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BRAZOS
VALLEY SECTION
of
DISTRICT 9, INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS
BY
-LAWS
ARTICLE
I - NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1.1 - Name.
The name of this organization shall be the Brazos Valley Section Institute
of Transportation Engineers.
Section 1.2 - Purpose.
The purpose of the Brazos Valley Section shall be to enable engineers
and other professionals with knowledge and competence in transportation
and traffic engineering to contribute individually and collectively
toward meeting human needs for personal mobility, goods movement and
safety, and to promote professional development, public awareness,
exchange of professional information, and maintenance of a central
point of reference and action. The Section shall:
-
Advance
the objectives of the Institute.
-
Foster
closer association of Institute Members.
-
Encourage
Members to prepare or discuss papers.
-
Prepare
suggestions on matters of policy to the Institute Board of Direction.
-
Consider
local transportation and traffic engineering problems.
-
Cooperate
with other local engineering and other professional groups on
matters of common interest.
-
Present
the transportation and traffic engineering point of view consistent
with established Institute policies.
-
Encourage
the introduction of transportation and traffic engineering courses
in colleges, universities and technical schools in the Section.
Section 1.3 - Boundaries.
The boundary of the Section shall be the counties of Brazos, Madison,
Robertson, Leon, Burleson, Washington, and Grimes in the State of Texas.
Section 1.4 - Boundary
Changes. Changes to the Section boundaries shall be considered a change
to these By-Laws and shall be amended as described in Article VIII.
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II – MEMBERSHIP
Section 2.1 - Section
Members. Any Institute Member who resides within the area designated
for the Section, and who is in good standing with the District, shall
be eligible to become a Section Member and shall become a Section Member
upon payment of Section dues. Any Institute member may become a member
of the Section, without residing in the Section area, upon approval
of the Section Executive Board and upon payment of the Section dues.
Section 2.2 - Section
Affiliates. Persons who fall into one of the following classifications
may be affiliated with the Section as Section Affiliates upon payment
of Section dues:
a) Professional/Technical
Section Affiliate
- Engineers in
the transportation and traffic profession who lack sufficient experience
for Institute membership or who have yet to apply for such membership;
or,
- Persons engaged
in transportation and traffic engineering support work.
- Professionals
in related fields who by virtue of stature or official position
are in a position to contribute to the work of transportation and
traffic engineers.
b) Commercial Section
Affiliate
- Persons engaged
in commerce or industry who come into frequent contact with transportation
and traffic engineers and who thus have an interest in the profession
and are in a position to work with and assist transportation and
traffic engineers; provided, however, that the total number of
Section Affiliates of this classification shall not exceed 50 percent
of the total number of Institute Members in the Section.
c) Life Section
Affiliate
- Retired Section
Affiliates of all classifications meeting the following requirements:
- 65 years or
older and 25 years of services as a dues paying Affiliate of the
Section; or,
- 55 years or
older and retired from previous full-time employment and who do
not have more than $10,000 annual income from transportation engineering
relating service and/or product sale.
The Section officers
shall have a periodic review made of the qualifications of Section
Affiliates. Any Section Affiliate meeting minimum qualifications for
Institute membership shall be encouraged to apply for such membership.
Any Section Affiliate who, by reason of any change in occupation or
profession, shall cease to be in contact regularly and frequently with
transportation and traffic engineers or the transportation and traffic
engineering profession shall forfeit affiliation with the Section without
prejudice. Any Section Affiliate who advertises, uses or attempts to
use identification with the Section in any manner whatsoever with intent
to derive personal gain there from shall forfeit affiliation with the
Section. The Officers of the Section shall consider the expulsion of
any Section Affiliate (a) upon information coming to their notice,
or (b) upon the written request of five or more Members, and for the
cause set forth, a person identified as Section Affiliate may be expelled.
The Section Officers shall thereupon follow the procedure set forth
in the Institute Constitution. In the event such a charge is brought
against a Member or Affiliate of the Institute, the Section Officers
shall immediately refer the matter to the Institute board of Direction
for handling as provided in the Institute Constitution.
Section 2.3 - Section
Student Members. A college or university student enrolled full time
and who resides within the designated boundaries is eligible to become
a Student Member of the Section.
Section 2.4 - Privileges.
All Section Members shall be entitled to all the privileges of the
Section, including the right to vote and the right to hold elective
office. Section Affiliates and Section Student Members shall be entitled
to all privileges of the Section except that they may not vote and/or
hold elective office.
Section 2.5 - Change
in Member Status. Any Institute member whose Institute membership has
been forfeited shall automatically forfeit Section Member status in
the Section. Said person may make a request for Section Affiliate status.
Any Member of the Institute who is placed on inactive status by the
Institute Board of Direction may also be placed on inactive status
at the Section level at the discretion of the Section Officers.
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III - FEES, DUES, AND ASSESSMENTS
Section 3.1 - Initiation\Entrance
Fees. There shall be no initiation or entrance fee.
Section 3.2 – Application
Fees. An application fee not to exceed 50 percent of the annual dues
may be assessed by the Section Officers.
Section 3.3 - Annual
Dues. Annual Section dues shall be established by the Section Officers.
Such dues shall be payable at the beginning of the fiscal year which
shall be as determined by the Section Officers. Dues of new Members
and Section Affiliates shall be payable when they apply for membership.
Retired Life Members of the Institute and Life Section Affiliates are
exempt from payment of Section dues.
Section 3.4 - Dues
Payment. Any Section Member whose Section dues are more than six months
in arrears (dating from the beginning of the fiscal year) shall lose
the right to vote. Should the dues of any Institute Member or Section
Affiliate become one year in arrears, that person's connection with
the Section shall be forfeited. The Section Officers, however, may
for a cause deemed by them sufficient, extend the time for payment
and for the application of these penalties. Unpaid dues shall become
an obligation to be paid before the delinquent can be restored to good
standing in the Section.
Section 3.5 - Special
Assessments. Special assessments may be made by the affirmative vote
of two-thirds of the Section Members present at any regular meeting
or by two-thirds of the Section Members voting on a mail ballot.
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IV - GOVERNMENT
Section 4.1 - Officers
and Term. The Officers of the Brazos Valley Section shall consist of
a President, Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. The office
of Vice President shall be designated as President-Elect to automatically
succeed the President at the expiration of the President’s term
in office. The office of Secretary-Treasurer shall be designated as
Vice President-Elect to automatically succeed the Vice President at
the expiration of the Vice President’s term in office. The officers
shall be elected annually to assume office at the beginning of the
fiscal year following election for a term of one year or until a successor
takes office. No Member shall occupy the same elective office for more
than two consecutive terms.
Section 4.2 - Section
Representatives and Term. There shall be one or more Section Representative(s)
to represent the Section on the District Board in accordance with the
District Charter and Bylaws. The Section Representative(s) shall be
elected in the same manner as Section Officers. Each Section Representative
shall serve a two-year term with the terms staggered so that approximately
one-half are elected each year. Newly elected Section Representatives
shall take office at the beginning of the year following election.
Section 4.3 - Executive
Board. The government of the Section shall be vested in its Executive
Board. The Section Executive Board shall manage the affairs of the
Section in conformity with the provisions of the District Charter,
District Bylaws, Section Charter and Section Bylaws, and the policies
of the Institute. The Executive Board shall consist of the President,
Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Section Representative(s), and
the living Past President whose term has most recently expired and
still resides within the Section. A majority of the Section Executive
Board shall constitute a quorum thereof.
Section 4.4 - Succession.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President
shall assume office for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the
event of a vacancy in the office of Vice President, the Secretary-Treasurer
shall assume the office for the remainder of the unexpired term. In
the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary-Treasurer or Section
Representative(s), the Section Executive Board shall appoint an eligible
Section Member to complete the remainder of the term.
Section 4.5 - Duties
of the President. The President shall preside over Section meetings
and meetings of the Section Executive Board. The President shall appoint
committees and Chairpersons as he or she sees fit. The President shall
be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
The President may appoint an Advisory Council as deemed necessary for
the purpose of advising Section Officers on general programs, direction
and policies of the Section. The President shall prepare a written
annual report in December of each year and shall submit the report to the District Board by January 15th of the following year. The report shall include a summary of the Section's
activities for the year and a roster of the Section's active
membership showing grade and type of each member.
Section 4.6 - Duties
of the Vice President. The Vice President shall be responsible for
arranging Section meetings and shall preside over such meetings in
the absence of the President.
Section 4.7 - Duties
of the Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain
the records and bank account of the Section and collect Section dues.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall preside over Section meetings in the
event of the absence of both the President and the Vice-President.
Section 4.8 - Duties
of the Section Representative(s). The Section Representative(s) shall
represent the Section on the District Board.
Section 4.9 - Fiscal
Year and Annual Budget. The Section fiscal year shall begin and end
concurrently with that of District 9 of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare the Section’s
Annual Budget. Subject to review and concurrence by the Section Executive
Board, the budget shall be presented to the membership and approved
by a majority of the Section Membership attending the Section’s
Annual Business Meeting.
Section
4.10 - Charter of Subsections. The Section Executive Board may charter
Subsections to meet specific needs within its boundaries upon written
request of at least five voting Section members residing in the proposed
Subsection area. Subsections shall adopt By-Laws that are not inconsistent
with Section By-Laws and the Section Charter or the Subsection Charter.
Subsection By-Laws shall be filed with the Section Executive Board,
District and the Institute within thirty (30) days of adoption or amendment
and shall take effect upon being filed with the Section Executive Board.
The Section Executive Board may rescind a Subsection Charter by giving
thirty (30) days notice in writing to the Subsection.
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V - MEETINGS
Section 5.1 - Regular
Meetings. Regular Section meetings shall be held as determined by the
Section Executive Board. No action affecting the Section may be taken
unless notice concerning the matter has been transmitted to all Section
members at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. Such notice may
be sent by regular mail, facsimile, or electronic mail.
Section 5.2 - Executive
Board Meetings. The Section Executive Board shall meet at the discretion
of the President or upon request of two members of the Section Executive
Board.
Section 5.3 - Annual
Business Meetings. An annual Section Business Meeting shall be held
during the last three months of the fiscal year. The proposed date
of the Annual Business Meeting shall be established and announced to
the membership at least two months in advance.
Section 5.4 - Restrictions
on Meeting Times. A regular or annual Section meeting shall not be
held concurrently with or within two weeks of a District meeting.
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VI - SECTION FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Section 6.1 - Allowable
Functions and Activities. The following functions and activities may
be undertaken by the Section:
- Technical meetings,
exhibits, tours, research and projects;
- Training programs;
- Social events;
- Section newsletter;
and
- District newsletter
input.
Section 6.2 - Prohibited
Functions and Activities. The following activities are not permitted:
- Any activity
or function which would be in violation of the Section or District
charter, Section or District By-Laws, District or Section policy,
or Institute Constitution or policy and
- Any activity
which might compromise the existing or potential tax-exempt status
of the Institute, District, or Section.
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ARTICLE
VII - NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND SECTION REPRESENTATIVES
Section 7.1 - Nominating
Committee. The members of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed
by the President on an annual basis. The Committee shall consist of
at least three Section members who are not currently holding an elective
office.
Section 7.2 - Duties
of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consider
the eligibility of prospective officers and section representatives
under provisions of the By-Laws, and shall ascertain their willingness
to serve, if elected. Recommendations for the office of Secretary-Treasurer
and Section Representative(s) may be made to the Nominating Committee
by any Section member who is eligible to vote. If a member is recommended
for more than one office, he or she shall be considered a candidate
only for the one office he or she prefers. The Nominating Committee
should select two candidates for Secretary/Treasurer and two candidates
for each Section Representative position to be filled. The Nominating
Committee shall provide to the Section Secretary-Treasurer a list of
candidates for each elective office.
Section 7.3 - Nominations
of Additional Candidates. At a Section meeting, the nominations of
the Nominating Committee shall be announced. Additional nominations
may be received by petition at that meeting or thereafter until one
month prior to the Section’s Annual Business Meeting. Additional
nominees who are supported by petition of at least five eligible voters
will be forwarded to the Nominating Committee for consideration of
their eligibility and their willingness to serve, if elected.
Section 7.4 - Transmission
of Ballots to Eligible Voters. No later than 14 days in advance of
the Annual Business Meeting, the Secretary-Treasurer shall transmit
the following to all eligible voters: a ballot, an announcement of
the time and place of the Annual Business Meeting, and instructions
setting forth the procedure for return of the ballots. The ballots
shall include the names of all nominated candidates and shall not specify
how a particular candidate was nominated.
Section 7.5 - Collection
and Tabulation of Ballots. Members may transmit their ballot to the
Secretary-Treasurer before the Annual Business Meeting or turn in their
ballot at the Annual Business Meeting. The President shall appoint
a Tellers Committee which shall verify the eligibility of each voter
and canvass all ballots cast by eligible voters. For each office, the
person receiving the greatest number of eligible votes shall be declared
elected. In the case of a tie vote, the winning candidate shall be
determined by a secret ballot cast by the eligible membership in attendance
at the Annual Business Meeting. The person receiving the majority of
eligible votes cast at the Annual Business Meeting shall be declared
elected.
Section 7.6 - Transmission
of Election Results. Names and addresses of all elected officers of
the Section and the dates on which the terms of each begins and expires
shall be reported in writing to the District President and the Institute
Headquarters within thirty (30) days after election.
Section 7.7 - Removal
of Officers and Section Representative(s). The membership, by petition
to the Executive Board, may initiate a vote of the eligible voters
to determine the removal of any elected officer or section representative
from current office. The petition must contain the legible signatures
of no less than twenty percent (20%) of the eligible voters. The Executive
Board shall cause the petition to be validated or invalidated within
thirty (30) days and, if validated, shall submit a ballot to
eligible voters asking the question: "Shall (name) be removed
from the office of (office)?" Should the affirmative carry a majority
of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the eligible votes cast, the office
shall be declared vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in the manner
prescribed in Section 4.4 of these Bylaws.
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VIII - BY-LAWS AND BY-LAWS AMENDMENTS
Section 8.1 - General.
Proposals to amend these Bylaws or to petition amendments to the Charter
may be made by resolution of the Officers of the Section or by written
petitions signed by at least five (5) voting Members.
Section 8.2 - Preliminary
Consideration. Initial Section By-Laws or subsequent amendments thereto
shall be discussed as an item of business at a Section meeting. In
the announcement of the time and place of such meeting, the Secretary-Treasurer
shall include the fact that preliminary consideration of proposed By-Laws
or By-Laws Amendment will be an item of business. Such notification
shall be transmitted to all Section members prior to the meeting. At
the meeting, the proposed By-Laws or By-Laws Amendment may be modified
by the majority of the eligible voters present.
Section 8.3 - Process
for Adoption. The modified By-Laws or By-Laws Amendment shall be voted
on using a ballot procedure similar to that used for election
of officers but administered by the Section Executive Board. An affirmative
vote of two-thirds of all ballots cast shall be necessary for the adoption
of any amendments to the By-Laws, provided the total number of voters
casting a vote shall not be less than a majority of the membership
eligible to vote. Amendments to the By-Laws so adopted shall take effect
when filed and approved by the District Board, as provided in the Charter.
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Section By-Laws as
adopted by membership at the June 6, 2007 meeting
David Besly,
President
Michael Martin,
Vice President
Srinivasa Sunkari,
Section Representative |
