Section 2 – Vice Presidents

The Vice Presidents shall perform the functions usually attributed to the office. The Vice Presidents shall work closely with one or more standing committees as the President may suggest. One of the Vice Presidents shall become President when that office becomes vacant except as provided in Article V, Section 3, of the Constitution.

Section 3 – Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President shall advise the Representative Council and assist the President at the latter’s request. The Immediate Past President shall have the power to vote.

Section 4 – Secretary

The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Representative Council, shall maintain official files, and shall assist the President with Association correspondence.

Section 5 – Treasurer

The Treasurer shall hold the funds of the Association and disburse them upon authorization by the Representative Council. The Treasurer shall maintain a roll of the members. The Treasurer shall keep accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements, shall report to each meeting of the Representative Council, and shall prepare an annual financial statement for publication to members as directed by the Representative Council. The Treasurer shall keep the President and Representative Council informed of the financial condition of the Association. The Treasurer shall assist the Budget Committee in the initial drafting of the annual budget.

A faculty committee shall be appointed by the President with the consent of the Representative Council to annually audit the Treasurer’s books.

Section 6 – Terms and Succession

a. The officers and delegates shall serve a two-year term.

b. When the offices of both President and Vice President shall become vacant between elections, except as provided in Article V, Section 3, of the Constitution, the remaining members of the Representative Council shall choose one of the their number to serve as President pro tempore until the vacancy(s) are filled.


ARTICLE IV—DUTIES AND POWERS OF ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES
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Section 1 – Duties

Association Representatives, with the Senior (Chief) Association Representative as chairman, shall call building meetings of the Association members to discuss Association business, shall appoint such faculty committees as the Association may require, and shall organize and oversee the subsequent elections of faculty representatives and two-way Association communication with the building.

Section 2 – Qualifications and Term of Office

Association Representatives shall have been members of the Coldwater Education Association for at least one year prior to their election and shall maintain their membership in good standing during their term of office.

Section 3 – Number of Association Representatives

In each public school in Coldwater, faculty members who are members in good standing of this Association shall elect for a term of two years one Association Representative to the Representative Council for each eight members or major fraction thereof. Travelling teachers, i.e. elementary music and elementary physical education, not represented through a specific building shall have representation at a ration of 1:8 or at least one representative. Association members, in a building where teachers number less than eight (8) or major fraction thereof, shall be included as a part of the travelling teacher group for representation purposes. There shall be at least on Representative from each building. Where more than one such Representative is elected, one shall be designated the Chief Association Representative, and the terms shall be staggered.

Section 4 – Removal of Association Representatives

Association Representatives shall attend the regular meetings of the Representative Council. After three absences of a Representative, the seat shall be declared unfilled and call for a faculty election in the affected building to fill out the term. The President shall designate a member in good standing to organize this special election.

Section 5 – Removal of Association Officers

Association officers shall attend the regular meetings of the Representative Council. After three absences of an officer, the seat may be declared unfilled by the President, or highest ranking officer, who shall call upon the Representative Council for an immediate election to fill the unexpired term.


ARTICLE V—STATE AND REGIONAL DELEGATES
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Section 1 – Representative Assembly Delegate

a. A delegate to the MEA Representative Assembly shall be elected by a majority vote of the active membership. The delegate shall represent the CEA at the MEA Representative Assembly and shall serve on the Representative Council. The RA Delegate shall serve for a two-year term.

b. The results of the MEA Representative Assembly delegate elections are to be transmitted to MEA within ten (10) days after the election.

c. The ballots and all of the records pertaining to the election of Representative Assembly delegates shall be preserved for one (1) year and shall be kept in the custody of the president of the local association.

Section 2 – Regional Delegates

One delegate for every 50 teachers shall be elected by a majority vote of the active membership. The Regional Delegates shall represent the CEA at the Regional Council and shall serve on the Representative Council.

Section 3 – Region IV-C Delegates South Central Michigan Education Association

Two delegates elected at large from the membership for a one-year term shall be official delegates to the Region IV-C Council. The delegates shall attend IV-C meetings and shall serve on the Representative Council.

ARTICLE VI—STANDING COMMITTEES
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Section 1 – Structure

There may be eight (8) standing committees carrying the specific functions outlined below. They shall be selected to represent different groups in the Association, and appointed for overlapping terms of three years. Each committee may, with the approval of the Representative Council, organize special sub-committees and task forces for specific activities from the membership of the Association.

Section 2 – Meetings

Each standing committee shall meet according to a calendar developed by the Committee Chairman.

Section 3 – Reports

Each committee shall choose a secretary who shall keep a continuing record of activities. Chairmen shall report as necessary to the Representative Council and shall prepare an annual written report summarizing objectives, action programs, gains and unreached goals, which the Representative Council shall distribute to the members and which shall become a part of the continuing committee record in the Association files.

Section 4 – Titles and Duties

a. The Committee on Teacher Welfare shall explore and prepare action programs as necessary in all areas of teacher welfare, creating subcommittees with particular responsibility for salaries, leave, fringe benefits, insurance, credit and investment facilities, and general working conditions.

b. The Committee on Professional Rights and Responsibilities shall explore and prepare action programs for securing satisfactory personnel policies and procedures for the redress of grievances. It shall advise the Representative Council on procedures for the implementation of the Code of Ethics. This committee shall advise the Representative Council in situations of censure, suspension, or expulsion of members. It shall develop a program of orientation to the Code of Ethics for all members of the Association.

c. The Committee on Public Relations shall seek to develop public understanding of the purpose and programs of the Association, the values and importance of education and, in cooperation with the Administration, the educational philosophy and programs of the schools. It shall develop procedures by which the Association can work cooperatively with parents and public in civic, fraternal, and social organizations, and through all available channels of communication.

d. The Committee on Teacher Education and Professional Standards shall explore and develop action programs and maintain standards for certification, employment, and assignment to improve opportunities for pre-service, continuing, and in-service professional education, and to create and maintain rapport between the Association and neighboring or closely related institutions of higher education. It shall develop and foster local chapters of Future Teachers of America and Student NEA and exercise professional concern in programs involving student teachers or relating to the concept of professional autonomy.

e. The Committee on Professional Relations shall organize and oversee the following subcommittees:

1. Orientation – to develop and conduct programs for the orientation of new teachers to the community, the school system, and the Association

2. Social Affairs – to organize such social activities as may serve the needs of members and promote fellowship within the Association.

f. The Public Affairs Committee shall have broad concern for local, state, and national legislation affecting the interests of the Association and for exercise of civic responsibilities by members. The Committee shall be diligent to inform members about newly enacted legislation. It shall organize and oversee the work of the following subcommittees:

1. State Legislation – to study pending legislation and to promote activities leading to the passage of desirable state legislation for schools.

2. Federal Legislation – to study legislation before the Congress and to develop activities leading to the passage of desirable federal legislation for schools.

3. Citizenship – to educate members and the public on the civic responsibilities of teachers and to develop programs that will encourage wide exercise of them.

g. The Executive Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term by the President. Its purpose shall be to assist the President in carrying out various executive responsibilities such as preparing agendas, reviewing reports, suggesting courses of action, etc. Its scope of activity and number of members shall be under the sole control of the President. The President may remove members or add members at the President’s discretion.

h. A Judicial Review Committee may be established by the President to determine interpretation of the Constitution and/or Bylaws. The committee shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Vice President. A chairman shall be elected by the Representative Council and will vote only in case of a tie. A majority vote of the Representative Council can establish this committee in the event the President fails to do so. The Judicial Committee will not exist except as an ad hoc committee when matters of constitutional interpretation are pending.

Section 5 – Relation to Representative Council

The Representative Council shall assist the President to appoint members of the standing committees at the regular meeting in March, and to fill all unexpired terms as vacancies occur, and shall plan for an organizational committee conference each year. It shall require and assist committees to define their immediate and long-range objectives. It shall review committee plans as necessary and shall decide any jurisdictional argument between committees.

Section 6 – Relation to State and National Associations

The standing committees shall seek to understand and relate to the objectives and programs of corresponding units of state and national associations and shall counsel with them.

ARTICLE VII —SPECIAL COMMITTEES
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Each year the President shall appoint an Elections Committee, an Audit Committee, a Budget Committee, and such other special committees as may be necessary and shall discharge them upon completion of their duties. There committees shall operate according to rules approved by the Representative Council. No officer of the Association shall serve on either the Election Committee or the Audit Committee.

ARTICLE VIII—ELECTIONS
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Section 1 – Nominations

a. The active members of the Association in each building, during the month of March, may nominate a candidate or candidates for the offices of: President, Elementary Vice President, Secondary Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer; and Michigan Representative Assembly Delegates, Region IV Delegates, and IV-C Delegates. The senior (chief) Association Representative shall deliver all nominations in writing to the Committee on Elections

b. The Committee on Elections shall report all nominations of candidates for offices and delegates to the Representative Council at the April meeting.

c. The Committee on Elections shall publish to the members brief information of the various candidates.

Section 2 – Balloting

a. On the second Monday of May, elections by ballot in accordance with procedures developed by the Committee on Elections and approved by Representative Council, shall be held for officers of the Association and for Association Representatives. New posts will be assumed on the first working day of the following school year. All elected officers and Association Representatives shall be elected by a plurality of the membership of their constituency. In case of tie(s), a runoff election will be held within ten (10) working days of the election.

b. At each election, the Committee on Elections shall report results to the President, who shall cause them to be published.

c. An official report of the local election is required to be filed by the President with the MEA not later than thirty (30) days following the election.

ARTICLE IX—CONTRACT RATIFICATION
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1. Only a proposed contract tentatively agreed to by an officially impaneled bargaining team may be submitted to Representative Council for recommendation to the membership.

2. A majority vote of those members voting shall be required for ratification.

3. Only members in good standing may vote on ratification.

4. Proposed contract changes should be made available in writing to voting members at least five (5) days prior to the vote on ratification.

5. Proposed contract changes should be posted at the voting site.

ARTICLE X—AUTHORITY
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"Robert’s Rules of Order" (revised) shall be the parliamentary authority for the Association on all questions not covered by the Constitution and Bylaws and such standing laws as Representative Council shall adopt.

ARTICLE XI—AMENDMENTS
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Section 1 – The Representative Council may propose amendments to the Bylaws by a 2/3 majority of those voting at any regular meeting provided that amendments have been introduced at the preceding regular meeting of the Representative Council and that copies of the proposed amendments have been immediately distributed to members of the Council for faculty discussion.

Section 2 – Amendments may be proposed by petition of 20% of the active membership.

Section 3 – All proposed amendments must be adopted by a 2/3 vote of the active membership present at a general membership meeting. Proposed amendments must be distributed to the active membership one week in advance of the general membership meeting.

Section 4 – Adopted amendments to the Bylaws shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date of the membership meeting where approved.

ADDENDUM
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a. Officer Compensation – The President’s salary shall be $4,000 per year and $1,000 for each Vice President. All officers will be reimbursed their total dues cost. (4-16-2001)