CONSTITUTION
and
By-laws
of the
____________________
Adopted
March 17, 1979
Revised
October 7, 1994
Revised
October 1, 1998
Revision Submitted to
Membership
October 8, 2004
Revision Submitted to Membership (pending)
January 30, 2009
[Disk: IABE
2002-File Constitution-1988 - Revised 10/1/98]
Table of Contents
Article
I Name
Section
1 Name
Section
2 Interpretation of the name
Article
II Philosophy and Purpose
Section
1 Philosophy
Section
2 Purpose
Article
III Membership
Section
1 Organization
Section
2 Additional chapters
Section
3 Qualifications
Section
4 Honorary membership
Section 5
Categories of membership
Section
6 Membership fees
Section
7 Membership voting
Section
8 Quorum
Article
IV Meetings
Section
1 Membership meetings
Section
2 Frequency of meetings
Section
3 Location of meetings
Article
V Board of Directors
Section
1 Board of Directors
Section
2 Meetings
Section
3 Terms of Office
Section
4 Vacancies
Section
5 Duties of Board of Directors
Article
VI Election of officers
Section
1 Nominations committee
Section
2 Voting eligibility
Section
3 Removal of Officers
Article
VII Amendments
Section
1 Procedure for amendments
Section
2 Ratification
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION, INC.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTICLE I Name
Section 1. Name
- The name of the Association shall be the
IDAHO ASSOCIATION FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION, INC., hereinafter referred to as
IABE.
Section 2. Interpretation
of the name - Bilingual Education in the name of the Association shall
mean: the continuous use and preservation of two languages and their
corresponding cultures in the field of education. For the purposes of this Constitution,
bilingual education shall mean bilingual/bicultural education. This allows for the provision of equitable
educational opportunities by using the students' primary language and culture
as a medium of instruction while at the same time teaching the second
language. This instructional process
results in a bicultural individual possessing fluency and literacy in both
languages.
ARTICLE
II Philosophy and Purpose
Section 1. Philosophy
- It is the conviction of the Idaho Association for Bilingual Education that in
a multilingual and multicultural state such as
Section 2. Purpose
- IABE is a non-profit organization. Its
purposes include, but are not limited to:
a. recognizing, promoting and publicizing
excellence in education by promoting bilingual education as a sound process by
which the educational success for students learning English is enhanced by
learning through their first language while concurrently learning the English
language;
b. promoting efforts to assure the
provision of equitable educational opportunity for all through the
implementation of quality ESL and bilingual programs;
c. promoting bilingual/bicultural
educational services to children, youth, and adults at all levels in both the
community and educational institutions throughout the state and the nation by
encouraging the general population to participate in foreign language,
multicultural, and bilingual education programs in order to receive the
benefits of bilingualism and multiculturalism;
d. promoting recognition by the total community of the importance of bilingualism and its contributions toward better understanding among people within the state, nation and world community;
e. encouraging
educational bodies to recognize the linguistic and cultural needs of persons
learning English;
f. coordinating and promoting the
development of professional competence and professional standards in bilingual
education;
g. establishing contacts with local,
state, national and international associations having complementary interests;
h. promoting the organization and
presentation of workshops and conferences dealing with the needs of ESL and
bilingual education programs;
i. encouraging the excellence of
bilingual education by promoting research and other activities; and
j. providing scholarships to encourage
persons to become bilingual educators.
ARTICLE III Membership
Section 1. Organization
- The state organization shall be known as the Idaho Association for Bilingual
Education. It shall consist of the
following constituent units:
a. Regional chapters - IABE shall
consist of regional chapters. The
chapters are as follows:
i.
ii.
iii.
Snake
River Chapter: the
iv. Student Chapters, known as Bilingual
Education Student Organizations (BESO), shall consist of students seeking
undergraduate degrees (students seeking graduate degrees shall be members of a
non-student chapter).
b. Parents Special Interest Group shall
consist of the parents of students learning English and others who share a
common interest with IABE.
c. Each chapter shall be organized with a
president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and other officers as needed.
i. Each chapter shall establish its own
constitution and bylaws and establish a fee schedule.
ii. Each chapter shall establish goals
such as communications, workshops, materials, etc.
d. The president of each chapter shall
represent his/her chapter as a member of the IABE Board of Directors.
e. The Parents Special Interest Group
shall be represented on the Board of Directors by a parent appointed by the
Board of Directors.
f. Post-Secondary
Education Representative
g.
State Representative
Section 2. Additional chapters
- Additional chapters may be formed and may petition the Board of Directors for
membership into IABE. As additional
chapters are approved by the Board, their membership shall be acknowledged by
official updates to the Constitution of IABE, Inc.
Section 3. Qualifications
- All individuals interested in and supportive of bilingual education and of
the goals of this Association may become members of the regional chapters and
of IABE. Non-voting membership shall be
available to institutions, agencies and commercial organizations.
Section 4. Honorary
membership - Honorary membership may be conferred at the discretion of
IABE's Board of Directors.
Section 5. Categories
of membership - Membership shall consist of the following categories:
a. Regular member - for
professionals engaged in the field of education or other professions in the
society;
b. Associate member - for students
currently enrolled in an undergraduate program of study at a recognized
institution of higher education, for paraprofessionals engaged in the
educational process, and for community members interested in the field of
education;
c. Institutional member - for
educational, social and cultural institutions and agencies supportive of the
goals and objectives of IABE; and
d. Commercial member - for
commercial enterprises which are supportive of the goals and objectives of
IABE.
Section 6. Membership
fees - The Board of Directors shall establish appropriate fees for each
membership category listed in Section 5 above.
Membership fees are collected on an annual basis at the fall conference,
which marks the beginning of the active membership year.
Section 7. Membership
voting
a. Regular members and associate members
shall have the rights of voice and vote in all Association business.
b. Institutional and commercial members shall
have a voice in all Association business, but shall have no vote.
Section 8. Quorum
a. A quorum of the membership shall
consist of one half plus one of the members in good standing.
b. A matter brought before the membership
for a vote shall be approved if it receives a simple majority of the votes of a
quorum of the members.
ARTICLE IV Meetings
Section 1. Membership
meetings - The Association shall hold an annual meeting of the general
membership.
Section 2. Frequency
of meetings - The Association shall hold the following meetings:
a. an annual membership meeting in
conjunction with the annual winter conference; and
b. other meetings as deemed necessary by
the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Location
of meetings - Location of membership meetings shall follow the schedule
outlined below.
a. The Board of Directors shall determine
the exact location of the general membership meetings and the Annual Winter
Conferences.
ARTICLE V Board of Directors
Section 1. Board
of Directors - IABE shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of
the following officers:
a. president
b. vice president
c. past president
d. secretary
e. treasurer
f. chapter presidents
g.
parent
representative - ex-officio member appointed by the board of directors
h.
BESO
(Bilingual Education Student Organization) presidents - ex-officio members
i.
Post-Secondary
Education Representative
j.
State
Representative
Section 2. Meetings
- The Board of Directors shall hold an official Board of Directors meeting in
conjunction with the Annual Winter Conference and another meeting during the
spring of each year. Other meetings may
be called by the president or a quorum of the Board of Directors as
needed. All official Board of Directors
meetings shall be open to members in good standing. Official business of the Board may be
conducted when a quorum of the Board of Directors is in attendance. A quorum of the Board membership shall
consist of one half plus one of the Board members in good standing.
Section 3. Terms
of office - The terms of office of the members of the Board of Directors
shall be for two years commencing at the end of the Annual Fall Conference
except for the current Board members whose terms shall expire at the beginning
of the Annual Winter Conferences
according to the following schedule:
a. president - 2009, 2011, 2013, etc.
b. vice president - 2010, 2012, 2014, etc.
c. past president - 2009, 2011, 2013, etc.
d. secretary - 2010, 2012, 2014, etc.
e. treasurer - 2009, 2011, 2013, etc.
f. chapter representatives
i. One half of the chapter
representatives' terms shall expire in 2009 and every two years thereafter and
one half of the chapter representatives' terms shall expire in 2011 and every
two years thereafter.
ii.
The Board
of Directors shall determine the years in which chapter representatives' terms
will expire when resignations or unfulfilled terms occur.
iii. BESO chapter representatives’ terms
will vary.
Section 4. Vacancies - In the event that a vacancy
should occur on the Board of Directors, the president, with the approval of the
majority of the members of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a member in
good standing to serve until that particular office shall come up for election. In the event that the president resigns or is
removed from office, the vice president shall a) assume the office, or b) with
the approval of the members of a majority of the Board of Directors, appoint a
member in good standing to serve until that particular office shall come up for
election.
Section 5. Duties
of Board of Directors - All business of IABE, including financial matters,
shall be administered by the Board of Directors. All checks shall bear two authorized
signatures of board members.
a. President - The president is the
chairperson of the Board of Directors and shall:
i. convene and preside at all meetings of
the Board of Directors;
ii. correspond when appropriate with
chapters of other state associations and the National Association for Bilingual
Education;
iii. organize annual membership meetings and
Annual Winter Conferences;
iv. appoint committee chairs as needed with
the approval of the Board of Directors;
v. present a report to the Association membership at the Annual Winter Conference on the state of the Association;
vi. prepare
a financial budget for approval by the Board of Directors;
vii.
register
his/her signature for check-signing purposes with a banking institution, and
designate an additional alternative Board member to register his/her signature
for check-signing purposes;
viii.
approve
expenditures submitted by Board members and billing agencies;
ix.
in
conjunction with the treasurer, conduct an annual audit of the Association's
finances;
x.
complete
reports of the composition and addresses of the Board of Directors as requested
by the State of
xi. other duties as required by the Board
of Directors or as needed.
b. Vice President - The vice
president shall assist the president in the successful operation of IABE and
shall:
k.
function
in the absence of the president;
ii. serve
as chair of the nominations committee and ensure that the election for officers
is carried out satisfactorily;
iii. assist with an annual audit of the
Association's finances; and
iv. other duties as assigned by the
president.
c. Secretary - The secretary shall
be the custodian of all Association records and shall:
i. record accurate minutes of all
official meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors;
ii. disseminate written copies of all official minutes to members of the Board of Directors within 14 calendar days of an official meeting of the Association or of the Board of Directors;
iii. coordinate
with the treasurer to maintain accurate and current membership rolls and
mailing lists;
iv.
provide
new Board members with a copy of the Constitution and the minutes of meetings
conducted during the prior year; and
v. other duties as may be assigned by the
president.
d. Treasurer - The treasurer shall
be the chief financial officer of the Association and shall:
i. be accountable for all Association
funds and maintain accurate financial
records,
ii. collect membership fees,
iii. present a written financial report at
each official meeting of the Board of Directors and to the general membership
at the Annual Fall Conference,
iv. maintain the Association checking
account and other Association funds or accounts,
v. register signature for check signing
purposes with a banking institution,
vi. upon approval of the president or
his/her designee, issue appropriate checks to pay the financial obligations of
the Association, and
vii. other duties as may be assigned by the
president.
e. Chapter Presidents - The chapter presidents (or their designated
representatives) shall represent their respective areas at all official
meetings of the Association and at meetings of the Board of Directors, and
shall:
i. communicate chapter concerns to the
Board of Directors;
ii. present written reports regarding
chapters' concerns and suggestions to the Board of Directors as deemed
necessary;
iii. communicate actions and decisions of the Board of Directors to their respective chapter members;
iv. solicit active, strategic involvement of their chapter members in support of the annual conference when the rotation of location occurs in their area;
v. submit names of nominated and selected award recipients to a designated Board member, who in turn places orders for standard awards for each chapter;
vi. submit to the president a written description of the chapter’s rationale and the merits of individuals nominated by the chapter to receive IABE awards at the annual fall conference;
vii. other duties as may be assigned by the
president.
ARTICLE VI Election of officers
Section 1. Nominations
Committee - The nominations committee shall be charged with selecting a
slate of candidates to stand for election at the Annual Fall Conference.
a. The nominations committee shall consist of the vice president and the secretary in consultation with the Board of Directors during meetings well in advance of the annual conference.
b.
In the
case that the vice president or the secretary should desire to run for
re-election for office at a given election, the president shall appoint an
alternate member of the Board to assist in the election and ballot process.
c. The nominations committee shall seek
nominations of members in good standing for the offices that come up for
election according to the schedule outlined in Article V, Section 3, and they
shall receive nominations for these offices from members at large during the
annual conference.
d. The committee shall verify with each
person nominated his/her willingness to serve, if elected, by explaining the
responsibilities of the particular office, time commitments, travel, etc.
e. A slate of candidates shall be
selected, and written mailings or electronic postings of background information
regarding the proposed candidates shall be disseminated to the Association
membership a minimum of 21 days prior to the election. Nominations from the Association membership
at large will be accepted when submitted to the IABE President up to ten days
prior to the first day of the fall conference.
f.
Voting shall take place at the
Annual Winter Conference.
g. The committee shall provide the
previous year’s Association members in good standing the opportunity to cast an
absentee ballot upon their request if they are not able to attend the annual
conference when elections are held.
h. The committee shall conduct the
election by secret ballot and shall announce the results to the president, who
shall report the results of the election to the membership at the earliest time
feasible.
i. The committee shall carry on other
such duties as may be required in order to conduct orderly and fair elections.
Section 2. Voting
eligibility - All members in good standing on the day the election is held
may cast a ballot.
a. Members may vote in person or they may
vote by absentee ballot as prescribed by the Nominations Committee.
b. A member in good standing is a person
who, prior to the time the election is held, has paid the required membership
fee as established by the Board of Directors.
c.
The
treasurer and the nominating committee shall verify the eligibility of each
member to vote.
Section 3. Removal of
an elected officer and member of the Board of Directors. A member of the Board of Directors may be removed from
his/her elected office as a member of the board for good cause and upon a
three-fourths majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors
in attendance of a regular and officially announced meeting of the Board.
a. Definition of good cause: Failure to perform any of the
following roles or responsibilities of the respective official expectations:
. i. execute duties of the office as outlined by the Constitution;
ii. attend two or more board meetings without just and reasonable cause within a one-year period of office;
iii. contribute to the organization of
annual membership meetings and/or annual fall conferences in a timely and
appropriate manner;
iv. act
responsibly in financial matters;
v. communicate adequately in a timely
manner with the other members of the Board of Directors;
vi. conduct oneself in a manner becoming of
an officer of IABE
b. Procedure:
i. First notification. A majority of the members of the Board of
Directors shall provide notification in writing to the member in question that
good cause exists for which said member is being considered for removal. Such notification shall provide details of the
circumstances, suggested remedies, and a timeline to carry out such remedies.
ii. Second notification. A majority of the members of the Board of
Directors shall provide the board member in question with notification of
failure to remedy the situation in question and a request for voluntary
resignation specifying a timeline for such resignation.
iii. If a voluntary resignation is not
tendered in a timely manner, the members of the Board of Directors shall take
official action to remove the board member in question by a three-fourths
majority vote of the members present and voting at a regularly established and
pre-announced official Board meeting.
iv. The member of the Board of Directors so
removed from office shall have no standing as an officer, past officer, or
member of the Board of Directors except should the general membership of the
Association subsequently elect such person to the Board of Directors.
v. The Board of Directors shall fill a vacancy created through the
removal process in accordance with Article V, Section 4 of this constitution.
vi. The general membership of the
Association shall be duly notified of such board action electronically, in a
regular newsletter, through a special announcement, or at an official meeting
of the general membership.
Section 1. Procedure
for amendments - Amendments to this constitution shall be made in the
following manner:
a. Amendments may be proposed by:
i. a simple majority of the Board of
Directors, or
ii. a petition to the Board of Directors
signed by a minimum of fifteen members in good standing.
b. Amendments must be presented to and
approved by the Board of Directors prior to being presented to the membership
for a vote.
c. To be voted upon by the membership,
proposed amendments and revisions of the constitution must be:
i. disseminated in electronic or written
form to the members of record a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to a general
meeting of the membership in which the proposed amendment will be submitted for
a ratifying vote, or
ii. presented to the membership at an
official business meeting and submitted for a ratifying vote at the next
official business meeting during the next general membership meeting of the
Association.
Section 2. Ratification -
An amendment must be ratified at an official business meeting during a general
membership meeting of the Association by a simple majority of the members in
good standing who are in attendance at said official business meeting. An amendment so ratified shall become
effective immediately.
RATIFICATION
This
Constitution was ratified at the Annual Fall Conference held in
________________________________________ _____________________
Dr. Jay Richard Fuhriman,
President Date
This
Constitution was amended as per ARTICLE VII on October 1, 1998 at the Annual
Fall Conference held in
________________________________________ _____________________
Dr. Jay Richard Fuhriman,
President Date
This Constitution
was revised and presented to the general membership as per ARTICLE VII on
October 7, 2004 at the Annual Fall Conference held in Ontario, Oregon, with
anticipated ratification at the subsequent Annual Fall Conference in Pocatello,
Idaho on October 7, 2005.
________________________________________ _____________________
Dr. Ellen G. Batt, President Date
This
Constitution was revised and presented to the general membership as per Article
VII Section 1 item c (i) on December 10,
2008, with anticipated ratification at the subsequent Winter Conference in
___________________________________ ________________________
Irene Chavolla M. Ed. President Date
INDEX
Absentee voting................................ A6-S2.a Parents
Special Interest Group........ A3-S1.b
Amendments.................................... A7 Philosophy............................... A2-S1
Dissemination of.................... A7-S1.c Political
bodies..........................
A2-S2.e
Presented to board of directors. A7-S1.b Preservation
of two languages....... A1-S2
Propose an amendment.......... A7-S1.a President.................................. A5-S5.a
Ratification......................... A7-S2 Primary
language....................... A1-S2
Associate member............................. A3-S5.b Purpose
of IABE........................ A2-S2
Bilingual education, meaning............... A1-S2 Qualification
for membership....... A3-S3
Bilingual education............................ A2-S1 Quorum................................... A5-S2
Board of directors............................. A5 Regional
Chapters......................
A3-S1.a
Duties of executive board....... A5-S5 Regular
Members.......................
A3-S5.a
Election of.......................... A6 Secretary.................................. A5-S5.c
Duties of officers…………………… A5-S5
Officers.............................. A5-S1 Student
Chapters........................
A3-S1.a.v
Meetings............................ A5-S2 Student
Members.......................
A3-S1.v
Quorum............................. A3-S8
Terms of office..................... A5-S3 Treasurer.................................. A5-S5.d
Vacancies........................... A5-S4 Vice
President............................
A5-S5.b
Voting............................... A6-S2.a.b Voting.................................... A3-S7.a.b
Chapters......................................... A3-S1 Eligibility.................………………… A6-S2
Additional chapters............... A3-S2 Members
in good standing…………….. A6-S2.b
Qualifications for membership. A3-S3 Verification
of Eligibility………………. A6-S2.c
Commercial member......................... A3-S5.d Workshops................................ A2-S2.h
Conferences.................................... A2-S2.h
Equitable
education.......................... A1-S2,
A2-S2b ADDENDUM
First
language learning....................... A2-S2
IABE............................................. A1-S1 Removal
of Officers………………………. A6-S3
Institutional
member......................... A3-S4.c
Membership.................................... A3
Categories
of membership...... A3-S5
Fees.................................. A3-S6
Honorary
membership........... A3-S4
Member
in good standing....... A6-S2.b
Qualifications
for membership. A3-S3
Quorum............................. A3.S8.a
Voting............................... A3-S7.a.b; A3-S8.b
Voting
eligibility.................. A6-S2
Membership
categories...................... A3-S5
Membership
meetings........................ A4-S1.a
Meeting agenda................................ A4.S1.b
Meetings........................................ A4
Frequency........................... A4-S2
Location............................. A4-S3
Membership........................ A4-S1.a.b
Notification........................ A4-S1.b
Name............................................. A1-S1
Nominations
committee..................... A6
Officers.......................................... A5-S1
Duties................................ A5.S5
Election
of.......................... A6
Meetings............................ A5-S2
Quorum............................. A5-S2
Terms of
office.................... A5-S3
Vacancies............................ A5-S4
Voting............................... A3-S7.a.b