Bylaws |
Minutes |
KEARNS YOUTH COUNCIL BYLAWS
ARTICLE 1: NAME The name of this corporation shall be Kearns Youth Council ARTICLE 2: OBJECT The object of the Kearns Youth Council shall be to represent the community and improve the community’s image and assist the community’s residents in any manner possible, and perform such other functions as may be proper for a youth council under Salt Lake County ordinances and other applicable law. PURPOSE: PURPOSE OF YOUTH COMMUNITY COUNCILS Local Youth Councils (YCCs) are designed to involve youth in solving community problems. Elected or appointed youth leaders assume responsible roles in developing communication among community groups and with other young people in the community. Young people learn to identify their needs, to organize activities and service for themselves, and to participate with their adult counterparts in community and school programs. Through this process they: • Become more aware of community leaders and their concerns, • Identify community opportunities and problems that involve youth, • Set priorities for action, • Examine alternatives for best solutions, • Assist the Community Council in action programs and • Become more involved in the democratic process. Some communities have seen their Youth Councils take the lead in providing senior citizen holiday dinners and youth dances, developing park property, initiating successful drug abuse prevention programs, conducting anti- vandalism campaigns, voter awareness activities, community celebrations, and more. All this is achieved through cooperative effort between adult counterparts in community and school programs and support from the Association of Youth Councils. ARTICLE 3: MEMBERS 3.1 Area. Kearns Youth Council shall be that unincorporated area generally known as the Kearns Township. REQUIREMENTS TO SERVE ON THE KEARNS COMMUNITY YOUTH COUNCIL (a) Must be a student of Kearns Jr High, Kearns High School, Entheos, Jefferson Jr High or be a student living within the Kearns boundaries. (b) Must be at least in seventh grade and not yet a graduate of high school. (c ) Must be at least in eleventh grade if the position of youth council Chair is the office being sought or have served at least one full year on the Kearns Youth Council. 3.2 Eligibility; Residency. Page 2 of 12 Any youth ages 12-18 years of age living within the Kearns Township area shall be considered an eligible member of the Kearns Youth Council. 3.3 Composition. The Kearns Youth Council shall consist of seven (7) executive officers (see 5.1 for offices, and terms) living in the Kearns Township area as sitting on the board and each having one vote. However, all youth Submitting an application may be a member of the council but shall have no voting rights. 3.4 Elections. (a) Voting Date. Members of the Kearns Youth Council shall be elected to the executive board in the month of October. 3.5 Resignation. Any executive member of the Kearns Youth Council may resign from the council by submitting written notice to the council secretary. 3.6 Replacement by Council Action. When a Kearns Youth Council member resigns or is removed from the council, the Kearns Youth Council may replace that member by council vote. A Council member may submit a letter of intent, be interviewed and the replacement Shall be elected by majority vote .The replacement must meet the requirements as stated in the Kearns Youth Council guidelines. The newly elected member shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. 3.7 Removal. The Kearns Youth Council shall have the power to remove members with a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote. Removal of a council member may be for one or more of the following causes: (a) The member is convicted of a felony or convicted of a misdemeanor of moral turpitude while in office. (b) The member has been absent from four (4) consecutive regular meetings without excuse. The member’s resignation may be requested. A member whose resignation is requested has two (2) weeks to resign, respond as to why the member should remain on the Kearns Youth Council or be removed by council’s action. If the member responds, the council shall decide whether or not to remove the member. 3.8 REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN ON THE KEARNS YOUTH COUNCIL (a) Remain a student of Kearns Jr. High, Kearns High School, Entheos, Jefferson Jr. High or student living within Kearns boundaries. (b) Attend at least 75 percent of all youth community council activities. (c) Fulfill the responsibilities of the office held. Page 3 of 12 (d) Set a proper example for the youth of the community. (A member of the youth council can be removed from office upon violation of one or more of the above criteria by the approval of the Adult leaders of the Kearns Youth Council. ARTICLE 4: FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION 4.1 Non Profit Status. The Kearns Youth Council is organized for the benefit of the members and as such is to be operated as a non-profit entity. All of the Kearns Youth Council members, council committee members and all participants in Kearns Youth Council activities are to be volunteers without pay for their services. 4.2 Financing. Financing of the Kearns Youth Council will be from voluntary donations and fund-raising activities appropriate to the nature and purposes of the Kearns Youth Council. Funds may be solicited and accepted from the Community Council. Requests for funding by the Community Council must be made in accordance with County guidelines and deadlines. 4.4 No Distribution of Earnings or Compensation to Members. (a) No part of the net earnings of Kearns Youth Council shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the Kearns Youth Council shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable expenses made out of pocket for the benefit of the Youth Council. The Kearns Youth Council may make payments and distributions in accordance with these bylaws to promote the purposes of such council. The services of council members or officers may not be engaged for compensation by the Kearns Youth Council, even if these members are professionals in the service required to promote the purposes of such council. ARTICLE 5: OFFICERS 5.1 Officers and Terms of Office. The officers of the Kearns Youth Council shall serve for a term of one (1) year and shall consist of the chair, vice chair, secretary, agenda clerk, historian and executive hands. The officers shall constitute an executive committee and have the power to act in emergencies between meetings if Kearns Youth Council is not able to have an emergency meeting with a quorum present. 5.2 Election of Officers. The officers shall be elected by their fellow members at the annual meeting. The annual meeting is a regular meeting held in October of each year and shall be preceded by the election of Kearns Youth Council members. 5.3 Manner of Election. Page 4 of 12 Any duly elected member of the Kearns Youth Council may nominate himself, herself or another member for any executive office. The nominee receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be elected. No officer shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. There must be a quorum present to conduct this election. Members being nominated to hold executive office should have expressed a desire to hold that office and be able to devote the necessary time to its proper execution. 5.4 Annual Meeting. The outgoing executive officers shall be in charge of the annual meeting. The chair shall present the annual report, announce the results of the elections for Kearns Youth Council membership, conduct the elections of the executive officers and provide a list of all Youth Council members, holding office, to the community council liaison. 5.5 Chair’s Duties at Annual Meeting. The chair of the Kearns Youth Council, after the new officers are elected, shall direct that the following be accomplished (a) That the outgoing secretary shall turn over the Kearns Youth Council records and documents to the new secretary. (b) That the outgoing vice chair shall turn over the Kearns Youth Council bylaws, the Kearns Youth Council’s copy of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised and other documents/papers pertaining to the office to the new vice chair. (c) The chair shall officially call for adjournment of the Kearns Youth Council for that year. (d) Upon adjournment, the gavel shall be handed to the new chair and executive committee shall officially take office for the upcoming year. 5.6 Vacancy in Executive Offices. Any vacancy in the executive office shall be filled as provided in Section 5.3. The authority and records of the office shall be passed on by the highest-ranking executive officer remaining. 5.7 Chair’s Other Duties. (a) The chair shall have all duties as are usually imposed upon this office and required by the bylaws and the adopted parliamentary authority. The chair shall call for a report at each meeting from the Kearns Youth Council members who have a report and shall present the Kearns Youth Council’s annual report at the final meeting of the council during that year. The CHAIR shall: publicize all activities, actions, and findings of the Kearns Youth Council when the chair feels it is necessary and assist other committees and Kearns Youth Council members in their public relations work. 5.8 Vice-Chair. The vice chair shall perform such duties usually imposed upon this office and duties as required by the bylaws and the adopted parliamentary authority. The vice chair shall perform other duties as required by the chair and shall act as the chair in the Kearns Youth Council’s meeting in the absence of the chair. The vice chair shall be the Page 5 of 12 Council’s parliamentarian interpreting the bylaws and applying any special rules of procedure and the parliamentary authority. 5.9 Secretary. The secretary shall convene all meetings in the absence of the chair and vice chair and conduct an election of a secretary pro tem. The secretary shall keep complete and accurate minutes of all proceedings of the Kearns Youth Council and executive officers. The actual recording or preparation of the minutes or documents shall be under the secretary’s supervision; the secretary remains responsible for the correctness of all minutes and documentation. The secretary shall have charge of the records, reports, and archives of the Kearns Youth Council. (a)The secretary shall conduct the official correspondence, attest documents and perform all other duties that are usual to the office or as may be required by the chair or the parliamentary authority. (b)The secretary under the direction of the chair shall prepare the annual report for presentation; all committee and financial reports shall be incorporated within the annual report. 5.10 Agenda Clerk. The agenda clerk shall manage the meeting agendas of the Kearns Youth Council, including preparing such agendas under supervision of the chair or chair pro tempore, giving any required public notice of such agendas and meeting dates, and notifying council members of special meetings and events. 5.11 Executive Hands (a) The First Hand shall perform the following duties: 1. Help the Vice Chair with the Bylaws making sure they are edited, and up to date. 2. Help the Vice Chair oversee the Bylaws making sure they meet the needs for the current council. 3. Be an advocate for the Kearns Youth Council Members. 4. Help in any shape or form needed by the council. 5. Can act as the Vice Chair incase he or she is absent. 6. Is eligible to replace an executive officer incase he or she can not successfully fulfill there duties. (b) The Second Hand shall perform the following duties: 1. Help the Secretary with the meeting minutes 2. Oversee the Kearns Youth Council volunteer hours 3. Be an advocate for the Kearns Youth Council Members. 4. Help in any shape or form needed by the council. 5. Can Act as the Secretary incase he or she is absent 6. Is eligible to replace an executive officer incase he or she can not successfully fulfill there duties. Page 6 of 12 ARTICLE 6: MEETINGS AND CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS 6.1 Opening of Meetings. Each meeting of the Kearns Youth Council may be opened with a prayer and/or the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and/or any other activity the Kearns Youth Council determines appropriate. 6.2 Frequency of Meetings. The Kearns Youth Council’s regular meeting shall be held at least once a month. The meeting is open to the public. Public notice of each meeting shall be noticed in two (2) public places in a manner determined by the chair to be effective and reasonable. 6.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the chair or a majority of the members of Kearns Youth Council. Any member of the Kearns Youth Council may make a request of the chair for a special meeting to be called. If a special meeting is called, the decision shall be made known to the agenda clerk who will then give the members of Kearns Youth Council 24 hours notice. 6.4 Public Meetings. All meetings of the Kearns Youth Council shall be open to the public. No public vote shall be taken committing the Kearns Youth Council to any course or action. However, the council shall be obligated to take under advisement the prevailing feelings of such public discussion. 6.5 Public Participation. Any person wishing to be heard from the floor will be recognized by the chair and given ample time to express his or her views, provided he or she has requested recognition from the chair. If time is available, anyone can be recognized from the floor without prior request. Any group requesting time shall be represented by an appointed spokesperson. In all cases the subjects discussed must concern the community and/or Kearns Youth Council business. The chair shall have wide latitude in these discussions but not allow individuals or groups to engage in personal or intra-organizational arguments. If this should occur, the comments shall be declared out of order and the floor cleared. The chair shall conduct the meetings in accordance with the parliamentary authority. 6.6 Quorum. A quorum consists of a majority of the members of the Kearns Youth (More than half) Council. A quorum must be present at any meeting in order to transact the Kearns Youth Council business. Page 7 of 12 6.7 Confidential Information. Confidential or private information may be reported to the Kearns Youth Council but such information may not become matters of public record or public knowledge. The chair shall determine how confidential or private information is to be reported to the Kearns Youth Council and if record shall be kept of such information. The secretary shall maintain confidential records of the Kearns Youth Council in accordance to governing statutes, i.e. Privacy of Information Act. Applicable state and federal regulations shall govern the interpretation of the terms confidential and private. All officers, the Kearns Youth Council members and committee chairs shall comply with the intent of statutes and regulations regarding the privacy of information. ARTICLE 7: COMMITTEES The Kearns Youth Council has been established to and has adopted the following youth policy guidelines: a. Improve the young people's access to community services and facilities by working with the Community Council to help find ways to make its services and facilities as youth friendly as possible, so that young people feel comfortable accessing and participating in services and activities. b. Address youth issues to make the youth policy youth focused. c. Ensure youth- friendly information and communication by supporting regular communication between young people. d. Raise community awareness about the real issues that affect young people in the Kearns community. e. Advocates on behalf of young people and provide advice to community and community groups, local business and government departments to respond to youth issues. f. Provide opportunities for young people to build on and expand their skills in leadership, communication, teamwork, civic affairs, solving problems, public speaking, and networking. . 7.1 Advisory Committees. Advisory committees shall be established to assist the officers in the governing of the Kearns Youth Council. These advisory committees may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: 1. Community Service 2. Library & Education 3. Health and Welfare 4. Volunteer Hours 5. History 6. Public Relations 7. Community involvement 8. Activities 7.2 Committee Chairs. Each committee chair shall be appointed to office by the Kearns Youth Council. The Kearns Youth Council shall take into consideration each individual’s Page 8 of 12 desires and abilities when making these appointments. Each committee chair shall be in charge of his or her respective committee and responsible for all duties of his or her committee. 7.3 Meeting Representatives. Each committee chair shall appoint a representative to attend Any meetings that are part of the respective advisory committee’s objectives. The committee chair shall report to the Kearns Youth Council regarding these meetings. Each committee chair shall make every effort to coordinate the activities of his or her committee with the activities of any other group interested in promoting the objectives of common interest with his or her committee of the Kearns Youth Council. In all cases every effort will be made to avoid conflicting and/or duplicating efforts between committees or other interested groups. 7.4 Objectives. The objectives of each advisory committee chair are as follows: 1. Community Service 2. Library & Education 3. Health and Welfare 4. Volunteer Hours 5. History 6. Public Beautification 7. Public Relations 8. Community Activities (a) The Community Service chair shall: Throughout the year, you will work together with the other members of youth council to develop their leadership skills. Sometimes this will involve taking charge of a project on your own, and other times this will mean working with all members of the council to get an important job completed. To be a good leader, you must be able to be original, yet also be able to follow someone else’s lead. As a youth leader, you will also help determine the direction of the community service efforts. Serve as a resource for council members by providing information to them about service projects. • Most important- set a good example for your community • Work closely with your council to implement fun and meaningful service projects. • Seek the input of council on community issues that are important to them. • Work with the Publicity Chair to publicize service projects. • Work together with the rest of the council to plan events (b) The LIBRARY & EDUCATION chair shall: Develop educational programs between schools in a united effort with educators and Kearns Township area residents and coordinate activities and communications that will secure the highest advantages in physical, mental and Page 9 of 12 social education for the Kearns Township Area. The Library & Education chair shall be concerned with the Kearns Community Council’s interest in and participation with library programs. (c) The HEALTH and WELFARE chair shall: determine the needs of the Kearns Township area and its residents in health, welfare and sanitation when an individual, agency or situation requires attention and promote and develop projects for the betterment of the area’s health and welfare. (a) The History chair shall: The historian assembles and preserves the record of activities and achievements of the youth council and assists the chair in preparing the Annual Report. Historian records, like minutes, should be kept forever. Review materials received from predecessor: year-to year history and record book with narrative reports. Historically significant items, such as: List of charter members; First bylaws; Copy of charter; and Historic photographs Start a monthly calendar “diary” of youth activities, and keep it current based on each new council year. Attend council workshops for historians. Keep written or printed account of the year’s activities and key personnel for the council’s History Record Book. Include: List of officers and chairmen with titles and addresses; Youth council enrollment numbers. • Program and focus group topics (names of speakers and leaders); • Activities, projects carried out by youth council in meetings and community; • Any changes to bylaws; • List of recipients of Honorary Service, Continuing Service, Golden Oak Awards, and other special awards or recognition presented to or received by the council; and • Record of members’ volunteer hours (b) The PUBLIC Beautification chair shall: study and initiate methods and projects to beautify the community and its property; encourage agricultural, commercial and industrial activities consistent with governing laws and Kearns Youth Council’s interests (c) The Public Relations chair shall: coordinate all activities of the Kearns Township area community recreation, develop and promote projects for the betterment of the area’s parks and recreation and bring these needs before the Kearns Youth Council and the proper County agencies. (g) The COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT chair shall: Page 10 of 12 inspire community involvement and seek volunteers to help better affect completion of projects on various committees, keep in touch with the Kearns Youth Council to get a calendar of events, make an outline of community needs and seek projects necessary to up-grade the quality of life within the Kearns Township area and to present them to the Kearns Youth Council for approval at a regularly scheduled meeting and, if approved, organize such projects by setting up committees in bring the projects through the completion stages. 7.5 Committee Reports. Each committee chair shall submit a report of information and activities of his/her office affecting the community as needed or upon the request of the chair for entry into the Kearns Youth Council’s meeting minutes. 7.6 Annual Reports. Each committee chair shall submit a written annual report to the secretary one month in advance of the Kearns Youth Council’s Annual Report, so that it may be incorporated in the annual report. 7.7 Other Duties of Committee Chairs. Kearns Youth Council’s committee chairs may be asked to perform any other duties required of them by the chair of executive officers, even though not covered by the committee’s objectives or committee chair’s duties. 7.8 Assistance. Each committee chair may recruit help from, any member of the community in order to better perform their duties but none of these community committee members will have voting rights on the Kearns Youth Council. The function of these community committee members is solely that of staff advisors and assistants to the committee chair appointing them. These committee members can in no way obligate the committee chair, the executive officers or the Kearns Youth Council. 7.9 Additional Committees. Other committees and their duties may be established by the council. ARTICLE 8: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), as hereafter revised or amended, shall govern the Kearns Youth Council in all cases to which they are applicable and-in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order Kearns Youth Council may adopt. Page 11 of 12 ARTICLE 9: AMENDMENTS 9.1 Required Vote. Theses bylaws shall be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) or more affirmative votes of the Kearns Youth Council membership. 9.2 Proposed Amendments. Any Kearns Youth Council member may propose amendments to these bylaws. Any proposed amendment to these bylaws shall be submitted to the secretary who will be responsible to have a copy emailed, mailed or delivered to every Kearns Youth Council member at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which it is to be considered. |
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