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The Tea Association of the USA, Inc.

Structure and Guidelines Of The Specialty Tea Institute


Introduction

With the understanding that discussion, research, and greater educational efforts must be undertaken in order to promote the growth and consumption of tea throughout the world, the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) exists as a resource for those involved with or served by the specialty tea industry.

The Specialty Tea Institute was formed on July 8, 2002. It is an amalgamation of its two parent organizations; the American Premium Tea Institute (APTI) and the Specialty Tea Registry (ST*R), each created to promote a better understanding and consumption of high quality teas.

The Specialty Tea Institute, which operates under the non-profit auspices of The Tea Association of the USA, Inc. , is currently located at:
362 Fifth Avenue, Ste 801
New York, NY 10001
Phone - 212-986-0250
Fax - 212-697-8658

Mission Statement

The mission of the Specialty Tea Institute shall be to promote awareness and consumption of Specialty and Premium teas by providing an educational forum, resources and education about quality tea for members, the trade, the media, and consumers.

STI will function as the recognized voice of the specialty and premium tea industry, and as such will interact with other national and international trade, consumer, governmental, non-government, and other groups to further the cause of quality teas worldwide. Furthermore STI will sponsor a wide spectrum of geographically dispersed programs to promote the appreciation, consumption, knowledge and sale of specialty and premium teas.

Objectives

The Institute is organized with the objective of providing a forum where research, discussion and education is fostered. It provides representatives from all segments of the industry an opportunity to enrich and enhance their knowledge and appreciation of the fine teas of the world.

To that end, the Specialty Tea Institute will undertake the following:

  1. Promote the cultivation, processing, importation and sales of specialty teas through educational outreaches that nurture and increase awareness, understanding, and demand by those in the specialty foods and foodservice industries.
  2. Encourage specialty tea consumption by retail and foodservice consumers.
  3. Standardize and clarify specialty tea descriptions, nomenclature, and standards that are both accurate and understandable. This activity will include efforts that focus on tea leaf types and grades, growing methods, harvesting and manufacturing processes, brewing methodology, flavor characteristics, consumer friendly language and the like.

Institute Structure and Membership

Membership of the Institute shall be open to all business firms and individuals engaged in any or all of the following activities of the specialty/premium tea industry. Voting membership (1 member, 1 vote) and right to serve on the Advisory Board shall apply to all categories below, with the exception of "Individual Members" and "Governmental and Non-Governmental Agencies". Eligible members must be current with their dues and assessments at the time of election to vote or be elected to serve.

  1. Tea Importers/ Brokers, defined as firms importing/ exporting specialty teas from producing countries into the United States.
  2. Tea Wholesalers, defined as firms purchasing specialty teas for resale in the United States to retail, mail order, restaurants and the like.
  3. Tea Retailers, defined as firms operating retail operations selling or brewing specialty teas, as a primary product line.
  4. Restaurant/ Food Service/ OCS Operators, defined as firms providing food and beverage services, which include brewed specialty teas as an ancillary product category.
  5. Allied/ Service/ Distribution Companies, defined as firms manufacturing, servicing or distributing specialty tea-related products or services to firms engaged in any facet of the specialty/premium tea industry.
  6. Specialty Tea Growers, defined as firms involved in the growing and manufacturing of specialty/premium teas.
  7. Producing Country Associations, defined as governmental and non-governmental organizations involved with the growth of tea within their origin growing countries.
  8. Individual Members, defined as individuals or firms having a general interest in the specialty tea industry.
  9. Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, defined as trade associations, members of the trade and consumer press, members of governmental organizations, members of educational and research groups, and other organizations having a general interest in the specialty tea industry.

In all categories, "Founding Members" of STI are defined as those firms/ individuals/members in good standing who had gained that designation at the time of formation of the Specialty Tea Registry (ST*R) and the American Premium Tea Institute (APTI). No new members may be added to this category. A list of these recognized members is attached as Exhibit 1.

Any Founding member that does not pay dues for two consecutive years will cease to be recognized as a Founding Member. The Specialty Tea Institute exists as a semi-autonomous Advisory Board to the Tea Association of the USA. As such:

  1. Membership in The Tea Association of the USA does not confer membership in STI, nor does membership in STI confer membership in The Tea Association of the USA.
  2. STI self-elects members to serve on the STI Advisory Board.
  3. STI is self-governing, as long as its published rules and procedures do not conflict with the published rules and procedures of the Tea Association of the USA.
  4. The staff of The Tea Association of the USA provides all routine administrative and technical support for STI.
  5. STI operates under a separate annual budget mutually created and administered between the STI Advisory Board and The Tea Association of the USA, and open to examination by any voting Institute member. Disposition of any annual STI budget surpluses or deficits will be determined by the STI Advisory Board with the approval of the Tea Association of the USA Board of Directors. It should be noted that both surplus and deficits of funds are those of STI.

Any member may resign from the Institute by giving written notice to the President of the Institute. A member may be disciplined or expelled for the following reasons:

  1. Default in the payment of dues, assessments, or obligations as authorized by the Advisory Board.
  2. Conduct that is deemed inconsistent to the rules and regulations of the Specialty Tea Institute or The Tea Association of the USA shall also be a cause for termination of membership.
Dues

The Advisory Board of the Institute shall be empowered to set the annual dues payable to the Institute by members. They also may determine any special assessments, fees or charges in excess of annual dues for specific and/or special purposes or projects. A separate Exhibit outlines the current dues structure.

The fiscal year of the Institute shall be concurrent with the fiscal year of The Tea Association of the USA. Any disposition of STI funds in excess of $500 that is within the approved STI budget will require a written approval of the Chairman of the STI Advisory Board.

Meetings and Voting

The annual meeting of the members shall be held on the date, time, and place designated by the Advisory Board. The meeting details and proposed agenda must be distributed to all members at least 30 days in advance of the proposed date. Special meetings of the members may be called at any time by the Advisory Board, the Chairman or President of STI, or by at least 25% percent (25%) of the total voting STI membership. Elections and other STI business with its eligible membership may be conducted in person, mail, or by e-mail. At all meetings, Roberts Rules of Order will govern the proceedings.

The presence in person, or response by mail or e-mail, of one-third (1/3) of the eligible voting members shall constitute a quorum at a meeting or vote of members. A simple majority of votes cast will carry the question. Accurate minutes of all STI correspondence, meetings, and votes shall be kept, and be made available to members of The Tea Association of the USA and STI.

Advisory Board Structure, Membership, and Leadership

The Specialty Tea Institute shall be represented and governed by an nine-member Specialty Tea Advisory Board. Board members shall be elected from the eligible membership of the Institute, and shall include a Chairman as one of the eight members.

The President of the Tea Association of USA will also serve as the President of the Specialty Tea Institute and as a non-voting member of the Advisory Board, and shall be a vested member not subject to election.

The Chairman shall be elected annually by and from within the membership of the Institute's Advisory Board at their regular annual meeting. The Elected Chairman will serve for a period of two (2) years and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms, but may continue to serve until the election of a successor to said office. Each Chairman's term will begin at the close of the annual meeting of the Board at which they are elected.

The immediate past Chairman shall automatically serve for one additional two-year term as a vested Board member not subject to election. The seated Chairman of the Specialty Tea Institute will also concurrently serve as a Director of the Tea Association of the USA, and will continue to serve in that capacity until the succession of a new STI Chairman. She/he/their Company will not be required to be a member of the Tea Association or the Tea Council of USA, and he/she will be eligible for the same rights including voting rights as all other Board members within the Board of the Tea Association of USA.

Advisory Board

All affairs and properties of this Institute shall be governed by the Advisory Board as constituted in these Guidelines. The Board shall be entrusted with all rights, powers, administrative duties and fiduciary responsibilities to manage and control the Institute. They are charged with the obligation to insure the achievement of the purpose and goals of this Institute as outlined above.

With the acknowledgment that the inaugural Advisory Board has been appointed by a vote by the general membership of APTI, the number of Advisory Board Members shall be nine (9), which as noted above will include the Past Chairman and president of the Tea Association of the USA.

All Advisory Board Members shall hold a two-year term of office, except that they shall serve until their successor is elected or appointed. Election to the Executive Advisory Board shall generally be conducted at the Annual Membership Meeting of the Institute, or by mail or e-mail as appropriate, and called for by written notice. A two-week nomination process will preface any election at the annual meeting.

If insufficient numbers of potential Advisory Board members are nominated by the eligible general membership, the Chairman of the STI Board may nominate additional eligible individuals to be placed on the ballot. In the event of any election shortfall, or if there is a member withdrawal from the Board, the seated Board may appoint an eligible individual nominated by the Chairman to serve out the remainder of the vacant term.

The Board will meet at least once annually, have a conference call once every quarter and communicate by e-mail as often as required to conduct the business of STI. Meetings shall be held either at the Institute's principal office or in conjunction with a STI event. No Board meeting may transact business without the presence of quorum, which is five (5) Board members in attendance or participation. All Board meetings, whether annual or special, shall be held at a time and place receiving majority consent of the Board, with advance notice of not less than thirty (30) days. With the exception of the President who is employed by the Tea Association of the USA, the Institute's Advisory Board shall serve without regular financial compensation for their services. They may, from time to time and with the express approval of the Board, receive reimbursement for expenses incurred in the execution of their duties for the Institute. Any Director who misses two consecutive scheduled meetings of the Board shall be subject to termination from the Advisory Board. Amending These Guidelines These guidelines constitute the relationship between the Institute and its membership. They may be amended or repealed at any time by a majority vote of the STI Advisory Board or the general Membership. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 9th edition shall serve as the parliamentary authority and govern the conduct of business by the Institute's Executive Advisory Board Members and Membership in all cases where they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these guidelines and any special rules of order that the Institute may adopt.

APPROVED BY THE STI ADVISORY BOARD

On Behalf of the STI Advisory Board
Joe Simrany, President
Shashank Goel, Chairman
November 18, 2002

EXHIBIT 1
Founding Members of the Specialty Tea Institute

BC TEA HOUSE FREED, TELLER & FREED METROPOLITAN TEA COMPANY, LTD.
AHLSTROM FIBERCOMPOSITES E.F. GONZALEZ & ASSOCIATES ROYAL GARDENS TEA COMPANY
ALEXANDER GOURMET IMPORTS LTD. GOPALDHARA TEA CO. PVT. LTD. STASSEN NORTH AMERICA
AMBOOTIA/ KOPILI ORGANIC TEA ESTATES GRACE RARE TEAS TATA TEA INC.
ANGIE'S SPECIALTEAS HAGEDORN & COMPANY TEA & COFFEE TRADE JOURNAL
ARYA TEA COMPANY, LTD. HALSSEN & LYON GMBH TEA IMPORTERS, INC.
BALAJI AGRO INTERNATIONAL HARNEY & SONS FINE TEAS THE EAST INDIES COMPANY
BARNES & WATSON FINE TEAS HARRIS TEA COMPANY THE G.S. HALY COMPANY, INC.
BUNN-O-MATIC HENRY P. THOMSON, INC. THE REPUBLIC OF TEA
CAFÉ AU LAIT INC. A. HOLLIDAY & COMPANY, INC. UNILEVER BESTFOODS
CASTLE COMMUNICATIONS HTH HAMBURGER TEEHANDEL GMBH UNIVERSAL COMMODITIES (TEA) TRADING, INC.
CELESTIAL SEASONINGS, INC. IMA NORTH AMERICA, INC. WATER & LEAVES TEA COMPANY
CHINA MIST TEA CO. KENTEA LIMITED WILBUR CURTIS COMPANY INC.
CHINA PRODUCTS NORTH AMERICA, INC. LINDSAY'S TEAS  
COFFEE BEAN INTERNATIONAL MARK T. WENDELL COMPANY