Bylaws

BYLAWS OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE STATEWIDE EDITORS ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I
Name

The name of this organization shall be the National Electric Cooperatives Statewide Editors Association (SEA).

ARTICLE II
Objective

Section 1: The purpose of SEA shall be to foster the continued improvement of the professional skills and techniques of staff members associated with rural electrification consumer-member publications which circulate on a statewide or multi-statewide basis and to encourage professional improvement among others associated with rural electrification consumer-member and public information programs.

Section 2: SEA shall be a not-for-profit association. No profit or monies shall accrue to the members or officers by action of the membership.

ARTICLE III
Membership and Voting Rights

Section 1: Membership in the association shall be open to bona fide staff members and publishers of rural electrification consumer-member publications, which circulate on a statewide or multi-statewide basis, and to members of the editorial and information staff of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Membership may also be extended to staff from certain historically affiliated cooperative organizations, subject to a vote of the SEA membership. Such affiliated groups include, but are not limited to: National Country Market Sales Cooperative (doing business as American MainStreet Publications); National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC); National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA); USDA Rural Utilities Service; National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC); Southeastern Data Cooperative (SEDC); CoBank; and NRTC. Members in good standing may vote in any SEA business, provided that only one vote be cast on behalf of an organization.

Section 2: Associate membership shall be open to staff members of allied groups in the disciplines of finance, telecommunications, data processing, and electrification. Associate members are non-voting members. Associate memberships shall be considered only upon written application made to the SEA President, wherein applicant must present qualifications as they relate to associate membership criteria. Associate membership applications must be approved by a majority vote of the SEA membership.

Section 3: Honorary membership shall be open to any person who has previously held membership as defined in Section 1 of this Article and is reserved for persons who have retired from a position through which the previously held membership was established. Honorary members are non-voting members. Honorary memberships shall be considered only upon written application made to the SEA President, wherein applicant must present qualifications as they relate to honorary membership criteria. Honorary membership applications must be approved by a majority vote of the SEA membership.

Section 4: Votes may be conducted by voice vote or roll call. When a vote’s outcome is uncertain, the presiding officer must conduct a roll call vote, naming each organization represented.

ARTICLE IV
Meetings

The association shall meet annually in connection with the annual membership meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. A second business meeting shall take place annually in conjunction with the Editorial Institute and Legislative Issues Forum. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all official SEA meetings.

The President is authorized to call special meetings at such time and place as may be deemed advisable, or a special meeting shall be called by the President by petition of at least 15 percent of the membership. Notices including time, place, and business to be considered shall be sent to all members at least 15 days prior to any meeting. Special meetings may be held in person or via webcast or conference call. For web or conference call meetings, only roll call votes will be permitted, and proxy voting is not allowed.

ARTICLE V
Quorum

Fifteen percent of the total membership of the association shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VI
Officers

The officers of the association shall include a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. These officers shall be elected by the members at the annual membership meeting for a period of two years. The President is authorized to appoint a successor, subject to confirmation by members at the next annual meeting, to fill any vacancy.

ARTICLE VII
Duties of Officers

Section 1: It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all regular and special meetings of the members, appoint such committees as may be deemed necessary, and to perform such acts and exercise such powers as may be delegated to the President by the members.

Section 2: It shall be the duty of the Vice President to preside over regular and special meetings in the absence of the President and to perform all other functions of the President in the event of his or her incapacity. It is also among the duties of the Vice President to administer the annual Willies Awards process.

Section 3: It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep the minutes of the regular and special meetings of the members, to ensure that proper parliamentary procedure is followed during meetings of the membership, to issue at the direction of the President proper notices of regular and special meetings, to hold in safekeeping all monies belonging to the association, to correspond with the members from time to time on matters of interest to the association, and to assist in the coordination of all educational programs of the association.

Section 4: It shall be the duty of the three officers to serve as an Executive Committee for the association and to conduct such business of the association as may be delegated to them by the members.

Section 5: From time to time, it may be necessary for the President to appoint a Task Force to assist the Executive Committee and the membership on special or ongoing projects. Such Task Forces will serve at the pleasure of the President.

Section 6: Although the President or the SEA membership may give a Task Force power to make certain decisions to keep projects moving in a timely manner, all decisions involving expenditures of more than $5,000 of SEA funds must have prior approval of the SEA membership.

ARTICLE VIII
Finances

Section 1: The dues structure will include an individual member tier up to four memberships, after which a group membership rate will apply. Annual dues for each member tier shall be assessed at a level as recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership. Certain special activities may be self-financing on the basis of voluntary participation through registration fees.

Section 2: Annual dues for associate members shall be assessed and be the same as members and will follow the recommendations of the Executive Committee as approved by the membership.

Section 3: Annual dues for honorary members may be assessed and shall not exceed 15 percent of the annual dues level for members.

Section 4: Expenditure of dues monies shall be upon authorization of the President and the Secretary-Treasurer. Any single expenditure of more than $5,000 of SEA funds must have prior approval of the SEA membership.

ARTICLE IX
Amendments

Section 1: These articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual or special meeting of the members, provided a quorum is present.

ARTICLE IX
Amendments

Section 1: These articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual or special meeting of the members, provided a quorum is present.

HISTORY OF AMENDMENTS

Adopted August 7, 1963—Hot Springs, Ark.
As amended January 19, 1975—New Orleans, La.
And February 3, 1976—Anaheim, Calif.
And August 23, 1987—Washington, D.C.
And August 23, 1992—Washington, D.C.
And August 20, 1995—Denver, Colo.
And August 24, 1997—Arlington, Va.
And March 10, 2002—Dallas, Texas
And July 30, 2008—Arlington, Va.
And August 7, 2011—Columbus, Ohio
And August 5, 2018—Arlington, Va.

Amended and formally re-adopted following the incorporation of National Electric Cooperatives Statewide Editors Association at the corporation’s organizational meeting on August 4, 2019—Gulf Shores, Ala.