Bylaws

Washington Press Association - Bylaws

Approved April 24, 2010

ARTICLE I. Name and Affiliation

The name of this organization is Washington Press Association, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the WPA. WPA is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the NFPW.

ARTICLE II. Definition and Objectives

Section 1. WPA shall be a nonprofit organization of professionals in communication.
Section 2. Its objectives shall be to advance standards of the communications profession, provide for exchange of communications ideas, knowledge and experiences, and coordinate efforts of interest to communications professionals.

ARTICLE III. Policies

Section 1. WPA shall be a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization operating in Washington State and abiding by laws and regulations governing the same. Tax exemption is derived under Internal Revenue Service Code, 1954, Sec. 501( c ) (6).
Section 2. The WPA program shall be educational and informational, oriented toward professional development.
Section 3. WPA shall be noncommercial, nonsectarian and nonpartisan. It shall not endorse or recommend any commercial enterprise, political campaign or partisan issue. Nor shall any WPA officer or member lend the WPA name, credit or endorsement to any commercial enterprise, political campaign, partisan issue or personal opinion. Issues that further WPA objectives and have been approved by a majority of the active membership by mail ballot are excepted.

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ARTICLE IV. Membership

Membership classifications shall be active, emeritus, life (“active”) and honorary.

Section 1. Active members shall be professional communicators actively engaged in any segment of communications for remuneration, actively publishing or retired from an active publishing career or career in communications. Active members shall have full voting rights and membership privileges.
Section 2. Emeritus members shall have been WPA active members for at least 10 consecutive years, shall have reached the age of at least 60 and have retired from employment. Emeritus members shall pay half the WPA and NFPW active member dues. They shall have full voting rights and active member status.
Section 3. Life members shall be active members in good standing for at least five years who qualify for NFPW life membership and have paid the dues. Life members must pay full WPA dues until they qualify for and choose to become emeritus members. Life members shall have full voting rights and active member privileges.
Section 4. Honorary members shall be non-WPA members on whom honorary status is conferred by the WPA president for meritorious achievement or service to the communications profession. Honorary members have no voting rights or privileges.
Section 5. A member who belongs to NFPW through another affiliate may belong to WPA by paying WPA dues.
Section 6. Membership applications shall be processed by the membership committee, subject to executive committee approval.
Section 7. A WPA member may be expelled for violating these bylaws by a two-thirds vote of the executive committee.
Section 8. An organization involved in the communications profession may become a corporate sponsor of WPA. The benefits and dues for corporate sponsorship are those established by the executive committee. Corporate sponsors will not be voting members.

ARTICLE V. Officers and Elections

Officers shall be the president, vice president, membership chair, secretary and treasurer.

Section 1. (a) The vice president shall chair a nominations and elections committee. The committee shall prepare a slate of candidates, subject to approval by the executive committee.
(b) The committee shall prepare a ballot with space for a write-in nominee for each office, and a biographical sketch of each candidate. The ballot will be sent via email or regular mail to members 30 days prior to the annual general meeting. The committee shall receive and tally ballots that are postmarked within two weeks of the date of the mailing.
(c) Elections shall be by a majority of valid votes received. In the event of a tie or lack of a majority, runoff voting by email and regular mail for the top two candidates shall be held.
(d) The committee chair shall report results to the executive committee, to the nominees, to the communications chair, and at the annual meeting.
(e) The term of office shall coincide with the WPA July 1-June 30 fiscal year, or until a successor is elected.
Section 2. The term of office for all positions shall be two years. The exception to this shall be for the first election after these bylaws are adopted, at which election the vice president and secretary shall be elected for a term of one year.
Section 3. No officer shall serve more than two full consecutive terms in the same position, or in more than one position simultaneously.
Section 4. (a) A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the vice president for the unexpired term, or until a successor is elected. The resultant vacancy in the office of vice president shall be filled by a majority vote of the executive committee.
(b) A vacancy in any other elected office shall be filled by a majority vote of the executive committee.
Section 5. An elected officer may be removed from office for violation of these bylaws or dereliction of duty by a majority of the executive committee.

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ARTICLE VI. Governing Body

Section 1. WPA business shall be conducted by members present and voting at a general meeting. The executive committee shall be the governing body between general meetings, and shall further WPA objectives and consider and recommend actions on pertinent matters to the membership.
Section 2. The executive committee shall be composed of the president, vice president, membership chair, secretary and treasurer.
Section 3. The executive committee quorum shall be at least three of the elected officers. Consensus may be obtained by telephone and email.
Section 4. No member may vote more than once on one action at a time. Proxy votes are not permitted.

ARTICLE VII. Duties of Officers and Committee Chairs

Section 1. The president shall call and preside at all meetings; appoint committee chairs and other individuals needed for special assignments, with executive committee approval; oversee activities of all officers and committee chairs; approve communications to be issued by WPA; be responsible for all WPA records; and perform other duties incumbent upon the office and mandated by these bylaws. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except nominations and elections.
Section 2. The vice president shall preside in the president’s absence; accede to the presidency if it is vacated and serve until a successor is elected; chair the nominations and elections committee; and accept areas of responsibility designated by the president.
Section 3. The membership chair shall coordinate efforts to recruit new members and accept areas of responsibility designated by the president.
Section 4. The secretary shall maintain accurate minutes of proceedings of all meetings, attend to correspondence as requested by the president, and perform duties incumbent upon the office or assigned by the president.
Section 5. The treasurer shall receive and disburse all WPA funds, maintain required accounts, report regularly to the executive committee and annually to the general membership on the status of accounts, and have records available for examination/audit upon reasonable notice; send dues statements, receive and process membership records required by WPA and NFPW and maintain a file of current members, their addresses, phone numbers, and emails; possess all financial records, except those temporarily removed for examination/audit by a designated agent, and timely file all financial reports required by law, regulations and NFPW.
Section 6. All officers and appointed committee chairs leaving office shall promptly deliver all WPA accounts, records and other WPA property to their successors.

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ARTICLE VIII. Standing and Special Committee Chairs

Section 1. Standing and special committee chairs shall be appointed by the president with executive committee approval.
Section 2. Standing committees may include budget, bylaws, communications contest, historian/archivist, legislation, membership, nominations and elections, professional programs, professional recognition, public relations, scholarship, and others to be designated by the executive committee from time to time.
Section 3. Special committee chairs may be appointed as needed by the president with executive committee approval, and shall serve at the president’s direction.
Section 4. Committee chairs shall promptly give records to their successors on leaving office.

ARTICLE IX. Meetings

Section 1. WPA shall hold at least one regularly scheduled general membership meeting each year, with the executive committee to determine the dates and places.
Section 2. Additional general membership meetings may be called by an executive committee majority, or petition signed by 15 percent of the current active members.
Section 3. Meetings shall be on dates and at times and places convenient to members, with the first meeting of the calendar year enough before June 30 to allow compliance with bylaws governing officer nominations and elections.

ARTICLE X. Fiscal Year and Dues

Section 1. The WPA fiscal year shall be July 1 through June 30. All NFPW dues and bills shall be paid by June 30.
Section 2. The executive committee shall set WPA dues with approval of a majority of active members voting.

ARTICLE XI. Finances

WPA revenues shall be applied in a manner consistent with accepted financial practices to benefit the membership through pursuit of WPA objectives.

Section 1. All WPA funds shall be deposited in a timely manner in federally insured institutions in accounts authorized and approved in advance by the executive committee, and when practical in interest-bearing accounts or instruments.
Section 2. Funds may be disbursed for expenses authorized in the budget or by the executive committee only upon submission of a voucher and bill or receipt supporting the claim to the WPA treasurer. Funds for payment of vouchers for less than $100 may be disbursed by check or a withdrawal document signed by the treasurer. Payments of $100 or more must be signed by two officers.

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ARTICLE XII. Publication

The official publication shall be the WPA Web site.

ARTICLE XIII. Parliamentary Authority

WPA shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order in its latest revision, where applicable and not inconsistent with these bylaws or rules of procedure.

ARTICLE XIV. Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of active members, providing proposed changes and a ballot have been sent by email or postal mail at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting. Balloting shall be by mail; valid ballots postmarked within two weeks of the date of mailing shall be tallied.
Section 2. These bylaws shall be posted on the Web site.

ARTICLE XV. Dissolution and Disposal of Funds

Should two-thirds of the active membership vote to disband the WPA, any residual WPA assets shall be given by the executive committee to selected universities and colleges in Washington State to support communications education.

ARTICLE XVI. Standing Rules

The executive committee shall formulate standing rules, policies and procedures not covered in these bylaws, provided they conform to limits and rules herein.

Section 1. Rules, policies or procedures shall be approved by a majority vote of the executive committee.
Section 2. Any WPA voting member may propose a new rule, policy or procedure or amendment or deletion at a regularly scheduled meeting.

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