THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS Of
Blackwater Beekeepers Association
(As updated 7/January 2013)

ARTICLE 1: NAME
SECTION 1 – NAME: The name of this organization shall be “Blackwater Beekeepers Association
(BBA), herein referred to as the “Association.”

ARTICLE 2: OBJECTIVES

SECTION 1 - OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this Association shall be:

To encourage better beekeeping methods among beekeepers in our area and state,
To promote cooperation and a common understanding regarding our problems and their solution,
To maintain friendly and helpful relations with those entities which are working to better the beekeeping industry,
To develop markets for beekeeping products,
To foster closer association and camaraderie,
And to do outreach through activities that tend to improve its members; and the general public’s knowledge relating to honey bees and the beekeeping industry.


ARTICLE 3: MEMBERS


SECTION 1 – MEMBERS: Anyone interested in beekeeping may join the Association upon payment of the regular annual dues. The right to vote shall be limited to members in good standing.

SECTION 2 – JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP: Non-voting Junior Membership shall be free to all interested youth under thirteen (13) years of age.


ARTICLE 4: OFFICERS


SECTION 1 – OFFICERS and DIRECTORS: The officers of the Association shall be: President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, 3 Directors, the Regional Director, and Chaplain. Except for initial interim terms of 14 months, whereupon new elections shall take place in November 2012, these officers shall serve for a two (2) year term. The Association members shall elect these officers by a majority vote of the membership present (see ARTICLE 7). The Association shall have three (3) Directors making up a “Board” with a service of three (3) years, with one Director retiring each year in a designated term. The Association members shall then elect one (1) Director to serve for a three-year term by a majority vote of the members present. A Director may serve two (2) consecutive terms and then be reelected after a one (1) year period out of office.

The Board shall be composed of the Officers, Directors, Regional Representative and the Chaplain.
SECTION 2 – STATE REPRESENTATIVES:

Regional Directors (s) – The Association shall have the right to elect a Regional Director(s) for and to the South Carolina State Beekeepers Association. The number of Directors to the State Association will be in accord with the number of Blackwater Beekeepers Association members who are members of the South Carolina State Beekeepers Association. Association members shall elect by a majority vote of the members Director(s) to serve for a three (3) year term. A Director may serve two (2) successive terms and then be reelected after a one (1) year period out of office.

ARTICLE 5: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1 – PRESIDENT: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association using regular parliamentary procedures according to Simplified Roberts Rules of Order. This office shall appoint special committees as deemed necessary, fill vacancies of any officers, and perform such other duties as the Association may direct. The President shall be authorized to make deposits and disburse all monies should the Treasurer be unable to perform those duties.

SECTION 2 – VICE-PRESIDENT / PRESIDENT-ELECT: It shall be the duty of the Vice-President/President-Elect to perform the duties of the President in his or her absence or upon the President’s request. If the Vice-President/President-Elect is unable to perform this duty in the absence of the President, then the Vice-President/President-Elect may appoint any member to act in his/her stead with the consent of the majority of the Directors. The Vice-President/President-Elect shall serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee.

SECTION 3 – TREASURER: The treasurer will be responsible for membership. The Treasurer shall collect the annual dues from the members, issue membership cards and notify all members after the January meeting who are delinquent in payment of dues. This officer shall be custodian of all monies received by the Association and keep full and accurate records showing the receipt and disbursements of all monies. The Treasurer shall close the Association’s books prior to each January meeting and make a complete report on the membership and financial standing of the Association at that time. In addition, he/she shall make an annual financial report at the end of the accounting period of December 31 of each year and file the necessary information on returns to the Internal Revenue Service. He/she will see that the President is also authorized to make deposits and disperse all monies if the Treasurer is unable to perform these duties. He/she shall present all records and books to the Directors for examination and auditing after December 31. After auditing is complete and a report is prepared for the February meeting, all monies and books are to immediately be turned over to the succeeding Treasurer at said meeting. He/she shall prepare a membership list showing paid-up, delinquent or inactive members for review by the Directors and shall inform the Secretary of all changes in membership status.

SECTION 4 – SECRETARY: The Secretary shall be present at all Association meetings and record minutes. He/she shall maintain and document the Association’s correspondence and keep a roster of the Association’s members. The Secretary shall inform members in advance of all meetings and any business or events pertaining to the Association via e-mail. At meetings he/she shall have on hand any correspondence and printed materials relevant to business at hand as well as the following documents (electronic or printed): 1) a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and Simplified Roberts Rules of Order; 2) a voting-member roster; 3) minutes from the previous meetings; 4) the Agenda of the current meeting. The Secretary shall assume other administrative duties as assigned by the Board. This officer shall be responsible for organizing and promotion of the Association’s activities locally and on the Association’s future website or that of the SCSBA.

SECTION 5 – DIRECTORS: The elected Directors will rotate from office. Initially one will be elected to a one year term ant one a two year term and one a three year term. Each year one new Director will be elected. The three elected Directors shall examine and audit the books of the Treasurer, no later than January 15th of each year. At the February meeting they must report their findings and make recommendations to the members attending the meeting. Should they be unable to act and serve, the President of the Association shall appoint temporary Directors to serve in their absence. Directors making up the Board shall make suggestions and recommendations and shall serve in a consultative role to the President and other officers of the organization, Directors shall also assist in the planning and the implementation of monthly programs.
SECTION 6 – REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE: The Regional Director shall represent and serve the Blackwater Beekeepers Association and the South Carolina State Beekeepers Association in the best interests and betterment of beekeeping for a term of 3 years. The Regional Director, at a minimum, is expected to attend four "State” board meetings annually. The Regional Director is also expected to attend the Blackwater Beekeepers Association meetings on a regular basis.

SECTION 7 - CHAPLAIN: The Chaplain shall be a voting member of the Board. The Chaplain shall begin each meeting, meal or other suitable occasion with an appropriate invocation or prayer. The Chaplain shall send a note of recovery or condolences to any member, as appropriate. The Chaplain can serve up to five (5) consecutive two (2) year terms of office.

ARTICLE 6: MEETINGS and ELECTIONS

SECTION 1 – MEETINGS. There shall be regular monthly meetings each month, except July, until a majority of members vote otherwise. Notice of each meeting shall be e-mailed by the Secretary to each voting membership of the Association at the address on record or otherwise adequately advertised, including on a website if one is established, at least one (1) week before the meeting. If by necessity a change to the regularly scheduled meeting location is required, the time and place of the next meeting shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board Members and notification sent as soon as possible by the Secretary to alert members to the change.

An effort will be made to establish reliable adult contacts with youth groups or other entities that volunteer or participate regularly with the Association who can act as Association liaisons to correspond with and/or notify these non-voting members about Association news and events.

SECTION 2 – ELECTIONS: The President shall appoint a three (3) member Nominating Committee (the Vice-President/President-Elect shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee, along with two other members of the Association) at least by the September meeting of each year in which elections are slated to be held. The Nominating Committee shall contact any and all Association members about serving as officers, get their written consent to serve. and report a slate of at least one name per open position at the October meeting so the slate can be distributed to the membership for consideration a month before elections. Nomination from ‘the floor’ will be entertained at both the October and November meetings. Members of the Nominating Committee may become officer candidates if they so choose. The election of Officers, Directors, Regional Director and Chaplain shall be at the November meeting of each year for the appropriate officer(s). All offices will begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

All officers will begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

ARTICLE 7: QUORUM

SECTION 1 – QUORUM: Twenty-five percent (25%) of voting members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular meeting.

ARTICLE 8: DUES

SECTION 1 – DUES: The amount of annual dues shall be sufficient to cover dual membership in the South Carolina State Beekeepers Association. Dues shall be determined by recommendation of the Board and approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the membership present at a regular meeting and payable in advance to the Treasurer of the Association. Payment shall be due on January 1 of the fiscal year to be covered by said dues. All dues and voting privileges expire on December 31 of each year. Any member of the Association who has not paid dues by the time of the March meeting will be dropped from the role of membership and shall cease to be a member of the Association. A person who has been dropped from the role of membership for non-payment of dues may be restored at any time to active membership by paying the current year’s dues in full. Dues collected after October 1will be applied toward the next years membership.

ARTICLE 9: AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

SECTION 1 – AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS: The Blackwater Beekeepers Association may associate itself, and determine its own basis of support for the current year and for so long as is desirable, with any other state or national association by a two-thi9rds (2/3) majority of the members attending a regular meeting,

SECTION 2 – COUNTY OR REGIONAL BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONS: All county and/or regional beekeepers associations or beekeepers clubs are encouraged and invited to associate themselves with the Blackwater Beekeepers Association.

ARTICLE 10: AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1– AMENDMENTS: In the event that an Amendment to this Constitution and Bylaw is proposed, the Amendment wording shall have been presented to the Board in writing. The Board shall have up to thirty-one (31) days to respond to the membership with its recommendation. The membership shall be notified in writing fourteen (14) before the regular meeting at which an Amendment will go to vote. Any article or any section of the Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at a regular meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of all members,

The method of collecting a vote shall be at the discretion of the Board.
ARTICLE 11: DISSOLUTION

SECTION 1 – DISSOLUTION: Should the Association undergo dissolution, its assents will be distributed to another non-profit beekeeping organization.