Bylaws

ARTICLE I

Name and Objectives

Section 1. The name of this association is the North American Agricultural Journalists. It was founded in 1952 and was initially called the Newspaper Farm Editors of America and later the National Association of Agricultural Journalists.

Section 2. The objectives of the association are to promote the professional status of journalists with an interest in agriculture, to encourage high standards in professional news writing and editing, to emphasize the importance of agricultural news in coverage of the North American scene and to provide a vehicle for fellowship and professional improvement.

ARTICLE II

Membership and Dues

Section 1. Active membership in the association is open to journalists with a professional interest in agriculture, whose principal employment is in reporting and/or editing news, are either employees of newspapers, magazines, wire or syndicated services (whether printed or online), or freelance for such news operations, and work independently from agricultural organizations and businesses. Prior to acceptance, the executive secretary-treasurer can ask for more information about a potential member. Persons who are active members at retirement are eligible to continue their membership.

Section 2: Emeritus membership. Persons who are active members at retirement are eligible to continue their membership as emeritus members.

Section 3. Prospective members shall apply to the executive secretary-treasurer. Those persons not clearly meeting the criteria in Section 1 will not be accepted immediately, but their applications will be reviewed by the executive board.

Section 4. Associate membership is open to former members and any persons who do not meet the criteria in Section 1 but whose principal work is in agricultural communications, whether for profit, nonprofit, governmental or educational entities. Associate members will pay the same annual dues as active members. They are invited to attend and participate in all general meetings and other association events and have all other privileges of membership except to vote in meetings and hold office.

Section 5. Honorary membership. By election, the association may confer honorary membership upon persons who have made exceptional contributions to agricultural journalism or to this association. Election must come on the recommendation by the executive committee and must be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the active members voting at an annual meeting. Election of honorary members shall be limited to not more than two each year. Honorary members have the same privileges as their previous membership status, except that they pay no dues.

Section 6. Dues. The annual dues of this association, payable by all active, emeritus and associate members, shall set by a two-thirds vote of the members voting at an annual meeting and thereafter changed only in the same manner. Dues are payable for the calendar year.

ARTICLE III

Contracts, Check and Deposits

Section 1. The members of this association may authorize any officer, officers, agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the association upon a two-thirds vote of the membership present at any regular or special meeting of the membership.

Section 2. All funds of the association not otherwise employed shall be deposited to the credit of the association in such bank or depository as the executive committee may select.

ARTICLE IV

Officers and Committees of the Association

Section 1. The officers of the association shall be a president, a first vice president, five regional vice presidents, all elected for a term of one year at each annual meeting, and an executive secretary-treasurer. All shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified.

Section 2. For the purpose of electing regional vice presidents, the following regions are established:

Midwest – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin

West – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Northeast – Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Washington, D.C.

Southeast – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia

Canada – all provinces and territories in Canada

Section 3. All association officers must be active members in good standing, except for the executive secretary-treasurer. Members may, by a simple majority vote at the annual meeting, authorize the president, first vice president and regional vice presidents to form a management committee of at least four members to hire an executive secretary-treasurer. The management committee shall also be responsible for establishing standards of performance and for an annual evaluation of the performance of the executive secretary-treasurer. It will have the power to fire the executive secretary-treasurer for nonperformance of duties as listed in Section 9 of this Article. The paid, nonmember executive secretary-treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of the executive committee and nominating committee. The executive-treasurer can also be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the members of the association at an annual meeting.

If the association does not hire a non-member as executive secretary-treasurer, that officer must also be a member in good standing and shall be elected by the membership at the annual meeting. If so elected, the executive secretary-treasurer shall be a voting member of the executive and nominating committees.

Nomination of association officers will be made by a nominating committee of five past presidents who are active members. The executive secretary-treasurer is responsible for contacting 5 prior presidents to be the nominating committee each year.

Section 4. The president, the first vice president, the regional vice presidents and the executive secretary-treasurer shall constitute the executive committee of the association between general meetings and will perform such duties as are assigned to it by these bylaws and by action of the membership.

Section 5. Newly elected officers will take office at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected.

Section 6. The president shall preside at all meetings and shall be chairman of the executive committee.

Section 7. The first vice president shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president and shall succeed to the office of president in case of inability of the president to serve out his or her term.

Section 8. The regional vice presidents shall serve as members of the executive committee and are charged with responsibilities for membership, and association activities in their respective regions.

Section 9. The executive secretary-treasurer shall keep the minutes of the meetings and of the executive committee. He or she shall keep a register of the membership together with the contact information of each member and in general perform all duties related to the office of secretary. He or she shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the association, receive and give receipts for money due and payable to the association, deposit all such money in the name of the association in such banks or other depositories as approved by the executive committee, make payments on behalf of the association with the approval of the president and in general perform all duties incidental to the office of the treasurer. Certification by the executive-secretary as to the action of the association shall be sufficient evidence to authorize payment. He or she shall make a financial report to the association during each annual meeting. He or she shall have an expense account and be paid a stipend subject to review and adjustment at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE V

Meetings

Section 1. The annual meeting of the association shall be held in April of each year with the date and location designated by the president. At the meeting, officers shall be elected, the actions of the executive committee presented for confirmation and such other business transacted as may be brought before the meeting.

Section 2. Additional general or regional meetings may be called by the president at the instruction of the executive committee.

ARTICLE VI

Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed and new bylaws may be adopted at any annual meeting of the association by a two-thirds vote of members present.

Section 2. Proposed bylaw amendments or efforts to repeal must be submitted in writing to the president at least 60 days in advance of the date of an annual meeting and be considered by the executive committee and carry its recommendation when it is submitted for action by the association membership.