SECTION 1. The name of this organization shall be Dixie African Violet Society.

SECTION 2. The region included in this Society shall be the following states:   Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

SECTION 3. This Society shall be an affiliate of the African Violet Society of America, Inc.

ARTICLE II - OBJECT

SECTION 1. The objects of this Society shall be:

A. To afford members an association with persons of similar interest in African violets within an area not too vast for occasional meetings;

B. To promote AVSA and work with other African violet clubs, councils and societies;

C. To stimulate interest in the propagation and cultivation of African violets, and acquaint growers with other growers and sources of supply;

D. To sponsor an annual show and convention;

E. To publish and distribute a quarterly newsletter known as The Dixie News to each member and affiliate, to keep members informed of work, progress and activities, and to share knowledge and discoveries.

SECTION 2. This Society shall be a non-profit organization.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.

A. Any individual, commercial, club, council or society with an interest in growing African violets shall be eligible for membership upon payment of dues.

B. Life Members may be individuals only (not commercial, dual membership, or affiliate), and must pay the appropriate one-time dues specified in the Standing Rules.

SECTION 2. The Board of Directors may from time to time designate Honorary members for an honorary one-year membership or life membership. 

SECTION 3. Affiliates: Any established African violet club, council or society may become an affiliate upon payment of annual dues. This entitles them to receive The Dixie News and apply for the DAVS Collection Awards, Silver and Blue Rosettes, awarded to DAVS members for the best and second best collections of three different standard DAVS-registered plants and for best and second best collections of three different miniature or semiminiature DAVS-registered plants; and entitles their members to exhibit and/or register at conventions.

SECTION 4. Any membership will be terminated if dues are not paid by the renewal date.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND DUTIES

SECTION 1. Elected officers of this Society shall be a president, vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary and treasurer; preferably the officers will come from different geographical areas in the region.

SECTION 2. The president shall:

A. Preside at all meetings and perform all duties pertaining to the office.

D. Have check-signing authority and pay bills in the inability of the treasurer.

E. Be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.

SECTION 3. The vice president shall (a) preside in the absence of the president and perform duties as assigned, and (b) make arrangements for convention programs.

SECTION 4. The recording secretary shall (a) keep accurate minutes of all meetings, (b) send copies of the minutes of the Board of Directors meetings and annual membership meetings to the president and members of the Board of Directors within 10 day of meetings, and (c) send copies of minutes of membership meetings to the Editor for publication in The Dixie News. 

SECTION 5. The corresponding secretary shall (a) send cards of encouragement, condolence, congratulations or other expressions as appropriate, and (b) handle all correspondence of the Society designated by the president.

SECTION 6. The treasurer shall:  (a) be responsible for all monies of the Society, (b) process dues, (c) pay all necessary and authorized bills, (d) keep an accurate account of all receipts and disbursements, and (e) present a financial report at the annual meeting.

SECTION 7. Officers shall be elected and installed at the annual meeting in even numbered years and shall hold office for two years or until their successors are elected and installed.  Officers may serve consecutive terms.

SECTION 8. Each officer, director and committee chairman shall make a report in writing for the annual meeting, a copy to be kept with the secretary’s records. 

SECTION 9. Each outgoing officer, director and committee chairman shall deliver to his or her successor such books and records as belong to that office.

ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers, state directors, directors at large, chairmen of standing committees, editor of The Dixie News, and the immediate past president.  

ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers, convention director, the immediate past president, and the parliamentarian. These individuals shall manage the affairs of the Society between meetings, approve standing and special committees appointed by the president, and shall fulfill such other duties as may be assigned.  The executive committee may conduct business and vote electronically, and ratify the vote at the next meeting.

ARTICLE VII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

SECTION 1. There shall be a nominating committee of five members, two of which shall be appointed by the president. One of these shall be chairman of this committee and shall be from the previous nominating committee. Three shall be elected at the annual meeting in odd-numbered years. Only one member from any geographical area shall serve on the nominating committee. No member shall serve more than twice in succession. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. Duties of the nominating committee shall be to present one name for each office.

SECTION 3. Elections shall be held at the annual meeting of even-numbered years.  The nominating committee shall submit the name of one nominee for each office.  Nominations from the floor shall be in order.  If there is more than one nominee for any office, election shall be by ballot.  If not, election may be by voice.  The nominating committee shall prepare ballots for the election.  A majority vote shall elect.

SECTION 4. Vacancies in office, except the presidency, shall be filled by the president with the approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VIII - STATE DIRECTORS, DIRECTORS AT LARGE AND DUTIES

SECTION 1. There shall be one or more directors, appointed by the president, for each of the thirteen Dixie states. The president may also appoint Directors at Large from other states.  Their duties are: To represent Dixie at African violet functions in their state, obtain new members and assist the membership in securing membership renewals.

ARTICLE IX - STANDING COMMITTEES AND DUTIES

SECTION 1. The standing committees are:  Affiliate Awards, Society Awards, Audit, Bylaws, Budget and Finance, Convention Director, Plant Registration, Editor, Membership and Historian.

SECTION 2. DUTIES OF COMMITTEES:

A. Affiliate Awards shall administer the awarding of DAVS silver and blue rosettes by affiliated clubs.

B. Society Awards shall (a) obtain ribbons, special rosettes, and awards (goods and money donations) for convention shows, (b) advise and assist the local awards chairman, and (c) present awards at the awards banquet.

C. Audit shall examine the accounts of the treasurer for accuracy and completeness at the end of each administration and report the results of the audit to the Board of Directors.

D. Bylaws shall present proposed amendments to the Bylaws and Standing Rules as the need arises.

E. Budget and Finance shall annually prepare a budget for presentation to and approval by the Board of Directors and shall advise the president on financial matters requiring Board of Directors' action.

F. Convention Director shall secure venues for the annual conventions and shows, and shall work with local convention/show chairs, and their committees, as needed.  In considering locations, preference will be given to the Dixie states (as defined in these Bylaws), but other states may be considered. With Executive Committee approval, and if requested, the Convention Director shall be reimbursed for reasonable automobile travel expenses to and from prospective convention venues.

G. Plant Registration shall maintain the list of African violets registered with the Dixie African Violet Society; assign numbers to newly registered plants and provide the editor of The Dixie News with descriptions of these plants.

H. Editor shall be responsible for publishing a quarterly newsletter, The Dixie News, to be distributed electronically and, if necessary, by USPS.

I. Membership Secretary shall receive dues, maintain a current list of members, send state directors lists of members in their states, send out renewal notices, prepare the mailing list for The Dixie News, and send certificates to new Life Members.

J. Historian shall keep an accurate and complete record of the activities of the Dixie African Violet Society, such as newspaper clippings and pictures and have available at the annual convention.

ARTICLE X - MEETINGS AND QUORUMS

SECTION 1. The annual meeting and show shall be held each Spring or Fall, either by invitation from one of the regional states or as determined by the Executive Committee and Convention Director. The time and place for the annual meeting and show shall be announced at the regular business meeting if the details are then known, and will be published in The Dixie News no less than six months prior to the convention.

A special meeting may be called by the president or the Board of Directors in the event of an emergency.

SECTION 2.
            A. Meetings of DAVS membership, its Board of Directors, Executive Committee and all subordinate groups subject to these bylaws, and any committees which may hereafter be formed, may be held electronically, in whole or in part, as long as all participants can hear each other simultaneously and can participate during the meeting.

SECTION 3. Twenty-five percent of the members registered and attending the annual convention shall constitute a quorum at the annual meeting. Three officers and five members shall constitute a quorum at Board of Directors' meetings.  A majority of members present shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

A two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at the annual meeting shall be necessary to authorize any change of these bylaws, previous notice having been published in The Dixie News, at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE XII - STANDING RULES

Standing rules may be amended at the annual meeting by a majority vote of members present and voting, provided notice of the proposed amendment was given at the previous annual meeting or submitted to the Editor in time to be published in an issue of The Dixie News before the next annual meeting, or they may be amended without notice by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at an annual meeting.

ARTICLE XIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the deliberations of this Society in all cases not provided for in these Bylaws or in the Standing Rules.

ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION

The properties and assets of this nonprofit society are irrevocably dedicated to public or charitable purposes. No part of the net earnings, properties or assets of Dixie African Violet Society, on dissolution or otherwise, shall inure to the benefit of any individual or private person or any member, officer or director of this society. On liquidation or dissolution all properties and assets and obligations shall be distributed and paid over to one or more organizations which is and continues to be recognized as an exempt organization as specified in Internal Revenue Code Section 501C-3.

STANDING RULES OF

DIXIE AFRICAN VIOLET SOCIETY

1.       The president shall be given a president's pin at installation to be worn during tenure of office and presented to the newly elected president. The outgoing president, upon completion of a two-year term, will be given a past-president's pin and an honorary life membership in DAVS, or a gift not to exceed $50.00.

2.       The President shall have an expense account, not to exceed $50.00 per year, to cover miscellaneous expenses in connection with the office of the president.

3.       Dues

a.  Annual dues for individual membership   shall be Fifteen Dollars ($15).

b.  Annual dues for affiliate club membership shall be Twenty Dollars ($20).

c.  Annual dues for commercial membership shall be Twenty-Five Dollars ($25). Commercial dues shall be due and payable on February 1 each year.

d.  Individual life membership fee shall be One Hundred and Seventy-Five Dollars ($175).

e.  Two individual members residing at the same address may elect dual membership and receive one copy of each newsletter for annual dues of Twenty Dollars ($20).

f.  International dues shall be Thirty Dollars ($30).

4.   Convention Fees:

a.  Tables for Commercial Sales at conventions are $30 each.

b.  Registration fee for the annual convention-show is $45.00 per person. A late fee of $15.00 will be charged after registration deadline. Convention Director will determine deadline date.

5.  Commercial members will be listed in each issue of The Dixie News without cost to them.

6.  DAVS will provide space to commercial members requesting to sell plants and/or supplies at each convention, in accordance with the space contracted for at each venue, and will be allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Commercials wishing to sell must send a request for tables to the Convention Director along with the appropriate fees (which will be sent to the convention treasurer).  The fees will be set from time to time by the Board of Directors. 

7.  DAVS will advance each convention host the amount of $500 to be repaid out of receipts (registration fees, commercial fees, etc.). In the event these revenues do not meet the $500 advance, DAVS will assume the difference. The net profit will be divided equally between DAVS and the host club.

8.  At all convention shows, judges must be DAVS members in good standing and registered at the convention.

9. All exhibitors must be DAVS members in good standing and registered at the convention, or non-members of DAVS who are individual members in good standing of a DAVS affiliate, and need not be registered at the convention.  Non-members of DAVS who are individual members in good standing of DAVS affiliates may register at the convention and attend all functions, but may not vote at the annual meeting. 

10.  A Judging School will be held at the annual convention-show ONLY if five (5) members apply three months in advance of the convention date. Those taking the judging school need not be DAVS members registered at the convention, but must be current AVSA members.

11.  DAVS will offer a $50.00 cash award to the registered exhibitor who exhibits the best Dixie-registered African violet in the annual convention-show.

12.  DAVS affiliates shall submit a $10.00 check, payable to DAVS, to cover shipping and handling fees for both DAVS Collection Awards. A copy of the show schedule, specifying a separate DAVS standard collection class and a separate DAVS miniature/semiminiature collection class, must accompany the request.

13.  DAVS will offer the following awards at each DAVS convention/show:

a.  A $50 award for the Best Standard  DAVS Collection

b.  A $50 award for the Best Semiminiature/ Miniature DAVS Collection

c.  A $25 award for the Second Best Standard DAVS Collection

d.  A $25 award for the Second Best Semi-miniature/Miniature DAVS Collection

e.       A $50 award for Best in Show –

      Horticulture

f.        A $50 award for Best in Show – Design

g.      A $25 award for Horticulture

      Sweepstakes

h.       A $25 award for Design Sweepstakes