Section 1. Annual Meetings
The annual meeting of the members shall be held each year at such date, time, and place, in the County of Henry, State of Indiana, as designated by the directors; date, time, and place shall be designated in the notice of the meeting for passing on reports, which covers the previous fiscal year and other such business transactions, as may properly come before the meeting. The election of directors will be conducted in the manner as provided elsewhere in these bylaws. In such instance, the failure to hold the annual meeting, as originally scheduled, shall not work a forfeiture or dissolution of the Cooperative.
Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the members may be called by the Chairman, by the directors, or upon a written request signed by at least 5% of all the members, and it shall thereupon be the duty of the Secretary to cause notice of such meeting to be given as hereinafter provided. Special meetings of the members may be held at any place within the County of Henry in the State of Indiana specified in the notice of the special meeting.
Section 3. Notice of Members, Meeting
Written or printed notice, stating the place, day and hour of the meeting, and, in case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be delivered not less than 10 days nor more than 30 days before the date of the meeting, either personally or by mail, by or at the direction of the Secretary, or by the persons calling the meeting, to each member. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail, addressed to the member at his address as it appears on the records of the Cooperative, with postage thereon prepaid. In cases of a joint membership, notice, given to either husband or wife, shall be deemed notice to both joint members. The failure of any member to receive notice of an annual or special meeting of the members shall not invalidate any action which may be taken by the members at any such meeting.
Section 4. Quorum
At least 2% of the total number of members of the Cooperative present in person shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the members, provided that if less than 2% of the total number of members are present at said meeting, a majority of the members so present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. In case of a joint membership, the presence, at a meeting of either husband or wife, or both, shall be regarded as the presence of one member.
Section 5. Voting
Each member shall be entitled to one 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, who are present in person, except as otherwise provided by law, the Articles of Incorporation of the Cooperative or these bylaws.
If a husband and wife hold a joint membership, or if a landlord and his tenant hold a joint membership, they shall jointly be entitled to one vote and no more upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the members. A landlord and tenant may, by agreement between them, designate to the Cooperative which one shall have the voting rights in any meeting, and in case they have not designated to the Cooperative which one shall have the voting rights, then whichever one is present at said meeting shall have the voting rights.
Section 6. Order of Business
The order of business at the annual meeting of the members, and so far as possible at all other meetings of the members, shall be essentially as follows:
- Call of roll.
- Reading of the notice of the meeting and proof of the due publication or mailing thereof, or the waiver or waivers of notice of the meeting, whatever the case may be.
- Reading of unapproved minutes of previous meetings of the members and the taking of necessary action thereon.
- Presentation and consideration of acting upon reports of officers, directors, and committees.
- Explanation of the process to become a director.
- Announcement and ratification of the election results. (See 5 (a) (6) – page 10).
- Unfinished business.
- New business.
- Adjournment.