ARTICLE I
Name and Policy

1.1

Name

The name of this chapter of FBLA-PBL, Inc. shall be the Washington State Association of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), hereinafter referred to as Washington State FBLA.

1.2

Policy

This organization is a non-profit, educational, student leadership chapter of the national FBLA-PBL, Inc.

ARTICLE II
Purpose and Goals

2.1

Purpose

The purpose of the Washington State FBLA is to provide additional opportunities for secondary students (grades 7-12) to develop vocational and career competencies and to promote civic and personal responsibilities.

2.2

Goals

The goals of the Washington State FBLA are to:

• develop competent, assertive business leadership;
• strengthen the confidence of the students in themselves and in their work;
• create more interest in and understanding of the American business enterprise;
• encourage members in the development of individual projects which contribute to the improvement of home, business, and community;
• develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism;
• encourage and practice efficient money management;
• encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty;
• assist students in the establishment of occupational goals;
• and facilitate the transition from school to work.

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ARTICLE III
Membership

3.1

General

Washington State FBLA membership shall consist of members of active chartered local chapters. These members shall hold membership in their local, state, and national chapters, thereby being a unified state organization. Individual members shall be recognized only through a local chapter of the Washington State FBLA.

3.2

Active

Active members shall be secondary students (grades 7-12) who are interested in a business career, are willing to accept the purpose of the Washington State FBLA, subscribe to its creed, demonstrate a willingness to contribute to good school-community relations, and possess qualities for employment.

Active members shall pay dues as established by the state and national FBLA and may serve as voting delegates to state and national leadership conferences, participate in state and national competitive events in accordance with the guidelines of the Awards Program, hold office, and otherwise represent their chapters with the approval of their local advisers.

3.3

Professional

Professional members shall be persons associated with or participating in the professional development of the Washington State FBLA as approved by the chapters. Members may include advisers, business instructors and other educators, business persons, state supervisors, employers/supervisors of cooperative office education, advisory council members, and persons contributing to the growth and development of the Washington State FBLA. Professional members shall pay dues as established by the state and national
FBLA, and they may participate in events. One member of the Professional Division shall serve on the FBLA State Board of Directors.

3.4

Honorary

Honorary life members may be recommended by the membership and shall be accepted upon approval by the State Board of Directors. They shall be persons making significant contributions to the field of Business Education and/or to the growth and development of the Washington State FBLA. Honorary life members shall not vote or hold office, and they shall not be required to pay dues.

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ARTICLE IV
Dues and Finance

4.1

Dues

The annual dues of this association shall be established by its Board of Directors upon recommendation from its Executive Leadership Committee and in coordination with the national dues deadline. Annual dues are payable on or before February 15 of each fiscal year, hereinafter defined for those members participating as competitors at the State Business Leadership Conference, and shall remain in effect until July 31 of the current year.

4.2

Proration

There shall be no pro-ration of dues to this association.

4.3

Finance

The financial activities and property of the Washington State FBLA shall be managed by its Board of Directors and administered by the Chair of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director.

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ARTICLE V
Organization and Governance

5.1

General

The Washington State FBLA shall be an association of local chapters, each operating in accordance with a charter issued by FBLA-PBL, Inc. Only chapters currently in good standing with the state and national associations shall be referred to as Future Business Leaders of America.

5.2 

Board of Directors 

The Board of Directors of the Washington State FBLA shall make recommendations and provide direction for the administration of the association.

Composition:  The Board of Directors shall be composed of sixteen (16) positions as follows:

a.       FBLA State President......................................................... Non-Voting
b.       FBLA State Secretary......................................................... Non-Voting
c.       Two (2) Regional Advisers elected by the Executive
          Leadership Committee...................................................... Voting
d.       One (1) WAVA Representative elected/appointe by WAVA..... Voting
e.       Nine (9) Business Representatives or other representatives recommended by  local school
          districts and endorsed by Executive Leadership Committee nomination and approved by
          the Board of Directors....................................................... Voting
f.        FBLA Executive Director..................................................... Non-voting
g.       OSPI Business Education Liaison......................................... Non-Voting
h.       Legal Counsel as nominated by any member of the Board of Directors and as approved by
          the Board of Directors ...................................................... Non-voting
i.        Professional Division Representative................................... Voting
j.        Certified Public Accountant................................................ Non-Voting

The Board of Directors shall elect from its voting membership an individual to serve as Corporate Secretary.

Terms:  Terms of service for members of the Board of Directors shall be as follows:

a.        FBLA State President.......................................... Annual
b.        FBLA State Secretary.......................................... Annual
c.        Regional Advisers............................................... Three Years
d.        WAVA Representative......................................... Three Years
e.        Business Representatives.................................... Three Years
f.         FBLA Executive Director...................................... Permanent
g.        OSPI Business Education Liaison.......................... Permanent
h.        Legal Counsel.................................................... Permanent
i.         Professional Division Representative.................... Three Years
j.         Certified Public Accountant................................. Permanent

Categories “c, d, e, and i” listed above may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms if appropriately elected/appointed to such term the second time subject to the provisions listed herein. Consideration to represent small/large and east/west districts adequately will be made when possible.

All board positions held for more than one year shall be fixed within one of three election tracks herein designated as A, B, and C. Each track will have three (3) of the nine (9) Business Representatives. Track B & C will have one (1) of the two (2) Regional Advisers. The WAVA Representative will be part of Track C and the Professional Division member will be part of Track A.

The beginning date for all terms of service shall be July 1. After the requisite number of years the term which began on July 1, shall conclude on June 30. The operating year for the Board of Directors will run concurrently with terms of service from July 1 through June 30.

It shall be the express duty of the Chair to conduct an annual accounting during the first regularly scheduled board meeting of the new term (after July 1), during which each board member will be advised of their respective assigned Track and remaining years of service. Any vacancy on the Board shall be filled by the appropriate individual who will complete the remaining term of service as designated by the assigned Track.

In the event a vacancy occurs when more than half of the term has expired, the newly approved individual will be eligible to serve two complete terms of service. For vacancies that occur when less than half of the term has expired, the individual who will fill that position will only be eligible to serve one additional term before being required to take at least a one-year hiatus. Individuals who wish to return to the Board may be eligible for any open position after the one-year hiatus.

January 1 will be deemed half of any service year.

The following section will be in effect until the end of the third year after the installation of the new board and the Track C has begun its first complete three-year term on July 1, 2008. After that date this and the following four (4) paragraphs will be deleted as a editorial/clean-up function and done without a vote.

Board Members who have been designated part of Track A will serve a one-year term that will expire June 30, 2006. The first full three-year term for Track A will begin July 1, 2006 and ends June 30, 2009.

Board Members who have been designated as part of Track B will serve a two-year term that will expire June 30, 2007. The first full three-year term for Track B will begin July 1, 2007 and concludes June 30, 2010.

5.3 

Executive Leadership Committee

The Executive Leadership Committee of the Washington State FBLA shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors and perform such other duties as hereinafter defined.

Composition: The Executive Leadership Committee shall be composed of the following positions:

a.        Elected Officers.......................................... Voting
b.        Regional Advisers....................................... Voting
c.        FBLA Executive Director............................... Voting
d.        OSPI Business Education Liaison................... Voting
e.        Immediate Past FBLA President..................... Non-Voting/Liaison
f.         Appointed Officer(s)..................................... Non-Voting

Terms: Terms of service for members of the Executive Leadership Committee shall be as follows:

a.        Elected/Appointed Officers............................. Annual
b.        Regional Advisers......................................... Three Years
c.        FBLA Executive Director................................. Permanent
d.       OSPI Business Education Liaison...................... Permanent
e.        Immediate Past FBLA President...................... Annual/Non-Voting

Category "b" above may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms. If at the end of the third term no adviser within the region is appropriately designated, the current regional adviser may serve another term. Expiration of terms shall be on a rotating basis.

5.4

State Committee Members

All non-student members of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Committee shall be designated as State Committee Members.

5.5

Regions

The Washington State FBLA shall be divided into administrative regions which may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

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ARTICLE VI
Meetings

6.1

Regular

Scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Committee shall be held in the fall, winter, and spring. Times and places for the regularly scheduled meetings shall be left to the discretion of the members.

6.2

Special

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Board Chair or by two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

Special meetings of the Executive Leadership Committee may be called by the State FBLA President upon approval of the Executive Director or by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members of the Executive Leadership Committee.

6.3

Annual

The annual meeting of this association shall be held in conjunction with the State Business Leadership Conference at such time and place as determined by the Executive Leadership Committee and/or the Board of Directors.

6.4

Quorum

A quorum consisting of fifty-one percent (51%) of the Executive Leadership Committee shall be necessary for the transaction of business at a regular or special meeting of this association. A quorum consisting of fifty-one percent (51%) of the voting Board of Directors members shall be necessary for the transaction of business at a regular or special meeting of this association. A quorum consisting of fifty-one (51%) percent voting delegates present at the annual meeting shall be necessary for the transaction of business.

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ARTICLE VII
Officers and Qualifications

7.1

Elected Officers

The elected officers of this association shall be President, Secretary, Public Relations Officer, and Vice Presidents as determined by regions established by the Board of Directors.

7.2

Appointed Officer(s)

The appointed officer(s) of this association shall be: Parliamentarian and such other officer(s) as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors upon recommendation of the Executive Leadership Committee.

7.3

Qualifications

a.    A candidate must be an active member.
b.    Candidates for State Secretary must possess a keyboarding skill by the end of the current school year and be
      able to take minutes.
c.    Each local chapter may nominate two state officer candidates, including Parliamentarian for two separate positions.
d.    Each candidate must attend the State Business Leadership Conference.
e.    Each candidate must have at least one full year remaining in high school.
f.    Candidates for State Public Relations Officer must show proficiency in word processing, document formatting,
      and graphic design.

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ARTICLE VIII
Nomination and Election/Appointment of Officers and Chairmen

8.1

Nominating/Screening Committee

At the winter meeting, the Executive Leadership Committee shall elect four (4) members - two (2) active members and two (2) regional advisers—representing four (4) different regions to serve as the Nominating/Screening Committee for officers of the next fiscal year. The Executive Director shall serve as a member of this committee. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall serve as an ex-officio member. It shall be the duty of this committee to receive nominations and cause a ballot to be prepared, listing the names of all the nominees for each office.

All qualified nominees for each position on the ballot shall be endorsed. The ballot shall list the President, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer offices. Any qualified member, including members of the Nominating/Screening Committee, shall be eligible for nomination to any office. The President may not serve on the Nominating/Screening Committee.

8.2

Method of Election

Election method shall be determined by the Executive Leadership Committee. A simple majority, fifty percent plus one (50% plus 1) of the votes cast shall constitute an election. Only voting delegates in attendance at the annual meeting shall have the right to vote for officers. Vice Presidents representing the regions shall be elected annually at their respective regional meetings conducted at the State Business Leadership Conference by the voting delegates of their regions.

The President, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer shall be elected by the approved method; however, if a candidate does not receive a majority of votes on the second count, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes for that ballot shall be dropped from the third round of voting. If necessary, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes from that ballot shall be dropped from each subsequent ballot until one candidate receives a majority of votes.

If there is a single nominee for any office, the Secretary may be directed by the Executive Director to cast a unanimous ballot to elect said nominee for that office.

8.3

Length of Term(s) Election

No member shall be elected to the same office for more than one term. All officers shall be elected yearly.

8.4

Commencement

The newly elected/appointed officers shall begin their terms of office on June 1 or at the first Executive Leadership Committee meeting following the State Business Leadership Conference, whichever comes first.

8.5

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Executive Director shall appoint a President Pro Tem. As soon as possible, the Executive Leadership Committee shall nominate a current State Officer and submit the nomination to the Board of Directors for approval. Upon approval, the individual shall assume the duties of the President. A vacancy in any other office shall be filled by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Executive Leadership Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

8.6

Appointments

The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President upon approval of the Executive Leadership Committee prior to the installation ceremony at the State Business Leadership Conference.

Other appointments may be made as deemed necessary; said appointments are subject to the ratification of the Executive Leadership Committee and approval of the Board of Directors.

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ARTICLE IX
Duties of Officers

9.1

President

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Leadership Committee of this association and at the annual meeting; appoint officer(s) and chairmen of all committees subject to the approval of the Executive Leadership Committee; develop a program of work in cooperation with the Executive Leadership Committee; assist the Executive Director and Executive Leadership Committee with the preparation of an annual budget; serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors; and assist with the promotion of the Washington State FBLA. The President may serve as an ex-officio member of all committees; however, (s)he may not serve as a member of the Nominating/Screening Committee.

9.2

Vice Presidents

Each Vice President shall coordinate regional activities, including conferences; serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Committee; and assist the President in promotion of the Washington State FBLA.

9.3

Secretary

The Secretary shall be the custodian of the records of the association not otherwise committed by these Bylaws; keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive Leadership Committee, Board of Directors, and the State Business Leadership Conference, supplying copies of the minutes and supplemental reports to the President, Executive Director and State Chairman within two weeks of the meeting; serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors, and assist with the President in the promotion of the Washington State FBLA

9.4

Public Relations Officer

The Public Relations Officer shall serve in a liaison capacity with the community, reporting activities of the association by disseminating news articles; communicate activities of the association to the national FBLA; create and maintain a history of the association's activities; and assist the President in the promotion of the Washington State FBLA.

9.5

Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall advise the President on the orderly conduct of business in accordance with policies and practices of the association and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, most current edition, and assist the President in the promotion of the Washington State FBLA.

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ARTICLE X
Fiscal Year

10.1

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of this association shall be July 1 through June 30.

ARTICLE XI
Amendments

11.1

Amendments

Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Board of Directors by members of the Board of Directors, members of the Executive Leadership Committee, or members of the local chapter and postmarked not later than December 15 of the current fiscal year.

After review approval of the proposal(s) by the Executive Leadership Committee and Board of Directors at their winter meeting, notice of proposed amendments shall be sent to local chapters not later than thirty (30) days prior to the State Business Leadership Conference. Bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting during the State Business Leadership Conference by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the voting delegates present at the meeting.

ARTICLE XII
Parliamentary Authority

12.1

Authority

Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, most current edition, shall be the authority used for parliamentary procedure where applicable and where there is no conflict between said rules and the Bylaws of this association.