BYLAWS
OF THE
Article
I
NAME:
The name of the organization shall be "The South Dakota
Vocational Agricultural Teachers Association."
Article
II
OBJECTIVES:
Sec. 1 To
update instruction in agriculture and expand programs about agriculture.
Sec. 2 To
serve all people and groups equally without discrimination.
Sec. 3 To
expand the "whole person" concept of education including leadership,
personal and interpersonal skills.
Sec. 4 To
develop educational programs that continually and systematically responds to
the trends and demands of the marketplace.
Sec. 5 To
provide the stimuli that will foster the spirit of free enterprise and develop
creative entrepreneurship and innovation.
Sec. 6 To
provide leadership and cultivate strong partnerships in the total educational
system.
Sec. 7 To
elevate and extend our standards of excellence in classroom and laboratory
instruction, supervised experience and student organizations.
PURPOSE CLAUSE: The
Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or
scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code.
INUREMENT OF INCOME: No
part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or
be distributed to, its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons except
that the Association shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable
compensation for services rendered.
Article
III
MEMBERSHIP:
Sec. 1 Eligibility. All people interested in agricultural
education shall be eligible for membership.
Sec.
2 Class of Members. Qualifications and privileges of each type of
membership shall be defined as follows:
(a) Active membership – shall be defined as
persons professionally qualified to teach agriculture, or any course related
thereto which requires an understanding and knowledge of agriculture, in an
elementary, secondary, adult, or post-secondary public and/or private institution.
(b) Associate membership – shall include others
engaged in programs of agricultural education who are
not professionally qualified to teach agriculture or any course related thereto
which requires an understanding and knowledge of agriculture, and others
interested in agricultural education shall be eligible for membership. Associate members may serve as consultants to
the SDVATA.
(c) Student membership – undergraduates in
training for careers related to agricultural education.
(d) Life membership – those who at anytime pay
the active or associate life membership dues. Active life members who become qualified as
defined in Article III, Section 2(b) Associate membership, shall become
associated life members. Associate life
members who become qualified as defined in Article III, Section 2(a) Active
membership, shall become active life members upon submitting the balance of
active life membership dues. The balance of life dues shall not be refunded to
active members who become associate life members.
(e) Honorary membership – persons who have made
outstanding contributions to the SDVATA and the field of agriculture may be
considered for honorary membership at a meeting of the Board of Directors. Persons are nominated by the districts at the
annual conference and finalized at the Board of Directors meeting.
(f) Organization/Business membership –
agriculture, agribusiness, industry, civic, governmental, and other
organizations or firms.
(g) Retired membership – shall consist of anyone
qualified to be an active or associate member of SDVATA who has retired
completely from his or her profession.
Sec. 3 The membership year shall be August 1 through
July 31.
Sec. 4
Voting and Holding Office.
(a) Voting – The privilege of voting shall be
restricted to active members.
(b) Holding Office – The privilege of holding
office shall be restricted to active members except as provided in Article IV.
Sec. 5
Annual Dues.
(a) Active membership dues shall be $20.00
annually.
(b) Associate membership dues shall be $10.00
annually.
(c) Student membership dues shall be $2.50
annually.
(d) Organization/Business membership dues shall
be $87.50 annually.
Sec. 6 Life
Membership Dues.
(a) Active life membership dues shall be $200.00.
(b) Associate life membership dues shall be
$100.00.
Sec. 7 Retired
Membership Dues
(a) Retired membership dues shall be $10.00
annually.
Article
IV
OFFICERS:
Sec.
1 The officers of the Association shall be a President, a
President-Elect, a Secretary, an Executive Treasurer, the 7 District
Chairpersons and the Past President.
Sec.
2 The President-Elect will be
elected to a one year term of office and then will automatically advance the
next year to the office of President for a one year term. The Secretary shall be elected for a one year
term. The Executive Treasurer is to be
appointed by the Board of Directors with a yearly review. The election of
officers shall be at the annual business meeting. Officers shall assume their office following
the annual business meeting of the Association.
Sec.
3 The District Chairperson shall
be elected for a two year term by the active membership in each district, prior
to the conclusion of the annual business meeting. Even numbered districts will elect their
Chairperson in even numbered years and odd numbered districts will elect their
Chairperson in odd numbered years.
Sec.
4 The immediate Past-President as
chairperson and two other Past-Presidents appointed by the President shall
serve as a nominating committee and shall present a slate of qualified candidates
for each office to the Association at the first day of the annual business
meeting.
Sec. 5 Officers and District Chairpersons shall be
elected by a majority vote of the
active members present at the annual meeting.
If more than two candidates are nominated and one does not receive a
majority vote on the first ballot, a second ballot must be taken on the two candidates
receiving the most votes. The District
Chairperson may also be serving as District FFA Advisor, but to be a District
Chairperson he/she must have an active SDVATA membership. In case any officers or district chairpersons
cease to be an active member, they may continue to serve in that office until
the next annual meeting provided they remain in the field of education. In the event an officer or district
chairperson ceases to teach agricultural education and also leaves the field of
education, the office shall be declared vacant immediately and filled as
follows:
(a) If the office of President becomes vacant,
the President-Elect shall serve out the unexpired term and shall assume the
Presidency at the annual business meeting.
(b) If the office of President-Elect becomes
vacant, the board of directors shall have the power to appoint his/her
successor for the unexpired term. The
President for the year to follow shall be elected by the membership at the
annual business meeting with nominees being selected as provided by Article IV,
Section 4.
(c) If the office of Secretary or Executive
Treasurer becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint
a successor for the unexpired term.
(d) If the office of District Chairperson becomes
vacant, the membership within the district shall elect a successor to fill out
the unexpired term.
Sec.
6 Any officer or district
chairperson failing to carry out their duties may be removed from office by
two-thirds majority vote of SDVATA active membership in the case of an officer or by two-thirds majority vote of
the district active membership in the case of a district chairperson at any regular
meeting.
Sec. 7 Duties
of Officers.
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings
of the Association and Board of Directors; appoint all standing committees with
the approval of the Board of Directors.
(b) The President-Elect shall be responsible for
seeing that the Association's program of work
is carried out; serve as the overall chairperson of the committee structure;
shall conduct meetings of the Association and Board of Directors in the absence
of the President, and shall serve as editor of the Ag Educator.
(c) The Secretary shall keep full and accurate
records of all business and proceedings of regular
and special meetings; serve as Secretary to the Advisory Council; shall take
care of the official correspondence of the association whenever it falls within
the scope of duties to do so or whenever requested by the President and Board
of Directors.
(d) The Executive Treasurer shall receive, and
under the direction of the Board of Directors, hold for safekeeping, or expend
any funds as ordered by the Board of Directors and keep an exact account of
receipts and expenditures with vouchers for all expenditures.
(e) Each District Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson
shall be responsible for conducting the business of the association within the
district.
(f) The Executive Treasurer may receive motel
accommodations at summer vocational conference and any other honorarium as
determined by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE
V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Sec.
1 The President, the
President-Elect, the Secretary, the Executive Treasurer and the seven District
Chairpersons shall constitute the Board of Directors. If an instructional area, whether it be
secondary, post-secondary or adult, does not have an individual serving as a constitutional
officer or as a district chairperson, then that area shall elect an individual
to serve on the Board of Directors with full responsibilities and privileges
until such a time as an individual is elected to an office or
chairmanship. The Past-President and the
Educational Program Representative with leadership responsibilities in the
agricultural education area shall serve as non-voting ex-officio members.
Sec.
2 The Board of Directors shall
constitute the administrative body of the Association and carry out all of the
activities necessary to the successful operation of the Association. Those activities shall include but are not
limited to; promoting Agricultural Education within the state with special
reference to informing the public and legislature with respect to the values and
needs of the programs; prepare an annual program of work; approve all expenditures
deemed necessary for the welfare of the Association and have jurisdiction over
the business of the organization between annual meetings within the limits of
the bylaws.
Sec.
3 The Board of Directors shall
meet at the call of the President or upon written request of a majority of the
Board of Directors.
Sec.
4 A quorum for the Board of
Directors shall constitute a majority of the voting members of the Board of
Directors.
Article
VI
MEETINGS:
Sec.
1 The annual meeting of the
Association shall be held at the time of the annual State Conference of
Agricultural Education Instructors.
Special meetings may be called at any time or place by the President or
Education Program Representative with leadership responsibilities in the agricultural
education area. At least ten days prior
to the annual meeting, notice of said meeting shall be given by the President
or Education Program Representative with leadership responsibilities in the
agricultural education area.
Sec. 2 A quorum shall be defined as 51 percent of
the total active membership.
ARTICLE
VII
COMMITTEES:
Sec.
1 Committees may be appointed
as deemed necessary by the President or the Board of Directors.
Sec.
2 The President-Elect shall
serve as overall chairperson of the committee structure as provided in Article
IV, Section 7 (b).
ARTICLE
VIII
AMENDMENTS:
Sec. 1 The
Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting at the
annual meeting.
ARTICLE
IX
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY:
Sec. 1 ROBERTS
RULES OF ORDER, REVISED, shall govern all cases in which they are applicable
and in which they are not inconsistent with the bylaws or special policies.
ARTICLE
X
OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS: Notwithstanding
any other provisions of these articles, the Association shall not carry
on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an Association exempt from Federal Income tax
under section 501 (c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986
(or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law) or (b) by an
Association, contributions to which are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of
the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United
States Internal
Revenue Law).
DISSOLUTION CLAUSE: Upon
the dissolution of the Association, the Association shall, after paying or making
provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, dispose
of all the assets of the Association
exclusively for the purposes of the Association in such manner, or to such organization or
organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational,
religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or
organizations under 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision
of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine.
Any
such asset not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas
of the county in which the principal office of the Association
is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or
organizations, as said to Court determine, which are organized
and operated exclusively for such purposes.
Be it declared by
the undersigned that the South Dakota Vocational Agricultural Teachers Association was formed