Elections

Nominating Procedure

Article III Section 3. Nomination.

It shall be the duty of the President by and with the advice and consent of the members of the meeting of which directors are to be elected beginning with the year 1948 to appoint a committee on nominations for the coming year consisting of not less than five (5) nor more than eleven (11) regular members, and also an alternate member for each regular member appointed to such committee on nominations, who shall be selected so as to give equitable representation on the committee or the geographical areas served or to be served by the Cooperative. No officer or member of the board of directors shall be appointed a member of such committee. The committee shall prepare and post at the principal office of the Cooperative at least thirty (30) days before the meeting a list of nominations for directors, but fifteen (15) or more members may make other nominations in writing over their signatures not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the meeting and secretary shall post the same at the same place where the list of nominations made by the committee is posted. The secretary shall mail with the notice of the meeting a statement of the number of directors to be elected and showing separately the nominations made by the committee on nominations and the nominations made by petition, if any. No nominations from the floor will be accepted. The members may, at any meeting at which a director or directors shall be removed, as hereinbefore provided, elect a successor or successors thereto without compliance with the foregoing provision with respect to nominations. Notwithstanding anything in this section contained, failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any election of directors.

Eligibility & Requirements

Article III Section 2. Qualifications and Tenure.

The persons named as directors in the Certificate of Incorporation of the Cooperative shall compose the board of directors until the first annual meeting or until their successors shall have been elected and shall have qualified. At the annual meeting of the members beginning with the year 1949, nine directors shall be elected by ballot, by and from the members, three of whom shall serve for one year, three for two years, and three for three years, to be determined by lot; and every year thereafter, three directors shall be elected for a term of three years, and provided that in order to insure geographical representation that only one director is to be elected from any one county within the Cooperative for the same year except to fill an unexpired term within said County. That all directors are to serve until their successors shall have been elected and shall have qualified, subject to the provision of these by-laws with respect to the removal of directors. That the word year shall mean from annual meeting to annual meeting. No member shall be eligible to become or remain a director, or to hold any position of trust in the Cooperative who is not a bona fide resident in the area served by the Cooperative, or who is in any way employed by or substantially interested in a competing enterprise, or who is an employee of the Cooperative, and no person shall take or hold office as a director who is the incumbent of or candidate for an elective public office in connection with which a salary is paid. When a membership is held jointly by a husband and wife, either one, but not both, may be elected a director, provided, however, that neither one shall be eligible to become or remain a director or to hold a position of trust in the Cooperative unless both shall meet the qualifications hereinabove set forth. Nothing in this section contained shall, or shall be construed to, affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the board of directors.

Voting Process

Article II Section 5. Voting.

Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote and no more upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the members. At all meetings of the members at which a quorum is present, all questions shall be decided by a vote of a majority of the members voting thereupon in person, except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation of the Cooperative, or these by-laws. If a husband and wife hold a joint membership, they shall jointly be entitled to one (1) vote and no more upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the members.