ARTICLE I - PREAMBLE

Section 1.1 - As authorized by the Constitution of the INSTITUTE OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, INC., hereinafter referred as the institute, the District Board of District 6, as recorded in the minutes of its meeting on July 7, 1996, grants this Charter for the Central California Section.

Section 1.2 - This Charter shall be effective beginning July 7, 1996, and shall remain in effect, including any amendments until rescinded by the District Board.

Section 1.3 - This Charter shall, on the date it becomes effective, supersede any previous charter or constitution of a Section enrolling members from the designated area and shall annul any by-laws of such a Section which may be in conflict with it.

ARTICLE II - AREA AND PURPOSE

Section 2.1 - The area designated as that of this Section shall be the Counties of Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa or as the area shall have been established from time to time by the District or as the area shall have been established from time to time as an outcome of amendments to the area designated as the District or as the area shall have been established from time to time as an outcome of amendments to the area designated as the District by the Institute Board of Direction as described in the attachment(s) hereto.

Section 2.2 - The purpose of this Section shall be to:

1. Advance the objectives of the Institute.
2. Foster closer association of Institute members.
3. Encourage members to prepare or discuss papers.
4. Prepare suggestions on matters of policy to the Institute Board of Direction.
5. Consider local transportation and traffic engineering problems.
6. Cooperate with other local engineering groups on matters of common interest. Present the transportation and traffic engineering point of view consistent with established Institute policies.
7. Encourage the introduction of transportation and traffic engineering courses in colleges, universities and technical schools in the Section.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 3.1 - Any Institute member in good standing of any grade who resides within the area designated for the Section shall be eligible for membership in the Section, and he shall become a member of the Section upon payment of any appropriate Section fees and dues.

Section 3.2 - Any institute member of any grade may join the Section even though he does not reside in the Section area by obtaining approval of the Section and a waiver of objection from the Section designated for the area in which he resides and upon payment of any Section fees and dues.

Section 3.3 - The Section may adopt one or more types of Section affiliation for persons who are

1. not eligible to be members of the Institute but who are accumulating experience toward Institute membership,
2. are in sub-professional work in transportation and traffic engineering,
3. students in a recognized engineering school,
4. professionally engaged in related fields,
5. in a position to work with and assist transportation and traffic engineers by virtue of official positions or commercial employment.

Section 3.4 - All persons who are affiliated with the Section as provided in Section 3.3 and who are not members of the Institute shall be clearly identified at all times as "Section Affiliates". The total number of such Section Affiliates who are classified in Section 3.3 as being in a position to work with and assist transportation and traffic engineers by virtue of commercial employment shall not exceed fifty percent of the total number of Institute members in the Section. If at the time of issuance of this Charter to an existing Section the number of such Section affiliates exceeds fifty percent of the total number of Institute members in the Section, the number of such Section Affiliates shall be frozen, until such time as additional applicants can be elected in compliance with this Charter.

Section 3.5 - The section shall establish the manner in which persons may apply for or be invited into Section membership or affiliation as well as the manner in which such membership or affiliation may be terminated, but no restrictions on Section membership shall be placed on any member of the Institute who is in good standing with the Institute other than those stated in Section 3.1 and 3.2.

Section 3.6 - Institute members who are members of the Section shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Section, except that Student Members may not vote or hold elective office in the Section. Section Affiliates shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Section except that they may not vote or hold elective office in the Section unless the Section by-laws specifically grant such privileges to the various classifications of Section Affiliates and specify that such privileges extend only to those actions, elections and offices which fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Section. Section Affiliates shall at all times be designated as Section Affiliates and not as Section Members.

ARTICLE IV - GOVERNMENT

Section 4.1 - The government of the Section shall be vested in its elected officers and directors, who shall constitute the Executive Board. There shall be a President, at least one Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer or a Secretary-Treasurer, who shall be voting members of the Institute.

Section 4.2 - The Executive Board of the Section shall manage the affairs of the Section in conformity with the provisions of this Charter and any By-Laws of the Section and the policies of the Institute.

Section 4.3 - The Section may adopt by-laws to govern appointment of committees, number and times of meetings, assessment of fees and dues, method of amending by-laws, election of officers and such other matters as the Section may desire, provided such by-laws do not conflict with this Charter, the Constitution of the Institute or policies of the Institute, its board of Direction, or the District Charter and/or By-Laws.

Section 4.4 - By-laws of the Section may be adopted and amended after adoption only if the proposition is submitted in writing to all voting members of the Section at least thirty days in advance of the date on which action is proposed. Adoption and amendment shall require a two-thirds vote, provided that the total number voting is not less than a majority of the voting membership of the Section.

Section 4.5 - The Section may charter subsections to meet specific needs within its boundaries upon written request of at least five voting Institute members residing in the proposed subsection area. Subsections may adopt by-laws that are not inconsistent with Section by-laws or the Section Charter. Subsection by-laws shall be filed with the Section, District and International headquarters for approval before they become effective.

Section 4.6 - By-Laws of the Section shall not take effect until filed with and approved by the District Board and the approved By-Laws filed with the Institute. At any time thereafter the District Board may annul any part of the Section's By-Laws which it considers to be contrary to the Constitution, or best interests of the District of Institute by giving notice in writing to the elected officers of the Section and the Institute.

ARTICLE V - RELATION OF SECTION TO DISTRICT AND INSTITUTE

Section 5.1 - The Section shall not assume to speak for the District or the Institute unless authorized in the particular matter in question by the District Board or the Board of Direction of the Institute, respectively.

Section 5.2 - The Section shall not identify itself with national groups or organizations, but may identify itself with local or area-wide groups or organizations.

Section 5.3 - Names and addresses of all elected officers of the Section and the dates on which the terms of each begins and expires shall be reported in writing to the District Director and the Institute headquarters within 30 days after election.

Section 5.4 - The Section shall submit a written annual report to the District Board two months in advance of the Annual Meting of the Institute. The report shall include a summary of the Section's activities for the previous twelve months and a roster of the Section's active membership showing grade and type of each member.

Section 5.5 - The Institute will not be responsible for debts contracted by the Section nor will it give financial assistance to the Section. No dues or fees will be required to be paid by the Section to the Institute or District.

ARTICLE VI - AMENDMENT OF CHARTER

Section 6.1 - The Section's elected officers will be notified in writing by the District Board of Direction of any proposed amendment to this Charter approved by the Board of Direction of the Institute so that the Section may have an opportunity for a hearing before the Board of Direction of the Institute concerning the proposed amendment. The amendment with or without change shall not become effective until six months after notification.