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BY-LAWS OF THE
BEEKEEPERS OF THE BITTERROOT ASSOCIATION

 
ARTICLE I: NAME


This Organization shall be known as the Beekeepers of the Bitterroot Association (Beekeepers of the Bitterroot).  Beekeepers of the Bitterroot shall be a non-profit organization which operates under the 501(c)3 organizational structure of the Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. (RC&D).

 

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

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  1. To hold public forums at which beekeepers can provide information and/or services to each other and to the community

  2. To disseminate information concerning honey bees and beekeeping

  3. To encourage good management practices as a means of maintaining healthy apiaries

  4. To serve as a resource to local beekeepers and all individuals and service organizations interested in the nature and value of honey bees

 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

 

Anyone interested in beekeeping and in the beekeeping industry may join Beekeepers of the Bitterroot upon payment of the regular annual dues.  The term “member” applies to an individual and their immediate family.  Only one vote may be cast per membership.
Only members in good standing shall be eligible to:

  1. Participate in Association functions and serve as Officers

  2. Order NUCs, queens, packages, equipment and other materials through the Association

  3. Receive assistance from club members serving as mentors

  4. Use the extractor and other equipment owned or controlled by the Association

  5. Attend special educational and other events arranged by the Association

A quorum of the membership shall consist of 20% of the number of members with annual dues paid in full.
 
Beekeepers of the Bitterroot shall comply with all applicable anti-discrimination laws.

 

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS


The date and time of regularly scheduled monthly meeting shall be determined by majority vote of the membership when a quorum of the membership is present. In the event of a tie vote, the President shall determine the date of the monthly meeting. 
 
Meetings will be open to the general public. The Secretary will determine appropriate methods of informing the public of the time and place of meetings and special events sponsored by the Association. The Executive Committee may close certain meetings and events from the general public when the Committee determines that this will be in the best interest of the Association. 

 

ARTICLE V: ELECTION OF OFFICERS

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The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be consolidated upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee.
Candidates shall be nominated at the August meeting by meeting attendees.  Candidacy is contingent upon acceptance of the nomination by the nominee.
Officers shall be elected by majority vote when a quorum of membership is present. Election of officers will occur at the September meeting at two year intervals. If a quorum is not present at the September meeting, the vote shall occur at the October meeting.  If a quorum of the previous year’s members is not present at the October meeting, the Executive Committee shall appoint officer(s) for the vacant positions. Officers will be elected for a two-year term. 

 

ARTICLE VI: DUTIES OF OFFICERS


PRESIDENT

The President has the prime responsibility for the Association and the direction of its activities. The President shall preside at all meetings. In the event of the President’s absence, the Vice President shall assume the duties of the President.  If both are absent, the President will designate a member of the Executive Committee to perform the duties of the President.  The President shall serve as Chairman of the Executive committee. The President shall be authorized to make deposits and disburse all monies, should the Treasurer be unable to perform these duties. Members of the Association may require the President to undertake additional duties as necessary.


VICE PRESIDENT  

The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President in his or her absence. The Vice President shall be responsible for maintaining the Club website, Facebook maintenance, meeting preparation, and other activities and duties that naturally pertain to the position of Vice President. The Vice President may form a subcommittee to support these activities.


SECRETARY

The Secretary shall record the minutes and proceedings of the Association at each meeting and event, file and preserve all its documents, attend to all correspondence of the Association, notify the members and general public of regular meetings and other activities, and attend to other duties that naturally pertain to the office. The Secretary will summarize minutes from the previous month at the beginning of each monthly meeting of the Association.
The Secretary shall maintain complete and accurate record the name, phone number and address of all members of the Club and make this information available to all members upon request.  The Secretary shall document the names of members present prior to all formal voting of members of the Association.
The Secretary shall notify all members by e-mail of the time and place of each regularly scheduled meeting or special meeting at least five (5) days prior to such meeting. The Secretary may notify members of meetings by means other than e-mail if necessary.


TREASURER

The Treasurer shall receive and deliver all monies of the Association in a timely manner to the RC&D office which handles all financial transactions on behalf of the club.  The RC&D office distributes the financial information to the Association on a monthly basis.  The Treasurer will summarize the financial status of the Association to its membership quarterly or as requested by the membership.
The Treasurer will prepare an annual budget including his or her best estimate of income and expenses for each Oct.1 – Sept. 30 fiscal year which corresponds with the RC&D fiscal year. The budget will be presented to the Executive Committee prior to the August monthly meeting for review and approval. Upon Executive Committee approval, the budget must be approved at the September monthly meeting by majority vote when a quorum of the membership is present before being implemented by the Association.  If a quorum is not present at the September meeting, the Executive Committee may approve the budget. The Treasurer will adjust the budget on a quarterly basis if significant changes to income and/or expenses occur.  Proposed budget changes or expenditures of one hundred ($100) dollars or more must be approved by the Executive Committee and majority vote of the membership when a quorum is present. If a quorum is not present, the Executive Committee may vote on the proposed budget change or expenditure.   All adjustments to the budget will be reported to the membership of the Association in a timely manner.
The Treasurer will be responsible for control of all equipment or other assets owned by the Association. This shall include control and scheduling the use of equipment owned or controlled by the Association.
 

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of elected Officers and 4 members at large nominated by Officers of the Association.  The members nominated for at large positions on the Executive Committee shall be approved by majority vote of the members in attendance at the meeting where nominations are made for the Executive Committee when a quorum of the membership is present.  The Committee can establish committees and define their scope and mission and oversee their activities when such committees are considered necessary to achieve the objectives of the Association.   
The Executive Committee, based on a majority vote, shall act on behalf of the membership with respect to administrative decisions and shall recommend action to the members on matters of such substance as to require their decision by the prescribed voting procedure. In the event of a tie vote, the President shall determine the action and recommendations. 

  • Executive Committee functions may include

  • Long term planning

  • Organization of meetings, programs and special events

  • Oversight of Association finances

  • Organize and supervise special elections

  • Evaluate day to day operation of the Association

  • Waive the annual dues for an individual or family

  • Removal of an officer when deemed in the best interest of the Association, the Executive Committee may schedule a special meeting or request a vote by phone, e-mail or other means deemed appropriate. 
     

ARTICLE VIII: DUES


The annual dues shall be set by the Executive Committee and submitted to the members for approval at the regular October meeting of the Association. Any changes will become effective for the upcoming fiscal year.
Annual dues shall be payable as directed by the Treasurer and shall be due at the October meeting of the year covered. All memberships expire on September 30st of each year. Any member of the Association who becomes delinquent in payment of dues shall be notified by the Treasurer and dropped from the roll of membership at the May meeting if such dues are not paid. A person who has been dropped from the roll of membership for non-payment of dues may be restored to active membership in good standing by paying the current year's dues.


ARTICLE IX: FINANCIAL


The fiscal year shall coincide with the RC&D fiscal year.
No indebtedness shall be incurred by any Officer, committee member, or any other member on behalf of Association. All monies collected shall be used only to advance the mission of the Association.
 
No elected Officers or Committee members shall be compensated for time incurred in performance of their duties of office. Expenses incurred by Officers, committee members and member of the Association may be reimbursed if approved by the Executive Committee.

 
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS


These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any scheduled meeting when a quorum is present, provided that a written notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to each member of the Association at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting at which the vote is taken.

 

ARTICLE XI: AFFILIATIONS


The Beekeepers of the Bitterroot Association may associate itself with any Beekeepers Association, academic organization or any other organization if all of the following conditions are met:

  • Conditions of affiliation are reasonable and do not place a burden upon the fiscal structure of the Beekeepers of the Bitterroot Association and its members.

  • The objectives of the proposed Association for affiliation are in harmony with those of the Beekeepers of the Bitterroot Association as listed in Article II of these by-laws.

  • Written notice of the proposed affiliation has been sent to the members of the Association least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting at which a vote will be taken.

  • A quorum of members is present at the scheduled meeting and two-thirds of the members attending vote for the proposed affiliation.

 
ARTICLE XII: DISSOLUTION


Dissolution of the club will require two thirds vote of the current membership. The proposal to dissolve the club shall be presented to the membership at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting at which the proposal will be voted upon.
 
If the vote for dissolution is approved, the Treasurer will be responsible for ensuring all debts of the club are paid in full.  All remaining funds and assets of record shall be disbursed to the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, Bee Alert Honey Bee Research Lab, with the objective and intent that these funds and assets be used for the benefit of the art and science of beekeeping.

 

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