BYLAWS OF
HUAXIA CHINESE SCHOOL AT BERGEN, INC.
ARTICLE I -
NAME
A. Name. The name of this school shall be HUAXIA
CHINESE SCHOOL AT BERGEN, INC., an educational and cultural institution in the
State of New Jersey.
ARTICLE II -
PURPOSES; NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY
A. Purposes. The purposes of the corporation are as
follows:
1. To establish and maintain a
nonprofit private school for the teaching of Chinese language and culture. The school shall emphasize the
importance of Chinese phonics and simplified Chinese characters.
2. The corporation is to be
operated exclusively for the educational and cultural purposes hereinbefore set
out and no part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the
benefit of any individual and no officer, trustee, or employee of the
corporation shall receive or be entitled to receive any pecuniary profit from
the operation thereof, except reasonable compensation for services.
3. To have all
of the powers conferred upon corporations, organized under the New Jersey
Corporations and Associations Not for Profit Act.
B. Nondiscriminatory Policy.
1. The corporation shall admit
students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights,
privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to
students at the school.
2. The corporation shall not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in
administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship
and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
ARTICLE III-
HUAXIA CHINESE SCHOOL
The
Board of Directors shall elect a representative to serve as a member of the
Board of Directors of the Huaxia Chinese School. Such representative shall be elected for a term of one year,
and may be re-elected for a second
term, whether or not consecutive.
ARTICLE IV-
MEMBERSHIP
A. Eligibility. Membership shall
be open to the following individuals:
1. A student over age 18 who is
registered in a minimum of one class per semester.
2. A parent, legal guardian or
grandparent of a student under age 18 who is registered in a minimum of one
class per semester.
3. A current teacher, program
coach, or administrative staff member.
B. Voting. The Members shall vote
to elect the members of the Board of Directors, and to adopt and amend the
bylaws. In addition, the Members
shall vote on all referendum issues submitted by the Board of Directors.
C. Meetings.
1. Regular meetings of the
Membership shall be held at least once in each of the Fall and Spring
semesters.
2. Additional meetings of the
Membership may be called upon at least ten (10) days' notice by the
President. A meeting of the
Membership may also be called upon written request of a majority of the Board
of Directors or by ten (10%) percent of the Members, addressed to the
President, upon at least ten (10) days' notice.
3. At the final meeting before
the end of the academic year, the Membership shall hold the election of members
of the Board of Directors. The
academic year shall be consistent with the academic year set by the public
schools of Bergen County, New Jersey.
4. Except as otherwise herein
provided, notice of any meeting of the Membership shall be given by mail, or by
any other reasonable means (including by e-mail and telephone) at least ten
(10) days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice of a meeting to vote on a major issue, as determined
by the Board of Directors, including an amendment to the Bylaws and dissolution
or merger, shall be given as provided herein at least four (4) weeks prior to
the date of the meeting. The
notice of any meeting shall include the agenda of the meeting.
D. Quorum; Voting.
1. Each
member has the right to one vote in each election or referendum held by the
Membership.
2. Twenty-five (25%) percent of the
entire Membership shall constitute a quorum which shall be required for the
transaction of all business.
3. The act of the majority of Members
present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the
Membership for all purposes, unless the act of a greater number is required by
law, or by these Bylaws.
4. A vote of a majority of the
Members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be required for
the adoption or amendment of the Bylaws.
E. Suspension. A member may be temporarily or permanently
suspended by the Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the School
administration, for the following causes:
1. refusal to abide by these
Bylaws;
2. acting in contravention of
the purposes of the School; or
3. commission of a criminal
offense on School grounds.
ARTICLE V - THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. Eligibility. The position of Director shall be open
to the following individuals:
1. A member.
2. A non-member who is
interested in promoting Chinese education. Such individual shall be nominated for election to the Board
by the incumbent Board of Directors.
B. Size and Term.
1. The Board of Directors shall
be elected by the Members at the final meeting of the Membership before the end
of the academic year.
2. The Board of Directors shall
consist of nine (9) Directors, but at no time shall there be more than three
(3) Directors who are members of the School administrative staff.
3. The Principal of the school
may be elected to the Board of Directors.
If the Principal is not a Director, the Principal shall be invited to
all meetings of the Board of Directors, except as provided herein, without the
right to vote. The Principal may
not be present at any meeting of the Directors at which the Principal's
performance or compensation will be discussed.
4. All Directors, other than
those serving upon the initial adoption of these Bylaws as hereinafter
provided, shall be elected for a term of three (3) years. Notwithstanding the foregoing, terms of
Directors may be adjusted by the Board of Directors so that in each year,
approximately one-third of the Board of Directors shall stand for election. A Director may serve more than one (1)
term, but not consecutively.
5. Upon adoption of these
Bylaws, all Directors serving on the current Board of Directors shall be
automatically reinstated and shall serve until their successors are elected at
the first annual meeting.
6. Any vacancy occurring in the
membership of the Board of Directors may, but need not, be filled for the
unexpired term by majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors
present at a special meeting called for that purpose by the President.
C. Powers.
1. The Board of Directors shall
have sole authority, jurisdiction, and voting power over all the property of
the School, conduct of the School’s affairs, election of all Officers of the
Board, and such other powers as are given to it by law and these Bylaws.
2. The
Board of Directors shall have the following specific powers:
a. Appoint and remove the School
Principal.
b. Formulate administrative and
academic policies.
c. Approve the appointment of
administrative staff by the Principal.
d. Approve the annual budget submitted
by the Principal and review budget reports.
e. Review annual academic plans
and curricula.
f. Audit the School's finances
and accounts.
D. Meetings.
1. Regular meetings of the Board
of Directors shall be held at least twice in each of the Fall and Spring
semesters.
2. Additional meetings of the
Board of Directors may be called upon at least ten (10) days' notice by the
President or by the Principal of the School. A meeting of the Board of Directors may also be called upon
written request of one-third of the Directors, addressed to the President, upon
at least ten (10) days' notice.
3. Any or all Directors may
participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors by means of conference
telephone or any means of communication by which all persons participating in
the meeting are able to hear each other, or by any means of communication
approved by the statutes of New Jersey, as from time to time amended.
4. Notice of any meeting of the
Board of Directors shall be given by mail, or by any other reasonable means
(including by e-mail and telephone) at least ten (10) days prior to the date of
the meeting. The notice to the
Directors shall include the agenda of the meeting.
E. Quorum; Voting.
1. Two-thirds of the entire
Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum which shall be required for the
transaction of all business.
2. The act of the majority of
Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of
the Board of Directors for all purposes, unless the act of a greater number is
required by law, or by these Bylaws.
3. A vote of a majority of the
Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be required
for the shutting down of all School operations and freezing of all payments.
ARTICLE VI -
OFFICERS
A. Election and Term of
Office.
1. The Officers of the
corporation shall consist of a
President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected by the
Board of Directors at the last meeting of the academic year. Only Directors may be elected as
Officers.
2. All Officers, other than
those serving upon the initial adoption of these Bylaws as hereinafter
provided, shall be elected for a term of one (1) year, and may be re-elected
for a second term, whether or not consecutive.
3. Upon adoption of these
Bylaws, all Officers currently serving shall be automatically reinstated and
shall serve until their successors are elected at the first annual meeting.
4. Any two (2) or more offices
may be held by the same person, but no Officer shall execute, acknowledge, or
verify any instrument in more than one (1) capacity if the instrument is
required by law or in the Bylaws to be executed, acknowledged, or verified by
two (2) or more Officers.
5. Any vacancy occurring among
the Officers shall be filled for the unexpired term by majority vote of the
members of the Board of Directors present at a special meeting called for that
purpose by the presiding Officer.
B. President.
1. The President shall
coordinate the work of the Board of Directors and shall exercise overall
supervision over the management of the corporation in order to achieve its
objectives.
2. The President shall prepare
the agenda for each Board meeting.
3. The President shall chair all
meetings of the Board of Directors
in a manner which utilizes the time of the Board effectively and which
takes full advantage of the expertise and experience that each Director has to
offer.
4. The President shall chair all
meetings of the Membership in a manner which utilizes the time of the Members
effectively.
5. The President shall preserve
order at all times and endeavor to conduct all business before the Board and
the Membership with propriety and dispatch.
6. The President shall perform
such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by action of the Board.
C. Secretary.
1. The Secretary shall record
all the proceedings of the meetings of the Board of Directors in a book to be
kept for that purpose. He shall
attend to the serving of all notices of the corporation. He shall have custody of the seal of
the corporation and shall attest the same by his signature whenever
required.
2. The Secretary shall have all
such further powers and duties as generally are incident to the position of
Secretary or as may be assigned to him by the President or the Board of
Directors.
D. Treasurer.
1. The Treasurer shall have
charge of all funds and securities of the corporation, shall endorse the same
for deposit or collection when necessary, and deposit the same to the credit of
the corporation in such banks and depositaries as the Board of Directors may
authorize. He may endorse all
commercial documents requiring endorsements for or on behalf of the corporation
and may sign all receipts and vouchers for payments made to the corporation.
2. He shall have all such
further powers and duties as generally are incident to the position of
Treasurer or as may be assigned to him by the President or the Board of
Directors.
ARTICLE VII -
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. The first election of
Directors shall be held at the first annual meeting of the Membership. Elections shall be held, thereafter,
annually at the regularly scheduled final meeting of the Membership for the academic
year.
B. The election shall be
presided over by the President, or any other Director who is not up for
re-election.
C. At least fourteen (14) days
prior to the final meeting of the Membership for the academic year, the Board
of Directors shall communicate in writing to the Membership its nominations for
candidates for Directors.
Additional nominations may be made at the election meeting of the
Membership by a petition signed by a majority of the membership and submitted
to the Board of Directors at least five (5) days prior to the election. All
nominations shall be placed on the ballot, and only such candidates as appear
on such ballot may be voted upon at the election meeting of the Membership.
D. There shall be no proxy
voting at such election. Each Director shall be elected by a plurality of the
Members present and voting.
ARTICLE VIII -
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS OFFICERS
A. The first election of
Officers shall be held at the first annual meeting of the Board of
Directors. Elections shall be
held, thereafter, annually at the regularly scheduled final meeting of the
Board of Directors for the academic year.
B. At least fourteen (14) days
prior to the final meeting of the Board of Directors for the academic year, the
Board of Directors shall communicate in writing to the members of the Board its
nominations for candidates for Officers.
All nominations shall be placed on the ballot, and only such candidates
as appear on such ballot may be voted upon at the election meeting of the Board
of Directors.
C. There shall be no proxy
voting at such election. Each Officer shall be elected by a majority of the
Directors present and voting.
ARTICLE IX -
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
A. Members of Administrative
Staff.
1. The School administrative
staff shall include a Principal, Vice Principal, Curricular Director and
Administrative Director.
2. The members of the
administrative staff shall be entitled to limited stipends, as approved by the
Board of Directors.
3. The Principal and Vice
Principal shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for a two (2) year term,
with the option of reappointment for a second term.
4. The Vice Principal shall be
proposed by the Principal and appointed by the Board of Directors for a two (2)
year term, with the option of reappointment for a second term.
5. The Curricular Director and
Administrative Director shall be appointed and removed by the Principal, with
the approval of the Board of Directors.
6. The Principal shall represent
the corporation to other organizations, the media and the public at large.
B. School Budget.
1. The Principal shall submit to
the Board of Directors annually, before the end of the calendar year, in
writing, a proposed budget for the ensuing year.
2. The Board shall approve or
reject the proposed budget within two (2) weeks of receipt. If the proposed budget is rejected, the
Board shall recommend modifications to the Principal.
3. The Principal shall resubmit
a proposed budget within two (2) weeks after receipt of the rejected budget.
4. If the modified proposed
budget is rejected, the Board shall vote on a final budget, which shall be
transmitted to the Principal.
ARTICLE X -
RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
A. Resignation.
1. Any Director or Officer may
resign at any time upon written notice to the corporation, delivered to the
President or Secretary. Any such
resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or, if the time is
not specified, upon receipt thereof by the President or Secretary.
2. The acceptance of any
resignation, unless required by the terms thereof, shall not be necessary to
make such resignation effective.
B. Removal.
1. Any Director may be removed
from office by the Membership for cause.
Such removal shall be proposed by a majority of the Directors, or ten
(10%) percent of the Membership.
The Membership shall afford such Director the opportunity to be heard at
a special meeting of the Membership called by the President.
2. Any Officer may be removed
from office by the Board of Directors for cause. The Board of Directors shall afford such Officer the
opportunity to be heard at a special meeting of the Board called by the
President.
3. The failure of a Director or
Officer to attend two (2) consecutive Board meetings without explanation shall
constitute cause for removal.
4. The vote of two-thirds of all
the Membership then incumbent shall be required to remove a Director.
5. The vote of two-thirds of all
the Directors then incumbent shall be required to remove an Officer.
ARTICLE XI -
DISSOLUTION
A. Procedure.
In
the event of dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, the
corporation shall adopt a plan of dissolution for the satisfaction of its
liabilities and the distribution of its assets, pursuant to the provisions of
these Bylaws and the requirements of law.
B. Distribution
of Assets.
1. In the event of dissolution
or final liquidation of the corporation, the Board of Directors shall, after
paying or making provision for the payment of all the lawful debts and
liabilities of the corporation, distribute all the assets of the corporation to
one or more of the following categories of recipients as the Board of Directors
shall determine:
a. A nonprofit organization, or
organization which may have been created to succeed the corporation, as long as
such organization shall then qualify as an organization exempt from federal
income taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as an
organization described in section 501(c)(3) of such Code, or corresponding
provisions of any later federal tax laws; and/or
b. A nonprofit organization or
organizations having similar aims and objectives as the corporation, and which
may be selected as an appropriate recipient of such assets, as long as such
organization or each of such organizations shall then qualify as an
organization exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as an organization described in section 501(c)(3)
of such Code, or corresponding provisions of any later federal tax laws.
ARTICLE XII -
AMENDMENTS
A. Procedure; Vote.
1. Two-thirds of the Directors
may propose to amend these Bylaws.
Any such proposed amendment shall be mailed to all Members together with
a notice of a meeting of the Membership pursuant to Article IV, Section C,
Paragraph 4; provided that such notice shall specify that a purpose of
the meeting is to consider an amendment to these Bylaws and shall summarize the
purpose and effect of such amendment.
2. The affirmative vote of a
majority of the Members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall
be required in order to amend these Bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII -
ADOPTION
A. These Bylaws shall be adopted
at a meeting of the Membership.
Notice of such meeting shall be mailed at least (15) fifteen days prior
to the date of the meeting and shall include a copy of these Bylaws.
B. The affirmative vote of a
majority of the Members present at such meeting, at which a quorum must be
present, shall be required to adopt these Bylaws.
ARTICLE XIV -
GENDER
The
masculine shall read in the feminine (and vice versa) and the singular shall
read in the plural (and vice versa) whenever the context of these Bylaws shall
plainly so allow or require.