Bylaws
As amended November 15, 2005
ARTICLE I: NAME
This organization shall be known as the DALLAS BRANCH of the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this organization are the advancement of civil engineering knowledge and the practice for the betterment of mankind, the maintenance of high professional standards, cooperation with other engineering societies, and promotion of the effectiveness of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Texas Section and the Dallas Branch.
ARTICLE III: HEADQUARTERS
The headquarters of the Dallas Branch shall be located at the office of the Secretary.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. All members of the Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers of all grades, whose addresses are within the jurisdiction of the Dallas Branch as established by the Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers, or who shall select to be assigned to the Dallas Branch, shall be Assigned Members of the Dallas Branch.
Section 2. All Assigned Members of the Dallas Branch, Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers of all grades, subscribing to the Bylaws of the Dallas Branch, as evidenced by the payment of current dues of the Texas Section and the Dallas Branch, shall be Subscribing Members of the Dallas Branch.
ARTICLE V: DUES
Section 1. There shall be no entrance fees.
Section 2. The annual dues for Subscribing Members of the Dallas Branch shall be ten ($10.00) dollars, which are to be collected for the Dallas Branch by the Executive Secretary of the Texas Section and forwarded to the Dallas Branch. Student Members of the ASCE assigned to the Dallas Branch shall be considered Subscribing Members with no payment of annual dues required.
Section 3. Any subscribing Member whose dues are more than twelve months in arrears shall cease to be a Subscribing Member of the Dallas Branch, but may be reinstated upon the resumption of the payment of dues.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1. The regular meeting date of the Dallas Branch shall be the first Monday of each month at noon. Any date may be adjusted by the President to an alternative date to satisfy joint meetings with other groups or to avoid conflicts with holidays or other special events.
Section 2. The Annual Meeting of the Dallas Branch shall be in the month of October for the purpose of installing officers.
Section 3. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President with approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. At a meeting of the Dallas Branch, fifty Subscribing Members shall constitute a quorum and only Subscribing Members are eligible to vote.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of this organization shall be a Past President, President, a President-Elect, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Senior Director, a Younger Member Director who shall be a Younger Member as defined by the ASCE Official Register, and a Texas Section Director.
Section 2. Only Subscribing Members of the Dallas Branch shall be eligible to hold office.
Section 3. The term of office of each officer shall be one year, except for the Texas Section Director. The term of office of the Texas Section Director shall be two years.
Section 4. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled for the unexpired term by the President-Elect.
Section 5. A vacancy in the office of the President-Elect shall be filled by the Vice President.
Section 6. A vacancy in any of the other offices shall be filled for the unexpired term as appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 7. The President and President-Elect shall not be eligible to succeed themselves in their respective offices except when they are serving out an unexpired term.
ARTICLE VIII: NOMINATION, ELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The immediate Past President shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee and shall select a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall include one other Subscribing Member, and the President-Elect for a total committee of three persons.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall recommend one or more nominees for each of the offices to be filled and shall obtain consent of the nominees to serve if elected. The President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of the President without further nomination or election providing the President-Elect is willing and able to serve.
Section 3. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be read at the July meeting of the Dallas Branch.
Section 4. The election of the officers shall be conducted at the August meeting of the Dallas Branch in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes cast by Subscribing Members present and voting shall be declared elected.
Section 5. The installation of officers shall be conducted at the annual meeting of the Dallas Branch in the month of October.
Section 6. The Texas Section Director shall be elected in odd years for a term of two years.
ARTICLE IX: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The officers named in Article VII, Section 1 plus the immediate Past President shall constitute the Board of Directors of the Dallas Branch, Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers. A simple majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. The Board of Directors is hereby vested with the authority if necessary and shall be responsible for the general administration and management of the affairs and property of the Dallas Branch, subject to the Constitution of the Texas Section and these Bylaws.
Section 3. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for adopting and maintaining the Texas Section Rules of Operation and Dallas Branch Guidelines. The Rules of Operation and Dallas Brach Guidelines shall include working policies and procedures which are deemed essential to the efficiency, consistency, and continuity of the operation of the Dallas Branch.
Section 4. All committee chair appointments shall be made by the President.
Section 5. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such times and locations as determined by the President.
ARTICLE X: COMMITTEES
Section 1. There shall be two types of committees, Standing Committees and Task Committees.
Section 2. Standing Committees shall be those concerned with matters of continuing interest to the Dallas Branch and the Texas Section. Standing Committees shall continue to function each year.
Section 3. Task Committees shall be those concerned with execution of a specific task. These committees shall function with constant membership, except for necessary replacements, until the task is completed and the committee discharged.
Section 4. The following are the Dallas Branch Standing Committees and their duties..
a) Program Committee. The Program Committee shall be responsible for establishing regular meeting keynote speakers.
b) Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for promoting membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Texas Section and the Dallas Branch. The Chair shall serve as a member of the Membership Committee of the Texas Section.
c) Younger Member Committee. The Younger Member Committee shall promote the participation and development of younger members in society activities.
d) Education Committee. The Education Committee shall be responsible for promoting non-technical education.
e) Student Chapter Committee. The Student Chapter Committee shall attend student meetings, serve as a liaison between the Branch and the student chapter(s) and be of assistance to the civil engineering department.
f) History and Heritage Committee. The History and Heritage Committee shall endeavor to collect and preserve items of historical interest, identify potential “Landmarks”, and maintain a written history of the Dallas Branch. The Chair shall serve as liaison with the History and Heritage Committee of the Texas Section.
g) Newsletter Committee. The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for editing, publishing, and distributing the newsletter of the Dallas Branch.
h) Scholarship Committee. The Scholarship Committee shall be responsible for advertising the existence of the fund to members and local area high schools to encourage local scholarship applicants, and for selecting the scholarship recipients from the applications received. The Scholarship shall be named G.B. Mann Scholarship.
i) Honors Committee. The Honors Committee shall recommend Dallas Branch members to the Board of Directors for local, state, regional and national awards, including recommendations for Outstanding Engineering Achievement awards.
j) Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for recommending Dallas Branch members to the Board of Directors for nomination to serve as Dallas Branch and Texas Section officers.
k) Past Presidents Committee. The Past Presidents Committee shall be responsible to advise the President as requested and to perform other duties as assigned.
ARTICLE XI: INSTITUTES
The Board of Directors may, from time to time, establish within the Dallas Branch Institutes to provide technical education to the Dallas Branch. Technical Institute Chairs shall be appointed by the technical group members.
ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended at any properly constituted meeting of the Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote, provided that a notice of such proposed amendment shall have been given at a previous meeting of the Board, and provided further, that the Secretary shall have furnished a copy of such a proposed amendment to each member of the Board of Directors at least ten days in advance of the meeting at which action is to be taken.
Section 2. A change in the Bylaws may be initiated by a petition to the Board of Directors for a change signed by ten Subscribing Members of the Dallas Branch.
Section 3. All Bylaws shall be in effect immediately upon a favorable vote in accordance with the requirement of Section 1 above.
ARTICLE XIII: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 1. No part of the assets of the Dallas Branch shall inure to the benefit of any private individual. The Dallas Branch shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section 2. Upon the dissolution of the Dallas Branch of the Texas Section, the assets remaining after the payment of the debts of the Dallas Branch shall be distributed to the Texas Section for its exclusive use in carrying out its objectives and purposes.
ARTICLE XIV. RULES OF OPERATION
Section 1. The Board of Direction shall be responsible for adopting and maintaining the Dallas Branch Rules of Operation.
Section 2. The Dallas Branch Rules of Operation shall include specific duties of officers and the Texas Section Director, working guidelines, policies, and procedures which are deemed essential to the efficiency, consistency, and continuity of the operation of the Dallas Branch.
Section 3. These Dallas Branch Rules of Operation may be amended at any properly constituted meeting of the Board of Directors, by a simple majority vote.
ARTICLE XIV. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Dallas Branch shall be from October 1 through September 30.
Section 2. An annual budget of estimated income and expenses shall be adopted by the Board of Directors prior to the second quarter of the fiscal year.
Section 3. An independent party, appointed by the outgoing President and approved by the Board, shall review and audit the accounts annually in accordance with the procedures directed by the Texas Section, which shall be presented to the Board of Directors for acceptance.
Section 4. It is the policy of the Board of Directors that financial reserves, exclusive of dedicated funds, be maintained to provide, as nearly as possible, one-half (½) of the current fiscal year’s budgeted operating expenses, but no less than one-quarter (¼) of the current fiscal year’s budgeted operating expenses. Exceptions to this policy must be authorized by the Board of Directors. When two (2) year projections indicate that the reserves will fall below the limits specified, a Finance Committee, chaired by a Past-President of the Branch, will develop a program of remedial actions for recommendation to the Board of Directors.
