CHAPTER BYLAWS
FOR THE
GRADUATE REALTORS INSTITUTE
TENNESSEE CHAPTER

OR

ARTICLE I PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

1. Providing opportunity for participation by members of GRI in an ongoing program of real estate education.
2. Conducting, supporting or funding real estate seminars for the chapter, local Board of Realtors, State Association of Realtors, and members of the public within the chapter jurisdiction.
3. Promoting the image and reputation of GRI and its designees.
4. Assisting GRI in achieving its objectives including: market feedback, course promotion, public relations,
   and membership recruitment and retention.
5. Providing a form for the exchange of information.
6. Giving assistance and guidance to candidates seeking to become designees.

ARTICLE II CHAPTER JURISDICTION

1. The jurisdiction of the chapter is defined as follows: The State of Tennessee GRI Chapter.
   
2. The jurisdiction of the chapter is granted by the Board of Governors of GRI which may in its absolute discretion, change, alter, modify or revoke the jurisdiction granted.

ARTICLE III CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP

All GRI candidates and designees residing in or having a place of business within the jurisdiction of the chapter shall be eligible for chapter membership, providing they are members in good standing of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS and GRI.

GRI designees shall be Active Members, and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership, including the right to hold office and to vote.

GRI candidates shall be Candidate Members, and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership except the right to hold the office of President.

ARTICLE IV CHAPTER MEETINGS

The President of the Chapter shall schedule regular business meetings to coincide with T.A.R. meetings. The President may schedule such additional special business, educational, social or other meetings as he/she deems necessary, and must schedule a meeting whenever requested by one-third of the Executive Board. All regular meetings shall be open to all members. Notice of each meeting shall be posted on the GRI website: www.gri-tn.com.
A quorum of any regular or special business meeting of the Chapter shall be attending members in good standing of the Chapter.

Meetings of the Chapter shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition, in all instances wherein its provisions do not conflict with these by-laws or other regulations and rules adopted by the Chapter.
ARTICLE V CHAPTER DUES AND FOES

The annual dues of Active and Candidate Members shall be $20.00. Dues shall be payable on or before January 31st of each year.

Members who have not paid their dues by March 31st of each year shall be considered inactive members of the chapter. The Chapter may levy special assessments on its active and inactive members to create a specific chapter reserve fund or to pay the cost of a specific chapter special activity or project, provided such assessment is approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members in good standing.

All dues shall be deposited by the Treasurer in an Chapter Bank account and shall not be commingled.

ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE BOARD AND OFFICERS

The Executive Board shall be the governing body of the Chapter. Members of the Executive Board shall be the elected officers.

The term of office of each elected member of the Executive Board shall be one year or until his successor is elected and qualified, whichever last occurs. In the event of a vacancy among the elected members of the Executive Board, the remaining members of the Board shall elect a member of the chapter to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
The chairman of the Executive Board shall be the President of the chapter.

The Executive Board shall hold meetings coinciding with the T.A.R. meetings. Such meetings shall be held immediately before or following the regular business meetings of members. Additional meetings of the Executive Board may be called at the direction of the President of upon the written request of not less than four members of the Board.
The Secretary shall provide notice of each meeting of the Board.

A quorum of the Board shall consist of fifty percent (50%) of the Board members, provided at least fifty percent (50%) of the elected members are present.

ARTICLE VII OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS

The elective officers of the chapter shall consist of a Past President, President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, provided, however, that the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person.
The elected officers shall have such duties as normally accrue to their offices and as may be assigned to them from time to time by the Executive Board. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Board and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

The officers shall be elected for a term of one (1) year and shall serve in each office consecutively through the office of Past President (i.e. Secretary/Treasurer to President Elect to President to Past President). In the event any office, except the office of President, becomes vacant, the Board shall elect from their number a person to serve for the remainder of the term. In the event the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall automatically become the President during the remainder of the unexpired term.

The Secretary/Treasurer or Secretary and Treasurer of the Executive Board shall be elected at the annual business meeting to be held in the fall of each year, and shall take office as of November 1 of each year. *coinciding with the T.A.R. meetings.

Candidates for chapter office of Secretary/Treasurer on the Executive Board shall be determined as follows:

The President with the consent of the Executive Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee prior to the membership meeting at which the election is to occur. The Nominating Committee shall consist of not less than three (3) but no more than five (5) members.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate a candidate for the office of Secretary/Treasurer.

The President may not succeed himself.

ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES

There shall be a nominating Committee appointed annually as provided in Article VII of these bylaws.
There shall be created and maintained the required standing Committees herein after described. The chairman and all members of the standing committees shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Board. Members of standing committees shall serve for a term of one year. The required standing committees of the chapter are:

Membership
Program
Candidate Guidance
Public Relations

The number of members on each committee shall be determined by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, but no committee shall have less than three (3) members and each committee shall have at least one candidate member, if available, to serve.

The President may establish with the consent of the Executive Board such special committees as he may determine necessary and appoint the members thereof, including the chairman. Each special committee and the terms of all members thereof shall expire automatically on the anniversary date of its creation or when its purposes have been accomplished, whichever first occurs.

Chairmen of special committees mentioned in Section 3 of this Article shall not serve on the Executive Board unless otherwise duly elected to the Board.

ARTICLE IX FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the chapter shall be January 1 through December 31.

ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS & RESTRICTIONS ON CHAPTER POWERS

The membership of the chapter may at any regular or Special business meeting amend these by-laws in such manner as the membership may deem appropriate.

Any amendment of these by-laws shall receive a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the chapter members present and qualified to vote at a fully constituted meeting, provided, however, that the substance of any proposed amendment must be included in the notice of the meeting at which it will be considered.

The chapter is to seek an exemption as a trade association from federal taxation under Section 501 (C)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. The chapter shall not engage in any activities or take any action which will jeopardize such exempt status.

All funds of the chapter shall be used exclusively to carry out the purposes and objectives of the chapter as set forth in these by-laws. No funds shall be diverted from such purposes for the personal benefit of any individual member or other person. In the event of the dissolution of the chapter, any funds remaining after the discharge and payment of all obligations of the chapter shall be prorated and transferred to its members in good standing.

The chapter shall not cause or permit itself to be incorporated under any state or federal law.

ARTICLE XI GENERAL

Written proxies may be used in conducting the business ofthe membership, the Executive Board, and the committees of the chapter, provided, however, that no written proxy shall be used in connection with the election of officers or members of the Executive Board or in amending the by-laws.

By unanimous consent notice of any meeting of the membership, the Executive Board or any committee may be waived, except a meeting at which elections will take place or at which amendments to these by-laws will be considered.

The chapter is to avoid conflicts between the activities of RNMI, local Boards, state associations, the National Association of Realtors, and its institutes, societies and councils.