Article I
NAME, LOCATION, AND STATUS
(1) The name of the organization shall be the North America Taiwanese Engineers’ Association (NATEA)–Dallas, hereinafter the ‘NATEA– Dallas’.
(2) The headquarters of the NATEA–Dallas is located in North Texas, USA.
(3) The NATEA-Dallas is established according to The Bylaws of North America Taiwanese Engineers’ Association (NATEA). The Bylaws of NATEA shall take the precedence over regional Dallas chapter bylaws.
(4) The NATEA is a non-profit corporation.
Article II
PURPOSE
(1) The purposes of the NATEA-Dallas are as follows:
(2) To promote scientific and engineering knowledge and its practical applications and to provide engineering management training opportunities for the members of the NATEA-Dallas;
(3) To increase technology development, entrepreneurship, and job opportunities for the members of the NATEA-Dallas;
(4) To support research and development of technology in Taiwan and enhance Taiwan’s technological global position;
(5) To establish relationships between the NATEA-Dallas and the other scientific or engineering organizations in the region;
(6) To facilitate and coordinate service to communities by the NATEA-Dallas membership;
(7) To further the fellowship among its members; and
(8) Any other purposes, which are proper.
Article III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility for Membership
The eligibility for full and associate memberships is prescribed by the Article IV, Membership, Section 2. Eligibility for Membership in the Bylaws of NATEA. They are:
(1) Full Membership:
Individuals having a past residence in Taiwan or descendants of such individuals residing in North America and (a) holding either a scientific or engineering degree, (b) studying full-time in an engineering or science curriculum of a university, or (c) working in a science or engineering related field, are eligible for full membership of the Association.
(2) Associate Membership:
Any individual not qualified for a full membership but who would like to join the Association is eligible for associate membership.
Section 2. Admission
(1) Individuals shall submit a written application with the recommendation of two members of NATEA-Dallas.
(2) The application shall be approved or denied by the Board of Directors of the NATEA-Dallas within three months.
Section 3. Membership Termination
Membership shall be terminated with removal of the right and obligation under one of the following casues:
(1) Death.
(2) Violation of the constitution of Bylaws or any action damaging to NATEA-Dallas which is determined by the Board of Directors.
(3) Failure to pay membership fee for 6 months or longer after the overdue notice is issued.
Article IV
OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS OF THE MEMBERS
Section 1. Obligations
(1) Each member of NATEA-Dallas shall fulfill obligation stated in the Bylaws of NATEA.
(2) Each member of the NATEA-Dallas shall obey the stated bylaws and pay the membership fee decided by the Board of Directors of the NATEA-Dallas.
(3) Each member shall comply with all decisions made by regional General and Board of Directors meetings.
Section 2. Rights
(1) Each member may participate in the activities sponsored, and enjoy all the services provided, by the NATEA-Dallas.
(2) Each member, with full membership, shall have rights to nominate, to vote for, and to impeach elective officers of the NATEA-Dallas, and to make motions or suggestions for consideration by the Board of Directors or at the NATEA-Dallas general meeting.
(3) Each member, with full membership, with a minimum of six month’s membership shall be eligible for nomination to be elected to the Board of Directors of NATEA-Dallas.
Article V
REGIONAL GENERAL MEETINGS
(1) Regional general meetings shall be the highest decision-making body of the NATEA-Dallas.
(2) Regional general meetings shall be called for by the President and held at least once a year. A special Regional general meeting may also be called by a written petition by one-third of the regional members, with full membership, or two-thirds of the regional Board of Directors.
(3) At least one-third of the NATEA-Dallas members, with full membership, must be present in person or by proxy to constitute a quorum.
(4) Unless specified otherwise, all decisions shall be made with simple majority of the vote cast in the regional
general meetings.
(5) A written notice of date, time, place, the purpose, and the nature of the meeting must be delivered to all regional members, with full membership, not less than fifteen days before the meeting. Delivery shall constitute sending of the notice to the members’ addresses on the membership record via post mail or electronic means.
(6) The annual general meeting shall be held before December 1 for the purpose of electing members of regional Directors as well as transacting such other business as may be brought before the meeting.
Article VI
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Organization
The Board of Directors of the NATEA-Dallas consists of a President, a Vice President, and five other Board members.
Section 2. Function
(1)The President, who shall preside over each meeting, shall represent the NATEA-Dallas to the general public, and shall execute the decisions made by the members of the NATEA-Dallas at regional general meetings or by the regional Board of Directors.
(2) A Secretary and a Treasurer shall be appointed by the President from the Board members with the approval of the Board of Directors.
(3) If the President is not available to perform his or her functions, the Vice President shall take the position in the President’s absence. If the President and Vice President are not available, the Secretary shall take over the President’s duties.
(4) If the President, Vice President and Secretary are simultaneously not available to perform the President’s duties, the Board of Directors shall elect an acting President from the Board members to perform the President’s duties.
(5) The President or the acting President may call for Board meetings as needed. A special Board meeting may be called for with one-half of the Board members’ consent.
(6) At least one-half of the Board members shall be present in person to constitute a quorum for a Board meeting.
Section 3. Duties
The duties of the Board of Directors are as follows:
(1) To execute the decisions made at the regional general and Board meetings.
(2) To implement all provisions of the bylaws and perform general business of the NATEA-Dallas.
(3) To set the membership fees of the NATEA-Dallas.
(4) To make, control and review annual financial plan of the NATEA-Dallas.
(5) To review the NATEA-Dallas’s annual activities.
Section 4. Terms of the Board Members
(1)The term of the President or the Vice President is one year, commencing on January 1 or the annual general meeting whichever comes later and ending on December 31, or extended until a new President or Vice President is elected. The President or Vice President can be re-elected for one consecutive term.
(2) The term of the Board members is two years, commencing on January 1 or the annual
general meeting whichever comes later and ending on December 31 of the following year, or
extended until a new slate of Directors is elected. The Board members can be re-elected for one consecutive term.
Section 5. Eligibility of Board Members
(1)Each member, with full membership, in good standing, with a minimum of six months membership, is eligible to be elected a Board member.
(2) Board members with a minimum of six months membership on the Board shall be eligible to be President of the NATEA-Dallas.
Section 6. Election
(1) The Board members’ nomination shall be completed and announced thirty days prior to the regional general meeting. They shall be elected at the regional general meeting directly by the NATEA-Dallas members, with full membership, who present in person or by proxy using ballots.
(2) The Board of Directors shall form a nominating committee to submit candidates for the open Board Member positions. Members, with full membership, may nominate candidates by submitting to the Board of Directors petitions each with at least three signatures from members, with full membership, in good standing. All the nominations must have the consent of the nominees.
(3) Each member of the NATEA-Dallas, with full membership, who has paid the annual membership fee at least sixty days prior to the NATEA-Dallas’s annual general meeting may vote in person or by proxy at the annual meeting.
(4) The Board members shall be elected by the members, with full membership, voting together as a single class.
(5) The President and Vice President are nominated and elected by the Board Members.
(6) Alternate Board members shall be chosen in accordance with their vote counts from those candidates who were not elected.
Section 7. Impeachment
(1) The President, Vice President or the Board members may be impeached for blatant violations of these bylaws, the spirit of the NATEA-Dallas, or the laws of the United States of America. At least one-third of the members, with full membership, must sign a petition for the impeachment.
(2) The Board of Directors special meeting must be called after receiving the petition for impeachment. Notice shall be sent to all members, with full membership, pursuant to Article V Item 5 to determine the impeachment. The special regional general meeting shall be held within 60 days.
(3) The motion of impeachment shall be determined by simple majority of cast votes done by the members, with full membership, in the special regional general meeting.
Section 8. Replacement of Board Members
(1) The Board of Directors shall fill the vacancies of President or Vice President with Board members. The newly appointed President or Vice President shall serve the remainder of the term.
(2) Vacancies of Board members shall be filled by the alternate Board members. The newly appointed Board member shall serve the remainder of the term.
(3) If there are no alternate Board members to fill the Board member vacancies, the President shall appoint a member, with full membership, in good standing to fill the vacancy with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors.
Article VII
ADVISORY BOARD AND WORKING COMMITTEES
(1) The Board of directors may form advisory board and working committees when it is deemed necessary or advisable to perform the functions and activities of this NATEA-Dallas.
(2) The President shall appoint working committee chairpersons with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors.
(3) The immediate past president of the NATEA-Dallas shall serve one year in the advisory board and participate in the meetings of the Board of Directors of the NATEA-Dallas.
(4) The President may appoint the other past presidents of the NATEA-Dallas and other distinguished individuals to the advisory board with the consent of the Board of Directors and the consent of the individuals.
Article VIII
AMENDMENTS
(1) Amendments to the bylaws shall be reviewed at the regional general meetings.
(2) A proposed amendments must originate from the Board of Directors or from a written petition submitted to the Board of Directors by at least twenty members, with full membership, of the NATEA-Dallas no less than ninety days prior to the scheduled regional general meeting
(3) The Board of Directors shall send the proposed amendments to the members, with full membership, at least fifteen days prior to the regional general meeting via post mail or other electronic means.
(4) A proposed amendment is affirmed by two-third of vote cast done by the members, with full membership,
at the rgional general meeting.