Past Bylaws Active through June 30, 2015 ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization shall be the Dutchess County School Boards Association. ARTICLE II. PURPOSE The Dutchess County School Boards Association is a cooperative project undertaken by participating school districts and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services. The Association is hereby formed in accordance with the provisions of Article 5G of the General Municipal Law as a joint service to its members and under Section 1618 of the Education Law as an activity encouraged and assisted by the New York State School Boards Association, Inc. The mission of the Association shall be to provide leadership for and supportive services to component school boards and their members. Toward this end, the goals of the organization are as follows:
ARTICLE Ill. MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Composition The following educational units in Dutchess County are eligible for membership.
Section 2. Quorum and Methods of Voting
Section 3. Privileges Members and Chief School Officers of component boards shall be privileged to attend meetings, participate in discussion, and serve on committees. The privileges of holding office, marking motions, and voting shall be limited to members of member Boards in good standing. (cf. Article X, Section 4.) ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS Section 1. Enumeration. Election and Term of Office There shall be four elected officers: a President, a Vice-President, a Director for Legislation, and a Director for Program. An appointed Executive Director shall carry out the duties of Secretary and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected for a one-year term at the annual meeting and shall take office on the first day of July of each year. An officer may continue in office beyond one year, but shall be limited to two consecutive terms. Section 2. Qualifications Each officer shall be a member of a component Board in good standing. There shall be but one officer at any given time from any [one member board] single member board. Section 3. Duties of Officers
Section 4. Vacancies A vacancy in an office shall be
filled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee with at least seven days
notice of such election having been given to the Executive ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Section 1. The Executive Director (also designated as the Secretary-Treasurer) shall be appointed at the annual meeting by a majority vote of the newly elected officers. Section 2. The Executive Director shall carry out the duties of Secretary as follows:
Section 3. The Executive Director shall carry out the duties of Treasurer as follows:
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section 1. Membership The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Association, the Executive Director, and one representative from each member Board, appointed by that Board. Each Association officer and each member Board shall have one vote. The District Superintendent and Chief School Officers of member school districts and the Area 9 Director shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. The immediate Past President of the Association, if still a member of a component school board, shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. Section 2. Duties The Executive Committee shall:
Section 3. Meetings Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be scheduled on a bi-monthly basis or at the call of the President or of a majority of its members. Section 4. Quorum Representatives from three member Boards shall constitute a quorum.
Section 1. Nominating Committee A Nominating Committee of three members, each belonging to a different member Board, shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, at the March meeting each year. The President shall designate the Chairperson. The Nominating Committee shall select, from names submitted by the association membership no more than two nominees for each office to be filled. In the event that no names are submitted, the Nominating Committee will select candidates for a slate of officers. The Nominating Committee shall inform the Executive Committee of the proposed candidates prior to notifying the Association members. Section 2. The Report of the Nominating Committee shall be sent to all members of the Association, together with the call to the Annual Meeting, at least twenty days before that meeting. Section 3. Nominations from the Floor At the Annual Meeting, following the reports of the Nominating Committee, nominations may be made from the floor, provided the nominee has consented to serve. Section 4. Election Each member Board in good standing is entitled to a maximum of five votes. A majority vote shall be required for election (See Section 2c, Article II).
The duties of the Legislative Committee and the Program Committee shall be undertaken by the Executive Committee. Ad hoc committees as may be required to promote the purpose and policies of the Association shall be appointed by the President from members of component boards in good standing. The Chairperson of each committee, appointed by the President, shall present a plan of work to the Executive Committee, and shall undertake no work without its approval.
Section 1. Regular Meetings The Association shall meet at least three times a year, on dates approved by the Executive Committee. Additional meetings may be held upon appropriate notice to the membership. Section 2. Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting shall be held in the last quarter of the fiscal year. (The fiscal year is July 1 to June 30). Section 3. Special Meetings Special Meetings of the Association may be called by the Executive Committee or by a majority of the member Boards in good standing. Section 4. Notice of all meetings shall be mailed to Association members twenty days in advance. Section 5. Quorum One-third of the member Boards shall constitute a quorum. ARTICLE X. FISCAL ADMINISTRATION Section 1. Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1 to June 30. Section 2. Expenses The expenses of the Association shall be paid from monies raised by the Association. Section 3. Dues Each member of the Association shall pay annual dues based on the following formula: DCSBA dues to be assessed divided by the number of school boards in the county. Section 4. Payment of Dues Bills for dues shall be mailed in June. In order for a Board to remain in good standing, its dues must be paid by the following September 30. Section 5. Audit The Executive Committee shall receive and review, prior to its presentation to the Association, the financial reports of the Executive Director. The Executive Committee shall also provide for an annual internal audit of the accounts of the Association; auditors may not have served on the budget committee for the same fiscal year. Section 6. Budget The President shall appoint a Budget Committee from members of the Executive Committee. Members of the Budget Committee may not serve as auditors in the same fiscal year. The budget for the ensuing year will be presented for approval at a general membership meeting no later than the last weekday of March of each year. ARTICLE Xl. LIABILITY Neither the Executive Committee nor the staff of the Association shall be liable for any action pursuant to this agreement in good faith taken or omitted. The Executive Committee and staff shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Association from and against any and all liability to which they or any of them may be subject by reason of any such action, including expenses reasonably incurred in their defense. Participating school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services agree to indemnify and hold the Association harmless as a result of any such claim arising out of the Association's activities. ARTICLE XII. OTHER POWERS The Executive Committee may undertake any activities necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this agreement as permitted under subdivision 2 of Section 1190-0 of the General Municipal Law.
Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall govern this association and will be utilized in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the By-Laws.
These By-Laws may be amended by the
Association at a regular or special meeting provided the proposed amendments
are submitted to the members in writing at least twenty days prior to the
meeting. Each component Board in good standing will be entitled to a maximum of
five votes; a majority vote will be required to amend the By-Laws. |