
BY-LAWS OF
TEXT AND ACADEMIC AUTHORS ASSOCIATION, INC.
A Florida Not-for-Profit Corporation
Effective January 8, 1994
ARTICLE I.
NAME AND LOCATION
The name of the
organization shall be Text and Academic Authors Association, Inc. (TAA).
The principal office of TAA shall be in the State of Florida. TAA shall
designate a registered office in accordance with Florida law and shall
maintain it continuously. TAA may have offices at such other places
within and without the State of Florida as the Board of Directors may
from time to time determine.
ARTICLE II.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of
TAA are:
a) To enhance the
quality of text and other educational works available for teaching,
research, and other educational purposes.
b) To supply information
to authors of text and academic materials regarding their professional
interests as Authors and Educators.
c) To suggest, initiate
and assist in carrying out actions in behalf of its members' professional
interests as text and academic Authors and Educators.
d) To protect and
promote the professional interests of Authors.
e) To hold meetings
and conferences for the mutual improvement and education of its members.
f) To protect the
rights of authors in the area of copyright and contract terms with publishers.
g) To generally
promote, coordinate, and assist in the common activities, interest and
objectives of text and academic Authors, and to improve the general
business condition of Authors.
ARTICLE III.
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Qualifications
for Membership. Membership is open to all persons over the age of
Twenty-One (21) years who are interested in the furtherance of the purposes
of the Corporation and who otherwise qualify.
Section 2. Types
of Membership. Membership in the Corporation shall be of the following
types:
a) Regular Members
b) Life or Honorary
Members
Section 3. Regular
Members. The regular members of TAA shall be individuals who are
creators or potential creators of textbooks, academic works, or other
educational materials, in the capacity of author, editor or publisher.
Regular members may enroll as individuals by making application and
payment of the annual membership dues or persons may become regular
members by virtue of their association with an organization that has
made collective application for membership in TAA and paid an annual
membership fee agreed upon by the respective organizations.
Section 4. Life
or Honorary Members. The Board of Directors, herein called the Council,
at a duly called meeting or by unanimous written consent may elect Honorary
Members by unanimous vote of the members of the Council present. Honorary
Members shall be exempt from the payment of any fees whatsoever and
shall be entitled to all the privileges of Regular Members, except the
right to vote or to hold office.
Section 5. Dues. Annual dues for membership shall be determined by the Council and shall
be reviewed each year by the Council.
Section 6. Reinstatement. A member whose membership has lapsed, desiring a continuous member record,
may be reinstated by paying all dues in arrears. If continuous membership
is not desired, the member may be reinstated by paying the current dues.
ARTICLE IV.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The
Governing Body. The governing body of TAA shall be the Board of
Directors, which may also be called the Council. The Council may adopt
such rules and regulations as it deems advisable.
Section 2. Members. The Council shall consist of the officers of TAA named in Article V,
the immediate past president and other Regular Members of TAA, for a
total of ten (10). Other persons may be invited by the President to
serve as advisory, non-voting members of the Council.
Section 3. Term
of Office.Council members shall serve for a term of two (2) years
unless selected to fill an unexpired term. Terms of the Council members
who are not also officers or past presidents shall be staggered, so
that half the members assume their positions each year. The term of
office for Council Members shall commence with the annual convention.
Section 4. Tenure. No officer shall hold office for more than three (3) consecutive terms.
No person shall serve as a member of the Council for more than four
(4) consecutive two (2) year terms (in addition to any partial term
filled) without a break in service of at least one (1) year.
Section 5. Meetings Meetings of the Council shall be held at the same time and location
as the annual convention of TAA. Additional meetings may be called by
the President or upon written request of at least three (3) members
of the Council, stating the purpose for said meeting. A quorum at a
meeting of the Council shall consist of six (6) members.
Section 6. Voting. Voting rights of Council Members shall not be delegated nor exercised
by proxy. Action taken by mail, fax, or by a telephone conference shall
be a valid action of the Council.
Section 7. Absences. Any member of the Council who shall have been absent from two (2) consecutive
meetings shall automatically be deemed to have been removed from office
unless this condition is waived by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council.
Section 8. Compensation. Council Members may receive compensation for their services as determined
by the Council. They may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in travel
to regular or special meetings of the Council.
Section 9. Action
Without Meeting Any action of the Council may be taken without a
meeting if a consent in writing setting forth the actions taken signed
by all of the members is filed in the minutes of the Council. Such consent
shall have the same effect as a unanimous vote.
Section 10. Notice
and Waiver. Notice of any special meeting shall be given at least
five (5) business days prior thereto by written notice delivered personally,
or by mail or by fax to each Council Member at his or her address. If
mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in
the United States Mail with postage prepaid. Any Council Member may
waive notice of any meeting, either before, at, or after such meeting
by signing a waiver of notice. The attendance of a Council Member at
a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting and a
waiver of any and all objections to the place of such meeting or the
manner in which it has been called or convened, except when a Council
Member states at the beginning of the meeting any objection to the transaction
of business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
Section 11. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the Council may be filled by appointment by
the President. A Council Member appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold
office until the next annual election of Council Members.
Section 12. Presumption
of Assent. A Council Member present at a meeting of the Council
at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to
have assented to the action taken unless he or she votes against such
action or abstains from voting and so states.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS
Section 1. Definition.The
officers of TAA shall consist of a President, Vice President/President-Elect,
a Secretary and a Treasurer and such other officers as the Council shall
from time to time designate. The Officers shall be Regular Members of
TAA.
Section 2. Terms
of Office. The President and Vice President/President-Elect shall
hold office for a term of one (1) year, the Secretary and Treasurer
for two (2) years, and their terms shall he staggered. The term of office
for the elected officers shall run from the annual convention.
ARTICLE VI.
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. President. The President shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of TAA and
shall preside at meetings of the membership and Council and shall perform
such other duties as the Council shall determine.
Section 2. Vice
President/President-Elect. The Vice President/President-Elect shall
exercise the duties of the President in the absence of the latter. The
Vice President/President-Elect shall also perform such other duties
as the President or the Council shall determine. The Vice President/President-Elect
shall succeed as president of TAA, subject to a confirmation vote by
a majority of the Council, at the time of the annual convention and
the expiration of the President's term of office. Should a confirmation
vote fail, the Council shall move immediately to select a new president
for the coming year.
Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary shall oversee the proper recording of proceedings of the
Corporation and shall ensure that accurate records are kept of all members.
Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall oversee the Corporation funds and records, the establishment
of proper accounting procedures for the handling of the Corporation
funds and the performance of an annual or unscheduled review of the
books as may be required by the Council. The Treasurer shall be bonded
in such amounts as the Council may require.
Section 5. Compensation Officers of the Corporation may receive compensation for their services
as officers as determined from time to time by the Council. They may
also he reimbursed for expenses incurred in travel to regular or special
meetings.
Section 6. Priority
of Acting. If the President is unable to act, the Vice President/President-Elect,
Secretary, or Treasurer, in the order listed shall perform the functions
of the President of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VII.
ELECTION PROCEDURE
Section 1. Nominations. A nominating committee of three (3) members shall be appointed from
the Council by the President for a term of one (1) year. A member may
be eligible for re-appointment for three (3) terms. The nominating committee
shall prepare a slate of nominees willing to serve as members of the
Council and as officers of TAA.
Section 2. Elections. The officers and remaining Council Members of TAA shall he elected by
a vote of the membership of TAA. A written ballot is to be provided
all members at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual convention.
The ballot shall contain the names of all nominated Council Members
and officers nominated with their office of elections designated. Provisions
shall be made to permit write-in candidates.
ARTICLE VIII.
NON-PROFIT OPERATION
TAA will not have
or issue shares of stock. No dividends will be paid. No part of the
income or assets of TAA will be distributed to its Members, Officers
or Council Members without full consideration. No Member of TAA has
any vested right, interest or privilege in or to the assets, property,
functions or activities of TAA. TAA may contract in due course with
its Members, Officers or Council Members without violating this provision.
ARTICLE IX.
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1. Meeting
Process. A meeting of the Regular Members shall be called by the
President as he or she may determine and the President shall call such
a meeting upon request of a majority of the Council or a petition by
five (5) percent of the Regular Members. No action of the membership
shall be binding on the Corporation unless approved by the Council.
Meetings of the Regular Members shall ordinarily be set to coincide
with the annual convention. Written notice of a meeting of the regular
members if at another time shall be sent by mail not less than ten (10)
days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting. Such
notice shall be deemed to have been delivered when deposited in the
United States Mail addressed to the member at the address as it appears
on the records of TAA with postage thereon prepaid.
Section 2. Quorum. At a meeting of the Regular Members those regular members present shall
constitute a quorum.
Section 3. Rules
of Order. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the conduct
of all meetings of the Membership whenever they are applicable and do
not conflict with these By-Laws or any special rules that the association
or the President may adopt.
ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these
By-Laws may be made by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council. Such
amendments to the By-Laws require two (2) readings of the Council, provided
that the second reading and final approval occur no sooner than six
(6) months after the first reading of a proposed By-Law change.
ARTICLE XI.
FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year
of TAA shall be the period selected by the Council as the taxable year
of TAA for federal income tax purposes.
ARTICLE XII.
INDEMNIFICATION
TAA shall indemnify
each Officer and Council Member, including former Officers and Council
Members. TAA shall indemnify each Officer, and Council Member, including
former Officers, and Council Members, to the full extent permitted by
the Florida General Corporation Act and the Florida Not For Profit Corporation
Act.
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