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Constitution


Section 1. Name - This organization shall be known as the Washington State Grape Society.

Section 2. Purpose - The purpose of this Society shall be the overall advancement of the grape industry in the State of Washington and shall include such duties as the collection and distribution of data and information of value to its members; and the protection, stimulation and assistance of the grape interests of the State.

Section 3. Membership - The membership of this organization shall be composed of persons or corporations who are interested in and will lend their assistance to the promotion of the purpose of this organization. There shall be two classes of membership: A - Life, and B - Annual.

A. Life membership - A life membership shall be issued upon the payment of the life membership fee as hereinafter set in the By-laws and such members shall be entitled to a copy of the annual proceedings of the Society.

B. Annual membership - An annual membership shall be issued upon payment of the annual fee as hereinafter set in the By-laws and such members shall be entitled to a copy of the annual proceedings of the Society.

Active memberships shall consist of annual members who have paid the current year’s dues, or of life members. Only active members hall be eligible to hold office in the Society.

Section 4. Officers - The elective officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and a board of six directors. At least five of the nine members of the Board of Directors shall be grape growers. The position of Ex Officio Director shall be filled by the previous president, who in the absence of any other member, shall then vote and be counted in the making of a quorum.

Section 5. Terms of Office - The terms of the offices of President, Vice President, and Treasurer shall be for one year, and the other directors three years, providing that of the first Board of Directors two shall serve for one year, two for two years, and two for three years. Thereafter two Directors shall be elected each year to succeed those retiring. No member shall serve in the offices of President, Vice President or Treasurer for more than three successive terms.

Section 6. Duties of Directors - Meetings - The Board of Directors shall have charge of all business of the Society, fix time and place for the annual and other meetings and prepare suitable programs.

Section 7. Duties of President, Vice President and Treasurer - The President, or in his absence the Vice President, or in both of their absences the Treasurer shall preside at all meetings. In the absence of the President, Vice President and Treasurer, the Secretary shall call the assembly to order and proceed to elect a President pro tempore. The Treasurer shall receive all monies due the Society and pay out the same on orders signed by the President.

Section 8. Duties of Secretary - The Board of Directors shall appoint a Secretary who shall keep all records of the proceedings of the meetings and carry on the general correspondence of the Society. The Secretary shall be a nonvoting member of the Board of Directors.

Section 9. Election - All elections shall be by ballot or acclamation at the annual meeting, active members alone voting.

Section 10. Committee - The Board of Directors shall appoint such committee as they think advisable, in addition to the permanent committees named in the By-laws

Section 11. Amendments - The Constitution and By-laws may be changed at any regular meeting by a majority vote of all active members present, notice of such change having been filed with the President 30 days prior to date of meeting, such notice being read by the President during the first session of the Society, or by unanimous consent at any regular meeting of the Society.

By-laws

Article 1. Meetings - The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors and shall call necessary meetings of the directors at his own instance or as agreed upon by the directors. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum.

Article 2. Fees - The life membership of the Society shall be $300.00, payable at the time of the annual meeting. Life memberships shall terminate at the end of 10 years after the date of issuance.

The Annual membership fee of the Society shall be $30.00 per year, payable at the time of the annual meeting.

Annual memberships may be purchased by Processors for growers at %25.00 per grower in a group of 20 or more payable at the time of the annual meeting.

Article 3. Vacancies - The Board of Directors shall fill all vacancies occurring in the elective offices until the next annual meeting.

A. Audits and Finance - The Board of Directors shall act as the Committee of Audits and Finance to audit the accounts of the Treasurer and to invest the funds of the Society.

B. Legislation - The Board of Directors shall be a committee on legislation to carry out the directions of the Society as expressed at its annual meeting in regard to legislation.

C. Nominations - A committee of five on nominations shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and announced by the President at the annual meeting. The duties of this committee shall be to select and place in nomination officers for the coming year.

D. Resolutions - A committee of five shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and announced by the President at the annual meeting to serve one year. One of these appointments shall be a member of the Board of Directors, who shall serve as chairman of the committee. The duties of this committee shall be to receive resolutions and submit to the general membership such resolutions as they believe should be acted upon by the general membership. Except for routine appreciation resolutions, each resolution shall be read once for information prior to its presentation to the membership for voting. The time of voting on such resolutions shall be stated by the Resolutions Committee at the time of the first reading. Resolutions shall be presented to the Resolutions Committee not later than twenty-four hours before they are to be considered at a scheduled business meeting.

E. Membership - A committee of five shall be appointed by the President for the ensuing year.

Article 5. Expulsion - Any member or officer may be expelled by a two-thirds vote of all members present at any meeting for not complying with the requirements of the Constitution and By-laws

Article 6. No part of the net earnings or income of the Society shall inure the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. In the event of termination or dissolution of the Society, all assets, funds and property remaining after payment of all debts and obligations of the Association shall be distributed to the Washington State University to be used for the benefit of the grape industry of the State of Washington in such manner as the President of the University shall determine; no portion thereof shall inure to the benefit of any private individual.