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Last Page Update:
Monday, May 27, 2008
Society for Technical Communication, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Chapter Bylaws
Last updated:
February, 2008
The bylaws were last amended in 2003.
Article I. Name, Location,
Objectives
Section 1. Name
The chapter is named the Rocky Mountain Chapter of
the Society for Technical Communication, Inc. (STC), hereafter called
the Chapter and STC, respectively.
The
Chapter name can be changed by a two-thirds vote at a business
meeting of the Chapter, 25% of the voting members being present. Written
notification of the motion to change the name must be given to all
Chapter members at least two weeks before the vote. STC must be
advised if the name is changed.
Section 2. Location
The Chapter is located in
Region 7 of STC. Members reside, work or attend school primarily in the
Front Range of Colorado. The
Chapter area is bounded by Douglas County on the south, Laramie,
Wyoming on the north and the Colorado state borders on the east and
west.
Any change to boundaries
must be submitted to STC for approval. STC may change boundaries if
deemed in the best interest of STC.
All STC members residing
in the
Chapter area are automatically
Chapter members.
Section 3. Objectives
The objectives of the
Chapter are the same as those of STC: to advance the arts and sciences
of technical communication. Specific
Chapter objectives include the following:
A.
Stimulating the exchange of
information and encouraging research by means of publications, meetings,
and conferences.
B.
Developing educational programs and
establishing scholarships. For the Chapter, this consists of publicizing
STC and Chapter programs and scholarships.
C.
Recognizing and encouraging students in developing technical
communication skills.
D.
Recognizing outstanding accomplishments.
E.
Cooperating with other societies and
institutions in mutually beneficial projects.
Article II. Powers and Constraints
Section 1. Powers
The powers of the
Chapter reside in its members. These powers are exercised on behalf of
the membership by an elected Administrative Council. The Administrative
Council has powers to take whatever legal and proper actions are
necessary for the fulfillment of STC and Chapter purposes.
Section 2. Constraints
The Chapter is nonprofit,
nonsectarian, and nonpartisan. It cannot endorse or disparage a
commercial enterprise, a political platform, or a candidate for public
office. The Chapter exists under its charter from STC and operates under
STC
bylaws and within STC policies.
Section 3. Use of Name
The Chapter name and
logo may be used only by persons authorized by the Administrative
Council and only for Chapter purposes.
Article III. Membership
Membership in the Chapter
is governed by Article III (Membership) of STC bylaws. All
Chapter members must be members in good standing of STC.
Article IV. Administrative Council
Section 1. Council Membership
The Administrative
Council consists of five voting members: the president, vice president,
secretary, treasurer, and immediate past president. All Administrative
Council members are elected by the membership. As required to conduct
Chapter business, the Administrative Council may consult with
Chapter members such as the program manager, membership manager,
newsletter editor, competition managers,
and scholarship manager. All Council members serve without compensation.
All Council members must be
Chapter members in good standing.
Section 2. Council Meetings
The Administrative
Council meets at the request of the president or two of its members. A
majority of the Administrative Council constitutes a quorum.
Section 3. Duties of Council Members
A.
The president exercises general supervision
over the affairs of the Chapter, presides at meetings of the Chapter and
the Administrative Council, appoints heads of Chapter committees subject
to Council approval, and is an ex officio member of all Chapter
committees.
B.
The vice president assumes the duties of the
president in the absence or incapacity of the president and performs
such other duties as the president or Council may assign.
C.
The secretary keeps minutes of all Chapter and
Council meetings and distributes these in accordance with set
procedures, conducts official correspondence, maintains Chapter records
and archives so they are available at any time to the president or the
Council, and performs such other duties as the president or Council may
assign.
D. The
treasurer supervises the Chapter's fiscal affairs, prepares an annual
financial report for submittal to STC treasurer, maintains books and
records so they can be inspected at any time, and receives and disburses
Chapter funds, as authorized by the Administrative Council.
E.
The immediate past president attends all
Council meetings, advises the Council as required, and performs such
other duties as the president may assign.
Section 4. Terms of Office
A.
The secretary and treasurer are elected for
terms of one year, which corresponds to the period from the announcement
of election results to the announcement of the next election results.
B.
The vice president automatically moves to the
position of president for the year following the election. Thus, the
person elected as vice president serves on the Administrative Council
for three years (as vice president, president, and immediate past
president).
C.
If the vice president is unable to assume the
presidency according to the schedule, the Nominating Committee will
place names for President on the ballot in the next
Chapter election. If this occurs after the election, follow the
procedure in
Article IV, Section 6, Vacancies.
Section 5. Removal
The Administrative Council may remove from office
an officer, committee manager, or manager of a special interest group if
that person fails to carry out the duties and responsibilities of office
as outlined in these bylaws or persists in activities not in the best
interest of the Chapter. The Council removes the officer or manager by a
majority vote.
However, such a vote is recommended only after
other options have been exhausted. At a minimum, the Council should
submit a written notice to the officer or manager. The officer or
manager should have a chance to respond to the Council and to resolve
the problem within a defined period.
Section 6. Vacancies
A. If the president steps down or is otherwise unable to perform his
or her duties, the vice president succeeds the president, finishes the
president’s term of office, and remains eligible to serve as president
the next term.
B. For
vacancies of other Administrative Council officers, including the vice
president, Council members must approve a candidate by majority vote.
C. For vacancies of committee managers or managers of special interest
groups, the president appoints a new manager, subject to Council
approval.
Section 7. Council Responsibilities
STC Bylaws (Article IX)
specify appropriate Chapter activities. The following activities are
required:
A.
Hold regular program meetings for the
membership (at least five per year).
B.
Recruit and process new members.
C.
Hold regular meetings of the Administrative
Council to handle Chapter business (at least three per year).
D.
Maintain fiscal controls, including approving
budgets, expenditures, and Chapter fiscal operations in accordance with
Chapter
Bylaws Article VII (Finances).
E.
Provide quarterly
activity reports to STC director-sponsor, and annual fiscal
reports to STC treasurer.
F. Comply
with IRS requirements regarding annual information returns.
G.
Conduct annual elections in conjunction with
the Nominating Committee and in accordance with Chapter
Bylaws, Article VI (Elections).
H.
Hold an annual business meeting of the Chapter
where election results are announced and committee managers report to
the membership.
The following activities
are optional:
A.
Publish a regular newsletter to establish
communication with Chapter members.
B.
Publicize Chapter and STC activities.
C.
Conduct educational programs for the members
such as Chapter-sponsored seminars, workshops, and competitions.
D.
Maintain employment referral services to
establish contact between Chapter members and local employers.
E. Establish
special interest groups to pursue specific fields of interest in
technical communication.
Article V. Committees
Section 1. Formation
Committees are
established at the request of the president or the Administrative
Council to support Chapter activities. The normal procedure is to
appoint a manager or committee leader and then to appeal to the
membership to fill the committee.
Section 2. Committees
The following are some
of the committees that help the Administrative Council fulfill their
responsibilities to the membership. Additional committees may be
established at the direction of the council.
A.
The Newsletter Committee prepares and
distributes the Chapter's newsletter. The newsletter should advise
members of STC and Chapter activities. A primary goal for this committee
is to implement sound technical communication skills in presenting a
newsletter that properly represents the Chapter.
B.
The Programs Committee schedules
meetings that appeal to Chapter members and that help them widen their
knowledge of the technical communications field and develop and maintain
resource networks. Meetings are usually scheduled once a month from
September through May. Other Chapter activities may replace selected
monthly meetings.
C.
The Competition Committee
conducts a Chapter-level online, publications,
and art competition. The categories and
awards are the same as those for STC international competition.
Entries that receive the top
award are forwarded, with permission of their submitters, to the
international competition.
D.
The Nominating Committee solicits
candidates for Administrative Council positions. Whenever possible there
should be two candidates for each position. Election procedures are
explained in Chapter
Bylaws Article VI (Elections).
E.
The Scholarship Committee solicits and
evaluates applications for an annual professional development award or
scholarship.
Article VI. Elections
Section 1. Timing of Elections
Chapter officers are
elected annually in time for the new officers
to be introduced at the annual
Chapter business meeting.
Section 2. Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee
consists of two elected members who are responsible for selecting
candidates and preparing the ballot.
Section 3. Eligibility for Office
All
Chapter members in good standing are eligible to hold any
elective office. It is recommended that Nominating Committee members be
familiar with
Chapter activities and other
Chapter members.
Section 4. Election Procedure
A.
The Nominating Committee requests
from
Chapter
members’
names of candidates to be considered for election, through
Chapter meeting announcements, notices in the Chapter newsletter or Web
site, or other channels. In addition, the committee may contact
individual members for recommendations. The committee reviews the
qualifications and availability of all candidates before placing them on
the ballot.
B.
The Nominating Committee makes the slate of
candidates and the ballots available to Chapter members at least one
month before the annual Chapter business meeting. Whenever possible the
committee should offer more than one candidate for each position.
The ballot must offer a Yes or No option for unopposed candidates,
including the president, and voting instructions should clearly identify
how many candidates for each office can be selected, the date that
ballots must be returned, and where the ballots should be returned. The
balloting may be conducted electronically if appropriate methods are
identified and approved by the council.
All votes are secret and members are not required to sign their ballots.
C.
The Nominating Committee counts and records
the vote:
Candidates are elected by a plurality of votes cast.
Tie votes are resolved by a majority vote of the current
Administrative Council.
If an unopposed candidate receives more negative than
positive votes, the office is declared vacant.
D. The Nominating Committee notifies the
Chapter membership of the election results at the annual Chapter
business meeting.
Section 5. Special Voting Issues (not
including elections)
Whenever possible
special Chapter issues such as amendments to the Chapter bylaws should
be included on the annual election ballot. However, the Administrative
Council, by majority vote, can authorize a special ballot.
When a special election
ballot is issued to the Chapter membership, basic election procedures
are followed.
A.
The ballot and instructions are assembled and
sent to Chapter members at least two weeks before the final date the
ballot must be returned.
B.
The
nominating committee counts and records the vote.
Tie votes are resolved by a majority vote of the
Administrative Council.
The results of the election are announced to the
membership at the next monthly meeting or in the next newsletter
following the election deadline.
Article VII. Finances
Section 1. Responsibility
The Chapter treasurer is responsible for ensuring
accurate financial records and reporting. The treasurer prepares a
budget for the expected
Chapter receipts and expenditures each year. This budget may be
updated periodically during the year to reflect changing needs and
conditions. The annual budget and revisions require Council approval by
majority vote.
Section 2. Deposits
The treasurer may
deposit Chapter funds in any banking institution that is a member of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or credit unions that are members
of the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF).
Section 3. Disbursements
In general,
disbursements are governed by the current year’s budget. Payment for
Chapter expenses must be authorized by the Administrative Council. Funds
can be withdrawn only over the signature of both the treasurer and the
president or vice president.
Section 4. Required Reporting
The Chapter treasurer
must prepare and submit an annual financial report to STC treasurer.
Section 5. Fiscal Year
The
Chapter fiscal year starts July 1 and ends the following June 30.
Article VIII. Amendments to Chapter
Bylaws
Section 1. Origination
An amendment to the
Chapter bylaws may be originated by the Administrative Council or by a
written petition signed by twenty voting members.
Section 2. Procedure
A.
The originator submits the proposed change to
the Administrative Council for review and consideration.
B.
The council reviews the amendment to ensure
that it conforms to STC guidelines and bylaws.
C.
The amendment is approved or rejected by one
of these methods:
1)
Amendments to the following articles must be referred to the
membership on a ballot:
a)
Article I (Name and Location),
b)
Article II (Powers and Constraints),
c)
Article IV (Administrative Council),
d)
Article VIII (Amendments to Chapter Bylaws)
e)
Article IX (Dissolution).
Approval requires the affirmative vote of
two-thirds of the valid votes cast.
2)
Amendments to the remaining articles can be approved by a
majority vote of the Administrative Council.
D.
The approved amendment is announced to the
Chapter members, and the Administrative Council sends a copy of the
revised Chapter bylaws to STC.
Section 3. Scheduled Review
Chapter bylaws should be
reviewed by the Administrative Council or a special committee at least
once every two years to ensure that the bylaws respond to current
Chapter needs.
Article IX. Dissolution
The Chapter can
recommend its dissolution upon unanimous vote of the Administrative
Council, followed by a concurring three-fourths vote of the valid votes
cast by the membership. The STC board of directors may dissolve the
Chapter as described in STC Bylaws Article IX.
In the event of
dissolution, the Administrative Council continues in office until all
legal and financial matters have been settled, including notifying STC
and sending Chapter records to them.
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