BYLAWS
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY
Adopted April 19, 1992, Phoenix, AZ Approved by ARS Board May 3,1992, Shreveport, LA, approved
by ARS Board September 13, 2002, Amended April 24, 2005, Monrovia, CA,
approved by ARS Board September 30,2005, Memphis, TN
ARTICLE I
Name and Organization
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the "Pacific Southwest District of the American
Rose Society" (herein referred to as the “District”). The principal office of the District shall be the
address of the current district director.
Section 2. The District shall be a division of the American Rose Society (herein referred to as the
“ARS”) a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Louisiana on July 1, 1975.
ARTICLE II
Objectives
The objectives of the District are to encourage amateur and professional rose culture; to increase the
general understanding of and interest in all aspects of roses, including growing, hybridizing,
exhibiting, judging and history; and to thereby improve the standard of excellence of the national floral
emblem of the United States of America.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. The membership shall consist of all members of the ARS residing within the geographical
boundaries of the District, as prescribed by the ARS board of directors.
Section 2. Rose societies, clubs and other horticultural groups within the geographical boundaries of
the District that hold an affiliated or chapter membership in the ARS shall also be non-voting
members of the District.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 1. The elected officers of the District shall be a district director, a vice director, a secretary, a
treasurer and a district member of the national nominating committee.
Section 2. The appointed officers of the District shall consist of the chairman of horticultural judges,
chairman of arrangement judges, chairman of consulting rosarians, Roses in Review coordinator,
parliamentarian, district bulletin editor, webmaster, chairman of the district nominating committee,
parliamentarian, historian, public rose gardens coordinator and district member of the national
membership committee.
Section 3. All appointed officers shall serve a term concurrent with the term of the district director.
ARTICLE V
Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. The management of the affairs of the District shall be vested in the district director. The
executive committee shall consist of the elected officers of the District, and shall provide counsel to
the district director and discharge such other duties as may be specified in these bylaws.
Section 2. The district director shall manage the affairs of the District; preside at all meetings of the
District, the executive Committee and the presidents’ council; appoint the appointed officers; appoint
such additional chairmen or committees as may be necessary to carry out the objectives of the
District; be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating and auditing committees,
with a right to vote; and determine the order of procedure at all meetings.
Section 3. Subject to Article VII, the vice director shall perform the duties of the district director in his
or her absence, or whenever the district director shall by reason of temporary disability be unable to
perform the duties of the office.
Section 4. The secretary shall keep the minutes of all District business meetings, send the district
director a copy of the minutes within thirty days after a meeting, and record the names of member
societies represented at each district business meeting.
Section 5. The treasurer shall maintain a bank account in the name of the “American Rose Society,
Pacific Southwest District;” directly deposit into that account all funds received; draw upon such funds
by his or her single signature, unless otherwise provided for by the executive committee; provide on
demand to the treasurer of the ARS such financial information as may be requested; close the books
at year's end; and make the books available to an audit committee of two members appointed by the
district director.
Section 6. The district member of the national nominating committee shall preside as chairman of the
District awards committee for the purpose of awarding the ARS District silver honor medal; preside at
the annual District awards ceremony held during the District annual convention; and, together with the
district director and chairman of the applicable committee, select annually the recipients of the District
outstanding consulting rosarian and District outstanding judge awards.
ARTICLE VI
Duties of Appointed Officers
Section 1. The district awards committee shall be composed of a chairman, who shall be the district
member of the national nominating committee, and one representative appointed by the president of
each member society. The term of office for each member shall be concurrent with the term of the
district director. Membership on the district awards committee is limited to two consecutive terms, and
only one member per family may be appointed to serve concurrently. The district awards committee
shall annually select the recipient(s) of the ARS District silver honor medal in accordance with the
then current ARS silver honor medal rules and regulations.
Section 2. The chairman of horticultural judges shall administer a program for the continuing
education of ARS rose horticultural judges residing within the District; conduct schools for qualified
members who may be interested in becoming ARS rose horticultural judges; and, together with the
district director and district member of the national nominating committee, select annually the
recipient(s) of the district outstanding horticultural judge award.
Section 3. The chairman of arrangement judges shall administer a program for the continuing
education of ARS rose arrangement judges residing within the District; conduct schools for qualified
members who may be interested in becoming ARS rose arrangement judges; and, together with the
district director and district member of the national nominating committee, select annually the
recipient(s) of the District outstanding arrangement judge award.
Section 4. The chairman of consulting rosarians shall administer a program for the continuing
education of ARS consulting rosarians residing within the District; conduct schools for qualified
members who may be interested in becoming ARS consulting rosarians; assist each member society
in the appointment of a consulting rosarian coordinator for that society; maintain a current list of
consulting rosarians in the District; and, together with the district director and district member of the
national nominating committee, select annually the recipient(s) of the ARS outstanding consulting
rosarian award.
Section 5. The Roses in Review coordinator shall compile the data submitted under the ARS Roses
in Review program, transmit such data in the required official format to the national coordinator, and
prepare a special report of the District results for publication in the District bulletin and on the District
website.
Section 6. The district bulletin editor shall edit, publish and distribute a quarterly District bulletin to
subscribers containing relevant news items relating to ARS, District and local rose society activities.
Section 7. The webmaster shall establish and maintain a District website for the publication of
information and news items related to ARS, District and local society activities.
Section 8. The chairman of the district nominating committee shall, in consultation with such
committee members as he or she may appoint, nominate one or more candidates for secretary,
treasurer, and district member of the national nominating committee for election at the District annual
business meeting occurring in the year of the ARS national triennial elections.
Section 9. The parliamentarian shall advise the district director or other presiding officer on matters
of parliamentary procedure at all District business meetings.
Section 10. The historian shall administer the storage of the archives of the District and provide
educational information on District history at the District annual convention.
Section 11. The public rose gardens coordinator shall collect and maintain a master listing of all
public gardens within the District.
Section 12. The district member of the national membership committee shall represent the District on
the national membership committee, contact prospective ARS members and those whose ARS
membership have lapsed, and undertake all desirable activities to foster membership in the ARS.
ARTICLE VII
Vacancies
Section 1. In the event of the death, permanent incapacity, or resignation of an elected officer (other
than the district director or the district member of the national nominating committee), the executive
committee shall fill such vacancy for the remaining term.
Section 2. In the event of the death, permanent incapacity, or resignation of the district director, the
vice director shall assume the position of interim district director until a successor district director is
elected.
Section 3. In the event of the death, permanent incapacity, or resignation of the district member of
the national nominating committee, the district director shall appoint a member to serve in that
capacity until a successor district member of the national nominating committee is elected.
Section 4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the district director or district member of national
nominating committee, the chairman of the district nominating committee shall select one or more
candidates to fill such a vacancy to be presented for election at the next scheduled District business
meeting, provided, however, that if the next scheduled District business meeting is the District annual
meeting occurring in the same year as the ARS national triennial elections, then the district director
shall be elected under the bylaws of the ARS.
ARTICLE VIII
Nominations and Elections
Section 1. The district director shall be elected under the bylaws of the ARS for the three-year term
as specified therein.
Section 2. The secretary, treasurer, and district member of the national nominating committee shall
be elected at the District annual meeting occurring in the same year as the ARS national triennial
election for a term concurrent with that of the district director.
Section 3. The candidates for election to the offices of secretary, treasurer, and district member of
the national nominating committee shall be posted on the District website at least twenty days prior to
the District annual meeting at which the election shall be held under Section 2.
Section 4. The district director shall call for additional nominations for election to the offices of
secretary, treasurer, and district member of the national nominating committee from the floor at the
District annual meeting at which the election shall be held under Section 2, which nominations must
have the consent of the nominee.
Section 5.
Election to the offices of secretary, treasurer, and district member of the national nominating
committee shall be by ballot for each office. A majority vote shall elect. In the event there shall be
more than two candidates and a majority not obtained on the first ballot, the two candidates with the
highest number of votes shall be placed on a second ballot and a majority vote thereon shall elect.
ARTICLE IX
President's Council
Section 1. The presidents’ council shall consist of the presidents of each member society and the
members of the executive committee.
Section 2. The presidents’ council shall meet at the District annual convention prior to the District
annual meeting to offer advisory recommendations to the district director and, on the vote of a
majority, may add items to the agenda of the District annual meeting.
ARTICLE X
Annual Convention
Section 1. A District annual convention consisting of two to three days shall be held over a suitable
weekend selected by the host society and approved by the district director. The dates selected shall
in no event conflict with an ARS national convention.
Section 2. The District annual convention shall include a District rose show; a meeting of district
consulting rosarians; meetings of district horticulture and arrangement judges; the meeting of the
president's council, an awards banquet and the District annual business meeting.
Section 3. The selection of a host society for future District annual conventions shall be decided by a
majority vote at the District annual meeting.
Section 4. The host society shall submit registration and complete program details for the District
annual convention to the webmaster for posting on the District website at least 60 days prior to the
District annual convention.
Section 5. A District special business meeting may be called at any time by the executive committee,
but not more than one such special meeting shall be called or held In any calendar year.
Section 6. Each member present in person at any District business meeting shall be entitled to vote.
Fifty members in attendance at any District business meeting shall constitute a quorum. The
members present at a duly called or convened District business meeting, at which a quorum is
present, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of
enough members to leave less than a quorum. Except as otherwise provided by these bylaws, all
action taken by the holders of a majority of the voting power represented at any District business
meeting at which a quorum is present shall be valid and binding.
Section 7. Items for inclusion on the agenda of a District business meeting may be submitted by any
member to the district director at least ten days prior to the meeting, or, in the case of the district
annual meeting, may be proposed at the meeting of the presidents’ council. The agenda of a district
business meeting shall be provided to members at the commencement of the meeting and items not
set forth thereon shall not be considered at the meeting.
ARTICLE XI
Funds
Section 1. The District is not authorized to collect membership dues. Each member society is
requested to remit a financial contribution to the treasurer on an annual basis to assist in the
operation of the District, with the actual amount to be recommended by the executive committee from
time to time.
Section 2. A member society that serves as host to a District annual convention (other than a
convention held in conjunction with an ARS national convention) shall open and maintain a separate
bank account, in the name of the “Local Society, Pacific Southwest District”. All funds deposited into
that account shall be restricted to use for that convention. Within a reasonable time, not to exceed
ninety days after the District annual convention, this separate bank account shall be closed, audited
and a report thereof submitted to the treasurer and district director. The net profits from a District
annual convention shall be divided equally between the District and the host society.
Section 3. All funds and other property of the District are the property of the ARS, a corporation
recognized as a non-profit charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, and are subject to administration as provided for in these bylaws, the ARS articles of
incorporation and the ARS bylaws. In the event of a conflict between these bylaws and either the
ARS articles of incorporation or the ARS bylaws, the ARS articles of incorporation or the ARS bylaws
shall control.
Section 4. All District expenditures, other than those for payment of District mailings, publications, or
awards, shall be subject to approval of the executive committee.
Section 5. In the event of consolidation, subdivision or change in boundaries of the District, funds
and other property of the District shall be transferred as directed by the ARS board of directors,
provided, however, that all such funds and other property shall remain the property of the ARS, or a
division, or an incorporated charitable affiliate thereof.
ARTICLE XII
Parliamentary Authority
Unless otherwise provided in these bylaws, the rules contained in the current edition of Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of District business meetings.
ARTICLE XIII
Amendments
Section 1. These bylaws may be amended or repealed by the membership by an affirmative vote of
two-thirds of all votes cast at a District annual business meeting, provided such proposed
amendments have been previously posted on the District website at least 30 days prior to that
meeting.
Section 2. These bylaws are subject to approval of the ARS board of directors. A copy of these
bylaws shall be filed with the ARS executive director. Any subsequent changes or amendments shall
also be subject to approval of the ARS board of directors.
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