Termination of a Chapter

• The membership of a chapter shall continue until its charter is terminated either for cause, at the request of the chapter, or at the initiation of the District Director, Regional Vice President, or Vice President of Field Operations. 
• Grounds for termination for cause include the failure to meet SCORE Minimum Standards or the failure to meet the needs of the community, market area, or clients. This includes performing consistently low quality or non-relevant client services. 
  1. Under such circumstances for cause, the District Director will:
     • Send a written notice to the chapter that states the relevant facts and circumstances regarding the grounds for termination (a copy of this notice will also be sent to the SCORE Vice President of Field Operations).
     • Arrange for chapter volunteers who wish and are eligible to continue with SCORE activities to form or join another chapter or to become volunteers of a branch group under the direction of another chapter. 
       • The District Director or Regional Vice President has discretion about who may continue as an active volunteer from a closed chapter.
       • The District Director and leadership of the new chapter have the discretion to create a branch of the chapter.
     • Volunteers who elect not to join another chapter or branch shall be removed from the roster.
  2. A chapter may seek voluntary termination and surrender its charter.
     • If a chapter self terminates, the chapter chair shall send a written notice of the action to the District Director and Vice President of Field Operations.
• The District Director shall arrange for disposition of the chapter’s funds, records and property. The District Director should notify accounting@score.org of the name and date of the chapter closing and which chapter will be assuming the administrative supervision.   All documents and records should be forwarded to the chapter assuming responsibility. If there is not a chapter assuming the responsibilities the documents should be forwarded to the Vice President of Field Operations at SCORE Headquarters.

Disposition of Chapter Assets Following Termination

• A chapter that is being terminated (voluntarily or otherwise) may possess or have a proprietary interest in monetary funds or property, such as equipment, furnishings, publications, leases or supplies that were obtained in the course of SCORE activities. 
• If so, the District Director is authorized and must take the following appropriate and effective measures on a timely basis:
  • Secure and control the chapter’s monies and property for continued SCORE use.
    • Since there is only one legal entity, the SCORE Association, all chapter financial assets are assets of SCORE Association and not of the chapter, regardless of their source. When a chapter is terminated for any reason, all financial assets continue to be managed by the SCORE Vice President of Finance.
  • Ensure assets belonging to the SBA or other partners are returned to the proper owner’s control.