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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association

Last Updated: 2/26/2012

CONSTITUTION
OF
THE SUMTER SCHOOLS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION


Preamble

We, the members of the Sumter Schools Education Association, in order that the
Association may serve as local spokesperson for education, work for the welfare of
school children, advance the cause of education for all individuals, improvement of
instructional opportunities for all, promote professional excellence among educators, gain
recognition of the basic importance of the teacher in the learning process, protect the
rights of educators and advance the interest and welfare, secure professional autonomy,
unite educators for effective citizenship, promote and protect human and civil rights to
work toward better understanding and closer cooperation of local school authorities,
board members, and teachers of this county and our state organization, to obtain for its
members the benefits of an independent united education profession, hereby adopt this
Constitution.

Article I: Name, Purposes, Objectives,
And Authorities for Governance

Section 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be the Sumter Schools
Education Association.

Section 2. Purpose. The purposes of the Association are as stated in the Preamble. The
Association shall have all power as necessary and proper to take action for the attainment
of these purposes. Nothing in this Constitution or in the Bylaws shall be construed to
prevent the Association from pursuing objectives or goals which are consistent with the
stated purposes of the Association.

Section 3. Governance. The Association shall be governed by this Constitution,
Bylaws, and Standing Rules, and such other actions as the Executive Officers and
Representative Council may adopt.

Article II: Membership

Section 1. Active Members.

(a) Active members in the Association shall be open to all professional personnel in
the Sumter School District, and who hold and earned Bachelors Degree or higher
or hold a vocational or technical certificate, or persons who are employed as
paraprofessionals, and others as provided for the Bylaws, and who agree to abide
by the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession.


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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association
Last Updated: 2/26/2012

(b) Active membership shall be continuous until a member leaves the school system,
resigns from the Association, or has membership revoked or fails to comply with
dues payment in Bylaws.

(c) Active members of the Association shall also be members of the United
Education ProfessionLocal Association, State Association, and National
Association.

Section 2. Revocation of Membership.

According to procedures adopted by the Representative Council, the Executive Board
may suspend from membership any member who shall have violated the ethics of the
education profession, and may reinstate a member who has previously been suspended
from the Association.

Article III: Officers

The officers of the Association shall consist of a president, a vice president, a secretary
and treasurer.

Article IV: Executive Council

Section 1. The Executive Council shall consist of the officers of the Association plus
two members elected at large from the school district served by the Association, and it
shall have the executive authority of the Association.

Section 2. Whenever a majority of the Executive Board shall agree that an officer has
been grossly negligent of the duties defined in the Bylaws, or is incapacitated, they shall
recommend to the Representative Council that this office be declared vacant. If the
Council so voted by a two-thirds majority, it shall immediately elect a replacement to fill
the unexpired term.

Article V: Governance

There shall be a Representative Council which shall be the governance body.

Article VI: Representative Council

Section 1. The Policy forming body of the Association shall be the Representative
Council.

Section 2. The Representative Council shall consist of the Executive Officers and an
Association Representative from each building served by the Association.


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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association
Last Updated: 2/26/2012

Section 3. Association Representatives shall represent all schools or areas within the
jurisdiction of the Association and must be elected by the constituency he or she serves.

Section 4. Department representatives shall be allocated to the several departments in
a ratio of 1/10.

Section 5. Any members of the Association who is not a member of the
Representative Council may attend its meetings and may receive permission to speak.

Article VII: Committee

Section 1. Committees. All appointive bodies of the Association shall be designated
by the term committee. A Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules Committee, a
Human Relations Committee, and Instructional and Professional Development
Committee, a membership Committee, an Educators Rights Committee, a Public
Relations Committee, and an Educators Benefit Committee shall be established by the
Representative Council. All other committees shall be established as provided in the
Bylaws.

Article VIII: Amendments

Section 1. The Representative Council may recommend amendments to this
Constitution.

Section 2. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those
voting at any regular meeting provided that amendments have been presented to members
thirty (30) days before a vote.

BYLAWS TO THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE
SUMTER SCHOOLS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Article I: Rules of Order

Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not
specifically stated in the Constitution and Bylaws and such standing rules as the
Representative Council may adopt.

Article II: Duties and Terms of Office

Section 1. The President. The President shall preside over meetings of the Executive
Board and the Representative Council, appoint the chairperson and members of standing
committees, appoint special committees, be ex-officio member of all committees, and
shall be the executive officer of the Association. The President shall hold office for each
year he or she is elected.

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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association
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Section 2. The Vice President. The Vice President shall assume all duties of the
President in case of absence or resignation of the President. He or she shall also be
chairperson of the program committees.

Section 3. The Secretary. The secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of
the Executive Board and Representative Council, and shall maintain official files, and
shall assist the President with Association correspondence.

Section 4. The Treasurer. The treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all
dues. He or she shall have charge of all funds and disburse them as recommended by the
budget and finance committees and authorized by the Association. He or she shall report
to each meeting of the Representative Council, and shall prepare an annual financial
statement for publication to members as directed by the Executive Board. He or she shall
keep the President and the Executive Board informed of the financial condition of the
Association. He or she shall serve as the chairperson of the budget and finance
committee.

Section 5. Terms of Office. The officers of the Association shall serve for a term of two
years (July 1 through June 30 of each year), after which he or she will have to be elected
for another term.

Article III: Council of Delegates

Section 1. Representative to The SCEA and NEA Delegate Assemblies shall be
chosen by the general membership of this organization. If the members of the Council
receive no instructions as to voting, they are to vote according to their own discretion.

Section 2. Members of the Representative Council shall serve a one-year term.

Section 3. Expenses of delegates to The SCEA and NEA Delegate Assemblies will
be borne by the Association.

Article IV: Power of the Executive Board

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the management of the
Association, approve all expenditures, carry out policies established by the
Representative Council, report its transactions and those of the Council to members, and
suggest policies for consideration by the Council.

Section 2. The Executive Board, or its designee(s), shall represent the Association in
personnel policies with the governing bodies of the school system. Within policies
established by the Representative Council, it may make decisions binding the Association
in these matters.


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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association
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Article V: Powers of the Representative Council

The Representative Council shall approve the budget, set dues for the Association
act on reports of committees, approve resolutions and other policy statements, and shall
adopt procedures for implementing the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession and
those to be followed in censuring, suspending, and expelling members for cause or for
reinstating members. It may adopt such rules governing the conduct of the meeting as are
consistent with this Constitution and Bylaws. A Committee of Review shall judge the
qualifications and elections of officers and Faculty Representatives.

Article VI: Faculty Representatives

Section 1. Each department (Administration and Association of Classroom Teachers)
in each school district shall elect one (1) Council Representative for each ten (10)
members or a major fraction thereof. Representatives shall be elected by the Department
in order that they may take office by June 1.

Section 2. Council Representatives shall attend the regular meetings of the
Representative Council unless they receive prior excuses from the President. After two
(2) unexcused absences of a Representative, the President may declare the seat unfilled
and call for a faculty election to fill out the term.

Section 3. The Council Representative shall report regularly to their Departments
concerning Association business.

Section 4. The Council Representatives shall maintain their membership in good
standing during their term of service.

Article VII: Standing Committees

Section 1. General Membership Meetings. The Executive Board shall arrange at least
three (3) meetings of the members each year for discussion of professional issues.

Section 2. Representative Council. The Representative Council shall meet a minimum
of four (4) times a year.

Section 3. Executive Officers. The Executive Officers shall meet monthly at the
call of the President, or at the request of three (3) members of the Board.

Article IX: Elections

Section 1. Nominations. The President shall appoint a nominating committee who
shall announce its slate of officers to the membership two weeks prior to the April
meeting. Each nominee shall have a vita (a brief autobiographical sketch) accompanying

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The Constitution of the Sumter County Education Association
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his/her nomination. Nominations may be made from the floor at the April meeting.
Election will be conducted by secret ballot.

Article X: Dues

The annual dues of the Association shall be $10.00 per member.

Article XI: Quorum

Members present shall constitute a quorum for the Representative Council, the Executive
Board, and all committees.

Article XII: Amendment

Section 1. The Representative Council may recommend amendments of these
Bylaws.

Section 2. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those voting at
any regular meeting provided that amendments have been presented to members thirty
(30) days before a vote.