MWOHS

Midwest Organization For Human Services

Bylaws

Midwest Organization for Human Services

Article I: Name

1.1The name of the organization is the Midwest Organization for Human Services (MWOHS) hereafter referred to as the Organization.
1.2The Organization is an affiliate of the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS).

Article II: Purpose

2.1The Organization is a nonprofit human service organization. Its purpose is to strive for excellence in the practice and delivery of human services by (a) providing a medium for cooperation and communication among human service practitioners, educators, students, administrators, and individuals who are interested in or involved in human services; (b) fostering excellence in learning, teaching, research, leadership, supervision and clinical skills; (c) providing career development opportunities for its members; (d) promoting improved delivery of human services to all individuals; (e) assisting in the development of human service student organizations; and (f) maintaining a strong liaison with the National Organization for Human Services.

Article III: Membership

3.1

Membership – shall be open to all individuals who are interested in or involved in human services including practitioners, educators, students, administrators, volunteers, and retired persons. Membership shall consist of the following categories:

  • Regular Membership – is extended to practitioners, educators, administrators, and volunteers.
  • Student Membership – is extended to an individual enrolled in a program of studies leading to a degree in the broad field of human services. Student membership shall be extended to individuals for the first year following graduation from a human services program.
  • Retiree Membership – is offered to individuals 70 years or older who are no longer working.
  • Other Membership – is for individuals who do not fall into any category described above (Regular, Student and Retiree). In these instances, the membership category and dues shall be defined by the Board of Directors at the time of application by special request from the Membership Committee.
3.2Membership Dues – are payable annually, one year from the date of the last payment. Annual dues for all categories of membership shall be reviewed each year at the Annual Board Meeting of Directors. The only exception will be for the category of ‘Other’, in these instances the membership dues shall be defined by the Board of Directors at the time of the membership application.
3.3

Termination of Membership – may be under the following circumstances (a) resignation; (b) failure to pay dues; (c) violation of the Organizations Bylaws; and (d) unethical conduct as set out in the NOHS Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals.

  • Termination of membership due to the violation of the Organizations Bylaws or unethical conduct must be recommended by the Membership Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Prior to termination, the Membership Committee who shall have (a) notified the member in writing as to specific allegations; (b) provided a minimum of thirty days notice of the opportunity to be heard; and (c) afforded a full and impartial hearing.
3.4Meeting of the Membership – shall be held once a year at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors (usually at the Spring regional conference). Notification of the annual meeting shall be provided to all members at least 30 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting. Notification includes, but is not limited to, regular mail, facsimile, email and telephone.

Article IV: Membership of the Board of Directors

4.1Members of the Board of Directors – shall be composed of (a) Elected Officials (see Article V); (b) Appointed Members (see Article VI); (c) Appointed State Representatives (see Article VII); and (d) Liaison Affiliates (see Article VIII). All members of the Board of Directors shall have voting rights with the exception of the Liaison Affiliates.
4.2Holding Office – on the Board of Directors, whether elected or appointed, the incumbent must have been a paid up member of the Organization for at least one year and have attended at least one MWNCOHS Annual Conference within two years of either election or appointment. The exception to this requirement is made for the Student representative and Liaison Affiliates.
4.3

Term of Office – for elected and appointed positions shall be a two year term. Members of the Board may be reelected or reappointed to serve any number of times with the exception of:

  • The Regional Director who may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
  • The Program Committee Chair who may serve a term of one year only but may be reappointed to serve one consecutive year.
  • The Student Representative who may serve a term of one year only.
4.4Vacancy – in an elected office or appointed position shall be filled by appointment by the Regional Director with the approval of the Board of Directors. Any individual filling such a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term of the person vacating the office or appointed position. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, a position may be left vacant until the next scheduled Board of Directors meeting.
4.5Removal from Office – an elected officer or appointed position may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the remainder of the Board of Directors for violation of these Bylaws, provided that the Board of Directors shall have (a) notified the individual in writing as to specific allegations; (b) provided a minimum of thirty days advance notice of the opportunity to be heard; and (c) conducted a full and impartial hearing of the alleged violation and/or conduct.

Article V: Elected Officials of the Board of Directors

5.1Elected Officials – shall be composed of the following elected officials: (a) Regional Director, (b) Assistant Regional Director, (c) Secretary, and (d) Treasurer. These officials shall make up the Executive Committee and shall be voting members of the Board of Directors.
5.2Election - of the Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be by the membership in each odd-numbered year. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of dues paid members present and voting at the Annual Membership Meeting. All newly elected officers shall assume their responsibilities upon the conclusion of the Annual Membership Meeting.
 Position Descriptions
5.3Regional Director – shall be the principal officer of the Organization. The Regional Director shall be responsible for (a) the active management of the Organization’s operations; (b) presiding at all meetings of the Board of Directors and at Annual Meetings; (c) appointing the Chairperson of the Membership and Program Committee with the approval of the Board; (d) reporting the affairs of the Organization at the Annual Meeting of the Membership; (e) the management of all scholarships and awards with the approval of the board of directors; and (f) performing all duties normally incident to that office. The Regional Director, or the Regional Director’s designee, shall be the regional representative to the NOHS Board of Directors.
5.4Assistant Regional Director – shall be responsible for (a) serving as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee; (b) all elections of the Organization and for coordinating the efforts of the State Representatives; (c) performing all acts that pertain to the office of Regional Director in the absence or upon the disability of the Regional Director; and (d) performing all other duties normally incident to the office of Assistant Regional Director.
5.5Secretary – shall be responsible for (a) being custodian of the records of the Organization, other than its financial records; (b) giving all notices of meetings in accordance with these Bylaws; (c) keeping minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and the Annual Membership Meeting; (d) maintaining a listing of all members of the Organization and the composition of standing committees; (e) transmitting the slate of officer nominations to the membership at least thirty days prior to the opening of the first general session of the next annual meeting and providing absentee ballots as requested; and (f) performing all other duties normally incident to the office of Secretary.
5.6Treasurer – shall be responsible for (a) being custodial of the accounts and funds of the Organization; (b) safeguarding all funds of the Organization in depositories approved by the Board of Directors; (c) for providing a full account of all transactions and of the financial condition of the Organization at all meetings of the Board of Directors and upon request by the Regional Director; (d) reporting on the state of the Organization’s finances at the time of the Annual Membership Meeting; and (e) performing all other duties normally incident to the office of Treasurer.

Article VI: Appointed Members of the Board of Directors

6.1Appointed Members – shall be composed of (a) the Webmaster who will be Chairperson of the Website Management Committee, (b) the Chairperson of the Membership Committee, (c) the Chairperson of the Program Committee, and (d) the Regional Student Representative. All appointed positions shall be voting members of the Board of Directors.
6.2Appointment – of the Chairperson of the Website Management, Membership, and Program Committee’s shall be by the Regional Director with the approval of the Board of Directors each even numbered year. The Program Committee Chairperson shall come from the State in which the next Annual Meeting and Conference will be held. Appointment of the Student Representative shall be from the area designated for the upcoming Annual Conference and be appointed annually following the recommendations of the Chairperson of the Program Committee. All newly appointed representatives shall assume their responsibilities upon the conclusion of the Annual Membership Meeting.
 Position Descriptions
6.3Webmaster & Website Committee Chairperson – shall be responsible for (a) the creation and maintenance of the ORGANIZATION’S website; (b) for soliciting appropriate information for the website from the Board of Directors, Membership and Program Committee’s, and Members of the Organization.
6.4Membership Committee Chairperson – shall be responsible for (a) maintaining accurate records of the membership of the Organization; (b) recruitment of new members; (c) membership renewals; (d) reviewing applications for eligibility, (e) nominating applicants for membership; (f) providing a current membership brochure; and (g) working closely with the Webmaster and Program Committee Chair in order to promote and maintain membership.
6.5Program Committee Chairperson – shall be responsible for (a) overseeing the development of the Annual Conference, (b) recruiting members for the program committee; (c) coordinating, planning, implementing and evaluating the Annual Conference, (d) assembling and disseminating to the membership information regarding the Annual Conference, and (e) providing up to date information to the Webmaster for the conference webpage.
6.6Student Representative – shall be responsible for (a) representing the interests of student members to the Board of Directors, (b) being active in supporting the Program Committee Chairperson in the planning and implementation of the upcoming Annual Conference; and (c) suggesting updates for the student webpage to the Board of Directors.

Article VII: State Representatives of the Board of Directors

7.1State Representatives – shall be composed of twelve State Representatives from each of the following States (a) Illinois, (b) Indiana, (c) Iowa, (d) Kansas, (e) Michigan, (f) Minnesota, (g) Missouri, (h) Nebraska, (i) North Dakota, (j) Ohio, (k) South Dakota, and (l) Wisconsin. All State appointed positions shall be voting members of the Board of Directors.
7.2Appointment – of State Representatives shall be by their State or territory at the request of the Assistant Regional Director and be appointed each even numbered year. All newly appointed State Representatives shall assume their responsibilities upon the conclusion of the Annual Membership Meeting.
 Position Description
7.3State Representatives – shall be responsible for (a) representing the needs of the members in their respective States, consistent with the purposes outlined in Article II of these Bylaws, (b) being members of both the Membership Committee and Nominating Committee, and (c) providing relevant information for the Organization’s website.

Article VIII: Liaison Affiliates of the Board of Directors

8.1Liaison Affiliates – shall be the Midwest/North Central regional representatives (a) for the Council on Standards for Human Service Education (CSHSE); and (b) the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). Both liaison positions shall be non-voting positions on the Board of Directors.

Article IX: Elections

9.1Elections – shall be held at the time of the Annual Membership Meeting. The offices of the Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster shall be elected in each odd-numbered year. A slate of names proposed for these offices having been brought to the meeting by the Nominating Committee. Nominations from the floor shall be permitted. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of dues paid members present and voting at the Annual Membership Meeting. All elected officers shall assume their responsibilities upon the conclusion of the Annual Membership Meeting.
9.2Membership Voting Privileges - All members of the Organization shall have equal voting privileges and may vote in absentia by contacting the Organization Secretary to ask for an absentee ballot which must be returned before vote counting by the indicated date. Should the Board of Directors determine, elections and other decisions may be made by mail or other technological means.

Article X: Operation of the Board of Directors

10.1Activities and Affairs – of the Organization shall be conducted by the Board of Directors that shall meet at least twice each year. The elected Officers of the Organization shall run the day to day business of the organization, any new business needing approval shall be brought to the Board of Directors for approval
10.2Meetings of the Board of Directors – shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Membership Meeting in the Spring and at the NOHS Annual Conference in the Fall of each year. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Regional Director, or upon the written request of at least one-third of the members of the Board. Meetings shall be held at a time and place designated by the Regional Director, with due consideration being given to the geographical distribution of members. Meeting notices shall state the purpose(s) for the meeting and shall be given to each board member not less than ten days in advance, unless this requirement is waived by all members of the Board of Directors. Notification includes, but is not limited to, regular mail, facsimile, email and telephone.
10.3Reporting – of all activities shall be provided by each member of the Board of Directors at the time of the Annual Meetings of the Board. Reports shall be included in the minutes for that meeting.
10.4Quorum – for meetings shall be those members of the Board of Directors present at a meeting following proper notification, provided that one of the following is present: Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, or Secretary.
10.5Voting on Action Items – each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one vote, with the exception of the nonvoting Liaison Affiliates. Action shall be taken at meetings of the Board by a simple majority vote of those members present and voting, including duly notarized written proxy votes. Should the Board of Directors determine, action decisions may be made by mail or other technological means. Approval shall be by a simple majority approval of the members of the Board. Board members not responding to requests by designated dates with an affirmative or negative response will not be counted in the quorum. All responses to action requests shall be sent to the Regional Director and copied to the Secretary and assistant Regional Director.

Article XI: Committees

11.1Standing Committees – of the Organization shall be (a) Executive, (b) Membership, (c) Nominating, and (d) Program. Each standing committee shall meet initially at the conclusion of the Annual Board of Directors Meeting(s) and subsequently at the call of its chairperson.
11.2Executive Committee - shall consist of the Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster and be responsible for (a) conducting the day to day business of the Organization; (b) implementing and/or overseeing the agreed goals of the Organization; and (c) meeting from time to time at the request of the Regional Director in order to conduct such business.
11.3Membership Committee – shall consist of the appointed chairperson, the State Representatives, and other members recruited by the chairperson with the approval of the Board of Directors. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for (a) maintaining accurate records of the membership of the Organization; (b) recruitment of new members; (c) membership renewals, (d) reviewing applications for eligibility; (e) nominating applicants for membership, (f) bringing to the Board of Directors applications for individuals who do not fall into any standard category of membership (Regular, Student and Retiree); (g) providing information for the Organization’s membership webpage in order to promote and maintain membership; and (h) providing a current membership brochure.
11.4Nominating Committee – shall consist of the Assistant Regional Director serving as its chairperson and all twelve State representatives. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for (a) convening as needed to determine a slate of officers; (b) soliciting nominations from the general membership for the following slate of elected officers, Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster; (c) securing the agreement of those nominated to serve as an officer; (d) securing the approval of the proposed slate of officers by the Board of Directors; and (e) presenting the slate of nominations to the Organization’s Secretary for transmission to the membership at least thirty days prior to the opening of the first general session of the next annual meeting. The chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall present the proposed slate of officers at the time of the annual meeting.
11.5Program Committee – shall consist of the appointed chairperson, the Student Representative, and other members recruited by the chairperson with the approval of the Board of Directors. The Program Committee shall be responsible for (a) coordinating, planning, implementing and evaluating the Annual Conference; (b) soliciting calls for presentations from the membership and other qualified persons; (c) securing keynote speakers; (d) assembling, creating, and disseminating to the membership information regarding the Annual Conference; and (e) providing up to date information to the Webmaster for the conference webpage.
11.6Ad Hoc Committees – may be designated by the Regional Director, from time to time, as required to serve the needs of the Organization. The Regional Director with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall determine the chairperson and members of, and the charge for such ad hoc committees.

Article XII: Grants, Gifts and Contracts

12.1The organization may receive, enter into and administer grants, gifts and contracts.
12.2The Board of Directors must approve all grants, gifts and contracts, and is responsible for their oversight.

Article XIII: Amendments

13.1These Bylaws may be amended or repealed by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the general membership voting whether present or by proxy. Proposed changes to the Bylaws must be made available to the general membership at least thirty days in advance of any vote to change.

*As adopted and approved by the Board of Directors and Membership on December 1, 2006.