Standing Rules

Click here to download the NEAFCS Standing Rules

Special Rules of Order

 Click here to download the NEAFCS Special Rules of Order

Bylaws

(revised November 4, 2021) - Click here to download

ARTICLE I – Name and Objectives

Section 1.  The name of this corporation is the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, hereinafter known as the Association.

Section 2.  The articles of incorporation are registered in the State of Florida.

Section 3.  In providing for a national professional organization, the following objectives are:

1. Promote professional growth and development by:
1. Providing for and recognizing leadership and achievement.
2. Awarding financial support for professional study.
3. Exchanging effective educational methodologies.
4. Encouraging members to conduct research and to use research-based information in programming.
2. Prioritize programs that meet current social needs and national concerns affecting families and communities.
3. Communicate present and potential contributions of Extension Educators.
4. Seek support for programs that benefit families/individuals and enhance the profession.
5. Provide experiences that strengthen the state/territory affiliate.

ARTICLE II — Membership

The Association is committed to the involvement of all its members regardless of race, ethnicity, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. As stated in the affirmative action plan, all members will be encouraged to participate in programs and activities and take leadership roles in the Association, according to their membership classification.

The classifications for membership shall be: Active, Associate, Member in Transition, Life, Partner, and Student.

Section 1 — Active Member

1. Active Members are Extension employees working in any capacity with family and consumer sciences, have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, belong to their state/territory affiliate of Extension Educators, who upon payment of dues, may become an Active Member of NEAFCS.
   
   
2. Active Members shall be granted full rights and privileges:
   1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants.
   2. They may serve on committees or chair committees, serve as voting delegates, or hold elected office.
   3. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information.
   4. They shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
   5. They may submit proposals to present at NEAFCS Annual Sessions through the Program Review Process.
   6. They may submit articles for publication in the Journal of NEAFCS.
   7. They may attend and submit proposals to present NEAFCS webinars.

Section 2 — Associate Member

1. Associate Members are individuals meeting the requirements for an Active Member, but located where there is no affiliated state/territory affiliate or no state/territory affiliate which will allow their membership. Upon payment of annual dues directly to the Association they may become an Associate Member of NEAFCS.
   
   
2. Associate Members shall be granted full rights and privileges:
   1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants.
   2. They may serve on committees or chair committees, serve as voting delegates, or hold elected office.
   3. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information.
   4. They shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
   5. They may submit proposals to present at NEAFCS Annual Sessions through the Program Review Process.
   6. They may submit articles for publication in the Journal of NEAFCS.
   7. They may attend and submit proposals to present NEAFCS webinars.

Section 3 — Member in Transition

1. Members in Transition are individuals who have been employed in any capacity with family and consumer sciences programming, who have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and who have been members of NEAFCS, but have currently been furloughed, placed on temporary work assignment, are working in a part-time role, or are on a leave of absence. They may maintain membership in the State Affiliate and the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. A member could stay in this membership category for a maximum of five years and then pay dues to become a Life Member.
   
   
2. Members in Transition shall be granted the following rights and privileges:

1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants as a team member with Active Members, Associate Members and Life Members but not as an individual.
2. They may serve on committees or chair committees, serve as voting delegates, or hold elected office unless on an extended leave of three months or longer.
3. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information. They shall pay registration fees at the same rate as Active Members.
4. They shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
5. They may submit proposals to present at NEAFCS Annual Sessions through the Program Review Process.
6. They may submit articles for publication in the Journal of NEAFCS.
7. They may attend and submit proposals to present NEAFCS webinars.

Section 5 — Life Member

1. Life Members are any former Extension employees who havebeen an Active Member, Associate Member, or Member in Transition of the Association for at least 5 years. They will be granted life membership upon payment of a one-time fee to the Association. 
   
   
2. Life Members shall be granted the following rights and privileges:
1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants.
2. They may serve on committees, serve as committee chairs or hold elected office.
3. They may serve as voting delegates, when a state/territory affiliate lacks sufficient delegates to the Annual Business Meeting.
4. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information. They shall pay registration fees at the same rate as Active Members unless a special rate for Life Members is established.
5. They shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
6. They may submit proposals to present at NEAFCS Annual Sessions through the Program Review Process.
7. They may submit articles for publication in the Journal of NEAFCS.
8. They may attend and submit proposals to present NEAFCS webinars.

Section 6 — Partner Member

1. Partner Members are individuals with a bachelor’s degree working in an education/corporate/business field related to the work of Extension Educators. They may become a Partner Member, upon payment of full dues to the National Office.
   
   
2. Partner Members shall be granted the following rights and privileges:
   1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants as a team member with Active Members, Associate Members, and Life Members, but not as an individual.
   2. They may serve on committees.
   3. They shall not be eligible for elected office, serve as committee chairs, or serve as voting delegates.
   4. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information. They shall pay registration fees at the same rate as Active Members.
   5. They shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
   6. They may present webinars on non-commercial topics (guidelines similar to the guidelines for exhibitor forum).

Section 7 — Student Member

1. Student Members are undergraduate or graduate students who are enrolled in a university, college, or other educational setting, studying family consumer sciences or related field with an interest in Extension Education as a future career, and not currently employed by Extension. Student members may seek membership in NEAFCS by paying the designated dues amount to the state treasurer in the state of the school they are attending and one-half national dues to National treasurer. Membership may be obtained by submitting a student status statement verifying their student status.
   
   
2. Student Members shall be granted the following rights and privileges:

1. They may receive awards, fellowships, and grants as a team member with Active Members, Associate Members, and Life Members but not as an individual.
2. They may serve on committees.
3. They shall not be eligible for elected office, serve as committee chairs, or serve as voting delegates.
4. They shall receive the NEAFCS Annual Session registration information. They shall pay registration fees at a reduced rate for the Annual Session. The NEAFCS Board in consultation with the Annual Session Planning Committee will determine the reduced rate.
5. Thy shall be granted access to NEAFCS.org, which includes publications and other resources, upon payment of dues.
6. They may submit proposals to present at NEAFCS Annual Sessions through the Program Review Process.
7. They may submit articles for publication in the Journal of NEAFCS.
8. They may attend and submit proposals to present NEAFCS webinars.
   
   

ARTICLE III — Dues and Fees

Section 1. The dues for annual membership in the Association shall be established by the voting delegates at the annual business meeting of the Association. Proposed changes in dues shall be made known 30 days prior to the Annual Session at which the vote is to be taken.

Section 2. Each state/territory affiliate shall remit to the Association by the established date the amount of annual dues for each eligible individual requesting membership in the Association.

Section 3. An Associate Member shall pay directly to the Association the established amount of annual dues on or before the established date.

Section 4. Any increase in dues voted upon at an Annual Session shall become effective with the next membership year following the Annual Session in which the vote was taken.

Section 5. The one-time fee for life membership shall be three times the amount of dues assessed for Active Members.

Section 6. Any Extension employee who is retiring and assuming a part-time position, may choose to pay Active Member dues until fully retired or pay the one-time Life Member dues of three times the current dues at the time they leave Active Member or Member in Transition status.

Section 7. Member in Transition shall pay State dues and one half of the current National Association dues.

Section 9. Partner Member shall pay directly to the NEAFCS Treasurer the established amount of dues, to be the same as Active Members.

Section 10. Student Member shall pay State dues and one half of the current National Association dues.

ARTICLE IV — Officers

Section 1.  The elected officers of the Association shall be President, President-Elect, Vice President for Public Affairs, Vice President for Member Resources, Vice President for Awards and Recognition, Vice President for Professional Development, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.

Section 2. — Qualifications

1. No member may serve more than one term in the same elective office nor serve more than five years on the Executive Board, except in the case of election to the office of President-Elect.
2. Specific qualifications for each office shall be listed in the Policies and Procedures.

Section 3 — Term of Office

1. The President-Elect shall be elected annually to serve for one year as President-Elect and shall serve the following year as President or until a successor has been elected.
2. The Vice President for Member Resources, Vice President for Professional Development and Secretary shall be elected in the even years to serve a term of two years or until a successor has been elected.
3. The Vice President for Public Affairs, Vice President for Awards and Recognition and Treasurer shall be elected in the uneven years to serve a term of two years or until a successor has been elected.
4. All officers shall assume their duties at the close of the Annual Session at which they are elected upon signing the NEAFCS Code of Conduct and the NEAFCS Conflict of Interest and Non-Disclosure Policy.
5. At the end of the President's term, the President will serve as the Immediate Past President for one year.

Section 4 — Vacancy of Office

1. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the President-Elect.
2. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President-Elect, the Executive Board shall appoint the Vice President for Public Affairs as acting President-Elect for the unexpired term. The acting President-Elect shall assume the duties and powers of the office of President-Elect, except that the acting President-Elect shall not automatically succeed to the office of President. In years when the President-Elect has been appointed by the Executive Board, both a President and President-Elect shall be elected for the following year. The acting President-Elect shall be eligible for election to either position.
3. In the event of vacancies in the offices of President and President-Elect, the Vice President for Public Affairs shall succeed to the office of the President for the unexpired term. In addition, the individual shall be eligible to seek election to the office of President or President-Elect the following year. The vacancy thus created in the office of Vice President for Public Affairs and any other vacancy, shall be filled by a ballot vote of the Executive Board.
4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Immediate Past President, the vacancy shall be filled by the most recent Past President.
5. A vacancy in any office by resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, as not already noted in the Bylaws, may be filled by the Executive Board, by affirmative vote of a majority of aforementioned board members, for the unexpired portion of the term.

ARTICLE V — Regional Directors - Duties and Election

Section 1. The state/territory affiliates are divided into four regions: Central, Eastern, Southern and Western. Each region shall be represented on the Executive Board of the Association by a Regional Director who shall serve a two-year term or until a successor has been elected.

Section 2. The Regional Director shall be the liaison between the Executive Board and the state/territory affiliates and members in the region.

Section 3. An individual may serve one term in the office of Regional Director. Regional Directors for the Central and Southern regions shall be elected in uneven years by the voting delegates in their respective regions. Regional Directors for the Eastern and Western regions shall be elected in even years in their respective regions. The offices of Regional Director shall be assumed at the close of the Annual Session at which they are elected upon signing the NEAFCS Code of Conduct and the NEAFCS Conflict of Interest and Non-Disclosure Policy.

Section 4. In the event of a vacancy, the Association President shall conduct a regional election.

ARTICLE VI — Executive Board - Membership and Duties

Section 1.  The Executive Board consists of the elected officers, Regional Directors, and the Immediate Past President.

Section 2.  The Executive Board meets prior to and following the Annual Session, in the winter and in the spring. Additional meetings of the Executive Board may be called at the discretion of the President or by a majority of the members of the Executive Board. Each officer shall receive advanced notification of such interim meeting.

Section 3.  The duties of the Executive Board are to set deadlines, formulate policy, transact business of the Association, and keep membership informed.

Section 4.  The Executive Board may conduct business by mail or electronically when necessary. A report of any such action taken shall be verified and made a part of the minutes at the next meeting of the Executive Board.

Section 5.  The Executive Board approves the dates and locations of Annual Sessions.

Section 6.  The financial records of the Association shall be audited annually and results shall be printed in the Annual Session Business Meeting Packet.

ARTICLE VII — National Officers - Nomination and Election

Section 1. All applications for office must be filed with the National Nominating Committee Chair by the established date.

Section 2. The Immediate Past President shall serve as Chair of the National Nominating Committee. At the regional meetings during the Annual Session, each region shall elect representatives to serve on the National Nominating Committee.

Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall present a double slate of officer candidates for each office whenever possible.

Section 4. Nominations may be made from the floor provided nominees meet the qualifications for that office and provide credentials and letters of support as required. These must be submitted to the National Nominating Committee Chair prior to the pre-Annual Session board meeting.

Section 5. Election of officers shall be held during the Annual Business meeting; with the exception of Regional Directors, which shall be held during Regional Business meetings. Voting shall be by ballot. In the event there is only one nominee for an office, the election may be by voice.

Section 6. Nominations for Regional Director may be made from the floor provided the nominees meet the qualifications and provide credentials and letters of support to the National Nominating Committee Chair prior to the pre-Annual Session board meeting.

ARTICLE VIII — Committees

Section 1. The standing committees are Bylaws, Finance and Nominating.

Section 2. Additional committees may be established by the Executive Board.

Section 3. Terms of service, qualifications, methods of appointment and composition of committees shall be established by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IX — Meetings

Section 1. There shall be an annual business meeting of the Association held during the Annual Session.

Section 2. There shall be an Educational Awards Fund meeting of the Association to be held during the Annual Session.

Section 3. The official call to the annual business meeting shall be published in the NEAFCS official publication.

Section 4. A majority of the voting delegates and the Executive Board in attendance shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. The minimum number of voting delegates per state/territory shall be two. Voting delegates are based on the number of Active Members, Associate Members, and Members in Transition whose dues are paid to the Association as of August 1 of the current year. Each state/territory affiliate shall designate members to serve as voting delegates according to following chart.

Section 6. Associate Members as a group may be represented by voting delegates on the same basis as state/territory affiliates (see Chart-Article IX-Section 5).Associate voting delegates are based on the number of members whose dues are paid to the Association as of August 1 of the current year.

Section 7. Executive Board members have voting privileges at all meetings of the Executive Board, Annual Business Meeting, and Awards Fund Meeting.

Section 8. The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, may call a special session of the Association and/or conduct business by mail or electronically as necessary.

Section 9. In case of a national emergency, major health crisis, or other major event, the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, may cancel and/or change the format of Annual Session. Members shall be notified.

ARTICLE X — Awards 

Section 1. Awards and fellowships shall be made available through this Association for graduate study and/or professional improvement. The Executive Board shall administer these awards and fellowships, appoint committees to review applications and to select recipients.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall have the authority to accept donations of money and other property for the Educational Awards Fund under the Section 501-C3 of the Internal Revenue Code. All such donations are tax deductible for the donor. Assets for awards and fellowships shall be accounted for separately in the Educational Awards Fund.

ARTICLE XI — Publications

The Association will publish a regular newsletter and an annual peer reviewed research journal.

ARTICLE XII — Removal of a Board Member

Any individual who serves as an Officer may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, at any duly held Executive Board meeting, or electronic ballot (with the vote count audited by at least three officers). Removal from office can occur based on general misconduct, neglect, refusal to perform duties, prejudice to good order, or abusing authority beyond what is delegated by the bylaws, policies, or IRS duty of care regulations for not-for-profit organizations. The vote of the Executive Board shall be written ballot, whether it occurs at an in-person meeting or by electronic ballot. The individual in question shall be afforded an opportunity to present a statement “in defense” depending on the format in which the vote is taken. A majority vote of the Executive Board will determine if such statement can occur in person or in writing, or both. If the Executive Board votes to remove an officer, it is effective immediately.

ARTICLE XIII — Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws, the standing rules, the special rules of order and the policies of the Association.

ARTICLE XIV — Fiscal Year

The Fiscal Year of the Association will be determined by the Executive Board and will be noted in the NEAFCS Policies and Procedures.

ARTICLE XV — Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Association by a vote of two-thirds of the voting delegates present and voting.

Section 2. Notice of proposed amendments shall be given by mail, electronic communication or through one of the official publications of the Association not later than 30 days prior to the annual business meeting.

ARTICLE XVI — Dissolution of Association

On the dissolution of the Association, the entire net assets remaining after the payment of any and all liabilities and obligations of the Association shall be transferred to such association or associations organized exclusively for charitable, educational or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as exempt association or associations under Section 501-C3, which is other than a foundation exempt under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).