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BOZEMAN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION BYLAWS (BPW/USA Mandatory Clauses are
Underlined)
ARTICLE I NAME
Section l The
name of this local organization shall be the Bozeman Business and
Professional Women’s Organization of Bozeman, Montana.
Section 2 It is a
member of the Montana Federation of Business and Professional
Women’s Organizations, and of the National Federation of Business
and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. of the United States of
America, known as and hereafter referred to as BPW/USA.
ARTICLE II MISSION
The mission of
this local organization shall be to achieve equity for all women in
the workplace through advocacy, education and information.
ARTICLE III EMBLEM
The emblem shall
be in the form of a circle in which the symbols of the Nike, Scroll,
Torch, Wand, and Ship of Commerce are imposed above the initials
NFBPWC.
ARTICLE IV POLICIES
Section l
This local organization shall be nonsectarian, nonpartisan, and
nonprofit.
Section 2 The
mission and objectives and the policies and procedures of the state
and national federations as applicable shall in every case also be
the mission, objectives, and policies and procedures of this local
organization.
ARTICLE
V MEMBERSHIP
Section l
Membership shall be held by individuals who support the mission and
objectives of BPW/USA. Membership categories shall be:
(a) Member - Membership shall be
open to all individuals;
(b) Student - Individuals enrolled in
college or a university, or any other accredited educational
institution above the high school level;
Section 2 Membership
in this local organization shall be all-inclusive for membership in:
(a) Montana Federation of Business and
Professional Women’s Clubs; and
(b)
The National Federation
of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs of the United States of
America (BPW/USA).
Section 3 A
member in good standing may request transfer from one local
organization to another.
Section 4 A
local organization may not refuse to accept the transfer of a member
in good standing.
Section 5 The
only criteria for membership shall be per Article V, Section l and
the payment of appropriate dues.
ARTICLE VI LOCAL
ORGANIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Section l This
local organization, to remain in good standing:
(a)
Shall maintain a membership of at
least five (5) members and/or student members;
(b)
Shall not be an integral part
of any other national organization; and
(c)
Shall insure that the local
organization bylaws are current and not in conflict with state and
national bylaws and policies.
Section 2
Should membership fall below five (5) members and/or student
members, this local organization shall be dropped from the state and
national federation at the end of the second fiscal year.
ARTICLE VII DUES
Section 1 Dues
are payable upon application for membership and renewable annually
on the first day of the following month.
Section 2 Member
Affiliated with a Local Organization
Annual dues for each member affiliated with a local organization
shall include local, district, state, national,
foundation dues as specified in the current respective bylaws.
(See Appendix A for current amount). State dues shall
include a subscription to the official state publication.
Section 3 Student
Annual dues for each student affiliated with a local organization
shall include local, district, state, national, and
foundation dues as specified in the current respective bylaws.
(See Appendix A for current amounts). State dues shall include
a subscription to the official state publication.
Section 4 Each
local organization shall pay national annual convention dues of ten
dollars ($10.00). National Convention dues are collected by
BPW/USA on October 31st of each year by deducting the amount from
membership renewal funds.
Section 5 A
continuing member is one whose dues are paid in the same local
organization through the close of the previous fiscal year.
Section 6 A
member is in good standing only when local organization, state and
national dues are paid.
Section 7 A
member who does not pay dues within sixty (60) days of their annual
renewal date shall be removed from the local organization roster.
Section 8 A
person who has been removed from the local organization roster for
nonpayment of current dues may be reinstated upon payment of dues
for local organization, state and national.
ARTICLE VIII FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Section l The
fiscal year shall commence on the first day of June and shall end of
the 31st day of May.
Section 2 An
auditor or auditing committee of three (3) members shall be
appointed by the executive committee in May. The auditor or
committee shall perform a special review procedures engagement of
the treasurer’s records within sixty (60) days after the close of
the Treasurer’s term of office and shall report to the local
organization at the next regular meeting.
ARTICLE IX OFFICERS
Section l The
officers shall be a president, a first vice-president, a second
vice president, a corresponding secretary, a recording
secretary, and a treasurer.
Section 2 A term
of office shall be one year.
Section 3
Officers shall assume their duties immediately following their
installation at the second May meeting and shall serve for one year
or until their successors are duly elected.
ARTICLE
X NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section l
Officers shall be elected at the local organization’s business
meeting in May.
Section 2 To
be eligible to serve as an officer, a member must:
(a)
Be in good standing and
(b)
Officially and publicly
support the national legislative platform.
Section 3 At the
first meeting in March, a nominating committee shall be appointed,
consisting of three (3) members. The nominating committee shall
present to the April meeting a slate of one or more nominees for
each office. Nominations may also be made from the floor.
Section 4
Officers may be censured or removed from office for improper conduct
or dereliction of duties in office. This action requires written
notification specifying the reasons, to all members ten days (10)
before a vote is scheduled, and will require a 2/3 vote of all
members present.
Section 5
Vacancies in office shall be handled as follows:
(a) In
the event of death, resignation, removal or incapacity of the
president, the first vice-president shall become the president for
the unexpired term of the term;
(b) Vacancies
in offices other than president shall be filled for the unexpired
term by the executive committee.
Section 6 No
member shall hold the same office for more than two consecutive
terms.
Section 7 Six
months or more shall be considered a term of office in determining
eligibility for re-election.
ARTICLE XI DUTIES
OF OFFICERS
Section 1 The
president shall be the principal officer of the local organization
and shall:
(a) Preside
at all meetings of the local organization, the board of directors,
and the executive committee;
(b) Appoint the standing and special
committee chairs with the approval of the executive committee, and
may also appoint a parliamentarian;
(c) Have
the authority with the approval of the executive committee to remove
any appointee who fails to perform the duties of the assigned
position.
(d) Serve
as ex-officio member of all committees;
(e) Bring
to the attention of the local organization all pertinent information
from the state and national federations;
(f) Authorize
all expenditures according to financial policies of the local
organization.
(g) Be
responsible for sending to
the state secretary and district director:
(1) The
names and addresses of all officers and chairs immediately following
their election or appointment;
(2) An immediate report of all changes
affecting the above item.
(h) Prepare
the President’s annual report for the state president, and submit to
the state president by April 15 of each year for inclusion in the
state convention manual.
Section 2 The
first vice-president shall:
(a) Perform
the duties of the president in the absence of the president and act
in an advisory capacity at all times;
(b) Become
president for the unexpired term in case of the death or
resignation, removal, or incapacity of the president;
(c) Be
chair of the issues management committee.
Section 3 The
second vice-president shall:
(a) Perform
the duties of the president and first vice-president in their
absence and shall act in an advisory capacity at all times;
(b) Become
president for the unexpired term in case of the death or
resignation, removal, or incapacity of both the president and first
vice-president;
(c) Be
chair of the membership committee;
(d) Serve
in such other capacities as assigned by the president.
Section 4 The
recording secretary shall:
(a)
Take and record accurate minutes of the proceedings of all
meetings of the local organization, the board of directors and the
executive committee and see that they are posted on the Bozeman BPW
website;
(b)
Preserve, in a permanent file, all records and letters of
value to the local organization and its officers, including official
corporation documents, such as the Articles of Incorporation and the
Bylaws (it is suggested that Bylaws be maintained on a computer
diskette for easier updating).
Section 5 The
corresponding secretary shall:
(a)
Conduct the correspondence of the
local organization;
(b) Read all correspondence
deemed pertinent by the executive committee;
(c)
Publish a periodical newsletter,
if budgeted and approved by the board of directors.
Section 6 The
treasurer shall:
(a) Have charge of all monies of the local organization and
shall report thereon at all regular meetings;
(b)
Collect all dues from new members, and
give a proper receipt therefore;
(c) See that a Treasurers bond is acquired, covering an amount
at least equal to budgeted annual revenues;
(d)
Pay all bills upon the written
authorization of the president and finance chair; and obtain 2
signatures on all withdrawals;
(e) Keep an itemized record, in a permanent file, of all
receipts and expenditures and give a written report of the same at
frequent intervals;
(f)
Forward promptly to
the treasurer of the state federation all monies payable to the
state federation; forward promptly to BPW/USA all funds payable to
the national federation and all local, state and national dues for
all new members;
(g) Pay district dues, based on the previous fiscal year’s
membership as of May 31, to the secretary/treasurer of district
prior to Spring District Conference.
(h)
Serve as ex-officio member of the
finance committee;
(i)
Deliver to the successor within
35 days after expiration of term of office, all books, records, and
papers.
Section 7 Each
officer, except the treasurer, shall deliver to the successor
immediately after retiring from office all accounts, records, books,
papers and other property belonging to the local organization. A
report of any special procedures and any recommendations should be
included.
ARTICLE
XII MEETINGS
Section 1 Regular
meetings shall be held at least monthly The time and dates of the
meetings will be set by the Board of Directors.
Section 2 It is
suggested that one meeting of the month shall be a business meeting,
and the second be a program meeting, at which time some phase of the
year’s program shall be developed. The business meeting in May
shall be designated the annual meeting, at which time reports
summarizing the year’s activities shall be given.
Section 3 Special
meetings may be called by the president or any five members,
provided all members are notified of time, place, and purpose of
such meeting.
Section 4
One-fourth of the members at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5 No
member shall have more than one vote, and no voting by proxy shall
be allowed.
ARTICLE XIII BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Section l The
elected officers and standing committee chairs shall constitute a
board of directors.
Section 2 The
board of directors shall:
(a)
Supervise the affairs of the
local organization;
(b) Make recommendations for
local organization’s growth and prosperity;
(c) Make recommendations to the
local organization regarding proposed Amendments to the bylaws;
(d) Transact
any business between meetings of the local organization and report
thereon at the next business meeting.
Section 3 The
board of directors shall hold a minimum of four meetings during the
year, the dates to be determined by the board at its first meeting.
Section 4 Special
meetings of the board of directors may be called by the president or
by one-third of the board members provided two are elected officers.
Section 5 A
majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 6 No
member shall have more than one vote and no voting by proxy shall be
allowed.
ARTICLE
XIV EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section l The
elected officers of the local organization shall constitute the
executive committee.
Section 2 The
executive committee shall have authority to act for the board of
directors between meetings of the board, and shall report thereon at
the next meeting of the board.
Section 3 The
executive committee shall meet on call by the president, or by any
two members of the committee, for the consideration of special
matters between regular meetings of the local organization and the
board of directors.
Section 4
Standing and special committee appointments made by the president
shall be subject to the approval of the executive committee.
Section 5 A
majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum for a
meeting of the executive committee.
Section 6 No
member shall have more than one vote, and no voting by proxy shall
be allowed.
ARTICLE XV STANDING
COMMITTEES
Section l The
standing committees of the local organization shall be finance,
foundation, issues management, legislation, membership, media
relations, individual development program, and Young Careerist.
Section 2 To
be eligible to serve as a chair or as a member of a standing
committee, a member must:
(a) Be in good standing and
(b) Officially and publicly support the national legislative
platform
Section 3
Committee chairs and members shall be appointed for a term of one
year and may be reappointed. No committee chair shall serve as
chair more than three consecutive years on the same committee.
Section 4 The
finance committee shall be composed of a chair and at least two
members. The treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio member. It
shall be the duty of the finance committee to prepare an annual
budget for the local organization, to have general supervision of
all expenditures, and to assist the local organization in developing
a sound financial policy. The finance chair shall be a member
ex-officio without vote, of all committees which disburse money.
Section 5 The
foundation chair shall promote interest in and support of the
National and State Business and Professional Women’s Foundation.
Section 6 The
issues management committee shall be composed of a chair and the
chairs of other standing and special and optional committees. The
chair shall be the first vice-president. It shall be the duty of
the issues management committee to plan and implement a well
coordinated annual program based on federation objectives. The
committee shall meet immediately after appointment to consider the
annual program suggested by state and national federations and
develop a program which shall involve all areas of local
organization activities. The issues management chair shall present
the annual program to the board of directors for approval.
Section 7 The
legislation committee shall be composed of a chair and at least two
members. It shall be the duty of the legislation committee to carry
out the legislative programs adopted by the state and national
federations. The committee shall study local legislative needs in
order to make recommendations to the local organization.
Section 8 The
membership committee shall be composed of a chair and at least two
members. The chair shall be the second vice-president. It shall be
the duty of the membership committee to promote, expand, stabilize,
orient the membership, and maintain membership records.
Section 9 The
media relations committee shall be composed of a chair and at least
two members. It shall be the duty of the media relations committee
to present national, state and local programs and activities through
available news media.
Section 10 The
individual development program planning committee will be composed
of a chair and at least two members. It shall be the duty of the
individual development program planning committee to provide
training and practice opportunities in public speaking, general
communication, job performance skills for women, parliamentary
procedure and mission/vision of BPW/USA.
Section 11 The
Young Careerist committee will be composed of a chair and at least
two members. It shall be the duty of the Young Careerist committee
to develop and coordinate programs for young women. The Young
Careerist committee shall:
(a)
encourage recruitment of young
people into membership;
(b)
organize and coordinate a Young
Careerist program;
(c)
promote activities that involve
the participation of young people.
Section 12 Optional
committees may be developed to meet the current needs of the local
organization in promoting special interests of the membership. The
issues management committee shall present such committees for
approval of the board of directors each year.
Section 13
Special committees are appointed by the President when needed.
ARTICLE
XVI REPRESENTATION
Section 1
Representation at the State Convention shall be by members of this
local organization.
Section 2 No
individual shall have more than one vote and no voting by proxy
shall be allowed.
ARTICLE
XVII PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
The rules of
parliamentary procedure comprised in the current edition of Robert’s
Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings of the
local organization, the board of directors, and the executive
committee, subject to such special rules as have been or may be
adopted.
ARTICLE XVIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1
Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the board of
directors, the executive committee, or the bylaws committee.
Section 2 All
proposed amendments, except mandatory provisions are not voted upon,
shall be sent to every member at least ten (10) days before they
are to be voted upon.
Section 3 All
proposed amendments shall be presented to the board of directors
prior to presentation to the local organization.
Section 4 These
bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present
and voting at any regular meeting.
Section 5 The
final adoption by the local organization of amendments to or
revisions of these bylaws shall be contingent upon the approval of
the state president.
Section 6 When
an amendment is adopted to national or state bylaws which affects
local organization bylaws, the local organization shall
automatically amend its bylaws to conform. The Model Local
Organization bylaws are automatically amended as well. Any conflict
shall be resolved in accordance with state and national federation
policy and procedure.
ARTICLE XIX
DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution
of this organization all of its assets remaining after payment of
all costs and expenses of such dissolution shall be distributed to a
BPW state federation, a BPW district, a BPW local organization, the
BPW foundation, or a State BPW Foundation that has qualified for
exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and
state tax regulations. None of the assets will be distributed to
any member, officer, or trustee of this organization.
APPENDIX A
Breakdown of Annual
Dues for Fiscal Year
l.
Member Affiliated With A Local Organization
Local Organization $ 7.00
District Dues
3.00
State Dues 15.00
National Dues 60.00
BPW/USA Foundation 3.00
BPW/MT Foundation 2.00
TOTAL $ 90.00
2.
Student Affiliated With A Local Organization
Local Organization $ 2.00
District Dues 3.00
State Dues 2.00
National Dues 21.00
BPW/USA Foundation 3.00
BPW/MT Foundation 2.00
TOTAL $ 33.00
3. Local Organization’s National
$ 10.00
Annual Convention Dues
4.
Local Organization’s Contribution
$ 5.00
for gift for State President
Bylaws were amended
by the majority of the membership on March 12, 2008
Bozeman BPW
P.O. Box 644
Bozeman, MT 59771
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