Standing Rules of Order

AITP HOUSTON STANDING RULES OF ORDER DATA PROCESSING MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION HOUSTON CHAPTER STANDING RULES OF ORDER ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 - Honorary Membership Honorary membership in the Houston Chapter may be granted at the discretion of the Board of Directors to persons who otherwise qualify, and who, in the opinion of the Board, are deserving of such recognition. The Chapter will forgive the payment of local dues and assume the payment of (International) Association dues for members so elected. Honorary Memberships shall be reviewed and voted upon annually.

Section 2 - Transfer of Membership Upon written request, membership paid by a company may be transferred to another person with the same company provided the applicant to whom the membership is to be transferred is otherwise qualified as specified in the Chapter Bylaws. Application for such transfer must be submitted on the Association's "Application for Membership" form.

Section 3 - Termination of Membership If a member by his/her own actions becomes undesirable or conducts himself/herself in a manner deemed to be subversive to the best interests of the Association, the Board of Directors has the power to terminate the membership.

Such action by the Board shall be taken at any regular or special meeting of the Board and shall require a two-thirds percent (67%) approval of the total Board.

Absent members may vote by mail or proxy.

Section 4 - Resignation Any member may resign at any time, but such resignation shall not become effective until accepted by the Board and all dues and obligations outstanding to the Chapter and the (International) Association have been satisfied in full.

Persons submitting resignations shall not be entitled to rebates of dues paid.

ARTICLE II - FINANCES Section 1 - Chapter Dues Chapter dues of ($15) $25 per year shall be paid in addition to the (International) Association dues. These shall be for the sole benefit of the Chapter, providing such benefits are for purposes consistent with the general aims and purposes of the Association. Chapter dues shall be billed at the same time as (International) Association dues.

Section 2 - Annual Budget An annual budget shall be prepared by the Audit and Finance Committee to cover the activities of the fiscal year. Such budget shall be based upon estimated income from all sources for the year and shall indicate expenditures for each committee. The budget shall be submitted for approval by the Board of Directors no later than the February meeting of the Board. Once approved, the Treasurer is authorized to make such expenditures as fall within the budget. Any expenditures outside of the budget or in excess of budgeted amounts must have prior approval of the Board.

Section 3 - Chapter Reserve Fund The Chapter will establish and maintain a Reserve Fund in order to assure the continued financial viability of the Chapter and to assure that the Chapter can meet future financial obligations including contractual agreements and Student Chapter Scholarship funding. The Reserve Fund must, at all times, be equal to or greater than 50% of the preceding year's actual Chapter expenditures. Should the Reserve Fund be below this level at the beginning of any fiscal year, the budget for the new fiscal year must specifically provide for reimbursing the Reserve Fund out of committed Chapter revenues. Exceptions to this provision of the Standing Rules must be approved in advance by a vote of the entire Chapter membership in accordance with the Chapter By-Laws.

Section 4 - Investments The Reserve Fund, and any other available funds above that needed to run the Chapter, will be invested in Certificates of Deposit or other high grade, fully insured investments.

ARTICLE III - NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Section 1 - Nominating Committee A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President no later than the regular Board meeting of March of each year. The Nominating Committee shall

present to the membership no later than the regular monthly meeting of September a slate of nominees for Officers and Directors for the ensuing year.

Section 2 - Nominations from the Floor Nomination may be made from the floor by the membership at the annual business meeting provided the nominee has been contacted for his/her prior approval and has agreed to serve if elected and meets such other qualifications for office as outlined in the Chapter Bylaws.

Section 3 - Election Proceedings If there is more than one nominee for any office or directorship, election shall be by secret ballot. A majority of the votes cast in each position is required to elect.

The Nominating Committee Chairperson shall appoint a chairperson and two (2) tellers to receive and count the ballots. The results will be announced to the presiding officer who shall declare elected the nominee receiving the majority of votes cast. In case there is no choice on the first ballot for any one or more offices, another ballot shall take place at once for that office until a choice be made. The nominee with the least number of votes in each ballot shall be eliminated from the next ballot.

If there is only one nominee for any office or directorship, election for the position may be by voice vote.

Section 4 - Installation The installation of elected officers and directors shall take place no later than the regular November meeting of the membership.

Section 5 - Directors The following directorships shall be filled by the election of a specific nominee or nominees to a specific position for a one year term.

Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Position 4 Position 5 Position 6 Position 7 Position 8 Position 9 Position 10 Position 11*

Director of Arrangements Director of Audit/Finance Director of Education/Student Groups Director of Education/Membership Director of Education/Special Interests Director of Membership/New Director of Membership/Records Director of Membership/Retention Director of Points and Awards Director of Programs Director of Publications/Roster

Position 12* Director of Publications/Newsletter Position 13 Director of Publications/Advertising Position 14 Director of Publicity *Positions indicated shall be elected for a two (2) year term of office with even numbers being elected in even numbered years and odd numbers being elected in odd numbered years.

Rotation of responsibilities should occur within the directorships indicated; therefore, each function will maintain an experienced person as a new director takes office.

ARTICLE IV - COMMITTEES Section 1 - Standing Committees The following Standing Committees shall be formed for conducting the usual and ordinary business of the Chapter.

1. Arrangements whose duty shall be to arrange for the physical facilities and dinners for meetings of the Chapter and the Board of Directors.

2. Audit/Finance whose duty it shall be to prepare the annual budget of the Chapter, to periodically audit the financial records of the Chapter, and to prepare reports to the Chapter Board of Directors at least quarterly. To assist the Treasurer in any manner to properly control and protect the finances of the Chapter.

3. Education/Student Groups whose duties it shall be to work closely with the high schools and colleges in the area to provide whatever services and assistance may be of value. They shall be in charge of establishing Student Chapters, conducting future Data Processing courses, carrying out the duties of sponsoring an Explorer Scout Post, encouraging participation in Data Processing Merit Badge Counselor program. This committee shall also conduct an annual program for the award of scholarship to a deserving student whose studies relate to data processing.

4. Education/Membership whose duties it shall be to provide educational opportunities for the membership such as seminars, conferences, and review courses for the instruction of the membership and any others interested in data processing. They shall promote participation in the Certificate in Data Processing and Registered Business Programmers examinations and conduct such review courses as may be required. They shall make use of the educational programs provided by (International) the Association as may be deemed appropriate.

5. Education/Special Interests whose duties it shall be to provide for technical sessions at least monthly and directed toward specific areas of interest such as small users, management, industry or software applications. The number of groups and areas covered shall be determined by the demand.

6. Membership/New whose duty it shall be to conduct an active membership campaign throughout the year to enlist new members, and to investigate all applications for membership and recommend action to the Board of Directors in accordance with the applicable Chapter Bylaws and Standing Rules of Order.

7. Membership/Records whose duty it shall be to maintain the records database of the Chapter, furnish labels as required, and to prepare member badges for distribution at the regular meeting.

8. Membership/Retention whose duty it shall be to encourage the renewal of memberships and to act as chairperson of the telephone calling committee.

9. Points and Awards whose duty it shall be to maintain the records of all members leading to the Individual Performance Award and of Chapter activities required for submission to (International) the Association concerning Chapter awards.

10. Programs whose duty it shall be to provide the speakers and program for the regular meetings of the Chapter.

11. Publications/Roster whose duty it shall be to publish an annual roster of members.

12. Publications/Newsletter whose duty it shall be to prepare and publish a monthly newsletter of Chapter activities and announcements.

13. Publications/Advertising whose duty it shall be to solicit and bill advertisers, to monitor the newsletter to verify correct advertising, and to notify the newsletter director when the status of an advertiser changes.

14. Publicity whose duties it shall be to publicize the activities of the Chapter through all available media. This should include submission of information to (International) the Association as well as the local media.

15. Planning whose duties it shall be to provide recom- mendations to the Board of Directors of forward plans for the conduct of Chapter activities. A specific recom- mendation is to be presented annually in December outlining the goals and objectives for the coming year. This committee should be chaired by the Immediate Past President, and should include the current President and at least one other member. Other members of the committee are to be chosen by the chairperson.

16. Past Presidents whose duties shall be to advise and assist the Chapter as the need may exist. This committee shall be composed of all Past Presidents of the Chapter who have continued as members in good standing. The second Immediate Past President should be in charge of this committee.

17. Nominating whose duty it shall be to provide and place in nomination a slate of candidates for election to the offices and director positions of the Chapter no later than the regular meeting of the membership in September of each year.

18. Advisory whose duty it shall be to advise and assist the Chapter as the need may exist. This committee shall be composed of members of the Chapter in good standing whose experience with the Chapter spans several years and who have participated actively within the Chapter.

19. Bylaws whose duty it shall be to review annually the Bylaws and Standing Rules and propose changes. This committee should be chaired by the Executive Vice President and two other members of the Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Special Committees Such special committees as may be deemed necessary to the activities of the Chapter may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 3 - Committee Membership With the exception of those committees which have a defined membership all committees are to be composed of members of the Chapter. Every member is encouraged to participate in at least one committee. The Committee Chairperson or Director may select members to carry out the work of the committee.

ARTICLE V - REMOVAL/RESIGNATION FROM OFFICE The Board of Directors shall have the power to remove from office any of its members for conduct deemed to be detrimental to the best interest of the Association. Included in, but not limited to, such reason shall be the absence of any member of the Board from two meetings of the Board of Directors in a year, provided the member is not represented by a substitute or proxy. Such removal shall not occur, however, until the offending member has been duly apprised of his conduct and given an opportunity to resign. If such action is not forthcoming, the Board may by majority vote of the other Board members present, declare the office vacated and proceed to the appointment to fill the unexpired term according to the Chapter Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI - MEMBERSHIP ROSTER Section 1 - Published Roster A complete membership roster shall be prepared at least annually and provided to the membership. Distribution of the membership roster is restricted to the membership except by authorization by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 2 - Mailing Labels Mailing labels will be provided to sister organizations for the purpose of sending meeting announcements, seminar announcements, etc., upon request, for a fee of $35, the approximate cost of label preparation. This fee is subject to periodic review and change by the Board of Directors. Mailing labels may be provided to outside groups for commercial use, after approval of the Board of Directors, for a fee of $500.

ARTICLE VII - CONTACT WITH THE ASSOCIATION Section 1 - Information and Assistance The Chapter (International) Association Director is the liaison between the local Chapter and (International) Association Headquarters. Questions of policy and problems which arise requiring advice and assistance from (International) the Association shall, if at all feasible, be directed to and through the (International) Association Director. A copy of all correspondence to (International) the Association shall be directed to the (International) Association Director.

Section 2 - Ordering of Supplies A catalog of supplies available from (International) the Association is maintained by the Chapter Secretary. All orders for supplies from (International) the Association shall be placed through the Chapter Secretary.

ARTICLE VIII - BONDING OF CHAPTER OFFICERS The President, Executive Vice President, and Treasurer shall be bonded by the (International) Association in accordance with Article XI, Section 5 of the (International) Association Bylaws.

ARTICLE IX - EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES Section 1 - Employment Services The Chapter will not act as an employment service for the membership. Chapter members, including Officers and Directors, are encouraged to assist unemployed

members find employment opportunities through individual networking. The Chapter will assist student members by encouraging networking, providing leads, calling colleagues, and coordinating activities.

A table is provided at the back of the meeting for Chapter members who are looking for employment to leave resumes and for Chapter members seeking professional help to leave job specifications. Employment ads may be placed in the Chapter Newsletter at normal advertising rates.

Section 2 - Conflict of Interest Chapter Officers and Directors who are in the employment business are cautioned not to be perceived in any way as using their position in the Chapter to encourage members to change jobs.

Section 3 - Career Days and Job Fairs The Chapter will normally not participate in Career days or Job Fairs. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the Board.

ARTICLE X - TRADE SHOWS, CONVENTIONS, AND EXPOSITIONS Section 1 - Participation The Chapter will actively participate in trade shows, conventions, and expositions relating to data processing, information systems, computing, and related activities. This is done as a means of presenting educational opportunities, attracting new members, and producing income. If possible, the Chapter would be a sponsor or co-sponsor of the event, or of a specific seminar which the Chapter will present. The Chapter will not be limited in the number or type of such shows which it sponsors or in which it participates.

Section 2 - Remuneration In return for it's sponsorship and/or participation, the Chapter will expect a free membership booth at such events, receive remuneration for sponsoring attendees, and receive remuneration for new exhibitors referred by the Chapter.

The Chapter will allow its name to be used a a sponsor, will coordinate one or more seminars, will publicize the event in the Newsletter and at Chapter meetings, and will provide one set of mailing labels to the show's producer.

Section 3 - Approvals Participation in such events must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors, and will be coordinated by the Executive Vice President.

ARTICLE XI - NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING Meeting notice-type advertising will be placed in the monthly newsletter at no charge, on a reciprocal basis, for sister organizations. A Sister Organization is defined as a non-profit group with a mission similar to that of DPMA. ARTICLE XII - CHAPTER PROGRAMS Section 1 - Programs and speakers The Program Committee Director is responsible for choosing programs and obtaining speakers for Chapter meetings. The Committee is provided an annual budget for all necessary expenses. To the extent possible, Programs should be arranged without cost to the Chapter.

Section 2 - Costs of Obtaining Speakers Within budgetary limitations, the Program Committee may, at its sole discretion, use Chapter funds to further programming as follows: 1) The speaker is provided a complimentary meal and drink.

2) A memento commemorating DPMA and the occasion may be provided at nominal cost to a speaker who does not receive an honorarium, not to exceed $25 per memento.

3) In those cases where the speaker is provided by a charitable, public service, or appropriate non-profit organization, a donation may be made to such organization in the Chapter and the speaker's name, not to exceed $200.

4) In those cases where the speaker lives outside the metropolitan Houston area, the speaker may be reimbursed for actual and reasonable out of pocket expenses to include transportation, accommodations if necessary, and meals, not to exceed $500.

5) In those cases where a speaker is nationally recognized and/or whose profession is making presentations for a fee, a honorarium to the speaker not to exceed $500 may be made. Speaker honorariums in excess of $600 must be reported to the IRS on Form 1099.

In all cases, total program costs for each meeting may not exceed $600.

Section 3 - Exceptions Exceptions to these guidelines must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XII - DINNER MEETINGS Section 1 - Dinner Meeting Pricing Admission to the monthly dinner meetings is charged in order to offset the costs associated with the dinner meeting: namely the food and beverages and attendant meeting room expenses.

Whereas the unit pricing of the dinner itself may vary according to the menu, the charges for the dinners from month-to-month shall be constant until changed by separate action of the Board of Directors. It is not the intent of the Chapter to realize significant revenues from admission pricing which exceed the expected meeting expenses. Under current catering arrangements, the Chapter pays for the sales taxes and gratuities in addition to the meals and drinks served. The Chapter also pays for VISA credit card processing fees incurred whenever meeting admissions are paid for with a VISA credit card, and for audio visual requirements for both the dinner presentation and the technical session.

Section 2 - Admission Pricing All persons attending either the technical session and/or the dinner meeting who do not purchase a dinner shall be charged a meeting-only admission fee.

Meeting-only admissions permit persons to attend both the technical session and the dinner meeting, but do not entitle the purchaser to a meal or any other refreshments without additional costs.

Section 3 - Speaker's Meals Persons who are invited dinner speakers or are invited leaders or presenters at technical sessions shall not be charged for their meals or beverages at the monthly dinner meetings. With the approval of the Program Director, the person who is an assistant to the invited speaker shall not be charged for their meals or beverages. The maximum number of free meals is intended to be one for the technical session and two for the dinner program, unless the program session is a panel discussion. In such cases, the maximum number of free meals is one per panel member.

Section 4 - Gratis Meals at Past Presidents' Night Past Presidents of the Houston Chapter who are invited to attend the Chapter's annual Past Presidents' Night shall not be charged for their meals or beverages at that meeting. One guest or spouse of each invited Past President shall not be charged for their meals or beverages, either.

Section 5 - Cost Accounting The internal cost accounting of these free dinners and beverages shall be charged to the Program budget for dinner speakers and assistants, the Education/Special Interest budget for technical session leaders, and the Past President's Meeting budget at the actual unit cost, not the posted admissions cost, according to the invoices received from the caterers.

ARTICLE XIV - SCHOLARSHIPS Section 1 - Scholarship Award Program The Director of Education-Student Groups shall oversee the annual scholarship awards program. The term "Student Chapter" shall be used for student groups in a four year, accredited institution and organized as a Student Chapter according to DPMA recommendations. The term "Student Club" shall be used for student clubs in two year junior colleges, technical schools, or high schools.

Section 2 - The Award 1. The term "scholarship" shall be used only when awarding money to a student in a Student Chapter. For Student Clubs, a "grant" may be given to the student organization rather than the individual.

2. The Director shall work closely with the Student Chapter Coordinator of each student Chapter in the selection of the scholarship recipient. This person usually knows the student's academic as well as financial status and can aid in the selection process.

3. The Director shall determine the value of the individual awards based on the number of student organizations and the funds available.

4. The awards shall be presented at the annual Student's Night dinner meeting.

Section 3 - Funding 1. A suggested minimum amount is $250 per Student Chapter and $100 per Student Club each year.

2. Additional fund raising activities should be considered each year to increase the amount of the scholarship award. The additional funds should be added to the minimum amount rather than replacing the minimum amount.

Copyright 2002