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Constitution of the
South Carolina Fisheries Workers Association

ARTICLE 1 — NAME AND OBJECTIVE

  1. The name of this organization shall be the South Carolina Fisheries Workers Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association
  2. The objective of the Association shall be to encourage the exchange of information by its members.

ARTICLE II — MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the Association shall be composed of persons who are involved in fisheries work in South Carolina and who have paid annual dues of the Association.

ARTICLE III — MEETINGS

The Association shall hold at least one meeting annually at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV — OFFICERS

  1. The officers of the Association shall consist of President, President-Elect, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
  2. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer may hold office for a period longer than one year, but the term of the other officers shall be one year. In case of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill an unexpired term.
  3. The term of office for all elected officers shall terminate immediately following the election and installation of new officers at the annual meeting whereupon the President-Elect shall automatically be installed as the President.
  4. In the event of a cancellation of an annual meeting, the officers and the members of any committees shall continue to serve until the next scheduled meeting.

ARTICLE V — EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of the elected officers and the immediate Past President. The committee is authorized to act for the Association between meetings and to perform appropriate duties and functions.

ARTICLE VI — VOTING AND QUORUM

  1. Decisions at meetings of the Association shall be made by a vote of members in good standing.
  2. A quorum at any meeting for the transaction of official business shall be one-third of the Association members.
  3. Decisions at meetings shall be by a majority of those present at any meeting; except that for a motion for amendment of By Laws adopted pursuant to Article VII, a two-thirds majority shall be required.

ARTICLE VII — ADOPTION OF BY LAWS

The Association is authorized to adopt and to amend subsequently as may be required such By Laws as may be necessary for the conduct of the business of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII — AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION

  1. The Constitution may be amended upon recommendation of three-fourths of the Executive Committee which shall be circulated in writing to the membership at least 30 days prior to any regular meeting at which a vote is to be taken, and upon approval by a two-thirds majority of the members present at any regular meeting, provided a quorum is present.
  2. A petition for amendment of this Constitution signed by no less than 50 percent of the members irrespective of any action relative thereto taken by the Executive Committee in pursuance of Paragraph I of this Article, shall be circulated to the membership at least 30 days prior to a regular meeting, and such amendment shall become effective upon approval by a two-thirds majority of the members present at such regular meeting, provided a quorum is present.

ARTICLE IX — DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the Association the Executive Committee shall turn all assets, accrued income and other properties over to an educational institution mutually agreed upon, to hold until such time as another Association may be established, except that the administrative functions shall continue until all supplies, inquiries and obligations have been exhausted, all income has been received and all debts paid. A letter of termination and accounting shall be sent to Association members when all obligations have been effectuated and the books are closed.

RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING, CONSIDERING, AND IMPLEMENTING RESOLUTIONS

A resolution is essentially a motion which is presented in writing because it is especially important or because the subject matter is complicated. The principal purpose of resolutions is to call the attention of the members of the Association to important matters which require action. Resolutions by themselves do not solve problems; they simply place on record the need for action by individual members, by their agencies, by appropriate legislative or administrative bodies, or by the officers of the Association.

Two general types of resolutions may be considered. Internal resolutions concern the Association itself. They may honor the achievements of deceased members. They may recognize individuals or organizations which have assisted the Society in its work, or members who have contributed special information and work. General resolutions place the views of the Association on record on matters of broad concern to South Carolina resources or to the fishery resources of Southeastern United States.

Resolution to be considered by the Association at its annual meeting must be submitted in writing. Each resolution should be identified by a short descriptive title. To be eligible for consideration, they must be received no later than December 15 and must be published in the Association's Newsletter no later than the January issue. Resolutions should not be introduced on internal matters which can be handled effectively under other agenda items.

The format of resolutions varies somewhat according to the subject matter or to personal preference. Usually the substance of the resolution is preceded by a preamble which, in effect explains the purpose of the resolution. Where the purpose of the resolution is clear, a preamble is not needed. Each statement in the preamble should be preceded by the word "Whereas". There should be no periods in the resolution, and each statement should be separated from the next by a semicolon. Thus, what would otherwise be sentences in the preamble or in the body of the resolution are preceded by the words "Whereas" or "Resolved" and followed by a semicolon. At the juncture of the preamble and the resolution the semicolon is followed by the words "therefore be it". If the preamble or the body of the resolution contains several parts, these shall be linked by suitable connecting words or phrases.