• Article I: Location and Objective
• Article II: Membership
• Article III: Organization
• Article IV: Voting
• Article V: Executive Committee
• Article VI: Nomination And Election Of Officers And Directors
• Article VII: Candidates-Elect
• Article VIII: Powers and Duties of Officers & Board of Directors
• Article IX: Committees
• Article X: Student Chapters
• Article XI: Dues
• Article XII: Meetings
• Article XIII: Resignations and Expulsions
• Article XIV: Amendments

SECTION 1.

• The name of this association shall be Structural Engineers Association of Ohio (SEAoO).  The office of the association shall be located in the State of Ohio.

• This Association is established for the following purposes:
• To promote the idea that engineering services must be performed on the basis of mature practical and technical judgment and to safeguard the lives and property of the public  independent of commercial interest, and to assist the public in obtaining dependable structural engineering services.
• To encourage engineering education and continuing education to maintain the knowledge of current structural engineering codes and practices.
• To promote the honor and dignity of the profession.
• To encourage the pursuit of excellence in structural engineering work, and give recognition to special achievement by our fellows.
• To cultivate social and professional contacts within its membership.
• To encourage the principle of equitable compensation for engineering services.
• To advance proper legislation and to oppose improper legislation affecting Structural Engineering practice.
• To cooperate with other professionals and professional organizations in instances where the several groups should speak or act in matters of legislation, education, public affairs, national defense and other matters.
• To enlighten and educate the public regarding the responsibilities of the Structural Engineer.
• To afford the public a reasonable assurance of the ability and integrity of its membership by requiring that those admitted shall have established and shall maintain a high professional reputation.
• To promote and publicize the art and science of Structural Engineering.
• To secure uniformity of action upon the general principles herein set forth, and upon such policies as may be decided upon from time to time for the good of the profession and the public.

• The fiscal year of this Association will start July 1st.

SECTION 1.

• Membership in the Association may be held by individuals only, and shall consist of the following grades:  PROFESSIONAL MEMBER, MEMBER, AFFILIATE MEMBER, STUDENT MEMBER, LIFE MEMBER, and HONORARY MEMBER.
  A Member shall be a person of good character and reputation.

• A PROFESSIONAL MEMBER in the Association shall be:
• Licensed as a Professional Engineer under the branch of Civil Engineering and practicing in the field of Structural Engineering in the State of Ohio; or
• A person who, in the unanimous opinion of the Board of Directors, has attained such eminence in the field of structural engineering as to qualify him or her for the grade PROFESSIONAL MEMBER.

• A  MEMBER at the time of admission to the Association shall have been and is currently engaged for at least 4 years in structural engineering.  Graduation in structural, civil or architectural engineering from an accredited college or university may be considered by the Board of Directors as equivalent of those 4 years.

• An AFFILIATE MEMBER shall, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, be qualified by reason of position to cooperate with Structural Engineers in the advancement of their professional knowledge, practice and welfare.
• An AFFILIATE MEMBER'S connection with the Association shall cease when that Member no longer holds a position qualifying for membership.

• A STUDENT MEMBER at the time of admission to the Association, and while holding this grade, shall be a Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student interested in structural or related engineering who is a full time student in an accredited engineering or architecture school or college.

• A LIFE MEMBER shall have been a member in good standing of this Association for a minimum of 10 years; shall, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, have retired from actively practicing engineering; shall have made written request to the Board of Directors for such membership classification; and shall have been awarded such membership classification by the Board.

• An HONORARY membership may be awarded by the Board of Directors to a person who meets the following qualifications:
• A person of acknowledged eminence in some branch of engineering or the science related thereto, or
• A person who has been active in the profession of Structural Engineering for 25 years or more and who, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, has contributed outstanding service to the profession of Structural Engineering and the Association.
• A member receiving such honorary title shall retain the class of membership previously held, together with its privileges, plus the designation "Honorary".

• Transfer from STUDENT MEMBER to MEMBER, or from MEMBER or AFFILIATE MEMBER to PROFESSIONAL MEMBER shall be automatic when the requirements for the higher grade of membership have been attained.
• The annual fees for the higher grade membership shall apply for the year following the year during which qualifications for the higher grade was attained.

• The term "Full Member" as used throughout these By-Laws shall mean Professional Members and  Members.

• Any person desiring membership in the Association shall make application upon a form provided by the Association.  The application shall be duly approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
• A rejected applicant may renew his application for membership at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of the ballot rejecting such applicant previous application.

SECTION 1.

• The Officers of this Association shall be a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.  The President and President-Elect must be Professional Members.  The Secretary, Treasurer and elected Directors may be either Professional Members or Members.

• The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, six (6) Elected Directors, and the  most recent living Past President  who continues to be a Professional Member of the Association.

• The term of office of the President and President-Elect shall be one year.  The term of office of all other Officers shall be two years with the term of the Secretary starting on odd numbered years, and  the term of Treasurer starting in the even numbered years.

• The President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President and the terms of the other officers shall begin at the close of the annual meeting.

• The term of office for Elected Directors shall be three (3) years.  Two (2) Directors shall be elected each year.

• All Officers and Directors shall be ineligible to succeed themselves.

• The election of Officers and Directors shall be as set forth in Article VI.

• Any Director of this Association who is absent for three consecutive Board meetings without cause shall be deemed to conclusively have submitted his or her resignation as an Officer and Director but not as a Member.

• A vacancy in any Officer or Director, shall be filled by the Board of Directors, and the person so appointed shall hold office for the unexpired term, or until a successor is duly elected, except where succession is otherwise provided by this Code of Regulation.

SECTION 1.

• Only Full Members who have paid all dues and assessments shall be entitled to vote.

SECTION 1.

• There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary,  the Treasurer and the most recent living Past President who continues to be a Professional Member.

• The Executive Committee may act, when immediate action is necessary, for the Board of Directors between regular Board meetings; and it will report, at the next regular Board meeting, any such actions that it has taken. Any action so taken shall conclusively deemed to the authorized act of the Board of Directors, without any ratification or other approval being required. The Executive Committee may also recommend Board action on matters it may choose.

SECTION 1.

• The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President and shall consist of the President, the Past President on  the Board of Directors, and three, non-officers Full Members.  The chairman  of the Nominating Committee  shall not be an officer of the Association.

• The Nominating Committee shall be appointed not later than first day of February.  Written nomination petitions shall be submitted  to the Nominating Committee  at the Association office before March 31.The Committee shall publish the nominations to the membership before April 10. 

• Before May 10 all Full Members shall be sent a ballot listing the nominees for the various offices.  The marked ballot shall be returned to the Association office before noon of the day one week prior to the regular meeting in June.  The results shall be announced at the June meeting and the elected Officers and Directors shall take office at the close of the annual meeting, or July 1, whichever occurs first.

• Nomination for the candidates for the Officers and Directors shall be by written petition signed by ten (10) Full Members and shall be submitted  to Nominating Committee. In the event no candidate for the position is submitted to the Nominating Committee, the Nominating Committee shall nominate such candidate. The nomination is conditional on the acceptance of the candidate . Nominating Committee shall verify the eligibility of each candidate.

• A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for the election of Officers and Elected Directors.

• In the event of a tie during the election between two or more candidates for the same office, the Board of Directors shall immediately cast a secret ballot to select one of the candidates.

• All elections shall be conducted by an Election Committee composed of three (3) Full Members appointed by the President.  The results of the balloting at all elections shall be reported to the membership.

SECTION 1.

• In the event a candidate, receiving a majority of the votes, is unable to take office, the Nominating Committee shall nominate, within thirty (30) days, one or more active Full Members to fill said vacancy.  An election to fill such vacancy shall then be held conforming with the general procedure as outlined in Article VI.

SECTION 1.

• The powers of the Association shall be exercised, its property controlled, and its affairs conducted by the Board of Directors, except as limited by law of this Code of Regulations.

• The President shall be the chief governing officer and shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors.  The President shall appoint all committees and be an ex-officio member of all committees.

• The President-Elect shall fulfill the duties of the President in the absence of the latter.  In the event of the President's death or resignation, the President-Elect shall succeed the president until the next annual meeting,  at which time the President-Elect shall become the President.

• The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors.  A copy of such minutes shall be preserved in the Association office.  The Secretary shall preserve the membership lists and have charge of communications to members.

• The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds and financial records of the Association, and shall make disbursements when authorized by an action of  the Board of Directors.

SECTION 1.

• The standing committees of this Association shall be:
• Annual Meeting
• By-Laws
• Membership
• Nominating
• Publications & Web Site
• Continuing Education & Program
• Student Member Forum

• The President may appoint any other committees at his discretion.  Additional Standing Committees may be created or existing committees eliminated by the Board of Directors. Such Committees could include:
• Awards
• Building Codes
• Government  Relations
• Public Relations
• Structural Certification Committee

• Except as otherwise provided herein, the membership and number of persons serving on committees shall be at the discretion of the President.

• Each committee shall submit a written annual report of its activities to be published and available to the membership.

SECTION 1.

• Student Chapters may be organized by Student Members of SEAoO on any accredited college or university campus within Ohio, where there is sufficient interest to warrant such a chapter, and such a chapter is approved by the Board of Directors.
• Student Chapters may organize activities consistent with the aims of SEAoO, including technical programs and social events.

• The internal organization of Student Chapter shall be determined by the members of such chapter  and shall be subject to approval by the Board of Directors.

• The relationship of the Student Chapters to SEAoO shall consist of the following:
• All members of the Student Chapter shall be a Student or other Members of SEAoO and shall have all the usual privileges of those grades.
• Students may be Student Members of SEAoO without belonging to a Student Chapter.
• The Student Members Forum (SMF) will be the primary liaison and administrative body for the Student Chapters.
• SEAoO will appoint a Faculty Advisor for each Student Chapter, who should preferably be a Professional Member or Member of SEAoO.  The Faculty Advisor shall act as liaison between the Student Chapter and the Association.
• SEAoO will provide support for Student Chapter activities in the form of speakers, tours, publications, etc., in-so-far-as possible, as requested by the Chapters and approved by the Board.
• Student Chapters shall submit a written report to the SMF Chairman at the end of each academic year.  The report shall summarize the activities of the Chapter during the year.

• Student Chapters shall be financially self-sustaining and may impose dues consistent with the financial needs of the Chapter.  Such dues shall be in addition to those charged by SEAoO for Student Member.

SECTION 1.

• The annual dues for this Association shall be set by the Board of Directors for all classes of membership, and shall be paid in advance by all members in accordance with a schedule approved by the Board.
• The Board of Directors may increase or decrease the annual dues by not more than 10% in any one year.  Increases or decreases in excess of 10% must be approved by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the Professional Members voting by letter ballot in which balloting a majority of the eligible Professional Members vote thereon.
• Honorary Members and Life Members shall pay no dues.

• The Board of Directors at its discretion may remit part or all of the dues of any member or extend the time of payment of same.

• Any additional moneys required to carry on the activities of this Association shall be raised through assessments.  Any assessments levied by the Board of Directors shall be referred to the Professional Members by a letter ballot.  If two-thirds of those voting, vote favorably provided at least 50% of the Professional Members vote, the assessment shall be declared carried.  Any assessment or remittance of dues shall be prorated.

• The President shall submit a budget to the Board of Directors on or before July 15 of each calendar year and the budget as approved by the Board shall be published and available  to the membership by September 15.

• At the end of the budget year a treasurer's report corresponding in form to the approved budget shall be published and available  to the membership before September 15.

SECTION 1.

• Regular meetings shall be held at times and places hereafter determined by the Board of Directors.  Special meetings may be held either at the call of the president or the Board of Directors.  An annual meeting shall be held during June.

• Officers and Board of Directors of the Association shall be installed at the regular annual meeting.

• Twenty percent (20%) of the Full Members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Association.
• Seven (7) members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum of the Board and a majority shall constitute a quorum of all committees.
• A majority of the members present at any meeting of the Association, of the Board of Directors, or of any committee shall be sufficient to take any action except as otherwise provided.
• In the event the Board of Directors takes action contrary to the wishes of members of the Association, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all Full Members present at a subsequent meeting of the Association, but no fewer than 20 percent (20%) of the total Full Members of the Association, shall be required to overrule the action of the Board.

• Business proceedings at all and Board of Directors meetings shall be governed by "ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER" (1893 Edition With Modern Guide and Commentary.)

SECTION 1.

• Any Member of this Association may resign his membership by written communication to the Secretary, who shall present the same to the Board of Directors when, if all his dues and assessments have been paid for the current year, his resignation shall be accepted.
• The Board of Directors shall consider proceedings toward the expulsion of any member:
• Found guilty of a violation resulting in the suspension or revocation of the Professional Engineering License.
• Upon information coming to its notice, derogatory to the engineering profession.
• Upon the written request of five or more Full Members that a person belonging to the Association be expelled for cause set forth.
• The Board of Directors shall consider each case and if the circumstances appear to warrant further action, it shall advise the accused of the charges against in writing  who may, if he/she so desires, present a defense either in person or writing, which shall be considered for final action at a meeting of the Board of Directors of which the accused shall receive due notice.
• No member shall be expelled except by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire Board of Directors.
• Should a member be expelled from this Association, he shall not again be entitled to membership, unless the Board of Directors decide that extenuating circumstances or subsequent record may favor an applicant for readmission.

SECTION 1.

• Changes to this Code of Regulation shall be initiated by petition signed by at least ten (10) Full Members or by action of the Board of Directors.

• Proposed changes to this Code of Regulation shall be sent in writing  to all Professional Members at least fifteen days before voting takes place.

• Voting on changes to this Code of Regulation shall be by secret letter ballot.

• This Code of Regulation may be repealed or amended by two-thirds majority of the Professional Member vote cast.