PREAMBLE
Recognizing that the ancient profession of land surveying is now, more than ever, a vital social and economic influence in the State, the Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors does hereby dedicate itself to the advancement of the surveying profession so as to serve both the public interest and the interests of its members.
ARTICLE I. OBJECTIVES
The Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors shall be a non-profit organization, chartered under the provisions of Article XII of the Constitution of said Society, whose objectives shall be:
To advance, in the broadest sense, the profession of surveying and mapping in the area served by the Chapter; to aid and contribute to the education of its members and the general public in attaining high surveying standards, both technical and ethical; to provide a local headquarters for a closer association of its members and to provide for local meetings.
ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS
In this Constitution, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires, the following definitions shall apply:
"Director" means a Director of the Chapter.
"Officer" means an Officer of the Chapter.
"Board" or "Executive Board" means the Board comprised of Directors and Officers of the Chapter.
"Registered" or "Registered Surveyor" means any person who is registered under the Land Surveying Practices Act of 1979 (V.T.C.S. Article 5282c), as amended in 1989, to the Professional Land Surveying Practices Act, and all amendments thereto.
"Member" and "Membership" designates individually and collectively those persons of all classes of membership, as defined in Article IV hereof, who shall become a member of the Chapter.
"Member in good standing" designates any member of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors and any member of a local Chapter whose dues are currently paid and who is not subject to any disciplinary action by either said Society or Chapter.
ARTICLE III. NAME AND LOCATION
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.
Section 2. The area in which the activities of the Chapter shall be conducted, after approval by the Board of Directors of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors, shall consist of the following counties: The Charter of the Chapter may be revoked or amended at any time by the said Board.
Section 3. The headquarters of the Chapter shall be located in , Texas, and the place of meeting shall be selected by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Only members in good standing in the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors shall be eligible for membership in the Chapter. Any such member of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors may become a member of the Chapter upon approval of his application by the Executive Board and upon payment of the annual dues.
Section 2. Any member of another Chapter whose dues are currently paid and who shall change his domicile to the area served by the Chapter may, at his election, affiliate with the Chapter without any further payment of dues for the fiscal year.
Section 3. There shall be six classes of membership, namely: Registered Member, Associate Member, Affiliate Member, Life Member, Honorary Member and Student Member. The classification of each member in the Chapter shall be the same as that held in the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.
Section 4. The rights and prerogatives of members in the affairs of the Chapter shall be as follows:
a. Registered members may hold any office and may vote.
b. Associate/Surveyor Intern members may hold any office except President and may vote.
c. Affiliate members may hold the office of Secretary-Treasurer only and may not vote.
d. Life members shall have the same rights and prerogatives to which they were entitled before attaining life membership.
e. Honorary members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
f. Student members are any student of a School of Higher Education (College Level) recognized by the Board, who is interested in surveying. Student members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office in the Chapter.
Section 5. A member expelled or suspended from the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors shall be automatically expelled or suspended from the Chapter.
Section 6. A member may be expelled from the Chapter, suspended for a specified length of time, or reprimanded for a willful disregard of the Chapter's principles and objectives and for professional conduct detrimental to the Chapter's welfare. Expulsion, suspension or reprimand shall require a two-thirds vote of the entire Board, and thirty days notice of the charges against the offending member shall be given in order that the offending member may be present and heard at the hearing on such action. Any member of the Chapter who is disciplined by the Executive Board shall forfeit all rights and prerogatives in Chapter affairs according to the terms of the disciplinary action taken. Any officer or director of the Chapter against whom disciplinary charges are pending shall be disqualified from service on the Executive Board only while the Executive Board is conducting hearings on the charges brought against the offending member.
Section 7. Any disciplinary action approved by the Executive Board shall not affect the status of the individual's membership in the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors, but the Executive Board shall keep the president and Secretary-Treasurer of the Society fully informed of the charges made, the evidence presented and the action taken.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND BOARD
Section 1. The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, and a Secretary Treasurer.
Section 2. There shall be an Executive Board containing ten members which shall consist of: the immediate past President, the immediate past Secretary-Treasurer, the four elected directors and the officers of the Chapter. The President of the Chapter shall act as Chairman of the Executive Board.
Section 3. Each officer and director may be re-elected. In the event that the President and the Secretary-Treasurer are re-elected, the number of members on the Executive Board shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 4. The duties of the officers and the Executive Board shall be in accordance with the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing committees to handle the affairs of the Chapter shall be appointed by the President as soon as possible after the Annual Meeting. Each member of the Chapter and the President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors shall be notified by mail within fifteen days after all standing committees are appointed. The duties and the method of appointment of standing committees shall be in accordance with the Bylaws.
Section 2. The President may at any time appoint special committees for such purposes as the President may deem fit.
Section 3. The terms of all committees shall expire at the close of the Annual Meeting following their appointment.
ARTICLE VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 1. All officers and directors shall be elected for the term of office and in the manner provided in this article.
Section 2. There shall be four directors elected for a term of two years, with two directors elected each year, except that in the first year in which the Chapter receives it's Charter, two of the four directors shall be elected for a term of one year.
Section 3. In case of vacancies, officers and directors shall be appointed by the Executive Board to fill the unexpired term.
Section 4. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each office and directorship to be filled. All candidates must be members in good standing of the Chapter and must be eligible to hold office as specified under Article IV hereof. Nominations may also be made by petition. Each such petition shall be signed by not less than ten (10) members, (at least two of whom must be Registered Members) who are eligible to vote and whose dues are currently paid. Said petition to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The names of all nominees of the Nominating Committee and the names of all those nominated by petition, if any, shall be submitted to the Executive Board by the Nominating Committee not later than thirty (30) days before the Annual Meeting. It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to ascertain if all candidates, including those nominated by petition, meet the qualifications for office as set forth in this Constitution and to approve all candidates so qualified. In the event any candidate is not qualified for the office to which the candidate has been nominated, the Executive Board shall select and substitute a qualified candidate for the office. Following approval of the slate of candidates by the Executive Board and not later than 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting, the Secretary-Treasurer shall mail a ballot, containing all nominees for each office, to all members of the Chapter eligible to vote. All ballots to be valid must be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer by 5 p.m. of the day before the Annual Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall transmit all valid ballots to the Tellers Committee appointed by the President to tabulate votes. The Tellers Committee shall certify the result of the vote to the membership of the Chapter at the Annual Meeting.
Section 5. Any officer or director may be removed from office for neglect of duty, inefficiency or malfeasance. A two-thirds vote of the entire Executive Board, after a full hearing before the Board, is necessary for such removal.
Section 6. The new officers and directors shall be installed at the Annual Meeting and shall take office immediately upon the close of said meeting.
ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS
Section 1. The kind, time and place of meetings shall be as provided in the Bylaws. In order to avoid conflict, no meeting of the Chapter membership shall be held less than two weeks before, or two weeks after, the Annual Meeting of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Section 1. All amendments to this Constitution and Bylaws must first be approved by a majority of the entire Executive Board before the amendments are submitted to the Chapter membership.
Section 2. After approval by the Executive Board, the Secretary-Treasurer shall mail a ballot containing the proposed amendments to all members of the Chapter eligible to vote, and all ballots to be valid must be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer within thirty (30) days from the date of mailing. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire Chapter membership voting shall be required for approval of any amendment.
Section 3. All amendments to this Constitution and Bylaws approved under the provisions of section 1 and 2 above must be submitted to and approved by the Board of Directors of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors in order to become effective.
Section 4. The Board of Directors of the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors may amend this Constitution and Bylaws at any regular meeting and such amendments shall be binding upon the Chapter.