Section 2.1 Pursuant to the Resolution passed by the Board of County Commissioners for Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1990, the purposes of this organization shall include, but not limited to, the following:

To guarantee that women citizens of Mercer County shall have full and equal opportunity to serve in every capacity and participate in all facets of life;

To assess the extent to which the needs of women and children are addressed;

To advocate for the rights of women in all areas and in all types of situations affecting women;

To act in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in matters concerning the above.

Section 3.1 The Mercer County Commission for Women (hereto referred to as The Commission) shall be comprised of fifteen (15) members appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (hereto referred to as the Board of Commissioners). Recommendations shall be made by the Nominating Committee of The Commission and forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for appointment. Each candidate shall be required to submit an application form prior to consideration.

Section 3.2 Members shall be appointed for a term of three years, except as set forth in 3.3 below. The term extends for three years from the first day of the month following the date of official appointment by the Mercer County Board of Commissioners.

Section 3.3 No person may be appointed to The Commission for more than two consecutive three-year terms.

Section 3.4 Members of The Commission shall either live or work in Mercer County.

Section 4.1 The Chairperson shall appoint a five-person nominating committee containing at least one member of each standing committee. The Commission Chairperson will not serve on the Nominating Committee.

Section 4.2 The Nominating Committee will present applicants for membership to The Commission during a regular business meeting at any time a vacancy exists. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Members shall vote on nominees to be appointed by the Board of Commissioners as of the first of the following month.

Section 4.3 The Nominating Committee shall also present a recommended slate of officers at the May meeting from those continuing on The Commission. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the May meeting. Election of the officers shall take place at the June meeting.

Section 4.4 The results of the June election shall be communicated to the Board of Commissioners before their first meeting in August.

Section 4.5 All elections shall be by written ballot.

Section 4.6 The Nominating Committee shall make recommendations to fill vacancies in offices as needed. Nominations may be made from the floor to fill vacancies in offices. Vacancies in offices are filled by a majority vote during a regular business meeting.

Section 5.1 Any member may resign by giving written notice to the secretary of The Commission. Such resignation shall take effect on the date of the receipt of such notice or at any time specified therein. It shall not be necessary for The Commission to accept such resignation.

Section 5.2 Members may remove a member for just cause which shall be defined to mean conduct that adversely reflects upon The Commission or serves as an impediment to the purposes of The Commission set forth in Article II, failure of a member to attend three consecutive commission meetings, or missing four meetings in The Commission year. Before removal, said member shall receive a letter of inquiry and be given the opportunity to respond. A majority vote during a regular business meeting is required to remove any member.

Section 5.3 Vacancies shall be filled on a timely basis in order to maintain the full complement of membership. The candidate’s credentials will be discussed and voted on during the monthly meeting and forwarded to the Board of Commissioners. Written acceptance from the Board of Commissioners to the Chairperson must be received prior to the potential member having voting rights.

Section 6.1 The regular meetings shall be held on the first Monday of each month, unless that date is a holiday in which case the meeting shall be the second Monday, or at such time as the majority of members may from time to time select.

Section 6.2 Regular meetings shall be held in the Mercer County Courthouse.

Section 6.3 Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson and must be called when a written request is made by five members. Notice of such special meetings shall be given by the Secretary to each member in person, by mail, or by telephone at least three days prior to such meeting and shall state the date, time, place, and purpose thereof.

Section 6.4 Each member shall have one vote which must be exercised in person.

Section 6.5 A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members.

Section 6.6 Unless otherwise stated herein, the acts of the majority of those present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the acts of The Commission. If a quorum is not present, the only action which may be taken is to continue the meeting to another time and place.

Section 6.7 A favorable vote of a simple majority of members present at any meeting shall be necessary to take action. If a quorum is not present, the Executive Committee may conduct the business of The Commission by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 6.8 All monthly Commission meetings are open to the public. Visitors are invited to present a limited introduction of themselves. Introductions must be extremely brief since the formal agenda is usually lengthy. The formal agenda will commence as soon as introductions are concluded. Visitors may or may not be asked to comment on specific issues on the agenda but are encouraged to ask for clarification of topics.

Section 7.1 The Chairperson shall appoint members to committees each September and as needed to fill vacancies.

Section 7.2 The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of The Commission and may, by resolution, designate special committees as necessary and appropriate. The Executive Committee shall act as a liaison between The Commission and the Mercer County Board of Commissioners. The Committee may act on behalf of The Commission in taking specific action in the absence of a quorum.

Section 7.3 The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for proposed slates of nominees for membership and elected offices.

Section 7.4 The Finance Committee shall propose the annual budget for approval at the November meeting and insure adherence to the budget approved by The Commission.

Section 7.5 The Research/Legislative Committee shall gather, assess, and evaluate existing county data, identify the unmet needs of women and children in the county, and recommend issue priorities to The Commission.

Section 7.6 The Communication/Publicity Committee shall be responsible for disseminating information concerning the work of The Commission and the status, activities, and concerns of the women and children of Mercer County.

Section 7.7 Special Ad-hoc Committees will be named by the Chairperson as needed. Ad-hoc committees may be dissolved by a majority vote.

Section 7.8 The Chairperson is a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

Section 8.1 The elected officers shall be a Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected for one-year terms to begin at the next regular meeting and shall perform their duties as set forth herein or as assigned by The Commission. In the event that membership on The Commission falls below 10 members at the time of elections, a decision to replace the positions of Chair and Vice-chair with Co-chairs can be made by a simple majority vote.

Section 8.2 The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings and act as liaison. In addition, the chairperson shall appoint committee members, prepare an agenda for each meeting, and shall perform such other duties as shall from time to time be assigned by The Commission.

Section 8.3 The Vice-chairperson shall have such powers and duties as may be assigned by The Commission. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-chairperson shall have the powers and execute the duties of the Chairperson.

Section 8.4 The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the meetings of The Commission, the recording of all votes, disbursements of minutes to the membership, maintaining historical archives, and all other duties as assigned by The Commission.

Section 8.5 The Corresponding Secretary shall receive and respond to all correspondence in a timely manner, at the direction of The Commission, and shall mail notices of special meetings pursuant to Section 6.3.

Section 8.6 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of complete and accurate records of receipts and disbursements, all monetary activities, preparation and presentation of monthly financial reports, and such other duties as may be assigned by The Commission.

Section 8.7 No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms.