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SEI Philadelphia BYLAWS

BYLAWS for the  Structural Engineering Institute Chapter of the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers

Article I:  Name and Objectives

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be Structural Engineering Institute Chapter, Philadelphia Section, American Society of Civil Engineers, hereinafter referred to as “Philadelphia SEI” or “the Chapter.”
Section 2: The objectives of Philadelphia SEI shall be:
a.      Advance the science, practice and profession of structural engineering in a manner consistent with the purpose of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
b.       Conduct seminars, symposia and other presentations for members who are interested in the topic of structural engineering.
c.       Promote engineering education among students.
d.       Cultivate friendly relations among engineers in the structural field, and cooperation with engineers in other fields.
e.       Assist the public in obtaining dependable structural engineering services.
f.        Maintain professional standards.   Communicate the ethics, standards, goals and accomplishments of the Philadelphia SEI to structural engineers, related professionals, government and the public.

Section 3: Philadelphia SEI is organized within the American Society of Civil Engineers Philadelphia Section, hereinafter referred to as “ASCE Philadelphia Section.”  The actions of the Structural Engineering Institute Chapter shall be consistent with the provisions as set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of the ASCE Philadelphia Section.

Article II:  Membership

Section 1:  Membership is open to all members of the American Society of Structural Engineers and/or members of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute, who subscribe to the rules of the Chapter and who have satisfied current dues requirements of the Chapter.
Section 2:  Individual Members in good standing may be appointed to Philadelphia SEI committees.  Individual Members in good standing may qualify for a position on the Philadelphia SEI Board of Directors after holding membership in the Philadelphia SEI for a period of one year.
Section 3:  For Non-Member participation, conferences and other organized activities of the Philadelphia SEI shall be open to all persons with an interest in the structural industry through payment of designated fees.

Article III:  Dues and Finances

Section 1:  Annual dues shall be established by the Chapter Board of Directors and set forth in the Bylaws of the Chapter.
Section 2:  A Member whose dues are not in arrears shall be considered in good standing.
Section 3:  A Member whose dues are more than 3 months in arrears shall be considered not in good standing and can be removed from any office or committee by action of the Board of Directors.
Section 4:  No dues will be refunded.
Section 5:  Fees for meetings and conferences will be set by the Board of Directors.  Officers of the Philadelphia SEI Board of Directors shall pay at least the nominal cost for Philadelphia SEI events, provided that their employer reimburses the expenses.  If the employer does not reimburse expenses, the fees for such Officers shall be covered by the Philadelphia SEI general funds account. Nominal cost is defined as the per-person cost of meal plus venue (if applicable) that Philadelphia SEI pays providers to host a given event.
Section 6:  The fiscal year shall be October 1 through September 30.

Article IV:  Board of Directors

Section 1: The government of the Philadelphia SEI shall be vested in the Board of Directors.
Section 2: The Board of Directors shall be composed of members of the Chapter.
Section 3:  Each Officer on the Board of Directors shall be a member for the Chapter in good standing throughout the term of service.  The Chair or the designated representative to the ASCE Philadelphia Section shall also be a member of the ASCE Philadelphia Section.
Section 4: The Officers of the Board shall be Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Program Director, Director of Public Relations, and Assistant Director of Public Relations.  The immediate Past Chair shall be a non-voting member of the Board.
Section 5:  The Officers shall rotate upward through the positions of: Assistant Director of Public Relations, Director of Public Relations, Program Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair, and Chair.
Section 6: Except for the first Board, whose members will serve for two years, all Officers will serve for a term of one year, beginning at the close of the Section's Annual Meeting (in May of each year) and continuing until the next election.  The term of office shall match the Chapter’s fiscal year.   
Section 7: The duties of Officers shall include the following:
a.       Chair: Presides over Chapter meetings. Ex-officio member of all subcommittees. Coordinates Chapter activities. Establishes and distributes agenda for each Board meeting. Represents the Chapter as a member of the ASCE Philadelphia Section Board of Directors. Submits periodic reports to the Board regarding programs and activities of the Chapter.
b.       Vice Chair: Assists Chair. Presides over Chapter meetings in absence of the Chair.
c.       Treasurer: Responsible for fiduciary matters for the Chapter. Responsible for the collection of fees at activities and disbursements to cover costs. Extraordinary costs and contracts require approval of the Board of Directors. Submits a financial report at each Board of Directors meeting. Maintains a book of yearly accounts. Annually submits the Philadelphia SEI annual report to the ASCE Philadelphia Section Treasurer as requested by the ASCE Philadelphia Section Treasurer.
d.       Secretary: Keeps minutes of the meetings and distributes them prior to the next meeting. Prepares and sends other correspondence as directed by the Chair. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the Chapter and the Board and shall inform the Chair and the Board from time to time of duties to be performed at stated times or intervals.
The Secretary shall issue all calls, notices, renewals, etc., as instructed by the Board and/or the Chair and shall have custody of all books, papers and records. The Secretary shall maintain a complete record of past members of the Board and Nominating Committees for the purpose of establishing eligibility for appointment or election.
e.       Program Director: Responsible for  all arrangements for the monthly membership programs.  This includes arranging for the speaker (with suggestions and assistance provided by other Board members); obtaining the topic summary and speaker biography for the announcement and newsletter; and making venue arrangements (hall rental, equipment, food and beverages) with the assistance of the Treasurer.  Coordinates publication of the meeting details with the Director of Public Relations.
f.        Director of Public Relations: Responsible for publicity. Oversees the Chapter website and contacts with supporting businesses and organizations. Handles distribution of announcements to the Chapter membership and other interested parties for monthly meetings.  Collects reservations for meetings and other events.
g.       Assistant Director of Public Relations:  Responsible to aid the Director of Public Relations in the compilation of event information, distribution of communications from the Chapter, collection of attendance replies to Chapter events, and staffing the sign-in area at Chapter events.
h.       Immediate Past Chair: As requested, provides oversight and guidance of Board and Chapter proceedings.  Typically does not attend regular Board of Director meetings, but may choose to participate if so requested or desired.  Remains an active member of the Chapter throughout the course of the year in which this position is held.

Section 8: The Board shall develop a Long Range Plan for the Chapter that is in keeping with the mission of the SEI. The Long Range Plan shall be updated annually.

Section 9: The Vice Chair shall fill a vacancy in the office of Chair. Other vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the Board of Directors.

Section 10: At meetings of the Board of Directors, one-half of the total number of Board members shall constitute a quorum.

Article V:  Nomination and Appointment of Officers

Section 1:  The Board of Directors shall collectively serve as the Nominating Committee.
Section 2:  The Nominating Committee shall choose one or more candidates for election to incoming Assistant Director of Public Relations position and any vacant Board of Director positions.
Section 3: Nominees shall agree to serve before the Annual Chapter Meeting  is held.  If a nominee declines or does not respond, the Nominating Committee shall find an alternate candidate.
Section 4:  The Board of Directors shall be responsible for evaluation of proposed candidates, including seeking references from fellow members and design professional as to the character and competence of the proposed.
Section 5:  A member of the Chapter may make a nomination for any open position.  The nomination shall be endorsed (seconded) by no less than two other members of the Chapter in order to be considered for office.  All nominations and endorsements must be made by members of the Section in good standing..
Section 6:  Proposed candidates shall be appointed to their roles upon a majority vote for approval by the Board of Directors.

Article VI:  Committees

Section 1:  Committees shall be convened as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors or at the request of members.  Potential committees include, but are not limited to, an Annual Golf Outing Committee and a Scholarship Committee.  This does not include the Nominating Committee which shall remain intact perpetually.
Section 2:  The Chair each year shall appoint committee chairs and members as needed to operate the Chapter. Committee chairs and committee members shall be members of the Chapter in good standing.
Section 3:  The Chair shall appoint such other committees as are from time to time deemed necessary.
Section 4:  Committee chairs shall provide reports to the Board for review.  Any proposed actions require approval by the Board or a vote by the Chapter membership.

Article VII:  Meetings

Section 1: Chapter meetings shall be offered monthly from September through May.  Additional meetings may be offered.  Meetings shall be held on such date and at such place as the Board of Directors designate.
Section 2:  As often as possible, Chapter meetings shall include a technical presentation that will earn attendees credit toward professional development.
Section 3:  All business meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, except as provided in these Bylaws.
Section 4:  Board of Directors Meetings
a.       The Chapter’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held in July or August of each year to conduct any business that might properly come before the Board.  The place and date of the meeting shall be fixed by the Chair of the Board.  All Officers shall be given at least fifteen days’ notice of Board meetings.  Notice may be given personally, by first class mail, confirmed facsimile, or by confirmed electronic mail.  Agenda items shall be distributed by the new Chair to all Officers at least 5 days in advance of the meeting.
b.       Special meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair or Vice Chair at any time upon the request of any two Officers.  Board meetings shall be held monthly (at a minimum) until the entire year’s calendar is established and coordinated for each Officer’s responsibilities.
c.       At all meetings of the Board, the act of a simple majority of the Officers present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by these Bylaws or other applicable instrument or law.  If at any meeting there is less than a quorum present, the presiding Officer may adjourn the meeting to another time and place.
d.       Members of the Board may participate in a meeting of the Board by conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
e.       Any Officer who does not attend three consecutive meetings of the Board will automatically be removed from the Board at of the conclusion of such third meeting, unless retained by a majority vote of the Board before the conclusion of such third meeting.

Article VIII:  Amendments

Section 1:  Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall first be submitted to the Chapter Board of Directors for approval.
Section 2:  Upon acceptance by the Board, the proposed amendments, accompanied by a copy of the current bylaws, shall be simultaneously submitted to the ASCE Philadelphia Section Board and the SEI Secretary for approval.  If there is no response after two meetings of the ASCE Philadelphia Section Board, or no response from SEI after 90 days, approval shall be assumed.
Section 3:  Upon approval by SEI and ASCE Philadelphia Section, the proposed amendments shall be published on the Chapter website, or by separate mailer/email to all Chapter members, no less than fourteen calendar days prior to the meeting in which they will be put to a vote.
Section 4:  The amendments shall be approved by a simple majority of the members in good standing present at the meeting, and shall immediately go into effect. 
Section 5:  The most recent version of approved by-laws shall be posted on the Chapter website.

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