North Dakota Eligibility Worker Association  "Personally we care, professionally we serve."

 

 

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