Bylaws of the Capital Area Beekeepers Association
Updated October 2024
Article I: Name
Section 1
The name of this organization shall be the Capital Area Beekeepers Association (CABA).
Section 2
CABA shall be a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire.
Article II: Mission
Section 1
The mission of CABA is to encourage the study and advancement of apiculture in this region of the state and to encourage and promote fraternity among our Members and beekeepers everywhere.
Article III: Membership and Dues
Section 1
Membership shall be open to all persons interested in promoting the objectives of CABA upon payment of annual dues.
Section 2
Members agree to adhere to all applicable CABA policies and continually seek improvement in personal and group practices to advance CABA’s mission and reputation, treating all persons with respect and courtesy. The Board may remove a Member at its discretion for failing to adhere to CABA’s mission and these principles.
Section 3
Dues shall be fixed and payable for the following calendar year by October 1 of each year. Members with unpaid dues will be ineligible to vote at meetings, hold office, or hold a position on a committee. If, after two reminder emails from the CABA Treasurer, the dues continue to remain unpaid, the membership will be deactivated until the dues are brought up to date.
Section 4
Lifetime membership may be conferred upon any Member after five years of service as an Officer, upon the recommendation of the Executive Board, and approved by a majority of members at a regular CABA meeting.
Section 5
All reasonable precautions will be taken to protect the privacy of membership data. Sharing membership information is forbidden without the member's express consent.
Article IV: Organization
Section 1: Officers and Their Duties
The Nominating Committee will nominate a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, and Apiary Manager to be elected at the Annual Meeting.
- President: Calls and presides at all CABA and the Executive Board meetings, appoints and is an ex-officio member of all Committees except the Nominating Committee.
- Vice-President: Assists the President in the performance of the President’s duties; shall act for the President in the President’s absence; shall succeed to the office of President should a vacancy occur other than expiration of the term of office.
- Secretary: Acts as the Secretary of both CABA and the Executive Board; maintains custody of all CABA and Executive Board records and documents, except for those required to be kept by other Officers; keeps an up-to-date record of all CABA meetings and decisions and transmits copies of minutes and other items to CABA webmaster for publication on the Website.
- Treasurer: Collects and holds in the name of CABA all monies payable to it; pays all bills contracted by CABA; keeps a true and complete record of all monies and property received and their disposition; submits all books and records of office for examination to the Auditing Committee before the annual meeting; and makes timely reports to CABA, the Executive Board, and the Internal Revenue Service as required.
- Newsletter Editor: The Newsletter Editor will be responsible for publishing a periodic CABA newsletter and other communications which will include notices of upcoming meetings, bee events, member ads, reviews, and education for the members.
- Apiary Manager: The Apiary Manager will oversee and manage the CABA apiary, including regular inspection of CABA-owned property, creation of processes for managing the property, creation of learning opportunities for Members, and fulfillment of the animal husbandry requirements of the apiary hives. The Apiary Manager will also promptly bring any concerns and needs for the management of the apiary hives to the Executive Board.
Section 2: Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of the CABA Officers and shall have general charge of policies, management, and finances. It shall be vested with and have legal custody of all CABA property. It shall designate depositories in which funds shall be kept. It shall appropriate such sums as may be deemed advisable within current resources for the interests of CABA. It shall fill all vacancies and enforce these Bylaws.
Section 3: Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by the President. It shall publish a slate of Officers for the coming year at least two weeks before the annual meeting.
Section 4: Officers’ Term of Office
The Term of Office for each Officer shall be for one year starting on November 1 or until a successor is elected. Any outgoing Officer shall ensure a smooth transition to their successor Officer.
Article V: Meetings, Notices, Quorums, and Rules of Procedure
Section 1: Meetings
The members shall hold an annual meeting in October to conduct CABA business, elect officers, fix dues, and schedule meetings for the year. Membership meetings are to be held either in person or via Zoom, at a typically fixed date and time to be determined, published, and communicated to members via email and via the members-only Facebook page.
Special Meetings for a specific purpose may be called by the President, Vice President, or any five (5) members, three (3) of whom shall be members of the Executive Committee upon written request to be delivered by hand, email, or postal mail to the Secretary stating the purpose of the meeting.
Executive Board meetings will be held monthly, with the date and time of each meeting decided based on the availability of the Board members.
Section 2: Notices
All regularly scheduled meetings shall be announced by newsletter, email, and CABA website or members-only Facebook page at least two weeks before the meeting. Special meetings may be called by any suitable means to conduct the business of the Executive Board or that business that requires attention outside the regularly scheduled CABA meetings.
Section 3: Quorum
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of a majority vote of the members present at any regularly scheduled business meeting.
Section 4: Rules of Procedure
Orderly parliamentary procedure shall govern all meetings. Order of business:
- Guest Introductions
- Planned Program
- Call to Order
- Reading and Approval of Minutes
- Reports of Officers
- Reports of Committees
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Announcements
- Adjournment
Section 5: Amendments and Motions
Amendments to the Bylaws may be made with 30 days written notice by 2/3 votes of those members present at any regular meeting, provided that a statement of the proposed change is included in the call for the meeting.
Any member wishing to bring motions/amendments will notify the Executive Board two weeks in advance of a meeting to put them on the agenda and provide insight for the board in preparation for questions
that may arise from them.
