Article 1 – Name and Address
Section 1. The name of this association shall be North Dakota Environmental Health Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association. The Association may be abbreviated by the initials NDEHA.
Section 2. The offices and addresses of the Association shall be the address of the duly elected secretary.
Article 2 – Duration of Association
Section 1. The duration of this Association shall be perpetual.
Section 2. Roberts Rules of Order, as revised, shall be the model for parliamentary procedure at all meetings. A parliamentarian may be selected by the presiding officer to advise the presiding officer prior to or during the meetings.
Section 4. The Association shall not have any capital stock or shares.
Section 5. The private property of the Association members shall not be liable for any Association or Corporation debts.
Article 3 – Purpose and Objectives of the Association
Section 1. To maintain and improve the standards of performance in environmental health by fostering and encouraging research, education and the dissemination of information.
Section 2. To publish, or cause to be published, scientific or other useful information relating to environmental health.
Section 3. To promote the highest degree of skill, efficiency and professional competence among Environmental Health Practitioners and all other members practicing disciplines in environmental health through a mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.
Section 4. To encourage and support programs which contribute to consumer and environmental protection.
Section 5. To promote uniformity in the enactment and enforcement of laws affecting environmental health at all levels of government.
Section 6. To engage in any other lawful activities appropriate to a professional organization.
Article 4 – Officers, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Duties, and Quorum
Section 1. The officers of the Association, the Executive Committee and/or the Board of Directors shall be one and the same and hereafter referred to as the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The elected members of the Board of Directors, their duties, and accession shall be as follows:
President: Presides at all meetings and appoints such committees as may be authorized or required. The President approves expenditures, ensures election proceedings are followed, oversees the production of newsletters, and is the official spokesperson for the association.
First Vice-President: Shall act in the capacity of the President in the absence of the President. The First Vice-President shall accede to the Presidency after serving two years. Chairs Program Committee and Website and Social media committee.
Second Vice-President: The Second Vice-President shall accede to First Vice-President after serving two years as Second Vice-President. Chairs Membership Committee and Sustaining Partner Committee.
Member-at-Large. The Member-at-Large shall accede to Second Vice-President after serving two years as Member-at-Large. Chairs Bylaws Committee and Local Arrangements Committee.
Secretary: The Secretary is a voting member of the Board, shall serve a two- year term, and may be re-elected to additional terms. The Secretary shall record and present minutes of all meetings, carry out correspondence for the Association as required or directed, and maintains a current list of Association members.
Treasurer: The Treasurer is a voting member of the board, shall serve a two-year term, and may be re-elected to additional terms. The Treasurer shall act as the custodian of Association funds, prepare financial reports for the Association meetings, and pay all Association bills as authorized.
Section 3. The immediate past President shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and may vote on matters of the Board. The Past President chairs the Legislative Committee, Awards Committee, and Nominations Committee.
Section 4. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the Board members present at a Board meeting.
Section 5. Any member who represents the North Dakota Environmental Health Association at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Educational Conference or Regional NEHA Conference must be a member of NEHA.
Article 5 – Membership
Section 1. There shall be three classes of membership. The memberships shall be designated as Active, Student and Retired.
Section 2. Active membership shall be available to an individual who is or has been engaged in environmental health work or associated activities for a public or private organization.
Section 3. Student membership shall be available to any person who is a full time student working towards a degree in an accredited Environmental Health, Environmental Science, or Public Health program; or a baccalaureate degree in physical, chemical, or biological science that includes at least thirty semester or forty-five quarter credits in physical, chemical, or biological science; or a degree beyond baccalaureate in environmental health, environmental science, public health, physical science, chemical science, or biological science.
Section 4. Retired membership is available to any previous Active member provided that the individual has belonged to the Association for at least five consecutive years preceding retirement and is currently retired
Section 5. The period of membership shall run from January 1 to December 31 of each year.
Article 6 – Membership Dues and Cards
Section 1. Active annual membership dues shall be established by the Board of Directors subject to approval by a majority of the membership at the Annual Educational Conference and shall be paid upon receipt of a dues statement or at the Annual Educational Conference. Such dues statements shall be sent to each unpaid member by the Secretary during the month of December.
Section 2. Student and Retired member dues shall be established by the Board of Directors subject to approval by a majority of the membership at the Annual Educational Conference. Such dues statements shall be sent to each unpaid member by the Secretary during the month of December.
Section 3. The Secretary shall send membership cards and receipts upon receipt of payment for membership dues. A current roster of the membership shall be kept.
Section 4. Dues are nonrefundable and shall not be prorated.
Article 7 – Meetings and Quorums
Section 1. There shall be one Association-sponsored meeting each year. This meeting shall be held in the fall and be called the NDEHA Annual Educational Conference. An optional conference can be held in the spring if deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The NDEHA Annual Educational Conference shall endeavor to cover subjects of a technical or professional nature. A business meeting will be held during the Annual Conference.
Section 3. If deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, the optional spring conference may be held in conjunction with the North Dakota Public Health Association.
Section 4. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the membership in attendance at any Association sponsored meeting.
Article 8 – Election Procedures, Terms of Office, and Appointments
Section 1. The selection of officers shall be held each odd numbered year at the annual educational conference.
Section 2. The President shall appoint a nominating committee, chaired by the immediate Past President. Anyone who has been a member for one year may be considered for nomination to any office. The nominating committee shall submit to the President the names of qualifying candidates who are available and willing to serve as nominees to fill expiring terms.
Section 3. All members are eligible to vote. Ballots bearing an alphabetical listing of nominees shall be sent to the voting membership at least thirty days prior to the annual educational conference. A brief biographical sketch of each nominee shall accompany the list of nominees. Provisions shall be made on the ballot form for write-in nominations.
Section 4. Voting shall occur as approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall receive votes no later than ten days prior to the annual educational conference.
Section 5. Election of officers shall be by a simple majority of those voting members casting ballots. In the event of a tie in cast votes, a recount of the votes will be taken. If an equal split of the vote remains, the tie shall be broken by the President.
Section 6. The term of office for elected members of the Board of Directors will commence at the close of the business meeting and continue for two years.
Section 7. The President shall appoint persons determined by majority vote of the Board of Directors to fill vacancies occurring between regular elections.
Article 9 – Finances
Section 1. All financial decisions shall be made by the Board of Directors, and all expenditures shall be made only with the authorization of the President.
Section 2. The Treasurer shall prepare a report of all Association funds to be presented to the members of the Association during the business meeting at the Annual Conference. The President shall appoint an Audit Committee to review, approve and sign the Treasurer’s report before it is presented to the Association.
Article 10 – Newsletter
Section 1. An Association newsletter shall be published at least annually.
Article 11 – Amendments to the Constitutional Bylaws
Section 1. Any proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be in writing and presented to the Secretary in time to have the proposed sent to all members at least thirty days prior to the NDEHA annual educational conference.
Section 2. A majority vote of the members present and voting at the business meeting of the Annual Conference shall be needed to adopt any proposed amendments.
Article 12 – Website
Section 1. The Association shall maintain a website. All costs for operation and maintenance of the website shall be borne by the Association subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The website shall, at a minimum, have the following features: history of and information about the Association, current events/news, current list of members, list of officers on the Board of Directors, and current contact information, current bylaws, information about meetings and conferences, and membership information (including an application).
In witness thereto, the above document represents the official version of the Bylaws approved by a vote of the membership on the 20th day of October 2021 in accordance with the provisions as defined in the Bylaws of the Association.