NFBO Constitution
Constitution
Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be the National Federation of
the Blind of Oregon.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon
shall be to advance the general welfare of the blind of Oregon
and the nation; to function
as an integral part of the National Federation of the Blind; to
serve as a vehicle for collective action by the blind of Oregon;
to operate as a mechanism
through which the blind and interested sighted persons can come
together in local chapters and state meetings to plan and carry
out programs to improve
the quality of life of the blind; to provide a means of
collective action for parents of blind children; to forward the
interests of blind students and
provide them with a means of joint action and expression; to
promote the vocational, cultural, and social advancement of the
blind; to achieve the integration
of the blind into society on a basis of equality with the
sighted; and to take any other action which will improve the
overall condition and standard of
living of the blind.
Article III: Membership
Section One: Active Members
At least a majority of the active members of this organization
must be blind. Active membership shall be of two (2)
classifications: active members who
are affiliated with local chapters or divisions and active
members who are not affiliated with local chapters or divisions.
1. All active members of local chapters or divisions shall
automatically become active members of this organization, with
the right to vote, serve on committees,
speak on the floor, and hold office.
2. Any person who is not affiliated with a local chapter or
division may become an active member of this organization by
receiving a majority vote of the
active members present and voting at a convention or by complying
with requirements established by the Board of Directors.
Section Two: Supporting Members
Any person may become a supporting member of this organization
through procedures established by the convention or the Board of
Directors. Supporting members
shall have all the rights and privileges of active members,
except that they may not vote, hold office, or serve on the Board
of Directors. Supporting
members shall not pay dues.
Section Three: Disciplinary Action
Any member may be expelled; and any chapter or division may be
expelled, suspended, or reorganized for violation of this
constitution or for conduct unbecoming
to a member, chapter, or division of the Federation by a majority
vote of the active members present and voting at any regular
business session of this
organization, or by a two thirds vote of the Board of Directors.
The state convention of this organization may reinstate any
person who has been expelled
unless such expulsion has been confirmed by the National
Convention or by the Board of Directors of the National
Federation of the Blind, in which event
the person may not be reinstated except by the national Board.
Any person who feels that he/she has been unjustly disciplined or
expelled from this organization,
or any chapter or division which feels that it has been unjustly
disciplined, reorganized, or expelled may appeal to the Board of
Directors of the National
Federation of the Blind, which may (in its discretion) consider
the matter and make a binding decision; but until or unless the
action of discipline, reorganization,
or expulsion is reversed by the national Board, it shall continue
in effect.
Article IV: Local Chapters
Any organized group desiring to become a local chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon shall apply for
affiliation by submitting to the
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon a
copy of its Constitution and a list of the names and addresses of
its members and elected
officers. When the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon,
either in convention assembled or by action of its Board of
Directors, shall have approved
the application, it shall issue to the local chapter a
Certificate of Acceptance. Annually, on or before January 1, each
local chapter shall provide to
the Treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon a
current list of its members, their names and addresses, and their
state dues. Upon request,
a local chapter shall also provide the state President with a
list of the names and addresses of the chapter members and with a
detailed financial report
of the chapter for the past year. The fiscal year of this
organization shall be the calendar year. As new members enter
local chapters, their names, addresses,
and state dues shall be sent without delay to the Treasurer of
the state organization. No group shall be accepted as a chapter
and no group shall remain
a chapter unless a majority of its voting members are blind. The
President, the Vice President (or Vice Presidents), and at least
a majority of the Executive
Committee or Board of Directors of the local chapter must be
blind. The President of the National Federation of the Blind of
Oregon shall be ex officio
a member of each local chapter. In the event of the dissolution
of a local chapter, or if (for whatever reason) the local chapter
ceases to be a part of
this organization, its assets shall become the property of the
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon; and it shall
forthwith cease to use the name
National Federation of the Blind, or any variant thereof.
Article V: Divisions
The Board of Directors shall establish procedures for admission
of divisions and shall determine the structure of divisions. The
divisions shall, with the
approval of the Board, adopt constitutions and determine their
membership policies.
Article VI: Officers and Their Duties
There shall be elected at the regular annual convention during
each even numbered year, a President, a First Vice President, a
Second Vice President, a
Secretary, and a Treasurer. The terms of these officers shall
begin at the close of the convention at which they are elected
and qualified. Officers shall
be elected by a majority vote of the active members who are
present and voting. There shall be no proxy voting. If no nominee
receives a majority vote
on the first ballot, the name of eh person receiving the fewest
votes shall be dropped from the list of nominees, and a second
ballot shall be taken. This
procedure shall continue until one of the nominees has received a
majority vote from the active members present and voting. The
duties of each officer
shall be those ordinarily associated with that office. The
President and the Vice Presidents must be blind.
Article VII: Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of this organization shall consist of the
five (5) constitutional officers, and four additional members,
two of whom shall be elected
for two (2) year terms at the annual convention during even
numbered years, and two of whom shall be elected for two (2) year
terms at the annual convention
during odd numbered years. The four Board Members shall be
elected in the same manner as that prescribed for the election of
officers. The Board shall
meet at the call of the President or on written call signed by
any three of the Board Members. The Board shall advise the
President and shall have charge
of the affairs of the organization between conventions. At least
five members of the Board must be present at any meeting to
constitute a quorum to transact
business. The Board may be polled by telephone or mail ballot on
any question. A majority of the Board must be blind.
Article VIII: Meetings
Section One: Annual Convention
This organization shall hold an annual convention, the time and
place of which shall be fixed by the membership or (if the
membership so decides) by the
Board of Directors or the President. At least fifteen (15) active
members must be present to constitute a quorum to transact
business at any annual convention.
Section Two: Special Meetings
The President of the organization may call a special meeting of
the body at any time he/she, or a majority of the Board of
Directors, deems such action
to be necessary. At such special meetings at least fifteen (15)
active members must be present to constitute a quorum to transact
business, and written
notice must have been sent to the President of each local chapter
and division and to the members of the Board of Directors at
least ten (10) days prior
to the date of the meeting.
Article IX: Committees
The President may appoint such committees as he/she or the
organization deems necessary. The President shall be ex officio a
member of all committees.
Article X: Affiliation
The National Federation of the Blind of Oregon shall be an
affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind and shall
furnish to the President of the National
Federation of the Blind annually, on or before January 1, a list
of the names and addresses of its members and elected officers. A
copy of the Constitution
of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon and of all
amendments to the Constitution shall be sent to the President of
the National Federation of
the Blind without delay.
The National Federation of the Blind of Oregon shall not merely
be a social organization, but shall formulate programs and
actively work to promote the
economic and social betterment of the blind. This organization,
its chapters, and divisions, shall comply with the provisions of
the Constitution of the
National Federation of the Blind. Policy decisions of the
National Federation of the Blind (whether made by the National
Convention or the National Board
of Directors) are binding on this organization, its chapters,
divisions, and members; and this organization, its chapters,
divisions, and members shall
participate affirmatively in carrying out such policy decisions.
As a condition of affiliation, it is agreed by the organization
that the National Federation
of the Blind (whether by action of the National Convention or the
National Board) has the power to expel or discipline an
individual member and to expel
or reorganize a state affiliate, local chapter, or division. In
the event of reorganization, the assets of the affiliate and its
local chapters and divisions
belong to the reorganized affiliate; and the former affiliate,
its chapters, and divisions shall dissolve and cease to exist.
The name National Federation
of the Blind, Federation of the Blind, or any variant thereof, is
the property of the National Federation of the Blind; and this
organization or any of
its chapters or divisions which cease to be a part of the
National Federation of the Blind (for whatever reason) shall
forfeit the right to use the name
National Federation of the Blind, Federation of the Blind, or any
variant thereof. The President of the National Federation of the
Blind shall ex officio
be a member of his organization and each of its local chapters
and divisions.
Article XI: Delegates to the National Federation of the Blind
Convention
This organization shall elect each year at least one (1) delegate
and at least one (1) alternate delegate to attend the Convention
of the National Federation
of the Blind. No person shall be elected as a delegate or
alternate delegate unless he/she is an active member of this
organization in good standing. To
the extent of the resources of this organization, the expenses of
delegates and alternate delegates to the Convention of the
National Federation of the
Blind shall be paid.
Article XII: Dues
The dues of this organization shall be $2.00 per year, payable in
advance. In accordance with Article IV of the Constitution, local
chapters shall pay the
state dues of their members. Members who are not affiliated with
local chapters shall pay their dues before or during the annual
convention. A lifetime
membership may be secured for a fee of $100.00. No person may
vote who is delinquent in the payment of his/her dues.
Article XIII: Disbursement of Funds
The funds of this organization shall be deposited or invested in
a bank or other financial institution to be selected by the
finance committee with the
approval of the President and Board of Directors. All financial
obligations of this organization shall be discharged by check,
issued on written order
of the President, and signed by the Treasurer or by an Assistant
Treasurer approved by the membership or the Board of Directors.
Article XIV: Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of this organization, or if (for
whatever reason) it ceases to be an affiliate of the National
Federation of the Blind,
its assets shall be given to the National Federation of the
Blind, to be held in trust for a reorganized affiliated in the
state. In the event that no
affiliate is organized in the state for a period of two (2) years
from the date this organization ceases to be an affiliate of the
National Federation
of the Blind, the assets become the property of the National
Federation of the Blind.
If the dissolution of this organization should occur and if at
that time the National Federation of the Blind is no longer a
tax-exempt organization under
the provisions of the federal Internal Revenue Code or if the
National Federation of the Blind has been dissolved, all assets
of this organization shall
be given to an organization with similar purposes which has
received tax-exempt certification from the federal Internal
Revenue Service.
Article XV: Amendments
This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of this
organization by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the active
members present and voting,
provided the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing and
read at a previous business session and provided it is in
compliance with the provisions
of the Charter of Affiliation received from the National
Federation of the Blind and with the policies of the National
Federation of the Blind.
Article XVI: Adoption
This revised constitution was approved and adopted by an
affirmative vote of two thirds of the active members present and
voting at the annual Convention
on April 4, 1993.
Carla McQuillan, President of the National Federation of the
Blind of Oregon