HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/18/2011 - Bylaws - Brazos Convention and Visitors Bureau0
Brazos Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Bylaws
As approved by the Board of Directors of the Brazos Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau
Effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2002
Amended and Restated Effective may 24, 2007
Amended and Restated Effective September 9, 2008
Amended and Restated Effective February 18, 2011
ARTICLE I — Title
Section 1.01 The name of the non-profit corporation governed by these By -Laws is the Brazos
Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (BVCVB).
ARTICLE II — Legal Status
Section 2.01 The corporation is a non-profit corporation organized under the Texas Business
Organizations Code.
ARTICLE III — Purpose
Section 3.01 The purpose of the corporation is to provide for the encouragement, solicitation,
promotion, procurement and servicing of conventions, conferences and seminars; to develop
tourism through the attraction of visitors and group tours to the Cities of College Station, and
Bryan, Brazos County and the surrounding Brazos Valley; provide education regarding the
importance of the convention and visitor industry to the local economy; affect cooperation
between businesses and industries servicing visitors, conventions and other meetings; receive
and disburse public fund derived from the Hotel/Motel Tax imposed by local governments in
accordance with the contractual or other arrangements with such governments; and receive and
disburse private funds for the purposes of the corporation.
ARTICLE IV — Membership
Section 4.01 Membership. The Brazos Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau shall have no
members.
ARTICLE V — Board of Directors
Section 5.01 The Board of Directors will manage the corporate affairs of BVCVB.
Section 5.02 The Board of Directors shall consist of:
a. Sixteen (16) voting members whose nomination and approval shall be conducted
in the following manner:
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1. Five members of an Executive Committee who shall have and may
exercise the full authority of the Board of Directors. The Executive
Committee members shall be appointed, in part, proportionate to their
participation in paying for the operating, capital and other costs of the
BVCVB, and shall be appointed as follows:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Three members appointed by the City Council of the City of
College Station, only one of which may be an elected official of
the City of College Station;
One member appointed by the City Council of the City of Bryan,
which may be an elected official of the City of Bryan; and
One member appointed by the Brazos Valley Lodging Association.
The hotelier must be an owner or manager of a hotel or motel
within Brazos County, and shall remain such throughout his/her
tenure as an Executive Committee member.
2. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors will elect up to eleven
(11) at -large members. Nominees for the at -large Directors shall come
from the (i) travel and tourism industry, represented by hoteliers, food
services managers/owners, (ii) the members of the Brazos Valley Sports
Advisory Board and (iii) other interested parties. Any hotelier so elected
must be an owner or manager of a hotel or motel within Brazos County,
and shall remain such throughout his tenure as an At -Large Board
member.
3. Persons appointed or elected as members of the Executive Committee may
not at the same time be employees of the cities of Bryan and College
Station, Texas or Brazos County, Texas.
Section 5.03 Terms.
a. The Initial Board of Directors, as named in the Articles of Incorporation,
shall hold office until the first annual election as provided in Paragraph
5.04.
1. Each Director whether appointed or elected shall serve for terms
of two years commencing on October 1st following election or
appointment and ending on September 30th of the appropriate year;
except as hereinafter provided. In order to provide staggered
terms, the following members of the Board of Directors will
initially serve a one-year term:
(a)
Two of the Directors provided for in Section 5.02.a(1)(a),
and
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(b) Two of the at -large Directors provided for in Section
5.02.a. (2).
2. No Director shall serve more than three (3) consecutive two-year
(2) terms without a year off the Board. A Director elected or
appointed to an initial one-year term may serve three (3) two-year
(2) terms prior to being required to take a year off from the Board.
Section 5.04 Nominations of the Elected Directors
a. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall appoint a Chairman of the
Nominating Committee at the May Board meeting. The Board of Directors shall elect
from the Board members, three to five individual members to serve with the Chairman on
the Nominating Committee for the year.
b. The Nominating Committee shall call for nominations for the at -large Directors as
provided in Section 5.04(c). The Nominating Committee shall also notify each city and
the Brazos Valley Lodging Association to make their respective appointments to the
Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of nominees for
at -large Directors, including a profile outlining each nominee's experience and
relationship to the tourism industry, if any, to the Executive Committee.
c. A call for nominations for ten (10) at -large Directors shall be sent to the
Executive Committee Members and for one at -large Director to the Brazos Valley Sports
Advisory Board during the first ten (10) days in June. Nominations by the Executive
Committee Members and the Brazos Valley Sports Advisory Board must be received at
the BVCVB office by June 25th. The Nominating Committee will then prepare a list of
recommendations for at -large Directors. During its August meeting the Executive
Committee shall elect at -large members for those whose terms are expiring. The Board
of Directors must at all times have on its Board one at -large Director nominated by
the Brazos Valley Sports Advisory Board.
d. Appointments of the Executive Committee Directors as provided in Sections
5.02.a(1)(a), 5.02.a.(1)(b), and 5.02.a.(1)(c) shall be submitted to the BVCVB Board of
Directors by each city or the Brazos Valley Lodging Association, as appropriate, by July
15th. Appointments to the respective Executive Committee positions shall be made not
later than August 15th prior to the expiration of their respective terms.
Section 5.05 Qualifications of the Board of Directors. A member of the Board must be a
resident of Brazos County, Texas.
Section 5.06 Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held bi-monthly at
a time and place to be fixed by resolution of the Board. Special Board meetings may be called
by, or at the request of, the Chairman or any two Directors. The Director(s) requesting a special
meeting shall inform the Corporation's Secretary of the information to be included in the notice
of the special meeting. The Secretary of the Corporation will give notice to the Directors as
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provided in Section 5.07. Members of the Board or of any committee designated by the Board
may, if all meeting participants consent, participate in and hold a meeting by conference
telephone or similar communications equipment or other suitable electronic communications
system, including videoconferencing technology or the Internet or any combination thereof by
means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. If
voting is to take place at such a meeting, the Corporation shall (i) implement reasonable
measures to verify that every person voting at the meeting by means of remote communication is
sufficiently identified and (ii) keep a record of any vote or action taken.
Section 5.07 Notice. Written or printed notice of any special meeting of the Board will be
delivered to each Director not less than seven (7) calendar days, nor more than thirty (3) calendar
days before the meeting. The notice will state the date, time, method and place of the meeting:
the name of the Director(s) calling the meeting: and the purposes or purposes for which the
meeting was called.
Section 5.08 Quorum. A quorum shall consist of one more than half of the then current
number of members of the Board of Directors with at least four (4) members of the Executive
Committee present.
Section 5.09 Vote. The affirmative vote of a majority of Directors present, including the
affirmative vote of at least four (4) members of the Executive Committee, shall be required to
take any action.
Section 5.10 Duties. It is the duty of the Board of Directors to review the operations of the
corporation; to discover and analyze projects, plans and means of furthering the purposes of the
corporation and to select such projects, plans and means as it may deem worthy of
implementation. The Board shall annually approve the budget submitted to it by the Chief
Executive Officer for the expenditure of all funds anticipated to be available to the BVCVB and
upon approval, the Chief Executive Officer shall submit a budget request to the City Managers of
the Cities of College Station and Bryan by the date established for such submittal by each City,
annually. Once approved and funding by the Cities has been determined, such funds shall be
transmitted to the corporation by the City governments. Such funds shall be deposited in a
special bank account to insure the expenditure of the funds for proper purposes in accordance
with the approved budget.
Directors will discharge their duties, including duties as committee members, in good faith, with
ordinary care, and in the manner they reasonably believe to be in the corporation's best interest.
In this contest, "ordinary care" means the care that ordinarily prudent persons in similar positions
would exercise under similar circumstances. In discharging any duty imposed or power
conferred upon Directors, Directors may, in good faith, relying on information, opinions, reports,
or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, concerning the Corporation
or another person that has been prepared or presented by a variety of person's including officers
and employees of the corporation, professional advisors or experts such as accountants or legal
counsel. A director is not relying in good faith if they have knowledge concerning a matter in
question that renders reliance unwarranted.
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Directors are not deemed to have the duties of trustees of a trust with respect to the corporation
or with respect to any property held or administered by the corporation, including property that
may be subject to restrictions imposed by the donor or transferor of the property.
Section 5.11 Partnerships. The Board of Directors shall seek out those persons actively
involved in the tourism industry with whom to partner in order to carry out the purpose of the
BVCVB.
Section 5.12 Duty to Avoid Improper Distributions. Directors who vote for or assent to
improper distributions are jointly and severally liable to the corporation for the value of
improperly distributed assets, to the extent that, as a result of the improper distribution or
distributions, the corporation lacks sufficient assets to pay its debts, obligations and liabilities.
Any distribution made during liquidation without payment and discharge of or provision for
payment and discharge of all known debts, obligations and liabilities is also improper. Directors
present at a Board meeting at which the improper action is taken are presumed to have assented,
unless the dissent is entered into the minutes of the meeting or they dissent in writing. The
written dissent must be filed with the Secretary of the corporation before adjournment of the
meeting in question or mailed to the Secretary by registered mail immediately after adjournment.
A Director is not liable if, in voting for or assenting to a distribution, the Director (1) relies in
good faith and with ordinary care on information, opinions, reports or statements, including
financial statements and other financial data, prepared or presented by one or more officers or
employees of the corporation; legal counsel, public accountants, or other persons as to matters of
the Director reasonably believes are within the person's professional or expert competence; or a
committee of the Board of Directors of which the Director is not a member or (2) while acting in
good faith and with ordinary care, considers the corporation's assets to be at least that of their
book value; or (3) in determining whether the corporation made adequate provision for paying,
satisfying or discharging all of its liabilities and obligations, relied in good faith and with
ordinary care on financial statements or other information concerning a person who was or
became contractually obligated to satisfy or discharge some or all of these liabilities or
obligations. Further, Directors are protected from liability if, in exercising ordinary care, they
acted in good faith and in reliance on an opinion of legal counsel for the corporation.
Directors held liable for an improper distribution are entitled to contribution from persons who
accepted or received the improper distributions knowing they were improper. Contribution is in
proportion to the amount received by each such person.
Section 5.13 Delegating Duties. The Board of Directors may select advisors and delegate
duties and responsibilities to them, such as the power to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of the
corporation's asset and properties at a time and for a consideration that the Board deems
appropriate. The Directors shall have no liability for actions taken or omitted by the advisors if
the Board acts in good faith and with ordinary care in selecting the advisor. The Board may
remove or replace the advisor9s) at any time and without cause.
Section 5.14 Removal. The Board of Directors may vote to remove a Director at any time,
without cause. The failure to attend three (3) consecutive Board meetings or any four (4) regular
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meetings in one fiscal year may cause the issue of removal to automatically be placed upon the
agenda of the next succeeding meeting of the Board of Directors after the last infraction. A
meeting to consider removing a Director will be called and noticed following notice procedures
provided in these By -Laws. Removal of a Director requires the affirmative vote of three (3)
members of the Executive Committee and the majority vote of the entire Board.
Section 5.15 Vacancies. Vacancies to the appointed positions on the Board of Directors as
specified in Section 5.02(1)(a), (b) and (c) shall be filled by the appropriate appointing body.
Vacancies occurring in the at -large Directors (Section 5.02) positions shall be filled by a
majority vote of the Executive Committee for the unexpired portion of the term.
ARTICLE VI — Officers
Section 6.01 Number and Title. The corporation's officers shall be a Chairman,
Secretary/Treasurer, and Vice Chairman. A Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") will be hired by
the Board to serve the BVCVB.
Section 6.02 Election. A Chairman, Vice Chairman, and a Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of
Directors shall be proposed by the Nominating Committee and elected at the Board's regular
September meeting by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The officers, except for the
CEO, will be elected from the members of the Executive Committee for the terms of one (1) year
commencing on October 1St next following their election and ending on September 30th of the
appropriate year. They shall serve until their successors are chosen and qualified. The
Executive Committee of the Board of Directors may, in its initial year, elect officers to serve
until September 30 of that year and may be reelected to serve for the next full year by a majority
vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 6.03 Removal and Vacancies. Any officer elected may be removed by the Board of
Directors whenever, in the Board's judgment, the best interests of the corporation will be served
thereby. Removing the officer will be without prejudice to the officer's contractual rights, if any.
Election of an officer shall not of itself create a contractual right. The Board may select a
member of the Executive Committee to fill the vacancy of any office for the unexpired portion of
the officer's terra.
Section 6.04 Duties. Each Officer shall assume the responsibility for performing such duties as
are normally vested in such office being always subject to the policies and directions of the
Board of Directors.
a. Chairman ("Chairman") of the Board of Directors: The Chairman shall preside at
all meetings of the Board. The Chairman is responsible to the Directors for overall
direction of the affairs and business of the Board of Directors. The Chairman may
execute on behalf of the Board of Directors any deeds, bonds, contracts, obligations or
other instruments necessary or convenient to the transactions or other business that the
Directors have authorized except for cases where the signing and execution thereof shall
be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the
Board of Directors, or shall be required by law to be otherwise signed or executed. In
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general, the Chairman shall perform all duties incident to the office of Chairman. The
Board may prescribe other duties from time to time.
b. Vice Chairman ("Vice Chaim :Ian") of t he Board of Directors: In the absence of
the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman. When so
acting the Vice Chairman shall have all the power of and be subject to all the restrictions
upon the Chairman. In the event of the Chairman's inability or refusal to act, the
majority of the Directors present at the meeting at which a quorum is present may
authorize the Vice Chairman to preside. The Vice Chairman shall perform such other
duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chairman or by the Board of
Directors. The execution of any instrument of the corporation by the Vice Chairman
shall be conclusive evidence, as to third parties, of his authority to act for the Chairman.
c. Secretary/Treasurer: The Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors shall
cause a record to be kept of the Proceedings of the Board of Directors. The Secretary
will give all notices as provided in these By -Laws or as required by law. This officer
shall be custodian of all books, documents, and papers filed with the Board of Directors,
the minute book or journal of the Board of Directors, and its official seal. The Secretary
shall have the authority to cause copies to be made of all minutes and other records and
documents of the Board of Directors. The Secretary may certify under the official seal of
the corporation that such copies are true copies. All persons dealing with the Board of
Directors may rely upon such certification. The Secretary will perform duties as assigned
by the Chairman of the Board and will perform all duties incident to the office of
Secretary. The Secretary/Treasurer also has be the duty and authority, in addition to
either the Chairman or CEO, to control the financial matters for the Board of Directors,
including but not limited to: receiving and giving receipts for moneys due and payable to
the corporation from any source; depositing all moneys in the corporation's name in
banks or other depositories as these By -Laws provide or the Board directs; writing checks
and disbursing funds to discharge the corporation's obligations, upon the co -signature of
the Chairman, Vice -Chairman or CEO; maintaining the corporation's financial books and
records; and preparing financial reports annually, with the aid of the corporation's
professional staff. The Treasurer performs other duties as assigned by the Chairman of
the Board and will perform all of the duties incident to the office of the treasurer.
d. Chief Executive Officer: The CEO shall be hired by and report to the Board of
Directors and shall have the authority to conduct all ordinary business on behalf of the
corporation and execute and deliver on behalf of the corporation any contract,
conveyance, or similar document not requiring approval by the Board of Directors and
shall be a co -signatory on all checks drawn on accounts of the BVCVB along with either
the Chairman Vice -Chairman or Secretary/Treasurer. The CEO shall cause to be made at
each meeting of the Board of Directors a report on the various operations, projects and
functions of the corporation and shall provide an annual report at the September meeting
of the Board.
ARTICLE VII — The Brazos Valley Sports Advisory Board
Section 7.1 Designation. The Corporation shall have a standing Board to be called the Brazos
Valley Sports Advisory Board (BVSAB). It shall be responsible for advising and counseling the
Board of Directors, offering suggestions and recommendations for the development and
promotion of amateur sports and sporting events with emphasis on youth development through
sports activities in the Brazos Valley and offering guidance in the area of sports as a viable
marketing tool to promote tourism in the area.
Section 7.2 Number; Qualification; Term. The BVSAB shall consist of at least fourteen (14)
but not more than thirty (30) persons, one (1) of whom shall be a director of the Corporation.
BVSAB members shall be appointed by the Corporation's Board of Directors from a list of
nominations or recommendations from the following organizations: The City of Bryan Parks &
Recreation Department, the City of College Station Parks & Recreation Department, Bryan
Independent School District Athletic Department (with nominations and recommendations to
reflect participation by both Bryan High School and Rudder high School), College Station
Independent School District Athletic Department, Brazos County, Blinn College, Texas A&M
University Athletic Department, Texas A&M University student Recreation Center, Texas A*M
University Reed Arena, Bryan -College Station Chamber of Commerce. The BVSAB shall have
a Chairman who shall be a Director of the Corporation nominated by the BVSAB. Each BVSAB
member shall serve for a two year term and until his/her successor shall have been appointed and
qualified. In order to provide staggered terms, one-half of the number of BVSAB members shall
initially serve a one year term.
Section 7.3 Removal. Any member of the BVSAB may be removed by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
Section 7.4 Vacancies. A vacancy occurring in the BVSAB (by death, resignation, removal
or otherwise) may be filled by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
Section 7.5 Meetings. Time, place and notice (if any) of the BVSAB meetings shall be
determined by the BVSAB; however, the BVSAB shall meet at least bimonthly.
Section 7.6 Quorum; Majority Vote. At meetings of the BVSAB, a majority of the number of
members of the BVSAB shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of engaging in discussions on
those sports related issues referred to the BVSAB for its advice and guidance by the Board of
Directors. The decision of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum
is present shall be the decision of the BVSAB. If a quorum is not present at a meeting of the
BVSAB, the members present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other
than an announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.
Section 7.7 Procedure. The BVSAB shall keep regular minutes of its proceedings and report
the same to the Board of Directors of the Corporation when required. The minutes of the
proceedings of the BVSAB shall be placed in the minute book of the Corporation.
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ARTICLE VIII — Other Committees
Section 8.01 Appointment. The Chairman may from time to time appoint such standing or ad
hoc committees as he/she shall deem advisable to carry out the functions and purposes of the
corporation.
ARTICLE IX — Fiscal Matters
Section 9.01 Budget. The CEO shall prepare an annual budget for expenditure of all funds
anticipated to be available to the BVCVB to be submitted to the Board of Directors. After
review and tentative approval by the Board of Directors, the budget shall be submitted to the
City Managers of each City no ,later than the date established for such submittal by each City,
annually. The Cities may jointly or severally determine the amount(s) that shall be approved for
the BVCVB's subsequent year's budget. If there is a change in funding from the original budget
request to the cities, the CEO shall make the appropriate adjustments to the budget and resubmit
such revised budget to the Board of Directors for approval, based on the funds and programs
agreed to by each city.
Section 9.02 Funds. All receipts of the corporation whether from public or private sources
shall be deposited in a financial institution insured by an agency of the Federal Government.
Funds on deposit in excess of the amount insured shall be guaranteed by collateral meeting the
minimum requirements under the Public Funds Investment Act.
Section 9.03 Financial Records. The corporation will maintain current true and accurate
financial records with full and correct entries made with respect to all financial transactions of
the corporation, including all income and expenditures, in accordance with generally accepted
accounting practices. Based on these records the Board of Directors will approve an annual
report of the financial activity of the corporation for the preceding year prepared by an outside
auditor who is qualified as a certified public accountant. Such certified public accountant shall be
hired for a term of no more than three (3) years, upon the recommendation of the CEO and
Secretary/Treasurer following a request for proposals. The report will conform to accounting
standards as promulgated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and will
include a statement of support, revenue and expenses and changes in fund balances, a statement
of functional expenses, and balance sheets for all funds.
All records, books and annual reports of financial activities will be kept at the registered office or
principal office of the corporation for at least three (3) years after the closing of each fiscal year
and shall be available to the public for inspection and copying during the normal business hours.
Section 9.04 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year for the Brazos Valley Convention Visitors Bureau
shall begin on October 1st and end on September 30th.
Section 9.05 Loans. No loans may be made by the corporation to any Director or officer.
ARTICLE X — Books and Records
Section 10.01 The corporation will keep correct and complete books and records of account.
The books and records will include:
(a) A file -endorsed copy of all documents filed with the Texas Secretary of State
relating to the corporation, including but not limited to the Articles of
Incorporation, and any articles of amendment, restated articles, articles of merger,
articles of consolidation, and statement of change of registered office or registered
agent.
(b) A copy of all by-laws, including these By -Laws, and any amended versions or
amendments to them.
(c) Minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Directors and the Executive
Committee.
(d) A list of the names and addresses of the Directors, officers, and any committee
members of the corporation.
(e) The financial records as described in Section 9.03 of these By -Laws.
Section 10.02 Inspection and Copying. Any Director or Officer of the corporation may inspect
and receive copies of the corporate books and records required to be maintained under Section
10.01 of these By -Laws. Such person may, by written request, inspect or receive copies if he or
she has a proper purpose related to their interest in the corporation. They may do so through
their attorney or other duly authorized agent. The inspection will take place at a reasonable time
no later than ten (10) business days after the corporation receives the written request. The Board
of Directors may establish reasonable copying fees, which may cover the cost of materials and
labor. The corporation will provide copies of the requested records no later than ten (10)
working days after receiving a written request.
ARTICLE XI — Indemnification
Section 11.01 The corporation shall indemnify a director, employee or agent of the corporation
who was, is, or may be named a defendant of respondent in any proceeding as a result of his or
her actions or omissions within the scope of his or her official capacity in the corporation.
Section 11.02 The corporation shall indemnify a person only if he or she acted in good faith and
reasonably believed that his or her conduct was in the corporation's best interest. In case of a
criminal proceeding, the person will be indemnified only if he or she had no reasonable cause to
believe that the conduct was unlawful. The corporation will not indemnify a person who is
found liable to the corporation or is found liable to another on the basis of improperly receiving a
personal benefit from the corporation.
Section 11.03 For purposes of this article, a person is conclusively considered to have been
found liable in relation to any claim, issue, or matter if the person has been adjudged liable by a
court of competent jurisdiction and all appeals have been exhausted. The termination of a
proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or on a plea of nolo contender or its
equivalent does not necessarily preclude indemnification by the corporation.
Section 11.04 The corporation shall pay or reimburse expenses incurred by a director, employee
or agent of the corporation in connection with the person's appearance as a witness or other
participation in a proceeding involving or affecting the corporation when the person is not a
named defendant or respondent in the proceeding.
Section 11.05 In addition to the situations otherwise described in these By -Laws, the corporation
may, but is not required to, indemnify a director, employee, or agent of the corporation to the
extent permitted by law upon a determination to do so pursuant to section 10.08 herein below.
The corporation will not, however, indemnify any person in any situation in which
indemnification is prohibited under Section 11.02.
Section 11.06 The corporation may advance expenses incurred or to be incurred in the defense
of a proceeding to a person who might eventually be entitled to indemnification, even though
there has been no final disposition of the proceeding. Advancement of expenses may occur only
when the procedural conditions set out in Section 10.08 herein below, have been satisfied. The
corporation will not, under any circumstances, advance expenses to a person before final
disposition of a proceeding if the person is a named defendant or respondent in a proceeding
brought by the corporation, or if the person is alleged to have improperly received a personal
benefit or committed other intentional or willful misconduct.
Section 11.07 The indemnity permitted under these By -Laws includes indemnity against
judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, and reasonable expenses (including attorney's fees)
actually incurred in connection with the proceeding. If the proceeding was brought by or on
behalf of the corporation, the indemnification is limited to reasonable expenses actually incurred
by the person in connection with the proceeding.
Section 11.08 (a) Before the corporation may pay an indemnification expenses, the corporation
must specifically: (1) determine that indemnification is permissible, (2) authorize
indemnification, and (3) determine that expenses to be reimbursed are reasonable, except as
provided in subparagraph 11.08(c) herein below. The corporation may make these
determinations and decisions, subject to the exception set out in subparagraph 11.08(b) herein
below, by any one of the following procedures:
(i)
Majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who, at the time of the vote, are
not named defendants or respondents in the proceeding
(ii) If such quorum cannot be obtained, by a majority vote of a committee of the
Board of Directors designated to act in the matter by a majority vote of all
directors, consisting solely of two or more directors who at the time of the vote
are not named defendants or respondents in the proceeding.
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(iii) Determination by special legal counsel selected by the Board of Directors by the
same vote as provided in subparagraphs 11.08(a)(i) and (ii) above, or if such
quorum cannot be obtained or such committee cannot be established, by a
majority vote of all directors.
(b) Subject to subparagraph 11.08(a)(iii) above, to determine if indemnification is
permissible, the authorization to indemnify and determination as to the reasonableness of the
expenses shall be made as specified in subparagraphs 11.08(a)(i) and (ii) above, or if such
quorum or such committee cannot be established, by majority vote of all directors. Any
provision in these By -Laws making indemnification mandatory constitutes sufficient
authorization to indemnify, even though such provision may not have been adopted or authorized
as provided in Section 11.08(a) above.
(c) The corporation will advance expenses before final disposition of a proceeding only after
it determines the facts then known do not preclude indemnification, such determination to be
made pursuant to the procedures set out in subparagraph 11.08(a) above.
ARTICLE XII — Notice
Section 12.01 Notice by Mail. Any notice to a Director or officer required or permitted by these
By -Laws, the Articles of Incorporation or by law may be given by mail or electronic mail (e-
mail). If mailed, a notice is deemed delivered when deposited in the mail addressed to the
person at their address as it appears in the corporate records, with postage prepaid. If by
electronic mail, the Notice will be deemed given when the electronic message is transmitted to
the electronic message address provided by the Director or to which the Director has consented
for purposes of Notice. A Director or officer may change their address in the corporate records
by giving written notice of the change to the Secretary/Treasurer of the corporation.
Section 12.02 Waiving Notice by Attendance. A Director or officer's attendance at a meeting
constitutes waiver of notice of the meeting unless the express purpose of attendance is to object
to the lack of notice.
ARTICLE XIII — Amendment to By -Laws
Section 13.01 By -Law Amendment. The Board of Directors shall have the power to alter,
amend, or repeal the By -Laws or adopt new By -Laws; upon notice as required herein. Notice of
such proposed action shall state the date, time, and place of the meeting to consider such action
and the proposed amendments or modifications to the By -Laws. Notice shall be given no fewer
than ten (10) and no more than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting date. Action by the Directors
with respect to the By -Laws shall be taken by an affirmative vote of a majority of all Directors
(including a majority of the Executive Committee) then in office.
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ARTICLE XIV — Dissolution
Section 14.01 The dissolution of the corporation shall be authorized at a meeting of the Board of
Directors upon the adoption of a resolution to dissolve by the vote or a majority of the directors
then in office.
Section 14.02 The corporation shall strictly follow statutory requirements for dissolution of the
corporation as provided in the Texas Business Organizations Code.
ARTICLE XV — Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 15.01 Legal Authority. These By -Laws will be construed under Texas law. All
references in these By -Laws to statutes, regulations, or other sources of legal authority will refer
to the authorities cited, or their successors, as they may be amended from time to time.
Section 15.02 Legal Construction. To the greatest extent possible, these By -Laws shall be
construed to conform to all legal requirements and all requirements for obtaining and
maintaining all tax exemptions that may be available to non-profit corporations. If any by-law
provision is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the invalidity, illegality, or
unenforceability will not affect any other provision, and the By -Laws will be construed as if they
had not included the illegal, invalid, or unenforceable provision.
Section 15.03 Headings. The headings used in these By -Laws are for convenience and may not
be considered in construing the By -Laws.
Section 15.04 Power of Attorney. A person may execute any instrument related to the
corporation by means of a power of attorney if an original executed copy of the power of
attorney is provided to the Secretary of the corporation to be kept with the corporate records.
Section 15.05 Parties Bound. The By -Laws will bind and inure to the benefit of the Directors,
officers, employees, and agents of the corporation and their respective heirs, executors,
administrators, legal representatives, successors, and assigns except as the By -Laws otherwise
provide.
CERTIFICATE OF THE SECRETARY/TREASURER
1 certify that I am the duly elected and acting secretary/treasurer of the Brazos Valley
Convention and Visitors Bureau and that these By -Laws constitute the Corporation's By -Laws.
These By -Laws were duly adopted at a meeting of the Board of Directors held on the 18th day of
February, 2011.
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Secretary