FLORIDA BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS OF AMERICA, INC.
BYLAWS
(Amended February 3, 2008)
ARTICLE
I. REGIONAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL OFFICERS
Section 1. Qualifications for Regional Office. To be eligible for regional office, candidates must meet all qualifications as established by their respective region.
a.
Only active members are eligible
to hold regional office.
b. Only those applicants who are present at the Regional Leadership
Conference shall be eligible for nomination.
c. To be eligible to run for regional office, a candidate shall
be a middle school or high school student who shall:
1. have at least one (1) full
year remaining in his/her business program;
2. be enrolled in a business or business-related course throughout
his/her term of office;
3. hold or have held an elective office in his/her local chapter;
4. be recommended by his/her local chapter advisor and school
administration and be endorsed by his/her local chapter;
5. file an official application according to the policy adopted
by the region; and
6. remain a resident of his/her region during his/her term of
office.
Section 2. Qualifications for State Office. To be eligible for state office, candidates must meet all qualifications as established by the Board of Directors.
a.
Only active members are eligible
to hold state office.
b. Only those applicants who are present at the State Leadership
Conference and who are officially certified by the Officer Screening
Committee shall be eligible for nomination.
c. To be eligible to run for state office, a candidate shall
be a high school student who shall:
1. have at least one (1) full
year remaining in his/her business program;
2. be enrolled in a business or business-related course throughout
his/her term of office;
3. hold or have held an elective office in his/her local chapter;
4. be recommended by his/her local chapter advisor and school administration
and be endorsed by his/her local chapter;
5. file an official application according to the policy adopted
by the Board of Directors; and
6. remain a Florida resident during his/her term of office.
d. Candidates for secretary must possess the skills necessary to prepare minutes.
Section 3. Qualifications for National Office. To be eligible for national office, candidates must meet all qualifications as established by the Board of Directors, Business Professionals of America, Florida Association, and the national Business Professionals of America, Inc.
a. Only active members are eligible to hold national office.
b. Only those applicants who are present at the State Leadership
Conference and who are officially certified by the Officer Screening
Committee and approved by the Board of Directors shall be eligible for
nomination.
c. To be eligible to run for national office, a candidate shall
be a high school student who shall:
1. have at least one (1) full
year remaining in his/her business program;
2. be enrolled in a business or business-related course throughout
his/her term of office;
3. hold or have held an elective office in his/her local chapter;
4. be recommended by his/her local chapter advisor and school
administration and be endorsed by his/her local chapter;
5. file an official application according to the policy adopted
by the Board of Directors; and
6. remain a Florida resident during his/her term of office.
Section 4. Duties of State Officers and Regional Presidents.
a. President. It shall be the duty of the President to
serve as the student representative on the Board of Directors; preside
at all business meetings; preside over all officer and Executive Council
meetings; with the approval of the State Advisor and Executive Council,
establish and appoint members and chairs of appropriate committees for
a period not to exceed his/her term of office and assist these committees
in their activities; serve as an ex-officio nonvoting member of all
committees; perform other duties of a presiding officer; and promote
the general welfare of Business Professionals of America, Florida Association.
b. Executive Vice President. It shall be the duty of the Executive
Vice President to serve in any capacity as directed by the President;
serve as the chair of the National Project Committee; accept the responsibilities
of the President as occasions may demand; assist in compiling and publishing
the State Chapter Annual Report; promote the general welfare of Business
Professionals of America, Florida Association; and become president
upon any vacancy in the office of President.
c. Secretary. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep an
accurate record of all business, officer, and Executive Council meetings;
promptly submit one (1) printed copy of the minutes and any substantiating
reports to the President, Board of Directors President, members of the
Board of Directors and Executive Council, and the State Advisor; and
promote the general welfare of Business Professionals of America, Florida
Association.
d. Reporter. It shall be the duty of the Reporter to prepare
and submit the organization’s news to all news media; serve as the public
relations liaison to other state chapters and the national organization;
compile local chapter activity news for the state's website; maintain
the state's website; assist in compiling and publishing public relations
documents as deemed necessary the Executive Council; and promote the
general welfare of Business Professionals of America, Florida Association.
e. Parliamentarian. It shall be the duty of the Parliamentarian
to advise the President and other chapter members on the orderly conduct
of business in accordance with the organization’s bylaws and the current
edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised; be responsible for
the general conduct at all business, officer, and Executive Council
meetings; rule on rules or order, should the occasion arise, during
business meetings; and promote the general welfare of Business Professionals
of America, Florida Association.
f. Regional Presidents. It shall be the duty of Regional Presidents
to work cooperatively with the Regional Advisors in planning and implementing
regional activities; preside at all regional meetings at the State Leadership
Conference; and assist the state officers and state organization in
consultation with the State Advisor in promoting the general welfare
of Business Professionals of America, Florida Association, in his/her
respective region.
g. All officers are subject to other duties as designated by
the President or the State Advisor.
ARTICLE
II. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Duties of the Board of Directors. The duties of the Board of Directors shall be to:
a. make such rules and regulations that the Board in its
discretion may determine to be necessary for the best interests of the
organization;
b. adopt, by a majority vote, policies of operation as deemed
necessary;
c. appoint individuals to represent Business Professionals of
America, Florida Association, by serving on the State Association Advisory
Council, Classroom Educators Advisory Council, National Business Advisory
Council, and nominees to the Business Professional of America, Inc.
Board of Trustees;
d. determine such matters as the number of contestants per event
from each region and the number of local chapter representatives that
may attend conferences;
e. approve candidates for national office;
f. perform such other duties as may be reasonably construed as
belonging to a governing body of any organization.
Section 2. Duties of Officers.
a. President. The President of the Board of Directors
shall preside at all meetings; present an annual report of the work
of the organization at each annual meeting; appoint all committees (temporary
and permanent); see that all books, reports, and certificates as required
by law are properly kept or filed; must be one of the two officers authorized
to sign the checks and drafts of the organization; and have such powers
as may be reasonably construed as belonging to the chief executive of
any organization.
b. Vice President. The Vice President of the Board of Directors
shall be responsible for securing, overseeing, and reviewing the annual
independent audit; present the findings of the audit at the next scheduled
board meeting; and, in the absence or inability of the President to
exercise his/her office, become Acting President of the organization
with all the rights, privileges, and powers including the signing of
checks and drafts of the organization.
c. Secretary. The Secretary of the Board of Directors shall keep
the minutes and records of the organization in appropriate books; file
any certificates required by any statute, federal or state; give and
serve all notices to members of this organization; be the official custodian
of the records and seal of this organization; present to the membership
at any meetings any communication addressed to him/her as secretary
of the organization; submit to the Board of Directors any communications
which shall be addressed to him/her as secretary of the organization;
attend to all correspondence of the organization; and exercise all duties
incident to the office of secretary.
d. Treasurer. The Treasurer of the Board of Directors shall have
the care and custody of all monies belong to the organization and shall
be responsible for such monies or securities of the organization; must
be one of the two officers authorized to sign checks and drafts of the
organization; render a written account of the finances of the organization
quarterly and physically affix such report to the minutes of the meetings
of the Board of Directors; and exercise all duties incident to the office
of treasurer.
Section 3. Committees.
a. Advisory committees to assist in the growth and development
of Business Professionals of America, Florida Association, may be appointed
as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors. Recommendations of persons
for such appointments shall be requested of regions.
b. Local and regional chapters may select advisory committees
to assist in the growth and development of their respective local and
regional chapters.
c. An Officer Screening Committee, composed of state officers
and members of the Board of Directors, shall be appointed by the State
Advisor. The Officer Screening Committee shall, after careful consideration
of applicants for state and national office, approve officer candidates
for nomination.
d. Committee business may be conducted by mail at the discretion
of the President. For adoption, action by mail shall require a majority
vote of the members eligible to vote and shall be reported to the committee
members not later than the next regular meeting.
e. There shall be a Minutes Committee consisting of the five
state officers and the State Advisor, which shall have full authority
to approve the minutes of the previous State Leadership Conference.
The committee shall do this at the first Executive Council meeting after
the election of the state officers.
ARTICLE III. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The duties of the Executive Council shall be to:
a. suggest policies of operation as deemed necessary,
by a majority vote subject to the approval of the Board of Directors;
b. approve committee appointments and the creation of new committees
by the State President;
c. review all proposed amendments to the bylaws;
d. present to the voting delegates at the State Leadership Conference,
with recommendations, those proposed amendments approved by the Board
of Directors; and
e. perform such other duties as are identified by the Board of
Directors.
ARTICLE
IV. DUES
Section 1. The membership year shall be July 1 through June 30.
Section 2. Dues. Annual dues for Business Professional of America, Florida Association, will be determined by the Board of Directors. Annual local and regional dues will be determined by the respective local and regional chapters.
a.
State and national dues in
full for all active local chapter members must accompany the official
Business Professionals of America membership application by the date
established by the Board of Directors.
b. Membership applications must be received in the state office
by the designated date and must be certified by the Treasurer of the
Board of Directors.
c. Only members registered on the official membership application
with full regional, state, and national paid dues shall be delegates
to the State Leadership Conference.
ARTICLE
V. AMENDMENTS
Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented in writing to the State Advisor at least sixty (60) days prior to the State Leadership Conference. The State Adviser shall submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Council for review and to the Board of Directors for approval. The approved proposed amendments will then be published and circulated to all chapters for consideration at least thirty (30) days prior to the State Leadership Conference. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the voting delegates present and voting at the State Leadership Conference shall be required for adoption. No amendment shall be in conflict with the purposes of Business Professionals of America, Florida Association, as stated in Article II of the constitution.