Soft Wheat Quality Council
Charter

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Charter

Draft Revision Date:  January 8, 2003

Mission, Policy, and Operating Procedure

The mission of the SWQC is to provide a forum for leadership and communication in promoting continuous quality improvement among the various elements of the community of soft wheat interests.  The Soft Wheat Quality Council (SWQC) will provide an organization structure to evaluate the quality of soft wheat experimental lines and cultivars that may be grown in the traditional growing regions of the United States. 

The SWQC also will establish other activities as requested by the membership.  The SWQC operates under the direction and supervision of the Wheat Quality Council (WQC).

 Objectives

• Encourage wide participation by all members of the soft wheat industry.
• Determine, through technical consulting expertise, the parameters which adequately describe the performance characteristics which members seek in new cultivars.
• Promote the enhancement of soft wheat quality in new cultivars.
• Emphasize the importance of communication across all sectors and to provide resources for education on the continuous improvement of soft wheat quality.
• Encourage the organizations vital to soft wheat quality enhancement to continue to make positive contributions through research and communications.
• Offer advice and support for the U.S.D.A. - A.R.S. Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory in Wooster, Ohio

Membership

• The membership of the SWQC will consist of members of the WQC.

 SWQC Technical Board

• The Technical Board shall be the administrative unit responsible for managing the functions of the council.
• The Technical Board shall consist of three Officers elected from the membership.
• Officers of the Technical Board shall consist of a chair, vice-chair, and secretary.
• Each officer serves one year in their office.
• Terms start the day after the annual meeting of the SWQC.
• The vice-chair replaces the chair at the conclusion of the chair’s term and the secretary replaces the vice-chair at the conclusion of the vice-chair’s term.
• Officers (normally only the secretary) shall be elected annually at the annual meeting of the SWQC by nomination and majority vote.
• Any eligible member may be reelected after being out of office for one year.
• Vacancies that occur during the term of office of the members of the Technical Board shall be filled by nomination and majority vote of the remaining members of the board and the WQC Executive Vice President.  The appointee will serve the remaining term of the vacancy (up to three years).
• Exceptions to the above may be granted if voted on by Technical Board or by majority vote of the SWQC at the annual meeting.

Duties of the Technical Board

• The chair shall be responsible to establish a meeting place and preside at all meetings of the Technical Board and SWQC (selected elements of the General Meeting WQC).
• The vice-chair shall preside at meetings in absence of the chair and assume such duties as may be assigned by the chair of the Technical Board.
• The secretary shall be responsible for taking minutes of the Technical Board and the SWQC meetings.
• The Technical Board will direct the Executive Vice President of the WQC on disbursement of allocated funds.
• The chair shall be responsible for communicating budget needs to the Executive Vice President.
• The Technical Board is responsible for presenting budget updates to the general membership at the annual meeting.

 Compensation

• Technical Board members shall serve without compensation.

 Expenses

• Certain paid expenses may be authorized for some technical board functions.

Quality Evaluation Committee of the SWQC

 Committee Purpose

A technical committee entitled “Quality Evaluation Committee” shall be established and consist of the three Technical Board officers and key members working on soft wheat.  Those members should include, but are not limited to:

• The research leader of the USDA Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory, Wooster, OH.
• A grow out coordinator who is a soft wheat breeder.
• Technical collaborators from Soft Wheat Milling and Baking Laboratories.
• Collaborating soft wheat breeders.

Evaluation and Responsibilities

• Establish procedures and requirements for the annual grow out, handling, evaluation and reporting of the experimental test line quality evaluation program.
• Annual approval of the samples submitted by soft wheat breeders.
• The milling of the experimental and check samples.
• Distribution of samples to collaborators (member companies willing to conduct testing and baking evaluations on the samples prepared)
• Preparation of a quality report.

Sample/Locations

• Each breeder entity shall have the privilege of submitting two experimental test lines and one check cultivar each year for evaluation.  If slots are available by some breeders not submitting the full allotment, other breeders may submit more than two up to a maximum of 20 samples annually.  

 Annual Meeting

• The annual meeting of the SWQC shall coincide with the annual meeting of the WQC.  If for some reason the WQC annual meeting is not held, it shall be the duty of the Technical Board chair to establish an annual meeting time and place.
• The purpose of the meeting shall be to discuss the results of the test line quality testing program, elect board members and carry on other business as required by the SWQC.
• Other meetings determined to be necessary may be established by the Technical Board.

 Finances and Budget

• The finances required to meet the operating expenses of the council shall be designated by the Executive Board of the WQC.
• The budget shall be presented for membership approval at the annual meeting.

 Amendments

• Amendments to the policy and operation procedure of the SWQC can be made by majority vote of the council members present.
• The proposed changes must be submitted in writing and must be in the hands of the membership two weeks prior to voting on the change.