Approved by Region J: 3-25-00

Bylaws of the Northwest Star Region J
of the
Society of Women Engineers

 

Article I – Name and Authority

Section 1 – Name

The name of this organization shall be The Northwest Star Region J (hereafter called the Region) of the Society of Women Engineers (hereinafter call the Society).

Section 2 – Authority

The Region is empowered by the Society of Women Engineers to pursue the objectives of the Society under these bylaws and in consonance with the bylaws of the Society.

Article II – Purpose and Objectives

 

The Region is an organizational unit whose purpose is to further the objectives of the Society. The objectives of the Region are:

 

a.       To promote communications within the Society.

b.       To provide a forum for discussion of national, regional, and local Society concerns.

c.       To provide direct representation on the Board of Directors.

Article III – Membership

Section 1 – Qualifications

 

Members of the Region are all members of the Society assigned to the Region. Subject to the Society’s policies and purposes, the Society shall not discriminate in connection with its membership and its services to the public at large.

Section 2 – Grades of Membership

 

Members shall have the same membership grade in the Region as they have in the Society.

Section 3 – Voting Members

 

All voting members of the Society in the Region have the right to attend all Region meetings. They have the responsibility to provide guidance to the Region Council in Region matters.

Section 4 – Non-Voting Members

 

Associates, Affiliates and Student members of the Society in the Region are the non-voting members of the Region, and have the right to attend all Region meetings. They have the responsibility to provide guidance to the Region Council in Region matters.

 

Article IV – Officers

Section 1 – Officers

 

The Region includes the following officers:

a.       Director

b.       Deputy Director

c.       Secretary

d.       Treasurer

Section 2 – Eligibility

 

A candidate for the office of Director must be a voting member of the Region. The candidate must have served at least one year on the Society Council of Section Representatives, as a Section President, or on the former Board of Directors.

Section 3 – Term of Office

The term of office for Director is two fiscal years.

 

The term of office for the Deputy Director, Secretary, and Treasurer is one fiscal year.

Section 4 – Duties and Powers

 

The Region Director shall:

 

a.       Represent the Region on the Society Board of Directors.

b.       Prepare and submit reports of activities within the Region as requested by the Board of Directors or Society committee chairs.

c.       Report to the Region on regional matters reported in the minutes of the Board of Director’s meetings.

d.       Coordinate communications within the Region to identify the needs within the Region, and to assist in meeting the Society goals.

e.       Manage and execute the business and policies of the Region.

f.    Be responsible for any Region funds.

g.       Maintain the records of the Region.

 

 

The Deputy Director shall have the following duties and powers:

 

a.       Assume the Region duties of the Director if the Director is temporarily unable to serve.

b.       Perform duties as assigned by the Director.

c.       Assume the Region duties of the Director, in the event of a vacancy, in the office of the Director until the vacancy is filled in accordance with the Society Bylaws.

 

The Secretary will have the following duties and powers:

 

a.       Record minutes of all Region meetings and distribute within 30 days of the meeting to all Region officers and Region Council.

b.   Conduct by mail or electronic balloting, votes of the Region Council outside of Region meetings.

c.   Bring to each Region meeting a copy of the Region Bylaws.

d.   Distribute notices of region meetings to the Region Council at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

 

The Treasurer shall have the following duties and powers:

 

a.       Collect, safeguard and disburse Region funds.

b.       Prepare and sign checks for the Region to meet budgeted expenses.

c.       Prepare a financial report for presentation at each Region meeting.

d.       Prepare an annual budget for approval at the Region meeting.

e.       Prepare the Region’s financial report for the Director’s approval and signature.

 

Article V - Region Council

Section 1 – Members

The voting membership of the Region Council consists of the Council of Section Representative members from the Region.

a.   The Section Representative(s) of each Section assigned to the Region, or proxy(s) as designated by written consent of the Section President and Section Representative.

b.   The Member-at-Large (MAL) Representative(s)assigned to the region, or proxy(s) as designated by written consent of the MAL Representative and MAL President.

c.   The Student Representative for the Region, or the Student Newsletter Editor as the   designated alternate.

 

The non-voting members of the Region Council are:

a.       The Director, who chairs the Region Council meetings.

b.       The Region officers, including the Deputy Director, Secretary, and Treasurer unless the Region officer(s) is also a member of the Region Council.

Section 2 – Meetings

 

The Region Council shall meet at least twice annually (once at the Society's National Conference) at the call of the Director, or upon petition of a majority of the members of the Council.  At least 30 days written notice shall be given to all members of the Council unless the meeting is held within five days of a previous meeting.  Ad hoc meetings may be called by the Director without 30 days notice by obtaining verbal or email approval of a majority of its voting members.

Section 3 – Quorum

 

A majority of voting members of the region Council is required to conduct official business.

Section 4 – Duties

 

The Region Council shall have the following duties and powers:

a.       Execute the business and policies of the Region.

b.       Ensure the objectives and purposes of the Society and the Region are pursued.

c.       Elect a representative to the Society's Nominating Committee, Region Deputy Director, Region Secretary and Region Treasurer.

d.       Make recommendations on Society policy.

e.       Formulate Region policy.

f.        Approve the Region budget.

g.       Approve the Region Conference budget.

Article VI – Committees

 

Committees may be established for specific purposes by the Director.

 

Article VII – Nominating Committee

Section 1 – Members

 

Each Section and the Region MALs may appoint one member to the Nominating Committee. The chair of the Nominating Committee shall be a non-voting member of the committee selected by the members of the Region Council.

Section 2 – Eligibility

 

A candidate for member of the Nominating Committee must be a voting member of the Region, and should have recent experience in Region affairs which would provide an understanding of the requirements of each of the positions and a knowledge of the capabilities of those members who are eligible for nomination.

Section 3 – Duties

 

The duties of the Region Nominating Committee members are:

 

a.       To select at least one qualified candidate for Director.

b.       To select at least one qualified candidate for Region member of the Society Nominating Committee.

c.       To select at least one qualified candidate for each of the region offices of Deputy Director, Secretary, and Treasurer.

d.       To present proposed candidates to the members of the Council of Section Representatives from the Region by February 1.

e.       To submit the proposed Director slate to the Chair of the Society Nominating Committee and the Society Secretary by February 1 or established deadline, whichever is earlier. It shall be presented to the voting members of the Society in the Region by April 1.

f.        The Nominating Committee reports administratively to the Director, who is not an ex-officio member of that committee.

 

Article VIII – Elections

Section 1 – Voting

 

The voting members of the Society in the Region elect the Director.

 

The members of the FYxx Region Council elect the FYxx+1 Region member of the Society Nominating Committee and the region offices of Deputy Director, Secretary, and Treasurer before the end of the FYxx year.

 

Section 2 – Petition Candidates

 

The ballot shall include candidates nominated by petition for Director provided that the following requirements have been met:

 

a.       The member is qualified for the position.

b.       The member has given written consent to being placed on the ballot.

c.       A minimum of 2 percent of the voting members of the Region sign a petition to place the candidate’s name on the ballot, with no more than half of the petitioners being from any one Section.

d.        The petition, together with the written consent, is to be submitted to the Society Secretary by March 1 or the date specified by the Society Secretary, whichever is earlier.

Section 3 – Write-in Vote

 

Each member may write on the ballot the name of any qualified member for Director, even though that member has not been nominated.

 

Any Region member in good standing can nominate a SWE Region member in good standing in the Region for offices of Deputy Director, Secretary, or Treasurer.

Section 4 – Vote Required to Elect

 

A plurality of the legal votes cast for a particular position elects a candidate to the position.

Section 5 – Vacancies

a.       A vacancy in the office of Director will be filled, until the end of the fiscal year, by Region Council election. If such a vacancy occurs before April 1, and if the rest of the term extends through the next fiscal year, the office for that year will be filled by a vote of the voting members of the Society in the Region.

 

b.       A vacancy in the position of the Region member of the Society Nominating Committee is filled by election by the Region Council.

 

c.       A vacancy in the other Region offices will be filled until the end of the one-year term by appointment of the Director.

 

Article IX – Finances

Section 1 – Fiscal Year

 

The fiscal year shall be the same as that of the Society.

Section 2 – Disposition of Funds

 

In the event of dissolution, the assets of the Region shall be distributed to an organization(s) organized and operated under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, exclusively for educational purposes.

Section 3 – Product Sales Using Region Logo

 

Sections which make products using the Region logo must have the concurrence of the Director before use or sale of such products. In addition, 20 percent of overages from the sale of products with the Region logo will go to the Region treasury.

 Section 4 – Region Conference Overages

 

Overages from the Region Conference shall be shared between the Sections and Student Sections which participate in sponsoring the conference with 25 percent of the overage to go to the Region treasury.

Section 5 – National Conference Rebate to Sponsoring Sections

 

Overages earned by Sections and Student Sections within the Region as a result of sponsoring the National Conference shall be fully disbursed to the participating Sections. The share awarded to any Section shall be recommended by the Conference Planning Committee organization defined in the convention bid package. The recommendation shall be approved by a majority of the Section Representatives of each participating Section. In case of a tie, the Director will cast the deciding vote. The Sections shall decide what portion of the Sections’ overages will be shared with Student Sections, which participated.

 

Article X – Amendments

Section 1 – Source of Amendments

 

Amendment to these bylaws may be proposed by any Section or any five voting members of the Region.

Section 2 – Proposal of Amendments

 

All proposed amendments to these bylaws must be submitted to the Director and Region Secretary.

Section 3 – Vote Required With Notice

 

a.       These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Region Council.

b.       Written notice shall be given at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Section 4 – Adoption

 

After acceptance by the Region, all amendments to these bylaws must be submitted to the Society Bylaws Committee for review. Amendments become effective upon approval of the Society Board of Directors.

 

 

Article XI – Emblems

Section 1 – Logo

The official logo of the region is
Use of the logo must have concurrence of the Director.