Bylaws, Youth Services Section, North Carolina Library Association

Youth Services Section

Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Youth Service Section of the North Carolina Library Association.

Article II - Objectives

Section 1. To bring together members of the North Carolina Library Association who are interested in promoting library and information services for youth and whose organized discussions and actions will provide a broad base of leadership.

Section 2. To encourage research in this field of knowledge.

Section 3. To stimulate and to engage in the creation and exploration of informal sources and materials; and 

Section 4. To help fulfill the objectives of the North Carolina Library Association.

Article III - Members

Members of the North Carolina Library Association who state a preference for the Youth Service Section at the time of payment of the Association dues shall become members.

Article IV - Officers

Section 1. The officers of this organization shall be:  Chair, Chair-Elect, who shall serve as Vice Chair, a Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors: Director At Large, Director of Membership, and Scholarship Director. 

Section 2. The Chair-Elect, the Secretary, Treasurer, and the two Directors shall be elected prior to the regular biennial meeting and shall serve for a two-year term, or until their successors are elected and have assumed their duties.           

Article V – Executive Committee 

The Executive committee shall consist of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary, Treasurer, Chairs of standing committees, the past chair and the three Directors.  The immediate past chair shall be a non-voting member.   Upon request of the Chair and with the approval of the Executive Committee, the State Youth Services Consultant may be asked to serve as a non-voting member. Upon request of the Chair and with the approval of the Executive Committee, a liaison may be selected from the Public Libraries Section to serve as a non-voting member. 

The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Youth Services Section and shall have the power to act for the Youth Service Section on administrative business of the Youth Services Section in the intervals between biennial meetings.  Such administrative business shall include only that business which necessarily must be dealt with prior to the regular biennial meeting.

Article VI – Special Duties of Officers

Section 1. The Chair shall serve as Chair of the Executive Committee. The Chair shall, with the executive committee, appoint standing, special, and ad hoc committeesand define their duties as may be necessary to carry on the work of the section.  The Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees with the exception of the Committee on Nominations.

Section 2. Special committees for specific purposes may be appointed by the Executive Committee at any time and shall function until their purposes have been fulfilled or until they are no longer necessary.

Section 3. The Chair-elect, serving also as vice-chair, as stated above, shall accept the responsibilities and perform the duties of the chair in the absence of the chair.  The chair-elect shall also serve as Program Chair.  The chair-elect shall be elected to office and shall assume the responsibilities and perform the duties of the Chair in the event of death or resignation of the Chair.  The chair-elect shall serve as chair during the two years following the term as chair elect.  In the event that the chair-elect succeeds the chair with more than one calendar year left in the elected terms of office, the chair-elect shall not serve as chair the following biennium.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall perform the duties normally accepted for such office and serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.

Section 5. The Secretary shall perform the duties normally accepted for such office. 

Section 6. Under the following circumstance the Executive Committee shall secure from the committee on Nominations the name of the one candidate for each office who has given consent to serve if elected: (a) if a vacancy occurs in the Chair-elect position due to the death, resignation or elevation of same to the Chair position; or (b) in the event of the deaths or resignations of both the Chair and the Chair-elect.  Unless a regular meeting is scheduled within two months, an email ballot will be sent to all current members.  A majority vote of those members responding within six weeks from the date the ballot is emailed shall constitute election.  If a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary,Treasurer or Director, the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement. Such appointments shall remain in force until the next regular meeting of the section.

ARTICLE VII.  MEETINGS

Section 1. The regular meeting shall be held as a Youth Services Section meeting during the biennial meeting of the North Carolina Library Association.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Chair, by the Executive Committee, or by the Executive Board of the Association upon written request, signed by 15 members.

Section 3. A quorum for the transaction of the business of the Youth Services Section shall consist of 25 percent of the members of the section.

Article VIII - Elections

Section 1. The Chair shall appoint a Committee on nominations who will present for each elective office the name of the candidate who has given consent to serve if elected.  The slate of nominees shall be shared with the section members at  least three months prior to the biennial meeting.  Any member or members of the section may present a candidate or candidates for the elective offices of the section provided that:

1. Any member or members of the Section may present a candidate or candidates for the elected offices of this Section provided (a) that they notify the Chair of the Section, and (b) that consent of the nominee has been secured and so indicated in the conversation with and/or in the writing to the Chair of the Section. 

1. An electronic ballot will be sent to all members at least six weeks prior to the NCLA biennial conference and every year in August for the election of Directors. The return deadline shall be two weeks prior to the biennial conference or October 1st for the election of Directors. A majority of votes received shall constitute an election. 

1. Ballots will be emailed if and only if there is more than one candidate nominated for any given position.  If there is only one candidate for a given position, no email ballot will be sent, and a vote taken by acclamation.  If a mail ballot is required, it will be sent to all members eight weeks prior to the regular biennial meeting.

Section 2. A Majority vote of the members responding within six weeks from the date the ballot is emailed shall constitute election.

Article IX – Committees

Section 1. The Chair, with the advice of the executive board, shall appoint committee chairs and suggest other members except as otherwise provided. The Chair shall be an ex officio member of each committee with the exception of the Committee on Nominations. 

The executive board may establish ad hoc committees to perform the continuing functions of the Association. Ad hoc shall report to the executive board. 

Section 2. Special Committees. Special committees for specific purposes may be appointed at any time by the Chair. 

The Committee on Nominations, to be appointed by the Past Chair each biennium, shall be considered a special committee. The chair is the Past-Chair. Special committees shall function until their purposes have been fulfilled.   

Article X - Parliamentary Authority 

Section 1. Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall be the governing authority in any matter not specifically covered by these bylaws.

Section 2. Nothing in these bylaws shall conflict with the Constitution and bylaws of the North Carolina Library Association.

Article XI. – Amendments

These rules may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a meeting called in accordance with the bylaws of the Youth Services Section, or by a electronic mail ballot, provided that the request for such action be submitted to the Executive Committee in writing and signed by 15 members of the Youth Services Section and that the total number of returned ballots be at least 25 percent of the membership, two-thirds of which shall be affirmative.

Adopted [date]