SECTION I - This organization shall be known as the Williams County Agricultural Society.

Purpose

SECTION I - The purpose of this society shall be for the improvement of agriculture, domestic, industry, public schools, better acquaintance of our citizenship and for wholesome entertainment and shall be the overseers of the Williams County Agricultural Society’s Land Preservation Project.

Officers-Directors

SECTION I - The officers of this Society shall consist of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, and the board of directors consisting of 18 or more members.

SECTION II - The county Extension Agent/ 4-H Youth Development, the county Extension Agent/ Family Consumer and Sciences, the county Extension Agent/ Natural Resources and Community Development, the county school superintendent, and the county commissioners shall be ex-officio members of the board of directors.

Annual Meeting

SECTION I - The annual meeting of the board of directors shall be held the third Thursday in October. The board may employ a secretary-treasurer at the annual meeting or any time thereafter, but the fiscal year shall end December 1.

Election of Directors

SECTION I - One third (1/3) of twenty six (26) potential directors shall be elected annually from in Williams County as listed below, on or after the second day of the fair to be held each year on the Fairgrounds of the Society in the town of Montpelier, County of Williams. One member shall be chosen from each township in Williams County, one from within the corporate limits of the City of Bryan, villages of Montpelier, Edon, Edgerton, Stryker, Pioneer and West Unity, Ohio; four members-at-large from any District of the County; and one woman-at-large from each of the three districts as follows: District Number 1-Northwest, Bridgewater, Madison, and Millcreek; District Number 2-Florence, Superior, Jefferson, and Brady; District Number 3-St. Joe, Center, Pulaski, and Springfield. Only members of the Williams County Agricultural Society are eligible to become directors and only directors can hold office. The County Agricultural Society members shall have a right to vote at the annual election of directors of the Society. The board of directors shall fix the membership fee. The polls will be open at 1 p.m. And close at 7 p.m. Voting will be by ballot, furnished by the Society. The president shall appoint clerks and judges from its membership.

SECTION II - Members of the Williams County Agricultural Society must declare their candidacy for the office of director by filing with the secretary a petition signed by 10 or more Williams County Agricultural Society members who are residents of Williams County by 4:00 p.m. August 20 of present year of the fair.

Memberships in the Society shall be placed on sale at least two weeks before old memberships expire of each year and shall remain on sale at least 30 hours each week at a place specified by the board of directors until 7:00 p.m. of the day before the election.

Membership certificates shall bear dates (day and year membership begins and day and year membership terminates) denoting the period of membership in the Society, the name of the Society, and a place for the signature of the person holding said membership. No membership certificate shall be issued to corporations, organizations, partnerships, or firms. All membership certificates shall be issued in the name of an individual who has paid the required membership fee and only that person whose name appears on the membership certificate shall be considered a member of the Williams County Agricultural Society and shall have a right to vote at the annual election of directors of the Society.

SECTION III - The board of directors shall be elected for a term of three years. Agricultural societies may specify in the Constitution the number of consecutive terms a person may serve as a member of the board of directors and may provide in the Constitution or rules for honorary directors with no voting power. The casting of votes for directors by proxies is not to be permitted. If any member of the board of directors misses three consecutive regular meetings the board may declare the position vacant and name a successor to serve until the next annual election, when a director shall be elected for the unexpired term. The following oath (or affirmation) shall be used by a competent authority (designated by law), or any official in the Society, given authority to administer oaths in the constitution of the Society in inducting newly elected directors into the office:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitution of the United States, the constitution of the State of Ohio, Laws of Ohio, and the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture of Ohio pertaining to Agricultural Societies and to the best of my ability perform the duties of director of the Williams County Agricultural Society, so help me God.

The term of office of the retiring directors shall expire and that of the director-elect shall begin on the day of the annual meeting each year, or when their successors are qualified.

Organization

SECTION I - The board of directors, at their annual meeting, shall elect a president and vice president. Their term of office shall be for one year and until his/her successors are elected. The president and vice president shall be directors. The secretary and treasurer may or may not be directors.

SECTION II - At said meeting, the president shall appoint three or more members of the board, who shall, with the president and secretary-treasurer, constitute an executive committee.

Duties of Officers

SECTION I - The president shall preside at all meetings of the society and of the board and such other duties as pertain to the office and shall be entitled to vote upon all questions coming before the board.

SECTION II - It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the meeting of the society, the board of directors and the executive committee; record all entries for premiums, receive all monies due the Society except for tickets sold by the treasurer, and pay the same to the treasurer; sell all privileges, superintend the printing and distribution of the Society’s catalogs; make a report annually to the board of directors at the November meetings, and shall also make a report annually to the state board, as required by the rules; shall notify the members of the board of directors of all called compensation as the board may deem proper.

SECTION III - It shall be the duty of the secretary-treasurer to collect all money for the society, pay all orders drawn upon the Society, and report to the board at its November meetings the amount of receipts and expenditures.

SECTION IV - The executive committee shall perform such duties and have such powers as shall be delegated to it by the board of directors.

SECTION V - The board of directors shall have charge of the management of the affairs of the Society, one more than half of total board in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Time of Holding Fair

SECTION I - The annual exhibition shall be held at the grounds of the Society at some period between the first day of August and the first day of November.

Amendments

SECTION I – The Constitution of a Society shall not be amended except by a majority vote of membership voting at the annual meeting of the board of directors. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by: a majority of the board of directors at a scheduled meeting voting in favor of placing an amendment on the ballot. If an amendment is proposed as set forth above, it shall be submitted to the membership of the Society at the annual meeting. Said amendment shall be published in at least on newspaper of general circulation in the county or district concerned, no less than three but not more than ten (10) days before it is to be voted on. When more than one amendment shall be submitted as to enable the members to vote on each amendment, separately.