Heartland Council of the
Blind
Affiliate of OCB
Constitution
of the
Heartland Council of the Blind
April 5, 2001
Article I
Name and Purpose
Section 1. Name. The name of this organization shall
be the Heartland Council of the Blind, hereinafter referred to as the HCB.
Section 2. Incorporation. The HCB shall be incorporated under
the laws of the State of Oklahoma.
Section 3. Affiliation. HCB shall be chartered as a local
chapter of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind (OCB.)
Section 4. Purpose. The purpose of HCB shall be to
enhance the quality of life for all individuals who are blind or visually
impaired residing in the central Oklahoma area. HCB shall at all times adhere
to the purposes and guidelines of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind.
Article II
Membership
Section 1. The primary authority of this organization shall
rest in the membership of the Heartland Council of the Blind.
Section 2. The membership of HCB shall be comprised of all
persons who have paid dues and support the goals and purposes of this
organization. The minimum age to be a voting member shall be sixteen (16) years
of age.
Section 3. Each member of the Heartland Council of the Blind
automatically becomes a member of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind.
Section 4. Each member shall pay annual dues to be determined
by the membership, payable in September of each year with one dollar ($1) going
to the Oklahoma Council of the Blind.
Section 5. In order to participate in any election of officers
of this organization, members must pay dues any time prior to the election.
Section 6. Only dues paying members in good standing are
eligible to vote in any election of the organization.
Section 7. No profit
shall inure to any member of this organization; however, members may be
reimbursed for reasonable expenses relating directly to the functions and
activities of this organization.
Article III
Meetings
Section 1. The time and place of meetings shall be determined
by the Executive Board, except annual elections, which shall be held during the
September meeting.
Section 2. Special meetings of this organization may be called
by the President, a majority of the Executive Board or fifty-one percent (51%)
of all paid voting members.
Section 3. At all general meetings, a quorum of the membership
to transact business shall be six (6) members, three (3) of whom must be
officers.
Section 4. A quorum of the Executive Board to transact business
for the organization shall be three (3) of the five officers.
Section 5. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern
all meetings, except when otherwise provided herein.
Article IV
Officers and Executive Board
Section 1. The Executive Board of this organization shall be
comprised of the following five officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer and Public Information Director. Officers shall be elected by a
majority vote at the annual meeting in September. Officers are elected for a two
(2) year term which shall commence immediately upon election.
Section 2. The duties of the Executive Board shall include:
A. Implementing the purposes and programs of this organization;
B. The efficient functioning of all officers and committee
chairpersons;
C. Managing all business affairs of the organization, including the
adoption of an annual budget and execution of the same; and
D. Filling vacancies on the Executive Board when they occur between
annual meetings.
Section 3. A majority of the Executive Board shall be legally
blind.
Section 4. The President shall be the chief administrative
official of the organization and shall be charged with the following
responsibilities:
A. Implementing the policies and programs of the organization and the
Executive Board;
B. Presiding over all meetings of the organization and the Executive Board;
C. Appointing appropriate committees;
D. Representing HCB as one of the official delegates at meetings of
the Oklahoma Council of the Blind; and
E. Appointing members to represent HCB at public functions and in all
other official capacities.
Section 5. The Vice-President shall act in the absence or
disability of the President.
A. Assist the President in coordinating
and monitoring the activities of all committees.
B.
And other duties prescribed by the President.
Section 6. The Secretary shall be responsible
for:
A. Keeping an accurate written record of all meetings of the
organization and the Executive Board;
B. Maintaining an accurate list of all members and transmitting the
membership list to the Oklahoma Council of the Blind in a timely manner.
C. Handling correspondence of the organization.
D.
And other duties prescribed by the President.
Section 7. The Treasurer, who may be bonded, shall be
responsible for:
A. Maintaining all commercial papers of the organization;
B. Maintaining an accurate written record of all financial
transactions of the organization, which shall be open to any member with prior
written notice of at least three (3) days;
C. Providing a complete financial report to the membership at all
meetings and to the Executive Board upon request;
D. Collecting membership dues; and
E. Assisting the secretary in maintaining an accurate list of all
members.
F.
And other duties prescribed by the President.
Section 8. The Public Information Director shall be responsible
for:
A. Contacting the media to promote a positive image of the organization
and of persons who are blind or visually impaired; and
B. Announcing meetings of the membership to the media and to the blind
community in the central Oklahoma area.
C.
And other duties prescribed by the President.
Section 9. The HCB Nominating Committee shall be appointed at
least ninety (90) days prior to the annual membership meeting in September. The
Nominating Committee report shall be given at the meeting prior to the annual
meeting.
Article V
Constitution, Amendments, Dissolution
Section 1. This Constitution becomes operative immediately upon
adoption by the membership.
Section 2. All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the
constitution committee which will be responsible for transmitting all proposed
amendments to members, at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the annual
membership meeting in September. This Constitution may be amended by two-thirds
of the members present and voting, at the annual membership meeting in
September and at no other time.
Section 3. In the case of dissolution of the HCB, all assets of
the organization will be disbursed to the Oklahoma Council of the Blind after
all existing financial obligations have been met.
Approved as amended 2008
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