North Dakota Environmental Health Association (NDEHA)

Constitutional Bylaws

Article I - Name and Address
Section 1.	The name of this non-profit association shall be North Dakota Environmental Health Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association. The Association may be abbreviated by the initials NDEHA.
Section 2.	The offices and addresses of the Association shall be the address of the duly elected secretary.

Article 2 - Duration and Non-Profit Association
Section 1.	The duration of this Association shall be perpetual.
Section 2.	The North Dakota Environmental Health Association shall organize as a North Dakota State Corporation, Nonprofit, Professional association incorporated under the laws of the state of North Dakota.
Section 3.	Roberts Rules of Order, as revised, shall be the model for parliamentary procedure at all meetings. A parliamentarian may be selected by the presiding officer to advise the presiding officer prior to and during the meetings.
Section 4.	The Association shall not have any capital stock or shares.
Section 5.	The private property of the Association members shall not be liable for any Association or Corporation debts.

Article 3 - Purpose and Objectives of the Association
Section 1.	To maintain and improve the standards of performance in environmental health by fostering and encouraging research, education, and the dissemination of information.
Section 2.	To publish, or cause to be published, scientific or other useful information relating to environmental health.
Section 3.	To promote the highest degree of skill, efficiency and professional competence among Environmental Health Practitioners and all other members practicing disciplines in environmental health through a mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.
Section 4.	To encourage and support programs which contribute to consumer and environmental protection.
Section 5.	To promote uniformity in the enactment and enforcement of laws affecting environmental health at all levels of government.
Section 6.	To engage in any other lawful activities appropriate to a professional organization.

Article 4 - Officers, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Duties, and Quorum
Section 1.	The officers of the Association, the Executive Committee and/or the Board of Directors shall be one and the same and hereinafter referred to as the Board of Directors.
Section 2.	The elected members of the Board of Directors shall be the President, the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and a Member-at-Large. The First Vice-President shall accede to the Presidency after serving two years as First Vice-President. The Second Vice-President shall accede to First Vice-President after serving two years as Second Vice-President. The Member-at-Large shall accede to Second Vice-President after serving two years as Member-at-Large.
Section 3.	The immediate past President shall serve as an ex-officio of the Board of Directors.
Section 4.	The duties of the Board of Directors shall be those as are implied in their respective titles and offices. All Regular members shall be entitled to vote.
Section 5.	A quorum shall be a simple majority of the Board members present at a meeting.
Section 6.	Any member who represents the North Dakota Environmental Health Association at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Educational Conference must be a member of NEHA.

Article 5 - Membership
Section 1.	There shall be three classes of membership. The memberships shall be designated as Regular, Associate, and Contributing.
Section 2.	Regular membership shall be available to any person employed full time in any field of environmental health and sanitation for the improvement of the public health and welfare through any type of work, education or promotion. Regular members are the only members eligible to vote and be elected to office.
Section 3.	Associate membership shall be available to any person whose interests are similar to those of the Association but who does not qualify for membership as Regular members. Associate members do not have voting privileges nor are they eligible to hold elected office.
Section 4.	Contributing membership is available to individuals or firms who interest is in enhancing or promoting the public health through improvement of environmental health or sanitation practices and who wish to contribute financially to the aims and purposes of the Association. Contributing members shall not have voting privileges nor be eligible to hold office.
Section 5.	The period of membership shall run from January 1 to December 31 of each year.

Article 6 - Membership Dues and Cards
Section 1.	Regular annual membership dues shall be established by the Board of Directors subject to approval by a majority of the membership at the Annual Educational Conference and shall be paid upon receipt of a dues statement or at the Annual Educational Conference. Such dues statements shall be sent to each unpaid member by the Secretary during the month of December.
Section 2.	Associate annual member dues shall be established by the Board of Directors subject to approval by a majority of the membership at the annual Educational Conference and shall be paid upon receipt of a dues statement or at the Annual Educational Conference. Such dues statements shall be sent to each unpaid member by the Secretary during the month of December.
Section 3.	Contributing memberships shall be available for a minimum of $50.00 per calendar year and given the opportunity to exhibit at the NDEHA Annual Educational Conference at no additional charge.
Section 4.	The Secretary shall send membership cards and receipts upon receipt of payment for membership dues. A current roster of the membership shall be kept.
Section 5.	Dues are nonrefundable and shall not be prorated.

Article 7 - Meetings and Quorums
Section 1.	There shall be Association-sponsored meeting each year. This meeting shall be held in the fall and be called the NDEHA Annual Educational Conference. An optional conference can be held in the spring if deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
Section 2.	The NDEHA Annual Educational Conference shall endeavor to cover subjects of a technical or professional nature. A business meeting will be held during the Annual Conference.
Section 3.	If deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, the optional spring conference may be held in conjunction with the North Dakota Public Health Association.
Section 4.	A quorum shall be simple majority of the Regular membership.

Article 8 - Election Procedures, Terms of Office, and Appointments
Section 1.	The election of officers shall be held each odd numbered year at the Annual Educational Conference.
Section 2.	The President shall appoint a nominating committee, chaired by the immediate Past President. Any member who has been active for one year may be considered for nomination to any office. The nominating committee shall submit to the President the names of qualifying candidates who are available and willing to serve as nominees to fill expiring terms.
Section 3.	Ballots bearing an alphabetical listing of nominees shall be sent to the voting membership at least thirty days prior to the Annual Educational Conference. A brief biographical sketch of each nominee shall accompany the list of nominees. Provisions shall be made on the ballot form for write-in nominations.
Section 4.	Voting shall occur via email from the members own email address to the Secretary. The votes must be sent to the Secretary no later than ten days prior to the Annual Educational Conference. The Secretary shall verify each emailed vote.
Section 5.	Election of officers shall be by a simple majority of those voting members casting ballots. In the event of a tie in cast votes, a recount of the votes will be taken. If an equal split of the votes remain, the tie shall be broken by the President.
Section 6.	The term of office for elected members of the Board of Directors will commence at the close of the business meeting and continue for two years.
Section 7.	The President shall appoint persons determined by majority vote of the Board of Directors to fill vacancies occurring between regular elections.

Article 9 - Finances
Section 1.	All financial decisions shall be made by the Board of Directors, and all expenditures shall be made only with the authorization of the President.
Section 2.	The Treasurer shall maintain and oversee the handling of the funds of the Association.
Section 3.	The Treasurer shall prepare a report of all Association funds to be presented to the members of the Association during the business meeting at the Annual Conference. The Treasurer's Report shall be prepared and signed by the Treasurer. The President shall appoint an Audit Committee to review, approve and sign the Treasurer's report before it is presented to the Association.

Article 10 - Committees
Section 1.	Committees may be established as needed by the President.

Article 11 - Amendments
Section 1.	Any proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be in writing and presented to the Secretary in time to have the proposed mailed to all members at least thirty days prior to the NDEHA Annual Educational Conference.
Section 2.	A majority vote of the Regular members present and voting at a duly called meeting shall be needed to adopt any proposed amendments.

Article 12 - Website
Section 1.	The Association shall maintain a website. All costs for operation and maintenance of the website shall be borne by the Association subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Section 2.	The website shall, at a minimum, have the following features, history of and information about the Association, current events/news, current list of members, list of officers on the Board of Directors, and current contact information, current bylaws, information about meetings and conferences, and membership information (including an application).
Section 3.	The website and its content shall be maintained and updated by the First Vice-President with the assistance of the Secretary.

In witness thereto, the above document represents the official version of the Bylaws approved by a vote of the membership on the 29th day of October 2009 in accordance with the provisions as defined in the Bylaws of the Association.