Our Purpose

ARTICLE I

Name: Southwest Area Instructor's Association, Inc.

ARTICLE II

Purposes: To better enable the participants to perform their duties in safety and training by the exchange of information, programs, publications, experiences, and/or any other useful materials. To provide knowledge, training and leadership necessary to enable the participants to perform, with a positive attitude and dedication, all assigned duties and responsibilities in an effective manner.

ARTICLE III .

Membership: .

A. Active member - Those persons who hold positions in training, safety, loss control, or who have similar primary responsibilities in the field of electrical distribution, transmission, or generation are eligible for membership. Only active members may hold office or vote at a business meeting.

B. Prospective members must be proposed for membership by an active member.

C. All Proposals or Applications for Membership shall be voted on by the memberships. .

ARTICLE IV .

Fees: .

A. There shall be no initiation fee for persons elected to membership. .

B. The registration fee for each meeting shall be set by the host state, in accordance with expenses incurred.

ARTICLE V

Officers:

A. The officers of the Southwest Area Instructor's Associationshall consist of the following; ChairmanVice-ChairmanSecretary-Treasurer

B. A Librarian-Reporter may be appointed by the Chairman.

C. Officers shall serve for a term of one (1) year, takingoffice before the close of the meeting at which they wereelected.

D. An officer shall not hold office In another area group whichIs affiliated with the National utility Training and SafetyEducation Association.

ARTICLE VI

Meetings:

A. There shall be two official meetings of the Southwest AreaInstructors Association held each year. One meeting shall beheld during the Annual Meeting of the National Utility Trainingand Safety Education Association. The second meeting shall beheld at a place and on a date selected by the host state.Election of Officers, Directors, and other such business shall beconducted at the SAIA meeting held during the annual Meeting ofthe National Utility Training and Safety Education Association.Annual reports of the officers and committees shall be presentedat the official meeting during the NUTSEA conference.

B. A business meeting shall be held during each meeting at atime and place designated by the Chairman.

C. The next Host State shall be selected by alphabetical orderof those member states. Host State shall make all arrangementsfor program and location. An agenda shall be prepared by' theProgram Committee Chairman and mailed to all members In such amanner and time that will precede the meeting by at least thirtydays and It shall cover all planned activities.

D. A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist ofrepresentatives of one-half of the states of active membership.

E. Voting on business shall be by individuals. There shall beno voting by proxy.

ARTICLE VII

Vacancies:

A. When an officer or committee member can no longereffectively fulfill the duties of the office, either because theofficer or committee member is no longer eligible for activemembership or for any other reason, the Chairman shall declarethe position vacant.

B. in case of resignation of other vacancy, the Chairman shallappoint a member to fill the position until the next meeting whena member will be elected to serve.

ARTICLE VIII

Duties of Officers:

A. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of theAssociation "according to Roberts Rules of Order;" shall appointcommittees and their chairmen; and shall perform all such dutiesIncidental to the office of Chairman that are properly requiredof that office.

B. The Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties of the Chairman,if the Chairman Is absent or unable to perform the duties of theoffice.

C. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of all Association Business Papers, keep such records, make such reports and performsuch duties as are incidental to that office and properlyrequired of that office by the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall conduct its banking business and audit allaccounts. Bank accounts shall be in the name of the Associationwith the provision that checks may be signed by the Secretary-Treasurer or the Chairman of the Association.

D. The Librarian-Reporter, if there be one, shall have chargeof all Association training materials, news items, researchnotes, statistics, surveys, and film lists; shall print anewsletter which will keep the membership informed and active;shall provide lists of available films, programs, and researchinformation as provided by the individual members of theAssociation.

ARTICLE IX

Committees:

A. The Chairman is empowered to appoint special committees asdeemed necessary, or as directed by a vote of the Association.

B. The program committee shall consist of one member from eachof the three states hosting a regular meeting of the Association,excluding the annual meeting held in conjunction with the NUTSEAannual meeting. The Chairman of the Association shall appoint the members of the committee. The Chairman shall be therepresentative of the next Host State.

ARTICLE X

Elections:

A. Names of candidates may be placed in nomination from thefloor by any active member, except that a candidate may not benominated from the floor for more than one vacancy.

B. Nominations shall be made separately for each vacancy, andcandidates shall be voted for separately by the membership. Thenominee receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declaredelected.

ARTICLE XI

Amendments:

A. The By-Laws of the Association may be enacted, amended, ordeleted by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast by the Boardof Directors. It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors tokeep the membership informed of changes in the By-Laws and tokeep printed By-Laws current.

B. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the electeddirectors. A director who is unable to attend a meeting mayappoint an active member from the same state to act as a proxy. If a director is unable to attend a meeting and is unable toappoint a proxy, the Chairman of the Association may appoint anactive member from the same state to act as proxy.

ARTICLE XII

Directors:

A. The Board of Directors of the Association shall consist ofone active member from each participating state. The directorswill be elected at the annual business meeting held inconjunction with the NUTSEA annual meeting. Directors' terms ofoffice shall be three years. Officers of the Association mayalso serve as Directors.

Exception:

A. Directors elected at the 1988 Annual 'Meeting shallhave staggered terms. Two directors elected at the 1988 meetingshall serve for a period of one year. Two directors elected atthe 1988 meeting shall serve for a period of two years. The remaining directors elected at the 1988 meeting shall serve for a period of three years. Such staggered terms shall be chosen bylot, after all directors have been elected. Thereafter, alldirectors shall serve for a period of three years.

B. Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall occur the same asofficer vacancies and shall be filled in the same manner asofficer vacancies.

C. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall be elected bythe Board of Directors during the annual meeting held inconjunction with the NUTSEA Annual Meeting. The Chairman shallserve until the next succeeding NUTSEA meeting. The Board ofDirectors shall meet for the transaction of business during eachregular meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE XIII

Dissolution:

The Association may be dissolved by the vote of a two-third (2/3)majority of the active members attending an annual meeting. Themotion to dissolve shall have been made and seconded at theannual meeting immediately preceding the meeting at which thevote to dissolve is taken.