Under the Articles of Constitution of The Potato Association of America
Whereas Article VIII of the Constitution of The Potato Association of America provides
for the creation of sections and further prescribes that each section may develop its
own bylaws for the conduct of its affairs provided such bylaws do not conflict with the
constitution and bylaws of The Potato Association of America.
1. Name
The name of the Section shall be: The Utilization Section of The Potato
Association of America.
2. Scope & Purpose
The scope of the Utilization Section encompasses activities dealing with
harvesting, handling, transportation, storage, and utilization of potatoes
through processing and fresh market channels. The primary purpose of the
Utilization Section is to promote discussion, understanding of potato utilization
problems, and to encourage research and new approaches to solving these
problems. This can be accomplished by: Organizing and sponsoring symposia on
selected topics, preparing listing of investigators and their current research
program objectives, improving the selection and presentation of research
papers at the annual meetings, and sponsoring discussion on immediate and
future research pertaining to potato utilization. Additionally, the Utilization
Section will provide an avenue through which The Potato Association of America
membership can communicate with other regional and national organizations
interested in the activities encompassed by this section.
3. Membership
Membership is open to members of The Potato Association of America. An
individual shall become a member of the Utilization Section by designating
utilization as their area of interest on the appropriate document for membership
in The Potato Association of America.
4. Officers
- The officers of the Section shall be a Chairman, 1st Vice-Chairman, 2nd
Vice-Chairman, and a Secretary-Treasurer, elected annually with Vice-Chairman moving up in succession to Chairman.
- The duties of the Officers shall be those customarily pertaining to these
offices. Additional duties specific to each office shall be as follows:
- Chairman - represent the Section as an ex-officio member on the Executive Committee of The Potato Association of America.
- Vice-Chairman - normally serve as the current year program Chairman.
- 2nd Vice-Chairman - plan the forthcoming year's program.
5. Executive Committee of the Utilization Section
- The Executive Committee is responsible for managing the affairs of the
Section. It shall consist of the Officers of the Section, the immediate Past
Chairman and two Directors.
- The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year. Meetings of the
Executive Committee may be called by the Chairman at his/her discretion,
or by written request from a majority of the Executive Committee
- The Chairman shall have the power to fill any vacancy that occurs on the
Executive Committee of the Section between The Potato Association of
America Annual Meetings.
- A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
6. Election of Officers & Directors
- All Officers of the Utilization Section shall be elected for terms of
approximately one year coinciding with the time between consecutive
Annual Meetings of The Potato Association of America except those of the
two Directors which shall be for approximately two consecutive years (at
the initial election, one director shall be elected for one year and the other
for two years).
- Nominations for Officers and Directors shall be submitted by a Nominating
Committee consisting of three members appointed by the Chairman of the
Section. The Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of nominations
not later than three months prior to the next Annual Meeting of The Potato
Association of America. The Secretary shall notify all members of the
nominations made by the Nominating Committee not less than two months
before the Annual Meeting.
- Additional nominations shall be called for from the members at the Annual
Meeting of the Utilization Section. In the event that more than one
nomination is made for any position, an election by secret ballot of the
members will be held at the Annual Meeting.
- The Executive Committee shall hold office until its successors are elected.
7. Meetings
- An Annual Meeting of the Section shall be held in conjunction with the
Annual Meeting of The Potato Association of America and at such time and
place as the Executive Committee may direct. Additional meetings may be
called by the Chairman or Executive Committee at its discretion.
- A quorum at annual or special meetings shall be a minimum of ten percent
of the members in good standing of the Utilization Section.
8. Committees
The Chairman or the Executive Committee shall appoint such standing and
special committees as may be required to serve the needs of the Section.
9. Funds
- The control of all funds received by the Section shall be vested in the
Executive Committee.
- The Executive Committee shall be responsible for auditing the books
prepared by the Secretary-Treasurer and will submit a financial report to
the Executive Committee of The Potato Association of America.
10. Publications
- The Proceedings of the Potato Utilization Section (Optional)
- The Secretary-Treasurer in office at the time of the Annual Meeting shall
be the Editor, with assistance provided by the Executive Committee.
- The Editor shall be responsible for the printing and distribution of the
Proceedings.
- Each issue of the Proceedings shall be distributed to all members of the
Section.
11. Amendment of Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended at any Annual Meeting of the Section provided
the amendment is approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Section
membership in attendance providing a quorum is present. Any proposed
amendment must be mailed by the Secretary- Treasurer to each member of the
Utilization Section so that it may be received at least two weeks prior to the
Section's Annual Meeting.
Bylaws Committee, Paul Orr, Chairman
W. Iritani and Walter Sparks