By-Laws

Article I

Membership

Section 1 – Dues payable by each member of the Association will be $15.00 per year unless changed at the annual meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of the delegates present and seated at said meeting. Any change in dues is to become effective the first day of the next assessment period. Any member while out of employment shall not be required to pay the annual assessment, but shall remain a member in good standing. Members in good standing will achieve honorary membership upon date of retirement.

Section 2 – Any member being one year in arrears on dues shall be dropped from the rolls.

Section 3 – All business requiring the vote of the entire Association must be presented at the meeting in person or in writing, so that a vote can be taken by all members present.

Section 4 – For the purpose of organization and administration, special group units may be formed.

Section 5 – The date of the annual meeting is the first day of the Association’s fiscal year.

Article II

Meetings

Section 1 – A quorum shall consist of 30% of the membership. In the case of the Steering and Budget Committee, a member may appoint an alternate; if no appointment is made, the President shall make the appointment.

Section 2 – The President of the Association shall act as Chair of the Steering and Budget Committee.

Section 3 – Delegates. Units with six or fewer members shall be represented by one delegate. Units with seven to twelve members shall be represented by three delegates. All resolutions requiring a vote, and all amendments to the Constitution, shall be made by the members.

Section 4 – Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Association may be called by the President with the approval or at the request of three members of the Steering and Budget Committee.

Section 5 – At any Association meeting, the Chair may ask the delegation for a suspension of the rules during the meeting in certain cases. This suspension of the rules can take place only after a two-thirds vote of approval by the members present.

Article III

Officers

Section 1 – Before an election, the President shall appoint tellers to count the votes.

Section 2 – Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, the newly elected officers shall subscribe to the following affirmations:

“I, [NAME], do hereby pledge on my honor to perform the duties of my office, as required by the Constitution of this Association, bear true and faithful allegiance to the Association, deliver all my books, papers, and other property of the Association at the end of my term to my successor in office, and at all times conduct myself as becomes a member of this Association.”

Section 3 – Should any officer by absent from one Association meeting without a reasonable and lawful excuse, or in the event of the officer’s death, removal, or resignation, this office shall be declared vacant, and it shall be the duty of the Steering and Budget Committee to appoint an officer during the interim.

Section 4 – The officers of the Association shall receive an annual salary, to be paid each year from the revenues of this Association. The salary is set at the following level, which can be changed by a majority vote of the delegates at the annual meeting.

President $125.00 per year

Vice-President $ 75.00 per year

Treasurer $ 75.00 per year

Secretary $ 75.00 per year

Any member shall receive actual expenses when engaged in special work on behalf of the Association.

Section 5 – Association officers shall be elected for a two-year term. Delegates to the Association meeting shall be elected by the members of the units which they represent.

Section 6 – A majority of votes of the Association members in good standing present at the annual meeting shall be necessary to elect an officer when there are two or more candidates for the same office.

Section 7 – No person may hold the same office in the Association for more than one consecutive term.

Article IV

Duties of Officers

Section 1 – It shall be the duty of the President to preside at, or designated a Chair for, each committee meeting, and to preside at the Steering and Budget and annual meetings of the Association, to preserve order during its deliberations, to sign all orders on the Treasurer, when ordered by the Association, to appoint all committees not otherwise ordered, and to transact such other business as may of right pertain to the office of President.

Section 2 – The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President, assist in carrying out duties as assigned by the President, and in the case of death or resignation of the President until such vacancy is filled by an election as provided for in the Constitution of the Association. The Vice-President shall preside at all times when the President may be temporarily unable to discharge the duties of President.

Section 3 – The Secretary shall keep a current record of all proceedings of each Steering and Budget Committee meeting and each annual meeting of the Association and a record of all amendments to these by-laws in a book specially provided for that purpose. The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence pertaining to the office and perform such other duties as the Association may from time to time designate.

Section 4 – The Treasurer shall deposit all monies in the bank and keep a record of all monies received, make a quarterly and annual financial statement, prepare an annual budget, and if funds are deposited in interest-bearing securities, shall maintain an accurate record of such securities, and at the expiration of the official term, shall turn over to the successor all money and securities and property of the Association that may be in the outgoing Treasurer’s possession. All dues, fees, and assessments are to be collected by the Treasurer.

Article V

Steering and Budget Committee

Section 1 – The President of the Association shall serve as the Chair of the Steering and Budget Committee, and may make appointments of members to the Committee, such appointments by the President to be subject to the final approval of the Steering and Budget Committee. The President will be a non-voting member except in the case of a tie, when the President will cast the deciding vote.

Section 2 – The Steering and Budget Committee shall attempt to represent a cross section of all Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry employee classifications. The last former President of the Association shall serve on the Steering and Budget Committee for a two-year term, to act in an advisory capacity, without a vote.

Section 3 – Appointments shall be for three years and staggered so that two thirds of the Committee is always composed of holdover members.

Section 4 – If, during the tenure in office, any member is transferred, promoted, resigns, etc., out of the group represented, a vacancy will be declared and an interim appointed in the usual manner.

Section 5 – Normally, quarterly meetings of the Steering and Budget Committee shall be held on dates selected by the President. Special meetings may be called at the pleasure of the President.

Section 6 – The Steering and Budget Committee shall act within its legal bounds on any and all grievances placed before it, by any member of the Association. Any grievances submitted to the Steering and Budget Committee shall be in writing. Members making complaint may be called upon to be interviewed by the Steering and Budget Committee.

Article VI

Committees

Special committees shall be appointed by the President as the need arises.

Article VII

Revenues

Section 1 – The revenues of this Association shall be derived from annual dues, fund raising and donations.

Section 2 – All funds are to be deposited in a National or State Bank, Credit Union, or Mutual Fund in the name of the Association, subject to an order signed by the Treasurer of the Association.

Section 3 – Scholarship funds will be deposited in accordance with scholarship guidelines.

Article VIII

Expenditures

Section 1 – The funds of this Association shall be used in defraying the necessary expenses of this Association and as may be hereinafter provided.

Section 2 – The President shall approve all bills and statements for services, expenses, and supplies, prior to payment by the Treasurer.

Section 3 – The President shall appoint a Committee of three to audit the books of the Treasurer annually, and report their findings on the same to the Association at the Annual Meeting.

Section 4 – The Steering and Budget Committee shall attend to the bonding of the Treasurer in a Security Company, premiums for the same to be paid by the Association.

Article IX

Legal Remedies

Section 1 – This Association retains no counsel for the benefit of its members to adjudicate differences arising from willful infractions of the laws of the State of Minnesota, or differences arising between Association officers or members of Minnesota DNR. Counsel retained for such purpose is the responsibility of the individuals involved, in their capacity as private citizens. In no manner shall this Association be chargeable with such service, it being the purpose of this Association to in no way interfere with the discipline, organization, or good order of the Minnesota DNR – Division of Forestry or its accredited officials. Any members using the name of the Association for any other purpose shall be tried in an open meeting of said Association, and may be disciplined or expelled from membership as the members of the Steering and Budget Committee may decide, provided two-thirds of the members of the Steering and Budget Committee vote for expulsion.

Section 2 – The penalties prescribed for offenses against the good order and the rules of this Association shall be expulsion, or suspension for a period of one, two, three, or six months, as deemed appropriate, as well as a public reprimand. Imposition of penalties requires a majority vote of the members of the Steering and Budget Committee to be put into effect. The penalty of expulsion shall require a two-thirds vote by the members of the Steering and Budget Committee at the time of the trial.

A full and complete copy of the charges against any member of this Association shall be furnished the accused in writing ninety days before the trial, and all members shall be notified of such trial twenty days before said trial takes place, which notice shall contain the time and place of trial and the name of the accused member.

Section 3 – The Association shall be known as a professional organization, and shall function as such.

Article X

Amendments to By-Laws

These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members present at any meeting of the full membership (provided a quorum is present) and provided the original amendment to be voted on has been presented in writing and duly considered by the members of all units.

Amendments to the original written amendment may be discussed and voted upon once the original amendment is on the floor. Amendments to the original amendment will not have to be presented in writing.

All amendments to the amendment shall also require a two-thirds vote of members present.

Any new by-law amendments approved by the membership will not be in effect until the next business day.

Article XI

Order of Business

Section 1 – Prior to opening of meeting all receipts and disbursements will be handled.

Section 2 – Treasurer will call roll of officers and units present. The Treasurer will then check membership records to determine the voting eligibility of those present.

Section 3 – Meeting business guideline:

Roll Call

Reading minutes from previous meeting

Report of the Forestry Employee Benefit Society Secretary, Treasurer, or designated representative

Report of the standing committee

Report of the special committee

Report of the Secretary

Report of the Treasurer

Report of the President

Unfinished business

Election and installation of officers

New business

Admission of special guests

Discussion

Adjournment

The order of business to be set by the President prior to each meeting.

Article XII

Joseph J. Mockford Scholarship

A permanent trust fund has been established in memory of Joseph J. Mockford. A sum of ten thousand and 00/100 ($10,000.00) dollars is to be held in trust for the purpose of providing scholarships from the interest of the trust fund for children of this Association’s members. The officers of this Association are authorized and empowered to make the selection of the recipients for the scholarships and the amounts of said scholarships as they shall in their discretion determine.

To achieve this charge, guidelines have been established. The following guidelines/rules will become by-laws of the Association.

1. The applicant must be the dependent child of a member in good standing of the Minnesota DNR Forestry Employees Association.
2. The applicant must be attending a post-secondary school at the date of the Association’s annual meeting. High school seniors are eligible, with award issued upon enrollment in a post-secondary school.
3. The applications must be postmarked before 1201 a.m. on November 1, unless this date is suspended by the Steering and Budget Committee to allow additional applicants to be eligible. Applications must also be delivered to the Chair of the Scholarship Committee by the deadline stated above.
4. The scholarship will be awarded as follows:
   1. Applicants who have not received this scholarship previously will be given preference.
   2. If insufficient numbers of applicants are received, previous recipients’ applications will be declared eligible.
   3. Up to two scholarships will be awarded annually. The amount to be not greater than the annual accumulated interest on the scholarship account. This amount is to be awarded to one recipient or divided equally between two recipients. The Scholarship Committee is to determine the number and value of scholarships awarded each year.
   4. If only one application is received, the applicant will receive both awards.
   5. If no applications are received, the scholarships will be awarded at the time of the next annual meeting when applications are received.
5. Selection of the scholarship recipients will be determined by lot from all eligible applications, at the annual meeting of the Association.
6. All applicants will be notified of the success of their application.

Rules

This Association shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, in addition to the rules of order stated below:

Additional Rules of Order

1. The use of profane and unacceptable language during Association meetings is prohibited as being not in keeping with the decorum and dignity of the meetings.
2. No member shall be allowed in the meetings in an intoxicated condition.
3. No member shall interrupt a debate except on a question of personal privilege, or of information.
4. No member shall engage in conversation during the progress of the meeting without first having obtained the consent of the Chair.
5. The Association shall have the power to declare further rules of order, which shall tend to increase the decorum and dignity of the meetings.

Rules of Procedure

1. On motion, the regular order of business may be suspended by two-thirds vote of the delegates at any time to dispose of anything urgent.
2. All motions (if required by the Chair) or designations must be submitted in writing.
3. Any conversation, by whispering or otherwise, which is calculated to disrupt a member while speaking, or to hinder the transaction of business, shall be deemed a violation of order.
4. Sectarian discussion shall not be permitted in the meetings under any circumstances.
5. A motion to be entertained by the presiding officer must be seconded, and the moving as well as the seconding member recognized by the Chair.
6. Any member having made a motion can withdraw it, but once a motion has been debated, it cannot be withdrawn except by a majority vote.
7. A motion to amend an amendment shall not be entertained.

Debate

1. A motion shall not be subject to debate until such time as it has been restated by the Chair.
2. When a member wishes, he or she may arise and respectfully address the Chair, and if recognized by the Chair, the member shall be entitled to proceed.
3. If two or more members arise at the same time, the Chair shall decide which is entitled to the floor.
4. Each member, when speaking, shall confine him or herself to the question under debate and avoid all personal, indecorous, or sarcastic language.
5. No member shall interrupt another who is speaking, except on a point of order, in which case the interrupting member shall clearly state the point of order in question. The Chair shall decide on the point of order without debate.
6. If a member, while speaking, is called to order, the member shall take his or her seat until the point of order is decided, at which time the member may proceed to speak.
7. If any member feels personally aggrieved by a decision of the Chair, the member may appeal the decision to the body for a decision.

[Constitution and by-laws retyped by Lynn Sue Mizner on January 16, 2006. Grammatical, formatting, and spelling corrections were made to the previously approved (December 4, 1998) amended copy.]