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8/14/2019 UNA Tampa Bay By-Laws
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UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA
Tampa Bay ChapterBY-LAWS
July 15, 2007
ARTICLE I - NAME AND AFFILIATION
The name of the organization shall be the Tampa Bay Chapter of the United NationsAssociation of the United States of America Incorporated.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
The purpose of the Association is as follows:
To study and promote the fundamental basis of peace with justice and the machinery
necessary for its development. The Association shall carry on educational and informationalactivities so that the people of the United States of America and their government may
participate to the greatest extent practicable in the United Nations and other official
international and regional organizations functioning in various fields of international
cooperation and international law.
The Association in order to implement its over-all purpose conducts programs of
research, study, and information to:
(a) heighten U.S. public awareness and increase public knowledge of global issues and their
relation to the United Nations system;
(b) encourage, where appropriate, multilateral approaches in dealing with those issues;
(c) build public support for constructive U.S. policies on matters of global concern; and
(d) enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations and other international organizations.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
QUALIFICATIONS: Membership is of two kinds:
1. Members (either individuals or families)
a. Membership is available to any United States resident.
b. Membership in the chapter carries with it membership in the National Association
and in the Florida Division UNA-USA.
2. Member Organizations
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a. Organization memberships are open to local units of national organizations in the
United Nations Association Council of Organizations and to other local groups
supporting the purposes of UNA-USA.
b. Service fees and voting rights within the chapter for member organizations will be
determined by the Chapter Board of Directors.
MEETINGS:
1 .An annual business meeting of chapter Members shall be held prior to the end of the fiscal
year at which officers and other members of the board, and three persons for the
Nominating Committee for the next calendar year are elected. This meeting shall be held in
November.
2. A minimum of six meetings a year in addition to the annual meeting shall be held to carry
out the educational program and business of the chapter.
3. Notice, purpose and agenda for chapter business meetings shall be circulated to each
member at least seven days in advance of the meeting. This may be done by email or fax.
4. A quorum for purposes of conducting business at the Annual meeting shall be ten per
cent of the chapter membership as of January 1 of that year. A quorum for board meetings
shall be a simple majority of voting members present.
5. Minutes shall be kept of all business meetings, and be approved by the Board at its next
meeting. Attendance at the meeting and disposition of all action items shall be recorded.
Minutes shall be maintained on file for at least five years. Minutes may be taken by anyone
other than the president. Copies of minutes shall be provided the President within 10 days
after the meeting and to the members of the Board at least seven days before the next
meeting. If provided by email, the minutes shall be provided in MSWord or similar
compatible word processor in common usage.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
QUALIFICATIONS: Any member of the chapter upon election.
POSTS: President Secretary
Vice President(s) Treasurer
TERM:
One year, with the privilege of re-election for three additional consecutive terms for the
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same office. Officers shall take office the first day of the fiscal year following election unless
stipulated otherwise by motion of the Annual Meeting.
NOMINATIONS:
By the nominating committee, which shall be composed of five members: two to be
appointed by the president, and three chosen at the previous Annual Meeting by the
membership at large. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the President from these five
with Board approval. The Nominating Committee shall stipulate which of the Vice
President nominees is nominated as the First Vice President.
Additional nominations may be offered by a member from the floor at the annual meeting
provided they are seconded by at least two other members and are agreed to by the persons
being nominated.
ELECTION:
By a majority vote of the members present at the Annual Meeting.
REMOVAL:
An officer or director may be removed from the Board by two-thirds (2/3s) vote of the
board present under the following conditions:
a) The board by majority vote of those present and voting has voted no confidence
in the individual in question; or
b) The board by majority vote of those present and voting has voted abusive or
other misconduct, or abusive violations of the by-laws on the part of the
individual in question; or
c) Continued non-attendance (more than three consecutive unexcused as
determined by the Board) at meetings.
RESIGNATION:
Any Officer wishing to resign shall notify the Secretary in writing and schedule a time to
properly conduct any final business that involves the Chapter. The Secretary shall
promptly notify the President and other members of the Board in writing of the resignation,except in case of the Secretary resignation, notice shall be submitted directly to the President
and the Board in writing. The President shall request recommendations from the
Nominating Committee for a replacement of the resigning officer. The President shall then
present a nominee for replacement to the Board for approval to serve until the next annual
election. The position of President is handled as an exception under VACANCIES below.
Sabbatical leaves for an officer shall not be granted.
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VACANCIES:
For the presidency, the Vice President (or First Vice President, if there is more than one)
shall assume duties as acting President until the board of directors has the opportunity to
elect a new president. Vacancies of other offices above shall be filled by the board of
directors in the manner described under RESIGNATIONS above.
ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FUNCTION: To conduct the affairs of the chapter
QUALIFICATIONS: Any member of the Chapter in good standing, provided that the Board
shall include the President of the Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC)
and at least one University or College student member. The UNA-USA Student Alliance
Representative or their designee from each University or other Institution of Higher
Learning may sit on the Board as a non-voting ex-officio. The Board of Directors may
designate a non-voting ex-officio student member from any University or other Institutionof Higher Learning that does not have an active UNA-USA Student Alliance.
NUMBER: At least ten but not more than fifteen including officers, who
are automatically members by virtue of their office, but excluding ex-officio members.
NOMINATION: Same as for officers in Article IV.
ELECTION: Same as for officers in Article IV. However, in addition to the elected
members, the president may appoint members of the board with Board approval within the
NUMBER listed above.
TERM: One year, and may serve an unlimited number of successive terms.
MEETINGS: Normally the board meets once a month, except during the summer.
However, special meetings may be called at the discretion of the president or any four
members of the Board providing that the purpose of such meeting must be clearly stated in
the notice.
REMOVAL: Members of the Board of Directors shall be automatically removedfrom the Board if their attendance at Board meetings falls below 50 % for any 12 month
period. The Board may by motion dually adopted waive this for one year. In addition, the
board may deal with removal of directors in the same manner as for officers. See Article IV.
RESIGNATION: The same rule applies to resignation of members of the Board of
Directors as for Officers, See Article IV. A sabbatical leave from the Board requires
approval of the Board of Directors in order to be granted and must be for a specific period
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of time and may only be approved for what the Board determines to be an emergency.
.
ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES
ACTIVITIES: To organize projects and activities in specified areas of the
Association's program for the membership and for the community.
APPOINTMENT: Committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the president as
needed with the approval of the Board. Committee chairpersons, if not already members of
the board, serve on the board ex-officio without a vote. Committee chairpersons shall
appoint their own Committees with the approval of the Board.
Committees may include but need not be limited to the following:
Program: To organize educational programs for members and the community at large,
including the annual celebration of United Nations Day, Oct. 24.
Publicity and Media: To publicize chapter activities and the work of UNA-USA generally
and to try to ensure balanced coverage of the United Nations and global affairs.
Membership: To work to increase membership of the chapter.
Budget and Finance: To raise and manage chapter funds, and to work with the treasurer to
draft the annual budget.
NGO Relations: To work with local non-governmental organizations to further the purposes
of the Association.
Advocacy and Governmental Relations: To inform both elected representatives and chapter
members about U.S. Government activities related to the UN system and UN activities.
University and College Relations: To work with local colleges and universities to promote
better understanding of global problems through teaching about the U.N. and Model UN
Programs.
Education and Youth: To work with students and teachers in high schools and middle
schools in the area and particularly with the Florida High School Model United Nations,
Global Classrooms Curriculum and similar UN educational programs.
Newsletter: To publish a monthly newsletter for distribution to chapter members, interested
organizations and others.
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Arrangements: To arrange accommodations for meetings, and to organize and operate a
telephone tree to alert members to upcoming events.
(1) New or Ad Hoc Committees may be created with the approval of a simple majority of
the Board of Directors.
(2) Dissolution of Committees may only occur when 2/3rds of the Board of Directors in
attendance at a Regular Board meeting declares a committee as (a) no longer active, (b) no
longer needed, or (c) its purpose is redundant with that of another committee.
ARTICLE VII - FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
FISCAL YEAR: The fiscal year of the chapter shall coincide with the calendar year
(January 1 - December 31).
RECORDS: All income and expenses shall pass through the checking account, and a
check-deposit register maintained of all income and expenditures. All moneys received areto be deposited promptly. All Chapter moneys are to be accounted for using a PC
computerized accounting system approved by the Board. Bank accounts are to be
reconciled monthly and a Treasurers Report providing an Income-Expense Statement and
Ledger shall be provided monthly to the Board of Directors. There shall be three authorized
signatures approved by the Board and provided to the Bank. All checks shall be serialized
and issued sequentially signed by the Treasurer unless the Treasurer designates either of
the other two authorized signers to serve as a substitute for a single check or for a limited
period of time. An annual audit of the records shall be conducted in February of each year
for the previous fiscal (calendar) year by an experienced member of the Chapter appointed
by the President and approved by the Board.
The Chapter will maintain an Income and Expense line item in the
Accounting structure for the Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC).
The Chapter Treasurer, or in lieu thereof, the Financial Liaison of YPIC shall do the
accounting for YPIC, immediately deposit in a branch bank of the Chapters depository
checking account all moneys received for YPIC, and forward without delay a copy of the
deposit slip to the Chapter Treasurer. The person serving as Financial Liaison for YPIC will
provide a written monthly report to the YPIC President. Checks for YPIC expenses will be
issued by the Chapter Treasurer at the written or email request of the YPIC President.
FUND RAISING: All fund raising by Chapter members in the name of the UNA shall
have prior approval of the Board of Directors. This excludes YPIC activities which are
subject to their own By-Laws.
BUDGET: A proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year developed in conference with
the Officers shall be submitted to the Board by the Treasurer at the November meeting for
approval. A copy of the adopted budget and the annual report shall be filed with the
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National Office of the Association within 90 days after the close of the fiscal year by the
President with a copy to the Board.
DUES: Annual membership dues and distribution of such shall be established
by the National Convention of the Association or by the National Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VIII
RULES OF ORDER and PROCEDURE
The most recent edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall be controlling for all meetings. The
president shall at the beginning of each calendar year appoint a Parliamentarian approved
by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX - OPEN ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance at all Board and general Membership meetings shall be open to all Members andthe public; however, only Board Members and Ex-officio Members of the Board will
participate in Board Meetings unless requested to participate by the Board. Participation in
the Annual Business Meeting and elections shall be limited to Chapter Members.
ARTICLE X - RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
By-laws shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of those present at any membership meeting
of the chapter, provided that they have been approved by the National Office of UNA-USA
and that all members shall have been notified 14 days in advance of the meeting.
By-laws may be amended through the same procedure as for adopting the By-laws by a
two-thirds vote of those present at the Annual or Special Called membership meeting of the
chapter.
Original Adopted Nov. 23, 1996
Approved by UNA-USA Letter from Jim Olson dated July 5,1997
Amended version Approved unanimously by the Board of Directors at the Regular Meeting on Apr 28, 2007Amended version Approved by UNA-USA National via Email from Dinesh Kumar on June 18, 2007
Approved by Membership July 15, 2007
UNA By-Laws Tampa Bay Chap Approved by Membership July 15, 2007