AWRA STATE SECTION BYLAWS
Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association
Adopted – 02/03/05
Revised 2007
ARTICLE I. Name
Section 1. The name of this Section of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) shall be the Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association.
ARTICLE II. Territory
Section 1. The Delaware Section shall include and be limited to the State of Delaware, except as provided in Article V, Section 1.
ARTICLE III. Location
Section 1. The headquarters of the Section shall be the address designated by the elected Secretary.
ARTICLE IV. Objectives
Section 1. The objectives of this Section shall be:
a) To provide a common forum in which professionals in water resources and related areas can meet, discuss, and exchange ideas pertaining to all aspects of water resources research and management.
b) To be organized exclusively for scientific, literary, and educational purposes.
c) To encourage and/or assist in:
1. Promoting research and technological, social, economic, and legislative advances in all aspects of water and related resources planning, utilization, management, and development.
2. Collecting and disseminating information, knowledge, and data concerning all aspects of water and related resources through publications, symposia, and other media.
3. Relating the needs of management, educational institutions, and governmental agencies for specialized services and guidance to qualified professionals and consultants in water and related resources and environmental problems.
4. Opening up and maintaining lines of communication between members of this Section and the public.
d) To promote the rational and objective protection, development, utilization, and management of water resources.
e) To cooperate with Federal, State, and local agencies, private companies, and other local sections and chapters of organizations concerned with water resources.
ARTICLE V. Membership
Section 1. There shall be two classes of DE AWRA Membership: Individual Membership and Supporting Membership with rights and privileges as provided in Article V, Sections 3 and 4.
Section 2. Membership becomes effective upon payment of DE AWRA dues.
Section 3. DE AWRA Individual Members may vote, serve on committees, and hold office in DE AWRA. There shall be only four classes of Individual Members, including charter members, professional members, retired professional members, and student members, with equal rights and privileges for all. Any person interested in the purpose of the Association and living, working, studying, or interested in the water resources discipline in Delaware shall be eligible for Individual Membership upon payment of Section dues.
a) A charter member is defined as anyone who pays their membership dues by April 28th, 2005.
b) A professional member is defined as anyone who is receiving payment for their professional services.
c) A retired professional member is defined as anyone who is no longer receiving payment for their professional services.
d) A student member is defined as anyone attending elementary, high school, or an institution of higher learning.
Section 4. DE AWRA Supporting Memberships are granted to organizations such as public or private corporations, businesses, educational institutions, associations, government agencies, and non-government organizations. Supporting Memberships receive recognition for their support of DE AWRA on the DE AWRA website. Supporting memberships do not have voting privileges or any benefit of an Individual Membership.
Section 5. Any member of DE AWRA is entitled to attend the meetings of this Section. Only Section members may vote, serve on committees, or hold office in this Section.
Section 6. Membership in the Section will be terminated upon failure to pay Section dues or resignation.
ARTICLE VI. Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Delaware Section shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
Section 2. The President shall preside at meetings and shall, in consultation with the Board of Directors, appoint all committees, and shall perform all other duties incident to the office. The President shall prepare, in collaboration with the Secretary, an annual report of the Section’s activities to be presented to the annual meeting of the Section and to be forwarded by the Secretary to the Executive Vice President of the National AWRA.
Section 3. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President when the latter is absent and other duties assigned by the President.
Section 4. The Secretary shall keep the Minutes of the Section meetings, issue notices of meetings, and perform all duties incident to the office.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds of the Section. The Treasurer’s accounts shall be audited at the close of each year. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report and financial statement for presentation at the annual meeting.
Section 6. The President, Vice President, and Secretary shall serve for two years and may succeed themselves, but shall not serve consecutively for more than two terms. The Treasurer shall serve for two years and may serve with no term limitations.
Section 7. Section officers shall be selected from the membership of the Section.
Section 8. Members interested in serving as an officer may submit interest to the Nominating Committee. Section officers shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee. Ballots listing the nominations shall be mailed to the Section membership and a candidate must receive plurality of the votes cast to be elected.
Section 9. The President shall fill by appointment any vacancy in the Council if a term cannot be completed for any reason. If for any reason the president cannot perform the duties of office, the vice-president shall immediately succeed as president for the remainder of the term. Any position appointed by the president shall serve the remainder of the term and then be voted on at the next regular election.
Section 10. The terms of office shall terminate on December 31st following the election.
ARTICLE VII. Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be the three officers from Article VI, the immediate Past President, and three to seven Directors elected from the membership.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of the Section, including administration, program development, and supervision of financial affairs. It shall meet at least three times a year.
Section 3. An official meeting of the Board of Directors needs a majority of the active Board of Directors members.
Section 4. If a vacancy develops in the Board of Directors, the remaining members of the Board of Directors are authorized to appoint an eligible Section member to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.
Section 5. Members of the Board of Directors shall serve for three years.
Section 6. Members of the Board of Directors shall be selected from the membership of the Section.
Section 7. Members interested in serving on the Board of Directors may submit interest to the Nominating Committee. Section members serving on the Board of Directors shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee. Ballots listing the nominations shall be mailed to the Section membership and a candidate must receive plurality of the votes cast to be elected.
Section 8. The terms of office shall terminate on December 31st following the election.
ARTICLE VIII. Committees
Section 1. The following committees shall be appointed, if needed, by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors. The duties of these committees shall be as indicated.
a. Auditing Committee – to audit the accounts of the Treasurer.
b. Membership Committee – to promote the AWRA and to recruit new members.
c. Nominating Committee – to nominate qualified candidates for the office of the Section in accordance with the provision of Article VI.
d. Program Committee – to make arrangements for all meetings of the Section. The Vice President/Secretary should be Chairperson of the Program Committee.
e. Other standing and special committees, if needed.
Section 2. Special committees shall serve until their duties are accomplished, but may be dissolved upon a majority vote at any Section meeting. Members of standing committees shall serve until the end of the officers’ year and shall be eligible for reappointment. The Board of Directors shall determine the committees to be appointed and recommend the scope of their functions.
Section 3. No committees shall expend funds of the Section unless authorized by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX. Meetings
Section 1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Section. The Vice President/Secretary shall notify the Section’s membership of the date and place (to be set by the Board of Directors) at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting.
Section 2. Meetings shall be called by the President when in the opinion of the President there is business which should be brought before the membership for action. At least 15 days advance notice shall be given of any meeting called by the President.
Section 3. Any business which may properly come before the Section membership may be discussed and acted upon at the annual or other regular meeting.
Section 4. A quorum at any duly called Section meeting shall consist of the members present, but not fewer than 25% of the Section membership.
Section 5. All order of business at any meeting shall be in accordance with the Bylaws of the Section or AWRA.
ARTICLE X. Dues and Funds
Section 1. Annual dues shall be established by rule of the Board of Directors for charter members, professional members, retired professional members, and student members. Dues are due within 30 days of receipt of notification from the Treasurer of the Section.
Section 2. The funds of the Section shall be the responsibility of the Section Treasurer with oversight by the Board of Directors. Section funds shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XI. Dissolution
Section 1. The Section may be dissolved by two-thirds vote of all the members of the Section through mail balloting, or by the Board of Directors of AWRA for just cause or if the Section becomes inactive.
Section 2. If dissolution is favorably acted upon, all just debts shall be paid out of the funds of the Section, and all remaining Section funds and other assets, together with all Section records and files, shall be transferred to the National AWRA.
ARTICLE XII. Amendment
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present at any annual or general meeting or at any special meeting called for this purpose, provided that in every case written notice of the proposed amendment shall be sent to each Section member at the time notice of the date of the meeting is announced. Voting may also be done by mailed ballot.