Article I - Membership
Section A: Categories of Membership
The Association shall have the following five categories of membership:
- Individual Membership. An individual member holds all rights and privileges of membership in the Association. An individual member may vote on all matters requiring a vote of membership. If otherwise qualified, an individual member may hold office in the Association. Individual members shall be at least 18 years old.
- Family Membership. Parents and their children under the age of 18 are eligible for a family membership. Family membership confers upon each member of a family all of the rights and privileges of individual membership in the Association, accept that those family members under 18 years of age shall not be entitled to vote or to hold office in the Association.
- Student Membership. A student in an institute of higher education is eligible for student membership. A student member holds all rights and privileges of an individual membership. A student member is eligible to vote and hold office in the Association if he is 18 years of age or older.
- Student Family Membership. A student in an institution of higher education, the student’s spouse and children under the age of 18 are eligible for student family membership. Student family membership confers on each member of the student family all of the rights and privileges of individual in the Association, accept that those student family member under 18 years of age shall not be entitled to vote or to hold office in the Association.
- Honorary Membership. Any person may be awarded an honorary membership in the Association on the basis of outstanding services and contribution to the Association. Honorary membership is awarded solely by the discretion of the Executive Council. Honorary members shall have all privileges of individual members, accept that honorary members shall not vote or hold office in the Association.
- Senior Membership. Persons older than 65 years of age are eligible for Senior Membership. A senior member holds all rights and privileges of membership in the Association. A senior member may vote on all matters requiring a vote of membership. If otherwise qualified, a senior member may hold office in the Association.
- Emeritus Membership. Persons older than 75 years of age are eligible for Emeritus Membership. An emeritus member holds all rights and privileges of membership in the Association. An emeritus member may vote on all matters requiring a vote of membership. If otherwise qualified, an emeritus member may hold office in the Association.
Section B: Membership Requirements
Any person who is essentially in agreement with the purposes of the Association as stated in its articles of incorporation may be admitted to membership. An applicant for membership shall file the designated application form with the chairperson of the Membership committee and pay the prescribed membership dues. At meetings of the Executive Council, the names of the applicants for membership shall be considered as in effect from the day on which dues were first paid. Membership to any person shall not be denied on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin or sex.
Section C: Dues
- Payment Date. Members shall pay their dues on or before January 1 each year. No dues shall be pro-rated for any portion of a year. Annual membership is prescribed for the period from January 1 to December 31 in the Gregorian calendar. Dues paid after October 1 are effective for the following year.
- Effect of Non-Payment of dues. A member who has not paid his/her dues by January 1 shall be ineligible to hold office or to vote at any meeting until his/her dues have been paid. If a member has not paid his/her dues by April 1 of any year, his/her membership in the Association shall terminate automatically.
- Amount of dues. Annual dues of members in the several membership categories are as follows:
Individual $30.00 Family $50.00 Senior $20.00* Honorary None Corporate (1 Year)
(2 Years)$75.00
$125.00*each
- Increases & decreases in dues. The Executive Council may propose increases or decreases in dues to the membership of the Association. A simple majority vote by the voting members of the Association on such a proposal is required to increase or decrease the amount of membership dues.
Section D: Termination of Membership
- Termination for cause. If it should come to the attention of the Membership Committee or the Executive Council that any member has acted in a way contrary to the purposes and general policy of the Association, or in such a way as to bring discredit on the Association, the Membership Committee shall meet to consider the matter with the President. After consideration, if the Membership Committee finds that there is no basis to the charges, the matter shall be closed. If, however, the charges are found to be substantially true, the member shall be requested to appear before the Membership Committee and the President for a hearing on the charges no sooner than two weeks nor later than four weeks. At the conclusion of the hearing, if the charges are found by the Membership Committee to be untrue, the matter shall be closed. If, however, the charges are found to be true, the President shall than recommend to the Executive Council that the member be dismissed. The Executive Council may accept the recommendation for dismissal by two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting.Any decision by the Executive Council to dismiss a member must then be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership at a meeting before such a dismissal becomes final. If at any time during this proceedings the member shall resign from the Association, the resignation shall be accepted and the matter shall be dropped.
- Termination for Non-Payment of Dues. Membership shall be terminated for non-payment of dues according the provision of Article I, Section C.
Article II- Membership Meetings
Section A: Annual Meetings
An annual meeting of members of the Association shall be held in January each year. The annual meeting shall be known as The General Assembly of the T.A.A.C.O., and shall be held at a time and place determined by the Executive Council. At the annual meeting, the Executive council shall adopt a program and budget for the ensuing fiscal year, and consider such other business properly before it. At an annual meeting of an odd numbered year the members of the Association shall elect members of the Executive Council according the provisions of Article VI of these by-laws. Annual meetings shall be chaired by a member elected from the floor for the period of the meeting.
Section B: Special Meetings
Special meetings of the members of the Association may be called by the President or by the request of one-third (1/3) of the members of the Association.
Section C: Notice
Notice of special meetings and annual meetings must be given to members at least two (2) weeks prior to such meeting.
Section D: Voting
A simple majority vote of the members present at any meeting shall be required for a measure to pass unless otherwise specified in these regulations.
Section E: Quorum
The physical presence of one quarter (1/4) of the voting and duly paid members of the Association shall constitute a quorum at a special meeting or an annual meeting.
Section F: Agenda
The Executive Council shall formulate an agenda which shall include, but not be limited to, a program plan, an annual budget, an annual reports of the committees or officers, and other important business. In formulating the agenda, the Executive Council shall consider the recommendations of voting members prior to the annual meeting.
A proposed agenda shall be sent to all members at least two (2) weeks before the annual meeting. A majority of those present and voting at the annual meeting shall be required for addition to the agenda of subjects, other than the program plan, annual budget, and annual reports of the committees, election of officers and members of the Executive Council. Other proposals for the agenda or suggestions regarding the program plan, annual budget, or annual reports specified above, may be considered at an annual meeting, provided that a majority vote at such meeting agrees to consider the proposals or suggestions. A majority vote is required for adoption of the proposals or suggestions onto the agenda.
Article III- Board of Trustees and Officers: The Executive Council
Section A: Executive Council
The board of trustees of the Association shall be known as the Executive Council of the T.A.A.C.O.. The Executive Council shall consist of seven (7) members who shall hold the following offices and titles:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Director of Social Affairs
- Director of Cultural Affairs
- Director of Public Relations and Liaison
Section B: Duities of the Officers and Members of the Executive Council:
- President. The President shall preside at all Executive meetings of the Association. He/she may, in the absence of the Treasurer, sign or endorse checks, drafts, and notes. He/she shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. He/she shall have such usual powers of supervision and management as may pertain to the Office of the President and perform such other duties as may be designated by the Executive Council. He/she shall not be eligible to serve more than two (2) consecutive full terms.
- Vice President. The Vice President, in the event of the absence, disability, or death of the President, shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties of that office. The Vice President together with the President shall act as the general coordinator/director for the activities of the other Executive Committee members and perform such other duties as the President may designate.
- Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Association and the Executive Council. He/she shall notify all officers and members of the Executive Council of their election and shall perform other functions as may be incidental to his office. He/she shall sign with the President, all contracts and other instruments as authorized by the Executive Council.
- Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep accounts of the Association’s monies and financial transactions. He/she shall collect and receive all monies due. He/she shall be custodian of the Association’s monies and shall deposit them in a bank designated by the Executive Council. He/she shall disburse such monies only upon order of the Executive Council. He/she shall present statements to the Executive Council at their regular meetings and audited annual report at the annual meeting.
- Director of Social Affairs. The Director of Social Affairs shall plan, prepare and administer social activities and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as prescribed by the Executive Council. He/she shall cooperate with the Directors of Cultural Affairs and Public Relations to carry out these activities whenever necessary.
- Director of Cultural Affairs. The Director of Cultural Affairs shall plan, prepare and administer cultural activities and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as prescribed by the Executive Council. He/she shall cooperate with the Directors of Social and Public Relations to carry out these activities, whenever necessary.
During the first week of January of each year, the Treasurer shall prepare and submit to the President and Membership Committee a list of all members who have not paid dues by January 1. During the first week of April each year, the Treasurer shall prepare and submit to the president and the Membership Committee a list of all persons whose memberships have terminated for non-payment of dues.
Section C: Powers and Duties of The Executive Council
The Executive Council shall have full charge of the property and the business of the Association with full power and authority to manage and conduct the same subject to the instructions and approval of the membership at general meetings by a majority vote of the members at the meetings. The Council shall be authorized to receive gifts, trusts, deeds, bequests, and other property of whatever description for, and in the name of, the Association for civic, charitable, scientific, literary, educational, and cultural purposes that further the purposes of the Association as stated in its Articles of Incorporation. The Executive Council shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the programs adopted by the Association members at an annual meeting to further the purposes of the Association as stated in its Articles of Incorporation.
The Executive Council shall create and designate such committees and their chairperson, task forces, and appointive positions as it may deem necessary. The Executive Council, upon a proposition by the President at the end of its first year of term during January of each odd year following the even year elections, with mutual agreement of the members or the Executive Council shall have the power to reassign the officers within the Executive Council for the remaining one year of its term. Such reassignments are not a must but may only be undertaken if deemed necessary because of the circumstances. The reassignment of officers is restricted to the seven members of the Executive Council who have been elected to the Executive Council at the previous year’s elections. Any reassignments must be agreed to by a unanimous vote within the Executive Council. The offices of the Presidency and the Vice Presidency can only be exchanged between the elected President and Vice President. All other reassignments can take place among the rest of the officers only. The power of such reassignment of its officers is granted to the Executive Council automatically upon its election.
Section D: Meetings
The Executive Council shall hold at least six (6) regular meetings every year. The President may call special meetings. The President shall call special meetings upon written request of three Executive Council members.
Section E: Quorum
A majority of the members of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum.
Article IV - Standing Committees, Task Force Members and Individual Appointees
Section A: Standing Committees
The standing committees of the Association shall be as follows:
- Audit Committee: Two (2) members;
- Nominating Committee: Three (3) members. All members to the Audit and Nominating Committees shall be elected by General Assembly immediately following the election of an Executive Council in an even number year. The Executive Council may designate other committees as it sees necessary and appoint chairpersons to those committees. Members of such committees shall be selected by the appointed chairpersons.
Section B: Task Force Members
For the purpose of carrying out specific projects or programs of the Association, the Executive Council may create task forces and appoint members to such task forces.
Section C: Individual Appointees
The Executive Council may appoint members of the Association to positions such as, but not limited to, parliamentarian, education advisor, and publication editor. Such persons may be referred to as “Appointed Officers” at the option of the Executive Council.
Section D: Publication Editor
The Publication Editor may attend any meeting and may make expressions of opinion on any matter concerning the Association in the appropriate official publication of the Association. The Publication Editor may print the written and oral comments of members, with their permission, to the extent that the comments are consistent with the Articles and By-Laws of the Association.
Section E: General Responsibilities of Committee Chairpersons, Task Force Members, Individual Appointees, and the Publication Editor
Each member appointed by the Executive Council to serve as a committee chairperson, on a task force, as publication editor, or to any other position shall be responsible to the Executive Council for his or her official activities. Each such appointee shall carry out the assignments of the Executive Council and shall abide by all standard operating procedures prescribed for the appointee’s job description.
Section F: Removal of Appointees
By a majority vote, the Executive Council may remove any of its appointees where the Executive Council deems such removal to be in the best interest of the Association.
Article V - Finances
Section A: Sources of Income
Income for the Association may be derived from membership dues, gifts, contributions, fund-raising efforts and other sources that do not conflict with the non-profit corporate status or tax exemption of the Association.
Section B: Fiscal Year
The accounts of the Association shall be kept on a fiscal year beginning on the first day of March and ending on the 28th (29th) of February each year.
Section C: Budget
A budget for the ensuing fiscal year shall be submitted to the membership by the Executive Council at the annual meeting for adoption. The budget shall include support for the programs of the Association. The Executive Council may make necessary adjustments to any items within a budget which has been accepted by the membership.
Section D: Expenses
Reimbursement shall be made for valid expenses incurred by officers and other members of the Association where such expenses are directly attributable to carrying out the official business of the Association. Reimbursements for such expenses are subject to the approval of the Executive Council.
Section E: Financial Regulations
The Executive Council shall issue, when necessary, financial regulations to govern the receipt of money, the expenditure of financial resources and the use of assets. These financial regulations shall be in such form as to provide proper accountability to the membership in regard to detailed financial operations, to optimize the expenditure of funds and to prevent the misuse of assets of the Association.
Section F: Audits
The accounts of the Association shall be audited at least once a year by the Audit Committee.
Article VI - Nominations and Elections
Section A: Elections and Assumption of Duties
The seven (7) Executive Council Officers shall be elected for a two (2) year term at the annual meeting of the General Assembly in January of each odd numbered year. Elected officers shall take office on March 1 of the election year.
Section B: Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) members none of whom can be from the Executive Council. Nominations for these positions shall be made from the floor by the general membership immediately following the election of the new Executive Council. Nominations for the officers of the next Executive Council may be sent to the committee by any voting member of the Association during the period of three (3) months prior to the due time of the next elections. Such nominations shall be given considerations by the Nominating Committee when the slate is made up by the Nominating Committee.
Section C: Nominating Committee Report and Nominations From the Floor
The Nominating Committee shall prepare a report, naming one or more candidates for each office to be filled, securing the consent of the candidates, and providing short biographical information on the candidates. The report shall be sent to all members (within one month prior to, but no later than one week before the annual meeting at which an election is due). A summary of the report shall be presented at the annual meeting. Immediately following the presentation of the summary report, nominations may be made from the floor by any voting member, provided the consent of the nominee has been secured.
Section D: Elections
Elections shall be by ballot, provided that when there is but one nominee for any office, the Secretary may be instructed to cast one ballot for each such nominee. To be elected, any nominee must receive a majority of the votes cast for his office. Where no candidate receives a majority, the two (2) candidates with the highest number of votes shall then be considered again by ballot. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted.
Section E: Vacancies in the Executive Council
In the event a vacancy occurs in any office other that the presidency and vice presidency, caused by resignation or otherwise, the Executive Council shall appoint a person to complete the unexpired terms of the vacant office. If the office of the President is vacant, the Vice President shall automatically succeed to the presidency. If the vice presidency is vacant, the new Vice President must be appointed by the Executive Council from among the rest of the elected members of the Executive Council. The new vacancy thus created is then filled by an appointment.
Section F: Vacancies in the Nominating and Audit Committees
In the event the number of members in the Nominating Committee and the Audit Committee drops to one (1) because of resignations or otherwise, the Executive Council shall appoint members to these committees to complete the number of members to those required by Article IV, Section A. The appointed members can not be from the Executive Council.
Article VII - Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members present at a meeting of the members. Any proposed amendment must be submitted to the Executive Council in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting of the members, at which time it will be considered.
Article VIII - Miscellaneous
Unless inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation and By- Laws of the Association, Robert’s of Order will govern matters of procedure in the conduct of the affairs and meetings of the Association.
AMENDMENT I
TO THE BY LAWS OF
THE TURKISH - AMERİCAN ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO, INC.
1- This amendment is made and accepted
on October 1st, 2015.
2- The Bylaws is amended as follows:
Article I
Membership
Section A: Categories of Membership
6-Senior Membership. Persons older than 65 years of age are eligible for Senior Membership. A senior member holds all rights and privileges of membership in the Association. A senior member may vote on all matters requiring a vote of membership. If otherwise qualified, a senior member may hold office in the Association.
3- Except as set forth in this Amendment, the Bylaws is unaffected and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. If there is conflict between this Amendment and the Bylaws, this Amendment will prevail.
AMENDMENT II
TO THE BY LAWS OF
THE TURKISH - AMERİCAN ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO, INC.
1- This amendment is made and accepted
on October 8th, 2015.
2- The Bylaws is amended as follows:
Article I
Membership
Section C: Dues
3. Amount of dues. Annual dues of members in the several membership categories are as follows and effective January 1st, 2017:
Individual.............................$30.00
Family.................................$50.00
Senior………………………...$20.00 (per person)
Business Membership………$75.00 (for one year) and $125.00 (for two years)
Honorary…………………….. NONE
Student, student family and Emetitus membership categories have been eliminated.
3-Except as set forth in this Amendment, the Bylaws is unaffected and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. If there is conflict between this Amendment and the Bylaws, this Amendment will prevail.
AMENDMENT III
TO THE BY LAWS OF
THE TURKISH - AMERİCAN ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO, INC.
1- This amendment is made and accepted
on October 8th, 2015.
2- The Bylaws is amended as follows:
Article I
Membership
Section C: Dues
3. Amount of dues. Annual dues of members in the several membership categories are as follows and effective January 1st, 2017:
Individual............................$30.00
Family................................$50.00
Senior………………………...$20.00 (per person)
Business Membership………$75.00 (for one year) and $125.00 (for two years)
Honorary…………………….. NONE
Student, student family and Emetitus membership categories have been eliminated.
3-Except as set forth in this Amendment, the Bylaws is unaffected and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. If there is conflict between this Amendment and the Bylaws, this Amendment will prevail.
