FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA STATE OF LOUISIANA BYLAWS

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1 FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA STATE OF LOUISIANA BYLAWS ARTICLE I Name The name of this division of Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. shall be Louisiana Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. and may be referred to as Louisiana FBLA. ARTICLE II Purpose The purpose of Louisiana FBLA is to provide as an integral part of the instructional program additional opportunities for secondary students of grades 9-12 and middle level students of grades 6-8 in business and office education, to develop vocational and career supportive competencies, and to promote civic and personal responsibility. The goals of Louisiana FBLA are to 1. develop competent, aggressive business leadership; 2. strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and their work; 3. create more interest in and understanding of American business enterprise; 4. encourage members in the development of individual projects which contribute to the improvement of home, business and community; 5. develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism; 6. encourage and practice efficient money management; 7. encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty; 8. assist students in the establishment of occupational goals, 9. and facilitate the transition from school to work. ARTICLE III Organization Louisiana FBLA shall consist of members from FBLA chapters in grades 9-12 in the state of Louisiana. The FBLA Middle Level Division shall consist of students in grades 6-8. The State Chair and State Adviser will constitute the State Directors who will conduct the affairs and property of Louisiana FBLA. The state officers and their adviser of Louisiana FBLA shall constitute the State Executive Council. A State Committee will be appointed by the State Chair. Members of the State Committee shall assist the State Chair in planning and implementing the total state program of leadership development activities, state leadership sessions, and state leadership conferences. The State Committee shall serve as the official advisory board to the State Chair in regard to policy. 1

2 The State Chair will appoint a State Adviser to assist with and conduct the administration of Louisiana FBLA, Inc. The State Chair shall oversee all Louisiana FBLA State Chapter operations and act as a liaison with local chapters and the national office. Louisiana FBLA shall be organized into districts with the parishes in each district to be determined by recommendation of the State Committee and approved by the State Chair. ARTICLE IV Membership Louisiana FBLA membership shall consist of members of chartered local chapters. These members shall hold membership in the national chapter of FBLA in order to be recognized by the state chapter. Louisiana FBLA shall be open for membership to these classes of members. ACTIVE Members shall be secondary and middle level students who become members while enrolled in business and/or business-related fields as defined by FBLA-PBL, Inc., who accept the purpose of FBLA, subscribe to its creed, demonstrate willingness to contribute to good school-community relations, and possess qualities for employment. Active members shall pay dues as established by FBLA at the national and state levels and may participate in district, state, and national events in accordance with the guidelines of the National Awards Program and Louisiana Awards Program, serve as voting delegates at district, state, and national conferences, hold national office in accordance to Article VI of the National FBLA Bylaws, hold state office in accordance to Article V of the Louisiana FBLA Bylaws and otherwise represent their state and local chapters as approved by their State Chair and local advisers. MIDDLE LEVEL Members shall consist of students in grades 6-8 who join the FBLA Middle Level Division. Middle Level members shall pay dues as established by Louisiana FBLA and may participate in district, state, and national events in accordance with the Louisiana Chapter Guidelines and the National FBLA Middle Level Guidelines. PROFESSIONAL Members shall be persons associated with or participating in the professional development of FBLA as approved by Louisiana FBLA. Such members may include local and state advisers, business teachers, business teacher educators, state supervisors of business and office education, employers or supervisors of cooperative worktraining students, advisory council members, businesspersons, and other persons contributing to the growth and development of FBLA. Professional members shall pay dues established by FBLA, but shall not participate in events, serve as voting delegates, or hold office in FBLA. LIFETIME Members may be recommended by the membership and shall be accepted upon approval of the State Chair, State Adviser, and State Committee members. They shall be persons making significant contributions to the field of business and office education and/or growth and development of Louisiana FBLA. Lifetime members shall not vote or hold office and shall not be required to pay dues. Any member of Louisiana FBLA who has been elected 2

3 National FBLA President shall automatically become a Lifetime Member at the end of his term as National FBLA President. The membership year of Louisiana FBLA shall be August 1 through July 31. ARTICLE V Secondary Level Officers and Elections Section 8. Section 9. Section 10. The secondary level officers of Louisiana FBLA shall be a president, a vice president for each district, a secretary, a treasurer, a reporter, and a parliamentarian. These student officers and their adviser shall constitute the State Executive Council. Qualifications for Secondary Level State Office 1. Only active members are eligible to hold state office. 2. To be considered for an office in Louisiana FBLA, a candidate shall have at least one full year remaining in his/her high school program. 3. A candidate must complete a state officer application in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by Louisiana FBLA. Secondary Level State Officer applications shall be received by the State Adviser and the State Chair on or before the date specified in the Louisiana Chapter Guidelines. No two secondary level state officers shall be elected from the same local chapter. During his/her term of office, an officer shall attend the same school from which he/she was elected. The President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Reporter shall be elected by a majority of the voting delegates present at the Voting Delegates Meeting at the FBLA State Leadership Conference. The Vice-Presidents shall be elected by a majority of the voting delegates present at the Voting Delegates Meeting at their respective district conferences. Voting shall be by secret ballot for election to state office. If no candidate receives a majority vote on the first ballot, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot will be on the second ballot and any subsequent ballot until a candidate receives a majority vote. The person scoring the highest on the Parliamentary Procedure written test at the State Leadership Conference who has completed a State Officer Application in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by Louisiana FBLA shall be appointed by the incoming State President to serve as Parliamentarian. The Secondary Level State Officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected or appointed, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the Louisiana State Leadership Conference. A vacancy in any office, other than that of President, shall be filled by appointment of the State Chair unless a special election is deemed necessary by the State Chair. Should the office 3

4 of President become vacant, the First Vice-President shall automatically become President. Section 11. The First Vice President shall rotate each membership year in numerical order beginning with District III for the membership year. ARTICLE V Middle Level Officers and Elections Section 8. Section 8. The Middle Level officers of Louisiana FBLA Middle Level shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary-treasurer, and a reporter. Qualifications for Middle Level State Office 1. Only active members are eligible to hold state office. 2. To be considered for an office in Louisiana FBLA, a candidate shall have one full year remaining in his/her middle school program. 3. A candidate must complete a state officer application in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by Louisiana FBLA. Middle Level State Officer applications shall be received by the State Adviser and State Chair on or before the date specified in the Louisiana Chapter Guidelines. No two middle level state officers shall be elected from the same local chapter. During his/her term of office, an officer shall attend the same school from which he/she was elected. The President, the Vice President, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Reporter shall be elected by a majority of the middle level voting delegates present at the Middle Level Voting Delegates Meeting at the FBLA State Leadership Conference. Voting shall be by secret ballot for election to state office. If no candidate receives a majority vote on the first ballot, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot will be on the second ballot and any subsequent ballot until a candidate receives a majority vote The Middle Level State Officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected or appointed, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the Louisiana State Leadership Conference. A vacancy in any office, other than that of President, shall be filled by appointment of the State Chair unless a special election is deemed necessary by the State Chair. Should the office of President become vacant, that office will be filled by the Vice President. 4

5 ARTICLE VII Duties of Secondary Level FBLA State Officers The President shall: 1. preside at the FBLA State Leadership Conference and at all Executive Council Meetings; 2. preside at Voting Delegates Meetings at the FBLA State Leadership Conference; 3. see that all meetings are conducted according to Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised; 4. serve as a voting delegate to the FBLA National Leadership Conference. The Vice Presidents shall: 1. host their respective district conferences; 2. preside at the Voting Delegates Meeting at their respective district conferences. The Secretary shall: 1. keep an accurate record of all business meetings of the FBLA State Leadership Conference and the State Executive Council; 2. supply promptly at least one copy of the minutes to the State President and the State Chair. The Treasurer shall present an annual report on the finances of Louisiana FBLA at the State Leadership Conference. The Reporter shall be responsible for the publication of the state newsletter, The Louisiana Leader. The Louisiana Leader shall be made available online to local chapters during the membership year. The Parliamentarian shall advise the President, the Executive Council, and FBLA members of the orderly conduct of business in accordance with FBLA Bylaws, Louisiana FBLA Bylaws, and Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised. All State Officers shall serve on the State Executive Council, perform the duties prescribed in these bylaws, and perform such other duties as directed by the State Chair, State Adviser, and the State Committee which are not inconsistent with the Louisiana FBLA Corporate Charter or other rules adopted by Louisiana FBLA. ARTICLE VIII Duties of Middle Level FBLA State Officers All Middle Level State Officers shall serve on the State Executive Council, perform such other duties as directed by the State Chair, State Adviser, and the State Committee which are not inconsistent with the Louisiana FBLA Corporate Charter or other rules adopted by Louisiana FBLA. 5

6 ARTICLE IX Conferences and Meetings The FBLA State Leadership Conference shall be held annually prior to the FBLA National Leadership Conference at a time and place determined by the State Chair. Each district shall hold an annual conference prior to the FBLA State Leadership Conference at a time and place determined by the State Chair. The State Executive Council shall meet, in addition to the FBLA State Leadership Conference, a minimum of two times a year at a time and place to be determined by the State Chair. The Louisiana FBLA State Chapter shall send two voting delegates from the active membership to the FBLA National Leadership Conference. The President shall be financially assisted by the State Chapter in attending the FBLA National Leadership Conference and shall serve as the first voting delegate. The second voting delegate to the FBLA National Leadership Conference shall be selected in the following order: First Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Parliamentarian, and Vice-Presidents in order of rotation. Each local Secondary Level FBLA chapter in good standing shall be entitled to send two voting delegates from its active membership to its district meeting and to the FBLA State Leadership Conference. Each local Middle Level FBLA chapter in good standing shall be entitled to send two voting delegates from its active membership to its district meeting and to the FBLA State Leadership Conference. ARTICLE X Dues and Finances Louisiana FBLA membership dues, based on fiscal reports by the state office, and on recommendation of the State Chair, State Adviser, and the State Committee, shall be determined by a majority vote of the voting delegates at the FBLA State Leadership Conference. Louisiana annual membership dues shall be $5.00. One dollar from each member s state dues will automatically be designated to the Louisiana FBLA Foundation. Twenty-five cents of the $5.00 dues shall be used for a $500 scholarship given to the top three in the Louisiana s Who s Who Event. The fiscal year of Louisiana FBLA shall be July 1 through June 30. 6

7 ARTICLE XI Emblem The emblem for the State Chapter of Louisiana Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. shall be the emblem of the National Association, Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. ARTICLE XII Parliamentary Authority The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern Louisiana FBLA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the rules of Louisiana FBLA, Inc., (Corporate Charter), these bylaws or any special rules of order Louisiana FBLA may adopt. ARTICLE XIII Amendment Proposed amendments which are in accordance with the Louisiana FBLA Corporate Charter and these bylaws may be submitted by any local adviser, state officer, state committee member or state adviser to the State Chair at least 37 days before the FBLA State Leadership Conference, and then posted on the Louisiana FBLA Website at least 30 days before the FBLA State Leadership Conference. In accordance with the Louisiana FBLA Corporate Charter, State Directors and the State Committee can amend these bylaws by majority vote. By policy of the State Directors and the State Committee, voting delegates present and voting at the FBLA State Leadership Conference can approve proposed amendments to these bylaws. Voting on amending these bylaws shall be by secret ballot. Amended March 5, 1999 Amended March 31, 2000 Amended April 15, 2002 Amended March 30, 2010 Amended March 25, 2013 Amended June 4,