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26 J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E G. An amount equivalent to one and three tenths (1.3) percent of Regular dues shall be set aside from each member's dues and shall be deposited in the CNA Political Action Committee (CNA-PAC) Fund, unless indi- vidual members elect to have the funds go into the General Fund. H. Reduced CNA dues: 1. A member who is a) sixty-two (62) years of age or over and who is not employed; or, b) totally disabled is eligible for Retiree membership and may elect to pay Retiree dues in an amount determined by the CNA Board of Directors, not to exceed twenty-five (25) percent of regular dues. 2. A Regular member who was paid on the basis of twelve (12) hours per week or fewer shall pay fifty (50) percent of full dues. 3. Upon written request from the member, dues will be adjusted to reflect a change in membership status. 4. Any member eligible for the reduced dues category may elect to pay the full Regular or Associate CNA dues. 5. National Associates shall not have membership rights in CNA, and shall receive CNA publications and be eligible to attend CNA meetings per the rules established by the CNA Board of Directors. National asso- ciate dues shall be established by the CNA Board of Directors, and shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of Regular dues. I. Upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, the House of Delegates may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, assess each member an amount not to exceed ten (10) percent of the annual dues. A statement of the purposes and need for such a fund, together with a proposed budget for its expendi- ture, shall accompany the recommendation. ARTICLE IV Titled Officers Section 1. Titled Officers A. Titled Officers. The titled officers of CNA shall be a president, a vice- president, four (4) Members of the CNA Council of Presidents, each of whom shall hold the Titles and bear the responsibilities of CNA President and Member of the Council of Presidents, and a Secretary, and a Treasurer. B. Council of Presidents – Purposes. The Council of Presidents was created to meet the demands on elected staff nurse leadership of CNA pre- sented in part by the significant growth in membership resulting from suc- cessful organizing, the expanded scope and complexity of CNA operations required to fulfill representational responsibilities, and the high public profile CNA now commands as a result of its leadership, commitment and direct actions in support of an activist patient and health care consumer protection agenda. C. Change in Leadership Model. The Presidents' Council reflects an important change in leadership structure and cultural orientation, establish- ing a new model of collective leadership intended to increase the organiza- tion's capability for rapid response and accountable decision making across the national scope of current CNA operations and obtaining the efficiencies and quality of critical analysis offered by disciplined group decision making based on competent investigation, meaningful assessment of available options, and timely execution of plans for action. Collective attention and determination of difficult policy and operational issues confronting CNA will greatly improve accountability to members and perceived integrity of CNA decision making processes. If successful as anticipated, this new model of collective leadership is expected to attract significant interest throughout the organization, resulting in conversion from individual, often isolated decision making practices to various methods of collective decision making, with or without formal organizational changes. D. Council of Presidents – Implementation. The first formal election of the four Members of the Council of Presidents and the new offices of Secretary and Treasurer will occur in the next biennium (2007-09). Prior to the inauguration of the Council of Presidents, the provisions of the 2003- 2005 by-laws regarding this and subsequent officer sections shall apply: E. Council of Presidents – Formal Election. Consistent with the pur- pose of establishing collective leadership as a fundamental organizational value and method of operation, candidates for election to the Council of Presidents must run for office as a member of a four member slate running collectively for the office of Council of Presidents. The "candidate" for election will be a complete slate of four members. Ballots will reflect the identity of each of the four slate participants, but members will vote only on slates as a whole and not on the election of individual members of a candi- date slate. Section 2. Eligibility A. In order to be a candidate for a titled office in this Association, a candi- date shall be a CNA member at the time of nomination and for two (2) years immediately preceding declaration of election. B. An employee of this Association is eligible to be a candidate contingent upon resignation from the staff position when candidacy is declared. C. Supervisors of CNA-represented nurses, or management personnel of employers of CN-represented nurses, who have an inherent conflict of interest with the interests and duties of patient advocacy of staff nurses represented by CNA, as determined under applicable labor laws and/or the application, custom and practices under CNA collective bargaining agreements, shall not be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected to, or serve as a titled officer.Statutory supervisors, as defined by the National Labor Relations Act or applicable state law, shall not be eligible to be candidates for, or serve as, titled officers. Section 3. Term of Office A. Officers shall serve for a term of two (2) years beginning with the adjournment of the CNA House of Delegates at which they are elected and ending with the election of their successors. B. Officers shall assume office at the final adjournment of the House of Delegates during which their elections shall have been declared. C. An officer who has served more than one-half (1/2) a term is consid- ered to have served a full term in that office. D. The president may be elected to succeed him/herself only once. E. The vice-president, secretary, and treasurer are to serve no more than three (3) successive terms in the same office. Section 4. Vacancies A. Any vacancy in an elective office which is apparent at the time of the House shall be filled by election in the House of Delegates. If a vacancy occurs during the biennium, it shall be filled as stated in B or C of this section. B. A vacancy in one or more of the offices of Member of the Council of Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer president shall be filled first by the Secretary and next by the Treasurer, and should vacancies then remain , such vacancies shall be filled by Board appointment for the remainder of the term with two-thirds vote.by Board appointment for the remain- der of the term with a two-third (2/3) vote. In making these appoint- ments, the Board shall first consider current members of the Board. C. A vacancy in the Secretary, or Treasurer, shall be filled by Board appointment for the remainder of the term with a two-thirds (2/3) vote.