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Summit County 4H Saddle Horse Association Constitution
Effective December 19, 2013
Article I. Name
The name of the 4-H Affiliate Corporation is Summit County 4-H Saddle Horse Association (“SC4HSHA”), organized in the County of Summit, OH. SC4HSHA shall be organized as a corporation for non-profit, with articles of incorporation on file with the Secretary of State of Ohio.
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of SC4HSHA shall be:
- To insure that 4-H, as a youth organization, is available to all youth in this County who are age 8 and in the third grade through age 18 as of January 1st of the current year regardless of race, creed, color, religion, or national origin.
- To insure that the 4-H Cloverbud Program as part of this organization is available to all youth in this County who reach the age of 5 and are enrolled in kindergarten as of January 1 of the current year, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, or national origin.
- To help analyze the needs and interests of all county youth enrolled in the county 4-H horse program, including but not limited to development of leadership, initiative, self-reliance, sportsmanship, safety, time and resource management, and other desirable character traits.
- To assist with planning, evaluating, and recommending 4-H educational experiences and programs that will meet the needs and interests of these youth.
- To assist in the recruitment and development of leadership to work with the 4-H program.
- To seek local financial resources, as needed, to conduct, promote and expand the 4-H horse program.
- SC4HSHA is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Article III. Ohio State University Extension Affiliation
SC4HSHA agrees to comply with all applicable OSU Extension policies and procedures governing Ohio 4-H that the County 4-H Youth Development Professional has with necessary and proper authority to oversee SC4HSHA and ensure SC4HSHA’s compliance. OSU Extension is authorized to include the SC4HSHA in a group tax exemption, and the SC4HSHA will supply all necessary documentation to ensure SC4HSHA’s inclusion in a group tax exemption.
Article IV. Policies
Any major decisions of SC4HSHA must be voted on by a quorum of member 4H Horse Clubs unless the Executive committee was authorized to make the decision. Major decisions include:
1. Amendments of this constitution, rules, and bylaws
2. Financial disbursement from the treasury
Article V. Membership
Section A. Members –SC4HSHA shall consist of at least 6 regular members, and any number of sustaining members, probationary members, and club representative members. The Summit County Extension Educator in 4-H is an ex officio member. Ex officio and Probationary members shall not be permitted to vote.
Section B. Eligibility –
1.General Requirements- Membership is available to all individuals 19 years of age or older as of January 1st of the current year regardless of race, creed, color, religion, or national origin.
2.Regular membership- For an individual to be a member, he/she must have attended at least six (6) association meetings within twelve (12) consecutive months. Attendance at the monthly meetings will be calculated based on attendance sign-in sheets. Membership status will be available at each regular monthly meeting of the association. Regular members may vote in SC4HSHA elections and regular meetings and may run for office.
3.Sustaining Membership- Any regular member in good standing for ten (10) consecutive years will become a sustaining member. The sustaining member will have all voting rights and will be exempt from the attendance requirements that must be met by all other members. Sustaining members may vote in SC4HSHA elections and regular meetings and may run for office.
4.Probationary Membership- Any regular member who has not met attendance requirements for the previous year as determined by a review of membership records by a monthly review of the Executive committee becomes a probationary member. The Executive committee will notify any member of a change in membership status. Probationary memberships will be reviewed monthly. Probationary members may not vote on SC4HSHA elections and regular meetings and may not run for office.
5.Club Representation Membership- All Active Summit County 4H Horse Clubs, as determined by OSU Extension, may have one vote per club. If a club does not have at least one Regular or Sustaining Member, the club representative may have one vote for the club at SC4HSHA regular meetings. Club representative members may not vote in SC4HSHA elections.
Section C: Clubs must have at least one regular, sustaining, or club representation member at each SC4HSHA regular meeting. Failure to have club representation at two consecutive SC4HSHA regular meetings will result in written notification to club advisors from SC4HSHA president. After notification, if attendance is still not improved, the club will be assigned extra fair duties and extension will be notified.
Section D. SC4HSHA will meet the standards of usage to protect the 4-H Name & Emblem as set by 4-H National Headquarters.
Article VI. Officers, Officer Elections, Unelected Officials, and Duties
The officers of SC4HSHA are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 3 Trustees. President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve for a term of one year. Trustees will serve three year terms on a rotating basis, with only one Trustee position elected each year, barring special circumstances.
See the SC4HSHA bylaws for nomination and duties of the offices.
Article VII. Committees
Section A. The Executive committee will be made up of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 3 Trustees. This committee shall make any business decisions that must be made prior to the next regular business meeting, except decisions for paying any non-emergency expenses. Committee members may also delegate decisions to this group.
Section B. Standing committees may be appointed by the president and serve as long as needed. Each committee will consist of a chair and enough members to complete the task.
Article VIII. Financial Reporting and Responsibilities
Section A. The Ohio 4-H fiscal year is defined as January 1 through December 31.
Section B. SC4HSHA will obtain and maintain its own Tax Payer Identification Number (TIN), also known as Employee Identification Number (EIN).
Section C. The SC4HSHA Annual Financial Report in the format requested by OSU Extension must be submitted to the County Extension office every year by the date established by OSU Extension.
Section D. An annual IRS 990 filing (Form 990, 990EZ, or 990N, depending on SC4HSHA revenue) must be completed by May 15 for the previous tax year.
Article IX. Use of Committee Revenue
No part of the net earnings of SC4HSHA shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that SC4HSHA shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II above. No substantial part of the activities of SC4HSHA shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and SC4HSHA shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution SC4HSHA shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation or unincorporated association exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, or unincorporated association contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Article X. Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of SC4HSHA, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
This constitution has been adopted by the members of the Summit County 4-H Saddle Horse Association On (date) ______
Signature ______
Print name: Brian Petroff
SC4HSHA President
Date______
Signature ______
Print name: Sara Justice
SC4HSHA Secretary
Date______