ARTICLES
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII
ARTICLE
I
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
II
Purpose
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.
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
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ARTICLE
III
Membership
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.
Section
2. National FBLA, as well
as the state and local chapters,
shall be open for membership to
these classes of members:
Active
Members shall be secondary
students who become members while
enrolled in business and/or
business-related fields, who
accept the purpose of FBLA,
subscribe to its creed,
demonstrate willingness to
contribute to good
school-community 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 shall be 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.
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ARTICLE
IV
Dues
and Finance
Section
1. Dues. National
dues based on fiscal reports by
the national office, and on
recommen-ation 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.
Section
2. Annual dues from 1990
through 1993 shall be $5.00.
Annual dues from 1994 until
reconsidered shall be $6.00.
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.
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.
Section
5. The fiscal year of the
Future Business Leaders of
America shall be July 1 through
June 30.
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ARTICLE
V
Organization
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
which have received charters and
numbers issued by FBLA-PBL, Inc.
and which are currently in good
standing, shall be referred to as
"Future Business Leaders of
America" or
"FBLA."
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.
Section
3. The administration of
FBLA shall be vested in the
Association President and Chief
Executive Officer of FBLA-PBL,
Inc.
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.
Section
5. There shall be
five administrative regions. The
EASTERN REGION consists of
Connecticut, Delaware, District
of Columbia, DODDSEUR (Europe),
Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto
Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
Virgin Islands. The SOUTHERN
REGION consists of Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia, and West
Virginia. The NORTH-CENTRAL
REGION consists of Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and
Wisconsin. The MOUNTAIN-PLAINS
REGION consists of Colorado,
Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The
WESTERN REGION consists of
Alaska, Arizona, California,
Canal Zone, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,
and Washington.
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 will 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.
Section
7. A State Committee
Chairman shall be recommended by
the Association President and
Chief Executive Officer and
approved by the Board of
Directors.
Section
8. Each local
chapter shall have an adviser who
shall be a faculty member who is
teaching a business or
business-related course. 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.
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ARTICLE
VI
Officers
and Elections
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.
Section
2. Qualifications for
National Office.
A.
Only active members are eligible
to hold national office.
B.
Only those applicants who are
present at the National
Leadership Conference and
officially certified by the
Officer Screening Committee shall
be eligible for nomination.
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.
Section
3. 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.
B.
Only candidates approved by the
Officer Screening Committee shall
be nominated.
Section
4. Elections.
A.
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.
B.
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.
C.
No two national officers shall be
elected from the same state
chapter.
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.
Section
6. Vacancy in Office. A
vacancy in any office, other than
that of President, shall be
filled by appointment by the
President with the approval of
the National Executive Council.
Should the office of President
become vacant, the Vice-President
from the Presidents region
shall automatically become
President.
Section
7. Appointment of
Parliamentarian. The person
scoring highest on the
Parliamentary Procedure written
test shall be appointed by the
incoming national president to
serve as Parliamentarian. This
individual shall have at least
one year remaining before being
graduated from a secondary
school.
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ARTICLE
VII
Duties
of FBLA National Officers
Section
1. The President shall:
A.
Serve as Chairman of the National
Executive Council,
B.
Preside over the Council meetings
and business meetings of FBLA,
C.
Serve as a member of the Board of
Directors,
D.
Appoint appropriate committees
and committee chairmen,
E.
Serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting
member of all committees,
F.
Appoint the Parliamentarian, and
G.
Perform other duties for the
promotion and development of
local, state, and national FBLA.
Section
2. The Vice-President
shall:
A.
Assist the President in the
promotion and development of FBLA
in the regions which elected
them,
B.
Assist in planning Regional
Leadership Conferences, and
C.
Preside at regional meetings at
the National Leadership
Conference.
Section
3. The Secretary shall:
A.
Keep an accurate record of all
business meetings of the National
Leadership Conference and the
National Executive Council,
B.
Supply promptly at least one copy
of the minutes and substantiating
reports to the FBLA President and
the Association President and
Chief Executive Officer, and
C.
Initiate communication with state
officers to promote quality
articles for national
publications.
Section
4. The Treasurer shall:
A.
Assist the national office in
keeping an accurate record of
national officer travel expenses
and disbursements, and in
planning national officer travel,
and
B.
Present an annual financial
report to members at the National
Leadership Conference.
Section
5. The Parliamentarian
shall:
A.
Advise the President of the
orderly conduct of business in
accordance with FBLA Bylaws and
Roberts Rules of Order
Newly Revised,
B.
Shall initiate communication with
his/her state counterparts to
promote expansion of
parliamentary knowledge and
awareness, and
C.
Serves as an ex-officio member of
the National Executive Council.
Section
6. These officers shall
serve on the National Executive
Council, perform the duties
prescribed in these Bylaws, and
perform such other duties as are
directed by the FBLA President
and the Association President,
Chief Executive Officer and the
Board of Directors and not
inconsistent with these Bylaws or
other rules adopted by FBLA.
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ARTICLE VIII
National
Leadership Conference
Section
1. A National Leadership
Conference shall be held each
year. A date and location will be
recommended by national staff and
approved by the Board of
Directors.
Section
2. Each state chapter in
good standing shall be entitled
to send two voting delegates and
one alternate from its active
membership to the National
Leadership Conference.
Section
3. Each local chapter in
good standing shall be entitled
to send from its active
membership, two to four local
voting delegates and one
alternate for each voting
delegate to the National
Leadership Conference in
accordance with the following:
Under
50 members - two voting delegates
50-100
members - three voting delegates
Over
100 members - four voting
delegates
Section
4. All voting delegates
of local and state chapters shall
be officially certified by their
respective advisers and their
names submitted to the national
office postmarked no later than
20 days prior to the National
Leadership Conference.
Section
5. Voting. State
voting delegates shall be
entitled to vote on all matters
which come before the general
session. Local voting delegates
shall be entitled to vote on all
matters which come before the
regional meetings. There shall be
no proxy voting.
Section
6. Quorum. The quorum for
all business meetings of the
National Leadership Conference
shall be a majority of the
registered voting delegates.
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ARTICLE
IX
National
Executive Council
Section
1. The National Officers
of FBLA shall, with the
ex-officio, nonvoting members,
constitute the National Executive
Council. The Chairman of the
Board of Directors, the
Association President and Chief
Executive Officer and a state
committee person for each
National Officer shall be
ex-officio, nonvoting members.
Section
2. Duties. The
National Executive Council shall:
A.
Adopt policies of operation of
FBLA as deemed necessary, by a
three-fourths vote subject to the
approval of the Board of
Directors,
B.
Approve committee appointments
and the creation of new
committees by the President,
C.
Approve appointments by the
President to fill vacancies in
office,
D.
Review all proposed amendments to
the Bylaws,
E.
Present to the voting delegates
at the National Leadership
Conference, with recommendations,
those proposed amendments
approved by the Board of
Directors, and
F.
Perform such other duties as are
prescribed by these Bylaws.
Section
3. Meetings. Meetings
shall be called by the President,
or upon the written request of
three voting members of the
National Executive Council, upon
approval by the Association
President and Chief Executive
Officer.
Section
4. Voting by Mail.
Business of the National
Executive Council may be
conducted by mail at the
discretion of the FBLA President
upon the approval by the
Association President and Chief
Executive Officer. For adoption,
action by mail shall require a
three-fourths vote of the members
eligible to vote, and shall be
recorded in the minutes of the
next regular meeting.
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ARTICLE
X
Committees
Section
1. Advisory committees to
assist in the growth and
development of FBLA may be
appointed as deemed necessary by
the Board of Directors.
Recommendations of persons for
such appointments shall be
requested of state chapters.
Section
2. Local and state
chapters may select advisory
committees to assist in the
growth and development of their
respective chapters.
Section
3. The President of FBLA
shall, with the approval of the
National Executive Council,
establish committees, appoint
their members for a period not to
exceed his/her term in office,
and assist these committees in
their activities.
Section
4. An Officer Screening
Committee, composed of national
officers and board members, shall
be appointed by the FBLA
President in consultation with
the Association President and
Chief Executive Officer. The
Officer Screening Committee
shall, after careful
consideration of applicants for
officers of FBLA, approve
candidates for nomination.
Section
5. Committee business may
be conducted by mail at the
discretion of the Chairman. For
adoption, action by mail shall
require a majority vote of the
members eligible to vote and
shall be reported to the
committee members not later than
the next regular meeting.
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ARTICLE
XI
Emblems
and Colors
Section
1. The official emblem
and insignia item designs are
described and protected from
infringement by registration in
the U.S. Patent Office under the
Trademark Act of 1946. The
manufacture, reproduction,
wearing, or display of the emblem
shall be governed by the Board of
Directors.
Section
2. Emblems and insignia
shall be uniform in all local and
state chapters and within
special-emphasis groups: they
shall be those of FBLA. Only
members in good standing may use
official emblems and insignia.
Section
3. The official
colors of FBLA shall be blue and
gold.
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ARTICLE
XII
Parliamentary
Procedure
The
rules contained in Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised
shall govern the FBLA in all
cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are
not inconsistent with the rules
of FBLA-PBL, Inc., these Bylaws
or any special rules of order the
FBLA may adopt.
ARTICLE XIII
Amendment
Proposed
amendments to these bylaws shall
be submitted in writing by local
or state chapters or by a
national officer to the
Association President and Chief
Executive Officer no later than
April 1. The proposed amendments
shall be submitted for review to
the Division President and the
Bylaws Committee of the Board of
Directors by April 15. Proposed
amendments approved by the Bylaws
Committee shall be returned to
the Association President and
Chief Executive Officer by May 1.
Each state chapter will be sent
copies of the approved amendments
by May 15. The National Executive
Council shall present approved
proposed amendments with
recommendations to the state
voting delegates at the National
Leadership Conference. A
two-thirds vote of the state
voting delegates present and
voting at the National Leadership
Conference is required for
adoption.
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