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ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION (A UNITED STATES-BASED CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, INC.)
ARTICLE I
MISSION
Section 1. Mission. The mission of the Orange County Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (the “Chapter”) shall be the same mission as the Society for Technical Communication, Inc. (the “Society”), a New York nonprofit corporation recognized as a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Section 2. Constraints. The Chapter shall be organized and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes consistent with the mission and shall not be operated for the benefit of any director, officer, member, or individual. The Chapter may only pay compensation for personal services that are reasonable and necessary to carry out the mission. The Chapter shall not attempt to influence legislation. In addition, the Chapter shall not participate or intervene (or publish or distribute any statements) in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office (whether at the federal, state, or local level).
ARTICLE II
MEMBERS
Section 1. General. There are three classes of individual membership in the Chapter: student membership, regular membership, and senior membership. For purposes of these Bylaws, the term “member in good standing” shall mean a member who has complied with all the conditions for the member’s particular class of membership, including, but not limited to, the payment of dues and assessments. All Chapter members must also be members of the Society.
Section 2. Qualifications for Membership.
A. Student Member. To be eligible for student membership, an applicant must be (1) enrolled in an accredited university, college, community college, or technical school; (2) taking at least two courses or their equivalent each term; and (3) preparing for a career in technical communication.
B. Regular Member. An applicant for regular membership must be (1) engaged in some phase of technical communication; or (2) interested in the arts and sciences of technical communication or in allied arts and sciences.
C. Senior Member. A senior member shall be any individual who has been a regular member of the Society for five consecutive years.
Section 3. Rights and Privileges of Classes of Membership.
A. Voting Rights. Each student, regular, and senior member is entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to the Chapter membership for a vote.
B. Directorships, Officer, and Committee Positions. A student, regular, or senior member may serve as a director or officer of the Chapter and may serve as a member of a Chapter committee, except as expressly restricted in these Bylaws or by resolution of the Administrative Council.
Section 4. Obligations of Membership. By accepting Chapter membership, each member agrees to abide by the Chapter’s governing documents, work toward achievement of its purposes, and act in accordance with its precepts. Members who fail to do so may have their membership revoked by the Society or the Chapter.
Section 5. Admission to Membership. An individual applies for a class of membership in the Chapter on the official application form of the Society. Membership in the Chapter shall be effective upon review and approval of the application by the Society staff.
Section 6. Termination of Chapter Membership. Chapter membership may be terminated by resignation, nonpayment of Society/Chapter dues (as specified in these Bylaws), or expulsion by either the Society or the Chapter. The Society or the Chapter may, by a two-thirds vote of the entire Society Board of Directors, or the entire Chapter Administrative Council (as the case may be), expel a member for cause after an appropriate hearing before the Society Board of Directors or the Chapter Administrative Council (as the case may be). A member who has been expelled by the Chapter’s Administrative Council may appeal the decision to expel the member to the Society’s Board of Directors. The decision of the Society Board of Directors is final. A member who has been expelled forfeits all dues and fees already paid.
Section 7. Reinstatement. A member who resigns or whose membership lapses for nonpayment of Society/Chapter dues may apply for reinstatement by submitting a year’s dues and any reinstatement fee to the Society. A member who has been expelled may be reinstated only with approval of the Society Board.
Section 8. Transfer of Membership. Membership may not be transferred or assigned to another person, except with the prior approval of the Society.
Section 9. Dues. Dues for each class of membership, as well as enrollment and reinstatement fees, shall be set and published by the Society. New members must submit their dues to the Society with their application for membership; if the application is not accepted, the dues shall be returned. In all other cases, dues are not refundable. Renewing members who have not paid their dues by the date on the dues renewal notice may be automatically terminated.
Section 10. Annual Business Meetings. Annual business meetings of the voting members of the Chapter shall be held at such time and place as fixed in advance by the Administrative Council for the purpose of electing Directors and transacting any other business that may properly come before the voting members. Written notice of each annual business meeting shall fix the time and place of the meeting and, if deemed appropriate by the Administrative Council, the purpose or purposes thereof, and shall be given to each voting member, via postal mail, electronic notice, or by posting on the Chapter’s website at least thirty (30) but no more than sixty (60) days before such meeting. A duly executed waiver of notice thereof may also fix the time and place of any annual business meeting of the voting members.
Section 11. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the voting members may be called by a majority of the Administrative Council or by the President of the Chapter, or if there is a written request of ten percent (10%) or more of the voting members to the Administrative Council and shall be called by the President or Secretary of the Chapter. Written notice of each special meeting shall fix the time and place of the meeting and, if deemed appropriate by the person or persons by whom or at whose request the meeting is being called, the purpose or purposes thereof, shall be given to each voting member, in the manner provided by these Bylaws, at least thirty (30) but no more than sixty (60) days before such meeting. A duly executed waiver of notice thereof may also fix the time and place of any special meeting of the voting members.
Section 12. Quorum; Voting; Proxies. At all meetings of the voting members, a quorum for transacting business at such a meeting shall be the lesser of (a) ten percent (10%) of all the voting members or (b) one hundred (100) ) voting members. Each voting member shall have one vote. A vote of the majority of the voting members, represented in person or by proxy, at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the voting members, except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws. Voting members may vote by proxy executed in writing or electronically by such voting members. No proxy shall be valid after eleven (11) months from the date of its execution, unless otherwise provided in the proxy. Every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the voting member who executed it. Voting on all matters may be conducted by proxy. If a quorum is not present at any meeting, the voting members present at such meeting may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than an announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
Section 13. Presiding Officer and Secretary. The President of the Chapter shall preside at all meetings of the voting members. At any meeting of the voting members, if neither the President nor the person designated by the Administrative Council to preside at that meeting shall be present, the voting members present shall appoint a presiding officer for such meeting. If neither the Secretary nor the person designated by the Administrative Council to act as secretary at that meeting is not present, the voting members present shall appoint a secretary for such meeting.
ARTICLE III
ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. Powers and Duties. The Administrative Council of the Chapter shall manage and direct the business and affairs of the Chapter.
Section 2. Types of Directors; Election; Appointment. The Directors of the Administrative Council shall consist of (a) the Officers (as defined below) and (b) the “At-Large Directors” (as defined below). The Officers and At-Large Directors shall be elected by the voting members, as described in Article II of these Bylaws. The At-Large Directors and the Officers shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed.
Section 3. At-Large Directors. There shall be no fewer than one (1) At-Large Directors and no more than five (5) At-Large Directors, with the exact number within such range to be fixed from time to time by the Administrative Council, provided that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent At-Large Director. Each Director shall serve for a term of one (1) year or until his or her successor is elected or appointed.
Section 4. Resignation and Removal. Any Director may resign at any time by written notice to the Chapter. The voting members may remove any Director for cause through a special removal vote, requiring a two-thirds vote (2/3) of the voting members casting a vote.
Section 5. Vacancies. If a Director ceases to be a Director for any reason, including death, resignation, disqualification, removal for cause or without cause, or otherwise, the remaining Directors shall fill the vacancy created by the vacating Director. Each Director appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of such Director's predecessor and until such Director's successor is elected or appointed or until such Director's earlier displacement from office by resignation, removal, or otherwise.
Section 6. Time and Place. Meetings of the Administrative Council may be held at such time and place, as shall be determined in accordance with these Bylaws.
Section 7. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Administrative Council shall be held, with or without notice, at such time and place as shall from time to time be fixed in advance by resolution of the Administrative Council.
Section 8. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Administrative Council may be called by the President of the Chapter, or, at the written request of any two (2) or more Directors, shall be called by the President. Written notice of each special meeting of the Administrative Council stating the time and place, and, if deemed appropriate by the person or persons by whom or at whose request the meeting is being called, the purpose or purposes thereof, shall be given to each Director, in the manner provided in these Bylaws, at least one (1) day before such meeting. A duly executed waiver of notice thereof may also fix the time and place of any special meeting of the Administrative Council.
Section 9. Quorum and Voting. At any meeting of the Administrative Council, a majority of the entire Administrative Council shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the Directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Administrative Council, except as otherwise provided by statute or these Bylaws. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Administrative Council, the Directors present may adjourn the meeting, from time to time, without notice other than an announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
Section 10. Participation in Meetings by Telephone. At any meeting of the Administrative Council, any one or more of the Directors may participate by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.
Section 11. Action by Unanimous Written Consent. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Administrative Council may be taken without a meeting if all Directors consent thereto in writing and/or by electronic mail. If there is not unanimous agreement, the issue will need to be brought up during a face-to-face meeting or conference call. The written consents and/or copies of the electronic mail consents to each such action shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Administrative Council.
Section 12. Compensation. Directors shall not receive any compensation for their services as Directors but the Administrative Council may by resolution authorize reimbursement of expenses properly incurred in the performance of their duties and supported by appropriate documentation and receipts. Nothing herein shall preclude a Director from serving the Chapter in any other capacity and receiving compensation for such services.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 1. Definition; Appointment. The Chapter shall have a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer (the “Officers”). The voting members shall elect the Officers of the Chapter for a term of one (1) year. The Officers shall be Directors of the Chapter. The Chapter shall have such other officers as the Administrative Council may designate by resolution from time to time, which officers shall have the authority and exercise the duties as the Administrative Council may specify. No person may hold more than one Office at the same time, except the offices of Secretary and Treasurer, which may be held by one person at the same time.
Section 2. Duties of the Officers. The President shall call and preside at meetings of the Chapter, the Administrative Council and the voting members and shall perform such other duties as the Administrative Council may assign from time to time. The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, minutes of all Administrative Council meetings, including those conducted by telephone, and the record of unanimous electronic votes and membership meetings, shall distribute them in accordance with Chapter policies and procedures and perform such other duties as the President or the Administrative Council may assign. The Secretary shall assume the duties of the President in the temporary absence or incapacity of the President. The Treasurer shall (a) oversee Chapter finances; (b) work with Chapter representatives to prepare an annual budget for approval by the Administrative Council; (c) deliver a report to the voting members on the Chapter’s financial condition at the Chapter’s annual business meeting, (d) prepare and submit any financial reports required by the Society, and (e) prepare and submit any filings required by the US Internal Revenue Service. The Treasurer shall perform such other duties as the President or the Administrative Council may assign.
Section 3. Resignation; Removal; Vacancies. Any Officer may resign by written notice to the Chapter or any Officer may be removed by the voting members. If the office of any Officer becomes vacant for any reason, the Administrative Council may fill the vacancy for the remainder of the vacating Officer’s term.
