ARTICLE I
Name
The name of the Conference shall be the Tennessee General Sessions Judges’ Conference
ARTICLE II
Purpose
The purposes of the Conference shall be: to promote the administration of justice; to enhance and further legal professionalism within the General Sessions Courts of the State of Tennessee; to encourage respect and admiration for the law; to seek such reform of the law as is in the good of the public interest; and to provide a forum and organization through which its members may work for their common good, including continuing education and training.
The mission of the General Sessions Judges Conference is to enhance the professional and personal development of all judges with General Session jurisdiction, encourage pro-active efforts to preserve and improve our system of justice and develop visionary judicial leadership in order to provide the citizens of Tennessee with the highest quality of services from its judges exercising General Sessions jurisdiction.
ARTICLE III
Membership
The membership of the Conference shall be opened to every General Sessions Judge and every Municipal Judge with General Sessions jurisdiction within the State of Tennessee. A member must be in good standing with all state agencies regulating the performance of their judicial functions to vote or participate in conference activities. In addition, a member shall have paid all dues, fees or assessments required by the Conference in order to vote or participate in Conference activities.
Any former General Sessions Judge or Municipal Judge with General Sessions jurisdiction may be a non-voting member of the Conference by payment of the aforesaid dues, fees or assessments as required in this article, except those removed from office for criminal or unethical conduct or those convicted of any criminal felony offense.
ARTICLE IV
Officers and Their Terms
There shall be a President, President Elect, three Vice-Presidents, and Secretary-Treasurer. The three Vice-Presidents shall be selected one from each Grand Division of the State.
There shall be a President, President Elect, three regional Vice Presidents, and the Secretary-Treasurer. The three regional Vice Presidents shall be selected one from each Grand Division of the State. It is mandatory that the President Elect be selected from the Executive Board after having served the previous year as regional First Vice President.
The office of President shall automatically be awarded to the individual serving as President-Elect the immediately preceding year.
The office of President-Elect shall rotate from Grand Division to Grand Division in a manner which provides each Grand Division the office of President every third year.
The office of President shall rotate from Grand Division to Grand Division in a manner which provides each Grand Division the office of President every third year.
The office of President shall automatically be awarded to the individual serving as President-Elect the immediate preceding year.
Each year the Conference shall select a regional First Vice President from the grand division of the State that is two years from the Presidency. That regional First Vice President shall serve one year as regional First Vice President and the next year as President Elect. For the purpose of continuity of leadership within the Conference the First Vice President would serve on the Executive Committee of the Conference for five years.
The term of all officers shall be for a period of one year or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. All officers except the President and President-Elect may serve consecutive terms.
Article V
Election of Officers
All officers shall serve beginning with their election at the annual meeting as set forth hereafter.
In the event of death or inability of the President to serve, then the Vice President of the same Grand Division of the President shall succeed until the next annual meeting of the Conference. In the event of the death or inability of a Vice President or Secretary-Treasurer, the President shall appoint a replacement from that Grand Division from which they were elected to serve until the next annual meeting of the Conference. In the event of the death or inability of the Secretary Treasurer such replacement shall be selected from any member in good standing from any Grand Division. Any appointment by the President shall be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee at its next called meeting.
Article VI
Officers Duties and Power
(A)President shall be the principal executive officer of the Conference. The President, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the General Membership and the Executive Committee. The President shall be authorized with the Secretary-Treasurer to supervise and transact all business affairs, including financial of the Conference unless otherwise restricted by the vote of the General Membership.
(B)Grand Division Vice-Presidents shall perform such duties as requested by the President or Executive Committee. The Vice-Presidents shall be members of the Executive Committee. The President-Elect shall perform all duties as may be prescribed by the President or Executive Committee. The President-Elect shall be a member of the Executive Committee.
(C) The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
- Keep the minutes of the membership meetings and of the Executive Committee’s meetings. These minutes shall be maintained on file in the Administrative Office of the Courts.
- Mail all notices required by these By-Laws, the President or Executive Committee.
- Maintain all financial records, including but not limited to checking, dues and accounts payable of the Conference.
Article VII
Executive Committee
Section One. – General Powers. The business and affairs of this Conference shall be managed and directed by its Executive Committee. Unless it is impractical to do so, the General Membership of the Conference should be advised as to significant issues to come before the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall keep the General Membership of the Conference advised as to such issues so that the General Membership can voice its opinions. In the event the General Membership takes a position at a properly called General Membership meeting, on any particular issue, then the Executive Committee shall not take a contrary position on that issue.
Section Two. – Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the General Sessions Judges Conference shall consist of the President, President-Elect, three Grand Division Vice-Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer and immediate Past President.
The Executive Committee of the TGSJC shall consist of the President, President Elect, three regional (Grand Division) Vice Presidents (one of which is the First Vice President), Secretary Treasurer, the two previous Past Presidents and one At Large member designated and chosen by the current serving President. In order to insure continuity of leadership within the Conference, each member (other than the Secretary-Treasurer, elected each year and the At Large Member, selected each year) would serve five years on the Executive Committee – (regional First Vice President, President Elect, President, Past President and Past, Past President).
Section Three. – Vacancies. Whenever vacancies occur for whatever reason, they shall be filled by appointments for the unexpired terms by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section Four. – Regular Meetings. A regular meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held, without other notice, at the same place and during the time as the annual meeting of the General Membership as designed by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may meet at such times and places as may be designated by the President, upon due notice to each member.
Section Five. – Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by, or at the request of, the President, or any five (5) members of the Executive Committee. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Executive Committee may fix the times and places for such meetings.
Section Six. – Notice. Unless otherwise provided in these By-Laws, notice of special meetings shall be given not less than seven (7) days in advance of said meeting. Such notice may be given by written notice, mail, electronic means, telegram, telephone or given verbally. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail so addressed, with postage thereupon prepaid. If notice is given by telegram, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when the telegram is delivered to the telegraph company. Any committee member may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a committee member at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except where a committee member attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. The business to be transacted at, or the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the Executive Committee need not be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting.
Section Seven. – Quorum. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of a majority of the Executive Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Executive Committee. If a quorum is present when a meeting is convened, the Executive Committee members present may continue to do business, taking action by a vote of the quorum, until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Committee members to leave less than a quorum, or the refusal of any member present to vote.
Section Eight. – Presumption of Assent. A member of the Executive Committee who is present at a meeting of the Executive Committee at which action on any Conference matter is taken, shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his or her dissent shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting. He or she shall file this verbal or written dissent with the Secretary of the Conference immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. The right of dissent shall not apply to a member who voted in favor of such action.
Section Nine. Ex-Officio Members. The Executive Committee may have ex officio members. The ex officio members shall be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or his or her designee, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, The Attorney General and Reporter of the State, and any other ex officio members authorized by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may exclude any ex officio member from the Executive Committee meetings upon majority vote of the quorum present.
Article VII
Annual Meeting
There shall be an annual meeting of the Conference and such other meetings as the President and the Executive Committee may call. The time and place of the annual meeting to be fixed at each preceding annual meeting, but this Article shall be subject to the provision that the meeting be rotated annually between the Grand Divisions of the State.
Article IX
Committees
The Conference shall have the following standing committees:
- Legislative
- Continuing Education
- Annual Meeting
The President or Executive Committee may establish such committees as deemed appropriate to further purpose provisions of Article II. The President shall make all appointments to the committees.
Article X
Contracts, Checks and Deposits
Section one. – Contracts. The Executive Committee may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Conference, authorized by law and these By-Laws, and such authority may be general or specific.
Section Two. – Checks, etc. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Conference, shall be signed by such officer or officers of this Conference as designated by these By-Laws or as is determined by a vote of the Executive Committee. Absent vote of the Executive Committee the President and the Secretary-Treasurer shall sign all checks, drafts or other orders for payment.
Section Three. – Deposits. All funds of the Conference shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Conference in such bank or banks as the Treasurer shall select with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section Four. – Annual Financial Reports. At a minimum, written financial reports shall be presented at the annual meeting. The report shall reflect the financial status of the Conference. Such other reports and/or audits may be required by the Executive Committee as deemed appropriate.
Article XI
Dues
Each member of the Conference shall pay, upon receipt of an invoice, annual dues. The annual dues shall be in an amount designated each year by vote of the Executive Committee or General Membership at the annual meeting. In the event the Committee fails to act, the previous year’s dues shall remain the annual dues until changed by vote in accordance with this Article.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall send a list of the names of the Judges who are delinquent on the payment of dues to the AOC six weeks prior to the Mid-Winter Conference and six weeks prior to the September Conference. Those Judges whose names appear on the delinquent dues list, will not be considered Members in good standing with the Conference. Judges whose names appear on the delinquent dues list will not be allowed to register for the Conference, receive materials or be given CLE credit for attendance.
Article XII
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by vote at an annual meeting or regularly called meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the active members registered and in good standing. No amendments shall be authorized unless written notice of the proposed amendment is provided at least seven (7) days in advance of such amendment.
Article XIII
Roberts Rules
Except as specifically provided in these By-Laws “Roberts Rules of Order” shall govern all business of the Conference.