Jones County Safe & Healthy Youth Coalition By-Laws

Section 1:  Membership

The Coalition desires to have a diverse membership; including but not limited to schools, businesses, governmental units, service agencies, civic groups, religious institutions, or special interest groups serving those who live or work in Jones County.   In addition, any person living or working in Jones County is eligible for membership.  Persons or organizations interested in being a member of the Coalition must adhere to the purposes of the Coalition.

Section 2:  Voting Rights

1. A.     Organizational Voting Rights

Each member organization is entitled to one vote.  An organization wishing voting rights on the Coalition must complete a membership form and designate an official representative.  Designees of organizations must attend two consecutive Coalition meetings prior to first voting.  Voting rights are conveyed following initial attendance at two consecutive meetings.  Reassignment of voting rights may be made only to another designee of a member organization with notification to the executive committee.  The Coalition staff does not vote.

1. B.     Individual Voting Rights

Individuals wishing voting rights on the Coalition must complete a membership form to participate, and must attend two consecutive Coalition meetings prior to first voting.  Voting rights are conveyed following initial attendance at two consecutive meetings.

1. C.     Committee Voting Rights

Voting during a committee meeting shall be limited to members of that committee. Voting during an executive committee meeting shall be limited to members of the executive committee.

Section 3:  Duties

All members of the Coalition shall:

1. Maintain a close relationship with Coalition officers, staff, and committee heads in order to fulfill the responsibilities of committee membership.
2. Serve, if feasible, on standing committees and ad hoc committees of the Coalition.
3. Cooperate with Coalition officers, staff, and committee heads in developing Coalition reports, papers, and projects.
4. Respond promptly to correspondence in order to aid ongoing committee activities.
5. Make suggestions to Coalition officers, staff and committee heads regarding Coalition projects and programs.
6. Encourage interested organizations of the community to apply for membership in the Coalition.
7. Keep the Coalition secretary informed of address changes, and other relevant contact information.
8. Attend all meetings of the Coalition if possible.

1. D.     Coalition Proxy Email Voting

1)      The Jones County Safe and Healthy Youth Coalition recognizes that on occasion decisions will need to be made by the Coalition within a short period of time.

2)      The Coalition further recognizes that due to time constraints it may not be practical or possible to hold a special meeting so as to cast a vote in person.

3)       In consideration of the above statements, the Coalition shall have the authority, and in limited situations, to conduct proxy voting by email under the following conditions:

a)      The issue underlying the vote shall be of a nature that cannot be postponed until the next regular coalition meeting.

b)      The proxy email vote shall be approved by a majority of the Executive Board prior to the initiation of the vote pursuant to Section C.

c)      The proxy email vote shall only be initiated by the Project Coordinator or the President.

d)      The relevant information pertaining to the vote must be provided to all registered coalition members 24 hours prior to the votes being requested.  Non-registered members will be unable to cast a proxy email vote.

e)      All email votes must be emailed directly to the requesting party within 24 hours of the request.  Email votes cast after 24 hours of the vote request will not be considered.  Email votes sent to another person other than the requesting party will not be considered.

f)       In the event someone does not have access to email, they may contact the requesting party by phone to cast their proxy vote.

Section 4:  Termination of Membership

Members may be terminated from membership by action of two-thirds of the Coalition members present and voting.  All voting members, including the member in question, must be notified in writing at least seven days before such a vote is taken.

Section 5:  Resignation

A Coalition member may resign at any time by submitting a letter of resignation to the executive committee.

Section 1:  Officers

Officers of the Coalition shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.  The Project Coordinator is an ex officio, nonvoting officer.

Section 2:  Duties of Officers

1. Duties of the President

1. Serve as chairperson of the executive committee.
2. Serve as chairperson of the Coalition and preside at any and all of its meetings.
3. Approve agenda for all meetings of the Coalition in collaboration with the Project Coordinator.
4. Direct preparation of and submit an annual report on Coalition activities in collaboration with the Secretary and Project Coordinator to the Coalition membership.
5. Negotiate, sign, and execute contracts and other documents on behalf of the Coalition, with the consent of the executive committee.

1. Duties of Vice President
   1. Serve as a member of the executive committee.
   2. Preside at meetings of the Coalition in the temporary absence of the president.
   3. Assume the duties of the president in the event of that person’s prolonged absence, resignation, or death.

4.  May assume the duties of the president for the year following the vice presidential term.

1. Duties of the Immediate Past President
2. Serve as a member of the executive committee.
3. Serve as chairperson for recruitment of future officers.
4. Serve as parliamentarian.
5. Advise the current president as appropriate.
6. After serving as immediate past president, this member can be re-elected to an open position on the Executive Committee.

1. Duties of the Secretary
2. Serve as a member of the executive committee.
3. Conduct correspondence of the Coalition with the approval of the executive committee as needed.
4. Record and distribute minutes of all meetings.
5. Send copies of correspondence to appropriate Coalition members.
6. Maintain an up-to-date directory of Coalition members.
7. Maintain a permanent file of business meetings and records to be turned over to the next secretary.

7.  Prepare the annual Coalition report, in cooperation with the President and Project Coordinator.

1. Duties of the Treasurer
2. Serve as a member of the executive committee.
3. Annually provide the executive committee with a budget of estimated expenditures required to conduct business and activities.  In partnership with the fiscal agent, the treasurer shall do the following remaining duties:
4. Allocate and disperse expense funds.
5. Maintain accurate records of expenses and income.
6. Submit records and reports to funding sources and appropriate government agencies as required.
7. Present an annual financial report to the executive committee and an annual financial summary to the membership.

1. Duties of At-Large Member of the Executive Committee
2. Represent the general membership of the Coalition at executive committee meetings.
3. Attend executive committee meetings.

1. Duties of the Project Coordinator
2. Serve as an ex officio member of the executive committee.
3. Facilitate the activities of the Coalition.
4. Supervise the comprehensive needs assessment.
5. Coordinate the process for developing a self-sustaining, multifaceted prevention program.
6. Disseminate information about the Coalition.
7. Network with federal, state, and local prevention organizations and agencies.
8. Manage the Coalition officers
9. Track legislation and make recommendations regarding legislative issues.
10. Identify and contract with outside services.

10.  Assist with establishing and conducting program evaluation.

11.  Prepare and submit reports to funding sources and appropriate government agencies, as required.

1. Duties of the Project Director

1.  Supervise the accomplishment of grant requirements by the Coalition.

2.  Oversee and assist with grant documentation and reporting.

3.  Provide budget management for grant expenditures as identified in the annual coalition   budget.

4.  Assist with resource development and management for coalition funding sources.

5.  Provide oversight for collection and reporting of in kind contributions.

6.  Ensure fiscal responsibilities for existing funding are fulfilled

1. Ex-officio members

1. Ex-officio members may be appointed to Executive Committee by the Executive Committee.

Section 3:  Terms of Office

The president, vice president and immediate past president shall serve one-year terms.  The vice president may assume the office of president following the vice presidential term.  The secretary, treasurer, and member-at-large shall serve two-year terms. The secretary and treasurer shall be elected on alternate years.

Section 4:  Removal of Officers and Members-At-Large

Any member of the executive committee may be asked to vacate his/her position on the  committee if he/she has three (3) absences from regularly scheduled meetings during a twelve month period  Any member may petition the executive committee for removal of an officer or member-at-large.  If the petition for removal is approved by a majority vote of the executive committee, a membership vote shall be taken at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Coalition.  A two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting is required for removal.  Members must be notified of the vote a minimum of seven days in advance or given notice at a monthly general membership meeting that such a vote will take place at the next monthly general membership meeting.  The person in question may attend and vote in the removal proceedings.

Section 1:  Members of the Executive Committee

The executive committee shall consist of the past president, president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and one at-large member of the Coalition elected on a rotating basis, one per year.  The Project Coordinator is an ex officio, nonvoting member of the executive committee.

Section 2:  Duties of the Executive Committee

The duties of the executive committee are:

1. To streamline the decision making of the Coalition by reviewing issues, prioritizing relevant points of information related to the issue, and by making a recommendation or recommendations for decision making by the larger Coalition membership within the context of the policies of the organization.
2. To transact orderly and routine business between regular Coalition membership meetings.
3. To serve as a supervisory group for the Coalition paid staff person.
4. To encourage participation in a meaningful way by nonvoting Coalition members.
5. To ensure that the larger Coalition membership remains on task in meeting its goals and objectives on a consistent basis.
6. To present an annual plan of action, budget and submission of any funding grants, to be considered and voted on by the membership.
7. To oversee the work of standing and ad hoc committees.
8. To monitor and evaluate the work of the professional staff.

In the event of the dissolution of the Coalition, its assets remaining after payment of, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities shall be distributed to such corporations as are organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes and which have established this tax exempt status under Section 501 c (3) of the Internal Revenue code as the executive committee shall determine.

Section 1.  Fiscal Agent

1. Funding for coalition projects may come from a variety of sources within the parameters of Article XIV, Contributions.  The Area Substance Abuse Council will serve as the fiscal agent for all funding given to the coalition unless the coalition approves a new fiscal agent for additional funds.  This can be done through a majority vote using approved voting procedures as identified within these by-laws.
2. The Area Substance Abuse Council will oversee and ensure all funding decisions made by the coalition in order to meet all Federal guidelines for administration of grant funds.  Only allowable expenses directly related to and consistent with the mission, vision and approved action plan and budget for the Drug Free Communities Grant will be approved.
3. The Area Substance Abuse Council will administer all funding of the grant in accordance with the most current version of the budget which will be approved by both the DFC Project Officer and the Coalition.  Any requests from the coalition or from ASAC for variance from the approved budget line items must by approved by both the Coalition and ASAC.  Any variance over 10% of the overall grant budget must be pre-approved by the DFC Project Officer prior to approval of that expense.  Fluctuation of budget line items must remain consistent with the purpose, approved action plan and allowable expenses of the DFC grant.
4. The Area Substance Abuse Council will be responsible for the identification and implementation of all budget line items specific to personnel costs, fringe benefits, staff travel, agency/office costs for administration of funds, staff training and certification, and liability insurance. The coalition will be responsible for the identification and implementation of all other budget line items specific to project implementation, including but not limited to coalition marketing, project supplies, coalition member travel and training, and contracted services.  The executive committee may approve up to $500 in expenditures not specifically listed in the budget but within the approved budget line items or within approved carryover requests without a vote by the Coalition.

Section 2.  Use of grant funds

1. Upon coalition approval of activities and expenses related to the DFC grant, the coalition will submit a request to the Fiscal Agent for these purchases.  Requests will reviewed and approved if appropriate, by both the DFC Grant Project Director and the Fiscal Agent Executive Director.  If approved, payment will be processed.
2. In the event that the fiscal agent requires additional information from the coalition prior to approving an expense, the Project Director will request such information from the Executive Committee.  Feedback and clarification will be needed before the expense can be approved.
3. In the event that the fiscal agent requires additional approval from the DFC project officer, such approval will be requested by the Project Director.  Expenses will not be approved until the Project Director receives notification from the DFC Project Officer.
4. Requests for purchases must be submitted to the Project Director by the treasurer or Project Coordinator a minimum of 30 days prior to the date which payment is to be made.