Bylaws of the Association of Camp Nurses

ARTICLE I - NAME, PURPOSE

Section 1: NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Association of Camp Nurses (ACN), hereinafter referred to as ACN.

Section 2: PURPOSE
ACN is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, more specifically to work toward healthier camp communities by supporting the practice of camp nursing.
 

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: MEMBERS
Members shall consist of nurses who have paid the membership fee or have lifetime membership status conferred by Board action.

Subsection 1: Rights of Members
Members have the right to:

A. Receive ACN publications at member prices.
B. Attend ACN conferences and functions.
C. Be a candidate for ACN positions (elected and appointed) in accord with these Bylaws.
D. Exercise voting privileges as defined by these Bylaws.

Subsection 2: Obligations of Members
Every member shall be obligated to:

A. Uphold these Bylaws.
B. Fulfill the requirements of the office or committee position to which the member is elected and/or appointed.
C. Pay dues.

Section 2: ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Associate members of ACN are individuals who pay dues but are not nurses. Associate members do not participate in decision-making specific to nursing practice.

Subsection 1: Rights of Associate Members
Associate members have the right to:

A. Receive ACN publications.
B. Attend ACN conferences and functions.
C. Be a candidate for ACN positions (elected and appointed) in accord with these Bylaws.
D. Exercise voting privileges as defined by these Bylaws.

Subsection 2: Obligations of Associate Members
Every associate member shall be obligated to:

A. Uphold these Bylaws.
B. Fulfill the requirements of the office or committee position to which the associate member is elected or appointed.
C. Pay dues.
 

ARTICLE III - DUES

Section 1: PAYMENT
Dues for ACN shall be paid according to the fee structure set by the Board unless the member has lifetime member status. Forfeiture of all member rights occur if dues are not paid.

Section 2: DEFINITION OF MEMBERSHIP YEAR
Member year shall be the period of twelve consecutive months from the time of admission to ACN.

Section 3: REFUND
No money shall be refunded.
 

ARTICLE IV - ANNUAL MEETING

Section 1: ANNUAL MEETING
The date of the regular annual meeting shall coincide with the dates of the ACN conference unless changed for a given year by Board action.

Section 2: SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings may be called by the Board according to governance policy.

Section 3: NOTICE
Notice of each meeting shall be given to each member not less than ten days before the meeting.
 

ARTICLE V - LEADERSHIP BOARD

Section 1: BOARD ROLE, COMPENSATION
The business and affairs of ACN shall be governed by a Board consistent with the approved Board Policies of the Association. The Board receives no compensation.

Section 2: MEMBERS
The Board will consist of 5-8 members and 1-2 associate members. From and by this group, a President of the Association will be elected. The President must be an ACN member (nurse).
An honorary position, Founder’s Chair, is held in perpetuity by Jeanne Otto. The Founder’s Chair is an ex officio Board member with voice but no vote.
ACN’s executive director shall be a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Board.

Section 3: BOARD DECISIONS
The Board makes decisions according to its written governance policies pertinent to decision making. Decisions are recorded in written record (minutes).

Section 4: BOARD ELECTION
Election of the Board will occur by simple majority (51%) vote of responding ACN members and associate members. To be eligible to hold a position as a Board member, the person must:

A. Have and maintain current ACN membership or have lifetime membership.
B. Have and uphold a signed ethics agreement.
C. Have a demonstrated commitment to camp nursing and/or camp health.

Section 5: AUTHORITY
The Board has the power of acting for the membership as defined by these bylaws.

Section 6: ACCOUNTABILITY
The Board shall report to and be accountable to the ACN membership as described by its Board Policies.

Section 7: TERMS
All Board members shall serve three-year terms and are eligible for re-election.

Section 8: QUORUM
To conduct business, 75% of the Board in office when action is taken shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at a meeting of the Board. If a quorum is present when a vote is taken, the affirmative vote of a majority (51%) of the Board present when that act is taken shall be the act of the Board (one voice) unless a greater number is required by law, the Article of Incorporation, or these Bylaws.

Section 9: OFFICERS AND DUTIES
There will be one officer of the Board: president. The president is responsible for coordinating all Board activity as described in the Board policies.

Section 10: VACANCIES
When a vacancy on the Board exists, nominations to fill the vacancy may be submitted by present Board members to the president. The president is responsible for sending information about the nominee to Board members with a request for their vote. These vacancies will be decided by the Board and filled only to the end of the vacated Board member's term.

Section 11: RESIGNATION, TERMINATION AND ABSENCES
Resignation from the Board must be in writing and received by the president. Board members participate in the activity of the Board as described in the Board policies. A member may be terminated if s/he has record of missing two Board activities within two consecutive years. A Board member may be removed for other reasons by a three-fourths vote of the remaining Board members.
 

ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES

There are two types of committees, those that serve the Board in governance matters and those that support staff in operational matters. Operation of these committees is governed by the Board’s written policies.

Section 1: BOARD COMMITTEES
The Executive Committee is composed of the Board president and two other elected Board members. This committee is charged with conducting Board business when unable to convene the Board. This as well as all other committees exists as described by Board policies.

Section 2: OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES
Operational committees, overseen by the executive director, exist as directed by Board policies.
 

ARTICLE VII - STAFF

Section 1: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Leadership Board hires, supervises and determines compensation for the Association’s Executive Director (ED). The ED must be a registered nurse with camp nursing experience; other qualifications are specified by Board governance policy. The Executive Director functions as an official representative of the Association as directed by Board governance policies.

Section 2: OTHER STAFF
The Executive Director hires, supervises and determines compensation for all other staff as directed by Board governance policies.

Section 3: COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Staff positions receive compensation and benefits as determined by Board action and in accord with Minnesota Employment law.

Section 4: TERMINATION
Staff positions are at-will agreements. The termination process is described by Board policy.
  

ARTICLE VIII - OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

Section 1: NAME
The name of ACN's official publication is CompassPoint.

Section 2: PURPOSE
CompassPoint is one means of accomplishing ACN’s mission.
 

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS

Section 1: PROCEDURE
The Bylaws may be amended when necessary by a two-thirds majority of the responding membership vote. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Board and the Board is responsible for moving the proposal through the ratification process.
 

History of Bylaw Revision and Adaptations

The first Bylaws were initially approved by the ACN Board via a Board Mailing on April 10, 1993.

A parenthesis, (ACN), was inserted after the name of the organization in Article 1, Section 1, to make the name of the organization clearly the same as stated in the Articles of Incorporation, Article 1. This action was taken upon recommendation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and approved by ACN’s Board via voice and Board Mailing. The change became effective immediately.

The Bylaws were revised during the Board meeting of 7-9 November 1997. Significant changes were (a) to vest members with voting rights in Board election and Bylaw changes, and (b) define the role of the Board of Directors as well as create a national staff for the Association.

Beginning October 2005 through ratification in Summer 2006, another revision was undertaken to reflect the Association’s move to a Board that functioned using policy governance. At this point, language was inserted that brought the Bylaws into compliment with the language of policy governance. In addition, the affiliated title “subscriber” was changed to “associate member” (approved at the Annual Meeting, 2005). Finally, Board composition expanded to include non-nurses, an effort that reflected ACN’s interest in the greater camp community, our external environment.

As the Association of Camp Nurses develops, revision of our Bylaws will occasionally be needed to maintain currency, reflect decisions, and position the Association for its future. Proposed revisions, after moving through a Board review process, are published in CompassPoint, discussed at the Association’s Annual Meeting, and then voted upon by membership (Article IX).