BY LAWS
By Laws | Upcoming Events | Members
Ansonia High School
Future Business Leaders of America Bylaws
Adopeted: October 2005
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this division of FBLA-PBL, Inc. shall be "Future Business Leaders of America" and may be referred to as "FBLA."
ARTICLE II
Purpose
Section 1. The purpose of FBLA is to provide, as an integral part of the instructional program, additional opportunities for secondary students (grades 9-12) in business and/or business related fields to develop vocational and career supportive competencies and to promote civic and personal responsibilities.
Section 2. The specific goals of FBLA are to:
• develop competent, aggressive business leadership
•
strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and their work
•
create more interest in and understanding of American business enterprise
•
encourage members in the development of individual projects which contribute
to the improvement of home, business and community
•
develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism
•
encourage and practice efficient money management
•
encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty
•
assist students in the establishment of occupational goals
•
facilitate the transition from school to work
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. FBLA shall be open for membership to these classes of members:
•
Active Members shall be secondary students who become members while enrolled
in business and/or business-related fields, who accept the purpose of FBLA,
subscribe to its creed, demonstrate willingness to contribute to good school-community
relations, possess qualities for employment, and participate in all events,
activities, and meetings. Active members shall pay dues as established by
FBLA and may participate in local, state, and national events, in accordance
with the guidelines of these Awards Programs, serve as voting delegates to
the Local, State, and National Leadership Conference, hold local, state,
and national office in accordance with Article VI, and otherwise represent
their state and local chapters as approved by their respective state and
local advisor(s).
•
Professional Members shall be persons associated with or participating in
the professional development of FBLA as approved by state chapters. Such
members may include local and state chapter advisors, business teachers,
business teacher educators, state supervisors of business and office education,
employers or supervisors of cooperative work-training students, advisory
council members, businesspersons, and other persons contributing to the growth
and development of FBLA. Professional members shall pay dues as established
by FBLA, but shall not participate in events, serve as voting delegates,
or hold office.
•
Honorary Life Members may be elected to a state or local chapter by a majority
vote. They shall be persons who are assisting in the advancement of business
and office education and/or who are rendering outstanding service to FBLA-PBL,
Inc. Honorary Life Members shall not vote or hold office and shall not be
required to pay dues.
•
National Honorary Life Members may be recommended by the membership and shall
be accepted upon approval by the Board of Directors of FBLA-PBL, Inc. They
shall be persons making significant contributions to the field of business
and office education and/or to the growth and development of FBLA-PBL, Inc.
National Honorary Life Members shall not vote or hold office and shall not
be required to pay dues.
ARTICLE IV
Dues and Finance
Section 1. Dues. National dues based on fiscal reports by the national office, and on recommend-ation by the National Executive Council and the Board of Directors, shall be determined by a majority vote of the state voting delegates at the National Leadership Conference. National dues of members shall be forwarded directly to the FBLA national office or shall be submitted through state chapters at the discretion of the state chapter.
Section 2. Annual dues from 2005 until reconsidered shall be $10.00 - $6.00 National, $3.00 State, and $1.00 Local dues.
Section 3. The chapter president, vice president, and treasurer shall administer all FBLA finances, submit an annual budget to the advisor(s) for approval, and provide the advisor(s) and members with an annual audit.
Section 4. The fiscal year of the Future Business Leaders of America shall be July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE V
Organization
Section 1. FBLA shall be an association of state and local chapters, each operating in accordance with a charter granted by FBLA-PBL, Inc. Only chapters which have received charters and numbers issued by FBLA-PBL, Inc. and which are currently in good standing, shall be referred to as "Future Business Leaders of America" or "FBLA."
Section 2. Each local chapter shall have an advisor(s) who shall be a faculty member who is teaching a business or business-related course. A local chapter may have as many special-emphasis groups under the chapter charter as it deems necessary to meet the interests of all students. The local chapter of FBLA shall assume full responsibility for coordinating the program for these interest groups.
ARTICLE VI
Officers and Elections
Section 1. Local Officers. The local elected officers of FBLA shall be a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and reporter.
Section 2. Qualifications for Local Office.
Only active members are eligible to hold office.
A. Only those applicants who are present at meetings and events shall be
eligible for nomination.
B. To be considered for an office in FBLA, a candidate shall:
1. have at least one full year remaining in his/her business program,
2. be recommended by a chapter advisor and endorsed by his/her local members,
3. file an official application with the current officers and advisor(s)
by May 15.
4. to become president, hold or have held an elective office in his/her local
chapter.
A. If no member submits an applicant for a particular office by the May
15 deadline, then the deadline for the particular office shall be extended
to June 15.
B. Applicants for local office who become candidates for office as of the
second deadline shall have to prepare a campaign for office like all other
candidates, including a requirement to pass the Officer Screening Committee
and caucus in local chapter meetings.
C. If no candidates are submitted for a particular office by the first or
second deadline, then candidates may be chosen by the advisor(s) and current
officers and shall comply with all guidelines that other candidates comply
with.
D. Candidates for Secretary must possess the ability to take minutes and
must have completed Computer Application by the time of their election.
E. Candidates for Treasurer must have completed one year of accounting.
Section 3. Nominations.
The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter shall be
nominated by a local member at a general meeting.
Section 4. Elections.
The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter shall be
elected annually at a general meeting by the local voting delegates.
A. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter shall
be elected by a ballot vote of the local voting delegates. A majority vote
shall be required for elections. If no candidate for an office receives a
majority vote on the third vote, the candidate receiving the lowest number
of votes for that vote shall be dropped from the fourth vote. If necessary,
the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that vote shall be
dropped from each subsequent vote until one candidate receives a majority
of the votes.
Section 5. Term of Office. Local Officers shall be elected for one year or until their successors are elected or appointed, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the school year at which they were selected.
Section 6. Vacancy in Office. A vacancy in any office, other than that of President, shall be filled by appointment by the President with the approval of the advisor(s). Should the office of President become vacant, the Vice-President shall automatically become President.
ARTICLE VII
Duties of FBLA Officers
Section 1. The President shall:
A. Serve as Chairman of the Local Executive Council,
B. Preside over the council meetings and business meetings of FBLA,
C. Appoint appropriate committees and committee chairmen,
D. Serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member of all committees,
E. Perform other duties for the promotion and development of local, state,
and national FBLA.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall:
A. Assist the President in the promotion and development of FBLA,
B. Assist in planning Regional Leadership Conferences, and
C. Preside at council meetings and business meetings of FBLA.
Section 3. The Secretary shall:
A. Keep an accurate record of all business meetings,
B. Supply promptly at least one copy of the minutes and substantiating reports
to the FBLA President and the advisor(s), and
C. Initiate communication with local officers to promote quality articles
for local publications.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall:
A. Assist the local office in keeping an accurate record of income, expenses,
and disbursements, and in planning field trips and travel, and
B. Present an annual financial report to members at the local meeting.
Section 5. The Reporter shall:
A. Act as public relations officer for the Chapter,
B. See that news stories are and photographs are delivered to the Charger
Times, school television station, morning and afternoon announcement’s
folder, and television scroll and,
C. Create a neat, orderly, and creative display of documentation.
Section 6. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed in these Bylaws,
and perform such other duties as are directed by the FBLA President and the
advisor(s).
ARTICLE VIII
Local Executive Council
Section 1. The Local Officers of FBLA shall, with the advisor(s), constitute the Local Executive Council.
Section 2. Duties. The National Executive Council shall:
A. Adopt policies of operation of FBLA as deemed necessary, by a three-fourths
vote subject to the approval of the advisor(s),
B. Approve committee appointments and the creation of new committees by the
President,
C. Approve appointments by the President to fill vacancies in office,
D. Review all proposed amendments to the Bylaws,
E. Present to the voting delegates at the local meetings, with recommendations,
those proposed amendments approved by the Board of Directors, and
F. Perform such other duties as are prescribed by these Bylaws.
Section 3. Meetings. Meetings shall be called by the President, or upon the written request of three voting members of the Local Executive Council, upon approval by the President and advisor(s).
Section 4. Quorum. The quorum for all business meetings shall be a majority of the registered voting delegates.
ARTICLE IX
Committees
Section 1. Advisory committees to assist in the growth and development of FBLA may be appointed as deemed necessary by the Local Executive Council. Recommendations of persons for such appointments shall be requested of local chapters.
Section 2. Local and state chapters may select advisory committees to assist in the growth and development of their respective chapters.
Section 3. The President of FBLA shall, with the approval of the Local Executive Council, establish committees, appoint their members for a period not to exceed his/her term in office, and assist these committees in their activities.
Section 4. An Officer Screening Committee, composed of local officers and advisor(s), shall, after careful consideration of applicants for officers of FBLA, approve candidates for nomination.
ARTICLE X
Emblems and Colors
Section 1. The official emblem and insignia item designs are described and protected from infringement by registration in the U.S. Patent Office under the Trademark Act of 1946. The manufacture, reproduction, wearing, or display of the emblem shall be governed by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Emblems and insignia shall be uniform in all local and state chapters and within special-emphasis groups: they shall be those of FBLA. Only members in good standing may use official emblems and insignia.
Section 3. The official colors of FBLA shall be blue and gold.
ARTICLE XI
Parliamentary Procedure
The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the FBLA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the rules of FBLA-PBL, Inc., these Bylaws or any special rules of order the FBLA may adopt.
ARTICLE XII
Amendment
Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be submitted in writing by local chapters or by the advisor(s) no later than April 1. The proposed amendments shall be submitted for review to the Local Executive Council by April 15. Proposed amendments approved by the Local Executive Council shall be returned to the advisor(s) by May 1. A two-thirds vote of the local voting delegates present and voting at the next meeting is required for adoption.
Adopted October 19, 2005