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OCEA Bylaws

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Article I - Name
This organization shall be known as the Oregon Community Education Association.
Article II - Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be the improvement and expansion of the community education philosophy as an integral and necessary part of the community development process.
Article III - Membership
Section 1: Eligibility
Membership is open to all persons, institutions, and organizations.
Section II: Full Membership
Full members shall be those persons who have paid full membership dues. All full members are entitled to all privileges of the Association, such as voting rights, receipt of publications, all regular and special training opportunities, and the right to hold elected or appointed offices.
Section III: Associate Membership
Associate members shall be those persons who have paid associate membership dues and who work as volunteers or part-time in a community education setting. All associate members are entitled to privileges of the Association such as voting rights, receipt of publications, regular training opportunities, and the right to hold elected or appointed offices.
Section IV: Affiliated Non-Profit Membership
Affiliated members shall be those persons who are members of non-profit institutions, associations, and other organizations which have established a board-approved affiliation with the Association. Affiliated Non-profit members are entitled to all regular and special training opportunities and other benefits as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section V: Institutional Membership
Institutional members shall be any organization that has paid institutional membership dues. The Institution may designate up to five people from the organization as Full Members of the Association.
Section VI: Friend of Community Education
Friends of community education shall be those persons who are supportive of community education and who have paid friends of community education dues. Friends of community education are entitled to the receipt of all publications, all regular and special training opportunities, Association committee participation, and other benefits that may be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section VII: Sustaining Membership
Sustaining members shall be those individuals, organizations, institutions, associations, and private business enterprises that are supportive of community education and that have paid sustaining member dues. Sustaining members are entitled to benefits as determined annually by the Board of Directors.
Article IV - Officers
Section I: Five officers
The officers of the Association shall be a President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall perform the duties usually prescribed for officers of such an association, together with the duties which are defined by these bylaws.
Section II: Election
The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the general membership.
Section III: Terms of Office
The President-Elect shall serve a term of one fiscal year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve a term of two fiscal years. At the end of one year, the President-Elect shall become President. The President shall become Past President. That Past President shall then serve one year on the Board of Directors.
Section IV: Powers and duties of the President
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and perform the duties usually prescribed for the chief officer of such an association, as well as the duties defined by these Bylaws. The President shall be a member of the Board of Directors and all committees of the Association, and shall serve as chair of the Board of Directors. The President shall appoint the chair of committees of the Association and fill all vacancies except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws and Rules governing the Annual Meeting. The Program of the annual meeting shall be prepared under the President’s direction. The President shall vote only to break a Board tie.
Section V: Powers and Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the safekeeping and accounting of the general funds of the Association. The Treasurer shall make an annual financial report to the Board of Directors, and other financial reports as may be required.
Section VI: Powers and Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall be responsible for the Board minutes, Board correspondence, and any legal transactions required by this office.
Section VII: Powers and Duties of the Past President
The Past President shall serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors. The Past President shall submit an annual report of the Association for the previous year within thirty (30) days of vacating the position of President.
Article V – Board of Directors
Section I: Composition
The Board of Directors shall consist of six (6) members elected from the membership, the chair of each forum, and all elected officers of the Association.
A. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the Board of Directors.
B. B. An affirmative vote of a simple majority of those present shall be required to pass a motion.
Section II: Election and Term of Board of Directors
Each director who is not an officer or a forum chair shall be elected for a term of two fiscal years.
Section III: Meetings
The Board of Directors shall meet no less than three times per year subject to the call of the President and/or two-thirds majority of the members of the Board of Directors. Due notice of all meetings shall be given at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the meeting dates. The Board shall be empowered to enact rules and procedures governing the conduct of its meetings. Upon establishment of the newly elected officers and Board members, the President shall determine a time and place for a meeting between incoming officers and Board members, and between existing officers and Board Members, to discuss policies, procedures, and plans of the Association.
Section IV: Powers and Duties
A. The Board of Directors shall formulate and implement the policies of the Association. All adopted policies shall be included in the Association’s Policies and Procedures Manual.
B. It shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors to initiate replacement procedures for officers. In the event of a vacant position on the Board, the President shall appoint a replacement with the approval of the Board. If a Board member has shown two consecutive absences, the President shall initiate a discussion of a possible vacancy. Members appointed as a result of a vacancy shall serve until the end of the term. All Board vacancies shall be filled within thirty (30) days.
C. The Board of Directors shall appoint, dismiss, and determine the duties for the Executive Director.
D. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the preparation and administration of the annual budget.
E. The board of Directors shall be responsible for the preparation of an annual progress and financial report.
Section V: Reports and Recommendations
The Board of Directors shall establish policies governing the publication, reports and procedures of the Association. It shall receive, consider, and publish the annual reports of the Past President, Treasurer and the committees.
Article VI – The Executive Director
Section I: Powers and Duties
The Executive Directors shall supervise and coordinate the administrative, financial and profession activities of the Association as authorized by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall keep a record of stated meetings of the Association; act as a resource person to committees in connection with their activities; render such reports as may be required by the Board of directors or by the officers of the Association and be the keeper of the official seal of the Association.
Article VII – Annual Meetings and Election
Section I: Time and Place
There shall be an annual meeting of the Association at the time and place to be determined by the Board of directors provided, however, that the Board shall select only those places where it is possible to provide a maximum degree of equality for the food, accommodations, seating at the meeting, and for the general welfare of all members of the Association. During an emergency, the Board of Directors may postpone the annual meeting until such time as the emergency no longer exists.
Section II: Participants
The annual meeting of the Association shall be open to the total membership of the Association.
Section III: Agenda
The agenda shall be prepared under the direction of the President of the Association in accordance with Article XII of these Bylaws.
Section IV: Nominations and Elections Committee and Procedures
A. A Nomination and Elections Committee of at least three (3) members shall be appointed by the President of the Association at least two (2) months prior to the election date set by the Board of Directors. A simple majority of this committee’s members shall constitute a quorum. In case of a tie, the chair casts the deciding vote.
B. Duties: The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the annual election of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
1. This committee is charged with the responsibility of considering eligible members when selecting the slate of nominees.
2. This committee shall nominate at least one candidate for each office to be filled. If the ballot consists of only one candidate for each office, after notification to the membership asking for additional nominees, those nominated will be considered elected by unanimous consent.
3. It shall be the duty of this committee to have ballots prepared with a space for a write-in vote for each office and the Board of Directors, and have said ballots mailed to the membership no later than two (2) weeks prior to the election date.
4. Ballots postmarked or submitted after the election date shall not be valid.
5. It shall be the sole decision of this committee to determine the validity of a questionable ballot.
6. This committee shall report the results of the election to the Past President.
7. The election shall be held at least one (1) month prior to the end of each fiscal year.
C. Restrictions for Committee Members: The members of the Nominations and Elections Committee are ineligible for nomination to the Board of Directors or to the offices of President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer during their tenure with this committee.
Article VIII – Committees
The establishment of committees shall be the responsibility of the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. A committee membership term is one (1) year and coincides with the fiscal year.
Article IX – Forums
Section I: Purpose
The Association shall recognize the diversification of specialized interest areas within the community education profession and shall establish sections called forums to serve members with “job-alike” status and to promote their interests.
Section II: Establishment of Forums
Requests for forum status shall be considered by the Board of Directors at its next regularly scheduled meeting whenever ten (10) or more members of the Association petition the Board in writing as out lined in the Oregon Community Education Association Policies and Procedures Manual, and demonstrate clearly that such a group would enhance the professional advancement of individuals and promote the general goals of the Association.
Section III: Forum Meetings
Each forum shall hold a meeting in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association, and the chair of each forum may schedule additional meetings. Forums shall function in accordance with the Bylaws of the Association.
Section IV: Forum Leadership
Forum leadership shall consist of:
A. Chair: Convenes, plans, and leads meetings; prepares forum annual report to the Board.
B. Secretary/Treasurer: Keeps minutes of forum meetings, sends out meeting notices, keeps record of expenditures.
The officers of a forum shall serve one year, with the option of re-election to one additional one-year term.
Section V: Representation on the Board of Directors
The chair of each forum shall serve as a voting member of the Associations’ Board of Directors.
Section VI: Funding of Forums
Forums may be granted general funds annually by the Board. Each forum that receives funding from the Board shall make an annual financial report to the Association’s treasurer, due no later than May 15.
Section VII: Member’s Affiliation
Each Association member shall be entitled to affiliation with one or more forums for the standard membership fee.
Section VIII: Privileges of Forums
Each forum shall be entitled to: Listing of forum meetings in the newsletter and Association calendar; column space in each issue of the newsletter; sessions at the annual conference and at training workshops; space in the membership directory; and participation in the Association’s annual awards and recognition process.
Section IX: Responsibilities of Forums
Each forum shall be responsible for: designating one or more members to serve on conference or workshop planning committees; providing member names, addresses and telephone number to the Directory Committee or the Association’s Executive Director; and submitting its yearly schedule of meetings to the Association’s newsletter editor.
Section X: Dissolution of Forums
A forum may be dissolved by the Board acting upon the request of the forum chair, or as a result of the annual review process of the Board.
Article X – Finance
Section I: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Association shall be July 1 through June 30.
Section II: General Fund
The general fund of the Association shall consist of the income from the receipt of dues from members; interest on bank deposits, fees and funds received by gift, bequest, or transfer. Fiscal policies and procedures not otherwise proved for in these Bylaws may be adopted by the Board of Directors.
Section III: Receipts and Disbursements: General Fund
All revenue to the general fund of the Association shall be turned over to the Treasurer who shall hold said revenue in safekeeping. Revenue shall be disbursed only by checks and other written orders or depositories signed by the Treasurer and counter signed by either the President or the Executive Director.
Section IV: Annual Budget
The annual budget of the Association shall be prepared under the direction of a budget committee for presentation to the Board of Directors at a January, February or March Board meeting. The Board of Directors, after review and approval thereof, shall direct the publication of the proposed budget for presentation to the membership. At its last meeting of the fiscal year, the Board shall adopt the proposed budget with any amendment agreed upon by a Board quorum.
Section V: Auditing Committee
No later than thirty (30) days before the end of the fiscal year, the President shall appoint an auditing committee consisting of three (3) members of the Association who are not officers or members of the Board of Directors. The committee shall present a report on its audit of the Associations financial records at the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the new fiscal year.
Section VI: Financial Reports
An annual report of the Association’s financial status, including income and expenditures for the fiscal year, shall be prepared under the direction of the Treasurer and published for distribution to members.
Article XI: Dues
Section I: Payment
Dues shall be sent to the Association, and deposited as general funds.
Section II: Membership Dues (Structure)
The dues for each membership year (July 1 - June 30) are as follows:
Full Membership $45.00 per year
Associate Membership $25.00 per year
Affiliated Non-Profit Membership Board Approved
Institutional Membership $200.00 per year
Friend of Community Education $15.00 per year
Sustaining Membership $500.00 per year
Article XII - Standing Rules and Parliamentary Procedure
Section I: Authorization of Standing Rules
Supplementary rules and regulations may be adopted by the membership at large and shall be designated as Standing Rules. These shall include standing Rules Governing the Annual Meeting, which may be supplemented by rules for a particular annual meeting adopted by the membership at large at such a meeting.
Section II: Parliamentary Procedure
Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the authority governing all matters of procedure not otherwise provided in these Bylaws.
Article XIII – Amendments
Section I
The Bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting by a two thirds vote of the attending members voting at the annual meeting, provided that the proposed amendment(s) has been published and distributed by the Board of Directors to the membership at least fifteen (15) days prior to the annual meeting.
Section II
Any amendment(s) of the Bylaws may be considered at the annual meeting without previous publication provided there is a consent of the simple majority of members present at the annual business meeting. Amendment(s) must then receive the approval of a two-thirds vote of the members voting at the annual business meeting.
Section III
These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of those members voting on a mailed ballot. The amendments shall be published and distributed by the Board of Directors to the membership at least sixty (60) days prior to the final date for balloting. Individual ballots shall be distributed to the membership at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the final balloting.
Section IV
Such Bylaw revision (Section I and Section III or this Article - Article XIII) shall be initiated by the Board of Directors or by the petition of one sixth of the membership as recorded at the time of the previous state conference.
First Revision: March 1974..................Ninth Revision: March 1990
Second Revision: March 1975............Tenth Revision: February 1992
Third Revision: February 1976............Eleventh Revision: February 1995
Fourth Revision: August 1979.............Twelfth Revision: March 1996
Fifth Revision: October 1981..............Thirteenth Revision: July 1997
Sixth Revision: August 1983...............Fourteenth Revision: March 1999
Seventh Revision: March 1987...........Fifteenth Revision: December 2002
Eighth Revision: September 1987.....Sixteenth Revision: April 2003
OCEA
Oregon Community Education Association