PREAMBLE

As educational office employees we affirm our belief that an education is the birthright of every person and pledge ourselves to the preservation of that right.  We recognize the special province of professional educators and also the unique role of educational office personnel as they share responsibilities to further the improvement of educational opportunities for all.  We recognize the importance of contributions made by all educational personnel to education.

ARTICLE I - NAME - ORGANIZATION - FISCAL YEAR

Section 1.  The name of this organization shall be the Mississippi Association of Educational Office Professionals, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”).

Section 2.  The fiscal year of the Association shall be from September 1 through August 31 of each year.

Section 3.  The membership year of the Association shall be from July 1 through June 30.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Section 1.   The purpose and objectives of the Association shall be to elevate the standards of the group and through organization to pool ideas and ideals toward a finer and more efficient service in our work to our communities.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.   Active membership in the Association shall be open to educational office personnel in any educational system or organization related to education upon payment of dues.  Active members shall be eligible to vote on all matters coming before the Association, to serve on committees, to hold office, and to attend conferences.

Section 2.  Associate membership in the Association shall be open to persons who are interested in advancing the purpose of the organization but are not eligible to be active members and who shall pay annual dues.  Associate members shall have the rights and privileges of active members except that of voting and holding office.

Section  3.  Retired membership in the Association shall be open to any educational office personnel who have been members of the Association during the year immediately preceding retirement.  A retired member may have voting privileges and will be issued a membership card upon payment of special annual dues. 

Section 4.   Honorary membership may be bestowed upon persons in recognition of outstanding service to the Association.  The Executive Committee, after receiving a two-thirds vote in favor of the honorary membership, shall recommend the candidate to the Association at a business meeting.  A majority vote of the members assembled shall be required to confer the honor.  Honorary members shall be exempt from paying dues and shall have all privileges of active members except that of making motions, voting and holding office.

Section 5.   The Executive Committee may recommend any other special classes of membership when existing categories are not adequate and the best interests of the Association will be served thereby.

Section 6.   The annual dues for all classes of membership shall be established by the membership.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

Section 1.  The officers of the Association shall be president, president elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer, two directors, and the immediate past president.

Section 2.  The president elect shall succeed to the office of president upon termination of the president’s term of office.

Section 3.  The vice president shall succeed to the office of president elect upon the termination of the president elect’s term of office.

Section 4.   All officers shall be elected in the manner provided in Article VII of these bylaws.  The term of office of the president, president elect, and vice president shall be one year and each shall serve one term.  The vice president shall be elected annually.  The secretary and two directors shall be elected annually for a one-year term.  The treasurer shall serve a two-year term.  No person may serve more than two terms consecutively in one office.

Section 5.  Each director shall be appointed to chair either the affiliations or membership committee.

Section 6.   A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the president elect whose term of office shall extend for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office plus one year. 

Section 7.   A vacancy in the office of president elect shall be filled by the vice president whose term of office as president elect shall extend for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office plus one year.

Section 8.   A vacancy in the office of vice president shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VII, Sections 1 and 2, Rules of Election.

Section 9.   All other vacancies shall be filled by majority vote of the Executive Committee.  A person so elected shall serve the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office.

Section 10.  All elected officers of the Association shall be active members of the Mississippi Association of Educational Office Professionals, Inc., and the National Association of  Educational Office Professionals.

ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS/EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.   The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the Association, the Magnolia Miss editor, the historian, the parliamentarian, and the chairman of each standing committee of the Association.

Section 2.   The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers of the Association.  All members of the Board of Directors may vote at the meeting of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.  The Board of Directors shall perform all duties prescribed in these bylaws.

Section 4.   The Executive Committee shall be empowered in times of emergency, when the regular business meeting cannot be held, to conduct such business as would normally come before the membership at the annual business meeting of the Association held during the annual conference.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 1.   An annual conference shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by the Executive Committee.  The annual conference shall provide workshops for the various employment categories of the membership, an Advisory Council meeting, an awards/membership  recognition luncheon, an installation banquet, and a business meeting at which annual reports of all officers and committees shall be given.

Section 2.   The president shall preside at all meetings.  In the absence of the president, the president elect shall assume the duties of the president.  Next in line of duty is the vice president.  In the absence of the president, the president elect, and the vice president, the Executive Committee shall appoint a chairman for the meeting.

Section 3.   The Executive Committee shall meet at least three times annually, and special meetings may be called when necessary to conduct the business of the Association.

ARTICLE VII - RULES OF ELECTION

Section 1.   Eligible candidates shall be nominated in accordance with the Guidelines for Nomination of the Association.  No candidate shall be nominated without the person’s consent.

Section 2.   Ballots shall be mailed to each voting member according to the schedule established by these bylaws.  Names of other candidates may be written in.  Completed ballots shall be returned to the chairman of the nominations committee.  A majority vote in each position shall elect.

Section 3.   Ballots for election of officers shall be mailed no later than December 15 of each year.

Section 4.   Deadline for the return of ballots shall be two weeks from the date the ballots are mailed.  Ballots postmarked after that date will not be counted.

Section 5.  Ballots must be mailed first class and clearly marked “Ballot”.

ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS

Section 1.   An editor of the Association’s publication, Magnolia Miss, shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The editor shall serve as an ex officio member of the publicity committee.

Section 2.   A parliamentarian shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 3.   The historian shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The historian shall keep a history and pictorial record in the Association’s scrapbook.

The historian shall work the conference chairman to assure that an adequate pictorial record is available from the annual conference and spring seminar.

Section 4.   The standing committees of the Association shall be affiliations, bylaws, budget, long-range planning, advertising, membership, professional standards program, nominations, publicity, scholarship, and ways and means.  Special committees may be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 5.   The affiliations committee shall consist of a chairman appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee and other members the chairman may appoint with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The chairman shall encourage associations of educational office personnel to affiliate with the Association, shall carry out the affiliations program as described in the Affiliations Guidelines, and shall be responsible for the mechanics of the Educational Administrator and Educational Office Professional of the Year Program.

The affiliations committee shall also be responsible for the functions of the Advisory Council as described in the Advisory Council Guidelines.

Section 6.   The bylaws committee shall consist of three members with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member will become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The committee shall review the bylaws and standing rules, keep them current, and incorporate any provisions necessary for the activities of the Association.

The president shall be responsible for reporting to the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Mississippi any changes in the bylaws and standing rules of the Association so that those changes may be incorporated in the corporate charter of the Association.

Section 7.   The budget committee shall consist of three members with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member will become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The treasurer shall serve as an ex officio member.   The committee shall prepare a proposed budget to be presented to the Executive Committee at a meeting prior to the annual conference.  The board-approved budget shall be recommended to the membership at the annual business meeting of the Association for approval.

Section 8.   The long-range planning committee shall consist of five members with each member serving a term of five years.  Each year the fifth-year member shall retire from the committee.  The fourth-year member will become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 9.   The advertising committee shall consist of three members, one from each geographical area as follows:  North, Central, and South, with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member will become chairman.  A new member from the area of the retiring member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 10. The membership committee shall consist of a chairman appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee and other members the chairman may appoint with the approval of the Executive Committee.  The membership committee shall promote both new and renewal of membership in he Association and shall be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date and accurate record of all members.  The committee shall also assist the president in promoting membership in both the National Association of Educational Office Professionals and the Mississippi Association of School Administrators.

Section 11. The nominations committee shall consist of three members elected by the membership at the annual business meeting.  The chairman shall be elected from the Executive Committee and two members shall be elected from the general membership.

Section 12. The professional standards program committee shall consist of a chairman appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee and other members the chairman may appoint with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 13.  The publicity committee shall consist of three members with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member shall become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 14.  The scholarship committee shall consist of three members with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member shall become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 15.  The ways and means committee shall consist of three members with each member serving a term of three years.  Each year the third-year member shall retire from the committee.  The second-year member will become chairman.  A new member will be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 16.  A majority of the membership of any committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the committee.

Section 17.  The chairman of each committee shall present a written report at the annual business meeting of the Association.  A copy of each report shall be submitted to the secretary of the Association for inclusion in the minutes of the business meeting.

ARTICLE IX - CONSULTANTS/ADVISORS

Section 1.   Consultant(s) to the Association may be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 2.   Advisor(s) to the Association may be appointed by the president with approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE X - ADVISORY COUNCIL

Section 1.   There shall be an Advisory Council composed of one (1) delegate from each affiliated association.  The president and president elect shall be ex officio members of the Advisory Council.  The vice president, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president, and other members of the Board of Directors shall serve as resource persons at the meetings of the Advisory Council.

Section 2.   The affiliations chairman also serves as chairman of the Advisory Council Committee and shall preside at the meetings of the Council.

Section 3.  The Advisory Council shall meet during the annual conference.

Section 4.   The Advisory Council shall make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding programs and activities of the Association.

ARTICLE XI -  AFFILIATIONS

Section 1.   The Association shall affiliate with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals.

Section 2.   The Association shall affiliate with the Mississippi Association of School Administrators.

Section 3.   Any association of office personnel in education may affiliate with the Mississippi Association of Educational Office Professionals.

ARTICLE XII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1.   Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the Association and of committees unless otherwise stated in these bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII - AMENDMENTS

Section 1.    Amendments to the bylaws may be suggested by any member of the Association.  Suggested amendments shall be presented in writing to the chairman of the bylaws committee.

Section 2.   The chairman of the bylaws committee shall report all recommendations made by members to the Board of Directors.  All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Executive Committee.

Section 3.   Proposed amendments approved by the Executive Committee shall be presented to the membership for voting.  Notice of the proposed amendments must be sent to all members at least thirty (30) days prior to scheduled meeting.

Section 4.   Amendments to the bylaws shall become a part of these bylaws when adopted by a two-thirds vote in favor at any regular business meeting of the Association or by written ballot returned by mail.