EAS Constitution

ARTICLE I. Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Eastern Apicultural Society of North America, Inc. This Society is incorporated “not for profit” under the laws of the District of Columbia.

This organization may be called Eastern Apicultural Society; EAS for brevity. English shall be its working language.

ARTICLE II. Purpose and Goals

Section 1. Purpose:

The Society shall provide the opportunity and means for its members, the beekeeping community and our industry business partners to gain and share apicultural information and education.

Section 2. Goals:

• The Society will plan and hold an annual conference for the distribution of information relative to apiculture, and to expand the knowledge of the membership in the art and science of apiculture.
• The Society will provide grants for research into current problems facing apiculture.
• The Society will develop and administer a Master Beekeeper certification program.

ARTICLE III. Territories

  Section 1.  The Society’s territories shall include those provinces, states and territories covering the eastern United State and Canada. The western boundary shall be the Mississippi River and the western boundary of Ontario. The Society shall meet annually in a state or province within the Society’s territories.

ARTICLE IV. Membership

Section 1. Classes of membership.

1. Annual Member– those individuals and immediate family members living in the same household who have paid the prescribed fee for annual membership for the current year. This class of membership also applies to all associations other than the recognized association representing the state or province and having a Director on the EAS BOD.
2. Life Membership – Those who have paid the prescribed fee, and immediate family members living in the same household, entitling them to lifetime membership or those who have been awarded life membership, and their immediate family members living in the same household, by the members sitting in annual conference.
3. Association – That Association representing an entire state or province within EAS boundaries that has paid the prescribed fee.
4. Corporate – A legally defined business including, but not limited to bee supply companies, queen and package producers, and other related businesses supporting EAS and the apicultural industry.

 Section 1a: Membership shall be available without discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age or handicap.

 Section 2. Rights

1. Voting
   All Annual, Life and Corporate members in good standing shall be entitled to vote at the annual EAS business meeting: Annual – 1 vote; Life – 1 vote; Corporate – 1 vote.
2. Associations in good standing shall be entitled to appoint a Director representing that state or province, to the EAS Board of Directors, calendar and duration as outlined in current bylaws.
3. Journal
   All members in good standing shall receive the appropriate number(s) of the EAS journal.
4. Standing
   Failure to maintain membership occurs when dues are not paid as outlined in the bylaws.

ARTICLE V. Board of Directors

Section 1. Function

• The BOD shall provide guidance and support to the Society in fulfilling the EAS purpose and goals.

Section 2. Composition      

• The BOD shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, a Secretary, Treasurer, a President, Vice President, most recent President Emeritus, most recent Chairman Emeritus, Historian, one Director from each member state and province, and one Director representing active Master Beekeepers.

Section 3. Terms of Office

• A. Directors
  The Director for each state, province or the Master Beekeeper group shall serve a four-year term as described in the bylaws, beginning immediately after the election at the annual business meeting. No director shall serve more than two, four-year terms consecutively.

• B. Chairman
  The Chairman, elected according to the by-laws, shall take office immediately after the annual election, and shall serve no more than two, four-year terms consecutively.

• C. Vice Chairman
  The Vice Chairman, selected by the Chair, approved by the board and elected for the Chair’s term by the membership according to the by-laws, shall serve a four-year term concurrent to the Chairman.

• D. Secretary
  The secretary, elected according to the by-laws, shall take office immediately after election, and shall serve a term of four years as described in the by-laws. The Secretary-Treasurer positions will serve terms beginning on different years.

• E. Treasurer
  The treasurer, elected according to the by-laws, shall take office immediately after election, and shall serve a term of four years as described in the by-laws. The Secretary-Treasurer positions will serve terms beginning on different years.

• F. President
  The President, nominated by the host association for the current year’s conference and elected according to the bylaws, shall serve a term of one year.

• G. Vice President
  The Vice President, nominated by the host association for the following year’s conference and elected according to the bylaws, shall serve a term of one year.

Article VI. Officers

1. Function
   The function and purpose of the officers is to implement the guidance and support of the Board of Directors. All officers have voting privileges.

2. Composition (commonly called the Executive Committee.)
   The officers of EAS shall be the CEO (Chairman of the Board), the Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, President, Vice President, President Emeritus and Chairman Emeritus. All officers are elected according to the current Bylaws.

Article VII. Meetings

Section 1.  The BOD shall hold meetings throughout the year to accomplish the purpose and goals of the society. The Annual meeting shall be held concurrent with the annual conference.

1. A. At the discretion of the Executive committee, other meetings may be called to be held at distance – USPS, conference calls, email or other electronic correspondence may be used to arrive at decisions.

Section 2. There shall be an annual membership meeting to hold annual elections with the general membership and the BOD present.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to this constitution may be introduced by a director at a regularly scheduled meeting of the board.

Section 2. Amendments proposed at a BOD meeting, and passing by a two-thirds majority of those Director’s present will be presented at the next scheduled Annual membership meeting.

Section 3. Amendments presented to the members at the Annual membership meeting will be voted on by the members. Amendments approved by two-thirds of the members present and voting will be presented to the membership at the next annual meeting for a second reading and vote. If an amendment passes second approval, by a two-thirds vote, it is adopted.

Section 4. Amendments that do not receive a two-thirds favorable vote at an annual meeting of members may not be brought before the members for two years. Resubmitted amendments will be treated as new proposals.