CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

of the
COUNTY WEED DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION OF KANSAS

ARTICLE I "NAME"

The name of this organization shall be the “County Weed Directors Association of Kansas”, hereafter referred to as the “CWDAK” or “Association”.

ARTICLE II "OBJECT"

The object of this association shall be to provide:

Sec. 1. Promotion for improvement of the Weed Program in Kansas.

Sec. 2. Means of improving the status of the County Weed Director.

Sec. 3. Opportunity for discussion of common problems on Weed Directors’ work.

Sec. 4. A method of voicing the general sentiment of the Weed Directors’ problems affecting their work.

ARTICLE III "MEMBERSHIP"

Sec. 1. Memberships in the Association shall be open to any County Weed Director who is doing regular weed eradication and control work in the state of Kansas and is current with any and all certification required by KDA. Membership shall be transferable to the successor in case of change of Directors.

Sec. 2. Association membership is available to City Weed Directors and Assistant County Weed Directors, however, with no official status in the organization from the standpoint of voting or holding office.

Sec. 3. Honorary membership is available to County Weed Directors on retirement from active employment (on approval of Board of Directors.)

ARTICLE IV "DUES"

Sec. 1. Membership dues in the association shall be set each year by vote of the Board of Directors.

Sec. 2. The dues shall be paid prior to the annual conference each year.

Sec. 3. Associate membership shall be one-half of the regular membership dues.

Sec. 4. No Director shall be allowed to vote at a County Weed Directors Association meeting if dues are not paid in full.

Sec. 1. The regular annual meeting of the Association shall be at the same time and place as the Annual Weed Conference to consider official business of the Association and to receive committee reports.

Sec. 2. Special meeting of the Association or Board of Directors shall be upon the call of the President with the consent of the other officers, and may be held by conference call, video call, or other electronic means that all members have access to.

Sec. 3. The five weed districts may meet on the following schedule: Southeast District, second Tuesday of the month; Northeast District, first Wednesday after the second Tuesday; North Central District, first Thursday after the second Tuesday; West District, third Wednesday after the first Tuesday; and South Central District, third Thursday after the first Tuesday.

ARTICLE VI "BOARD OF DIRECTORS"

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of two representatives elected from each of the five weed districts. The representatives may be the President and Secretary-Treasurer of each district. Elected officers of the County Weed Director Association including the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Past-President shall also be members of the Board of Directors. All members shall have one vote except the Past-President; the President shall vote only to break a tie vote from the rest of the members. If an elected officer is also an officer on a district board, they may give a proxy to another member of that district so each district has full representation.

Sec. 2. The newly elected officers and/or representatives of the respective districts shall be elected no later than the February monthly meeting. The new officers and/or representatives shall take their place on the CWDAK Board at the board meeting immediately preceding the annual conference in joint session with retiring members. Retiring officers’ term will cease at the end of the annual conference.

Sec. 3. The Board of Directors shall meet at the time of the Annual Weed Conference and quarterly throughout the year, or on special notice of the President. A board quorum shall be a majority.

Sec. 4. Each year every district is to have a newly elected representative on the Board. Each director must have relevant experience and be in good standing according to District and State participation, which includes paid up yearly membership dues and all certification required by KDA. Each representative shall be elected for a term of two years and may not serve consecutive terms.

Sec. 5. The Board of Directors shall formulate policies to be presented to the Association and shall carry out the policies and business of the Association between regular meetings of the Association.

Sec. 6. Vacancies of representatives shall be filled by election of a new representative within the district to fill the remaining term.

Sec. 7. Minutes of all district meetings shall be filed and a copy sent to the President, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Secretary and the Newsletter Editor of the County Weed Directors Association of Kansas. A copy shall also be sent the State Weed Specialist.

Sec. 8. Officers within each district shall be responsible for the collection of the state dues from members of their district, which shall be paid to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the CWDAK.

Sec. 9. A representative shall secure a proxy to represent his or her district at any board meeting which he or she is unable to attend. A letter signed by the elected representative, naming the appointed proxy or an electronic proxy by either email or text shall be presented during roll call to the CWDAK President at the board meeting. The proxy shall have full power to act (as same) as the representative of the district.

ARTICLE VII "OFFICERS"

Sec.1 Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary. An Executive Secretary-Treasurer is to be selected from any district and is to serve in an ex-officio capacity as the keeper of documents and records of the five districts and the association meetings as well as financial records and funds of the Association. Said Executive Secretary shall be selected by the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the CWDAK with approval of the two-thirds majority vote of board members present.

Sec. 2 These officers shall represent three different weed districts.

Sec. 3. The Vice President shall be selected by members of the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting.  The Vice President shall be selected from any CWDAK member in good standing, who is currently serving on the Board of Directors or who has previously served on the Board of Directors. The Vice President shall progress in office to Secretary, then President.

Sec. 4. Officer vacancies shall be filled by the Past-President to the next meeting of the Board of Directors. At this time the vacancy will be filled by the election from among the members of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VIII "DUTIES OF OFFICERS"

Sec. 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and at all meeting of the Board of Directors. The President shall appoint committees as necessary.

Sec. 2. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President. The Vice President shall be in charge of the Constitution and Bylaws and see that they are maintained in an up-to-date order. The Vice President shall also be the chairman of the next annual conference after being elected.

Sec. 3. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall keep all records of the Association and shall have custody of all funds and pay all bills of the Association.

Sec. 4. The new officers shall assume their duties immediately at the close of the official annual meeting.

Sec. 5. In the event of a vacancy in a district office, the Past-President of the district shall fill the vacancy at the succeeding meeting and an election shall be held to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE IX "QUORUMS"

Sec. 1. A quorum at any meeting, except of the Board of Directors, shall consist of those members present at the date and time of the regular meeting.

Sec.  2. A quorum at any Board of Directors meeting shall consist of a simple majority.

ARTICLE X "AMENDMENTS"

Sec. 1. The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any Board of Directors meeting. A copy of all proposed amendments shall be delivered by mail or electronically to all members by the Secretary at least ten days prior to the meeting when final action will be taken on the proposed amendment.

ARTICLE XI "AUDIT"

Sec.1. Accounts of the Executive-Secretary Treasurer must have an audit conducted by an Audit Committee prior to the annual meeting.

ARTICLE XII "REVISED CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS"

Sec. 1. Upon adoption by the required two-thirds vote of the members present at the annual business meeting, this Constitution and Bylaws of the County Weed Directors Association of Kansas shall become final.

Sec. 2. All articles, sentences, sections or portions thereof, any and all previous copies of Constitutions and Bylaws conflicting with any article, sections, or portions of the 2019 revised Constitution and Bylaws, shall be hereby amended or nullified.

Sec.3. This 2021 revised Constitution and Bylaws shall have precedence over any and all previous Constitution and Bylaws of the County Weed Directors Association of Kansas.

This Constitution and Bylaws was approved by the Board of Directors on October 20, 2021, and adopted by the County Weed Directors Association of Kansas at the Annual Meeting at Topeka Kansas, on March 3, 2022.