Bylaws
Article IV. CONTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. The annual national per capita contribution for all membership categories shall be determined by the board of directors at the annual meeting. Chapter contributions shall be determined in accordance with the bylaws of each chapter.
Section 2. Any member in arrears on October 1 following the end of the fiscal year, May 31, may be dropped from membership. All members in arrears on December 1 shall be dropped from membership. Members may be reinstated by paying their contributions before the next May 31.
Section 3. Chapter per capita contributions shall be sent to the treasurer of the Corporation on or before January 7 for active memberships received from April 1 to December 31, and on or before April 7 for active memberships received from January 1 to March 31. A chapter that wishes honorary members to receive The Bookwoman is responsible for the per capita payment for these members. At the discretion of the national board, a late fee may be assessed if a chapter per capita contribution is not paid on time.
Article V. CHAPTERS
Section 1. A chapter of the Corporation may be formed upon appropriate application to and approval by the board of directors of the Corporation. The president of the Corporation may give provisional status to a chapter formed before the annual meeting.
Section 2. Such chapter will be governed by bylaws that are consistent with the Corporation bylaws.
Section 3. All chapter activities shall comply with the requirements of the Certificate of Incorporation, the bylaws of the Corporation, and Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Tax Code.
Section 4. The Corporation may provide each new chapter with a loan for initial expenses. The loan must be requested in writing by the acting chapter president to the president of the Corporation. The amount will be determined by the executive committee. This loan will be repaid to the Corporation at such time as the chapter has sufficient funds for this purpose or as otherwise determined by the board of directors.
Section 5. All chapters shall have the same fiscal year as the Corporation, June 1–May 31.
Section 6. Any chapter that dissolves, disbands, or otherwise disassociates itself from the Corporation must forward to the treasurer all financial records and all assets accrued in the name of the Women's National Book Association, Inc. The Corporation is not liable for debts or other responsibilities of the chapters or chapter penalties incurred by not filing required forms or otherwise failing to comply with regulations that apply to a corporation with a 501(c)(3) status.
Section 7. Any chapter that does not send a designated representative to the annual meeting for two consecutive years will be placed on probation. If no designated representative attends the third consecutive meeting, the chapter will be declared defunct and will forfeit all rights to the use of the name of the Women's National Book Association, Inc., its tax-exempt status, and any other benefits relating to the Corporation and will comply with all requirements of Article V, Section 6.
Section 8. Each chapter, at the discretion of its board, shall provide the cost or part of the cost for its representative to attend the annual meeting of the board of directors of the Corporation.
Article VI. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Corporation shall be: president, vice-president/president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. These four officers and the immediate past president constitute the executive committee, which has the authority to conduct any necessary business of the Corporation between annual meetings.
Section 2. The officers shall be active members who serve or have served as chapter officers, chapter board members, national committee chairs or winners of the Women's National Book Association Award.
Section 3. The officers shall take office at the time of the annual meeting of the board and shall serve a term of two years. They may serve two consecutive terms, except for the treasurer, who may continue to succeed her/himself.
Section 4. In the event there is a vacancy on the executive committee, the president, with the consent of the committee, may appoint any member eligible for the vacant office to fill the office for the unexpired term.
Section 5. President. The president shall supervise the affairs of the Corporation, preside at the annual meeting of the board of directors and any other meetings of the Corporation, appoint the chair of the Women's National Book Association Award committee, appoint the editor of The Bookwoman, serve as liaison with chapters, and appoint any other necessary committee chairs and members, except for the nominating committee. The president shall serve as ex officio member of all chapter boards.
Section 6. Vice-President/President-Elect. The vice president/president-elect shall preside in the absence of the president and carry on all other duties as assigned by the president and/or the board of directors.
Section 7. Secretary. The secretary shall keep the minutes of all board meetings, serve as liaison to the archives of the Corporation at Butler Library, Columbia University, and perform any other duties as assigned by the president and/or the board.
Section 8. Treasurer. The treasurer shall receive all contributions from the chapter treasurers, sustaining members, and any other income and shall immediately deposit money received in a financial institution approved by the executive committee. The treasurer shall make all reports required by the Internal Revenue Service and shall keep true account books of all receipts and expenditures. Such books shall at all times be accessible to the members of the Corporation. The treasurer shall sign all checks and drafts drawn on the bank accounts of the Corporation.
In addition, one other member of the executive committee shall be authorized to sign checks on the accounts. At the annual meeting of the board of directors, the treasurer shall present a detailed statement of all assets received and disbursed since the date of the previous annual report. An assistant treasurer, the president of the chapter in which the national treasurer has membership, shall be designated by the board of directors to assist the treasurer when necessary.