Bylaws

Bylaws of the Barker Business & Professionals Association

1. Name

1.1     The name of the Association shall be the Barker Business and Professionals Association, hereinafter referred to as the “BBPA” or as the “Association”.

2. Object

2.1     The object of this Association shall be to promote, preserve and enhance commerce in the Town of Somerset, including the Village of Barker and surrounding areas;
2.2     To develop cooperative relationships with organizations of similar purpose in neighboring areas with the purpose of promoting, preserving and enhancing commerce in the Eastern Niagara County Region;
2.3     To develop active business to business networking among members;
2.4.    Provide business specific educational opportunities to members;
2.5.    Provide benevolent community programs to the residents of the Town of Somerset and the Village of Barker;

3. Membership

3.1.    Any business owner (or their representative) and business professional who serves the residents of the Town of Somerset and the Village of Barker shall be eligible for membership.
3.2.    Eligible individuals shall become members upon remittance of a completed Membership Application form and payment of their annual dues.
3.3.    The amount of annual dues will be determined during the Annual Meeting and payable on the first of each year for existing members.  New members will pay dues on a prorated basis as determined by the date of their membership application remittance to the Association.
3.4.    Members who have not paid their annual dues by March 1st of every year shall have their membership suspended until the dues become current.
3.5.    Membership in the Association is limited to one per organization of common ownership.
3.6.    Members whose dues are paid and current shall have official voting rights.
3.7.    Residents of the Village of Barker and Town of Somerset are welcome to attend meetings and provide input, but only current members will have an official vote.

4. Officers

4.1.    Officers and Duties

4.1.1. The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  These officers will perform the duties of these  and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association.
4.1.2. President

4.1.2.1.              The President shall serve as chair at all regular, quarterly and annual meetings.
4.1.2.2.              The President shall prepare the agenda for each regular, quarterly and annual meeting and submit it to the Secretary to be included in the call to meeting.

4.1.3. Vice-President

4.1.3.1.              The Vice-President shall serve as parliamentarian at all regular, quarterly and annual meeting at which the President chairs.
4.1.3.2.              The Vice-President shall serve as chair at any regular, quarterly or annual meeting in which the President cannot be present.

4.1.4. Secretary

4.1.4.1.              The Secretary shall serve as parliamentarian at all regular, quarterly and annual meetings at which either the President or Vice President cannot be present.
4.1.4.2.              The Secretary shall serve as chair at all regular, quarterly and annual meetings at which both the President and Vice-President cannot attend.
4.1.4.3.              The Secretary shall keep a record of all the meeting minutes for the Association and make them available to members through the Association website.
4.1.4.4.              The Secretary shall maintain records of all committee reports and make them available to members through the Association website.
4.1.4.5.              The Secretary shall maintain membership rolls for each committee and make them available to members and the public through the Association website.
4.1.4.6.              The Secretary shall maintain official records of , special rules of order, standing rules and minutes, with any amendments to these documents properly recorded and made available to members and the public through the Association website.
4.1.4.7.              The Secretary shall send out to the membership the call of meeting and conduct general correspondence of the Association.

4.1.5. Treasurer

4.1.5.1.              The Treasurer shall serve as secretary at all regular, quarterly and annual meetings at which both the President and Vice-President or the Secretary cannot attend.
4.1.5.2.              The Treasurer shall keep the Association’s official membership roll and make it available to members and the public through the Association website.
4.1.5.3.              The Treasurer shall collect dues and other revenue and deposit them in the Association bank account while maintaining a record of their source.
4.1.5.4.              The Treasure shall disburse disperse funds from the Association bank account as directed by the membership.
4.1.5.5.              The Treasurer shall notify members of upcoming dues as well as overdue membership dues.

4.2.    Nominations

4.2.1. Officers will be nominated by ballot, mail or email at or before the regular meeting immediately preceding the annual meeting.
4.2.2. Upon the resignation or removal of any officer prior to the end of their proscribed term new officers will be nominated by ballot ,mail or email at or before the next regular or quarterly meeting.
4.2.3. Members whose dues are paid and current shall have the right to nominate one member for each office.

4.3.    Elections

4.3.1. All elections of officers will be conducted by ballot at the annual meeting or at the second meeting (regular or quarterly) after the resignation or removal of an officer prior to the end of their proscribed term.
4.3.2. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.

4.4.    Term

4.4.1. All officers of the Association shall hold office and serve the membership for a term of one year or until their successors are elected and installed at the first meeting following the annual meeting beginning at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected.
4.4.2. Officers may resign from office by notifying the membership at a regular, quarterly or annual meeting at which time the nomination process as described in these By-Laws will be implemented.
4.4.3. Officers may be removed from office at the pleasure of the membership by a majority vote of the entire membership after which the nomination process as is described in these By-Laws will be implemented.

5.  Meetings

5.1.    Regular Meetings – The regular meetings of the Association shall be held on the Third Thursday of every month unless otherwise ordered by the Association.
5.2.    Quarterly Meetings – The Regular Meetings held in January, April, July and October shall be designated Quarterly Meetings.
5.3.    Annual Meetings – The Regular Meeting held in January shall be designated the Annual Meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports from officers and from committees and any other business that may arise.
5.4.    Special Meeting – Special Meetings may be called upon by the written request of 4 members of the Association to the Secretary.  The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call, which shall be sent to all members at least one week before the meeting.
5.5.    Quorum – Five members of the association shall constitute a quorum.

6.  Executive Board

6.1.    The officers of the Association shall constitute the Executive Board.
6.2.    The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Association between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of the meetings, make recommendations to the Association, and perform such other duties as are specified in these by-laws.
6.3.    The Executive Board shall plan the annual agenda for the Association and present it for membership approval at the meeting immediately following the annual meeting.

7.  Committees

7.1.    Finance Committee

7.1.1. The Finance Committee shall be composed of the Treasurer and at least one other member appointed by the President promptly after the annual meeting.
7.1.2. It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare a budget for the fiscal year beginning in January and submitted by the Treasurer to the Association at its regular meeting in November to be voted on in December.
7.1.3. The Finance Committee may from time to time submit amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year, which may be adopted by a majority vote.

7.2.    Events Committee

7.2.1. The Events Committee shall be composed of the Vice-President and at least one other member appointed by the President promptly after the annual meeting.
7.2.2. It shall be the duty of this committee to research, develop and propose community events to be sponsored and organized by the Association.

7.3.    Networking Committee

7.3.1. The Networking Committee shall be composed of the President and at least one other member appointed by the President promptly after the annual meeting.
7.3.2. It shall be the duty of this committee to research, develop and propose networking opportunities among members and to develop cooperative relationships with organizations of similar purpose in neighboring areas within the stated purposes of this organization.

7.4.    Education Committee

7.4.1. The Education Committee shall be composed of the Vice-President and at least one other member appointed by the President promptly after the annual meeting.
7.4.2. It shall be the duty of this committee to research, develop and propose business specific educational opportunities for the members of the Association.

7.5.    Advertising and Promotions Committee

7.5.1. The Advertising and Promotions Committee shall be composed of the Secretary and at least one other member appointed by the President promptly after the annual meeting.
7.5.2. It is the duty of this committee to research, develop and propose methods of advertising and promoting the association and its members through various media forms.

7.6.    Such other committees, standing or special, may be established by the Association as it shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on its work.  Their memberships shall be appointed by the President unless this rule is suspended by a two-thirds vote before their appointment.

8.  Parliamentary Authority

8.1.    The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

9.  Amendment of By-Laws

9.1.    These may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous meeting.

10.  Dissolution of the Association

10.1.Upon the dissolution of the association, the assets of the association will be distributed solely to non-profit organizations with same or similar purposes that serve the residents of the Town of Somerset or the Village of Barker.  Upon such dissolution, no member or officer of the association or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of the association’s assets.