CAST-CS BYLAWS

(10/22/2021)

Article I. Mission 

Chinese Association for Science and Technology in California South Inc. (hereafter "CAST-CS") is a non-profit, non-partisan and professional organization chartered in the Commonwealth of California South in October 2021. All activities of CAST-CS shall abide by the laws and regulations set forth by the Commonwealth of California and the United States of America. This corporation is organized as a nonprofit organization under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public purposes. It is not organized for the private gain of any person. Such purposes for which this corporation is formed are exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

As a regional chapter of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, USA (hereafter "CAST-USA"), CAST-CS shall adhere to the Bylaws of CAST-USA while retaining its own independence. 

CAST-USA is a non-profit and non-political organization founded in August 1992 in New York City. It is a professional organization among immigrants of Chinese descent. The majority of the members holds advanced educational degrees and serves in schools, universities, hospitals, government agencies, and private sectors with many in fortune 500 companies in the United States.

The mission of this organization is to bring together a passionate group of professionals, including scientists, engineers, healthcare workers and educators, who are dedicated to significantly improving the well-being and professional performance of all members of the Chinese-American community in Southern California through knowledge exchange, counseling, education, support, and advocacy.

Mission Statement:

To establish a platform for its members to connect with one another and exchange knowledge and skills.

To assist the members in their career development and advancement in the Commonwealth of California South and throughout the United States.

To promote the traditional Chinese culture and integrate the members into the local community.

Article II. The Structure of the Organization

The Leadership of CAST-CS consists of the following three institutions.

1.Executive Board (hereafter “EB”, herein in Chinese named as 执委会). The EB is the executive leadership team of the association. It is responsible for the development and implementation of the strategic plan and daily affairs of CAST-CS. 

2.Board of Directors (hereafter “BOD”, herein in Chinese named as 理事会). The BOD is the leadership team with the highest authority of CAST-CS for legislation and supervision of the firm’s affairs, creation and amendment of the Bylaws, financial auditing, and organizational structuring. 

3.Advisory Board (hereafter “AB”, herein in Chinese name as 顾问委员会). The members of the AB are nominated by the BOD to serve as advisors on the long-term development and strategic planning of the organization and to support the events of CAST-CS. The members of the AB have five-year term limits with renewable option should the BOD approves.

Article III. Membership 

1.Eligibility: A person who resides in the Commonwealth of California and agrees to adhere to the Bylaws of CAST-CS may apply for membership. The EB of CAST-CS will review and approve after receiving the completed application form and membership payment. 

2.Types of Membership: 

1)Student Membership (USD$10.00/year): for members who are full time or part time students and renew annually. 

2)Single Membership (USD$20.00/year): for members who join as a single member and renew annually.

3)Family Membership (USD$25.00/year): for members who join as a married couple or domestic partners and renew annually.

4)Lifetime Membership (USD$200.00): for members who pay the one-time fee and enjoy the benefits for their natural lives.

The structure of the membership fee is subject to change upon the decision of the BOD.

Article IV. Banking 

The President of CAST-CS has the authority to open bank account(s) on behalf of the organization and to add or remove additional signers to the accounts. 

Article V. Funding 

The primary source of the funding comes from the membership fees and donations. Membership revenue or donations acquired will cover the expense of the events related to the mission of CAST-CS. The EB will provide the financial statement to the BOD on a quarterly basis and present it to the CAST-CS members at the annual convention.

Article VI. Rights and Obligations

The members are obligated to pay their membership fees on time, comply with the Bylaws of CAST-CS, and participate in the activities organized or sponsored by CAST-CS. The board members must pay their membership dues on time in order to retain their voting rights.

Article VII. Executive Board

1.The EB is a standing body of CAST-CS. The President of CAST-CS serves as the head and the spokesperson of CAST-CS.

2.The members of the EB consist of the President, the President-Elect, Secretary General with the title of Vice President, and eight Vice Presidents across Legal, Finance, Membership, Communications, Community Outreach, Cultural Exchange, and Organizational Development, respectively. 

3.The President of EB is elected by the Board of Directors (BOD) with two-year term limit and may be re-elected for a new term should the majority of the BOD approve. 

4.The President-Elect and the Vice Presidents shall support and assist the President to carry out his or her duties. 

5.Should the President become unfit to carry out his or her duties or no longer reside in CS, the President-Elect shall resume the post unless the majority of the BOD objects. In such case, the BOD should call an urgent meeting to appoint an Acting President.

6.At the annual conversion, the new EB members will be elected to replace those who have completed their terms. A person who has been an active member for a minimum of the last 12 months is eligible to be nominated as EB candidate. The bio of all candidates will be circulated among the members before the election and presented by the candidates to the members at the annual convention. 

7.The EB members have a three-year term limit with an option to be re-elected for a new term should they be elected by CAST-CS members.

8.The President and President-Elect of CAST-CS shall sign a Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement before his/her term starts. 

9.The EB may decide to add a new board member in the event an existing board member resigns or no longer resides in the Commonwealth of California South. The term of the temporary member will end when the next annual meeting is held. 

10.Any resolutions or decisions made by the EB shall not be in conflict with BOD’s decisions. When a conflict arises, the EB shall be subject to the BOD’s decision. 

Article VIII. Board of Directors 

1.The members of the BOD consist of the current and past Presidents of the EB. The BOD must hold a minimum of four board meetings each year.

2.The BOD shall be responsible for the presidential election of the EB and the presidential nomination of the EB of CAST-USA. 

3.The Presidency of the BOD shall be transitioned to the most recent retired President of the EB unless the majority of the BOD members object. 

4.The members of the BOD who reside in the Commonwealth of California South on the day the voting takes place shall have the right to vote.

5.The BOD is responsible for creating and monitoring the conflict of interest policy.

6.There are no term limitations for the BOD members unless one decides to resign or is dismissed by the BOD.

7.The BOD may hold a board meeting to discuss the amendment of the Bylaws at the request of at least half of the BOD voting members. The amendment can only be effective upon an agreement by at least two thirds of the BOD voting members. The BOD shall then call for a membership meeting to discuss and finalize the amendment of the Bylaws.

Article IX. Amendment

The adoption of the amendment of the Bylaws is determined by the majority votes of the BOD. 

Article X. Dissolution of the Organization 

If the BOD shall determine at any time that the objectives of CAST-CS cannot be carried out and CAST-CS needs to be dissolved and liquidated, all the remaining assets after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be donated for the benefit and use of other legally charitable organizations that have similar objectives and must be unanimously agreed upon by the BOD.

The interpretation of the Bylaws belongs to the BOD. When there are emerging issues that are not specified in the Bylaws, the BOD has the authority to make a decision in the best interest of the organization.