Constitution
ARTICLE I -TITLE
Section 1. This society shall be known as the Mercer County Agricultural Society.
ARTICLE II -OBJECT
Section 1. T he object of this Society shall be to promote and encourage agriculture, industry, science, art, and other interests of Mercer County which the Board deems proper and in the best interest of the community.
ARTICLE III -MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Any resident of Mercer County, 18 years of age or older, may become a member of this Society by paying the annual membership fee fixed by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Only persons holding membership certificates, 18 years of age, and residents of Mercer County on the date and hour of election may vote.
Section 3. No persons shall pay for or secure more than one such membership, and that membership shall be personal to the member only. No membership shall be issued to corporations, organizations, partnerships, or firms. Membership certificates shall bear the date and year the membership begins and terminates, the name of the society, and space for the signature of said members.
ARTICLE IV -BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors of this Society shall consist of eighteen (18) Directors, one for each township in the county, with the exception of Jefferson Township which shall have two Directors, and three at-large members. Each Director must reside in the township he represents. All officers and Directors shall be members of the Society.
Section 2. Directors shall be elected by ballot at the office of the Secretary or a place designated by him on the fairgrounds on Wednesday of the Fair. Polls will be open for at least four hours between the hours of 12:00 noon and 7:00 P. M.
Section 3. The Annual Meeting of the membership is to be held in the Secretary ’s office on the date specified by the Board of Directors at the preceding annual meeting. At this meeting, the officers and directors of the Society shall make reports to the membership of the Society concerning the past Fair and other civic interests to agriculture and make recommendations for the improvement of the Society and the Fair. The members shall be given opportunity to make suggestions and recommendations for the improvements of the Society and the Fair. Such other business may be presented as may be prescribed by the Constitution or as may be deemed proper by the Board of Directors. Newly elected Directors shall assume the duties of their office at the Annual Meeting of the membership.
Section 4. Members of the Society must declare their candidacy for the office of Director of the Society by filing with the Secretary of the Society a petition signed by ten or more members of the Society who are residents of Mercer County at least seven days before the Annual Election of Directors is held. Only regularly nominated candidates who have met the filing requirements will be eligible for election as a Director.
Section 5. The Board of Directors shall, at the Annual Meeting, by written ballot, elect a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer who shall hold office until their successors are duly elected. Before the election of officers is conducted, the newly elected directors shall qualify by taking oath before a competent authority: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Ohio, Laws of Ohio and rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture of Ohio pertaining to Agricultural Societies and, to the best of my ability, perform the duties of Director of the Mercer County Agricultural Society, so help me God. ”Section 6. The President and Vice President shall be Directors and the Secretary and Treasurer may be Directors.
ARTICLE V -COMPENSATION
Section 1. This society may pay each Director of the Society, other than an ex-official Director, an amount not exceeding eight dollars, plus a per mile reimbursement which shall not exceed the amount received by the Ohio Department of Agriculture employees while driving their own vehicles on official business, from the Director ’s residence to the meeting place of the Board of Directors and return for attending up to twelve meetings of said board each calendar year. Said compensation shall be set at the annual meeting for the following year. Only bona fide members of the Society are entitled to vote.
Section 2. The Board of Directors of this Society may pay the actual expenses of any Director, and any duly authorized representative of the Board, who attend the annual state convention of agricultural societies, the annual meeting required by Section 901. 06 of the revised Code, and any other event designated by the Board, if said Board: (1) determines that attendance by the Director or authorized representative at the meeting or other event is directly beneficial to the Society, and (2) records such determination and authority of such payment in the minutes of any regular or special meeting of the Board in advance of the event.
Section 3. This agricultural society may: (1) during the week of its fair, purchase meals for the Directors and Officers of the society and for other individuals designated by the Board of Directors at a regular meeting of the board. (2) compensate such Directors and Officers for meals purchased by said Directors and Officers.
Section 4. The Treasurer, Secretary, and Fair Manager may be members of the Board of Directors of this Society. The Board of Directors may compensate such board members for their services, in addition to the compensation permitted by Section (1), (2), and (3) of this regulation.
Section 5. This Society shall not employ and compensate any member of the Board of Directors, other than the Treasurer, Secretary, or Fair Manager of the Society, for services other than those specified in Section (1), (2) and (3) of this regulation, unless the minutes of the regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors record authorization for such employment in advance of such employment.
Section 6. This Society shall not pay any funds or deliver any property of the society to or for the individual benefit of any member of the Board of Directors or any other person as a share, gift, or dividend. The terms, “Share ”, “Gift ” and “Dividend, ” as used in this regulation, , do not mean awards which are advertised in the annual premium list of a Fair held by the Society.
ARTICLE VI -BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board. He shall have the power to call special meetings of the Board whenever, in his judgment, it is necessary, or at the request of three or more members thereof. He shall see that all by-laws and regulations of the society are duly enforced, and exercise a general superintendency of the same. He shall be custodian of the Secretary ’s and Treasurer ’s bonds and shall perform such other duties as pertain to that office.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Vice President to perform all the duties pertaining to the office of President during the absence, resignation, or disability of the President.
Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the Board, to issue certificates of membership to members of the Society, and keep a record of their names and addresses. He shall record all entries for premiums, receive all monies due the Society, except for tickets sold by the Treasurer, and pay the same to the Treasurer. He shall issue orders to the Treasurer of all monies expended and shall keep an accurate statement of all receipts and expenditures, and must make a report annually to the Board of Directors and to the state board as required by law and usage. He shall receive for his services such compensation as the Board of Directors shall deem proper. Before entering upon the duties of his office, the Secretary shall give bond, amount of the security subject to approval of the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of his official duties.
Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive from the Secretary all monies belonging to the Society, also all monies for tickets sold during the annual exhibition of the Society, to pay all orders drawn upon by the Secretary. He shall make settlements at close of Fair with Finance Auditing Committee for all unsold tickets and shall perform all other requirements according to the Constitution, Rules and Regulations of the Board of Directors. He shall receive such compensation for his services as the Board of Directors may allow before entering upon the duties of his office.
ARTICLE VII -EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Officers shall consist of an Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the general management of the Society between meetings. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum to transact business in case of emergency when not in session. All acts of the Executive Committee must be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at its next special or regular meeting.
ARTICLE VIII -AUDITING COMMITTEE
Section 1. The President shall appoint three Directors as Auditing Committee, whose duties shall be to invoice the admission and grandstand tickets to the Treasurer and to take his receipt therefore and after the close of the Fair, the Treasurer shall make settlement with said committees for tickets sold. At the close of the year ’s business, said committee shall audit the Secretary ’s and Treasurer ’s books and report the results of his findings to the Board. This report is to be made at February meeting.
ARTICLE IX -MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at regular intervals as decided by the Board of Directors. A meeting may be called on the order of the President of the Society. In the event the President of the Society refuses to call a meeting, the Secretary shall be required to do so when requested in writing by a majority of the board.
ARTICLE X -FAIR BOOK PUBLICATIONS
Section 1. A list of articles for which premiums are awarded by the Society must be published at least one month previous to the day of exhibition in a newspaper or in a fair book.
ARTICLE XI -AWARDING COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Awarding Committee, of one or more persons each, shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to examine the different classes of articles offered in competition and award premiums.
ARTICLE XII -ANNUAL REPORT
Section 1. A report shall annually be made out and forwarded by the President and Secretary to the State Agriculture Society, as required by Law, embracing: First, a copy of the printed list of premiums offered and awarded by the Society, together with an abstract of the Treasurer ’s report as required by law to be published; Second, the statements of competitors for premiums on crops and other improvements, detailing the mode of tillage and other purposes of improving said crops; Third, a general account of the proceedings of the Society, the number of its members and prospects of its progress and improvement: Fourth; a statement of the principal crops raised in the county, the average yield per acre, the striking characteristics of the previous seasons, the name of destructive insects that may have injured crops, and such other facts as will tend to give a full view of the state of agriculture in this county.
ARTICLE XIII -VACANCIES
Section 1. Any Officer, Director, or Manager who shall absent himself from three successive meetings, unless absence shall be satisfactorily accounted for, his vacancy may be declared and the Board appoint a person to his place.
Section 2. A Director being elected from a township and moving into another township within the county may serve out the term for which he is elected and be credited to the township from which elected.
Section 3. Any vacancy caused by death, resignation, removal from office or other causes shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors until the next annual election, when a director shall be elected to fill the unexpired term.
Section 4. In any township where a vacancy occurs and no one from said township is willing to serve, the Board of Directors may appoint a society member from another township to fill the unexpired term until the next annual election.
ARTICLE XIV -AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments may be made to this constitution and by-laws by a majority vote of the membership voting at the annual meeting of the membership of the Society or at the election of Directors. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by: (A) A majority of the Board of Directors at a scheduled meeting voting in favor of placing anamendment on the ballot; or; (B) Filing a petition with the Secretary of the Society at least 14 days prior to the annual meeting of the membership to the Society. Said petition must set forth proposed amendment and be signed by not less than 25 members of this Society.ARTICLE XV -EXHIBITION OF SOCIETY
Section 1. The annual exhibition shall be held at the fairgrounds at some period between the first day of June and the first day of November, and the premiums on crops shall be awarded on or before the second Saturday of each November.
ARTICLE XVI -CODE OF ETHICS
Section 1. Each Director, Member, Employer, Agent, or Employee of the Mercer County Agricultural Society shall abide by the Ohio Fair Managers Code of Ethics, as from time to time adopted by the Directors by majority vote.
ARTICLE XVII -RULES AND REGULATIONS
Section 1. The Board of Directors are empowered to adopt, from time to time, rules and regulations which, in their opinion, they deem necessary to govern the affairs of the Society.
ARTICLE XVIII -RULES
Section 1. Rules governing the operation of County Agricultural Societies by the Ohio Department of Agriculture are hereby adopted by reference.
ARTICLE XIX -GENDER AND NUMBER
Section 1. In interpreting this Constitution, and by-laws, rules, regulations or Code of Ethics, the singular shall mean the plural, the plural the singular, the masculine the feminine, the feminine the masculine, when the contest so requires.
