Bylaws

Bylaws of the Will County Beekeepers Association

Prepared by:  2013 Executive Board

Ratified March 20, 2013

Revision: 1.00 - Original

Revision 1.01 - Remove ISBA, Allow director to manage membership, require insurance, Sep 2016

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This document is the complete Bylaws and Charter of the Will County Beekeepers Association (WillBees) as approved by the Board and the General Membership on this 20th Day of March, 2013.

ARTICLE I - PURPOSE 

SECTION 1 – PURPOSE

WillBees is a non-profit organization that raises awareness of the products and services of the honey bee hive, encourages cooperation among local beekeepers, contributes to the advancement of education about beekeeping and its related activities, and offers support to our members and neighboring communities.

Our mission is summarized by the tagline: Awareness, Cooperation, Education, Support. This may be occasionally abbreviated as ACES.

SECTION 2 - GOALS

1. To engage in educational and helpful activities focused on beekeeping and related activities as a common foundation.
2. To learn more about honey bees, bee evolution, and beekeeping techniques.
3. To promote the practice and enjoyment of beekeeping.
4. To educate others about honey bees and beekeeping.

ARTICLE II- RIGHTS AND LIABILITIES

SECTION 1 - HOLD HARMLESS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIONS

1. Each member’s participation in WillBees is strictly voluntary. Each member realizes that participation in WillBees activities may involve bee stings, which may cause an allergic reaction. All members shall be responsible for their own conduct and actions as well as those of their guests. Each member and guests of members accepts sole responsibility and all liability for their conduct behavior and actions and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless WillBees, its Officers, its members and any business (including owners, staff and patrons) where meetings or organization gatherings are held from any and all claims or liability whatsoever resulting from actions of WillBees, its members and guests of members. Through membership in WillBees, each member agrees to and is bound by this article.
2. No individual general member nor any member of the Board, nor any authorized representative of WillBees shall be personally liable for any debt, obligation or conduct of other member’s guests of the organization.
3. No member shall receive compensation for services rendered to the organization except as otherwise approved by the Board. A member may be reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of the organization, subject to approval and/or pre approval of the Board.

SECTION 2- RIGHTS OF MEMBERS

Active members of WillBees shall have the right to vote on organization matters. Voting rights for other types of members are described in Article III.

SECTION 3- INSURANCE

WillBees shall carry liability insurance for all activities in which it participates as an organization. The Board shall review quotes provided by no fewer than three carriers on a bi-annual basis.

 

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP POLICIES

A. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

1. General Membership is unlimited and open to any individual person interested in beekeeping,    who will support the charter and basic policies of this organization, subject only to compliance with the provisions of the bylaws. Only members of the organization shall be eligible to participate in its business meetings, or serve in any of its elective or appointed positions.
2. The purpose of General Membership is to provide guidance and assistance to the Board on issues that are within the purview, charter, and function of the organization.
3. General Membership provides an opportunity to give feedback on issues and concerns that need to be brought to the attention of the BOARD.
4. General Membership Affords a pool of members to draw from for the election of the Board, and all members a vote in the annual election of that Board.

B. ELIGIBILITY

All persons are eligible for membership. Membership in this organization shall be available without discrimination.

C. MEMBERSHIP YEAR

Membership in WillBees is in effect from January 1 through December 31 of a given calendar year. 

D. DUES

Dues are outlined in Appendix I.

E. SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION FOR CAUSE

a. Any member may be suspended or expelled from membership upon a showing of willful disregard of these bylaws or other actions detrimental to WillBees in any way, as determined by a majority vote of the Board. Should the Board not come to a majority vote, the decision will go to the General Membership via an anonymous vote.

b. The charges against the member will be considered at a regular Board Meeting or a Special Meeting called for that specific purpose. The member will be notified of the charges and date, time and place of the meeting. The member may appear and respond to the charges and/or bring one (1) member to speak on their behalf.

c. The decision of the Board shall be final.

F. REINSTATEMENT

a. A suspended or expelled member, or one who has resigned with disciplinary action pending, may be returned to full membership upon written application and with a two-thirds approval vote of the Board. (see a. under Section E. above)

G. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

Any person may, by a majority vote of the Board, become an Honorary Member of the Association. Once officially designated, such a member shall enjoy Honorary Membership with full privileges and without dues payment for the remainder of the calendar year plus one calendar year.

SECTION 2. MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The purpose of Board to provide responsible leadership, structure, conduct business and be responsible for the management of the affairs of the organization.

Board Members must have been members in good standing for the past three (3) months.

The Board shall consist of four (4) elected Officers and three Directors (elected by the Organization) as follows:

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director 1
• Director 2
• Director 3

The Board may create committees and committee leads as needed.

a. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

1. Election of Officers shall be held at the Meeting in November of each year.
2. Nominations for Elective officers of The Organization shall be nominated annually from the floor at the October meeting.

b. TERM OF OFFICE:

1. The term of office for the Organization Officers shall serve for a period of one (1) year starting immediately following the November meeting.
2. The newly elected Organization Officers should participate in all meetings from the date of the elections if at all possible.
3. The Organization Officers terms expires with the election of the new Board, immediately following the November meeting.
4. There is no limit to the number of terms an elected officer may serve as long as he or she is elected in accordance with Article III.

c. VACANCIES

1. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the Board, by death, resignation, removal or otherwise, the office shall be filled without delay by Presidential appointment with the Board approval. The person will then hold office until the annual meeting for the Election, and assumption of duties.
2. If the office of President should become vacant, the Vice President assumes the responsibilities and duties of the President until such time as the association elects a new President.

d. ROTATION OF DIRECTORS

One Director is elected each year to a three-year term.

e. REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS

Any one or more of the Board may be removed with cause, at any time, by the vote of the General Membership; through a special meeting called for that purpose, or at a regular monthly meeting, provided that a majority of the General Membership present shall vote in favor of such removal.

f. DUTIES OF THE BOARD

The duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors shall be as follows:

PRESIDENT

• Shall preside as President at all meetings of the Board and General Membership and be ex officio member of every committee, but can vote only to break ties within that committee
• Shall plan the meeting, arranging for topical discussions, demonstrations, or guest speakers
• Shall ensure adherence of the Board and the General Membership to these bylaws
• Shall cause to be called regular and special meetings of the General Membership and Board in accordance with these bylaws
• Shall create committees and coordinate the efforts of all Committees
• Shall review the financial records of the organization on a regular basis
• Shall act as the principal point-of-contact or appoint a member to do so between WillBees and other organizations and businesses.

VICE PRESIDENT

• Shall in the absence of the President, assume the responsibilities and duties of the President
• Shall assist the President with coordinating all duties deemed necessary
• Under the direction of the President, is responsible for the promotion and education of the organization; arranging for educational programs such as peer and guest speakers, workshops, Q & A sessions, etc.
• Shall work under the direction of the President to advance and promote the good image and beneficial works of WillBees
• Shall work with the President to recommend, determine and implement policy decisions made by the Board

TREASURER

• Shall have the overall responsibility of care and custody for all organization funds and securities.
• Shall be responsible for deposits for the organization into the WillBees accounts.
• Shall render a statement of the condition of the finances of the organization at each meeting of the Board and General Meetings or at such other times as required.
• Shall keep correct books of account of all its business and transactions and such other books of account as the Board may require.
• Shall exhibit at all reasonable times the books and accounts to any members when requested.
• Shall produce and exhibit an annual report to the General Membership at the first meeting of each year.
• Will advise the Board of methods for improving WillBees financial management.
• Shall do and perform all other duties normally pertaining to the office of the Treasurer.

 

SECRETARY

• Shall keep written minutes of all the meetings and forward a copy of these minutes to the President as soon as possible
• Shall in the absence of the President and Vice President, assume the responsibilities and duties of the President
• Shall assist the President with coordinating all duties deemed necessary
• Shall work under the direction of the President to advance and promote the good image and beneficial works of WillBees
• Shall work with the President to recommend, determine and implement policy decisions made by the Board
• Shall assist in the execution of committees and be responsible for directing and advising committees formed by the Board and coordinate committee activity with other functions of the organization.
• Shall manage the archive of all official documentation of WillBees, including these bylaws.

DIRECTOR

• Shall work with the President to recommend, determine and implement policy decisions made by the Board
• Shall assist in the execution of committees and be responsible for directing and advising committees formed by the Board and coordinate committee activity with other functions of the organization.

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR (ROLE)

• Shall be either the Secretary or a Director
• Shall maintain the organization membership list, accept new member information and dues, renew membership and expire membership.

 

 

A. VOTING

All General Members of WillBees are eligible to vote as outlined in ARTICLE V of these Bylaws.

B. MEETINGS

WillBees shall have at least one (1) meeting or event every other month, between the months of February and November.

 

GENERAL MEETINGS

General meetings are outlined in Appendix II.

ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting shall be the membership meeting in November each year for the purpose of electing Officers to the Board, considering proposed bylaw amendments and conducting other regular meeting business.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special meetings, organization sponsored events, organization involved parties, field trips, and workshops may be organized and approved by the Board. Announcements will be made to all current members. There may be additional requirements or fees involved in these types of meetings. Examples include volunteering time or equipment, and paying various fees or costs.

 

ARTICLE IV ORDER OF BUSINESS

SECTION 1. PROCEDURES:

In order to conduct business as rapidly as possible, "Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered within these bylaws.

SECTION 2. REGULAR MEETINGS

The order of business at regular meetings shall be as follows:

1. President’s Call to Order
2. Welcome New Members / Guests
3. Quorum to conduct business
4. Secretary's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Committee Reports
7. Old Business
8. New Business
9. Administrative Comments
10. Guest Speakers
11. Educational Presentation Topic and Discussion
12. Adjournment of Regular Meeting
13. Mentoring Groups

This order of business may be changed for any meeting at the direction of the President.

SECTION 3. AUDIT

At a minimum of every four (4) years WillBees finances shall be audited by an outside, independent auditor.

ARTICLE V - VOTING

SECTION 1 - ELIGIBILITY

All members with voting rights as described under Articles II & III shall be eligible to vote.

SECTION 2 - ITEMS PUT TO VOTE

A. The following items will be decided by a vote of the general membership at a regularly scheduled meeting:

• Election of officers
• Changes in bylaws
• Spending of funds greater than $300.00.

 

B. Any issue, other than proposed bylaw amendments and the Election of Officers, may be considered by the membership at a Regular Meeting prior to the meeting at which the issue will be considered. The issue must be raised in the form of a motion and requires a second before being considered. Any issue considered and defeated by the majority of the members at the meeting may not be considered again and shall not be attached to another vote for six (6) calendar months.

SECTION 3 - QUORUM

A quorum shall be used to mediate and decide disputes, disagreements or any other conflicts between members as recorded on the member roster. Any number of regular members at a regularly scheduled meeting shall constitute a quorum. Four (4) members of the Board, either in person, via conference call, or electronically, shall constitute a quorum. A quorum is required to transact business of WillBees.

SECTION 4 - VOTING METHOD

OPTION A. Election of officers shall be by controlled ballot. All members in good standing shall be eligible to cast a ballot. Members unable to attend the November meeting may cast an “absentee” ballot. All absentee ballots must be in a sealed, unmarked envelope and received by the Secretary prior to the November meeting. A non-candidate member will tally all ballots and two impartial organization members will verify the results. Vote totals and the new organization officers shall be introduced prior to ending the November meeting. Votes on other issues may be conducted by any appropriate method that insures a fair determination of a majority decision of eligible voting members as determined by the officers.

OPTION B. Election of officers shall be by any means that allows the general membership to participate, including: Voting by closed paper ballot, voting by internet, voting by email, voting with For/Against for uncontested positions, etc.

ARTICLE VI - NON-PROFIT STATUS

SECTION 1 - NON-PROFIT STATUS

WillBees is declared to be a non profit organization. This does not give the organization tax-exempt status under the rules of the United States Department of Internal Revenue unless applied for and received at a later date.

 

ARTICLE VII - BYLAWS ACCEPTANCE

SECTION 1 - ACCEPTANCE

These bylaws are accepted at the time of adoption by a majority vote of current members, new members upon registration as well as any guest during sanctioned organization meetings and/or gatherings.

SECTION 2 - AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES.

1. The Board will meet annually to review the bylaws and any changes suggested by WillBees members.
2. The Board may make necessary corrections (grammatical, spelling, or changes in Board titles or responsibilities) at any time with the consent of the majority of Board Members.
3. Changes, Additions, or Deletions affecting the rights and/or privileges of members, the conduct of meetings or any other significant proposition for changes of these bylaws submitted by the Board or General Memberships will be reviewed and approved by the Board prior to a vote of the General Members, in accordance with Section 2-D of this Article.
4. Any member or members may petition for a change or amendment to the bylaws. The petition must be presented in writing and introduced at a regular meeting. The proposed changes or amendments shall be published for review by the membership, in the newsletter or by a special mailing to all members or posting to the WillBees website and/or message board at least thirty days prior to the meeting at which the changes will be voted on. Amendments or changes must be approved by a majority vote of all present voting members.

ARTICLE VIII - DISSOLUTION

SECTION 1 - DISSOLUTION PROCESS

In the event of dissolution of this Association, after all liabilities and obligation have been paid, satisfied, and discharged, any remaining assets shall be contributed to the American Beekeeper’s Federation.

APPENDIX I- DUES

a. Annual dues for current year membership are $15 per person. To be eligible to utilize the Lending Library, a refundable deposit of $25 will be collected once from each member. This deposit will be returned upon the member’s written request to terminate membership if all items borrowed from the Lending Library have been returned in acceptable condition.

b. Members who wish to join after July 1 shall be required to pay half the dues for the current year ($7.50) plus full dues for the following year ($22.50 in total).

c. Any member who has not paid current year dues by March 30 of a calendar year shall be removed from the WillBees active membership list.

APPENDIX II- MEETING LOCATION

General meetings of WillBees shall be held at 7:00 pm at Will County Farm Bureau in Joliet, Illinois on or about the third Wednesday of each month, approximately eight times per year, unless changed by a majority of organization officers or by request of Will County Farm Bureau and upon written or electronic notice of the change to the members. Changes to meeting location will be determined by the board of which the board may agree upon a regular location