Fbla Bylaws Questions and Answers

Fbla Bylaws Questions and Answers Article 1 (name) The name of this division of FBLA-PBL, Inc. shall be "Future Business Leaders of America" and may be referred to as "FBLA. Article 2 purpose Article 2 Section 1 The purpose of FBLA is to provide, as an integral part of the instructional program, additional opportunities for secondary students (grades 9-12) in business and/or business-related fields to develop vocational and career supportive competencies and to promote civic and personal responsibilities. Article 2 Section 2 The specific goals of FBLA are to: • develop competent, aggressive business leadership; • strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and their work; • create more interest in and understanding of American business enterprise; • encourage members in the development of individual projects which contribute to the improvement of home, business, and community; • develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism; • encourage and practice efficient money management; • encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty; • assist students in the establishment of occupational goals; • facilitate the transition from school to work. Article 3 Membership Article 3 Section 1 FBLA membership shall consist of members of chartered local chapters. These members shall hold membership in their state and national chapters. Individual members shall be recognized only through a state chapter of FBLA except that, in the case where there is no state chapter, the member shall be recognized by the national office. Article 3 Section 2 National FBLA, as well as the state and local chapters, shall be open for membership to these classes of members: -Active members -Professional members -Honorary Life members -National Honorary Life members Active members secondary students who become members while enrolled in business and/or businessrelated fields, who accept the purpose of FBLA, subscribe to its creed, demonstrate willingness to contribute to good schoolcommunity relations, and possess qualities for employment. Active members shall pay dues as established by FBLA and may participate in national events, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Awards Program, serve as voting delegates to the National Leadership Conference, hold national office in accordance with Article VI, and otherwise represent their state and local chapters as approved by their respective state and local advisers. Professional members persons associated with or participating in the professional development of FBLA as approved by state chapters. Such members may include local and state chapter advisers, business teachers, business teacher educators, state supervisors of business and office education, employers or supervisors of cooperative work- training students, advisory council members, businesspersons, and other persons contributing to the growth and development of FBLA. Professional members shall pay dues as established by FBLA; but shall not participate in events, serve as voting delegates, or hold office Honorary life members may be elected to a state or local chapter by a majority vote. They shall be persons who are assisting in the advancement of business and office education and/or who are rendering outstanding service to FBLA-PBL, Inc. Honorary Life members shall not vote or hold office and shall not be required to pay dues. National honorary life members may be recommended by the membership and shall be accepted upon approval by the board of directors of FBLA-PBL, Inc. They shall be persons making significant contributions to the field of business and office education and/or to the growth and development of FBLA-PBL, Inc. National Honorary Life members shall not vote or hold office and shall not be required to pay dues. Article 4 dues and finance Article 4 Section 1 National dues based on fiscal reports by the national center, and on recommendation by the national executive council and the board of directors, shall be determined by a majority vote of the state voting delegates at the National Leadership Conference. National dues of members shall be forwarded directly to the FBLA national office or shall be submitted through state chapters at the discretion of the state chapter. Article 4 Section 2 Annual dues from 1990 through 1993 shall be $5.00. Annual dues from 1994 until reconsidered shall be $6.00. Article 4 Section 3 The affairs and property of FBLA shall be managed by the board of directors, which shall have the powers and duties of a board of directors, according to the current D.C. Code Article 4 Section 4 The association president and chief executive officer shall administer all FBLA finances, submit an annual budget to the board of directors for approval, and provide the board of directors and members with an annual audit. Article 4 Section 5 The fiscal year of the Future Business Leaders of America shall be July 1 through June 30. Article 5 organization Article 5 Section 1 FBLA shall be an association of state and local chapters, each operating in accordance with a charter granted by FBLA- PBL, Inc. Only chapters that have received charters and numbers issued by FBLA-PBL, Inc. and that are currently in good standing, shall be referred to as "Future Business Leaders of America" or "FBLA." Article 5 Section 2 . The board of directors of FBLA-PBL, Inc. shall serve as the policymaking body of this organization and derives its authority from the Articles of Incorporation of FBLA-PBL, Inc. and the laws of the District of Columbia. It may be referred to as the board of directors. Members of the board of directors shall be nominated by state chairmen and elected by the local FBLA-PBL chapters of their respective regions for three- year terms in accordance with the nominating and voting procedures determined by the board of directors. Article 5 Section 3 The administration of FBLA shall be vested in the association president and chief executive officer of FBLA-PBL, Inc. Article 5 Section 4 There shall be a national executive council, which shall make recommendations to the board of directors and perform other duties as prescribed in these bylaws. Article 5 Section 5 There shall be five administrative regions: 1. Eastern 2.Southern 3. Mountain-Plains 4.North Central 5. Western Eastern Region Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, DoDDS-E (Europe), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virgin Islands. Southern Region Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. North Central of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Mountain-Plains Region of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Western Region Alaska, Arizona, California, Canal Zone, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington Article 5 Section 6 State chapter charters shall be issued upon approval of the board of directors. A state chapter shall have at least five local chapters with all members holding national membership in FBLA and hold one annual meeting to elect state officers and conduct business in order to qualify for a charter. Each state chapter shall have a state committee composed of professional educators in the areas of business and office occupations. Article 5 Section 7 A state committee chairman shall be recommended by the association president and chief executive officer and approved by the board of directors. Article 5 Section 8 . Each local chapter shall have an adviser who shall be a faculty member who believes in the mission and goals of the association. A local chapter may have as many special-emphasis groups under the chapter charter as it deems necessary to meet the interests of all students. The local chapter of FBLA shall assume full responsibility for coordinating the program for these interest groups Article 6 Officers and elections Article 6 Section 1 National Officers. The national elected officers of FBLA shall be a president, five vice presidents representing the respective regions, a secretary, and a treasurer Article 6 Section 2A Qualifications for National Office. A. Only active members are eligible to hold national office. Article 6 Section 2B Only those applicants who are present at the National Leadership Conference and officially certified by the officer screening committee shall be eligible for nomination. Article 6 Section 2C C. To be considered for an office in FBLA, a candidate shall: 1. Have at least one full year remaining in his/her business program. 2. Hold or have held an elective office in his/her local or state chapter. 3. Be recommended by the chapter advisers and endorsed by his/her local and state chapters. 4. File an official application with the association president and chief executive officer at FBLA-PBL, Inc. by May 15. a. If no state chapter submits an applicant for a particular office by the May 15 deadline, then the deadline for the particular office shall be extended to June 15. b. Applicants for national office who become candidates for office as of the second deadline shall have to prepare a campaign for office like all other candidates, including a requirement to pass the officer screening committee and caucus in state chapter meetings. c. If no candidates are submitted for a particular office by the first or second deadline, then candidates may apply for office at the National Leadership Conference and shall comply with all guidelines that other candidates comply with during the conference. 5. Candidates for secretary must possess the ability to take minutes and must have completed one year of typewriting/keyboarding instruction by the time of their election at the National Leadership Conference. 6. Candidates for treasurer must have completed one year of accounting, bookkeeping, or record keeping by the time of their election at the National Leadership Conference Article 6 Section 3A Nominations. A. The president, secretary, and treasurer shall be nominated by a state chapter at a general session of the National Leadership Conference. The national vice presidents representing the regions shall be nominated by a state chapter at their respective regional meetings at the National Leadership Conference Article 6 Section 3B Only candidates approved by the officer screening committee shall be nominated. Article 6 Section 4A The president, secretary, and treasurer shall be elected annually at a general session of the National Leadership Conference by the state voting delegates. The national vice presidents representing the regions shall be elected annually at their respective regional meetings at the National Leadership Conference by the local voting delegates of the respective regions Article 6 Section 4B The president, secretary, and treasurer shall be elected by a ballot vote of the state voting delegates. The national vice presidents shall be elected by a ballot vote by the local voting delegates of respective regions. A majority vote shall be required for elections. If no candidate for an office receives a majority vote on the third vote, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that vote shall be dropped from the fourth vote. If necessary, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that vote shall be dropped from each subsequent vote until one candidate receives a majority of the votes. Article 6 Section 4C No two national officers shall be elected from the same state chapter Article 6 Section 5 Term of Office. National officers shall be elected for one year or until their successors are elected or appointed, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the National Leadership Conference at which they were selected.