House of Delegates
House of Delegates Bylaws
Adopted March 17, 2006
Amended October 27, 2007, March 28, 2009, 7 November 2011
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the House of Delegates of the United States Sailing Association. Hereinafter, the House of Delegates may be referred to as the “House”, and the United States Sailing Association may be referred to as “US SAILING”.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization is to function as authorized and described in Bylaws 221, 222, and 223 of the US SAILING Bylaws, and other provisions of the US SAILING Bylaws as appropriate. Any conflicts between the US SAILING Bylaws and this document shall be resolved in favor of the US SAILING Bylaws.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION ONE – DESCRIPTION. The membership of the House is described in the US SAILING Bylaws.
SECTION TWO – TERMS OF OFFICE. Terms of office for Division Chairs are described in the US SAILING Bylaws. Area Director terms shall be for two year staggered terms as described in the Council of Sailing Association bylaws. The Chair of the Council of Sailing Associations shall serve a term of one year. All other delegates shall serve two year terms. Terms of office for the officers of the House are described in Article IV.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
SECTION 1 – OFFICERS & DUTIES. The US SAILING bylaws provide that the officers of the House shall be a Chair, Vice–Chair, and Secretary, elected by the House from the membership of US SAILING. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the US SAILING bylaws, these bylaws, and the adopted parliamentary authority of the House. If the officers are not already members of the House, they are not entitled to vote and are not counted in determining a quorum.
SECTION 2 – TERMS OF OFFICE. Officers shall serve a term of one year or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected. No individual shall hold more than one office at a time. No individual shall be eligible to serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office, with the exception of the office of Secretary.
SECTION 3 – VACANCIES. A vacancy in the office of Chair shall be filled by the Vice-Chair automatically assuming the office of Chair for the remainder of the term. A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair shall be filled by election at the next annual meeting. A vacancy in the office of Secretary shall be filled by appointment made by the chair for the remainder of the term. For the purposes of the term limits contained in Section 2 above, service of half a term or less in an office shall be ignored, and service of more than half a term shall be considered a full term.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
SECTION 1 – ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the House shall be held at the same location and dates as the session of US SAILING meetings that contain the US SAILING annual meeting. The purpose of the meeting shall be for elections and the conduct of such other business as may legally come before the meeting. No later than thirty days before the meeting, the Secretary shall cause the notice of the meeting to be posted on the US SAILING website and sent electronically or through other means to all members of the House.
SECTION 2 – SPRING MEETING. The Spring Meeting of the House shall be held as part of the session of US SAILING meetings held during the spring each year. No later than thirty days before the meeting, the Secretary shall cause the notice of the meeting to be posted on the US SAILING website and sent electronically or through other means to all members of the House
SECTION 3 – SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the House may be called by the Chair of the house of Delegates. This shall include special meetings conducted via e-mail or conference call. no later than thirty day before the sepcial meeting, the Secretary shall cause the notice of meeting to be posted on the USSailing website and sent electronically or through other means to all members of the House.
SECTION 4 – QUORUM. One-Quarter of the membership, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote as defined in the parliamentary authority shall be sufficient for action of the House, except as otherwise required by these bylaws or the parliamentary authority. Proxies shall be in writing, may be in the form of a fax or electronic mail, and shall be delivered to the Secretary no later than the roll call of the meeting at which they are in effect.
SECTION 5 – TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS BY TELEPHONE AND OTHER MEANS.
(a) TELEPHONE CONFERENCE. Any member of the House may participate in a meeting of the House by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.
(b) ELECTRONIC MAIL. The House shall have the authority to conduct business by electronic mail provided that all communications by any members are copied to all other members of the House, and that any decisions made using this method shall be made by a majority vote provided that a minimum of forty percent of the House membership participates in the vote. Decisions made using this method shall be incorporated in the minutes of the next meeting of the House.
ARTICLE VI – ELECTIONS
SECTION 1 – POSTIONS. The chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary shall be elected at the annual meeting. At the spring meeting, the House shall by election nominate one individual for those open seats on the US SAILING Board of Directors described in US SAILING bylaw 221(4).
SECTION 2 – NOMINATIONS. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one candidate for each position described in Section 1 above. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
SECTION 3 – NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
(a) COMPOSITION. The Nominating Committee of the House shall consist of eight members of the House as follows: two Sailor Athletes (as defined in US SAILING Bylaw 105(2)) representing the Sailor Athletes’ Council; one representative per council from the Council of Sailing Associations, One Design Class Council, National Offshore Council, and Community Sailing Council; and one representative each from two of those organizations listed in US SAILING Bylaw 222, Section 1, Subsections (6) through (16) on a rotating schedule in numeric order beginning with Subsections (6) and (7). These individuals shall be selected by the group they represent and their names given to the Secretary at the annual meeting. The Chair of the House shall with the approval of the House appoint from the membership of the Nominating Committee an individual to serve as chair of the committee.
(b) DUTIES. The committee shall make nominations as described in Section 2 above, and shall make available the list of nominees to all members of the House not later than thirty days prior to the meeting at which the election shall take place. Posting said list on the US SAILING website shall be construed as meeting this requirement. In performing its duties, the committee shall assure that its nominees comply with all of the requirements contained in these bylaws and the bylaws of US Sailing.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Special Committees may be appointed by the Chair.
ARTICLE VIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the House in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the House may adopt.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These bylaws may be amended at any annual, spring, or special meeting called for such purpose, by a two-thirds vote of the members present in person or by proxy, provided that the proposed amendment was included with the notice of the meeting.
Adopted March 17, 2006 and amended on October 27, 2007, March 28, 2009, 7 November 2011