Governance > By-Laws

ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership shall be open to any person regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation and marital or family status.

2. There shall be two types of membership: Individual and family, with dues beginning January 2006 as follows: Individual membership dues shall be fifteen dollars ($15) per year. Family memberships shall be twenty-five dollars ($25) per year.

3. Initial membership dues shall be payable at the time of joining.

4. Dues for renewal of membership are payable January 31st.

5. New member applications received subsequent to 1 October of any year will be prorated at one-half the annual dues for the remainder of that year.

6. Membership cards will be issued annually upon receipt of dues.

7. Members who behave in an illegal, unethical or manner otherwise inimical to the intent of ESMGPA may have their membership revoked in writing by the Board of Directors upon substantiation of such behavior.

ARTICLE II. ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

1. Eligibility to hold the office of President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer in this association shall be limited to persons who are residents of New York State and who have been members in good standing for at least six consecutive months. Eligibility to hold a Directorship in this organization shall be limited to persons who have been members in good standing for at least six consecutive months.

2. Should a vacancy occur in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall fill the unexpired term. Should a vacancy occur in other elected/appointed positions the President shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next election, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

3. No person shall hold more than one elected position in the association at any given time.

4. Election of ex-officio members of the Board of Directors shall be conducted at a membership meeting, for a term to be specified at the time of said election.

5. Officers and Directors shall be elected for two-year terms beginning March 2006.

ARTICLE III. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. President
   
   a. Preside at all meetings of the association and Board of Directors.
   b. Appoint the chair of all standing and special committees.
   c. Be ex-officio member of all committees.
   d. Call for regular committee reports and ensure that all committees function properly.
   e. Make appointments to vacated offices or to those not filled by nomination as prescribed by these By-Laws.
   f. Impartially enforce these By-Laws.
   g. Represent and act for this organization in matters not otherwise provided for.
   h. Submit an annual budget to the board of directors not later than March 1st annually.

2. Vice-President
   
   a. Occupy the position and perform the duties of the President when for any reason the President is unable to
       perform such duties.
   b. Serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
   c. Coordinate group testing programs and services.
   d. Act as liaison with other organizations including Cornell University.
   e. Serve as initial hearing officer in complaint procedures. Conduct an investigation of all written complaints
       within the organization and forward a complete copy of the investigation with recommendation to the
       Executive Board within 60 days of having received the written complaint.

3. Secretary
   
   a. Keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the membership and Board of Directors of this association.
   b. Conduct the correspondence of this organization.
   c. Notify all members of membership meetings
   d. Maintain a permanent file of all minutes and correspondence of the association and pass them on to the
       newly elected Secretary when the current secretarial term expires.
   e. Remind members of dues renewal the first week of January each year.
   f. During the week following membership or Board of Directors meetings provide the webmaster with approved
      minutes of said meeting.
   g. Serve on the Board of Directors.
   h. Forward membership dues received to the treasurer.
   i. Keep an up to date roster of membership and forward a copy to the President and Treasurer quarterly.

4. Treasurer
   
   a. Receive and maintain custody of general funds and disperse them as authorized by the proper authority.
   b. Keep a permanent record of all receipts and disbursements of funds.
   c. Submit a full financial report of the association at March and November membership meetings and post the
       financial report on the organization’s website a minimum of one week prior to the March and November
       meetings.
   d. Be prepared to discuss the organization’s financial status at Board of Director meetings.
   e. Maintain a permanent file of the financial records of the association and pass them on the newly elected
       Treasurer when the current Treasurer’s term expires.
   f. Serve on the Board of Directors.

5. Directors
   
   a. Reside in the area they represent.
   b. Coordinate organizational activities within their region
   c. Actively recruit new members within their region.
   d. Act as liaison between members in the geographical area.
   e. Serve on the Board of Directors.
   f. Attend both membership and Board of Directors meetings.
   g. Forward any written complaint concerning the organization to the Vice-President within 30 days of receipt
       thereof.

6. Board of Directors
   
   a. Act on behalf of the membership in determining policy and overseeing the ongoing functions of the
       association. The board must take action on all decisions made by a majority vote of the membership present
       at any annual or special meeting.
   b. Set up the time and place of Board of Directors meetings by majority vote.
   c. Assign the responsibility for such tasks as are necessary to permit the association to carry out its objectives.
   d. Ratify or reject at its next meeting actions taken on its behalf by the executive board.

7. Executive Board
   
   a. Shall be responsible for the routine business transactions between board of director meetings.
   b. Shall act upon recommendations of the Vice-President concerning complaints. Such actions shall represent
       the final decision within the organization.

ARTICLE IV. REGIONS

1. There shall be four (4) regions as follows:
   a. Region 1: Counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Kings, Richmond, New York, Bronx, Rockland, Westchester,
       Putnam, Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, Ulster, Delaware, Greene, Columbia, Rensselaer, Albany, Schoharie,
       Schenectady.
   b. Region 2: Counties of Montgomery, Saratoga, Washington, Fulton, Warren, Oneida, Herkimer, Oswego,
       Hamilton, Lewis, Jefferson, Essex, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton.
   c. Region 3: Counties of Broome, Chenango, Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland, Tioga, Tompkins,
       Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Yates, Ontario, Wayne, Steuben.
   d. Region 4: Counties of Allegany, Wyoming, Livingston, Genesee, Monroe, Orleans, Niagara, Erie,
       Cattaraugus, Chautauqua.
   e. Additional regions may be formed by petition to the Board of Directors if there are at least eight active
       members in a specific geographical area actively pursuing ESMGPA business/activities. This petition shall be
       submitted to the President for action taken by the Board of Directors. Such petition will include the rationale
       (e.g. need, business, and activities) for forming the region and the name of the proposed Region Director.

2. Regions shall also include areas of surrounding states contiguous to their boundaries.

3. Association members may participate in the activities of any region.

4. Region Directors. Region Directors shall be nominated and elected by the general membership at the March membership meeting. Should there be no individual willing to serve as a Director for any region, an At-Large Director will be nominated and elected by the general membership to replace the Region Director. At-Large Directors will be elected only to fill such vacancies.

ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES

Standing Committees. There shall be four standing committees to organize and coordinate the main activities of the organization as follows:

a. Marketing Committee. This committee shall have primary responsibility for consolidating and
    disseminating meat goat marketing information to the membership.
b. Education Committee. This committee shall have primary responsibility for collecting and
    disseminating information and ideas on meat goat enterprises and goat husbandry.
c. Show Committee. This committee shall have primary responsibility for meat goat shows sponsored by
    the organization as follows:

1) Conduct at least one open meat goat show per year.
2) Conduct sanctioned shows as determined to be feasible by the committee.
3) Plan, organize, publicize and manage all shows.
4) Solicit and dispense all funds necessary for said shows.
5) Dispersion of funds must be approved by a majority of the show committee.
6) Maintain a separate account for these funds, maintain a permanent record of all receipts
    and dispersion of show funds and submit a financial report of the show account at the
    March membership meeting.
7) Indebtedness incurred by this committee shall in no case exceed the amount of funds in
    the show account without prior approval of the Executive Committee.

d. Youth Committee. This committee shall have primary responsibility for developing and
    recommending to the membership an appropriate annual youth program.
e. Ad-Hoc Committees. Shall be designated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

f. Committee Chairs. Committee Chairs are responsible as follows:

1) Producing what is required of the committee in the time specified by the president.
2) Forming their committee either by asking for volunteers or requesting that the president appoint members.
3) Submitting n budget request to the President no later than January 1st annually.

g. The Chair of a committee is responsible for producing what is required of the committee in the time
    specified by the President. The Chair is also responsible for forming the committee either by asking for
    volunteers or by appointing members.

ARTICLE VI. VOTING PRIVILEGES AND QUORUM

1. General Membership.
   
   a. Each individual membership is entitled to one vote; family membership is entitled to two votes.
   b. A simple majority of votes cast by members present shall rule except for amendments to the constitution.
   c. Ten percent (10%) of the membership or a minimum of six (6) members shall constitute a quorum to conduct
       business at any membership meeting.

2. Board of Directors.
   
   a. Each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to cast one vote except the president who may vote
       only to break a tie in board matters.
   b. General members may attend Board meetings but may be limited in participation and are not entitled to vote
       at Board meetings.
   
   c. A quorum shall be deemed to exist when at least five Board members are present.

3. Executive Board.
   
   a. Each of the four members of the Executive Board is entitled to one vote.
   b. No action shall be taken by the Executive Board except by majority consent of its members.

ARTICLE VII. SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special meetings of the general membership may be called by forty percent (40%) of the membership or by a majority of the Board of Directors.


ARTICLE VIII. PROCEDURES FOR MEETINGS

1. “Roberts Rules of Order – Revised” shall be the authority on all questions of parliamentary law.

2. The regular order of business, unless otherwise agreed, shall be: roll call, reading and approval of minutes, treasurer’s report, correspondence, reports from committees, old business, new business, general discussion, and adjournment.

3. The Secretary shall inform the membership of the agenda of the November and March meetings or any special membership meeting, at least 15 days prior to said meeting, and any proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws at least 30 days prior to said meeting.

ARTICLE IX. ASSOCIATION WEBSITE

1. ESMGPA Webmaster.
   a. Will be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.
   b. Shall be responsible for maintaining said site and entering material in a timely manner.
   c. Shall serve on the Board of Directors.

2. Web Server.
   a. The association website shall be located on a commercial server.
   b. This server will be recommended by the Webmaster and approved by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS

The By-Laws may be amended by a simple majority of the votes cast by the membership either present at a membership meeting or by mail ballots received by a specified date, provided that all members are notified in writing of the proposed amendments at least thirty (30) days before the ballot.

Adopted: April 2, 1995  /  Revised: October 1, 2005