SIPRA Bylaws
PREAMBLE
We, of common interest in promoting parks and recreation in Southern Illinois, do join together in order to establish an organized approach, develop a better understanding of ourselves and our communities, and to gain experience and knowledge through interaction, one with another, do hereby ordain and establish these Bylaws for the Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.
ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1: The organization shall be known as the “Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association” hereafter referred to as SIPRA.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
Section 1: To propose and promote the highest standards of professionalism, competence and ethics in the delivery of Public Park, recreation, and leisure services.
Section 2: To provide a method for the dissemination of information relating to the leisure services field and to encourage study and research on matters of professional interest.
Section 3: To improve, through mutual association, leisure programs, services, and facilities throughout southern Illinois.
Section 4: To encourage public support and necessary legislation for the leisure services movement.
Section 5: To provide quality educational workshops and continuing education opportunities for the SIPRA membership.
ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of SIPRA shall be the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. All persons holding an office must have been a voting member of SIPRA for one year. The term of each office shall be two (2) years in length for the President and President-Elect, respectively, and three (3) years in length for the Secretary and Treasurer, respectively, to begin and expire at the November meeting.
Section 2: President – The President shall act as presiding officer at the general meetings of SIPRA and shall be an ex-officio member of all SIPRA committees. The President shall perform other duties necessary to the office of President or as prescribed by SIPRA’s membership including preparation of the monthly meeting agenda and coordinating meeting arrangements with meeting host.
Section 3: President-Elect – The President-Elect shall serve in any capacity that the President may deem appropriate, shall chair SIPRA meetings in the absence of the President, shall conduct the annual audit of SIPRA financial accounts and shall act as coordinator of all committees.
Section 4: The President and President-Elect shall not act as chair(s) of any standing committee(s) during their terms of office.
Section 5: Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all meetings and business of SIPRA, for sending proper notice by email of meetings to those who should receive them, assemble and email meeting packets and prepare the annual meeting schedule.
Section 6: Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all monies accrued by SIPRA, to keep separate records of funds collected, and to give a true and up-to-date written report at each monthly meeting, a monthly financial comparative and annual budget recommendations.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership categories shall consist of: Professional; Board, Council, or Committee; Retired Professional; General; and Student.
A. Professional Membership – Open to individuals with a degree in leisure services, and/or employed by a leisure service delivery agency, and educators in the leisure services field.
B. Board, Council, or Committee Membership – Open to any elected or appointed members of park and recreation boards, councils, or committees.
C. Retired Professional Membership – Any person who has retired from the leisure service field and was a member in good standing at the time of retirement.
D. General Membership – Open to any person with an interest in the leisure movement as per the following categories:
a. Friends of SIPRA – Any person interested in the leisure movement
b. Patrons of SIPRA – Any person representing a company/vendor who has an interest in the leisure movement and who wishes to contribute to the support of SIPRA
E. Student Membership – Shall be open to any student pursuing studies in the leisure sciences.
Section 2: Voting – Voting members of SIPRA shall be limited to the: Professional member; Retired Professional member; and the Board, Council, or Committee member.
Section 3: Termination of Membership – Membership can be terminated by voluntary withdrawal or by nonpayment of annual dues.
Section 4: SIPRA shall maintain an affiliate membership status, at all times, with the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.
ARTICLE V – DUES
Section 1: The annual dues shall be established at the April meeting and are due at the October meeting.
Section 2: Annual dues shall be waived for Retired Professional Members.
ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES
Section 1: The standing committees of SIPRA shall be:
A. Audit, annual
B. Bylaws, as needed
C. Fundraising
D. Member Social(s)
E. Student Scholarships
F. Workshops and Continuing Education
G. Programming
H. Nominations & Elections
I. Member Services/Member Recruitment & Retention
J. Marketing/Social Media
Section 2: In addition, ad hoc committees and/or task forces may be appointed by the President, with concurrence of the voting membership.
ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS
Section 1: SIPRA shall hold regular meetings on the first Friday of each month or otherwise so designated. An annual schedule of meetings identifying dates, times, and locations shall be adopted in April of each year for the subsequent 12 months. The location of meetings shall be assigned to member communities that request to host said meetings.
Section 2: Special meetings may be called by either the President, by any two of the elected officers, or by any five voting members at large.
Section 3: Quorum – The members present shall constitute a quorum at any monthly or special membership meeting.
Section 4: Roberts Rules of Order shall govern in all questions of procedure with regard to SIPRA meetings.
ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: Duties of the Nominating Committee – It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to coordinate a process to determine the nomination of officers, which may or may not include the following suggested process:
A. Solicit nominations from the entire membership.
B. Accept in writing, or in person, any eligible member’s desire to be a candidate for election.
C. Notify all candidates of their selection.
D. Present a slate of candidates to the membership at the March meeting.
E. If there is more than one candidate for a position, ballots would then be mailed with the March minutes and the notice of the April meeting. Ballots would then be returned to nominating committee either in advance of or at the April meeting.
F. The election results would be tabulated and announced at the April meeting.
G. If the slate of candidates includes only one candidate for each position, the slate of candidates will be presented at the April SIPRA meeting for approval and adoption by those voting members attending the April meeting.
Section 2: Membership of the Nominating Committee – The Nominating Committee Chair shall be appointed by President.
ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS
Section 1: Amendments to these Bylaws may be made by a simple majority vote of the voting members present at any regular monthly meeting, providing that any such proposed amendment(s) shall have been sent by email, USPS, or other reliable method to all SIPRA voting members no less than 21 days in advance of the meeting date when the proposed action on the amendment(s) is scheduled to occur.
ARTICLE X – ADOPTION
Section 1: Upon the adoption of these Bylaws by the voting membership, the policies, the procedures, and the principles herein will become effective immediately.
Southern Illinois Parks & Recreation Association founded in 1951.
Originally passed and adopted on the 5th day of March 1982.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 6th day of February 1998.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 4th day of April, 2003.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 15th day of December, 2006.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 1st day of March, 2013.
We, of common interest in promoting parks and recreation in Southern Illinois, do join together in order to establish an organized approach, develop a better understanding of ourselves and our communities, and to gain experience and knowledge through interaction, one with another, do hereby ordain and establish these Bylaws for the Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.
ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1: The organization shall be known as the “Southern Illinois Parks and Recreation Association” hereafter referred to as SIPRA.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
Section 1: To propose and promote the highest standards of professionalism, competence and ethics in the delivery of Public Park, recreation, and leisure services.
Section 2: To provide a method for the dissemination of information relating to the leisure services field and to encourage study and research on matters of professional interest.
Section 3: To improve, through mutual association, leisure programs, services, and facilities throughout southern Illinois.
Section 4: To encourage public support and necessary legislation for the leisure services movement.
Section 5: To provide quality educational workshops and continuing education opportunities for the SIPRA membership.
ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of SIPRA shall be the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. All persons holding an office must have been a voting member of SIPRA for one year. The term of each office shall be two (2) years in length for the President and President-Elect, respectively, and three (3) years in length for the Secretary and Treasurer, respectively, to begin and expire at the November meeting.
Section 2: President – The President shall act as presiding officer at the general meetings of SIPRA and shall be an ex-officio member of all SIPRA committees. The President shall perform other duties necessary to the office of President or as prescribed by SIPRA’s membership including preparation of the monthly meeting agenda and coordinating meeting arrangements with meeting host.
Section 3: President-Elect – The President-Elect shall serve in any capacity that the President may deem appropriate, shall chair SIPRA meetings in the absence of the President, shall conduct the annual audit of SIPRA financial accounts and shall act as coordinator of all committees.
Section 4: The President and President-Elect shall not act as chair(s) of any standing committee(s) during their terms of office.
Section 5: Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all meetings and business of SIPRA, for sending proper notice by email of meetings to those who should receive them, assemble and email meeting packets and prepare the annual meeting schedule.
Section 6: Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all monies accrued by SIPRA, to keep separate records of funds collected, and to give a true and up-to-date written report at each monthly meeting, a monthly financial comparative and annual budget recommendations.
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership categories shall consist of: Professional; Board, Council, or Committee; Retired Professional; General; and Student.
A. Professional Membership – Open to individuals with a degree in leisure services, and/or employed by a leisure service delivery agency, and educators in the leisure services field.
B. Board, Council, or Committee Membership – Open to any elected or appointed members of park and recreation boards, councils, or committees.
C. Retired Professional Membership – Any person who has retired from the leisure service field and was a member in good standing at the time of retirement.
D. General Membership – Open to any person with an interest in the leisure movement as per the following categories:
a. Friends of SIPRA – Any person interested in the leisure movement
b. Patrons of SIPRA – Any person representing a company/vendor who has an interest in the leisure movement and who wishes to contribute to the support of SIPRA
E. Student Membership – Shall be open to any student pursuing studies in the leisure sciences.
Section 2: Voting – Voting members of SIPRA shall be limited to the: Professional member; Retired Professional member; and the Board, Council, or Committee member.
Section 3: Termination of Membership – Membership can be terminated by voluntary withdrawal or by nonpayment of annual dues.
Section 4: SIPRA shall maintain an affiliate membership status, at all times, with the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.
ARTICLE V – DUES
Section 1: The annual dues shall be established at the April meeting and are due at the October meeting.
Section 2: Annual dues shall be waived for Retired Professional Members.
ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES
Section 1: The standing committees of SIPRA shall be:
A. Audit, annual
B. Bylaws, as needed
C. Fundraising
D. Member Social(s)
E. Student Scholarships
F. Workshops and Continuing Education
G. Programming
H. Nominations & Elections
I. Member Services/Member Recruitment & Retention
J. Marketing/Social Media
Section 2: In addition, ad hoc committees and/or task forces may be appointed by the President, with concurrence of the voting membership.
ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS
Section 1: SIPRA shall hold regular meetings on the first Friday of each month or otherwise so designated. An annual schedule of meetings identifying dates, times, and locations shall be adopted in April of each year for the subsequent 12 months. The location of meetings shall be assigned to member communities that request to host said meetings.
Section 2: Special meetings may be called by either the President, by any two of the elected officers, or by any five voting members at large.
Section 3: Quorum – The members present shall constitute a quorum at any monthly or special membership meeting.
Section 4: Roberts Rules of Order shall govern in all questions of procedure with regard to SIPRA meetings.
ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: Duties of the Nominating Committee – It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to coordinate a process to determine the nomination of officers, which may or may not include the following suggested process:
A. Solicit nominations from the entire membership.
B. Accept in writing, or in person, any eligible member’s desire to be a candidate for election.
C. Notify all candidates of their selection.
D. Present a slate of candidates to the membership at the March meeting.
E. If there is more than one candidate for a position, ballots would then be mailed with the March minutes and the notice of the April meeting. Ballots would then be returned to nominating committee either in advance of or at the April meeting.
F. The election results would be tabulated and announced at the April meeting.
G. If the slate of candidates includes only one candidate for each position, the slate of candidates will be presented at the April SIPRA meeting for approval and adoption by those voting members attending the April meeting.
Section 2: Membership of the Nominating Committee – The Nominating Committee Chair shall be appointed by President.
ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS
Section 1: Amendments to these Bylaws may be made by a simple majority vote of the voting members present at any regular monthly meeting, providing that any such proposed amendment(s) shall have been sent by email, USPS, or other reliable method to all SIPRA voting members no less than 21 days in advance of the meeting date when the proposed action on the amendment(s) is scheduled to occur.
ARTICLE X – ADOPTION
Section 1: Upon the adoption of these Bylaws by the voting membership, the policies, the procedures, and the principles herein will become effective immediately.
Southern Illinois Parks & Recreation Association founded in 1951.
Originally passed and adopted on the 5th day of March 1982.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 6th day of February 1998.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 4th day of April, 2003.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 15th day of December, 2006.
Amended, passed, and adopted on the 1st day of March, 2013.