PREAMBLE

Adopted at a meeting at the Lake County Court House

At Painesville, Ohio, February 4, 1911

 

We, the undersigned, in order to improve the condition of Agricultural, Horticultural, Pomology and the Mechanics and Household Arts, and other Industries, within the County of Lake, to collect and diffuse information, which shall be of mutual benefit, and conducive to the general prosperity of the community, and the State in which we live, do hereby organize ourselves into a nonprofit society, according to the laws of Ohio, and the rules of the State Board of Agriculture and adopt for our government, the following:

 

CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 1 – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. This Society shall be known as the Lake County Agricultural Society.

SECTION 2. Members of this society must be residents of Lake County, eighteen years of age, and annually hold a
membership ticket.

SECTION 3. The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  There being two Directors from each township plus one Director-at-Large from the East, Central and West areas of the county.

SECTION 4. Only the boundaries of the townships and sections as of February 4^th, 1911 shall be recognized as Townships or sections qualified to have two Directors, unless otherwise recognized by a majority vote at an annual meeting of the Society.

SECTION 5. No township at any time shall have more than two Directors, and Directors shall reside in the township they represent.

SECTION 6. Members may vote for Directors and participate in other business of the Society at annual meetings.

SECTION 7. Department of Agriculture of the State of Ohio ruling: Members of a County Agricultural Society must declare their candidacy for the office of a Director of a County Fair Board by filing with the Secretary of the County Agricultural Society a petition signed by 10 or more members of the County Agricultural Society who are residents of the County in which the Agricultural Society is organized 10 days before the annual election of Director is held.

 

ARTICLE 2 – DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. The Directors of the Society shall be elected by ballot and none but members of the Society shall be allowed to vote, a majority of the whole number of votes cast at any election being necessary to elect.

SECTION 2. The President and Vice-President shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee of the Society. There will be no limit to consecutive terms of office for Directors. (October 3, 1985)

SECTION 3. The Directors shall hold their offices three years, one-third of their number, being elected annually. Provided, that at the first election the full Board of Directors be elected and to determine length of time each three shall be placed in a box sixteen ballots marked five for one year, five for two years and six for three years. The Secretary to read the names of those elected, the teller taking one ballot from the box after each name so read, the year on it being length of term of said Director.  Thereafter annually the election shall be for three years.

SECTION 4. The President, Vice-President and Board of Directors shall together constitute the Executive Committee of the Society, a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.

SECTION 5. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee and subject to their direction in the discharge of the general duties of their respective offices.  There shall be no membership requirement or residency restriction for the Secretary and Treasurer or a Secretary/Treasurer.

SECTION  6. All officers of the Society shall hold their offices until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, and shall give two months notice before resigning or not re-filing for office.

SECTION 7. Should any Officer of the Society neglect or refuse to discharge the duties of his office, the same may be declared vacant by the Executive Committee.

SECTION 8. The Executive Committee may fill all vacancies occurring in the offices of the Society, such appointment to be valid until the next annual meeting of the Society.

SECTION 9. That a Director who willfully and without just cause is absent from three successive meetings of the Board, his term of office shall automatically expire and that the Directors and Executive Committees shall at once appoint a Director to succeed him until the next annual meeting, when a new Director shall be elected.

SECTION 10. Directors may be compensated for service rendered, when authorized by the Board.

SECTION 11. The Board authorizes each Director, to be paid not more than $120.00 in wages, for working during the Fair each year.  They must register in the office, in order to receive payment.

SECTION 12. No Director may spend more than $50.00 in his department without first having approval of the Board.

SECTION 13. That the Lake County Commissioners, the Agricultural Agent and the Superintendent of Schools be honorary members with full powers except voting.

SECTION 14. A Director Emeritus (not to exceed two at any one time) may be so designated by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Committee.  A Director Emeritus shall have full powers of an elected Director except for voting.

 

ARTICLE 3 – OFFICERS

SECTION 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and Executive Committee, and preserve order, appoint all committees, and discharge other duties as usually pertain to that office.

SECTION 2. The Vice-President shall in the absence of the President preside at all meetings of the Society and the Executive Committee and have all his powers for the meeting.

SECTION 3. The Executive Committee shall together constitute a Board having full power to assume the general management of the affairs of the Society.  They may apportion the duties of their offices as conveniences may require by the appointment of subcommittees.

SECTION 4. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Society and Executive Committee and keep accurate minutes of the proceedings, recording them in a suitable book provided for that purpose.  He/she shall also give notice of all meetings of the Society and Executive Committee and perform  other such duties as are required of him/her by law.

SECTION 5. The Treasurer shall receive and safely keep all funds belonging to the Society and disburse them only on the order of the President, countersigned by the Secretary.  He/she shall also make a detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements of society for the current year at each annual meeting, giving bonds for the faithful discharge of the duties of his/her office in such sum and in such manner as the Executive Committee may require.

 

ARTICLE 4- MEETINGS

SECTION 1. The annual meeting the Society for the election of Directors and such other business that properly and legally comes before the Society shall be held no later than the first Saturday in December.

SECTION 2. Extra meetings of the Society may be called by the President or Executive Committee, whenever in their judgment the importance of the occasion demands it.

SECTION 3. The Board of Directors of the Society shall meet monthly, the time and place being selected by the Officers.

SECTION 4. The Annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Society shall be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds or other suitable place on the first regularly scheduled meeting of the Agricultural Society In October or within 10 days thereafter, for the election of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as may deem proper.

SECTION 5. This Constitution and Bylaws may be altered or amended at any annual meeting of the Society, a majority of the members concurring.  The Bylaws may be altered or amended by a majority of the Board of Directors by recommendation of the Executive Committee.

 

BYLAWS

1. After the necessary arrangements are made an annual Exhibition or Fair shall be held upon the grounds of the Society, the site to be hereafter selected, at some period to be fixed by the Executive Committee, between the first day of August and the first day of November.
2. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to annually call a meeting of the various committees to prepare a list of articles for which premiums are offered, with the amounts of such premiums which list together with the rules and regulations pertaining thereto, shall be published in pamphlet form not less than thirty (30) days, or in newspapers of the County or posted, or both, not less than thirty (30) days previous to the annual exhibition of the Society.
3. Entries must specify the name and address of the exhibitor and the breed and age of the animal offered.
4. All articles competing for premiums must be owned by the person offering the same or a member of their families.
5. All articles must be entered in the name of the bona fide owner, should any be entered otherwise they will not be allowed to receive a premium, although awarded by the judges, nor will such owner be published.
6. Products of the sale and articles of domestic manufacture being goods made in the family must have been produced within the year preceding the exhibition.  This fact to be verified by the statements of exhibitors to be filed with the Secretary if required, at the time of making entry.  In this connection, articles of embroidery, fancy needle, shell or wax work shall not be considered articles of domestic manufacture.
7. No premiums shall be paid or award published for any fruits, vegetables or grain, either single or in collections that have not been grown by the individual entering the same, providing they may be shown by duly authorized agent.
8. No animals or articles will be allowed to compete in more than one class, except, a single animal may be shown as one or of a pair or herd, and a pair may be shown as one of a “Township string” provided all may compete in class of “Sweepstakes”.
9. In the class of “Domestic Manufacture” no article made in factories or out of the family will be allowed to compete for premiums.
10. Evidence will be required that animals exhibited as “breeders” are not barren.  Breeding mares and cows must have produced living progeny within the two years last past.
11. In all cases when there is but one exhibitor in a class, but one premium will be awarded, that to be “First” or “Second” as in the judgment of the committees may be proper.
12. When animals or articles are not deemed worthy of premiums, none will be given, though there be no competition.
13. Exhibitors are required to give their names and Post Office address, at the time of making entry, but their names shall not appear on entry tags until after premiums are awarded.
14. Awarding committees shall be expected to give the reasons for their decisions.  They must not in any instance attach “Premium cards” to animals or articles for which no premiums are offered.  Whenever animals or articles of superior merit are exhibited for which no premiums are offered, they will report the same to the Secretary, who will present the matter to the Executive Committee for further action.
15. No person will be allowed to interfere with the Judges during their adjudications and any person who by letter or otherwise attempts such interference will be excluded from competition.  When called upon by the proper committees, exhibitors are requested to give all information in their possession to facilitate the labors of the Committee.
16. The decisions of the several committees will be final and irrevocable in regard to the premiums awarded.
17. When a majority of the Judges in any class are present,  they shall constitute a quorum and be authorized to award premiums and the first on the list of these present shall be chairman.
18. No person who is an exhibitor can act as Judge in a class in which he exhibits.
19. All premium awarded must be claimed within 60 days from the time of the award or they will be donated to the Lake County Agricultural Society,  Inc.
20. Any person purchasing an Exhibitors ticket, may enter without charge as many animals or articles for competition as he or she may own except in the several classes of sweepstakes upon livestock, when an entrance fee of 10 percent upon the amount of premium competed for will be charged.
21. No Membership or Exhibitor ticket in the Society shall be required of Lake County 4-H members or other organized groups when entered in the open classes but will be necessary for them to pay the regular entry fees.
22. The Board of Directors of the Society may authorize the sale of beverages containing alcohol at Fairground events and receive revenue from the sales.

 

Constitution and Bylaws adopted after being altered and amended at the Annual meeting of the Society, October 11, 1984, October 3, 1985, October 4, 1990, November 6, 2008, October 2, 2013, October 1, 2015 and October 5, 2017.