California State Support Committee Bylaws

The California State Support Committee is an arm of the Agricultural research department of Cotton Incorporated. Since 1991 five percent of each states contribution to Cotton Incorporated is returned back to that particular state so that local producers and industry persons may fund meaningful research projects to aid a given state’s cotton industry.

The California State Support Committee is composed of both voting and non-voting members. The voting members consist of Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated members and alternates. Voting members shall also include the two persons who are the current Chairman of the Ginners and Growers boards in California, as well as any others who may be seated at the discretion of the Chairman. The voting members of the committee shall be involved directly in the production and processing of American upland cotton. A quorum shall be any six (6) voting members present at a meeting.

The committee shall meet twice a year. In the spring the committee will meet to review proposals investigated in the previous year. In the summer the committee will meet to select new proposals for the following year. The summer meeting will be in September following the Westside Field Day and the spring meeting will be in March. The spring meeting will be scheduled to accommodate the presence and convenience of Cotton Incorporated staff.

The composition of the committee’s leadership will consist of a Chairman who shall serve in his capacity for a three year term. The chairman shall have a Vice-Chairman who shall serve a like term. The committee shall conduct business on a fiscal year that shall begin on July 1st and conclude on June 30 of the following year. The Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be approved by the majority consent of the voting members of the committee present at the Spring meeting as defined above.

The committee shall also have a Secretary who shall be charged with organizing meetings, transcribing the minutes of those meetings and act as a facilitator for the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman to update them on research activities. The Secretary’s term shall be at the discretion of the Chairman. However, the committee will vote to continue his term in a vote of confidence at the conclusion of each business year.

The board will also be composed of non-voting members who shall serve in an advisory capacity to the committee. These positions have been well defined since the inception of the State Support Program and consist of all the members of the Certified Producer Organizations as well as all other government cotton researchers, Cotton Boards and National Cotton Council Staff as well as Cotton Incorporated staff which the Chairman shall deem necessary.