The MOMS Club Began...

...in 1983 when Mary James, an at-home mother in California, decided she was tired of being at home. She wanted to meet other at-home mothers and she wanted to find other at-home children for her children to play with. When she discovered there were no other organizations that met during the day and allowed her to come with her baby and preschooler, she decided to start a brand new organization just for at-home mothers, and the MOMS Club was born.

The chapter she started was so successful, she knew mothers in other areas must be needing the MOMS Club too. Soon she and other volunteers were helping mothers start MOMS Clubs across the country and around the world!

We now have 2,000+ chapters in the US alone (4 others in Louisiana) and over 100,000 members! We also have International chapters starting too! 

Goals and Principles:

Goals:

• To provide a support group for mothers who choose to stay at home to raise their children.
• To provide a forum for topics of interest to mothers.
• To help children in the community.
• To perform at least one service project yearly helping needy children.

Principles:

• That women must be free to choose their personal path to fulfillment.
• That, for women who choose it, raising children is an important and fulfilling full-time job.
• That a family's decision for a mother to stay at home to raise the children often involves considerable financial sacrifice.
• That there is no one right way to raise children, but our members have a common concern in raising their children in a healthful way.

Business Meetings:

• Regular business meetings shall be held monthly on a day to be specified by the Executive Board.  Any and all business of the group must be conducted at the monthly business meetings. 
• Business meetings must be held during daylight hours and on a weekday.
• All meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order, Revised.

The Executive Board - Officers

President - Carrie

• Presides at meetings.
• Acts as liaison with other organizations in the community.
• Acts as liaison between the local support group and the MOMS Club corporation and is responsible for preparing and presenting any reports on the local group's activities as may be required by the corporation.

Administrative Vice President - Tiffany

• Assists the President in fulfilling the duties of her office.
• Assumes the duties of President when she is not available.
• Coordinates the service project.

Membership Vice President - Monique

• Promotes membership in the group.
• Publicizes the group in the community, and to coordinate such publicity with the President who is the group's liaison with the community.
• Assists the Treasurer in collecting dues.
• Coordinates hospitality at the meetings.

Secretary - Kelli

• Compiles a roster of all members to be distributed at least once a year.
• Coordinates or prepares any correspondence necessary for the support group in cooperation with the president.
• Takes minutes of business, special and Executive Board meetings, and keeps those minutes in a notebook available for review by members and the Executive Board.

Treasurer - Laurie

• Responsible for all funds of the group and deposits the funds in the name of the group in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected by the Executive Board.
• Maintains financial records of the group and keeps those records available for review by the President, the Executive Board, the local group members, and the MOMS Club Corporation.
• Receives and legally disperses any funds as directed by the Executive Board, and to give proper vouchers and receipts for any transactions.
• Prepares and presents a financial report to the Executive Board and members of the group at least once a year and to prepare any other financial reports as may be required by the Executive Board or the MOMS Club corporation.

By-law Guidelines:

• Membership is open to any mother in the area.
• All meetings and group functions shall be held during daylight hours.  One MOMS Night Out, Date Night and Family Picnic is permitted per month.
• Members' children shall be welcome at all functions when accompanied by the member parent.  Attendance by children accompanied by adults other than parents must be approved in advance by the Executive Board and have a signed Liability Release on file.  Parents are responsible for the actions and safety of their children at all times.  Parents may be required to remove disruptive or ill children from meetings or activities.  Nursing of infants and toddlers is perfectly acceptable at all group functions.
• No smoking, drinking, or profanity shall be permitted in the presence of children.
• Dues are $20 and shall be collected on a yearly basis, with each member paying the current fee and receiving membership for one year from the date of their joining.  Dues for renewing members shall also be collected on a yearly basis with each member paying the current fee and receiving membership for one year from the date their renewal was due.  Dues may be paid by check or cash.  Those paying by cash will be granted immediate access to our MSN group.  If a check bounces, the check writer must pay a $25 bank fee in addition to the amount of the check.  Until this amount is paid, the check writer is not permitted to attend any group functions and their access to the MSN group will be suspended.
• Prospective members may attend up to two business meetings before paying dues.  However they may not attend playdates, vote or gain access to the message board until the dues are paid.  In order to protect our security, a member of the Executive Board must meet the prospective member with their children before joining.
• A roster consisting of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all members shall be prepared by the Secretary and distributed at least once a year to all members.   Upon joining MOMS Club, the new member must submit their roster information within 14 days.
• Snacks containing peanuts should be avoided at group events due to an increase in the prevalence and severity of peanut allergies among children.