CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
OF THE
NORTH DAKOTA ELIGIBILITY WORKERS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE 1
NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of the organization is to be:
NORTH DAKOTA ELIGIBILITY WORKERS ASSOCIATION (NDEWA)
Section 2. The purposes for which this association has been organized are:
A. To foster and promote the identity, integrity and professionalism of
eligibility workers and eligibility work as a separate discipline.
B. To set and maintain standards of professional competency, ethics and
recognition and to produce guides for achieving and maintaining these standards.
C. To promote the integrity of the discipline by sponsoring and encouraging
education, both within and without the profession.
D. To promote and protect the interest of the members of the association dealing
with other professions and other groups, including employers of the eligibility
workers.
E. To provide a state framework, focus and center for state and local
organizations of eligibility workers who join as co-members of the association
and to maintain contact and liaison with other organizations of allied
professions.
ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. This shall be a membership organization. There shall be four (4)
classes of
membership: (1) Honorary; (2) Individual; (3) Institutional and (4) Associate.
A. Honorary Members: Any eligibility worker or other professional who, in the
opinion of the directors, has made a substantial contribution to the
organization and the profession may be elected to honorary membership upon an
affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board of Directors. Honorary members shall
have no voting rights and shall not be eligible to hold office.
B. Individual Members: Any person employed by or retired from a local, state, or
federal, public or private, human service enterprise in eligibility
determination or administration may become an individual member by submitting a
membership application approved by the Board of Directors and one year’s dues to
the State and National Association. Individual members shall have all voting
rights and be eligible to hold office in the Association. Individual members
must be members of their regional organization if one exists in their area.
Individual members may request redesignation of their regional organization with
final approval by the NDEWA Board and , upon approval, would have all voting
rights and be eligible to hold office within the redesignated region.
C. Institutional Members: Any organization or agency in the field of Social
Welfare that supports the purpose of the Association may become an institutional
member by submitting an application, approved by the Board of Directors, and one
year’s dues to the State and National Association. Such institutional members
shall be entitled to one vote in the Association, to be cast by it’s duly
elected official delegate or delegates to the annual meeting or any special
meeting of the members of the Association.
D. Associate Members: Any person who is interested in and supports the purpose
of the Association may become a member by submitting a membership application
approved by the Board of Directors and one year’s dues to the State and National
Association. Associate members shall have the right to vote in the Association
after five (5) years of continuous membership.
Section 2. A voting member shall have but one (1) vote although entitled to vote
in more
than one (1) capacity. The member, when voting, must state the capacity in which
he/she is voting.
Section 3. Membership shall be paid annually. Membership shall run for one year
from the
month of joining.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be President, President-Elect,
Secretary-
Treasurer and Secretary-Treasurer-Elect.
Section 2. The duties of the various officers shall be as are specified in these
by-laws and in
the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association.
A. The President shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the
Association, the Board of Directors; shall be an ex-officio member of all
committees except the nominating committee; shall be available to consult with
the staff on Association matters between its meetings and shall report to the
Board of Directors all important interim actions; shall be the official
spokesman for the Association; shall appoint all chairmen of necessary
departments or committees with the approval of the Board of Directors, except as
otherwise provided for in the by-laws; shall sign all official documents; and
except with the sanction of the Board of Directors, the President shall not
appoint one (1) person to more than one (1) post.
B. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be ex-officio secretary of the Board of
Directors, shall keep all nonfiscal records of the Association; shall be
responsible for the receipt, deposit, disbursal, and withdrawal of all funds of
the Association; shall render periodic financial statements to the Board of
Directors; shall close the books at the fiscal year end and prepare a financial
report to be audited by the Audit Committee which will then be submitted to the
annual convention for membership reviewal.
Section 3. The President, President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer-Elect shall
hold office for
a term of one (1) year or until their successors are elected. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall hold office for a term of two (2) years or until a
successor is elected. No office shall be eligible to serve for more than one (1)
term consecutively in the same office. Term of office begins November 1. The
Secretary-Treasurer-Elect shall be elected in alternating years.
A. Provisions shall be made for the election of the President of the Association
one (1) year in advance of his/her assumption of the duties of the office. This
person shall be known as the President-Elect. In the event of death, disability
or resignation of the President-Elect before he/she takes office as President,
the person receiving the next largest votes in the most recent election for
President shall assume the office and duties of the President-Elect.
B. Provisions shall be made for the election of the Secretary-Treasurer of the
Association one (1) year in advance of his/her assumption of the duties of the
office. This person shall be known as the Secretary-Treasurer-Elect.
Section 4. Vacancies, with the exception of the office of the President,
occurring before the
expiration of the terms of office shall be filled by the Board of Directors, and
persons so chosen shall serve until the term expires.
Section 5. The immediate Past President shall fulfill the duties of President in
the event of
the President’s absence or disability.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
Section 1. A regular meeting of the Association shall be held annually with the
date and
place to coincide with the North Dakota Conference of Social Welfare except in
any year in which North Dakota hosts the National Eligibility Workers Training
Conference. In such years, the annual meeting of this Association shall be
changed to coincide with the National Association’s Annual Training Conference.
Section 2. Notice of the annual meeting of the Association shall be in writing
and shall set
forth the date, time and place, thereof. Such notice shall be mailed or caused
to be mailed by the Secretary not fewer than thirty (30) days before the
meeting, addressed to each member of the Association at his/her address as it
shall appear on the records of the Association.
Section 3. The membership attending the annual meeting which shall include three
(3)
members of the Board of Directors, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of the business of the Association.
Section 4. The annual meeting of the Association shall be open to all members of
the Association.
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the Association
and shall
exercise all the power and authority over the affairs of the Association during
the interim between the annual meetings of the Association excepting that of
modifying any action taken by the Association. The Board shall have the power to
create such staff positions as are necessary for conducting the Association’s
business. The President shall appoint such persons as deemed necessary to advise
and aide the President and Board. The Board is authorized to adopt rules for the
transaction of its business providing they do not conflict with these by-laws.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the President,
President-Elect, Immediate
Past President, Secretary-Treasurer, Secretary-Treasurer-Elect and seven (7)
members elected one (1) from each economic assistance regions that were in place
when NDEWA was formed. These regions are listed as follows:
CREW: McLean, Sheridan, Mercer, Oliver, Burleigh, Morton, Sioux, Emmons
JAM/FAR: Fargo region: Cass, Dickey, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent,
Traill
Jamestown region: Barnes, Foster, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh,
Stutsman, Wells
SWIM: Stark, McKenzie, Billings, Golden Valley, Dunn, Slope, Hettinger,
Grant, Bowman, Adams
TOWER: McHenry, Ward, Renville, Mountrail, Burke, Divide, Williams
TWIN: Devils Lake region: Bottineau, Rolette, Towner, Pierce, Benson,
Ramsey, Eddy
Grand Forks region: Cavalier, Pembina, Walsh, Nelson, Grand Forks,
Griggs, Steele
All officers and members of the Board of Directors shall be members in good
standing of the Association.
Section 3. All members of the Board shall serve without compensation. All
elective officers
of the Board, except when elected to fill interim vacancies, shall be elected
for a term of one (1) year except the President-Elect and
Secretary-Treasurer-Elect. The President-Elect serves one (1) year as
President-Elect, one (1) year as President and one (1) year as Immediate Past
President. The Secretary-Treasurer-Elect serves one (1) year as
Secretary-Treasurer-Elect and two (2) years as Secretary-Treasurer. Board
members shall be elected for terms of three (3) years, except when appointed to
fill interim vacancies. Officers and Board Members are not eligible for
immediate re-election to the same office, except when elected to an office to
which they were previously appointed when filling an interim vacancy. All newly
elected Board Members and Officers shall take over November 1st.
Section 4. Vacancies occurring before the expiration of terms of office shall be
filled by the
Board of Directors. Persons so chosen shall serve until the expiration of the
terms of the offices they have been designated to fill.
Section 5. The duties of the Board of Directors shall be as specified in the
parliamentary
authority and these by-laws, which include in part:
A. To authorize the creation of all committees, councils and such other groups
as appropriate to achieve the Association’s objective and approve the rules
governing their operation. To have force and effect, the finding and
recommendations of such committees, councils and groups must be approved by the
Board.
B. To consider proposed amendments to the by-laws and to submit those meeting
its approval to the membership for action.
C. To fill any vacancy occurring on the Board, except in the office of the
President.
D. To determine the time and place of the meetings of the membership at large,
as stipulated in Article IV, Section1.
E. To take appropriate action on all plans for financing the Association
including the rendering of an annual accounting to members concerning sources
and amount of income and nature and amount of expenditures.
F. To conduct all other business of the Association in the fulfillment of the
Association’s purpose.
Section 6. The Board of Directors shall hold not fewer than four (4) meetings in
a given year
at such times and places as may be determined by the President or as shall be
called upon the request of five (5) members of the Board, with the provision
that the meetings held prior to and immediately following the annual meeting may
be used in fulfillment of the requirement of two (2) meetings. Reasonable notice
of the time and place of each meeting shall be given to each member of the
Board.
Section 7. A simple majority of the membership of the Board of Directors shall
constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. A majority vote of a quorum of the Board
of Directors present at a meeting shall prevail of all questions. If the Board
of Directors has a vacant position for any reason, the number necessary for a
quorum will be a simple majority of the Board members actively serving in a
Board position.
Section 8. The Board of Directors shall make an annual report to the
Association.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT
Section 1. A Membership committee, of which the Secretary shall be a member,
shall be
appointed annually by the President. It shall be the duty of this committee to
act upon all applications for membership as provided by these by-laws.
Section 2. The President shall annually appoint members, who with the President,
shall
constitute a Program Committee. It shall be the duty of this committee to
arrange a program for the annual meeting.
Section 3. The President shall annually appoint (3) members, which shall
constitute the
Audit Committee. It shall be the duty of this committee to audit the fiscal
records of the Association and present the audit report at the annual meeting.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall not be a member of the Audit Committee.
Section 4. The President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, may
appoint such
other standing or special committees, not otherwise designated in these by-laws,
as may be required to conduct the affairs of the Association.
ARTICLE VII
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. A Nominating Committee shall be elected by the Board of Directors for
the
purpose of nomination and election of officers and representatives of the Board
of Directors.
A. The Board of Directors of the Association shall elect the Nominating
Committee consisting of three (3) persons during the Board of Directors meeting
immediately following the annual meeting.
B. The term of office of the committee shall be one (1) year beginning
immediately following their election. A committee member cannot be eligible for
re-election within one (1) year of the expiration of his/her term on the
committee.
C. The committee shall elect its own chairperson.
D. Duties of the Nominating Committee shall be:
1. To select two (2) candidates for each vacancy to be filled during the regular
election of the Association.
2. To meet at least annually to select candidates.
3. To certify the completed slate to the Secretary of the Association who shall
announce the candidates to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance
of the election.
Section 2. Ballots for the purpose of electing the President-Elect and
Secretary-Treasurer-
Elect will be mailed to the membership, by First Class mail, no less than seven
(7) days prior to the commencement of the annual meeting. Ballots must be
returned to the Secretary-Treasurer postmarked no later than seven (7) days
after the completion of the annual meeting.
A. Individual members, Institutional members and Associate members with five (5)
or more years of continuous membership, who are in good standing shall be
entitled to vote in the State election.
B. Election of the President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer-Elect shall be by
plurality of the total votes cast. Election of the seven (7) regional board
members shall be restricted to the votes of the membership residing in the
respective region. Election of the regional board member shall be held at the
regional meeting immediately preceding the State Association annual meeting and
shall be by plurality of the total votes cast by the membership of that region.
ARTICLE VIII
DUES AND OTHER INCOME
Section 1. Annual dues for all classes of members of the Association shall be
set by the
Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Association may receive income from other sources including
grants for
special purposes.
ARTICLE IX
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
The rules contained in the current edition of “Roberts Rules of Order Newly
Revised” shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable
and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
The by-laws may be amended only by the membership through a written ballot.
Proposed amendments shall be considered by the Board of Directors and if
approved, shall be submitted to the entire membership at the direction of the
Board of Directors. Adoption of the amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of
the cast ballots or returned ballots if a mail vote is called.
ARTICLE XI
REFERENDUM
Action on Association matters for which provision is not otherwise made in these
by-laws, and those matters specifically requiring action by referendum, shall be
taken as follows:
A. By a majority vote case in a ballot by mail, provided that votes are cast by
at least one-third of the members eligible to votes, and further provided that
the ballots states no proposition submitted in such form that the vote may
indicated by “yes” or “no”.
B. The ballot for such vote by mail shall be sent to each member eligible to
vote, at his/her address as it appears on the records of the Association, and
shall contain the last date for its return to the office of the Association,
which shall not be more than fourteen (14) days from the date of mailing. The
date of mailing shall appear on the ballot.
C. The Secretary shall canvass or cause to be canvassed all properly marked
ballots received, within four (4) weeks.
ADDENDUM
INITIAL ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS
The initial election of the Board of Directors shall be accomplished on a
staggered term to allow for a phase-in of terms. The following terms will be
assigned by Regions:
Dickinson 3 years
Fargo 2 years
Grand Forks 1 year
Devils Lake 3 years
Minot 2 years
Jamestown 1 year
Bismarck 3 years