County Law 224 of the State of New York authorizes the establishment of county or regional extension service associations that operate “…under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the state.” That form of organization and administration is the association constitution. To remain current with local needs and best practice, the board should review its constitution every 3 years and compare it to the current constitution language for any changes that may need to be made.

​To avoid potential delays and “do-overs,” please follow the instructions for the Adobe Sign process below and be ready to upload minutes from your Annual or Special Meeting before the Director of Extension signs off.


There are two main versions of the constitution:

  • Elected Directly to the Board Constitution - Constitution that allows for directors elected directly to the board.
  • Elected Program or Issue Committee Constitution - Constitution that allows for elected program or issue committees, who in turn, designate 1 or 2 representatives to serve on the CCE board.

The constitution review process works as follows:

  1. The State Extension Specialist (SES) reaches out to the Executive Director (ED) and Board President (BP) and verifies:
     
    • That the constitution is due to be reviewed.
    • Which governance model (All At-Large Board vs. At-Large & Program Committee Mix) the association would like to proceed with.
    • Determine if in Article V, Section 3.b., a request to the county executive or manager to designate a staff member as an ex-officio director without voting privileges, will be included in the constitution.
    • If an ex-officio director will not be included, determine if 1 or 2 voting county legislative representatives are desired.
    • Constitution templates are available by clicking here
       
  2. ​The BP appoints a small committee and committee chair to review the constitution.
     
  3. At the same time, an email is initiated by Extension Administration (EA) to the ED of the association w/ Adobe Sign, utilizing the desired version of constitution.
     
  4. The ED prints or saves the constitution and provides it to the committee chair.
     
  5. The Committee reviews the draft constitution and affirms the appropriate options for association. ​​The board reviews the draft document and approves.
     
  6. The ED returns to the constitution in Adobe Sign and fills in the county name, effective date (recommendation: January 1, 20XX), and board composition numbers. The ED submits the constitution to the SES through Adobe Sign. 
     
  7. The SES reviews the draft and provides pre-approval. 
     
  8. ED receives email notification of pre-approval and the association generates a draft document for review and approval at the Annual Meeting or a Special Meeting. Please note:
    • The Board must determine whether the vote will be taken by mail ballot, or at an annual or a special meeting of the association (NOT the Board of Directors).
    • A summary of changes should be sent to eligible voters in advance of the meeting or with the mail ballot. 
    • In addition, the association must make copies of the proposed and current constitutions available upon request by any citizen OR provide a redline version.
    • Public notification must be provided per current bylaws or constitution and New York State Open Meetings Law.
    • Copies of the current constitution and the proposed changes must be readily available before and during the meeting.
    • At the meeting, a CCE leader will present a verbal summary of major changes (typically the revision committee chair)
    • The motion, second, and vote outcome must be documented in meeting minutes OR if the vote was taken by mail ballot, a written report signed by CCE officials designated to count the votes.​
       
  9. The ED uploads the minutes of the meeting during which the constitution was voted on and approved through the business systems (location: Business systems: Accreditation Checklist; Association Minutes)
     
  10. The ED returns to Adobe Sign and initials attestation. 
     
  11. The ED will receive another email from Adobe Sign and will delegate to the BP for signature.
     
  12. The BP signs the final version of constitution and attestation through Adobe Sign after the Annual Meeting and after the minutes (may be unapproved) are uploaded to the business system by the ED.
     
  13. Final approval is given at EA, the Director signs via Adobe Sign.
     
  14. PDF of final, signed document is generated by Adobe Sign and emailed to the ED and the BP, with a notification to the SES that the process is completed. The meeting minutes and signed constitution will be available to the ED, EA and the SES via business systems.