Our Constitution and Bylaws
South Carolina Association For Middle Level Education
Article I
Name
The name of this organization shall be the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education (SCAMLE in short form). Any activity or publication bearing the name of the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education must receive prior approval of the Association’s Executive Board.
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
Article IV
Terms of Office
Section 1: Terms
A. The President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Regional Director shall serve a term of two years.
B. The President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary-Elect, and Treasurer-Elect shall serve one-year terms.
C. The term of office shall begin July 1 and end June 30.
D. The Treasurer-Elect shall be elected at the beginning of the second year of the Treasurer’s term.
E. An officer (President, Secretary, and Treasurer) may serve no more than two consecutive terms in the same office.
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.
Article VI
Meetings
Section 1: The members of the Association shall meet to transact business at the annual conference.
A. Members of the Association in good standing as of the date of the annual meeting shall be eligible to vote.
B. The proceedings of the meeting shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
Section 2: Special meetings of the membership may be called at the discretion of the Executive Board or upon the request of twenty-five (25) percent of the members in good standing.
Article VII
Amendments
Section 1:
A. Changes to the Constitution with appropriate rationale may be proposed in writing by a member of the Association to the Executive Board no later than January 1.
B. The Executive Board shall act upon the proposal at its next regular meeting.
C. The Board will inform the person making the proposal of its decision.
D. If the proposal is rejected by the Board, the member will be notified in writing that the Board has chosen not to make the change at this time.
E. If the member would like to appeal the Board’s decision, s/he may bring the proposal to the full membership at the annual business meeting provided s/he has notified the Executive Board of this intent no less than thirty (30) days prior to the annual business meeting.
F. If recommended by the Executive Board, the amendment shall be presented to the membership electronically within thirty (30) days of the action by the Executive Board.
Section 2: Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be effective immediately upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members in attendance at the annual business meeting.
BY-LAWS
Article I
Election of Officers
The Election of officers shall be conducted at the annual business meeting. A simple majority is necessary for election.
The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Nominating Committee to consist of the President, Past-President or President-Elect, and two other members appointed by the President from the two regions not represented by the serving Presidents. The Nominating Committee shall present a tentative slate to the Executive Board no later than one month prior to the annual business meeting.
Article II
Committees
The standing and special committees of the Association shall be appointed by the President.
Standing committees shall include the following:
1. Conference
2. Nomination/Elections
3. Communications/Publications
4. Membership
5. Constitution
6. Professional Learning
Article III
Quorum
A simple majority of those members in good standing in attendance at the time of the business meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Article IV
Membership Year
The membership year is from July 1 to June 30.
Article V
Dues
The Association dues shall be set annually by the Executive Board. The categories of membership shall be established by the Executive Board.
Article VI
Assets on Liquidation
No part of the net income, revenue, or grants of the Association shall incur to the benefit of any members, officer, or private individual (except in payment for requested services rendered in connection with Association purpose). In the event of dissolution or liquidation, the assets of the Association, after payment of debts and obligations, shall be transferred to an organization with federal tax exemption for charitable and educational purposes similar to those of the Association, which exempt organization shall be designated by the final Executive Board of the Association.
Article VII
Amendments to the By-Laws
The By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of those members present at the annual business meeting.
Amended March 7, 1999
Amended March 2, 2003
Amended March 7, 2004
Amended March 6, 2005
Amended March 4, 2012
Amended March 2, 2014
Amended March 4, 2018
Amended March 4, 2022