UNA Tampa Bay By-Laws

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

UNA Tampa Bay By-Laws

Documents

Transcript of UNA Tampa Bay By-Laws