BYLAWS
HEART OF VIRGINIA MASTER GARDENERS
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be “Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners,” hereafter referred to in some instances as “HOVMG.”
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of HOVMG is fourfold:
·to serve the community by promoting sound horticultural practices.
·to foster education, communication, and fellowship among its members.
·to promote resource conservation.
·to facilitate Master Gardener training
Article III: Membership
Section I. Active Master Gardener Members must complete 20 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of education annually, in accordance with the standards of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service’s Master Gardener Program. They must also pay their dues no later than two months after they are due, and attend at least 50% of the regularly scheduled meetings. Those who do not meet these requirements will no longer be entitled to the “Master Gardener” designation, and will not be considered active members of HOVMG. Such members may petition to become inactive.
Section II. Master Gardener Interns are those individuals who have completed the Master Gardener Course and its exam, but have not completed the 50 hours of volunteer work required to be come a Master Gardener. These volunteer hours must be completed within one calendar year after passing the final examination.
Section III. Master Gardener Trainees are individuals who are currently taking the Master Gardener Class, and who have expressed a keen interest in the work of HOVMG. Master Gardener Trainees have no vote.
Section IV. Inactive Members are those former members who, for good and sufficient reason, have requested and been granted inactive status by the Executive Committee. Such requests should be submitted in writing. Inactive members have no vote, nor are they expected to pay dues. Inactive members may be reinstated upon petition to the Executive Committee; however, an individual may not be inactive more than two years.
Article IV: Officers and Their Duties
Section I. The officers of this organization are president, vice president, recording secretary, treasurer, historian and public relations officer, timekeeper, webmaster, and Virginia Tech coordinator. The president shall plan the agenda, notify members of meetings, and conduct meetings. In addition, the president serves as chair of the executive committee, and appoints members to the programs committee, the nominating committee, and to ad hoc committees (see Article VI). The vice-president shall fill in for the president whenever that individual cannot fulfill designated duties. In addition, the vice-president serves as chair of the programs committee. The recording secretary keeps minutes of each meeting, and the treasurer collects dues, pays bills, and keeps financial records. The historian and public relations officer maintains an archive of the organization’s activities and is responsible for providing publicity of the group’s activities. The timekeeper keeps a record of members’ hours (which they turn in at each meeting) and reports those hours to the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in a timely fashion. The webmaster maintains the organization’s official internet web site, www.hovmg.org, adding information sent by the membership, establishing appropriate linkages to other web sites, and making such design changes as may seem desirable. The Virginia Tech coordinator serves as a liaison between the local association and Virginia Cooperative Extension, keeping Virginia Tech informed of the group’s activities, and fulfilling other duties as designated by Virginia Tech.
Section II. Officers will be elected by a majority vote of the membership at a duly called annual meeting, to be held in November of even numbered years. Candidates for officers will be chosen by the Nomination Committee. In addition, nominations can be accepted from the floor.
Section III. Officers will serve for 2 years or until their successors are installed.
The terms of office will begin in January of odd numbered years. No officers will serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same office. If a vacancy occurs in any one of the above offices, the Executive Committee may appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting.
Article V: Meetings
Section I. Regular meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of January, March, May, July, September, and November, at a place designated by the president.
Section II. Other meetings may be called and regular meetings may be canceled by the president as needed.
Section III. A quorum to conduct business shall be 25% of the membership.
Article VI: Committees
Section I. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the president, immediate past president, vice-president, recording secretary, treasurer, historian and public relations officer, timekeeper and Virginia Tech coordinator. This committee shall meet when it is necessary to conduct business that ensures the efficient running of the organization. The president shall preside at meetings of the Executive Committee.
Section II. Programs Committee. The Programs Committee shall consist of the vice-president and two members appointed by the president to serve for a two year term. This committee shall develop the programs for each regular meeting of the year. The vice-president is responsible for calling a meeting of the Programs Committee in the fall, and will preside over the meeting(s) of this committee.
Section III. Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee will develop a slate of prospective officers to be presented to the membership in November of even numbered years. The president shall appoint three active members to constitute the Nomination Committee, and will designate one of these members as the facilitator to call and conduct meetings of the committee.
Section III. Other Committees. Ad hoc committees designed to address special circumstances or events are appointed by the president as the need arises. The president will designate the facilitator of the committee, who is responsible for calling meetings and conducting them. The committee will be dissolved when its mission is fulfilled.
Article VII: Finance
Dues are $6.00 per year, payable in January. Dues are paid by active members, interns and trainees, as defined in Article III, Sections I, II and III.
Article VIII: Order of Business
In most cases, the business portion of each meeting shall proceed as follows:
·call to order by the president
·presentation of the minutes by the recording secretary
·treasurer’s report
·consideration of old business
·consideration of new business
The business portion may be before or after the main program, whichever seems expedient as judged by the president.
Article IX: Parliamentary Authority
Meetings shall be conducted with decorum and order. Roberts Rules of Order will govern the conduct of each meeting in all cases in which they are applicable; special rules may be adopted by the membership and incorporated into the bylaws.
Article X: Amendment of Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the organization by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present and voting, provided that a notice of the proposed amendment(s) has been given to the membership at the meeting immediately before the one at which the vote will be taken. A quorum of 50% must be present to amend the bylaws.
Adopted October 9, 2003. Amended July 20, 2006