this is approved, another vote will be required during the transition to update language in the bylaws to comply with the new filing status.

The Board recommends a yes vote.

Member Vote, November 16: Three Proposals

What follows is a more detailed explanation of the three proposals.

Members will vote on three proposals at 7:30 p.m. on November 16, 2026, at the Vets Hall. This page explains each one in more detail, and the documents referenced in the newsletter are collected here.

This page is still being updated. The Board and the Bylaws Committee are finishing their review of the details, and the main points below will not change. Please come back to this page for the latest version before the vote.

Last updated: October 17, 2026

Proposal 1: Change our name to Eugene West Coast Swing

The Board is asking members to approve changing our name from Eugene Swing Dance Club (ESDC) to Eugene West Coast Swing (EWCS).

Why we are asking

  • It says what we do. The new name says what we actually dance.
  • It matches our web address. Our web address is already eugenewcs.com. A matching name means one name in one place for members, visitors and search engines.
  • It makes us easier to find. Someone searching for West Coast Swing in Eugene is more likely to find us if our name says West Coast Swing.

What happens if it passes

The club’s legal documents and registrations would be updated to match the new name. This may include the bylaws, state and IRS filings, and bank records. It is the same club with a new name. [Board to confirm this sentence.]

The bylaws on this ballot (Proposal 2) use the current name, Eugene Swing Dance Club, because the name vote has not happened yet. If the name change passes, the bylaws would be updated to the new name.

Proposal 2: Approve the updated bylaws

The Board is asking members to approve a revised set of bylaws. The Board worked with an attorney to bring them up to date with Oregon nonprofit law, to fix gaps and contradictions in the old rules, and to match how the club actually runs today.

The documents

  • What’s Changing in the Bylaws: A plain-language guide to what is changing. Link coming soon.
  • Change document: A section-by-section comparison of the current bylaws (April 2025) and the proposed bylaws, with the reason for each change. Link coming soon.
  • Proposed bylaws: The complete proposed bylaws. Link coming soon.
  • Current bylaws: The current bylaws, for reference. Link coming soon.

The main changes, in plain language

  • What kind of organization we are. The bylaws state that we are a mutual-benefit social club, a 501(c)(7), organized for the recreation of our members.
  • Member rights, written down. We have one class of members. Each member has one vote. Members elect and remove Directors, approve any change to the bylaws, and vote on dissolution.
  • Members can call a meeting. A special membership meeting can now be called by the President, by the Board, or by a petition of 15% of Members. Under the current bylaws members had no way to call one. Members can remove a Director by a majority vote at a special meeting with notice.
  • Stable elections. At the Annual Meeting, members who have been in good standing for at least 30 days can vote. Board candidates must have been members for at least 30 days before the election.
  • Board structure. The Board would have four officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) plus at least four General Directors. The Parliamentarian office is no longer in the bylaws. Vacancies are filled by a vote of the Board. The Board can remove an Officer by a two-thirds vote.
  • Three standing committees: Operation, Marketing and Communications, and Financial Oversight. Committees can spend within the budget the Board approves, and every committee includes a Board member.
  • The Treasurer prepares an annual budget with the Financial Oversight Committee. The emergency threshold for fast Board action is $2,000. Officers may be paid for services they provide beyond their office, such as teaching or DJing, under conflict-of-interest rules.
  • The petition needed to bring a grievance to a special Board meeting drops from 25% to 15% of Members.
  • New protections. Conflict of interest, a Code of Conduct, indemnification and insurance, and non-discrimination are new.
  • If the club ever dissolves, remaining assets go to a nonprofit organization chosen by the Board.

A few details are still being reviewed by the Bylaws Committee, so the wording of some sections may be refined before the vote. The changes listed here will not change in substance. Check this page for updates.

Proposal 3: Permission to explore becoming a 501(c)(3)

The Board is asking members for permission to look into whether we should change from a 501(c)(7) social club to a 501(c)(3). This vote only authorizes research. It does not change our tax status. If the Board concludes a change makes sense, it would bring back a proposal and drafted bylaws for a separate member vote.

Why we are asking

EWCS is a 501(c)(7) social club. The IRS expects a social club to exist mainly for its members. Its guidelines (from IRS Revenue Procedure 71-17) say:

  • 35% rule. A club can receive up to 35% of its gross receipts from outside its membership, meaning non-members.
  • 15% rule. Within that 35%, no more than 15% of gross receipts should come from non-members using the club’s facilities, such as paying to attend dances as guests.

These are about income, not attendance, and the IRS looks at the full facts of each club. A review of our own records shows that we have not been able to stay within these guidelines. [Treasurer to confirm: non-member share of gross receipts, 2025 and 2026 to date.] The visitors who pay to attend our weekly dances and special and weekend events are a large part of the reason.

Why this matters

A club that goes beyond the guidelines can put its tax-exempt status at risk. The Board wants to deal with this deliberately instead of waiting for it to become a problem.

The two paths

  • Stay a social club. Keep our 501(c)(7) status and bring non-member income within the guidelines. In practice that means limiting non-member entry at weekly dances and special and weekend events, and asking more visitors to join as members. The Board has not chosen specific limits.
  • Explore a 501(c)(3). Apply to the IRS to become a 501(c)(3), a public charity with an educational purpose. The guidelines above would no longer limit how many visitors we welcome. This is a bigger change, which is why the Board is asking you first.

What a 501(c)(3) could mean

These are general considerations. Exploring is meant to find out which apply to us.

Possible benefits

  • Welcoming the public to dances and events without the 35% and 15% income limits.
  • Donations to the club could be tax-deductible for donors.
  • The club could become eligible for grants that are open only to charities.

Possible drawbacks and unknowns

  • The IRS must approve an application. It must find our purpose to be charitable or educational, not mainly social. We do not yet know if it would.
  • Our programs might need to emphasize instruction and community education more than they do now.
  • A charity operates for the public, not for its members, and faces more rules and public reporting.
  • Remaining assets would have to stay with charitable purposes.
  • There would be legal and filing costs, and a lot of work for the Board and volunteers.
  • A change this size would need new bylaws, drafted for 501(c)(3) status, and a separate vote of the members.

Why a vote to explore?

The Board does not need members’ permission to research this. But a possible change in the club’s tax status is big enough that the Board wants members to weigh in before it spends time and money on it.

  • If members say yes: the Board researches what a change would involve and what it would cost, then returns with a proposal and drafted bylaws for a later member vote.
  • If members say no: the Board keeps the club a 501(c)(7) and works on bringing non-member income within the guidelines, by limiting non-member entry at weekly dances and special and weekend events and asking more visitors to join.

What happens next

Members will vote on all three proposals at 7:30 p.m. on November 16, 2026, at the Vets Hall. This page will keep being updated as the Bylaws Committee finishes its review, so please return to it for the latest information before the vote.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to any of the Board members or email us at [main email address].