ASABE Section Officer Handbook

Table of Contents

Foreword

Administration

Model Section Bylaws

Work Through a Committee

National Committee Participation

Timing of Elections

Submission of Section Technical Papers
to the ASABE Online Technical Library

Section Steering Committee Minutes

Meetings

Conduct More Effective Meetings

New Officer Installations

Make Our Meetings say, "ASABE was Here!"

Develop a First Rate Program

Public Relations

Communication

Produce an Effective Newsletter

ASABE Headquarters' Electronic Mail Service

Create a Section Web Page

Create a Section Database & Roster

Finances

Section Dues

Section Dues Rebates

Accounting and Bonding

Membership

Recruitment

Retention

Foreward

This ASABE Section Officer Handbook is intended to bring each new section officer up to speed regarding the basics of his/her new position. This handbook includes guidance by specific activity for section officers so that any officer could potentially stand in for another.

The handbook does not give you all you need to know to do a good job. Each position has special needs and requires special leadership skills. It is, however, a starting point. Using it in conjunction with advice from predecessors, peers in other sections, members and the headquarters membership staff will help you better understand your position. If you add talent and effort to the mix, you can do an outstanding job.

The handbook is intended to be a work in progress. The Section Steering Committee is committed to keeping it as current and comprehensive as possible. If you have corrections or suggestions for improving the guide, please contact ASABE Director of Membership Mark Crossley at crossley@asabe.org or 269/428-6323.

We at headquarters would like to help you do an outstanding job. The difference between a successful, productive section and one that misses the mark is often a function of the performance quality of the section officers. We hope to help build a first-rate local section network by helping you do a better job and by making section officer recruitment less difficult.

Call on us when you need assistance, guidance or just a sympathetic ear to share your frustration. If we can help, we will. If we can't solve your problem, we will attempt to assist you in analyzing the alternatives. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us in ASABE membership at 800/371-2723. Our fax number is 269/429-3852 and our email address is memb@asabe.org.

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Model Section Bylaws

The current ASABE Model Section Bylaws are shown below. They have two important uses. First they set the rules for the governance of the Section. They are a good first place to go if you are in doubt about your authority or the procedure for accomplishing something.

Second, the bylaws state the goals and purposes of the organization. While expressed in general terms, they are complete. If something you wish to do does not fit within the stated goals, you should consult headquarters, the Section Steering Committee or the Membership Development Council for guidance.

The model bylaws are not necessarily the same as the current bylaws of your Section. The model may have been changed after the creation of your section or your section bylaws may have changed since its original creation. If there are significant discrepancies between your section's bylaws and the model bylaws you should contact headquarters. The model bylaws states very clearly in its preamble that:

Each unit may adopt its own bylaws for the conduct of affairs, provided such bylaws are in harmony with the constitution, bylaws, and rules of the society, are recommended by the Section Executive Committee and are approved by the Membership Development Council, and provided also that every publication of such bylaws be prefaced with a copy of this rule.

This leaves little room for creativity.

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The model bylaws follow-

CONSTITUTION and BYLAWS
____________ SECTION
of the
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS

Each unit may adopt its own bylaws for the conduct of affairs, provided such bylaws are in harmony with the constitution, bylaws, and rules of the society, are recommended by the Section Executive Committee and are approved by the Membership Development Council, and provided also that every publication of such bylaws be prefaced with a copy of this rule.

ARTICLE I
NAME AND TERRITORY

SEC. 1. NAME. The name of this section shall be the ____________ SECTION of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS, chartered by and operated under the jurisdiction of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS, 2950 NILES ROAD, ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, 49085.

SEC. 2 TERRITORY. The territory of this section will comprise ____________ including those areas with postal zip codes beginning with the numbers ____________ .

ARTICLE II
OBJECTS

SEC. 1. The object of this section of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS shall be:

(a) To promote the science and art of engineering in agriculture, including mechanization and other related technologies.
(b) To encourage original research.
(c) To foster agricultural and biological engineering education.
(d) To advance the standard of agricultural and biological engineers.
(e) To promote the intercommunication of members among themselves and allied technologists to encourage the improvement of the intellectual and technical skills of its members with a view to the promotion of public welfare through the development of better educated engineers.
(f) To broaden the usefulness of agricultural and biological engineering.
(g) To unite the members in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding.
(h) To provide a forum for the open discussion of all matters relating to agricultural and biological engineering; provided, however, that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall not be debated by members.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

SEC. 1. MEMBERSHIP. A membership in this section shall include only members of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS in good standing and of any grade residing in the territory of the section. Members of the Society may become members of this section without payment of an admission fee.

SEC. 2. DUES AND ASSESSMENTS. There shall be no section dues or section dues may exceed no more than $______ per year. The section may levy special assessments for specific purposes on the membership of this section from time to time. However, special assessments shall not exceed more than twenty dollars ($20.00) per year per member.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

SEC. 1. PLACE. Meetings of the members of the section shall be held at such place, either within or without the SECTION TERRITORY as may, from time to time, be designated by the Executive Committee and stated in a notice of the meeting.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL MEETING. An annual meeting of the members of the section shall be held for the installation of officers (on alternate years as appropriate) and for the transaction of such other business as may be brought before the meeting. Additional membership meetings may be held from time to time as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee at which items of section business may be addressed.

SEC. 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special business meetings of the voting members may be called on the order of the Chair or by a majority of the Executive Committee.

SEC. 4. NOTICE. Written notice of all business meetings of the voting members shall be mailed or delivered to each member at least three (3) days prior to the meeting. Notice of any special meeting shall state in general terms the purposes for which the meeting is to be held. Attendance at any meeting of the voting members, in person or by proxy, shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting.

SEC. 5. QUORUM. Ten (10) percent of the section members, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all business meetings of the voting members; but if there be less than a quorum, a majority of the voting members present or represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time.

SEC. 6. VOTING. At all business meetings of the members, each member shall be entitled to one vote, in person or by proxy, and a majority of the votes cast on any question shall control, provided that a quorum is present. The members may also, at the direction of the Executive Committee; cast votes by mail on any issue such as members are entitled to vote upon.

SEC. 7. CHAIR OF MEETING. The chair or, if not present, a vice chair, shall preside at all business meetings of the voting members, and, in the absence of the chair and vice chair, the Executive Committee may appoint any voting member to act as chair of the meeting.

SEC. 8. SECRETARY OF MEETING. The secretary of the section shall act as secretary of all business meetings of the members. If the secretary is not present the chair may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

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ARTICLE V
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SEC. 1. MANAGEMENT OF CORPORATION. The property, business and affairs of the section shall be managed and controlled by the Executive Committee.

SEC. 2. NUMBER, CLASSIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE. The Executive Committee shall consist of chair, vice chair, secretary-treasurer, and immediate past chair. They shall serve a two (2) year term for the fiscal years for which they are elected or until a successor is elected and installed.

SEC. 3. VACANCY. Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the Executive Committee by reason of death, resignation, increase in the number of committee members, or otherwise, it may be filled by a majority of the remaining committee members, though less than a quorum, for the balance of the term except that, in the case of an increase in the number of committee members, such vacancy may be filled only until the next annual meeting of members at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the vote of the members.

SEC. 4. ANNUAL MEETINGS. The annual meeting of the Executive Committee, of which no notice shall be necessary, shall be held immediately following the annual meeting of the voting members or immediately following any adjournment thereof for the purpose of the organization of the Executive Committee for the ensuing year and for the transaction as such business as may be conveniently and properly brought before such meeting.

SEC. 5. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by order of the chair of the Executive Committee, the vice chair, or by one-third (1/3) of the committee members. The secretary shall give notice of the time, place, and purpose or purposes of each special meeting by mailing the same at least two (2) days before the meeting or by telephoning or telegraphing the same at least one (1) day before the meeting to each committee member. Attendance at any special meeting, in person, shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting.

SEC. 6. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS. At meetings of the Executive Committee, the chair or a designated vice chair shall preside. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but less than a quorum may adjourn any meeting from time to time until a quorum shall be present, whereupon the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. At any meeting at which every committee member shall be present, even though without any notice, any business may be transacted.

SEC. 7. MANIFESTATION OF DISSENT. Committee members of this section who are present at a meeting of the Executive Committee at which action on any section matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless written dissent to such action shall be filed with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before adjournment thereof, or such dissent be forwarded by registered mail to the secretary of the section within thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to committee members who voted in favor of such action.

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ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES

SEC. 1. STANDING COMMITTEES. The section shall provide for the following standing committees:

(a) Membership
(b) Program
(c) Career Development
(d) Public Relations
(e) Awards

SEC. 2. RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR STANDING COMMITTEES

SEC. 2.1. MEMBERSHIP. Each standing committee shall be responsible for maintenance of its own membership. Committee membership shall be a minimum of three (3) section members in good standing. Additional membership is at the discretion of the committee. New committee members may be elected by the committee or appointed by the committee chair at the discretion of the committee chair or may be appointed to committee membership by the Executive Committee. Term of committee membership shall be three (3) years with one third (1/3) of the members elected/appointed annually. No committee member shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms on a specific committee. Term years shall be coincident with section fiscal years as defined in Article V, Sec. 2, and Article VIII, Sec. 1.

SEC. 2.2. OFFICERS. Each standing committee (except the programs committee -- Ref. Article VII, Sec. 6.) shall elect as a minimum one officer who shall serve as committee chair and non-voting committee representative to the Executive Committee. As noted in Article VII, Sec. 4, the section vice chair shall serve as program committee chair. In the event of failure by a standing committee to elect a chair, a committee chair may be appointed by the Executive Committee. The committee chair shall be responsible to the Executive Committee in the conduct of standing committee activities. Other committee officers may be elected by the committee or appointed by the committee chair as deemed necessary.

SEC. 2.3. REPORTING. All action by a standing committee shall be reported to the Executive Committee at a meeting succeeding such action and shall be subject to revision, alteration and approval by the Executive Committee.

SEC. 2.4. RECORDS. Formal reports to the Executive Committee and other records of committee activity are the responsibility of the committee chair. A three (3) year current history of committee activity shall be maintained by the committee chair and passed on to the incoming chair as part of the installation procedure.

SEC. 2.5. OBJECTS. Each standing committee may develop specific goals and objectives from time to time or may have goals and objectives prescribed by the Executive Committee. General objectives for standing committees shall be as follows:

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(a) Membership. The membership committee shall be responsible for section membership. Membership retention and the recruiting of new members shall be primary goals.

(b) Program. The program committee shall be responsible for section meeting planning. Meeting date, site selection and program content shall be specific responsibilities of the program committee. Satisfying the professional and technical needs for information and networking of section members shall be primary goals.

(c) Career Development. The career development committee shall be responsible for section assistance to member career development. Planning continuing education and career track programs as well as the dissemination of career development information to section members shall be primary goals.

(d) Public Relations. The public relations committee shall be responsible for the promotion of public awareness and image of the section. Promotion and reporting of section activities in the territory news media as well as in the media of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS shall be primary goals.

(e) Awards. The awards committee shall be responsible for the recognition of section member achievements. Presentation of membership milestone awards and nomination of section members for SOCIETY awards shall be primary goals. Development and presentation of sectional awards shall also be a primary goal of the awards committee.

SEC. 3. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The nominating committee shall consist of three (3) members who are not elected officers who shall nominate one or more candidates for the elective offices of the section and for the succeeding nominating committee (Ref. Article V, Sec. 2, and Article VII, Sec. 1). The section past chair shall serve as non-voting chair of the nominating committee.

SEC. 4. OTHER COMMITTEES. The Executive Committee may also appoint from the membership such other committees as they may deem necessary and/or useful. Such committees shall have such powers and duties as shall from time to time be prescribed by the Executive Committee. The chair shall be an ex-officio member of each committee appointed by the Executive Committee.

SEC. 5. RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR OTHER COMMITTEES. A majority of the members of any non-standing committee may fix its rules of procedure. All action by any committee shall be reported to the Executive Committee at a meeting succeeding such action and shall be subject to revision, alteration, and approval by the Executive Committee.

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ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS

SEC. 1. ELECTION. The membership shall elect by letter ballot or at the annual meeting on alternate years the officers of the section who shall be the chair, the vice chair, the secretary-treasurer.

SEC. 2. TERM. Officers shall serve a two (2) year term coincident with the section fiscal years as defined in Article VIII, Sec. 1.

SEC. 3. REMOVAL. In its discretion, the Executive Committee, by vote of a majority of the whole committee, may leave unfilled for any such period as it may fix by resolution any office except that of chair, secretary and treasurer. Any officer or agent shall be subject to removal at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole Executive Committee. Any officer, agent, or employee, other than officers appointed by the Executive Committee, shall hold office at the discretion of the officer appointing them.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE CHAIR. The chair of the Executive Committee shall be the chief executive and administrative officer of the section. The chair shall preside at all meetings of the members and the Executive Committee; shall exercise such duties as customarily pertain to the office of chair and shall have general and active supervision over the property, business and affairs of the section and over its several officers. The chair may appoint officers, agents or employees other than those appointed by the Executive Committee; may sign, execute and deliver in the name of the section powers of attorney, contracts, bonds and other obligations and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Executive Committee or by the Bylaws.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE VICE CHAIR. In the absence or disability of the chair, the vice chair shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the chair. The vice chair shall serve as chair of the program committee as noted in Article VI, Sec. 2.1.

SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY (SECRETARY-TREASURER). The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the members, and of the Executive Committee, and, to the extent ordered by the Executive Committee or by the chair, the minutes of all meetings of all committees. The secretary shall cause notice to be given of meetings of members, the Executive Committee, and of any committee appointed by the Executive Committee. The secretary shall have the general charge of the records, documents, and papers of the section not pertaining to the performance of duties vested in other officers, which shall, at reasonable times, be open to the examination of any committee member. The secretary may sign or execute contracts with the chair or a vice chair thereunto authorized in the name of the section and affix the seal of the section thereto. The secretary shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Executive Committee or by the bylaws.

SEC. 7. DUTIES OF THE TREASURER (SECRETARY-TREASURER). The treasurer shall have general custody of all the funds and securities of the section and have general supervision of the collection and disbursement of funds of the section. The treasurer shall endorse on behalf of the section for collection checks, notes and other obligations, and shall deposit the same to the credit of the section in such bank or banks or depositories as the Executive Committee may designate. The treasurer may sign, with the chair or such other person or persons as may be designated for the purpose by the Executive Committee, or alone if so authorized by the Executive Committee, all bills of exchange or promissory notes of the section. The treasurer shall enter or cause to be entered regularly in the books of the section full and accurate account of all monies received and paid on account of the section; shall at all reasonable times exhibit books and accounts of the office to any committee member of the section during business hours and, whenever required by the Executive Committee or the chair, shall render a statement of section accounts. The treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Executive Committee or by the bylaws. Upon request of the Executive Committee the treasurer shall give bond for the faithful performance of his or her duties in such sum and with such surety as shall be approved by the Executive Committee. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be combined by the section as they may from time to time determine.

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SEC. 8. DUTIES OF THE PAST CHAIR. The past chair shall contribute such advisory functions as is customary of the office. The past chair shall also serve as the non-voting chair of the nominating committee (Ref. Article VI, Sec. 3) and shall be an ex-offico member of the awards committee (Ref. Article VI, Sec. 2.5).

SEC. 9. BANK ACCOUNTS. In addition to such bank accounts as may be authorized in the usual manner by resolution of the Executive Committee, the treasurer, with the approval of the chair, may authorize such bank accounts to be opened or maintained in the name and on behalf of the section as may be deemed necessary or appropriate. Payments from such bank accounts are to be made upon and according to the check of the section which may be signed jointly or singly by either the manual or facsimile signatures of such officer or bonded employee as shall be specified in the written instructions of the treasurer with the approval of the section chair.

SEC. 10. VACANCY. Except as provided in ARTICLE V, SEC. 3, in case any office shall become vacant, the Executive Committee, shall have power to fill such vacancy. In case of the absence or disability of any officer, the Executive Committee may delegate the power or duties of any officer to another officer or a director for the time being.

ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS

SEC. 1. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of this section shall be July 1 through June 30.

SEC. 2. WAIVER OF NOTICE. Any notice required to be given to any member, committee member or officer under the provisions of these bylaws or otherwise may be waived in writing by the member, committee member, or officer.

SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS CONSTITUTION. This Constitution and bylaws and the operations of this section are expressly subject to provisions of the Constitution and bylaws of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers as amended from time to time.

SEC. 4. RULES OF ORDER. Except as modified herein, this section shall be governed under Robert's Rules of Order.

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ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS

SEC. 1. This constitution and bylaws may be amended upon a majority vote of the Executive Committee of this section and a favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the section members voting. Such a vote may be made by letter ballot or by vote at a meeting of the section at which a quorum is present.

ARTICLE X

No part of the net earnings of this section shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the section shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation of services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. No substantial part of the activities of this section shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the section shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the section shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a section exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by a section, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Upon the dissolution of the section, the Executive Committee shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the section, forward all of the assets of the section to the office of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS.

Upon the dissolution of the section, the Executive Committee shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the section, forward all of the assets of the section to the office of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS.

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Work Through a Committee

You have just been elected as an officer of your section. What do you do first? In the Society context, the correct answer is almost always, "Form a committee of volunteers to help." This is true even at the level of the section chair, but the formality or name might be different. We all need the advice and support of others and the committee structure has a lot of benefits.

Committee Members Share the Workload

The most obvious benefit of using a committee is that the work of the committee is being done by more than one person. Sharing allows a large amount of work to be done by combining small amounts of time from a number of workers.

Committee Members May Have Special Skills

Often a committee's activities require special skills such as accounting, computers, document drafting, artwork, etc. It is unlikely that any one person has all the necessary or desirable skills for the position.

Committee Members Provide Ideas

Often the quality of the job is based upon the creativity of the decision-making. Multiple members create the possibility of idea building so that good ideas produce effective programs. At the very least, members provide a sounding board for your own ideas.

Provide Future Officer Training

The members of your committee are learning not only how to fulfill the responsibilities of your position, but also how the Section and Society function. They develop contacts with other members and discover specifically what is expected of officers of the Section.

Keep Members Involved

Probably the main reason members leave the Society is a failure to get involved. When they are involved they feel wanted and needed. They make friends and acquaintances. The Society becomes an integral part of their life.

Personal Training

Leading a committee takes different skills than those necessary for other positions. These general management skills are what separate top management positions from other ones. If you don't already have these skills, use this opportunity to develop them. If you already have these skills the committee allows you the chance to hone them.

This general skill set is based upon the ability to perform high quality or quantity work through others. You will learn to:

• Select and recruit your desired team members;
• Respect the time commitments of the committee members by running well-organized meetings and giving clear and concise guidance;
• Organize the committee's activities, divide up the duties and give members guidance when it is requested or needed;
• Motivate your teammates to apply all of the skills and effort necessary to perform the tasks they are given;
• Supervise by taking the time to check the performance of the committee members and follow up with guidance and assistance well before the task has gotten off track; and
• Take responsibility for the committee's failures and give credit for successes to its members.

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National Committee Participation

Encourage all of your section members to participate on ASABE Technical and Professional Committees. Participation on committees helps members build professional contacts and achieve goals difficult to accomplish as an individual.

Explain to members who have been appointed to committees that through committee participation, experience is gained from interactions needed to achieve a consensus. Serving as a committee officer provides valuable experience in conducting meetings and organizing teamwork. This professional experience translates into more effective project leadership, positive report presentations, effective idea projection and greater communication skills development. The following skills are learned through committee participation:

• How to prepare motions and calls for action.
• How to draft resolutions, concise descriptions of a situation and the action expected.
• How to persuade others to accept your point of view.

It is desirable that some committees function by mail, conference calls and email. Some may meet at the annual meeting while others may require more frequent contact.

Encourage new members to use their committee membership to become acquainted with other members and the Society. Learn the names and identify the philosophies of ASABE leaders by checking the sign-in sheet, listening to who is commenting and watching those who agree with you or who's opinions interest you as you may want to meet them later for discussion. Charge your committees to achieve definite goals and ask them to report specific action requests.

Timing of Elections of New Officers

The ASABE Roster is now generated annually after the Annual International Meeting. In order to have the current officers in place while members are using the roster, it is suggested that the elections occur before the ASABE Annual Meeting. In any case it is important that the election results be communicated to ASABE Headquarters as soon as possible after the election.

The ASABE Member Roster is now available electronically, allowing you to find content information, conduct searches and change your member information anytime of the day or night from anywhere in the world. This means you can look up committee members, section members, etc. quickly and easily and retain the list in an electronic format.

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Conduct More Effective Business Meetings

Typical agenda format:

• Call to Order announce time
• Minutes
• Treasurer's Report
• Reports
• Old Business
• New Business
• Announcements
• Adjourn

Those people you are tempted to wait for, may never make it. Plan your agenda with housekeeping matters first so latecomers will miss little. (Outline committee responsibilities, review minutes, etc...)

The meeting purpose will usually be evident from the agenda, but clearly state it nonetheless. Repeat the committee objectives from your bylaws and how the meeting helps meet them.

The Treasurer's Report is an important part of every meeting where money is a factor. Every member needs to know how much money the section has and how it is being spent. The report can be very short if a detailed written report is provided.

This is the most important step for an effective meeting. Your committee has assembled considerable talent and reserved the commitment of much time. As an officer, you want to be sure members leave with a sense of accomplishment.

Adhere to the following rule: Hear reports and discuss motions. A motion creates the following efficiencies for conduct of your meeting:

1. The presenter condenses various thoughts into necessary specifics.
2. Focus discussion on the motion. Assure committee members that it is all right to vote down motions, even their own, when new evidence points to a different course of action.
3. The chair retains control by directing that all comments pertain to the motion.
4. Roberts Rules of Order come into play as authorized by the ASABE Bylaws and Rules (Article B1, Paragraph 2). Without a motion, discussion will inevitably wander. For efficiency follow one rule-No discussion without a motion.

When insufficient information from reports is available for action, appoint an ad hoc committee to develop a recommendation.

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Assign future committee work to appropriate committee members. Be sure all committee members understand their assignments. Establish deadlines.

When there is no further business, adjourn. Allow time for socializing after the meeting. Give members time before they leave to informally discuss the actions and follow-up responsibilities.

Be sure the secretary promptly distributes minutes to committee members and the Membership Department at ASABE headquarters.

New Officer Installation

Select the installation time to coincide with the end of the section year, such as a spring awards banquet and advise the new officers when they will be installed, thus encouraging their attendance.

Begin the ceremony by announcing the result of the ballot. The chair of the nominating committee or an outgoing section officer might do this. As the names are read, ask the new officers to stand or come forward.

Request a guest ASABE official or an outgoing officer to participate. Here is a possible script:

The purpose of ASABE is to promote the science and art of engineering in agricultural, food and biological systems; to encourage original research; to foster education; to advance the standards of engineering; to increase and extend the association of agricultural, food, and biological systems engineers among themselves and with allied scientists and technologists; and to encourage the professional improvement of its members and in cooperation with other groups, to broaden the usefulness of agricultural, food, and biological systems engineering.

The Society has through time, established criteria for the conduct of an ASABE section.

1. The section should carry out each of the following activities: membership recruitment and retention; program development; public relations; awards & recognition and career development.
2. An annual financial summary should be sent to ASABE headquarters.Two or more events should be conducted every year to which all members and potential new members are invited.
3. At least two newsletters should be sent to all members each year.
4. The section should gain mention in media reports, present honors to outstanding individuals, set a calendar for the next year's events, sponsor an activity for students and conduct a public issues forum with non-members.

The members are looking to you for leadership so that this section can be an active and successful section. Do you accept this leadership responsibility?

On behalf of all members in ASABE and especially those in this section, I welcome you as the leadership for the coming year.

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An appropriate resource to give new officers would be a copy of the ASABE Section Officer Handbook. The visiting ASABE officer may make the presentation or it might be effective for outgoing officers to make the presentation to their successor.

I am pleased to present to you The ASABE Section Officer Handbook to help you in your new position. The guide is intended to assist you in your new duties by letting you know what is expected of you and providing guidance on how to accomplish your duties. There are also suggestions taken from past successes in this and other sections. We hope you will take this guide and not only fulfill its specifications but also write new chapters on how to do a better job.

Congratulations!

At this point established sections may wish to ask last year's officers to come forward and congratulate their successor. This would also be an appropriate time to present a certificate honoring the outgoing chair and other officers if this were a section custom.

If the officers are being installed as an organizing committee or first elected officials of a new ASABE section, use this introduction as a preamble to the officer installation ceremony.

The ASABE Constitution provides for sections in any geographic area that are composed of members in all grades. The bylaws specify that when a number of members favor the formation of a section a meeting shall be called and notice sent to all members residing in that territory. A petition may be presented containing suggestions as to the territory to be included and if adopted, it shall be sent to the ASABE Membership Development Council.

A temporary executive committee of three members shall have charge of and be responsible for proceedings until the next election of officers (annual ballot).

Call the new officers forward and proceed with the ASABE section officer installation ceremony as suggested above.

Make Your Meetings say, "ASABE was Here!"

When members and guests participate in an ASABE section meeting how do they know they are not in just another service club? Here are some ways to make your ASABE section stand out from other organizations' meetings:

• Action Committees - they respond and coordinate in your geographic area, suggestions and activities reflecting national initiatives of engineering in agricultural food and biological systems.
• Be Visible -use "ASABE" in all communications and on your stationery to help maintain the Society's visibility.
• Guidance, Recruitment and Career Development campaigns explain what ASABE members do and help sustain the profession
• Career Development & Continuing Education courses in our fields of technology; sponsored by sections for members and especially for those who use engineering in agriculture technology
• Newsletters and other services with distinctive and recognizable ASABE format, promote your section every time they are mailed
• Programs have a flavor that match the interest and meet the needs of members residing in the unit area. Sections have a unique opportunity to blend users with the generators of technology.
• Meetings are well planned. Everything about the meeting should say to each attendee, "This is an ASABE Section Meeting."
• Alert local news media. Invite them or send a meeting program, offer interviews or give complimentary banquet tickets if appropriate.

• Have the hotel or restaurant marquee where the meeting is being held announce: "Welcome ASABE Members."
• Make sure all events are posted on hotel events board.
• Post signs at the building entrance with directions to the ASABE registration and/or meeting area.
• Mount a sign in the registration area sign announcing ASABE registration high on wall or easel which can be easily seen.
• Hang an ASABE banner behind the head table or podium in the banquet room.
• Place ASABE logo on all podiums. Logos are available electronically from headquarters.
• Use logos on all direction signs.
• Identify official activities or central meeting locations with logos.

Set up tabletop display of free ASABE materials near the registration area. The following information is available from ASABE with at least one-week advance notice:

• Membership application forms;
• Membership flyers; and
• Publication catalogs.

You should also establish a separate paper distribution area. The program chair should always request that authors bring papers with proper official covers.

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Develop a First Rate Program

Despite the emphasis on the business meeting in the previous materials, it is not the most important part of the section meeting. Few if any members attend to hear Treasurer's Reports or Committee Reports or to argue about the form of a motion. They come for the program. According to the Constitution the objects of ASABE are:

To promote the science and art of engineering in agricultural, food and biological systems; to encourage original research; to foster education; to advance the standards of engineering; to increase and extend the association of agricultural, food, and biological systems engineers among themselves and with allied scientists and technologists; to encourage the professional improvement of its members, and severally and in cooperation with other groups to broaden the usefulness of agricultural, food, and biological systems engineering.

One additional purpose of any group wishing to promote attendance is to have an enjoyable time.

These goals make the program the heart of any meeting. Will there be technical presentations? Who will be the speaker? What will he/she talk about? Are these things of interest to prospective attendees? These are questions members will ask who are deciding whether it is worth their time to attend. These are also the questions section leadership must ask themselves if they wish to have a well attended meeting.

The interests of section members vary widely. One way of analyzing your membership is to obtain member data from headquarters. Using this information you can find out the primary and secondary technical interest areas of your membership, you can find out what kind of employers are represented, and you can find out what positions members have. This is good information when you are trying to come up with a program that meets the needs of your membership. It is also good information when you are trying to find a speaker on some particular area of interest.

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Awards

Everyone enjoys being recognized and awarded for their efforts. Such recognition is the reason that many of us take on the duties of leadership or assist others in a time of need. If the section wishes to foster volunteer efforts, it is essential to give proper credit to those who have done the work. Here are some guidelines to follow when presenting awards.

1. Give awards to deserving recipients. We are all familiar with persons who are willing to take credit for work done by others. If you are giving an award for a group effort, don't just give it to the leader.
2. Present the award in front of the recipient's peers.
3. Clearly described in the presentation why the award is being given. Generic awards for unspecified achievements or services suggest that the award is politically motivated and fail to foster the efforts that made the award appropriate.
4. When appropriate, give the award in conjunction with a gift that reflects the sincerity of the appreciation. ASABE has developed a number of recognition items for this purpose that are available to sections for this purpose. These items vary in price from under $5 to $100. Contact Carol Flautt at headquarters at flautt@asabe.org for further information.
5. Tell the audience exactly what the recipient did to deserve the award in a manner that shows the utmost respect for the skills and efforts displayed.

Public Relations

When you take over your ASABE section public relations position, plan to get acquainted with key media people. Review your media contact list each time you prepare a press release. Use the list forwarded from the previous chairman and add specific names with which you are acquainted.

Properly planned publicity can pay off in section activities that function smoothly and acquire new members for your section as well. Newsworthy events include:

• Recognition banquets;
• Agricultural issue forums;
• Election of local ASABE officers; or
• Participation in fairs or local programs.

Contact news media well in advance of the event. They may wish to provide their own news coverage, or they may want you to write a news release.

News release preparation is an easy but very important task. To get your writing style in order, check articles from local newspapers that deal with similar stories. Standard newspaper release style is acceptable for all media, including radio and television.

All releases should contain these basic elements: identity of the member and/or event; professional information about the people involved; education and biographical details; why the event or recognition is of public concern; and an ASABE identifying paragraph such as:

ASABE is a professional and technical organization of members worldwide interested in engineering knowledge and technology for agriculture, food, and biological systems. Headquartered in St. Joseph, Michigan, the Society's membership includes over 9,000 members from the U.S. and 90 countries worldwide.

A news release format should always include your name, address, phone number, and the date of the release at the top of the page. In writing news releases, the most important task is determining what to release. Write a complete release in as few words as possible. Releases should be typed, double-spaced and on letterhead if available. Try to keep your release short and to the point.

The news editor is the person at the newspaper who receives your news and decides whether it should be printed. Make sure you know the deadlines and issue dates of publications. It is also important to have contacts with radio and television. Work hard to build a continuing relationship with them. Don't be afraid to call and enlist their services. Most news people are willing to help.

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The following list of Do's and Don'ts should be heeded when you're involved in media relations. It will help to establish and maintain your credibility as a news source.

• DON'T telephone the news outlet every time you send a release to ask if it will be used - or why it wasn't.
• DO contact editors and news directors well in advance of your event.
• DO submit your pre-event releases at least two weeks in advance.
• DO submit follow-up releases within 48 hours of the event.
• DO provide complete, accurate information and answer reporters' questions when called.
• DON'T ask reporters when a story will appear.
• DON'T ask reporters to send you copies of a published article.
• DO keep a file of your own stories even if you have to subscribe to the publication. The file is helpful for subsequent releases.
• DON'T expect media guests to buy tickets or pay an admission fee to any event.
• DO set up press tables near events, if you expect a group of reporters.
• DO provide reporters and photographers with good seats at events.
• DO introduce media guests when making other special introductions.
• DO introduce media guests to special guests and honorees at events DO provide photo opportunities for news photographers.
• DON'T use unattributed opinion in your releases. Stick to the facts. DO make sure you attribute statements of opinion in quotes to specific sources.

A real publicity time saver is a fact sheet about your section and the Society, which can be duplicated and distributed freely. Include it with all your mailings. It should contain such basic information as full name of your section; names and company work titles of officers; history of your section and its purposes, fields of interest, and objectives; schedule of upcoming meetings; relationship to the national organization, including members who are serving or have served as national officers or committee chairs; highlights about your particular section; and a statement about ASABE.

A fact sheet for reporters and editors will save repetitive explanations, help assure that names are spelled correctly in news stories and give editors something with which to build a reference file for future use.

Click here for ASABE's fact sheet.

Issues statements and public information reports prepared by ASABE committees are valuable documents for explaining the importance of agricultural and biological engineering to the public. Generally an issues briefing is prepared for each report. The briefing carries an executive summary from which the media is encouraged to quote. Full reports are often more detailed than the public is interested in reading.

Prepare a press release or help the section chair draft a letter to accompany the briefing or report. Explain that your section of ASABE is concerned about the issue and is pleased to bring this statement to their attention. Offer help of experts in your section and assistance of ASABE members to explain the report or to find more detailed engineering technology answers. Determine how many copies you will need and request them from the ASABE headquarters office.

The Ohio section made good use of the 1987 Research Priorities report. They mailed it to all county agents and to all state and federal congressmen, about 200 total. Other sections sent copies to all area farm, TV and radio broadcasters (usually about 20). Another mailing went to state experiment station officials (about 30).

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Produce an Effective Newsletter

An effective section newsletter can take many forms. Many ASABE sections have adopted a style that members come to expect, others vary their newsletter with each new public relations chair. While acknowledging differing possibilities, there are some basics for ASABE style section news.

• Keep it newsworthy!" The newsletter should be more promotional than historical. There is a limited amount of time for volunteers to publish news. It is essential to tell the members about upcoming events and to encourage participation. Therefore the bulk of time should concentrate on upcoming events first, then if time and space allow, a report on what has happened.
• The newsletter should recognize accomplishments. Avoid the "history trap" but use reports of accomplishment to spur personal improvement and section progress.
• The newsletter should showcase section leaders. Section officers should write a letter to the membership in every newsletter. Prepare two or three paragraphs outlining the opportunities and visions the officers see for the section.
• The newsletter should carry reports about activities of the various committees. These messages should have a high degree of emphasis on how members can gain future benefits. Avoid the reporting of just what was done; instead, explain how the past action impacts on-going or future section activity and member benefits.
• The newsletter should list all upcoming activities and carry a listing of continuing educational opportunities. Busy people must get section activities scheduled well in advance if they are expected to devote the time to attend. Events for at least the next 12 months should be included.

In addition you may wish to enclose as inserts, meeting registration information and return forms, meeting programs or special announcements.

As a rule of thumb, you can mail five pages for one first class stamp or nine pages with lowest cost bulk mail.

ASABE Headquarters' Electronic Mail Service

To help expedite the processing of your electronic newsletters and programs, sections may use ASABE's electronic mail service. Headquarters will e-mail your mailing to your section membership with e-mail addresses and hard copy mail to those who do not haved e-mail addresses. You may e-mail such items as newsletters, program announcements, registration forms and the like. Guidelines for section mailing are as follows:

• E-mail an electronic format of your document to Linda Young at young@asabe.org.
• Plan your mailing so information reaches members in a timely manner. Your deadline to get the data to us should be at least a few days before you want the product in the hands of section members.
• There is currently no limit to how many electronic mailings you may send per year.
• Each section may order a free current set of labels of its membership. Please allow five business days for delivery.
• Sections may choose to hard copy mail items. If they chose to do so, they will be invoiced by headquarters for postage costs.
• To assure timely handling, advise us early about the date your electronic mailing.

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Submission of Section Technical Papers to the ASABE Online Technical Library

If your section or intersectional program includes technical presentations, your speakers may want to prepare a written paper for distribution at the meeting and for online publication in ASABE's Technical Library.

If a written paper is developed, using the standard ASABE section meeting cover sheet is important to accurately identify the presentation and to gain visibility for the Section and ASABE. Using the MSWord section meeting paper template, which includes the cover sheet, will simplify author's preparation and facilitate prompt posting of the material in the ASABE Technical Library. The template can be found in the Publications portion of the ASABE Website at:  http://www.asabe.org/pubs/authguide.html#word_templates.

If written papers are being prepared for the online Technical Library, the technical program chair or meeting organizer should gather all electronic copies (ideally in the MSWord template) of presentations to be included and e-mail or send to Sandy Rutter at rutter@asabe.org, when all the papers are ready for processing at headquarters. The speakers should be directed to the ASABE section meeting paper template link above before they begin preparing their paper. They should also be provided with a paper number for listing on the cover sheet. The standard format is the section abbreviation followed by a 2-digit year and a 4-digit sequential number. For example PNW04-1001 for the first Pacific Northwest section paper presented in 2004.

Section Steering Committee Minutes

ASABE Logo Usage Guide

2006 SSC Minutes

2005 SSC Minutes

2004 SSC Minutes

2003 SSC Minutes

2002 SSC Minutes

2001 SSC Minutes

2000 SSC Minutes 

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Create a Section Web Page

If your section does not already have a Web page, ASABE will be happy to assist you in creating one. We will link your current site from ours at www.asabe.org/membership/section.html free of charge or we will host a page for you.

To take advantage of this offer, simply supply the ASABE webmaster at webmaster@asabe.org with information you would like to post such as section officers, bylaws, meeting announcements, newsletter and other information of interest. It is the responsibility of the section to provide updates to the ASABE webmaster so the Web page remains timely.

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Create a Section Database & Roster

Headquarters has much information about your membership that may help you do your job better. While you obviously cannot use the information for commercial purposes, it is available to help you fulfill your ASABE section related duties.

In addition to name, address, phone, fax and email we have primary and secondary technical interest areas, employers, type of work, whether or not they are P.E.s, etc. This information can, when properly analyzed, help you develop programs that fit your membership and identify topics that may be of interest for your newsletter.

One of the main problems in any group is following up after a meeting. It can be very difficult to find a colleague's business card or remember the spelling of someone's name. You can remedy this by creating and distributing a current roster of your Section Membership. This data is available from headquarters and can be e-mailed to you in an Excel spreadsheet.

Two things need to be remembered in this process. First, the data goes out of date very quickly, so you should generate a roster annually. Second, the data is not provided for commercial or any non-ASABE use. This fact must be communicated to the section members receiving the roster

Section Dues

Since 1997, sections have had the option of collecting section dues through the national invoice. While there is no limit on how much a section may charge for section dues, the inclusion of section dues on the ASABE invoice are permitted with the following stipulations. Each section desiring to collect voluntary section dues must first amend their bylaws to approve such and must have a specific section vote recorded in section meeting minutes authorizing the amount of dues to be collected. Each section must present these amended bylaws and recorded section vote authorizing the amount of voluntary section dues to ASABE headquarters before ASABE can collect voluntary dues on the annual ASABE membership dues invoice.

Section dues funds must be expended in furtherance of the objectives set forth in Article II, Section 1 of the bylaws of the section. ASABE members in the section territory will continue to be ASABE members and section members even if they do not pay the section dues.

Headquarters will send a check to the treasurer of the section in March in the full amount of the dues collected via this mechanism. There will be further checks sent, as necessary; to reflect payments received after the initial check payment.

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Section Dues Rebates

To motivate sections to help recruit and retain members, a rebate policy was established in 1987. Based on the zip code of a new member's preferred mailing address, members are assigned to a specific section. For each new member the section receives, a $3 rebate will be issued to that section. For each member with one year of membership the section receives $2; for each member with two years of membership the section receives $1; and, for each member with more than two years of membership the section receives 50¢. Total rebates are calculated each year in the spring for the previous calendar year and a check is mailed to the section treasurer.

Accounting and Bonding

Historically most sections have handled the accounting function easily and without incident. Unfortunately, in today's world we all must be concerned with the potential for theft or misuse of funds.

There are two main ways of reducing the likelihood of these kinds of problems: 1. Creating systems that require collusion between or among two or more persons; and 2. Requiring an accurate regular accounting. It is recommended that both of these methods be used.

A requirement that two persons sign all checks and statements can be a burden; but usually this administrative inconvenience may be limited by having three or more possible signatories. A report by the section treasurer including a statement showing not only the current balances but also identifying all revenues and expenditures since the last report should be given at every section meeting. Copies of the report should be distributed to all attendees.

Each year the outgoing section treasurer should also send a copy of his/her final report signed by both the treasurer and section chair to ASABE headquarters for filing. A copy of a possible form for such a report is shown on the following page.

Where large amounts of money are being handled, bonding of the Treasurer (insurance against losses due to theft, etc.) should be considered. Where the normal balance in the account is small, however, this is probably an unnecessary expense.

Notes:

1. This statement assumes that the section has no assets other than checking and savings account balances.
2. It also assumes that you are on using a cash basis of accounting rather than accrual. In accrual accounting, cash may be converted to a different form of asset, e.g., prepaid rent or insurance and then written down as the term of the rental agreement or insurance coverage is used.
3. The above statement is illustrative. If you have many more transactions, you might place the detail on a second sheet and summarize the figures on the first sheet.
4. This reflects only changes since the previous statement to the section on April 23, 2000. If you were generating an annual statement, e.g., the statement to be sent to ASABE, it should reflect all transactions since the last annual statement.  The signature of the chair indicates that he has reviewed the statement, that it is mathematically accurate and that he believes all individual transactions to have been properly accounted for.

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Recruitment

In a successful organization, members recruit members from their friends and acquaintances simply because both parties think it is the right thing to do. Every society recruits some of its members through word of mouth. If larger numbers of new members are desired, however, a special effort is necessary. A recruitment plan, which targets specific groups of professionals having a need for goods and services, which ASABE provides, is more apt to be successful than one that focuses on random contacts. The first task of any such plan is to gather information regarding the location and number of potential members. ASABE headquarters can help with this task.

Recruitment MaterialsASABE headquarters has numerous materials specifically designed for membership recruitment. Some of these materials may fit your section's need. If you desire other materials that are not currently available from headquarters, let us know and we'll do what we can to assist you in developing something. If your materials have general applicability, headquarters can also make them available to the sections with the same need.

MotivationSome of the rewards for recruitment, e.g., gift certificates and prizes for recruiting specific numbers of members are directed at individuals. Section dues rebates provide a financial incentive to the section to increase its numbers. Section dues collected via the national invoice are also incentives because the ultimate amount of expected revenue is based upon the number of members, not the number of attendees at a meeting or fund-raising event.

Retention

The most important factor in retention is to make membership desirable. If members perceive they are getting professional value from their membership, they will maintain their membership. Most tangible benefits of membership are the responsibility of headquarters and the national officers but most of the direct contact between the member and the Society comes at the section level. If members are treated with fairness and respect at the section level and if the section does its best to provide information and programs that are of interest and necessary for professional growth members will most likely stay.

The section can and should, also, assist headquarters in the performance of its duties to the membership. If section members take the time to give feedback to ASABE, that information can be used to help focus headquarters' efforts to improve the quality of service to the membership.

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