Our Constitution and Bylaws

Article II

Purpose

The South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education (SCAMLE) is committed to uniting the efforts of all those charged with responsibilities for meeting unique needs of the middle level child through the definition, development, and dissemination of the best practices in middle level education.

Article III

Officers

Section 1: The officers of this organization shall be a President, a President-Elect or Immediate

Past President, a Secretary, a Secretary-Elect, a Treasurer, a Treasurer-Elect, and a Regional

Director from each region.

Section 2: Qualifications of officers: Each officer shall have been a member of the Association at

least one year prior to nomination. Membership may have been as an individual or through a

school membership for the school in which the candidate works at the time of the election.

The President-Elect shall have served on the Executive Board for at least one year.

Section 3: The elected officers shall serve on the Board. Each office shall carry one vote.

Section 4: Duties of the Officers

President

1. Shall preside at all meetings of the Association

2. Shall appoint standing and ad hoc committees necessary to carry on the business of the Association

3. May serve as an ex-officio member of any committee or commission

4. Shall be responsible for the Association’s representation at any requested function

5. Shall serve as the chairman of the Executive Board and Chair of the Executive Committee

6. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

7. Attend the annual conference

President-Elect or Immediate Past President

1. Shall preside in the absence of the President

2. Shall serve as chairman of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee

3. Shall serve as an ex-officio member of any committee or commission at the direction of the President

4. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

5. Attend the annual conference

Secretary

1. Shall keep the records of all official proceedings of the Association

2. Shall carry on necessary Association correspondence and other duties as directed by the President

3. Shall keep the membership adequately informed of the policies and actions of the Association

4. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

5. Attend the annual conference

Treasurer

1. Shall be custodian of the funds and shall disburse funds under the authorization of the President

2. Shall keep a record of the funds of the Association and shall certify or make such payments as authorized by the President

3. Shall submit to the membership at the annual conference a budget summary showing income, expenses, and fund balances from the prior fiscal year with an update report for the end of the previous quarter.

4. Shall prepare a tentative annual budget for presentation to the membership.

5. Shall cooperate and assist in an annual audit of the financial records of the Association.

6. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

7. Attend the annual conference

Regional Director (one for each region)

1. There shall be five regions divided geographically across the state consisting of the following regions:

a. Piedmont

b. Upper Midlands

c. Lower Midlands

d. Upper Coastal

e. Lower Coastal

2. Shall organize a minimum of one regional w meeting, workshop, learning session or other event each year

3. Shall provide appropriate financial records of workshop receipts and expenditures to the Treasurer

4. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

5. Attend the annual conference

6. Provide monthly communications to member schools/districts.

7. Establish and maintain a region focus team

8. Maintain records of the region to be shared with incoming director

Secretary-Elect

1. Shall serve in the absence of the Secretary

2. Shall assist the Secretary as needed.

3. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

4. Attend the annual conference

Treasurer-Elect

1. Shall serve in the absence of the Treasurer

2. Shall assist the Treasurer as needed

3. Engage in SCAMLE events and offerings

4. Attend the annual conference

Section 2: Vacancies in Office

A. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, Secretary, or Treasurer, the Elect will assume the office for the unexpired term and continue in that office for his elected term.

B. If there is no elect for the position, the Board will elect a person to fill the vacancy for the duration of the term.

C. Should vacancies occur simultaneously in the office of both President and President-Elect, the immediate past president will serve as president in the interim while the Executive Board fills such vacancies. The vacancies will be filled within sixty (60) days, through a special election by members of the Association.

D. When a vacancy occurs in the office of President-Elect, Secretary-Elect, or Treasurer-Elect, the Executive Board shall, by majority vote, fill such a vacancy for the unexpired term.

Article V

Executive Committee and Board

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers which includes the President, Past President or President elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Executive Director who will serve as ex officio. The Secretary elect and Treasurer elect will not serve as members of the Executive committee.

Section 2: This Executive Committee will have the authority to make decisions and recommendations as necessary between regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Board.

1. The Executive Board is charged with the business of the Association in the interim between annual meetings. The governing body of the  Association shall be the Executive Board.

2. The President will serve as chair for the Executive Committee.

Section 3: Duties of the Executive Board

A. Shall meet upon call of the President or at the request of a majority of members of the Executive Board

B. Shall act as a policy forming group for the Association

C. Shall act as the body through which the policies of the Association are put into effect

D. Shall define the duties of all committees necessary to carry into action the policies of the Association

E. Shall approve the annual budget of the Association

F. Shall review all expenditures and contracted services

G. Shall provide for the auditing of the Treasurer’s books

H. Shall fill vacancies in offices on the Executive Board

I. Shall be responsible for decisions on any questions of constitutional interpretation

J. Shall establish procedures for the review and recall of all members of the Executive Board

K. May hire/appoint/evaluate an Executive Director

L. Shall establish long range plans for the Association

Section 4: A majority of the Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum to transact business.

Section 5: Attendance Policy

A. All members of the Executive Board shall attend all meetings.

B. All absences from regularly scheduled meetings must be excused by the President or Executive Director prior to the missed meeting.

C. SCAMLE will not fund conference expenses for Executive Board members who have one or more unexcused meeting absences.

D. Executive Board members will be removed from office for two unexcused absences within a year (July 1 to June 30).

E. Appeals regarding attendance will be made in writing to the Executive Committee prior to the next meeting.

Section 6: The Executive Board of the Association will be made up of the following:

• President
• Past President or President-elect
• Treasurer (and Treasurer-elect)
• Secretary (and Secretary-elect)
• Regional Directors
• Chairperson of South Carolina Schools to Watch
• President of South Carolina Professors of Middle Level Education (SCPoMLE).
• Representative of the South Carolina Middle Grades Initiative (SCMGI) [Determined by SCMGI]
• A pre-service teacher enrolled in a teacher prep program
• A classroom teacher (must be a classroom teacher while serving as a member of the board)
• Executive Director

Section 7:Voting Privileges

All elected and appointed members of the Executive Board will have one vote at regular meetings of the Board. Members appointed by a group such as SCPoMLE, SCMGI and Schools to Watch will receive one vote. The Executive Director will serve in an ex-officio capacity and will not vote.