Article I

Name

The name of the organization shall be Council of Cornell Cooperative Associations, hereafter called the Council.

Article II

Mission and Goals (adopted Oct. 2001)

The mission of the Council of Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations shall be to provide leadership from the unique perspective of CCE Association board members to improve the effectiveness of the Cornell Cooperative Extension system. The Council's basic intent is to provide a forum that allows for dialogue on any issue relevant to that mission. That said, the Council plans to focus its initial attention on the following priorities and will revise these priorities as circumstances and needs change:

1) To work to continually improve the partnership among Cornell University, CCE Administration and CCE Associations.

2) To pro-actively serve as a conduit for the sharing of ideas and knowledge among the CCE Associations and CCE Administration.

3) To develop a common understanding among CCE Associations and CCE Administration of the roles that each plays in the system's "Commitment to Excellence."

4) To advocate for the CCE mission in New York State to the legislature and others as appropriate and at the Federal level to appropriate funding sources.

5) To work in concert with CCE administration to create and provide board member training and development experiences.

6) To explore the potential for joint regional programming among associations.

The goal of the Council is to emphasize and improve the well being and effectiveness of the CCE system. It is not intended as a forum for representing the specific interests of individual associations or regions (except to the extent that those interests impact on the entire system).

Article III

Participation, Quorum, Fees

Section 1 Participation - All Association Board of Directors members throughout New York State are eligible for membership. Board members are eligible for appointment to the Council up to 2 years beyond their most recent membership of a county CCE Board or Board Subcommittee.

Section 2 Selection of Council Members - Each of the CCE Council regions shall select 3 representatives and 1 alternate to the Council in a rotating manner determined by each regional group. Total membership of the Council is, therefore, 24 members. All alternate members are additionally encouraged to attend all Council meetings.

Section 3 Term of Office - The term of each member of the Council is 3 years. Each year of a term commences on June 1 and ends on May 31 of the following year. No member may serve more than two consecutive 3 years terms. After a lapse of one year, eligibility resumes, if County eligibility continues.

Section 4 Quorum - A quorum of the Council shall consist of a simple majority of the 24 members present or, alternatively, the members present.

Section 5 Proxies - Members or their alternate must be present at a meeting in order to vote. No mail or telephone proxies are allowed.

Section 6 Executive Director - The state Executive Director of CCE will appoint the Administrative Liaison to the State Council.

Section 7 Regional Executive Directors - Each region in the state will select one of their Association Executive Directors to participate in the Council.

Section 8 Fees - Each CCE Association is requested to pay an annual fee to establish and sustain the budget of the Council.

Article IV

Meetings

The Council will meet 3 times each calendar year in the winter, spring and autumn. Specific dates, times and locations shall be determined at the previous meeting to the extent possible. Members of the Council may meet by telephone conference between meetings.

Article V

Officers of the Council

Section 1 Titles - There shall be 4 officers of the Council: President, Past President, President-Elect and Secretary. These officers shall comprise the Executive Committee which will have the authority to make decisions for the Council between meetings.

Section 2 Election - The officers of the Council shall be nominated and elected by a simple majority of the membership present at the spring meeting each year.

Section 3 Terms - Each officer will serve for a term of 1 year commencing on June 1 and concluding on May 31 of the following year, with the exception of the Secretary, whose term is unlimited and serves at the discretion of the Council.

Section 4 Responsibilities - The President is responsible for presiding at all meetings, establishing agendas for meetings and all other responsibilities appropriate to a presiding officer. The President may appoint the Past President, President-Elect or Administrative Liaison to act on his/her behalf.

Section 5 Filling Vacancies - Mid-term vacancies in any office will be filled at the meeting immediately following the vacancy by nomination and vote of a simple majority of the members present.

Article VI

Committees of the Council

Special or Ad Hoc Committees - The President may appoint special or ad hoc committees for a specific purpose as is deemed necessary.

Article VII

Parliamentary Authority

The Parliamentary Authority of the Council shall be the current and most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

Article VIII

Review of Bylaws and Amendments

Section 1 Review - The full membership or a special committee shall review the bylaws of the Council every 3 years.

Section 2 Amendment - Proposed amendments to the bylaws may be adopted by a simple majority of the members present at a scheduled Council meeting.