1. There shall be in each drainage improvement district an association to be known by the name of the district, as ............. ............ Drainage Improvement Association. It shall be the object of this association to represent the interests of its members in drainage matters before the department and elsewhere and to serve as a channel of communication between the members thereof and the department. Each owner of land within the district, each lessee of such land and each person who has contracted to purchase such land shall be a member of and shall have an equal vote in the association. Such association may be formed voluntarily as soon as the department has filed its first description of the boundaries of the district. As soon as practicable after recording the final order creating a district, the association, if already formed, shall call a meeting of the members of the association and perfect a permanent organization.

2. If no association has been formed, the department may call a meeting for the purpose of forming such association and a representative of the department shall preside thereat until a temporary chairman is elected. Such association shall adopt by-laws for the transaction of its business. The association shall choose from among its members a president, secretary and executive committee and such other officers and committees as the by-laws may provide. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep a list of the members and their addresses and to furnish the department with copies of such list on request. The annual meeting of the association shall be held during the month of February in each year, at which meeting the officers shall be elected and the association shall determine upon the drainage maintenance or construction work desired during the ensuing year.

3. Immediately after the close of the annual meeting the secretary of the association shall submit to the department a list of the names and addresses of the officers for the year and, if there be such, petitions setting forth the desires of the association and of the members thereof.

4. To defray the costs of the necessary meetings, the association may collect dues or contributions from its members.