| BY-LAWS OF THE ASIAN COALITION OF TALLAHASSEE(A.C.T.) |
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| Article I |
| Name and Address |
| Section 1 The official name of the non-profit
corporation is the Asian Coalition of Tallahassee (A.C.T.) |
| Section 2 The principal place of business
is the residence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The mailing
address of the corporation shall be P.O Box 227 Tallahassee, FL 32302-0227 |
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| ARTICLE II |
| Purpose and Objectives |
Section 1 The purpose of this
non-profit corporation is to unite the Asian Communities in the Big
Bend Area and promote the Asian culture. The objectives are as follows:
a. To solicit active participation and support from Asian communities
and other
interested parties in Asian
affairs
b. To enhance cultural, social, and economic ties among Asians
and Americans
c. To actively support charitable, educational and humanitarian
causes
d. To advocate for Asian issues and interests
e. To participate in community activities to promote Asian awareness
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| ARTICLE III |
| Membership |
Section 1 The members of the
coalition shall include honorary members, individuals, and associations
who are interested in the purpose of the coalition. All members of
the coalition are based on a voluntary participation and membership
is subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Section
2 Association representatives and individual members shall comprise
the Council of Representatives.
Section 3 An honorary
member is an individual, selected through procedures developed by
the Board, who has made significant contributions for the advancement
of the goals of the Coalition. An honorary member is a non-paying
and non-voting member.
Section 4 An organization shall
be represented by one representative for every 25 members but limited
to a maximum of four representatives in the Coalition.
Section
5 The annual meeting of the Council of Representatives of the
coalition shall be held in February each year for the purpose of informing
the members of the business of the coalition. Meetings of the membership
of the coalition may be called from time to time at the discretion
of the Board of Directors.
Section 6 At any meeting of
the Council of Representatives, a majority of the council members
shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7 Quorum may be waived
by two thirds of affirmative votes of the Board of Directors. It shall
require two-thirds of the votes of the Council of Representatives
present to pass a resolution. |
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| Article IV |
| Board of Directors |
Section 1 The activities and the property
of the coalition shall be managed by a Board of Directors. They
are as follows: the Chairman, Chairman-elect, Secretary, Treasurer,
Auditor, Public Relations Officer, Director of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, and the Director for Fund Raising. Except for the Chairman-elect
who serves for a two-year term, each director shall serve a one-year
term, which starts at the annual meeting of the year and ends at
the next annual meeting of the following year.
Section 2 The board of directors shall be elected by the
Council of Representatives in November of each year.
Section 3 The Board of Directors shall organize and supervise
all activities of the coalition, determine membership fees, and
institute policies on fund raising, publicity, and public relations.
Section 4 The Board of Directors are responsible for the
annual meeting of the Council of Representatives.
Section 5 The directors shall not be personally liable for
the debts, liabilities or obligations of the coalition.
Section 6 The Board of Directors shall hold an annual meeting
in January, prior to the annual meeting of the Council of Representatives
in February. The Board shall hold meetings as needed
Section 7 A quorum is defined as five Board members present.
In case of a tie, the vote of the Chairman prevails.
Section 8 Duties of Chairman, Chairman-Elect, Secretary,
Treasurer, Auditor, Public Relations Officer, Director of Educational
and Cultural Affairs, and Director of Fund Raising are as follows:
a. The Chairman (usually the principal) shall supervise all activities
of the coalition; preside at all meetings for the Board of
Directors.
b. The Chairman-elect shall act for the chairman in his/her absence,
and to carryout functions as the Board may direct.
c. The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of the board
and of board meetings. The Secretary shall prepare and
file announcements, orrespondence, and to carryout
other duties as directed by the Board.
d. The Treasurer shall be accountable for all funds belonging to
the coalition; maintain bank accounts in depositories
designated by the Board of Directors. The treasurer
shall prepare and file federal and state tax forms as required.
e. The Auditor shall audit the book of accounts annually
and whenever deemed necessary by the Chairman; audit
any financial statements released by the Coalition; and to carryout
other duties as directed by
the Board.
f. The Public Relations Officer is responsible for the promotion
and coordination of activities between the coalition and the community
and shall carryout other related
g. The Director of Education and Cultural affairs is responsible
for organizing, duties assigned by the Board. promoting and implementing
educational and cultural programs.
h. The Director of Fund Raising shall be responsible for organizing,
promoting, and implementing fund raising activities. |
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| Article V |
| Membership Fees |
Section 1 The annual membership fees shall
be $100 for an association and $25.00 for each individual member.
Section 2 Renewal of annual membership fees is due on
January 15 with a grace period until the close of business day of
March 31 of current calendar year. |
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| Article VI |
| Programs and Activities |
Section 1 The coalition shall engage in
and promote educational and cultural, public relations, recreational,
charitable, economic, and fund raising activities. Such activities
and programs are based on a voluntary participation of the members
and other interested parties.
Section 2 Participation
fee shall be adjusted if needed, according to the anticipated expenditures
of the activities and programs, all of which are non-profit. |
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| Article VII |
| Voting Rights |
Section 1 An individual member
is entitled to one vote.
Section 2 The number of votes
that an association is entitled to is limited to the number of representatives
it has in the Coalition, subject to the provisions stipulated in section
4, Article III.
Section 3 Proxy voting procedures shall
be developed by the Nomination and Election Committee which will be
organized by the Board of Directors. |
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| Article VIII |
| The Executive Office |
Section 1 The executive officer
of the association shall be the Chairman of the Board.
Section
2 Other members of the Board of Directors shall comprise other
officers whose duties have been specified in Article IV.
Section
3 The executive officer, jointly with other officers, shall determine
and prepare the activities and meetings with inputs and assistance
from the Council of Representatives.
Section 4 The
Chairman shall be the chief executive officer and active head of the
association. The Chairman shall have general supervision and
management over all coalition activities and affairs.
The Chairman shall preside over the duties of other officers
in agreement with the Board of Directors. |
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| Article IX |
| Grounds for Termination of Membership |
Section 1 Any of the following
are grounds for termination of membership and/or impeachment from
office:
a. non-adherence to the standards of good conduct of the community
bringing dishonor to the Coalition;
b. nonpayment of membership dues;
c. misappropriation of the Coalition’s funds;
d. misuse of the Coalition’s name; and
e. other grounds that are contrary to the best interest of the Coalition
as determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2 Termination shall be decided by a majority vote of
the Board. |
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| Article X |
| Finances, Contracts, Loans, Assets |
Section 1 All contracts on
behalf of the Coalition shall be subject to approval by the Board.
Section 2 All checks, drafts, and other orders of payment
issued on behalf of the Coalition that exceed $200 shall be
signed by any two of the following officers: Chairman, Chairman-elect,
and Treasurer. All checks, drafts, and orders of payment in the amount
of $200 or less may be signed by one of the three aforementioned
officers. No checks, draft, or orders, regardless of
amount, shall be issued without prior approval of the Chairman.
Section 3 All funds of the Coalition shall be deposited within
5 working days to the bank approved by the Board.
Section
4 All fund raising activities on behalf of the Coalition shall
be approved by the Board. |
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| Article XI |
| Records and Minutes of Meetings |
Section 1 The Coalition shall
maintain and update financial records, minutes of meetings, and historical
effects.
Section 2 Any member interested in inspecting
the books of accounts or other records of the Association can do so
in writing to the Chairman, subject to the provisions of Section 617.1602,
Florida Statutes. |
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| Article XII |
| Fiscal Year |
| The fiscal year of the Association
shall begin on January 1 and shall end on December 31 of the current
calendar year. |
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| Article XIII |
| Ratification and Amendments |
Section 1 The By-laws shall
become effective upon an affirmative vote of one-half plus one of
the members of the Board present.
Section 2 The By-laws
may be amended by an affirmative vote of one-half plus one of the
members of the Board present.
Section 3 The Board shall
notify the members by mail of any proposal amendments to the By- Laws
one month prior the Annual Meeting. |
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