KELSO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
BYLAWS
(REVISED May11, 2016)
ARTICLE I – GOALS
Section 1. The Association shall be a member-advocate association and shall develop and maintain Association strength and security toward the following goals:
- An independent, self-governing, homogeneous organization for members of the education profession with which all educators can identify.
- Guaranteed professional economic rights and interests of members.
- Effective Association influence on public affairs and public opinions.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Enrollment forms embodying the unified plan of membership shall be furnished by the State Association.
Section 2. A member is defined as any certified education non-supervisory employee including substitutes who have enrolled.
Section 3. WEA-R members who were formerly active members of this association may run for office in this association and be elected upon a majority vote of the general membership.
Section 4. Officers serving their association shall be in compliance with the active membership requirements of the WEA Bylaws. Former association members who are retired shall become active dues-paying unified members of this association upon taking office and remain active members during their term of office.
ARTICLE III – RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not specifically stated in the Constitution or Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV – DUTIES AND TERMS OF OFFICE
Section 1. All officers shall take office on August 1 and shall serve for one year. In case a vacancy of office occurs, the Representative Council shall appoint a successor to complete the term of office, excepting the office of president, which, if vacant, shall be filled by the vice-president who will assume the office of president for the unexpired term. Persons chosen by the Representative Council to fill vacancies shall serve for the unexpired term they are completing.
Section 2. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association Executive Board, and Representative Council. He/she shall, with ratification by the Representative Council, appoint all committees not otherwise provided for, and shall be ex-officio members of all committees and commissions. The president shall perform all functions usually attributed to his/her office.
Section 3. The vice-president shall assume all duties of the president in cases of absences of the president. The vice-president shall serve as a member of the Lower Columbia Uniserv Council, unless occupied by the previous vice-president finishing a two-year term, and be the Association’s representative to the school board.
Section 4. The secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Association, the Executive Board and Representative Council. He/she shall prepare and keep on file a correct list of the members of the Executive Board and Representative Council. In cases where forfeiture of board membership is warranted, as stated in Bylaws Article VII,
Section 5, the secretary shall notify the president and ask that a replacement be appointed. The secretary shall keep a correct copy of the Constitution and Bylaws available at all meetings. The secretary will serve on the Elections Committee.
Section 5. The treasurer shall oversee the collection, transmittal, and disbursement of dues and assessments. He/she shall have charge of all funds of the Association, shall deposit them in the bank in the name of the Association, and shall disburse them as authorized by the Representative Council. The treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all Association monies and submit such record to annual audit or review upon completion of their term of office.
ARTICLE V – REMOVAL OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Any officer of the Association may be recalled or removed by a majority of the total membership. Such vote shall be taken at a special election to be called by the Representative Council of the Association upon the petition of one-third (1/3) of the members within the Association.
ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall serve as the executive body of the Association and shall expedite in every possible way the legislative and executive business of the Association.
Section 2. A tentative budget for the year is to be prepared by the Executive Board and submitted to the Representative Council in May.
Section 3. The Executive Board is responsible for enrolling new members.
ARTICLE VII – REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. The Representative Council shall be responsible for the operation of the Association in all matters except as stated otherwise in the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 2. Elected council members shall be elected by secret ballot in each building in May and shall assume office August 1.
Section 3. Meetings of the Representative Council shall be held monthly on the second Wednesday, at the call of the President, or at the call of five- (5) Representative Council members. It shall be the duty of the Representative Council to act upon all matters of Association business and fill vacancies that may occur.
Section 4. Action taken at a general membership meeting shall take precedence over Representative Council action.
Section 5. A member of the Representative Council by reason of three- (3) consecutive absences from Council meetings shall forfeit his/her Council membership and a replacement shall be appointed to the Council.
Section 6. The duties of Representative Council members at each work site shall consist of the following:
- Call meetings of Association members to discuss Association business
- Appoint such committees as the Association may require
- Organize and conduct elections as needed
- Maintain 2-way Association communication
- Serve as a member advocate when needed
- Facilitate grievances on the work site level
ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. At the December Representative Council meeting the president shall notify the Representatives that nominations for WEA and NEA Representative Assemblies will be taken in January with Elections held in February.
Section 2. At the March Representative Council meeting the president shall notify the Representatives that nominations for the Association offices shall be taken in April with elections held in May.
Section 3. Nominations shall be referred to the Elections Committee, which will be responsible for creating the ballot. No additions to the ballot, other than write-ins, will be accepted after nominations are closed by action at a Representative Council meeting. The Elections Committee shall report the election outcome at the next Representative Council meeting after the election.
Section 4. The Elections Committee, consisting of the secretary of the Association and three- (3) members appointed by the president, will be in charge of:
(a)creating the ballot
(b)printing the ballots
(c)distributing packets of ballots to each work site with instructions for conducting the election and returning ballots, and
(d)counting of ballots
Section 5. Delegates to the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly will be elected for a one- (1) year term, with the exception of the president.
Section 6. Successor delegates to the WEA Representative Assembly will be elected as a pool. The persons receiving the highest number of votes will attend WEA Representative Assembly as substitutes for the official delegates.
Section 7. The person elected as president of the Association will concurrently be elected to a two-year term as a delegate to the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly.
Section 8. The annual election of officers, WEA delegates, and NEA delegates shall be conducted by secret ballot at the work sites by building representatives.
ARTICLE IX – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1. General membership meetings shall be held at the call of the president, or upon written request of twenty-five (25) members, submitted to the president, or by direction of the Representative Council.
ARTICLE X – DUES
Section 1. The annual Association dues for full assessment shall be .60 of 1 percent of the certificated personnel base salary schedule, excluding all other dues, and shall be paid in equal amounts over the member’s contract period. Assessments will be prorated for less than full-time F.T.E.’s and substitutes in accordance with the WEA schedule.
Section 2. The daily rate of dues of substitute teachers shall be 1/180th of the local yearly full-time dues and shall be collected for the first 90 substituting days.
Section 3. The annual dues of teachers employed for less than the full year will have their dues prorated for the number of months remaining in the fiscal year.
Section 4. Special assessments may be levied by action of the Representative Council.
ARTICLE XI – QUORUM
Section 1. A quorum for general membership meetings shall be fifty (50) Association members.
Section 2. A quorum for all other boards, commissions, and committees shall be a majority of the members of that body.
ARTICLE XII – RULES FOR AMENDING
Section 1. Bylaw amendments may be proposed at any special or regular meeting of the Representative Council. A majority of those present and voting at the meeting is needed for adoption of the amendment.
Section 2. The Constitution and Bylaws shall be reviewed at least once every two- (2) years.
KELSO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
BYLAWS
(REVISED May 9, 2012)
ARTICLE I – GOALS
Section 1. The Association shall be a member-advocate association and shall develop and maintain Association strength and security toward the following goals:
- An independent, self-governing, homogeneous organization for members of the education profession with which all educators can identify.
- Guaranteed professional economic rights and interests of members.
- Effective Association influence on public affairs and public opinions.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Enrollment forms, embodying the unified plan of membership, shall be furnished by the State Association.
Section 2. A member is defined as any certified education non-supervisory employee including substitutes who have enrolled.
Section 3. WEA-R members who were formerly active members of this association may run for office in this association and be elected upon a majority vote of the general membership.
Section 4. Officers serving their association shall be in compliance with the active membership requirements of the WEA Bylaws. Former association members who are retired shall become active dues-paying unified members of this association upon taking office and remain active members during their term of office.
ARTICLE III – RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not specifically stated in the Constitution or Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV – DUTIES AND TERMS OF OFFICE
Section 1. All officers shall take office on August 1 and shall serve for one year. In case a vacancy of office occurs, the Representative Council shall appoint a successor to complete the term of office, excepting the office of president, which, if vacant, shall be filled by the vice-president who will assume the office of president for the unexpired term. Persons chosen by the Representative Council to fill vacancies shall serve for the unexpired term they are completing.
Section 2. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association Executive Board, and Representative Council. He/she shall, with ratification by the Representative Council, appoint all committees not otherwise provided for, and shall be ex-officio members of all committees and commissions. The president shall perform all functions usually attributed to his/her office.
Section 3. The vice-president shall assume all duties of the president in cases of absences of the president. The vice-president shall serve as the Association’s representative to the school board.
Section 4. The secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Association, the Executive Board and Representative Council. He/she shall prepare and keep on file a correct list of the members of the Executive Board and Representative Council. In cases where forfeiture of board membership is warranted, as stated in Bylaws Article VII.
The secretary shall notify the president and ask that a replacement be appointed. The secretary shall keep a correct copy of the Constitution and Bylaws available at all meetings. The secretary will serve on the Elections Committee.
Section 5. The treasurer shall oversee the collection, transmittal, and disbursement of dues and assessments. He/she shall have charge of all funds of the Association, shall deposit them in the bank in the name of the Association, and shall disburse them as authorized by the Representative Council. The treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all Association monies and submit such record to annual audit or review upon completion of their term of office.
ARTICLE V – REMOVAL OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Any officer of the Association may be recalled or removed by a majority of the total membership. Such vote shall be taken at a special election to be called by the Representative Council of the Association upon the petition of one-third (1/3) of the members within the Association.
ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall serve as the executive body of the Association and shall expedite in every possible way the legislative and executive business of the Association.
Section 2. A tentative budget for the year is to be prepared by the Executive Board and submitted to the Representative Council in May.
Section 3. The Executive Board is responsible for enrolling new members.
ARTICLE VII – REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. The Representative Council shall be responsible for the operation of the Association in all matters except as stated otherwise in the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 2. Elected council members shall be elected by secret ballot in each building in May and shall assume office August 1.
Section 3. Meetings of the Representative Council shall be held monthly on the second Wednesday, at the call of the President, or at the call of five- (5) Representative Council members. It shall be the duty of the Representative Council to act upon all matters of Association business and fill vacancies that may occur.
Section 4. Action taken at a general membership meeting shall take precedence over Representative Council action.
Section 5. A member of the Representative Council by reason of three- (3) consecutive absences from Council meetings shall forfeit his/her Council membership and a replacement shall be appointed to the Council.
Section 6. The duties of Representative Council members at each work site shall consist of the following:
- Call meetings of Association members to discuss Association business
- Appoint such committees as the Association may require
- Organize and conduct elections as needed
- Maintain 2-way Association communication
- Serve as a member advocate when needed
- Facilitate grievances on the work site level
ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. At the December Representative Council meeting the president shall notify the Representatives that nominations for WEA and NEA Representative Assemblies will be taken in January with Elections held in February.
Section 2. At the March Representative Council meeting the president shall notify the Representatives that nominations for the Association offices shall be taken in April with elections held in May.
Section 3. Nominations shall be referred to the Elections Committee, which will be responsible for creating the ballot. No additions to the ballot, other than write-ins, will be accepted after nominations are closed by action at a Representative Council meeting. The Elections Committee shall report the election outcome at the next Representative Council meeting after the election.
Section 4. The Elections Committee, consisting of the secretary of the Association and three- (3) members appointed by the president, will be in charge of:
(e)creating the ballot
(f)printing the ballots
(g)distributing packets of ballots to each work site with instructions for conducting the election and returning ballots, and
(h)counting of ballots
Section 5. Delegates to the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly will be elected for a one- (1) year term, with the exception of the president.
Section 6. Successor delegates to the WEA Representative Assembly will be elected as a pool. The persons receiving the highest number of votes will attend WEA Representative Assembly as substitutes for the official delegates.
Section 7. The person elected as president of the Association will concurrently be elected to a two-year term as a delegate to the Washington Education Association Representative Assembly.
Section 8. The annual election of officers, WEA delegates, and NEA delegates shall be conducted by secret ballot at the work sites by building representatives.
ARTICLE IX – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1. General membership meetings shall be held at the call of the president, or upon written request of twenty-five (25) members, submitted to the president, or by direction of the Representative Council.
ARTICLE X – DUES
Section 1. The annual Association dues for full assessment shall be .56 of 1 percent of the certificated personnel base salary schedule, excluding all other dues, and shall be paid in equal amounts over the member’s contract period. Assessments will be prorated for less than full-time F.T.E.’s and substitutes in accordance with the WEA schedule.
Section 2. The daily rate of dues of substitute teachers shall be 1/180th of the local yearly full-time dues and shall be collected for the first 90 substituting days.
Section 3. The annual dues of teachers employed for less than the full year will have their dues prorated for the number of months remaining in the fiscal year.
Section 4. Special assessments may be levied by action of the Representative Council.
ARTICLE XI – QUORUM
Section 1. A quorum for general membership meetings shall be fifty (50) Association members.
Section 2. A quorum for all other boards, commissions, and committees shall be a majority of the members of that body.
ARTICLE XII – RULES FOR AMENDING
Section 1. Bylaw amendments may be proposed at any special or regular meeting of the Representative Council. A majority of those present and voting at the meeting is needed for adoption of the amendment.
Section 2. The Constitution and Bylaws shall be reviewed at least once every two- (2) years.