Northern Ohio Division By Laws

Web Page 2

By Laws accepted June 1982.

Last update of Webpage : September 13, 2000 by Tom Nagy

I Name    II Status    III Offices    IV Objectives    V Membership    VI Fees and Dues    VII General Membership Meetings    VIII Executive Committee    IX Officers    X Duties of Officers    XI Additional Officers    XII Committees    XIII Directors Classification    XIV Ways and Means    XV Elections    XVI Non Discrimination    XVII Fiscal Year    XVIII Contracts    XIX Books and Records    XX Parlaimentary Conduct    XXI Order of Business    XXII Amendments    XXIII Irregularities    Back to Northern Ohio Division Web Page

Article XV Elections

• Section 1. Nominating Committee

  The Executive Committee of the division shall appoint a Nominating Committee of five to nine (5 to 9) Members in Good Standing approximating a cross section of fencing interests in the Northern Ohio Division.

  The Nominating Committee shall :

  • a. Select a chairman who is a Voting Member of the Division and who will receive all nominations for Executive Committee offices;
  • b. Select a slate of candidates which it will recommend for election. This will be called the Nominating Committee slate. This slate does not exclude other candidates from seeking election and being placed on the ballot;
  • c. Administer the counting of the ballots and the reporting of election results; and
  • d. Appoint an independent collecting agent to receive the ballots and record the names of those persons returning the ballots.

• Section 2. Eligibility
  • a. To be eligible for the office of Chairman or Vice Chairman, a person must have been a Member in Good Standing of the Division for a minimum of one (1) calendar year and a member of this Division's or another division's Executive Committee for a minimum of one (1) calendar year prior to the first day of August following the Final Election.
  • b. To be eligible for any other position on the Executive Committee, a person must have been a Member in Good Standing of the Division for a minimum of eight (8) months prior to the start of the new Executive Committee's term of office.
  • c. To be eligible for any position on the Executive Committee, a person must meet the restrictions set down in ARTICLE IX, Section 4 of these By Laws prior to assuming office.
  • d. A person wishing to run for a position of the Executive Committee must submit a signed statement to that effect to the Nominating Committee by the deadline date specified by that committee.

• Section 3. Election Procedure
  • a. The ballot shall contain all proper candidates for each position, listed in alphabetical order.
  • b. The candidate receiving a plurality of votes shall be considered to be elected.
  • c. In the case of Members at Large and Additional Directors (including Alternate Additional Directors), the candidates shall be ranked according to number of votes received and the prescribed number of positions shall be filled in order of descending number of votes.
  • d. In case of a tie vote, a recount will be assessed and if still tied, the office will be elected by a coin toss.
  • e. In the event of an uncontested election, a mail ballot will be deemed unnecessary.
  • f. If there are no candidates for an office, the newly elected Executive Committee shall elect by majority vote, candidates to fill vacant positions.
  • g. The ballot shall be secret and enclosed inside a sealed envelope provided with the ballot. An addressed envelope for return mailing of the ballot shall be provided with the ballot. The return envelope shall be addressed to the ballot collecting agent and shall bear the signature of the Voting Member. Postmark dates shall be used to determine ballot legality.
  • h. Nominations of candidates are to be received by the Nominating Committee. Announcement of the opening of nominations shall be made to the general membership before February 1. Deadline for receiving nominations shall be April 1. Deadline for completion of the Nominating Committee slate shall by April 15. Deadline for mailing of ballots and envelopes shall be May 1. Deadline for return of ballots shall be June 1.
  • i. Candidate's single page platforms must be supplied to the Nominating Committee in sufficient quantity to be mailed with the ballot.
  • j. Included with the ballot shall be Instructions for marking and returning the ballot, the counting procedures, and the time and place of the ballot counting and of the Annual Meeting.

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Article XVI Non Discrimination

The selection of members of the Executive Committee committees and of this Division in general shall be without discrimination based on sex, color, race, religion, or national origin.

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Article XVII Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of this Division shall conform to that of the USFA.

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Article XVIII Contracts, Checks, Deposits and Funds

• Section 1. Contracts

  The Executive Committee may authorize an officer or other member of the Executive Committee to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Division, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

• Section 2. Checks, Drafts, etc.

  All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money and all notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Division shall be signed by such officers or other members of the Executive Committee as shall from time to time be designated by resolution of the Executive Committee.

• Section 3. Deposits

  All funds of this Division shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Division in such bonds, trust companies, or other depositories as the Executive Committee may select.

• Section 4. Gifts

  The Executive Committee may accept on behalf of the Division any contribution, gift, bequest, or device for the general purpose or any special purpose of the Division.

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Article XIX Books and Records

The Division shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, Executive Committee, and committees having any authority of the Executive Committee, and shall keep at the principal offices a record giving names and addresses of the members entitled to vote. All books and records of the organization may be inspected by any member or his agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.

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Article XX Parlaimentary Conduct

Robert's Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the parlaimentary conduct of this Division except in cases otherwise provided for in these By Laws. Standing Rules of the Division, or by law.

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Article XXI Order of Business

• Section 1. The Order

  The order of business for the Annual Meeting, any Special Meetings, or meetings of the Executive Committee shall be :

  1. Call to Order
  2. Reading of the minutes of the previous business meeting
  3. Communications, if any
  4. Reports of officers
  5. Reports of Standing Committees
  6. Reports of Special Committees
  7. Old Business
  8. New Business
  9. Comments for the general welfare of the Division
  10. Adjournment

• Section 2. Suspension of the Order of Business

  If it is desired to transact business out of the order prescribed in Section 1 of this article, it shall be necessary to obtain an affirmative vote of the majority of Voting Members present at that meeting.

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Article XXII Amendments

• Section 1. Submission
  • a. Any Voting Member of this Division may submit an amendment or amendments to these By Laws.
  • b. Such amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee and shall be acted upon only when not less than four (4) other Voting Members of the Division have endorsed the amendment by signing their names to the submitted copy. The Executive Committee shall be required to act within ninety (90) days.

• Section 2. Presentation
  • a. Proposed amendments shall be presented to the membership at a Special Meeting called for that purpose or at the Annual Meeting.
  • b. All Members in Good Standing shall receive a copy of the proposed amendment(s) with the meeting notice sent out (in accordance with ARTICLE VII, Section 4, of these By Laws).

• Section 3. Voting

  An affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of the ballots cast shall be necessary for the adoption of the amendment(s). Voting shall be accomplished by secret ballot.

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Article XXIII Irregularities

• Section 1. By Laws

  Nothing contained in these By Laws may conflict with the provisions of the Constitution and By Laws of the USFA and/or with the charter granted to this Division by the USFA.

• Section 2. Standing Rules

  Nothing set forth in any Standing Rules of this Division may conflict with the provisions of the Constitution and By Laws of the USFA and/or with the charter granted to this Division by the USFA.

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