KRPS By-laws

Kentucky Recreation and Park Society By-laws: Effective November, 2007

Article I: “NAME ”

Section 1: This organization shall be known as the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society, Inc. and shall be an affiliate of the National Recreation and Park Association.

Article II: “STATEMENT OF PURPOSE”
Section 1: The purpose of the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society, Inc. shall be to serve the public in its pursuit of a meaningful leisure experience through the promotion of parks, trails, and recreation programs. To accomplish this purpose, the Society shall assume a leadership role in the progressive development and wise administration of physical, human natural and financial resources to serve its membership and the public.

Article III: “MEMBERSHIP”
Section 1: Any person, department, agency, or organization interested in Parks, Trails, Recreation or Leisure Services, shall be eligible for membership in the Society.
Section 2. Categories and standards for membership shall be determined by the Society's Board of Directors.

Article IV: “DUES AND FEES”
Section 1 . Dues policy shall be determined by the Society's board of directors and made available to all the members.

Article V: “BOARD OF DIRECTORS: TERMS AND DUTIES”
Section 1: The affairs of this Society shall be managed by a Board of Directors. The Board shall consist of 16 members:
1. President
2. President-Elect (Assumes Presidency automatically after year as President-elect)
3. Past-President
4. Recording Secretary
5. Three (3) Members-at-large (3 year staggered terms)
6. Six (6) District Representatives (2 year terms) Odd districts elected in odd years; Even districts in even years.    The boundaries of the districts shall be determined by the board of directors.
7.   Two (2) Kentucky NRPA Regional Representatives
8.   The Executive Director shall serve as a member ex-officio (non-voting).
Section 2:     The Board of Directors, guided by actions taken by the membership, shall manage the affairs of the Society.
Section 3 : The Board of Directors shall approve the actions of all committees; shall receive gifts to the Society in the form of donations, contributions, bequests and devisements and shall approve the establishment of sections, their by-laws, and their annual budgets. In addition, the Board shall be authorized to negotiate agreements for affiliating the Society with appropriate organizations.
Section 5 : It is the duty of members of the Board to attend all duly called Board meetings. After three unexcused absences, a board position will automatically be declared vacant.
Section 6 : The Board of Directors shall have the authority to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors for the balance of the vacated term.
Section 7.     A quorum for regularly scheduled board meeting shall be eight members.     A quorum for a specially called meeting shall be two thirds of all filled positions on the board.

Article VI: “OFFICERS: TERMS AND DUTIES”
Section 1: All officers must be active members in KRPS . Officers shall assume their responsibilities immediately at the end of the Annual Business Meeting following their    election. They shall be and serve a term of:
   President                                            One (1) Year
   President – Elect                              One (1) Year
   Past President                                  One (1) Year
   Recording Secretary                       One (1) Year
   Members-at-large (3)                       Three (3) Years (staggered terms)
   NRPA Regional Representative(s) (2)        Three-Year Term as elected by KRPS
   District Representatives (6)           Two (2) Years Staggered (or until successor named)
Section 2:   The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and meetings of the Board of Directors; shall appoint all committees and serve as a member ex-officio thereof; and, appoint all delegates and representatives of the Society, except for those who are elected; and, instruct and supervise the duties of the Executive Director as directed by the Board, and shall conduct other duties as appropriate with the office and/or assigned by the Board of Directors; must be a member of KRPS.
Section 3:   The President-Elect shall act as President in the absence of the President. The president elect must have the equivalent of five full years in the recreation profession and have been a member of KRPS for three years prior to nomination as president elect and:
     a. be certified as a recreation professional or
     b. be certified in their appropriate profession or
     c. be qualified to sit for the certification exam by the time of their assumption as president.
If the president elect is not certified as specified in a, b, or c above by the annual meeting upon which they assume the presidency, then the past president will serve as acting president until a new president is elected by the membership.
Section 4: The Recording Secretary shall keep accurate records of the meetings of the Board of Directors and Annual Business Meeting of the Society.
Section 5:   The Executive Director shall conduct the Society's administrative functions; shall maintain the membership list; provide assistance to committees; receive and file pertinent papers of Society Sections and Committees; receive, report and care for all Society monies; make payments as authorized by the Board of Directors; report the financial condition of the Society as directed; submit data for the annual audit; assist at the annual conference; act as Treasurer for all sections; serve as historian, be responsible for conference site selection, and such other duties as deemed necessary.   All activities of the executive director shall be supervised by the President acting as the board's agent.
Section 6: The Executive Director and any other member of the Society as deemed by the Board of Directors shall be bonded.
Section 7: The officers of the Society shall be the Trustees for the purpose of incorporation.

Article VII: “NOMINATION AND ELECTION PROCEDURES ”
Section 1: The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three (3) Society members. Such committee shall be chaired by the immediate Past President, president or the president elect.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for each vacant office and have appropriate spaces for the individual member to vote for someone other than the names appearing on the ballot if he/she so chooses, except as otherwise specified in the By-Laws. The Nominating Committee shall receive suggestions for candidates and the names of nominees shall be submitted to the voting membership at least thirty(30) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting. All officers/nominees must be a member of KRPS and in good standing.
Section 3 : Ballots will be distributed and the election shall take place at the annual conference of the Society . The Board of Directors shall supervise the counting of votes. The nominee receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be elected. Members may request an absentee ballot from the KRPS office. Completed ballots must be received by KRPS office at least 10 days prior to the beginning of conference. The result of the voting shall be announced to all the membership within 48 hours of the balloting deadline .

Article VIII: “COMMITTEES”
Section 1:: The President may appoint Committees as he/she deems necessary . : All committees, upon appointment, shall be given a specific function to perform.
Section 3 : The Executive Committee shall be a standing committee consisting of the President, Past-President, President-Elect, and Secretary and Finance Committee Chair. The Executive Committee may meet between regular Board Meetings to make recommendations to the Board for approval and supervise the execution of board policy . The executive committee may make decisions on behalf of the board when they unanimously conclude that an emergency exists or when they have been given explicit direction by the full board to act on a matter. Emergency decisions must be communicated to the full board by the next business day following the decision. All actions of the Executive Committee must be reported to the Board at the next scheduled meeting of the board. The full board must be notified 5 days in advance when a special called meeting of the executive committee is to take place and the purpose of the meeting.

Article IX: “SECTIONS ”
Section 1: A Section of the Society may be formed and continued by a group of fifteen (15) or more members of the Society who have a common interest in or engage in a special facet of the Park, Recreation and/or Leisure field, subject to approval of the Board of Directors . These sections may appoint a chair or representative to attend KRPS board meetings for advisory and communication purposes.

Article X: “MEETINGS”
Section 1: The Society shall conduct an Annual Business Meeting. Meetings of the Board of Directors and special meetings of the Society shall be conducted as needed.
Section 2: The date and site of the Annual Business Meeting and Conference shall be determined by the Board of Directors and the membership shall be notified at least thirty(30) days prior to the meeting.
Section 3: Special meetings of the Society may be called by the President, by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by written petition to the Board of Directors signed by at least 10% of the voting members in good standing. The membership shall be notified of such meetings at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.
Section 4: All persons interested in the Park, Recreation and/or Leisure profession may attend meetings of the Society.
Section 5: Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the President. A quorum for meetings of the Board of Directors shall be a majority of the voting members of the Board.
Section 6: A quorum for meetings of the general membership of the Society shall be those voting members in attendance at the time of the meeting.

Article XI: “PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE”
Section 1: Robert's Rules of Order (current revision) shall be the authority on all questions not specifically stated in the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society, Inc. Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws.

Article XII: “AMENDMENTS”
Section 1: These By-Laws may be amended by a majority affirmative vote of the voting members present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting, provided:
That such amendments shall have been filed with the President at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting; and, That such amendments have been approved by the Board of Directors or have been accompanied by a petition of support signed by twenty-five (25) active, voting members of the Society; and, proposed amendments shall be filed with the President and communicated to the full membership by mail, electronic means or fax thirty (30) days prior to vote of the membership.

Revised: December 1981

Revised: November 17, 1986

Revised: January 30, 1994

Revised: May 19, 1999

Revised: April 8, 2002
Revised: November 6, 2005
Revised: November 16, 2007