2003/2004
1. SWAPEN standing rules and budget will be approved yearly by the membership, by the September monthly meeting and modified as the Board deems necessary. The rules will be distributed to the membership and all new member affiliates for approval.
2. The SWAPEN Executive Board may approve bills up to $250 quarterly and approve budget items without the approval of the membership. Requests for reimbursement must include a signed check request form with two Board members' approval.
3. SWAPEN shall contribute $1,000 ($500 per convention) towards paying the registration fee and fees for ABWA convention events for Board members to attend the ABWA Spring and/or the National Convention . The money will be divided equally to those Board members who have paid full registration and will be reimbursed after attending. This is contingent on funds available at the time.
4. Regular reservations must be made by the second Friday of the month by 12 Noon. Standing reservations must be canceled by the second Friday of the month. Standing reservations may be arranged with the VP Marketing - Arrangements. Members holding reservations, of any type, and not canceling will be billed for the meeting.
5. SWAPEN will contribute money to the Stephen Bufton Memorial Educational Fund when funds are available, with the approval of membership.
6. SWAPEN will have the following officers with the duties as described in the attached Installation of Officers for SWAPEN, some of which are not covered in the Express Network Bylaws. Board members must be Primary members.
Installation of Officers:
President: Your leadership will guide SWAPEN in pursuing Express Network goals throughout the coming year. All officers will look to you for guidance. All members pledge their support.
President-Elect: Your responsibility is to greet and introduce all guests to the members. Also, you are to assume the duties of the president in her absence. You will assist the President where needed in absence of Vice Presidents positions. You will also be in charge of the application process of the network awards programs.
Vice President of Finance: You are responsible for collecting and dispersing money, and keeping an accurate account of all transactions. You are responsible for paying the monthly invoice from the meeting place. You are to provide a financial report each month, and you are to submit your records for examination by the Auditing Committee when requested.
Vice President of Communications: You are to record the minutes of each meeting, making them available to the Express Network when needed. It is also your duty to handle official Express Network communications and make them available to members. You are responsible to publish and print a quarterly newsletter. You are to coordinate with the Vice President of Internet/Marketing in publishing the newsletter on the Express Network website.
Vice President of Programming: You are responsible for the planning of educational programs and speakers for the monthly meetings and other events. It is also your responsibility to coordinate the networking time at the monthly meetings and other events. You will work closely with the Vice President of Marketing/Arrangements in coordinating monthly meetings.
Vice President of Marketing/ Membership: You are responsible for membership retention and growth. You shall assist the guests and prospective members with the membership information and the application process. You shall maintain a current and accurate roster of all members and report any changes in member information to National Headquarters and the Board. You shall also contact prospective members, guests, and absent members on a monthly basis. You will report to the President and the Vice President of Internet/Marketing all new member information.
Vice President of Marketing/Arrangements: You are responsible for planning the time, place, reservations, food and other special arrangements needed for the monthly meetings. You shall record all standing reservations and compile a complete meeting reservation list. You shall provide reservation lists to the meeting place prior to every meeting. You are to coordinate with the Vice President of Finance on billing members that had reservations and did not attend the meeting and to keep an accurate count of members and guests attending and paid at each meeting.
Vice President of Internet Marketing: You are responsible for the Express Network website. You shall maintain accurate information on the web site for members to have access to. You shall also be responsible to advertise the Express Network web site on various web sites and to local media.
Vice President of Marketing/Public Relations: You are responsible in conjunction with the President Elect to encourage membership retention, and promote membership recruitment. It is also your responsibility to send all promotional information to media covering, Express Network, member achievements, and Express Network activities. You will also, maintain all historical records of the Express Network.
7. Any primary member of SWAPEN can be selected to serve as a delegate to the Houston Area Council of ABWA or Federation of Houston Professional Women. Delegates shall be chosen by a drawing from the names of those who wish to serve as a delegate. In the event the HAC selected delegates cannot attend the meeting and there is a vote to be taken, any board member of SWAPEN who attends the quarterly meeting may serve as an alternate delegate at that meeting. In the event the FHPW elected delegates cannot attend the meeting and there is a vote to be taken, the Delegates must submit in written format the name of the voting delegates that will be at the meeting. If a delegate misses two or more consecutive meetings she will be unable to attend.
8. Delegates or alternate delegates shall submit in writing via email a report of the quarterly meeting or event within two weeks of the meeting/event for publication in the newsletter.
9. Candidates nominated for the position of President-Elect must have previously served on the SWAPEN Board. Candidates nominated for the position of Vice President of Finance must have been a SWAPEN primary member for a period of at least one year.
10. Nominees for Network Woman of the Year, Network Top Ten candidate or FHPW Woman of Excellence must be a primary member of SWAPEN. The Network Woman of the Year, Top Ten candidate and FHPW Woman of Excellence will be selected by outside judges chosen by the Board members after the first year of Chartering. The criteria for WOTY and Top Ten will follow ABWA National guidelines.
11. The audit committee for SWAPEN will consist of one board member (can be on either the incoming or outgoing board), a member who is a prospective candidate for VP, Finance and a member who has not served as an officer of SWAPEN.
12. SWAPEN may consider any other rules governing the network, which do not conflict with ABWA National or Express Network Bylaws, nor repeat any information.
13. Committees will be set up by the Board under the direction of the President-Elect to determine the qualifications for Network Woman of the Year, Network Top Ten candidate, and FHPW Woman of Excellence. The Protégé Award will be based on a criteria only, with no judging. They also must be a primary member. The criteria will be set up by the Board under the direction of the Vice-President of Marketing/ Membership.
14. All members must have paid National and Local dues by September's meeting or will be considered a non-member with no voting rights or other member privileges. Late fees in the amount of $20 will apply. Dues for renewals will not be prorated.
15. New members joining will have their dues prorated if they join after September's meeting.
16. The following SWAPEN fees apply. Meeting fees for members
is $20. Meeting fees for non-members is $25. Members who make a reservation
for a meeting, do not cancel, and do not attend will be billed $20.
NSF fee of $10 will be charged for returned checks. Guests may attend
up to three meetings at the cost of $20, thereafter they will be charged
$25
Submitted December 1, 2003
