Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers Constitution
PREAMBLE
In order to meet the needs of Pacific Northwest dahlia growers and exhibitors, we establish the FEDERATION of NORTHWEST DAHLIA GROWERS. The purpose of this federation is to provide a clear, progressive voice specifically for Northwest growers and originators who exhibit dahlias. By articulating the concerns of these enthusiasts, we desire to complement the chosen objectives of all other dahlia organizations – local, regional, and national.
ARTICLE I – NAME and TAX STATUS
Section 1 This organization shall be known as the FEDERATION of NORTHWEST DAHLIA GROWERS.
Section 2 The FEDERATION of NORTHWEST DAHLIA GROWERS shall be a non-profit organization.
Section 3 No part of the net earnings of this organization shall accrue to the benefit of any private shareholder or member.
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
Section 1 To provide an organization of dahlia societies and Northwest dahlia hobbyists, who grow and exhibit dahlias with common goals.
Section 2 To provide leadership in dahlia culture and improve through experiments and research the quality of exhibition, garden, and cut flower cultivars.
Section 3 To educate and train dahlia judges through field experiences and workshops.
Section 4 To support a trial garden with financial assistance and expertise in dahlia culture and judging of entries, as needed.
Section 5 To promote inter society communication by proposing solutions for common problems.
Section 6 To encourage the free exchange of new ideas and methods concerning dahlias and to support such innovations as merited.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Any individual who grows and exhibits dahlias, or helps with growing and exhibiting dahlias, and seeks to further the common goals of dahlia organizations shall be eligible for membership upon application to the Governing Board and payment of the required dues, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws.
Section 2 Regionally unaffiliated dahlia societies hosting or cohosting an annual dahlia show shall be eligible for membership upon application to the Governing Board and payment of the required dues, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
Section 1 The officers of the FEDERATION shall consist of:
1) PRESIDENT
2) VICE-PRESIDENT
3) SECRETARY
4) TREASURER
5) Two MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
6) IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Section 2 All officers must be members of the FEDERATION.
Section 3 The Governing Board shall be composed of: 1.) All elected officers listed in Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, 2.) Society Representatives selected by each Affiliated Society per Article VI of the By-Laws and 3.) The Chairs of the Standing Committees (Education, Classification, Membership, Judges’ Training, Judges’ Evaluation, Innovation, Newsletter and Show Schedule) per Article V of the By-Laws.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
Section 1 A general meeting of the membership shall be held in the fall of each year at a place and time determined by the Governing Board.
Section 2 The Governing Board shall meet at least twice annually subject to the provisions of the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Amendments to the Constitution, submitted in writing by a member of the Governing Board, must be discussed at the next meeting of the Governing Board. When a majority of the Governing Board votes favorably on the proposed amendment, all individual and society members will be notified within ten days in writing of pending action. Written notification will include the exact wording of proposed change. Final action shall take place at the next meeting of the Governing Board to be scheduled not less than thirty days after distribution of notification.
Section 2 An amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote by the full Governing Board for passage.
Section 3 An approved amendment shall take effect immediately.
Revisions Approved on October 12, 2019 by the Governing Board of the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers.
ARTICLE I – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Membership requirements for Individuals and Societies will be established by the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers (Federation) Governing Board and will be available in print or digital form.
ARTICLE II – DUES
Section 1 Society and individual dues shall be set by the Governing Board and shall be paid annually on or before a date chosen by the Governing Board.
ARTICLE III – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 Elected officers shall assume the duties usually incident to that office and other duties as specified by the Governing Board.
Section 2 The duties of the President shall be to preside at the Annual Meeting, meetings of the Board, and at any special meetings called in accordance with Article VII – Meetings, Section 2 of these By-Laws; to appoint all committees not otherwise provided for, and to perform such other duties as the advancement of the Federation requires.
Section 3 The Vice-President shall assume the duties of President in his absence. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, the order of succession listed in Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply.
Section 4 The Vice-President shall act as the Regional Vice-President to the American Dahlia Society in accordance with the By-Laws of the American Dahlia Society.
Section 5 The Secretary shall record proceedings of the Board meetings, reporting same at the next Board meeting; shall record proceedings of the Annual Meeting, and shall provide minutes of all meetings. The Secretary shall maintain the official records of the Federation and as directed by the President, shall conduct all general correspondence. The Secretary may receive money due the Federation giving a receipt therefore and shall transfer all such monies so collected to the Treasurer, taking receipt, therefore.
Section 6 The Treasurer shall be empowered to receive monies for the Federation from any officer, Committee Chair or directly from those owing or contributing such funds, giving any required receipt for gifts and to deposit said funds in a suitable bank or to invest them in approved securities in the name of the Federation. The Treasurer is empowered to disburse such funds of the Federation to pay invoices for goods and services rendered to the Federation as specified in the Bylaws, as approved by the President or the Board and for reimbursement of reasonable expenses of Officers or Committee Chairs incurred fulfilling responsibilities of their office.
Section 7 At-Large Members shall act as a liaison between the Governing Board and the general membership of the Federation. They shall carry out specific duties for the advancement of the Federation as directed by the President and/or the Governing Board.
Section 8 Immediate Past President shall provide guidance and counsel to the other Federation Officers. They may carry out specific duties for the advancement of the Federation as requested by the President and/or Governing Board.
ARTICLE IV– GOVERNING BOARD
Section 1 The Governing Board shall be the governing body of the Federation. All business and property shall be managed by the Governing Board. Decisions of the Governing Board will be final.
Section 2 A majority of the total Governing Board shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special board meeting. A majority vote is required to pass any business, except an amendment to the By-Laws or Constitution which requires a two-thirds majority vote of the entire Governing Board.
ARTICLE V – STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1 Standing committees shall be: Education, Classification, Membership, Judges’ Training, Judges’ Evaluation, Innovation, Newsletter, and Show Schedule.
Section 2 The President shall appoint all Committee Chairmen, subject to confirmation by the Governing Board. The Chairs of the Classification, Judges Training, and Judges Evaluation shall be Senior Judges in accordance with the rules of the American Dahlia Society.
Section 3 Committee Chairmen shall appoint the members of their respective committees, subject to approval by the Governing Board.
Section 4 All committees shall operate under the guidelines approved by the Governing Board.
Section 5 The Governing Board may create special committees as necessary.
Section 6 Education
Clause 1 The Chair shall promote and organize educational activities, secure information on the culture of the dahlia, and disseminate such information among growers of dahlias (and the public).
Clause 2 The Education Committee shall be responsible for organizing and managing the annual Spring and Summer Workshops at dates approved by the Governing Board.
Section 7 Classification
Clause 1 The Chair will be responsible for preparation of the annual Pacific Northwest Supplemental Listing to the American Dahlia Society Classification and Handbook of Dahlias.
Clause 2 Members of the Classification Committee must be American Dahlia Society Senior Judges who have demonstrated a thorough knowledge of dahlias, including accurately determining their size, form, and color.
Clause 3 Rules pertaining to the reclassification of dahlias shall be recommended by the Classification Committee and approved by the Governing Board.
Section 8 Membership
Clause 1 Chair is to maintain a current roster of member’s status and contact information; to provide the Secretary with a current mailing list as requested; to accept membership fees and forward the payments to the Treasurer in a timely manner. The Membership Chair shall support the Federation by making recommendations to the Governing Board for sustaining and increasing membership.
Clause 2 Chair will be responsible for assigning and maintaining a roster of the exhibitor numbers of the Individual Members of the Federation that will used at all dahlia shows sponsored by Affiliated and Associate Societies.
Clause 3 The Affiliated and Associate Societies shall designate an individual who is responsible for collecting Federation dues on behalf of the members of their Society. In addition, this individual will obtain the contact information for each Federation member of their Society. The contact information shall include name, mailing address, email address (if available), telephone number, home club name, judging status, exhibitor status and exhibitor number (if assigned). The dues and contact information shall be provided annually to the Membership Chair at a date chosen by the Federation Treasurer, Membership Chair, and Show Schedule Chair.
Section 9 Judges Training
Clause 1 Chair shall promote and provide educational opportunities for all levels of dahlia judges in accordance with the rules of the American Dahlia Society. The Judges Training Chair shall be responsible for organizing and managing the annual Judges Training Workshops at dates approved by the Governing Board.
Clause 2 The Chair shall appoint individuals who will be Instructors at the Judges Training Workshops. Instructors must be Senior Judges, in accordance with the rules of the American Dahlia Society, who have demonstrated a thorough knowledge of dahlias, including accurately determining their size, form, and color.
Section 10 Judges Evaluation Chair shall maintain a roster of all judges that have fulfilled their requirements for current accreditation in accordance with the rules of the American Dahlia Society. The information shall be provided to the Federation Secretary, Federation Treasurer, and the Judges Accreditation Chair of the American Dahlia Society as requested.
Section 11 Innovation Chair shall be responsible for assessing the overall capabilities and strategic direction in matters of technology and innovation for the Federation. The Innovation Chair shall support the Federation by making recommendations to the Governing Board for use of new technology and innovative ideas and practices.
Section 12 Newsletter
Clause 1 The Society shall publish a Newsletter, in print or digital format, to be issued quarterly or as directed by the Governing Board.
Clause 2 The Newsletter Editor shall be the Chair of the Committee and shall supervise the production and publication of the Newsletter. The Newsletter Editor will be appointed by the President.
Section 3 Editorial Supervision
Clause 1 The Newsletter shall be edited under the supervision of the Newsletter Editor, with guidance by the Governing Board.
Clause 2 The Newsletter Editor shall have the power to reject, in whole or in part, any advertising or reading material submitted for publication that may be deemed unsuitable for publication.
Section 13 Show Schedule
Clause 1 The Federation shall publish a combined show schedule, in print or digital format, to be issued annually or as directed by the Board.
Clause 2 The name of this publication shall be the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers Dahlia Annual & Combined Show Schedules (Dahlia Annual).
Clause 3 The Show Schedule Editor shall be the Chair of the Committee and shall supervise the production and publication of the Dahlia Annual. The Show Schedule Editor will be appointed by the President.
Section 14 Editorial Supervision
Clause 1 The Dahlia Annual shall be edited under the supervision of the Show Schedule Editor, with guidance by the Board.
Clause 2 The Show Schedule Editor shall have the power to reject, in whole or in part, material submitted for publication that may be deemed unsuitable for publication.
Section 15 The show schedules for the Affiliated and Associate Societies can be included in the Dahlia Annual if the information is provided by the date designated by the Show Schedule Editor.
ARTICLE VI – SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1 Each Affiliated or Associate Society will designate an individual to serve as its Society Representative, subject to approval by the Federation Governing Board.
Section 2 The Representative shall be a Federation member and serve in that capacity until succeeded by a new Representative.
Section 3 It is the responsibility of the President or his designee of the Affiliated or Associate Society to communicate the name, mailing address, email address and telephone number of the Representative to the Federation President and Secretary. Qualification must include the ability to receive and send communications via e-mail or other electronic means.
Section 4 It will be the responsibility of the Representative to communicate information from the Federation to the Affiliated or Associate Society members on a regular basis and to communicate the opinions and suggestions of the Affiliated or Associate Society to the Federation Governing Board.
Section 5 Affiliated Society Representatives shall be voting members of the Federation Governing Board. Associated Society Representatives are non-voting members of the Federation Governing Board.
ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS
Section 1 The Governing Board shall set the time and place for all required meetings.
Section 2 Special meetings of the Governing Board must convene upon the request of fifty percent of the entire Governing Board, by request of the President, or upon written request of twenty- five members of the Federation. Such requests shall be directed to the Secretary who shall immediately notify the President. The President shall then call a special meeting, either by regular mail, email, or telephone, to be held within fifteen days of such notice.
Section 3 The general meeting of the membership to be held in the fall of each year shall be designated as the Annual Meeting of the Federation. Reports of officers and committees will be given. Notice of the Annual Meeting shall be published at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.
Section 4 Any member may attend any Governing Board meeting or request a copy of the minutes from any Board meeting.
ARTICLE VIII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1 The election of officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting in each odd-numbered year.
Section 2 The officers shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the above Article VIII, Section 1. A majority vote of those individual members present, and voting shall elect.
Section 3 The term of office shall be for two years.
Section 4 Any vacancy, except the office of President, shall be filled by pro tem appointment of the President and approved by the Governing Board. A vacancy in the presidency shall be filled by a vote of the Governing Board.
ARTICLE IX – DISSOLUTION
Section 1 Should the FEDERATION OF NORTHWEST DAHLIA GROWERS, through any circumstances, cease to exist, it shall be the duty of the Governing Board to settle all Federation accounts and donate any remaining funds to: Metropolitan Park Department, Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, Washington.
ARTICLE X – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1 The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern in cases which they are applicable and are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Amendment to the By-Laws, submitted in writing by a member of the Governing Board, must be discussed at the next meeting of the Governing Board. When a majority of the Governing Board votes favorably on the proposed amendment, all individual and society members will be notified within ten days, in writing, of pending action. Written notification will include the exact text wording of proposed change. Final action shall take place at the next meeting of the Governing Board to be scheduled not less than thirty days after distribution of notification.
Section 2 An amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote by the full Governing Board for passage.
Section 3 An approved amendment shall take effect immediately.
Signed and adopted November 18, 1984.
Harold Miller C. Phillip Traff Pauline Fanning
Edgar Corning Dan Sharp Ed Redd
William Dungan Elsie Dungan Roger L. Walker
Richard C. Matthies Patricia F. Matthies Les Connell
Barney Welch Steve Shackleton Linda Shackleton
Birdie M. McCartney William J. Rigby Marvin McCartney
Lewis G. Bloom Susan K. Ambrose
Revisions approved on October 12, 2019 by the Governing Board of the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers.