Community University Education

COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PURCHASING ASSOCIATION

Revised ______, 2006

V. CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: Name

The name of the cooperative organization shall be the COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PURCHASING ASSOCIATION. For ready reference the organization may be designated by the initials CUE.

ARTICLE II: Purpose

The general purpose of the Association shall be to enable its members to enhance their ability to obtain quality merchandise at lower cost through pooling their purchasing.

Specific steps to accomplish the general purpose shall be:

A. To select items of common use where lower prices may be obtained through pooled purchasing than can be obtained by members acting independently.

B. To prepare requests for competitive quotations containing terms, conditions, and specifications for submitting to prospective vendors.

C. Members to purchase through the Association arrangements all that is feasible, in order that the Association’s efforts will be to the maximum benefit of the membership as a whole.

D. To prepare conservatively and submit promptly, estimates of quantities of merchandise needs, to the product committees when requested, for use in soliciting quotations. Purchases during an agreement term by any member shall be no less than 90% of the quantity estimated by the member in arranging the pool agreement.

E. To cooperate with vendors to hold their costs at a minimum, thereby helping the Association realize its general purpose.

ARTICLE III: Membership

A. Active mMembers are governmental bodies, public and private schools, universities, and nonprofit corporations serving the general public that

 Have been accepted into membership  Have made payment of annual dues  Have participated in two or more purchasing agreements and submitted estimates of needs information upon request, and  Have attended three (3) two (2) or more general meetings during the year. B. Associate members are governmental bodies, public and private schools, universities, and non-profit corporations serving the general public that wish to participate in one or more of the purchasing agreements without fulfilling the requirements of active status membership as outlined in Article III, Section A., Sub-sections 1 through 5.

C.B. New membership is available to those governmental bodies, public and private schools, universities and non-profit corporations serving the general public whose headquarters are in the following counties.

1. Summit County, Ohio Portage County, Ohio Medina County, Ohio Stark County, Ohio

Exception: Current members outside the geographical area stated above shall not be affected by this provision as long as they remain in good standing. New membership may be considered for entities that directly abut the counties listed above.

D.C. Appeals regarding assigned status may be submitted to the steering committee.

E.D. OBLIGATIONS

1. A member who has participated in a purchase/agreement shall purchase from the vendor whose quotations have been accepted by the Association and shall refuse to purchase from suppliers who offer to sell at or lower than the quoted price accepted by the association.

A vendor who has submitted an unsuccessful quotation who offers to sell to a member at the successful price shall not be requested to submit a quotation at the next solicitation of quotations.

2. Request for Membership

Registration for membership shall be open from March 1 to April 30 and August 1 through September 30. Requests for membership shall be in writing to the chairperson. All membership requests will be reviewed by the steering committee and presented to the general membership at the next regular meeting for acceptance.

F.E. Voting Rights

1. Only active members have the right to vote in any matters of the association.

G.F. Time and Place of Meeting

The steering committee shall meet on the first Tuesday of each month quarterly, semi- annually, or at the call of the chairman, at a place and time to be set by the chairman.

The membership shall meet on the second Tuesday of each month except July, August, and January quarterly, or at the call of the chairman, at a place and time to be set by the chairman. ARTICLE IV: Dues

A. Active Members

A. Annual dues will be recommended by the Steering Committee to the general membership at the first meeting in September each year at such time as the Steering Committee deems a change in dues fees is appropriate.

B. Associate Members

Annual dues will be assessed four times the rate as established for active members.

ARTICLE V: Officers, Duties and Terms

A. A chairman shall be elected by the voting members in October December to take the office immediately to serve for the next twelve calendar months, but no longer than two calendar years, or fractions thereof, in succession. The chairman shall preside at meetings of the members and its steering committee. He/she shall be co-signer for the withdrawals for the association’s bank, savings, or checking accounts shall perform an end of the year audit on all association finances. He/she will assemble a selection committee from the membership when a Secretary-Treasurer or Commodity Agent position becomes vacant or membership requests a change or a vacation is forthcoming. When circumstances warrant, he/she may call meetings of the steering committee and the membership at date other than the regular meeting dates.

B. A vice-chairman shall be elected by the voting members each October in December to take office immediately to serve no longer than two calendar years, or fraction thereof. He/she shall preside at any meeting when the chairman is absent. He/she shall assume the office of the chairman should the chairman so elected become permanently incapacitated or leave the association. A new vice-chairman will then be elected.

C. A secretary-treasurer shall be appointed by the steering committee, subject to ratification selected by a selection committee and approved by the voting members and shall serve at the pleasure of the steering committee membership. He/she shall prepare dues statements to be sent members annually, and to new members at the time of their acceptance; shall notify steering committee members of place and time of meetings upon advice of chairman; shall help in writing quotation requests and purchase agreements; shall keep minutes of actions taken at steering committee and membership meetings; shall co-sign withdrawals of association bank or savings accounts. This person shall be eligible to be paid a fee as voted on by the membership.

D. A Commodity Agent shall be selected by a selection committee and approved by the voting members and shall serve at the pleasure of the membership. He/she shall prepare, advertise and open bids for all commodities for CUE. He/she shall prepare bid recommendations and present them to the general membership for action. This person shall be eligible to be paid a fee as voted on by the membership. ARTICLE VI: Committees

A. The steering committee shall be composed of the chairman, vice-chairman, commodity committee chairman agent, secretary/treasurer and up to two at-large delegates. The steering committee shall appoint a chairman and members of each of the various commodity committees to prepare requests for quotations, terms, conditions, and specifications in accordance with standards or guides available, and to solicit quantity usage requirements from the membership.

The commodity committee shall report their progress and recommendations to the steering committee, which shall review and recommend action to take at the membership meeting.

B. Commodity or products committee shall prepare forms for members to indicate quantity, quality requirements for a definite period. Specifications shall be written by the products committee and reviewed by the steering committee. The products committee will then prepare a list of vendors to whom requests for quotations shall be sent. Samples may be secured for trial use at members’ schools locations in order to determine acceptability.

ARTICLE VII: Amendments

A. Constitution

1. The constitution shall be presented to the steering committee for review and suggestions. It shall be presented to the active membership for consideration if a majority of 51% 75% of the committee vote for approval.

2. An amendment to the constitution shall be voted on at the next regular meeting following its presentation at a regular meeting. The amendment shall be adopted if a majority of 51% 75% of the active members present at the meeting vote affirmative approved as long as a minimum of 15% of the membership is represented at the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII:Adoption

The undersigned, being the Chairperson, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Commodity Agent of CUE do hereby approve the adoption of the foregoing constitution after a vote by the membership with at least 75% of members present voting to adopt the constitution and as long as a minimum of 15% of the membership is represented at the meeting.

______Paul E. Barnett Sue Morgan Andy Roth CUE Chairman Secretary/Treasurer Commodity Agent

Dated: ______, 2006