ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

A. Chapter Meetings:

1. ABATE of NY. Inc. Chapters shall hold a minimum of one (l) membership meeting per month, to be open to the general public.
2. ABATE of NY, Inc. Chapters shall hold a minimum of one (l) officers meeting per month, to be open to the membership.
3. All meetings should be run with “Roberts Rules of Order
4. Alcoholic Beverages shall be discouraged at Chapters meetings.

a. Chapter funds shall at NO time be used to purchase alcohol at the Chapter membership meeting.
b. Any member coming into a chapter meeting who is visibly intoxicated shall be refused admittance.

B. State Chapter Meetings:

1. State Meetings, consisting of one or more representatives of each of the Chapters and the State Board, shall convene on the third Saturday of every third month. (February, May, August, November)

a. Chapter representatives shall be a recognized officer of said chapter or be a member of said chapter with written authorization to represent the Chapter.
b. All Chapters shall receive a Chapter Place Card - To be used to identify the voting member of said Chapter.

2. State Meetings shall be open to All ABATE of NY, Inc. Members, providing room is available. Chapter Officers shall be seated in the front of the room (2 representatives per chapter) and all others shall be seated in the rear of the room.
3. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES will be permitted during a State Meeting. Any member coming into a State Meeting who is visibly intoxicated shall be refused admittance.
4. Minutes of each State Meeting shall be sent to each Chapter, State Board Officer, and the State Office, no later than three (3) weeks after said meeting by the “State Secretary”.
5. The Agenda for each State Meeting must be sent to each Chapter, State Board Officer, and the State Office, no less than two (2) weeks prior to said meeting. By the “State Secretary”.
6. All State Meetings should follow “Roberts Rules of Order”.
7. A roll call will be taken at the beginning of all meetings to verify “Chapter in Good Standing” status and Chapters present.
8 No chapter shall have a vote on any state issue unless they are in Good Standings

C. State Board Meetings:

1. State Board Meetings, consisting of all State Board Officers and shall convene on the third Sunday of every third month. (March, June, September, December). Also prior to every State Membership Meeting. (February, May, August, November.). To be held at the same place as the State Membership Meeting are held.
2. State Board Meetings shall be open to all ABATE of NY, Inc. members. As observers. (Seating may be limited due to space availability.)
3. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted during a State Board Meeting. Any officer or member coming into a meeting who is visibly intoxicated shall be refused admittance.
4. Special Meetings may be called by the State Board if it is required by urgent demands. All conversations pursuant to the Special topic must be recorded and made available for future review.

a. Notification of an emergency meeting, called by the State Board, shall be given to the Chapters within ten (10) days of occurrence. Such notification shall be written and sent via mail and shall include minutes of the meeting and any determinations that were made during the meeting. If said notification is not made, the decision of the board shall be non-binding on the chapters until a chapter vote is taken.
b. An effort to contact all Board Officers MUST be made. Failure to attempt to contact ALL Board Officers shall null and void any decisions made at said meeting. Three attempts to contact via telephone shall be sufficient.
c. All Board Officers MUST be given five (5) day’s notice and time to attend.
d. Any Board Officer may go on record as refusing to accept the urgency of said meeting. If a majority of the Board Officers refuse to accept the urgency of the Emergency Meeting, the vote on that subject is postponed until the next regularly scheduled State Board or State Meeting.
e. Every reasonable effort should be made to postpone any decision making to a regularly scheduled State Board or State Meeting.

5. Minutes of ALL State Board Meetings shall be sent to all Chapters, State Board Officers and Committee Heads, and a copy to be filed at the State Office by the “State Secretary”.
6. Regularly scheduled Board Meetings shall format an Agenda for the upcoming State Meeting. To be compiled by the “State Secretary”.
7. All State Board Meetings should follow “Roberts Rules of Order”.

D. Regional Meetings:

1. All Region meetings should consist of a representative from each Chapter located in the specified region, the Region Coordinator, the District Coordinator and Region Legislative Coordinator, and should convene on the third week of every third month. (January, April, July, October)
2. Region Meetings shall be open to all ABATE of NY, Inc. members.
3. Alcoholic beverages should be discouraged at the District meetings. Any member coming into a District Meeting who is visibly intoxicated shall be refused admittance.
4. Copies of the Region meeting minutes shall be made available to all chapters within the district, State Board Officers, and a copy to be put on file at the State office, no later than two (2) weeks after said meeting.