Article VI

Special Committees

Each year the President, with approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint such special committees as may be necessary and shall discharge the committees upon completion of their duties. These committees shall operate according to guidelines approved by the Executive Board.

Section 1.    The Audit Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President with approval of the Representative Council. It shall consist of one current executive board member and two other members: one from the membership at large and a professional accountant or two from the membership at large. This committee shall provide verification of SEA financial statements within thirty (30) days of the end of the fiscal year.

Section 2.    The Budget Committee shall consist of the two past presidents, the current treasurer, and the past treasurer, who shall serve as chairperson. This committee will be responsible for presenting a budget.

Article VII

Nominations and Elections

Section 1.    Officers for the ensuing year shall be elected in April. All officers, shall take office June 1. The past Treasurer shall continue duties until after the audit is completed by the SEA Audit Committee.

Section 2.    The President with approval of the Executive Board shall appoint the Nominating Committee by February 1. The committee shall consist of at least one representative from each building. The proposed slate of officers will be presented at the March Representative Council meeting. The proposed slate will be posted in each building.

Section 3.    Open nominations shall begin at least thirty (30) days before elections. Candidates may be nominated from the floor at the April General Meeting of the Association. Nominations will be closed at the end of this meeting and candidates may draw for ballot position.

Section 4.    Elections shall be by secret ballot and plurality vote. Voting shall be in members' respective buildings during April.

Article VIII

Meetings

Section 1.    There shall be a minimum of three (3) general membership meetings of the Association each year, the first meeting shall be held during the week preceding the opening of school. The Executive Board shall determine the time and place of all meetings.

Section 2.    Special meetings shall be held at the call of the President or two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Representative Council.

Article IX

Dues

Section 1.    The annual dues will include the local, state and national association dues. Provisions shall be made for late employments.

Section 2.    The amount of annual dues shall be recommended by the Representative Council and approved in general meetings.

Article X

 

Quorum

Section 1.    The members present shall constitute a quorum at general membership meetings.

Section 2.    A majority shall constitute a quorum for Representative Council meetings.

Section 3.    A majority shall constitute a quorum for all committee meetings.

Article XI

Amendments

Section 1.    An amendment to the Bylaws shall be filed in writing with the Recording Secretary.

Section 2.    A written copy of the proposed changes and any recommendations shall be submitted to the Representative Council.

Section 3.    The proposed amendment shall be presented to the membership one month in advance of the meeting at which it is to be voted upon.

Section 4.    The amendment must be adopted by majority vote of the members present.

Representative Council

The policy forming body of the association is the Representative Council with consists of the Executive Board, Building Representatives, Negotiations Chairperson and OEA Delegates and Alternates. A majority shall constitute a quorum for Representative Council meetings. The Parliamentarian, appointed by the President, has voting privileges only if he is a member of the Representative Council. Council meetings are open to all members, and they may be recognized to speak but must refrain from voting.

The Representative Council shall:

•        approve the budget

•        determine yearly dues

•        act on committee reports

•        establish policies of the Association

•        adopt rules governing the conduct of meetings as are consistent with the
Constitution and Bylaws

Building Representatives

Building Representatives are to be elected from each building site by May 1 for every ten members or major fraction with at least one representative for each site.

Building Representatives shall:

•        serve on the Representative Council and attend all council and
general membership meetings

•        serve as a voting member of the Representative Council representing
your building site's specific segment and all members in general and be
accountable to our members and the Executive Board

•        receive and act on member input

•        provide information to members after each Representative Council
meeting by posting the minutes or ideally by presenting a summary at a
staff meeting held for that purpose

•        call meetings of Association members within their buildings to discuss
Association business

•        appoint such building committees as the Association may require

•        organize and oversee the election of representatives within their building

•        promote membership in the Association

•        be familiar with and have available for reference documents such as the
Constitution and Bylaws, Procedural Agreement, Master Contract,
Salary Schedule, Policy Book and minutes and reports of the Association
for the current year

•        facilitate communication by serving as a contact person within the
building

•        be an education advocate

Parliamentary Procedure

The fundamentals of parliamentary law are:

•        justice and courtesy for all

•        only one thing may be done at a time

•        the majority rules

•        the minority must be heard

•        each proposition is entitled to a full and free debate

•        desires of the individual must be merged into the larger unit

•        the purpose is to facilitate action, not obstruct it

Authority

The latest revision of Robert's Rules of Order (which comes out approximately every ten years) shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not specifically stated in the Constitution and Bylaws.

Order of Business

1.    Call to Order

2.          Reading and Approval of the Minutes   No motion is needed for approval. 'If there are no (further)   corrections, the minutes stand approved as read (as corrected)'.

3.          Treasurer's Report   No motion is needed for adoption unless it is
audited. "Are there any questions or observations? If not, the treasurer's
report will be filed."

4.          Other Officer Reports

5.          Standing Committee Reports   No motion is needed for adoption unless
recommendations for action are made. "Are there any questions or
discussion in regard to this committee report? If not, the report will be
filed." Appreciation may be expressed to the committee. If a
recommendation for action is desired, the motion to adopt is usually
made by the chairperson and seconded by a committee member. The
motion is discussed and disposed of before another main motion can be
proposed.

6.          Special or Ad Hoc Committee Reports   (See Above)

7.          Unfinished Business

9.          Program   (if any)

10. Adjournment    The President automatically adjourns a meeting except
when there is unfinished business; then a motion for adjournment must
be made and voted. "If there is no further business, the meeting will
stand adjourned."

Miscellaneous Considerations

•        The President is really a moderator who is non-partisan and sees that
members are treated equally.

•        When in doubt as to proper procedure, common sense should be used by
the President to clear up problems and continue business.

•        The President never makes a motion or debates a motion while in the
chair. If the President-Elect or other person agrees to preside in his
place, he/she may do so and does not resume the chair until the vote has
been announced.

•        The mover may request to withdraw or modify his motion without
consent of anyone before the motion has been put to the group for a vote.
When the motion is before the group and there is no objection, the
motion may be withdrawn or modified. If anyone objects, the request is
put to a vote.

•        When making the motion to close debate, the traditional form is "I move
the question."

•        A motion to postpone the question should mention the specific time
proposed.

•        The motion to refer to committee should specify the number on the
committee, how the committee is to be selected and when the committee
is to report.

•        When members call out informally "Question!" this merely means that
they as individuals are ready to vote on the pending question or motion.

•        A member may arise to a point of order, to a point of information or a
question of privilege without being recognized or even waiting for a
speaker to yield the floor. No second is necessary.

•        The chairperson should not recognize the same person twice until all
others who wish to speak have had an opportunity. Everyone should
receive equal opportunity to speak and 1 or 2 constant talkers should not
be permitted to dominate the meeting.

Most Frequently Used Motions

(These motions require a majority vote, a second to the motion, are amendable, are debatable; cannot be interrupted and subsidiary motions can be applied unless indicated otherwise).

A.  Main Motion- to introduce business

B.  Subsidiary Motions (in order of precedence); most frequently used
motions and are made while a main motion is pending for the purpose of
assisting or modifying it or to delay action or otherwise dispose of the
main motion; they must yield to privileged or incidental motions

1.    to postpone indefinitely- to suppress action; not amendable or debatable

2.         to amend or substitute- to modify a motion

3.         to amend an amendment- to modify a motion, not amendable

4.         to refer to committee- to modify a motion; used when the question
is not well digested or requires more amendment than can be
easily made in assembly

5.         to postpone to a certain time- to defer action; must be within this
session or the next when it will come up with unfinished business

6.         to limit or extend limits of debate- to modify freedom of debate;
consists of specifying the time allowed each speaker, the number
of speeches for each side, or setting a specific time for the vote;
2/3 vote

7.         to call for previous question- to force immediate vote; not
amendable or debatable; subsidiary motions cannot be applied; 2/3
vote

8.         to lay on the table- to defer action; not amendable or debatable;
subsidiary motions cannot be applied (often used to suppress a
question but is really intended to temporarily move aside a
pending question); assembly must vote to return to the table

9.         to take from the table- to consider action; not amendable or
debatable; subsidiary motions cannot be applied

10.to reconsider- to consider again; not amendable or debatable;
may interrupt; if passed, it reopens to debate the entire merits of
the original motion

11.to rescind- to appeal; may interrupt; 2/3 vote unless prior notice
given then majority

C. Incidental Motions (arranged in order of precedence) arise out of a pending question or are connected with imperative assembly business; yield to privileged motions and most are undebatable

1.    to suspend the rules- to take action contrary to standing rules;
must include purpose of the suspension (usually to save time); not
amendable or debatable; subsidiary motions cannot be applied; 2/3
vote

2.          to modify or withdraw a motion- to modify a motion; subsidiary
motions cannot be applied

3.          to divide motion- to modify a motion; this permits a separate vote
on particular points

4.          to object to consideration- to suppress action; does not require
second; not amendable or debatable; may interrupt; subsidiary
motions cannot be applied; 2/3 vote

5.          to raise a point of order- to correct parliamentary error; does not
require second; not amendable or debatable; may interrupt;
subsidiary motions cannot be applied; decision of chair

6.          to call for division of house- to correct or reverse chairperson;
does not require second; not amendable or debatable; may
interrupt; subsidiary motions cannot be applied; majority if chair
desires

7.          to appeal a decision of the chair- to correct or reverse
chairperson not amendable or debatable; may interrupt; "Shall the
decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the assembly:" and
states reasons for decision after which it is open for debate with no
member speaking more than once before the vote is taken

D. Privileged Motions (arranged in order of precedence) do not deal with the pending question and take precedence; if they do not interrupt main motions they become main motions and are without privileges

1. call for orders of the day- to force consideration at a specified time and applies to questions appointed for that particular time; does not require second; not amendable or debatable; may interrupt; subsidiary motions cannot be applied; decision of chair

          2.          make a matter of special order- to force consideration at a                            specified time and is really a suspension of the rules because it                           supersedes all business except reading of the minutes; 2/3 vote