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Jim Overall, RTC/CTRS
(818) 993-9311 ext. 5323
joverall@childguidance.org

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Therapeutic Recreation Section Bylaws

ARTICLE I – NAME

This organization shall be known as the THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SECTION of the California Park and Recreation Society, Inc.  The Therapeutic Recreation Section Bylaws shall conform at all times with the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Society.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES

Section 1.     To organize all levels of Therapeutic Recreation Personnel for the purpose of promoting, improving and developing recreation services for persons with disabilities.

Section 2.     To maintain a close working alliance with other therapeutic personnel, ancillary services, community recreation agencies, voluntary agencies, professional societies, and institutions of higher learning, and to promote cooperation and coordination among individuals, agencies and organizations.

Section 3.     To assist and cooperate with the Board of Directors of the California Park and Recreation Society, Inc., in the performance of all society business and necessary.

Section 4.     To establish effective communication channels for the dissemination of information and materials, which are pertinent to Therapeutic Recreation.

Section 5.     To establish and promote professional standards and ethical practices by performing programs of education, in-service training and certification.

Section 6.     To study existing Therapeutic Recreation and related legislation, to promote and sponsor new legislation and additions and betterment to existing legislation affecting the field of Therapeutic Recreation.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.     Persons eligible for membership in this Section must be members in good standing with the California Park and Recreation Society, Inc. and have designated the Therapeutic Recreation Section as their membership choice.

Section 2.     An “active” member in good standing shall have the right to vote and be eligible to run for office in this Section.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section 1.     The officers of this Section shall be Director, Director Elect, Education Director, Education Director Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Senior Representatives North and South, Junior Representatives North and South, and immediate Past Director.

Section 2.     A member is eligible to run for office in this Section if they are active members of the Section, employed in the field and are eligible for certification, or currently certified.

Section 3A.     Duties of the Director are:
(Two year commitment; one-year as Director and one-year as Immediate Past Director)

1. Serves as the chairperson of the Section Board of Directors and Executive Council.
2. Serves as the Council of Sections Representative when elected by the council of Sections at the annual California Park and Recreation Society conference or may appoint a representative to serve the term when given the approval by the Council and Therapeutic Recreation Section Board.
3. Prepares the agenda for Board meeting and the annual Business meeting.
4. Writes the Annual Section report and distributes it during the annual state conference business meeting to the members.  Additionally, files report to the State Society.
5. Serves as an ex-officio member on all Section committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee.
6. Appoints all Chairpersons of Standing and Special Committees.
7. Serves as coordinator of the Standing and Special Committees and monitors their assignments, time lines, and budgets.
8. Assists in the development of the Annual Budget.
9. Maintains positive working relationship with CPRS, including the legislative advocate, CPRS Standing Committees and the Education Director.
10. Performs any other duties as deemed necessary to further the operations of the Section.
11. Submits quarterly column to the TR Section’s Newsline Editor for publication.
12. The Director assumes the position of Immediate Past Director after their term is over.

Section 3B.     Duties of the Director Elect are: 
(Three year commitment; one-year each as Director Elect & Director and one-year as Immediate Past Director)

1. Assists the Director with preparing the agenda for Board meeting and the Annual Business meeting.
2. Assists the Director with writing the Annual Section report and distributes it during the annual state conference business meeting to the members.
3. Serves as an ex-officio member on all Section committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee.
4. Assists the Director with Committees and monitors their assignments, time lines, and budgets.
5. Assists the Director with the development of the annual budget.
6. Maintains positive working relationship with CPRS, including the legislative advocate, CPRS Standing Committees.
7. Performs any other duties as deemed necessary to further the operations of the Section.

Section 4.     Duties of the Education Director
(Serves one-year)

1. Serves on the Section Board of Director and Executive Committee.
2. Serves as coordinator for the Section training programs.
3. Serves as Section coordinator the C.E.U. program.
4. Serves as the coordinator of the TR Institute and TR sessions at the CPRS Annual state conference.
5. Sits on the Program Committee for the state conference.
6. Facilities in cooperation with Northern and Southern Regional Representatives, local and regional workshops.
7. Orients Education Director-Elect to the duties and responsibilities of the Education Director position.
8. Facilities communication between TR Section and the California Park and Recreation Society Education Director.
9. Performs any other duties as deemed necessary to carry out the duties of this office.

Section 5.     Duties of the Education Director-Elect
(This position serves a one-year term and then moves into the Education Director position)

1. Serves on the TR Section Board of Directors.
2. Assists the Education Director in all duties as outlined in Section 5, items B, C, D, E, and F.
3. Responsible for the site supervision and management of C.E.U.’s at the annual state conference and TR Institute.  Recruit volunteers to serve as room monitors, morning registration and CEU collection volunteers.
4. Provide Education Director and the TR Board of Directors with a report of activity from conference, with evaluative information provided within the report.
5. Provide Secretary-Treasurer with financial report after conference.
6. Assist in the tabulation of the evaluations from regional worships and annual conference.  Identify training needs and trends through this process.
7. Serve a two-year term.  Automatically move to the Education Director position for the second year.
8. Provide consultative support to Regional Representatives in relations to C.E.U.’s.
9. Perform other duties as deeded necessary to carry out the function of this office.
10. Hold all rights and privileges of voting as provided by the position.
11. This is an elected position to the TR Section Board of Directors.

Section 6.     Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer
(Two-year term)

1. Serves on the Section Board of Director and Executive Council.
2. Keeps official minutes and records for al Board and Membership meetings.  Sends copies of meetings minutes to officers, committee chairpersons, and to the headquarters of the Society.
3. Carries on official correspondence of the Section .
4. Notifies members of Section meetings.
5. Prepares roll call of the Board members.
6. Preserves all records, reports, and documents for the Section, except those specifically assigned to the custody of others, and to provide resource materials to the Board.
7. Receives and disperses all Section funds on approval from the Board of Directors.
8. Prepares a quarterly treasurer’s report for presentation to the Board of Directors for adoption.
9. Performs any other duties as may be deeded necessary to carry on the function of this office.

Section 7.     Duties of the Senior Representatives
(One-year term)

1. Serves on the Section Board of Directors and Executive Council.
2. To orient Junior Representatives to the duties and responsibilities of the Section Board and the office of TR representative.
3. To facilitate the development and maintenance of support networks in each CPRS district (North region encompasses Districts I-VII; South region encompasses Districts VIII-XV)
1. Recruit and orient District TR Representatives in each district to coordinate support groups.
2. Provide informational updates to the District TR Representatives (generally after each Section Board Meeting) for dissemination to members.
3. Attend District Support Group/Network meetings, whenever possible.
4. Publicize support groups/networks through TR Newsline and district newsletters.
4. To coordinate educational workshops and training opportunities for the membership.
1. Assess educational/training needs and interest of Section members in the region.
2. Assist in the coordination of TR sessions at District or Regional workshops or institutes.
5. To provide membership with resources and information related to CPRS and TR Section services.
1. Represent member’s needs, interest, complaints, and compliments at Board meetings.
2. Publicize organizational services available to members.
3. Recruit new members to CPRS and the TR Section.
6. To serve as liaison for the collective membership of the respective region, representing the member’s needs, interests and concerns to the Section Board of Directors.
7. Performs any other duties as may be deemed necessary to carry out the function of this office.
8. Attends quarterly Board meetings.
9. Prepares in conjunction with the Junior Representative, reports on regional activities to the TR Section Board of Directors.
10. Serves on adhoc or subcommittees as required.

Section 8.     Duties of the Junior Representative
(Two-year commitment, this position serves a one-year term and then assumes the Senior Representative position)

1. Serves on the Section Board of Directors.
2. Assists the Senior Representative in all duties as outline in Article IV., Section 8.
3. Performs any other duties as may be deemed necessary to carry out the function of this office.
4. Attends quarterly Board meetings.
5. Assists the Senior Representative in preparing and discussing their quarterly Board reports.

Section 9.     Duties of the Past Director
(One-year term)

1. Serves on the Section Board of Directors.
2. Serves as the Parliamentarian.
3. Serves as the Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee.
4. Serves as the Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee.
5. Presides in the absence of the Director at meetings of the Board of Directors and Annual membership meeting.
6. Can serve as the Section’s appointee to the Council of Sections as the TR representative to the CPRS Board of Directors.
7. Serves as coordinator of the Standing and Special Committees.
8. Performs an other duties as may be deemed necessary to carry out the function of this office.
9. Responsible for coordination and education of new Board officers and Bylaws Orientation.

Section 10.     Qualifications for Officers
To be a candidate for the Office of Director Elect or Director, a person must be an active member of the Section and have served as an officer on the Section Board of Directors, or as a Chairperson of a Section Committee.  Please see additional qualifications listed above.

Section 11.     Office Vacancy
When an office has been declared vacant by the Board of Directors, the Board may fill said vacancy, with the exception of the Director, by appointing a member-at-large to serve out the remainder of the term.  When the office of Director is declared vacant by the Board of Directors, the Director Elect shall assume the full responsibilities of the Directorship.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

Section 1.     There shall be an Annual General Membership Meeting of the Section to be held during the annual California and Pacific Southwest Conference unless otherwise scheduled by the Board of Directors.

Section 2.     The Board of Directors shall meet quarterly, one at the annual Conference and three other times as called by the Director or upon the order of a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.     Meetings of the Executive Council shall be held as necessary when called by the Director or upon the order of a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 4.     Section committees may meet as necessary.

Section 5.     A quorum must be present in order to hold the Board of Directors meetings and the Section Committee meetings.  A quorum of the Board of Directors mush be present to hold the annual Membership Meeting.

ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES

Section 1.     The Executive Council shall consist of the Director, Director-Elect, Education Director, Education Director-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Senior Representatives, and the Immediate Past Director.  The Executive Council shall be empowered to meet and/or communicate and act for the Board of Directors on administrative matters in accordance with these Bylaws and policies established by the Board and shall be reported to and subject to review by the entire TR Section Board of Directors.

Section 2.     The Standing Committees shall be as follows:  Nominations and Elections, Bylaws, Membership, Public Information, Professional advancement and Standards, legislation, Research, Marketing, Ways and Means, and Regulatory Affairs.

1. Committee members shall be selected by the Chairperson of the respective Committee.  All Committee members shall be “active” members of the Section.
2. Chairperson of each Standing Committee shall be appointed by the Director, with the exception of Nominations/Elections and the Bylaws Committees, with the approval of the Board of Directors.  The Past Director shall chair the Nominations/Elections and the Bylaws Committees.
3. The duties of the Standing Committees are as follows:

1.     Nominations/Elections Committee shall provide a slate of candidates for officers of the Section and submit it in accordance with the procedures as set forth in Article VII of these Bylaws.

1. Bylaws Committee shall interpret and review the Bylaws.  The Committee will make recommendations to improve or amend the Bylaws to better facilitate the objectives of the Section.
2. Public Information Committee shall be responsible for the writing, publishing, and distributing a quarterly Section newsletter to the TR Section membership.  They shall also be responsible for any public information activities as designated by the Director or the Board of Director.  Information and articles for the TR Newsline will be submitted to the Public information Chair by all TR Section Board members and committee Chairs in order to fully inform the membership as to the workings of the Board.
3. Membership Committee shall develop methods for increasing the membership of the Section.  They shall investigate and make recommendations on membership qualification.  They shall keep an up-to-date membership roster of qualified members of the Section. They shall write to new members, congratulating them as to their membership within the Section and be responsible for mailing a New Member packet to each individual for joining.  They shall be responsible for writing to non-renewing members, attempting to reactivate those individual’s membership within the TR Section.
4. Professional Advancement and Standards Committee shall be responsible for establishing professional standards and criteria for the Section and Therapeutic Recreation professionals.  They shall also be responsible for the establishment of professional standards and a Code of Ethics in accordance with the standards set forth by the Society.  The Chair of this committee shall further serve as the Liaison to the California Board of Recreation and park Certification (CBRPC) and attend Board meetings for that organization.  This shall serve to facilitate a deeper understanding of both groups, ultimately working towards the betterment of the members and the profession.
5. Legislation Committee shall be responsible for studying and evaluating existing and/or proposed legislation as it affects the Therapeutic Recreation profession.  They will establish and maintain a liaison with the legislative arm of the State Society.  They will establish and maintain contact with the Legislative Advocates for the Society, regarding pertinent issues for the Therapeutic Recreation profession.  They shall be responsible for writing a legislative update, published within the TR Newsline quarterly, in order to inform the members of key issues affecting the profession.
6. Ways and Means Committee shall be responsible to develop a fundraising program to augment the Section Budget in supporting yearly Board goals and activities, and will implement a fundraising program with approval from the Board of Directors.  This committee will work closely with the Section Treasurer in regards to financial matters and accounting reports.  This committee shall be responsible for organizing a yearly raffle to further the needs of the Board.
7. Research Committee shall promote research as a vital professional activity in order:  1)  to expand the knowledge base within therapeutic recreation; and 2)  to increase the application of empirically based studies in professional settings.  The Committee supports the research efforts of the membership through resource-development, skill-enhancement, and related activities.
8. Regulatory Affairs Committee shall be responsible for studying and evaluating existing and/or proposed regulations and the impact on the Therapeutic Recreation profession.  They will establish and maintain liaisons with regulatory bodies and agencies.  They shall work closely with the Professional Advancement and Standards Committee and Legislation Committees of the Therapeutic Recreation Section of the California Park and Recreation Society.
9. Marketing Committee shall be responsible for marketing both the Therapeutic Recreation Section and the profession.  His shall be achieved via numerous avenues, i.e., developing and maintaining Therapeutic Recreation Section promotional packets, updating and maintain the TR Section marketing materials (brochure and basic TR related literature).  The committee shall further be responsible for increasing and enhancing the community’s awareness of Therapeutic Recreation via distribution and organization of TR Week related materials.

Section 3.     The Director of the Section shall appoint Board liaisons and other committees as deemed necessary to conduct the business of the Section.

Section 4.     Reports shall be submitted by Committee Chairs as requested by the Director of the Section.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTIONS

Section 1.     A Nominations and Elections Committee shall be formed and shall be responsible for choosing candidates for Section officers and for conducting the election of the Section officers.  The committee membership shall be as per current Section policy with the chair being the Past Director of the Section.  No more than two of the members of this committee shall be on the Board of Directors.  The work of this committee shall be in accordance with instructions contained in these Bylaws.

Section 2.     The name of the offices to be elected are Director-Elect, Education Director-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and North and South Regional Representatives.

Section 3.     At least ninety (90) days before the Annual Business Meeting, notify the Section membership that nominations for officers are invited.

Section 4.     Prepare a slate of candidates for the offices in the years in which the offices are due to be vacant and submit therein this slate of candidates in writing, to the Director at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting. 

Section 5.     With the assistance of the Director, prepare and mail to the voting membership of the Section, no later than forty-five (45) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting, a ballot carrying the names of candidates.  Names should be listed on the ballot in alphabetical order and below the names of the candidates for each office, a blank line shall be provided for write-in candidates.  A notation on the ballot shall specify the date by which the ballot is to be returned to the Chairperson of the Nominations/Elections Committee, which shall be at least twenty (20) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting.  The chairperson shall see to it that with each ballot, there should be two (2) envelopes to be used by the voter to return the marked ballot. The marked ballot shall be sealed in one envelope carrying the single word “ballot” and this returned in the other envelope pre-addressed to the Chairperson of the Nominations/Elections Committee.

Section 6.     In the presence of the Chairperson and at least two (2) members of the Nominations/Elections Committee or their proxies, open the ballot envelopes and count the votes.  The person receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.  The Chairperson of the Committee shall notify the Director of the election results.  The Director shall notify all candidates of the results.  A letter shall also be sent by the Chairperson notifying the candidates of the results.  In the case of tie, the Board of Directors will conduct a secret ballot at its next regularly scheduled Board meeting to declare the winner.

Section 7.     Ballots received after the specified deadline shall be given to the Director, unopened, for destruction and the ballots so discarded shall be included in the Nominations/elections Committee report.

ARTICLE VIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1.     The parliamentary authority for the Therapeutic Recreation Section shall be “Robert’s Rules of Order”.

ARTICLE IX – QUORUM

Section 1.     A quorum for the Section Board of Directors and Executive Council shall be a majority of the total membership of each respectively.

Section 2.     A quorum for the General Membership Meeting shall consist of those members present.

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS

Section 1.     Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by any Section member in good standing.  Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Section Board of Directors.  Proposed amendments shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Section Board of Directors.  After approval of the Board, the proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the general membership.  Members have thirty (30) days to respond in writing to the proposed amendments.  Any proposed amendments shall not be adopted by the Board if individual written protests are received from twenty-five (25) or more active members entitled to vote during the thirty (30) day notice period.  In the event of a protest of proposed amendments by the specified voters on the proposed amendments and a majority vote shall be necessary to enact proposed amendments.  The Board of Directors must ratify results of the vote.  All letters of protest concerning proposed amendments must be addressed to the section Director.  The Director will be responsible to receive, record, and report to the Bylaws Committee the tabulations of the received protests.  The Bylaws committee will be responsible for presenting a full report to the Director and the Board of Directors for its consideration and action.

Section 2.      If the Board of Directors deems it prudent, it may present bylaw amendments directly to the active membership for a vote rather than wait the established protest period.  Simple majority of votes returned will determine the action to be taken by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.     An annual review of the Bylaws will be done by the Bylaws Committee.

DATE BYLAWS ADOPTED 1984-1985
DATE(s) BYLAWS AMENDED 2004-2005