Article X – Committees

The Association may have the following standing committees:

 Executive Committee    Auditing
 Legislative     Membership
 Nominations & Elections   Consumer/Marketing
 By-Laws     

The membership of the Executive Committee shall consist of seven persons: the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three Board members appointed to the Executive Committee by the President, subject to confirmation by the Board.  The President shall serve as the chair-person of the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall:

1) Perform such functions of the Board as may be delegated to it by the Board.

2) Perform, between Board meetings, all functions of the Board necessary to assure the orderly operation of the Association, except such functions as the Board may reserve for itself.

The President shall, subject to confirmation by the Board, appoint chair-persons and membership to all committees or delegate the membership appointments to the respective chair-persons; however, the Immediate Past-President shall serve as a voting member and chair-person of the Nominations and Elections Committee.  In the even of a vacancy in the position of Immediate Past-President the President shall, with Board confirmation, appoint the chair-person. The membership of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall consist of a representative from each local chapter. The responsibilities of the Nominations and Elections Committee are described in Article XI – Elections.

The Legislative Committee shall:

1) Review national and state rehabilitation legislative issues and shall recommend to the Board that the Association take a public stand on specific issues.

2) Request the Executive Committee to authorize the President, by a majority vote, to speak on behalf of the Association to legislative persons(s) or at a legislative hearing(s).

3) Notify the President when a legislative issue requires a timely response.  The President determines whether or not to notify the membership.

The Auditing Committee shall:

1) Conduct an annual audit of the Association’s fiscal records by September 1 of the close of the fiscal year, and report the results to the membership in the following MRA Newsletter.

2) Conduct other audits of the Association’s fiscal records at the request of the Board.

The By-Laws Committee shall:

1) Conduct an annual review of the Association’s By-Laws and recommend to the Board changes necessary to carry out the activities of the Association.

2) Review annually the By-Laws of NRA and GPR to ensure that the Association’s By-Laws are in proper alignment as required by the NRA and GPR By-Laws.

The Membership Committee shall:

1) Keep updated records of the membership of the Association

2) Encourage retention of current members and new members to the Association.

3) Provide a membership list to the Nominations and Elections Committee seven (7) days prior to the Annual Meeting.

4) Provide a membership list to the Board as requested.

5) Work with the Treasurer to reimburse active chapters their rebates.

The Consumer/Marketing Committee shall:

1) Identify the needs of persons with disabilities in the State.

2) Recommend to the Board programs and promotional activities to advocate for services and legislation to meet those identified needs.

3) Serve on Conference Committee assisting with programs.

The Awards Committee shall:

1) Coordinate the nominations and presentation of yearly awards to include but not limited to Stevenson’s Award, Legislative Award and Administrator of the Year.

2) Nominate Missourians for regional /national awards.

Special committees may be appointed by the President with Board confirmations to carry out special duties not customarily assigned to one of the standing committees.  The determination of the number of members to appoint to each committee shall expire each year at the close of the Annual Meeting next following such appointment. 

Article XI – Elections

Elections of a President Elect, Secretary, Treasure and Board Member at Large shall be conducted during the annual meeting. In order to run for an elected position on the Board (President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, or Board Members-at-Large) a person must have: 1) been a member of MRA/NRA for one year, 2) served in some capacity on the board previously (i.e. committee).  Any member wishing to vote on the slate of officers and unable to attend the Annual Meeting may request an absentee ballot, following procedures established and managed by the Nominations and Elections Committee.

Procedures for absentee voting:

1) The Nominations and Elections Committee, chaired by the immediate Past-President, will submit slate of nominees no later than the March Board meeting prior to the conference.

2) The slate of nominees will be printed in the April Newsletter with notice that ballots may be requested from the Chair-person of the Nominations and Elections Committee or his/her designee immediately after distribution of the Newsletter, or, the ballot may be printed in the Newsletter and mailed to the chair-person or his/her designee.

3) Names of members requesting an absentee ballot will be checked off the membership list.  The same membership list will be used during elections at the Annual Meeting.

4) Ballots must be received by the Nominations and Elections Committee seven days prior to the start of the Annual Meeting.

5) Ballot will remain sealed and uncounted until the closing of voting at the Annual Meeting.