North Carolina Society of Engineers Bylaws
Article I
Meetings
1. The Board of Directors shall determine the program and the nature of the business of all meeting of the Society.
2. The President shall call special meetings of the Society when authorized to do so as provided for use in Article V, Paragraph 5, of the Constitution.
Article II
Order and Procedure of Business of Society Meetings
1. The latest edition of Roberts Rule of Order shall be accepted by the Society as final authority on all questions of parliamentary law.
2. The order of business for regular meetings shall be:
a. Reading of minutes of last meeting.
b. President's address (at the Annual Meeting) embodying the annual report of the activities of the Board of
Directors and such recommendations as he/she may care to make to the Society.
c. Report of Secretary-Treasurer.
d. Report of Standing Committees.
e. Report of Special Committees.
f. Reports of Presidents of Local Chapters of Engineers
g. Report of Tellers Committee and announcements of election of new officers and directors. (At Annual Meeting).
h. Unfinished business.
i. New Business.
j. Technical papers and discussions.
k. Adjournment.
Article III
Election of Officers
1. At the Annual Meeting, upon assuming office, the President shall appoint for that year a nominating committee, composed of the three (3) junior past Presidents of the Society and four (4) other members, one (1) form each of the Districts.
2 a. This Nominating Committee shall prepare and submit at the summer meeting a list of proposed Officers and District Directors, to be voted upon in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws. This list of proposed Officers and District Directors shall contain only one (1) candidate for the office of President who shall be the member currently serving as First Vice-President. For the office of First Vice-President, the Committee shall nominate only one (1) candidate who shall be the member currently serving as Second Vice-President. For the office of Second Vice-President, the Committee shall nominate one (1) candidate and shall secure a statement that he/she will agree to serve if elected. For District Director from each of the four (4) Districts, the Committee shall nominate one (1) candidate currently residing in that District, and shall secure from each a statement that he/she will agree to serve if elected. Affiliate Club Directors shall be the duly elected President of each Affiliate Club. Directors from Local Chapters of Engineers shall be the duly elected Presidents from respective Chapters.
b. If there be no summer meeting as a result of the Board of Directors establishing a combined meeting as provided for in Article V, Paragraph 4, of the Constitution, the report of the Nominating Committee shall be submitted to the President who shall cause it to be published in the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER at least three (3) in advanced of such combined meeting , which combined meeting will then be considered as the "Annual" meeting.
3. The committee shall endeavor to nominate for office thoses who have served on committees and on the Board of Directors. It shall also give due consideration to the geographical distribution of the candidates and see that the various branches of engineering are represented by nominees.
4. a. The Nominating Committee shall render its report at the summer meeting of the Society at which meeting independent nominations may be made in writing by joint petition of one (1%) per cent or more of the membership in good standing. Independent nominations must be placed in the hands of the Secretary-Treasurer not later than the last day of the summer meeting. Each such nomination shall be accompanied by a written statement from the proposed nominee that he will agree to serve if elected.
b. If there be no summer meeting as provided under Article V, Paragraph 4, of the Constitution, independent nominations may be made by joint petition as provided in 4 (a) above if placed in the hands of the Secretary-Treasurer within ten (10) days after the publication, in the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER, of the report of the Nominating Committee. Each such nomination shall be accompanied by a written statement from the proposed nominee that he will agree to serve if elected.
5. a. After the summer meeting, the Secretary-Treasurer shall publish in the next issue of the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER the names of all those nominated at the summer meeting.
b. If there be no summer meeting as provided under Article V, Paragraph 4, of the Constitution, the publication of the report of the Nominating Committee in the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER shall constitute the notice to the membership, provided, however, that if any independent nominations are made, the Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the membership of such nominations within fifteen (15) days after the publication of the Nominating Committee report in the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER.
6.Within thirty (30) days after the mailing of notice of those nominated, any fifty (50) members of the Society may submit names of additional nominees in writing, and if these persons are eligible and inform the Secretary-Treasurer they are willing to be candidates, their names shall be placed on the ballots.
7. Within fifteen (15) days after publication in the NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER of the nominees for officers and directors, the Secretary shall prepare and send to each member eligible to vote a ballot containing the names of all nominees legally authorized with instructions that secret sealed ballots must be returned in envelopes provided at least thirty (30) days prior to the first day of the Annual Meeting.
8. Prior to the Annual Meeting, the President shall appoint a committee of tellers and arrange for them to count the ballots and report the results of their findings to the Society. The candidates receiving the largest number of votes for each office shall be elected.
9. In the event of a tie vote, or a disagreement among the tellers concerning the vote, a new committee of tellers shall be elected by the Society members then in session and the findings of this committee shall be final. The Secretary shall preserve the ballots for one year.
Article IV
Duties and Powers of Officers and Standing Committees
1. The President shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society, preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors, shall appoint with approval of the Board all committees of which he shall be an ex officio member. He shall sign all membership certificates, represent the Society upon official occasions and deliver to the Society an address at its Annual Meeting. The President shall endeavor to visit each Local Chapter of Engineers and local engineers club in the State at least once during his term in office and officially represent the North Carolina Society of Engineers. The actual expense of the President's visits shall be paid by the Society.
2. In the absence of the President at any duly called meeting of the Society or the Board, the the First Vice-President shall preside, and in his absence the Second Vice-President. In the absence of all these officers, a chairman of the meeting shall be elected from the members present.
3. The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of the Society in conformity to its Constitution and Bylaws. It shall direct the investment and care of the funds of the Society, make appointments for specific purposes, act upon applications for membership as provided in these Bylaws, take measures to advance the interests of the Society, appoint all of its employees, provide for and supervise the publication of a year book which shall contain a list of officers and committees, list of past presidents, a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws, an alphabetical list of all grades of members in good standing, and such other matters as the Board may prescribe. It may publish and distribute the papers presented at the meetings of the Society and may subscribe to or participate in the editing and publishing of any engineering magazines published in the State of North Carolina. It shall have general direction of all the Society's business, shall make an annual report at the Annual Meeting, which shall contain the report of the Secretary-Treasurer and other officers and committees. It shall hold two (2) of its four(4) annual meetings on the day prior to the Annual and Summer Meetings. It shall fill promptly any vacancies of elected Directors which may occur on the Board of Directors. It shall have the power to expel members as provided in these Bylaws.
4.No member of the Board of Directors except Secretary-Treasurer shall receive compensation for his services.
5. The Board shall, through the Secretary-Treasurer, prepare and file such reports relative to the business of the Society as are necessary and desirable. It shall, through the Secretary-Treasurer, handle all communications relative to the business of the Society.
6. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, the two Vice-Presidents, the immediate Past President and the Secretary-Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall have immediate supervision of the arrangements necessary for the Annual Meeting and summer meeting, and shall supervise for the Society of matters pertaining to publicity, including the publication, including the publication of the Society's magazine, THE NORTH CAROLINA ENGINEER.
7. The Finance Committee shall be appointed by the President and shall be composed of one (1) of the Board of Directors and two (2) other members. The Finance Committee shall have immediate supervision of the financial affairs of the Society. The Chairman of the Finance Committee shall be furnished prior to the Annual Meeting a copy of the Annual Audit Report prepared by an approved Certified Public Accountant or by an audit committee of at least three (3) members in good standing appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. The Finance Committee shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors as to the investment of money and as to other financial matters.
8. The Chairman of the Membership Committee shall be appointed by the President and the Chairman shall select the members of his committee. The Membership Committee shall be directly responsible for the activities of the Society along the lines of membership and promotional work.
9.At each annual meeting of the Society, the Board of Directors shall present an itemized financial statement for the preceding year.
10.The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive all moneys, and deposit the same in the name of the Society. He shall invest all funds not needed for current disbursements as shall be ordered by the Board of Directors. He shall pay all bills, when certified and audited, as provided by these Bylaws and the rules prescribed by the Board of Directors. He shall make an annual report and such other reports as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be bonded in such amount and in such manner as provided by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be a voting member of the Society. He shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at their annual meeting, and shall hold office for one (1) year, or until his successor is elected. He shall be, under the directions of the President and the Board of Directors, the executive officer of the Society. He will be expected to attend all meetings of the Society, and of the Board of Directors, prepare the business thereof, and duly record the proceedings therefor. He shall see that all moneys due the Society are carefully collected, and without loss. He shall carefully scrutinize all expenditures, and use this best endeavor to secure economy in the administration of the Society. He shall personally certify the accuracy of all bills or vouchers on which money is to be paid. He shall have charge of the books or accounts of the Society, and shall furnish annually to the Board of Directors, a statement of receipts and expenses under their several headings, and also a statement of balances. He shall present annually, to the Board of Directors, a balance sheet of his books as of the 31st of December, and shall furnish from time to time, such other statements as may be required of him. He shall conduct the correspondence of the Society, and keep full record of the same. The Secretary-Treasurer may, with approval of the Executive Committee, from time to time employ additional clerical assistance to take care of emergency work and shall determine the compensation thereof. He shall have charge of the Society's headquarters and its contents, shall supervise the work of all employees of the Society, and see that they diligently perform their respective duties. He shall perform all other duties which may from time to time be assigned to him by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be paid a salary to be determined by the Board of Directors, but such salary shall not be reduced during the term of office, as provided in this Constitution. All other salaries shall be fixed, from time to time, by the Board of Directors.
Article V
Fees and Dues
1. There shall be no entrance or initiation fee.
2. Honorary members are life members.
3. Members of the N.C. Soc. Engrs. who become life members after January 1, 1992, shall pay dues at one-half the rate for members. Dues for members who became life members prior to January 1, 1992 shall not be required but will be accepted if rendered to the Society.
4. Annual dues for Members shall be $60.00 (1992)
5. Annual dues for Associate Members shall be $60.00 (1992)
6. Annual dues fir Student Members shall be $2.00 (1990)
7. Annual dues for Affiliate Members shall be $60.00 (1992)
8. Annual dues for the members of each Local Chapter of Engineers shall be controlled and set by the respective Board of Directors of each Local Chapter. The dues of the Society shall be added to the amount set by the Board of Directors of its respective chapter.
9. The fiscal year of the Society and Local Chapters of Engineers shall run from January 1st to December 31st and dues not paid by April 1st shall be considered delinquent. Members delinquent one full year in good standing except for non-payment of dues, may be reinstated by making payment of back dues for one (1) year.10. If a financial situation should develop in the Society requiring a change in the dues structure, the Board of Directors may, with a three-fourths (3/4) affirmative vote of the full Board approve a change and so publish in 4,5, 6, and 7 above.
11. The full amount of annual dues shall be collected with each new application for membership, except for applications approved after June 30th, in which case one half (1/2) of the annual dues will be collected.
Article VI
Applications, Admissions, and Expulsions
1. An application for admission to the Society, or for transfer from one grade to another, shall embody a concise statement, with dates, of the candidate's professional training and experience, and shall be in a form and in such detail as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. It shall be signed by the applicant, and shall contain a promise to conform to the requirements of membership, if elected. The applicant shall furnish the names of at least two (2) engineers, one (1) of whom must be a member of the Society. Each shall verify on the membership application that, to the best of his/her knowledge, the information on the application concerning the applicant is true and accurate, and the applicant is of good moral character. The Board shall have the power to elect persons to any grade, and to transfer persons from any grade to a higher grade of membership and shall notify the membership of its action.
2. Honorary Members shall be proposed by at least ten (10) members and shall be elected by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the entire Board of Directors. All other grades of membership shall be elected by a majority vote by the Board of Directors, present and constituting a quorum.
3. A member of any grade in the Society may be expelled from membership by three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board of Directors for: unethical and unprofessional conduct, conviction of a crime, conduct contrary to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society and conduct inimical to the best interest of the Society. Members shall receive a written copy of the charges against them and have the right of a hearing before the Board.
4. A member who is not financially indebted to the Society may resign at any time by presenting his written resignation to the Secretary, who shall notify the membership and drop the member from the list in the next annual year book.
Amended to January 22, 1994
|