Texas Computer Education Association Bylaws

ARTICLE I. NAME AND LOCATION

The name of this organization shall be the Texas Computer Education Association, a nonprofit corporation, incorporated in the State of Texas, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Section 1. Purpose

The purpose of this Association shall be:

  1. To encourage an active interest in the innovative and evolving use of technology tools and resources in elementary, secondary, and higher education.
  2. To provide an opportunity to keep abreast of trends in technology education.
  3. To provide and improve pre-service and in-service in the area of technology education.
  4. To provide professional cooperation and communication among educators toward the appropriate use of technology tools and resources.
  5. To serve as a liaison among organizations and other interests involved in the use of the technology tools and resources in education.
  6. To provide personal and professional services to members.

Section 2. Objective

The objective of the Association shall be to provide professional development and resources to support and promote the use of technology in education.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Qualification

Membership in this Association shall be available to all persons who are interested in using technology for educational purposes regardless of race, color, gender, faith, physical handicap, mental handicap, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any similar status and who agree to comply with the basic tenets of the Association as described in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE IV. DUES

Section 1. Establishment of Dues

Dues shall be determined by majority vote of the Board of Directors. All voting members shall be notified within sixty (60) days of any change in the amount of dues approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Membership Period

The membership period shall be for one (1) year from the date dues are received at the Association mailing address. The date the dues are received shall be recorded to establish each member’s anniversary date for future renewals.

Section 3. Delinquency and Cancellation

A procedure that provides for adequate notice of membership renewal and establishment of procedures for removal of delinquent membership shall be the responsibility of the Executive Director.

ARTICLE V. MEETING AND VOTING OF MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Association Voting Membership may be called by the Board of Directors at any time, or may be called by the President upon receipt of a written request by fifty (50) Members, within thirty (30) days after the filing of such request with the President. The business to be transacted at any special meeting shall be stated in the notice thereof, and no other business may be considered at the time. Notice of any special meeting of the Association Voting Membership will be given to voting members not less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting.

Section 2. Voting

Proposals to be offered to members for a vote shall first be approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will approve an auditable method of voting. On any vote, a majority of those voting shall determine the action.

Section 3. Quorum of Members

At any special meeting of the Association Voting Membership, a quorum shall consist of at least fifty (50) Voting Members. No formal action, other than adjournment, can be taken in the absence of a quorum.

Section 4. Cancellation of Meetings

The Board of Directors may cancel any special meeting for just cause.

Section 5. Rules of Order

All meetings and proceedings of the Association shall be regulated and controlled according to the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order for parliamentary procedures, except as may be otherwise provided by these Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

 

Section 1. Overall Structure

This organization shall consist of a Board of Directors. The organization may have Special Interest Groups (SIG) that represent communities of interest within the organization. An equitable geographic balance shall be maintained on all levels, insofar as possible.

An Executive Director and supporting staff shall be retained to provide supportive leadership and clerical assistance to the Association.

 Section 2. Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of this Association will consist of:

  1. President
  2. Past-President
  3. Vice President
  4. Member Services Chair
  5. Convention Chair
  6. Finance and Records Chair
  7. Area Directors {according to Areas as defined by TCEA Board}

 

Section 3. Quorum of the Board

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

Section 4. Meetings of the Board

A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held no less than two (2) times during the administrative year at such time and place the Board may prescribe. Notice of all such meetings shall be given to the Board not less than thirty (30) days before the meeting is held. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or at the request of three (3) Board members, by notice to each member not less than five days before the meeting is held.

A “meeting of the Board” will be defined as all those meetings set by the President for official Board business or to fulfill Board business.

 

Section 5. Voting

Voting rights of a Director shall not be delegated to another nor exercised by proxy.

 

Section 6. Voting by Mail and Electronically

Action taken by mail or electronically by the members of the Board of Directors shall be a valid action of the Board and shall be reported at the next regular meeting of the Board.

 

Section 7. Absence

Any elected Officer or Area Director who shall have been absent from two (2) consecutive regular meetings of the Board of Directors during a single administrative year shall vacate the seat of the Board of Directors and the vacancy shall be filled as provided by these Bylaws. However, the Board of Directors shall consider each absence of an Officer or Area Director as separate circumstance and may expressly excuse such absence by affirmative majority vote.

 

Section 8. Vacancies and Removal

Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors between Annual Meetings shall be filled by appointment of the President and approved by the Board of Directors. The appointee shall serve the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.

 

The Board of Directors may at its discretion, by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the board members, remove any Officer or Area Director for just cause, including, but not limited to, failure to submit required financial reports or failure to perform other listed responsibilities.

 

Any member of the Board not employed by an educational entity for more than a period of 90 days shall automatically vacate the seat of the Board of Directors and the vacancy shall be filled as provided by these Bylaws.

 

Section 9. Compensation

Area Directors and Officers will not receive any compensation for their services.

 

Section 10. Executive Director

The Executive Director shall be selected and employed by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall maintain, with supportive staff, an Association business office. The Executive Director shall oversee the day-to-day activities of the Association, under the advisement of the President. The Executive Director will retain and supervise such staff as are budgeted by the Association.

The Executive Director and staff will be responsible for maintaining the TCEA membership database, directing the fiscal matters of the Association, and other such duties as delegated by the Board.

The Executive Director of the Association shall serve as its delegate to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)’s Organizational Affiliate meetings.

 

Section. 11 Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups will be led by a Board consisting of officers designated by their bylaws.

ARTICLE VII. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND AREA DIRECTORS

 

Section 1. Executive Committee

The following positions of the Executive Committee of the Association shall be elected by the voting membership: 

  1. President
  2. Past President
  3. Vice President
  4. Member Services Chair
  5. Finance and Records Chair
  6. Convention Chair

Section 2. Qualifications for Executive Committee and Area Directors

 

Any Regular Member who is a teacher, administrator, or other employee of an educational entity in the state of Texas shall be eligible for nomination and election to any office of the Association. Educational entities, for these Bylaws, shall include public and private schools, colleges and universities, and Regional Service Centers.  

Area Directors must reside or be employed in the TCEA Area in which he/she is running for election and must continue to reside or be employed in the TCEA Area that they represent for the duration of their term.  

Executive Committee candidates must have served as a voting member of the Board of Directors for the two full years prior to election year and completed the three full years prior to taking office.

 

Section 3. Terms of Executive Committee and Area Directors

 

The Vice President shall be elected annually. The Vice President shall serve a three-year term, one year each in the following order:

  1. Vice President
  2. President
  3. Past President

All other board positions shall serve the terms listed below:

  • Convention Chair: 1 year
  • Member Services Chair: 2 years
  • Finance and Records Chair: 2 years
  • Area Directors: 3 years

 

Section 4. Nomination and Election Procedures for Executive Committee and Area Directors

Members shall be notified that nominations are open by the first Monday in October. Nominations shall be in writing, signed by a Regular Member, and shall include a brief resume and a written consent of the nominee to be nominated and serve, if elected.

In order to accept, nominations must be received at the Association’s or the Nomination Committee Chair’s no later than the first Monday in November, by the end of the business day. If no nominations are received for any open position, candidates will be provided by the Member Services Chair in accordance with these Bylaws (Article VII, Section 8).

Election ballots will be made available to the full voting membership and shall be returned to the Association. Ballots must be verifiable. Election results will be determined by a plurality of votes received by the deadline.

Officers assume office at the beginning of the fiscal year.

 

Section 5. Duties of the President

 

The President shall be the chief elected officer of the Association and serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The President shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors and the membership.

 

Section 6. Duties of the Past President

 

The Past President succeeds from the Presidency. He/she shall act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors and all Standing Committees, as well as committees appointed by the President or requested by the Board. He/she will serve as mentor to the Vice President. The Past President will monitor board proceedings to ensure compliance with the organization’s rules of order. In addition, he/she will serve as the Historian. The Past President may serve this year without being employed by an educational entity, but may not be employed by a technology-related vendor or company.

 

Section 7. Duties of the Vice President

 

The Vice President shall succeed to the President. He/she shall perform the duties of the President in the event of the President’s inability to be present.

 

Section 8. Duties of the Member Services Chair

 

The Member Services Chair shall be responsible for nominations and elections of officers, membership, and Board training.

 

Section 9. Duties of the Finance and Records Chair

 

The Finance and Records Chair shall be responsible for reviewing official Association documents, including financial reports and minutes of all meetings.

 

Section 10. Duties of the Convention Chair

 

The Convention Chair shall serve as the Program Chair of the State Convention, including the Chair of the Convention Committee.

 

Section 11. Duties of the Area Directors

 

Area Directors are the chief elected officers for each of the TCEA defined geographical areas. The Area Director attends and has voting privileges at all Board meetings. The Area Director also acts as a liaison between Area members and the Organization. 

ARTICLE VIII. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Section 1. Special Interest Groups (SIG)

At the discretion of the Board of Directors or upon petition by 25 Regular members, the Board of Directors may consider the formation or dissolution of a Special Interest Group (SIG). The creation or dissolution of a SIG requires a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2. Functions

Each SIG functions under the financial and structural umbrella of the Association that retains all rights and responsibilities for the SIG name, publications, assets and liabilities.

ARTICLE IX STANDING, SPECIAL COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS

Section 1. Standing Committees and Appointments

There will be the following standing committees:

  1. Bylaws and Policies
  2. Executive
  3. Finance
  4. Convention
  5. Strategic Planning

Each standing committee shall have no less than three (3) members. All appointees shall serve for one (1) year subject to reappointment.

 

Section 2. Special Committees

A Special Committee may be established by the President to carry out a specific task.

ARTICLE X. FINANCE

Section 1. Fiscal Period

The fiscal year and the administrative year for this Association will be from April 1 to March 31.

 

Section 2. Budget

The Board of Directors shall adopt an annual operating budget covering all activities of the Association. A financial report of the fiscal year just completed is available upon request by any Regular Member.

Section 3. Funds

The Association funds will be deposited by the Executive Director in such banking institutions as are approved by the Board of Directors. These funds include those of the Board of Directors, and any Special Interest Groups.

 

Section 4. Compiled Financial Statement

The accounts of the Association shall be subject to an annual compiled financial statement by a professional individual(s) with demonstrated knowledge of established accounting procedures. The individual(s) conducting the compiled financial statement shall be approved by the Board of Directors prior to conducting the annual compiled financial statement.

ARTICLE XI. DISSOLUTION

The Association shall use its assets only to accomplish the objectives and purposes specified in these Bylaws.

No part of said assets shall be distributed to the members of the Association. Any assets remaining upon dissolution shall be distributed to one or more regularly organized and qualified charitable education, scientific, or philanthropic organizations to be selected by the Board of Directors.

All member and financial records shall be placed in the possession of the President in office at time of dissolution. All such records shall be stored.

ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended or repealed by two-thirds vote of the Regular Members present at any Annual Business Meeting of the Association duly called and regularly held, or by mail or electronic ballot.  Notice of such proposed changes shall be sent in writing or electronically to the members thirty (30) days before such meeting or vote. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors on its own initiative, or upon petition of any fifty (50) Regular Members addressed to the Board. All such proposed amendments shall be presented by the Board to the Membership.