2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 54 - Cooperative Organizations › Article 19 - Purpose and Organization. › § 54-136 - Bylaws.

§ 54-136. Bylaws.
Each association incorporated under this Subchapter must, within 30 days after its incorporation, adopt for its government and management a code of bylaws, not inconsistent with the powers granted by this Subchapter. A majority vote of a quorum of the members or stockholders attending a meeting, of which notice of the proposed bylaw or bylaws shall have been given, is sufficient to adopt or amend the bylaws. Each association under its bylaws may also provide for any or all of the following matters:
(1) The time, place, and manner of calling and conducting its meetings.
(2) The number of stockholders or members constituting a quorum.
(3) The right of members or stockholders to vote by proxy or by mail, or by both, and the conditions, manner, form, and effects of such votes.
(4) The number of directors constituting a quorum.
(5) The qualifications, compensations, and duties and terms of office of directors and officers; time of their election, and the mode and manner of giving notice thereof.
(6) Penalties for violations of the bylaws.
(7) The amount of entrance, organization, and membership fees, if any; the manner and method of collection of the same, and the purposes for which they may be used.
(8) The amount which each member or stockholder shall be required to pay annually or from time to time, if at all, to carry on the business of the association, the charge, if any, to be paid by each member or stockholder for services rendered by the association to him, and the time of payment and the manner of collection; and the marketing contract between the association and its members or stockholders which every member or stockholder may be required to sign.
(9) The number and qualification of members or stockholders of the association and the conditions precedent to membership or ownership of common stock; the method, time, and manner of permitting members to withdraw or the holders of common stock to transfer their stock; the manner of assignment and transfer of the interest of members, and of the shares of common stock; the conditions upon which, and the time when membership of any member shall cease; the automatic suspension of the rights of a member when he ceases to be eligible to membership in the association, and mode, manner, and effect of the expulsion of a member; manner of determining the value of a member's interest and provision for its purchase by the association upon the death or withdrawal of a member or stockholder, or upon the expulsion of a member or forfeiture of his membership, or at the option of the association, by conclusive appraisal by the board of directors.
Upon the death, withdrawal or expulsion of a member, the board of directors of the association shall, within one year, cause to be paid to such member or his estate one hundred percent (100%) of all amounts due him for any and all raw products which have been delivered by him to the association. All other amounts which might be due for capital stock, certificates of interest, reserves or on account of any other equity credits shall be payable in accordance with the charter or bylaws of the association.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, any association may amend its articles of incorporation to provide that thereafter any bylaw or bylaws of the association may be amended or repealed, or any new bylaw may be adopted, either by the members or by the board of directors, but if the members amend any bylaw or bylaws or adopt any new bylaw or bylaws, such bylaw or bylaws shall not thereafter be amended or repealed by the board of directors, and if the members repeal any bylaw or bylaws, such bylaw or bylaws shall not be readopted by the board of directors; provided, however, that no bylaw shall be adopted by the board of directors which shall require a higher number or percentage of members to be present or represented at a members' meeting for the purpose of constituting a quorum, or a higher number or percentage of such quorum to take action, than was the case before the power to alter, amend, or repeal the bylaws was conferred upon the board of directors. (1921, c. 87, s. 10; C.S., s. 5259(h); 1935, c. 230, s. 6; 1963, c. 1168, s. 7; 1979, c. 543.)