Tulare FFA Constitution

Section A. The officers of the Chapter shall be as Follows: President, Vice President (Tulare Union, Tulare Western, and Mission Oak), Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Sentinel, Historian, and Parliamentarian. The local Advisor (s) shall be the teacher (s) of agriculture in the school where the Chapter is located. The Officers shall perform the following duties:

1. The president shall preside over and conduct meetings according to accepted parliamentary procedure, call special meetings, keep members on the subject and within the time limits, appoint committees and serve on them as an ex-officio member to them, call other officers to the Chair as necessary or desirable, represent the Chapter and speak on occasions, coordinate Chapter efforts by keeping in close touch with the other officers and Advisor (s), keep Chapter Activities moving in a satisfactory matter, and represent the Chapter at the National Convention or designate a replacement.
2. The Vice President shall assist the President when needed, have charge of committee work, preside at meetings in the absence of the President be prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of the president, and obtain end of activity reports from the committee chairpersons. Each vice president is chairmen of their own committees: Community Service, Student Development, and Chapter Development.
3. The Secretary shall prepare and read the minutes of meetings, have available for the President a list of business for each meeting, attend to official correspondences, send out and post notices, count and record rising votes when taken, prepare chapter records, keep the permanent records of the chapter, cooperate with the Treasurer in keeping accurate membership role, issue membership cards, call meetings to order in the absence of a presiding officer, read communications to the members at meetings, keep an updated point award chart with the assistance of the advisor (s), and post the meetings agenda at least 24 hours in advance of the meetings.
4. The Treasurer shall receive and act as custodian of Chapter funds, collect assessments, send in Sectional, State, and National dues, assist in preparing an annual budget, keep the financial statements of the Chapter, pay out funds as authorized, prepare financial statements and reports, build up the Chapter’s financial standing, and submit in writing a financial report at each meeting.
5. The Reporter shall gather and classify Chapter news, prepare news notes and articles for publication or broadcast, contact local newspapers, send news to State or National publication, arrange for FFA participation in local radio and/or TV programs, and keep an up to date Chapter Scrapbook with the assistance of the Chapter Historian. The Reporter shall submit the Chapter scrapbook for judging at the spring Regional Meeting and shall prepare a Chapter Newsletter for publication with the assistance of the Advisor (s).
6. The Sentinel shall set up the meeting room and care for Chapter Paraphernalia and equipment, attend the door during meetings and welcome visitors, see that the meeting room is comfortable, and take charge of candidates for degree ceremonies.
7. The Historian shall develop and maintain a scrapbook of memorabilia in which to record the chapter’s history, research and prepare items of significance of the chapter’s history, prepare displays of chapter activities and submit stories of former members to the media, and assist the reporter in providing photography for chapter needs.
8. The Parliamentarian shall be proficient with parliamentary procedure, rule on all questions of parliamentary conduct at chapter meetings, serve as a participant or an ex-officio member of the parliamentary procedure team, conduct parliamentary procedure workshops at the chapter level, and chair or serve as ex-officio member on the conduct of meetings committee.
9. The Chaplain shall deliver invocations at all Tulare FFA and Booster functions. The Chaplain will also work in cooperation with the Sentinel to setup meeting rooms and maintain order during the meetings.
10. The Advisor shall supervise chapter activities year round, inform prospective students and parents about FFA, and instruct students in leadership and personal development, build school and community support for the program, encourage involvement of all chapter members in activities, and prepare students for involvement in career development events and leadership programs.

Section B. Officers of the Tulare FFA chapter shall be elected annually at the May meeting.  All chapter officer applicants meeting the requirements to serve, as a chapter officer will have their names placed on the ballot. The candidates will fill out and give an application to the chapter advisor by the given deadline. The application will be scored and will provide 25% of the total score for the election process. All candidates will go through an interview before the election meeting, which will count for an additional 25%. Additionally, the prospective members will go through an interview also counting for 25% of the total score with the final 25% of the score being generated from the popular vote. Prior to the election meeting two candidates from each comprehensive school will be slated for the position of vice president of their prospective schools. The balance of the officer team will be generated from those running for chapter office. Members in good standing will have the opportunity to vote for one candidate representing each school for the position of vice president, as well as seven other candidates for each of the chapter offices. The five individuals (grades 10-11) receiving the highest point total (application, interview, and vote) will be elected to the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter, Sentinel and Parliamentarian. The newly elected officer team will then decide their individual offices. For the offices of Historian and Chaplain, the election will be limited to freshmen candidates, the two candidates receiving the highest point total according to the election guidelines will be elected to office with the highest scoring freshmen candidate being elected to Historian and the second highest point total being elected to Chaplain. In the event there is not at least 2 chapter members, that are sophomores or juniors, for each office, the Tulare FFA chapter will open the election up to freshman members.

Section C. To be eligible to run for a Chapter Office the member must:

1. Sophomores and Juniors must hold the degree of Chapter Farmer. Freshmen candidates must have applied and been a candidate for Greenhand Office.
2. The chapter officer application must be filled out and turned in prior to the given deadline, to the chapter advisor.
3. Be in good standing with the Chapter as outlined in Article III, section D of the Tulare FFA Constitution.
4. Maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better.

Section D. All officers’ vacancies during the term shall be appointed by the chapter officers under the approval of the Advisor.

Section E. An officer can be removed from officer team at any time for conducting themselves in a matter that is unbecoming of a chapter officer as determined by their fellow officers and advisor or by not fulfilling the requirements of the office as outlined in their contracts. Possible reasons for impeaching an officer include, but are not limited to: Not fulfilling duties as required by the constitution, not portraying the image of a FFA member as established by the chapter officers and constitution, loosing respect of fellow chapter officers, members, advisors and/or the community.  

Section F. An officer missing a meeting, leadership conference, or other responsibility must provide a written explanation one day prior to the event, except in uncontrolled circumstances or extreme emergencies.

Section G. Any officer placed on academic probation shall, in writing, resign from office at the first appropriate chapter officer executive meeting. This vacant office shall be filled according to the constitution.

Section H. Any chapter officer who desires to be a candidate from Tulare for the San Joaquin Regional FFA must:

1. Have an ongoing SAE
2. Hold a degree of Chapter farmer
3. Be in good standing with the chapter
4. Maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better
5. Be in active member and participate in two fall or one spring judging team
6. Be involved in Parliamentary Procedure, Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking, or Job interview