Chapter By-Laws

Article 1: Name and Location

Section 1 Name. The name of this organization shall be Yankee Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, known as Yankee IABC, a not-for-profit organization. Yankee IABC shall be affiliated with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Section 2 Location. The geographical area served by Yankee IABC shall include Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. This service area may, from time to time, be modified with the approval of the Yankee IABC Board of Directors to accommodate the needs of IABC and its membership.

Article 2: Vision and Mission

Section 1 Vision. Yankee IABC supports IABC’s vision of linking communicators in a global network that inspires, establishes and supports the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational communication.

Section 2 Mission. Yankee IABC adds value for members and the communication profession by:

Offering learning opportunities
Offering networking opportunities
Helping members take full advantage of IABC member benefits
Providing recognition for member achievements
Supporting IABC international and regional programs and services.

Article 3: Membership

Section 1 Qualification. Membership in this organization shall be composed primarily of professional communicators engaged in business communications, both internally and externally focused, and other professionals with an interest in improving communication effectiveness.

Section 2 Regular Membership. This membership is open to:

Professional communicators in business, industry, not-for-profit organizations, education, government, and other organizations
Educators, consultants, and independent professionals in the communication field
Persons in allied fields, such as event planning, advertising, printing, public relations, marketing, publishing, and audio-visual production.

Regular members of Yankee IABC shall be regular members of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Section 3 Student Membership. This membership is open to full-time college or university undergraduate or graduate students who are embarked on a communication or allied field-related curriculum.

Section 4 Service and Participation. Policies governing service and participation for all members shall be determined by the Board of Directors of Yankee IABC, unless otherwise set forth in these bylaws.

Section 5 Duration of membership, resignation and removal. Membership shall be for the period for which dues are paid. Any member may resign by filing a written resignation with the president. All rights, privileges, and interests of a member in or to Yankee IABC shall cease on termination of membership. Any member may be removed from membership by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors. For any cause other than nonpayment of dues, removal shall occur only after the member in question has been given at least 30 days notice of the proposed termination and the reasons for it. The member will have at least 15 days to respond in writing to the Board for forwarding to the executive committee of the International Association of Business Communicators, which then shall make the final determination.

Article 4: Dues

Section 1 Establishment of Dues. Dues and other chapter fees shall be set by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Yankee IABC.

Section 2 Cancellation. Members who fail to pay their full dues within two months after they are notified shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership.

Section 3 Refunds. No dues shall be refunded to any member whose membership terminates for any reason.

Article 5: Organizational Structure

Section 1 The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, establish task forces within Yankee IABC to serve specific geographical, functional or other interests.

Article 6: Meetings of Members and Voting

Section 1 Regular membership meetings. Regular membership meetings of Yankee IABC shall generally be held monthly, except during the months of July and August.

Section 2 Notice of meetings. All members shall be sent written notice of meetings, including time, location, and meeting agenda, at least one week prior to each meeting.

Section 3 Special meetings. The Board of Directors may call special meetings of the membership at any time by sending written notice as specified in Section 2.

Section 4 Voting. Those eligible to vote shall be members meeting the requirements of membership as set forth in these bylaws, with the exceptions that student and honorary members shall not be eligible to vote.

Section 5 Quorum. A quorum necessary to act on official business of the entire chapter shall consist of at least 40 percent of the total voting membership. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the total number of Board members, as defined in these bylaws.

Section 6 Cancellation. The Board of Directors may, by a majority vote, cancel or postpone any meeting of the chapter for cause, except those called by a quorum of the membership. Such meetings shall be held no less than 30 days after presentation of a request for a meeting signed by at least 40 percent of the total voting membership.

Article 7: Officers

Section 1 Governing body. The governing body of Yankee IABC shall be known as the Board of Directors.

Section 2 Officers. The officers of Yankee IABC shall be:

President
President-Elect
Vice President, Communication
Vice President, Membership Development
Vice President, Learning Opportunities
Vice President, Adminstration
Vice President, Finance
Vice President, Networking
Immediate Past President

The President will appoint additional members to leadership positions to strengthen the ability of the chapter to provide programs and services that deliver value to members. These positions may vary from year to year, depending on the needs and current priorities of the chapter. The elected officers and the appointed leaders will constitute the Board of Directors.

Section 3 Qualifications for Office. Any regular member in good standing shall be eligible for nomination and election to office in Yankee IABC.

Section 4 Nomination of officers. Any member of Yankee IABC may submit qualifications for a leadership position to the Nominating Committee during the month of April. The Nominating Committee, which shall consist of a selection of current board members and non-board members, screens nominees and presents a recommended slate to the Board of Directors in May. The Board of Directors then ratifies or modifies the recommendation to determine the official slate of officers.

Section 5 Election of Officers. Copies of the slate of officers will be sent to all voting members in June, accompanied by an official ballot. Voting will occur in June, and the Vice President, Administration shall be responsible for tabulating all official ballots and announcing the resulting officers by the end of June.

Section 6 Terms of Office. All officers shall serve one-year terms.

Section 7 Vacancies or Removal. Vacancies in any office on the Board shall be filled for the balance of the term by the Board at any regular or special meetings in accordance with these bylaws. Successors must be named within 30 days of the vacancy.

The board may, at its discretion and following Yankee IABC policy, remove by two-thirds vote any officer from office for cause.

Article 8: Duties of Officers

Section 1 President. The President of the chapter is the Chief Executive Officer of the chapter. In this capacity, the officer:

Presides over the activities of all officers, as well as all standing and special committees of the chapter, to ensure compliance and continuance of IABC’s mission, goals and direction, and to ensure accomplishment of the chapter’s mission
Monitors the use, accounting and responsible handling of the chapter monies and resources
Presides over all meetings of the chapter officers and members
Promotes a strong, positive image of the chapter and IABC among the members, the public and member organizations
Represents the chapter in professional, educational, community and public roles
Ensures the proper performance of the officers and the association in all matters
Informs the officers and chapter members regularly of chapter, IABC, and district/regional activities, affairs, finances, and annual performance
Appoints and supports the chapter delegates to formal district/region and international meetings, and ensures that they fulfill their obligations
Serves on the Nominating Committee
Provides recognition to committee members, officers and volunteers for their efforts
Builds strong liaison with regional and international organizations and IABC world headquarters
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 2 President-Elect. The President-Elect serves as the successor to the current President in the year prior to his or her term as President. In this capacity, the officer:

Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Assists the President while learning about and training for the responsibilities of the position of President
Serves on the Nominating Committee
Completes special or ad-hoc projects for the chapter
Assists the Board as needed
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 3 Vice President, Communication. The Vice President, Communication has primary responsibility for external and internal communication and brand management. In this capacity, the officer:

Manages a team of appointed leaders to create a communication plan and implement the activities outlined in the plan. Ongoing internal communication vehicles include a member newsletter and a chapter Web site.
Participates in monthly board meetings and as many other chapter events as possible.
Works with the Learning Opportunities team to prepare publicity for programs
Develops and maintains an annual budget of communication activities
Ensures the development and maintenance of relationships with members of the media, tracking of placement results and reporting of progress to the board.
Coordinates mailings of press releases and program information to the media
Identifies and acts upon special publicity opportunities
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 4 Vice President, Membership Development. The Vice President, Membership Development has primary responsibility for recruiting and retaining members of Yankee IABC. In this capacity, the officer:

Manages a team of appointed leaders that develops and implements chapter activities in support of recruiting, retention, volunteer involvement, career opportunities and membership list management
Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Monitors, surveys and represents the members’ needs on membership to the Board
Develops and maintains an annual budget of membership activities
Prepares and distributes the membership brochure or information kits to prospective members and their organizations
Ensures the development and implementation of:
- an ongoing recruitment drive, with particular focus during any special “Membership Months” offered by IABC internationally
- programs to greet and acquaint new members and to involve existing members
- a program in support of career opportunities, such as a chapter Job Bank
- surveying of non-renewing members
Maintains an accurate and current mailing list
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 5 Vice President, Learning Opportunities. The Vice President, Learning Opportunities has primary responsibility for the planning and execution of the chapter’s professional development programs. In this capacity, the officer:

Manages a team that:
- researches, plans, and implements programs that achieve the Yankee IABC mission (including site identification and logistics)
- evaluates programs
- works with the communication team to ensure effective publicity of programs
- reports on results to the Board
- follows up meetings with thank you notes and acknowledgements of speakers

Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Develops and maintains an annual budget of learning-related activities
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 6 Vice President, Adminstration. The Vice President, Administration serves as the official record keeper and secretary of the chapter. In this capacity, the officer:

Records all actions of the board and business of the chapter
Maintains all chapter papers and records, as well as archives, artifacts, history and displays
Chairs the nominating committee
Serves as the official election judge on all matters requiring membership vote, such as elections, changes in governing documents, or dues increases
Serves as secretary to the President as needed, issuing notices and calls for agenda items
Maintains the official chapter stationery, logos and other documents and electronic files
Works with the Vice President, Communications to inform chapter members regularly of resolutions and policies adopted by the Board
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 7 Vice President, Finance. The Vice President, Finance serves as treasurer and chief financial officer of the chapter. In this capacity, the officer:

Works with other board members to develop and monitor the chapter’s overall annual budget
Collects and disperses all funds with Board approval
Keeps accurate records of all financial transactions
Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Assists other board members in budgeting for areas of activity
Maintains checking and savings accounts.
Monitors the chapter reserves
Develops special investments for the chapter’s excess monies
Provides financial reports of revenues and disbursements to the Board regularly and to IABC as required
Arranges for an audit of the chapter books at the end of the fiscal year and reports those results to the Board and the full membership
Works with the Vice President, Communication to report regularly on the financial condition of the chapter to chapter members
Arranges for donations of monies or services as required by chapter programming
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 8 Vice President, Networking. The Vice President, Networking oversees all formal networking activities sponsored by the chapter. In this capacity, the officer:

Manages a team of appointed leaders that develops and implements chapter events, activities and tools to create both in-person and virtual networking opportunities
Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Reports on results to the board
Identifies and trains a successor

Section 9 Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President serves as adviser to the Board for the year following his or her term as President. In this capacity, the officer:

Contributes to the development of member services by researching other chapters’ services and successes
Participates in monthly board meetings and attends as many other chapter events as possible
Ensures that governing documents are maintained and are current
Assists in the development of any Chapter Nomination Awards for the term he or she was President
Assists and advises the Board and President as needed

Article 10: Standing and Special Committees

Section 1 The President shall appoint and administer standing and special committees to conduct the affairs of Yankee IABC. He or she also will appoint candidates identified by the Nominating Committee to board positions to supplement the elected officers.

Article 11: Finance

Section 1 Authority. The Board of Directors shall have authority over the receipts, expenditures and assets of Yankee IABC.

Section 2 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of Yankee IABC shall be the same as that of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Section 3 Budget. The Board shall adopt in advance of each fiscal and/or administrative year an operating budget covering all the activities of Yankee IABC.

Section 4 Reserves. Financial reserves as deemed appropriate by the Board shall be retained from chapter funds or developed to provide reasonable stability of finances.

Section 5 Bonding. Board members, as determined by the president, shall be bonded in an amount deemed practical by the Board.

Section 6 Compensation. Officers shall not receive any compensation from Yankee IABC for their services as officers.

Section 7 Audits. The accounts of Yankee IABC shall be audited by a certified public accountant selected by the Board not less than annually. The accountant shall provide a written report to the Board.

Article 12: Non-Discrimination

Section 1
Yankee IABC shall not accept any organizational unit that denies membership or membership privileges, nor shall it deny membership privileges itself, on the basis of race, creed, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, color or national origin.

Article 13: Dissolution

Section 1
Yankee IABC shall use its funds only to pursue the mission specified in these bylaws, and no parts of said funds shall be distributed to members of Yankee IABC. On dissolution of Yankee IABC, any funds remaining shall be distributed at the discretion of the Yankee IABC executive board.

Article 14: Amendments

Section 1
These bylaws may be amended at a regular or special meeting of Yankee IABC by a two-thirds vote of a quorum necessary to conduct business.