Sample of TA BYLAWS

This sample was developed and contributed by an EFL Fellow Natasha Frank for another country. "L" stands for the name of the country.

TEACHERS OF ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IN L.

TESOL- L.BYLAWS

Membership and Dues

A membership to TESOL L. lasts for one year after an individual joins.

Ø  An individual membership costs XXX .  Anyone who pays the membership fee is entitled to one vote.

Ø  The secretary will notify members of expired memberships. Members will be able to check the status of their membership and make address changes at the annual conference.

Nominations and Elections

The officers shall be elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting for 2-year terms.

Nominees will be solicited via the TESOL L. newsletter.

The secretary will contact the nominees to explain the duties involved and confirm that they are willing and able to serve if elected.

The slate of nominees along with their relevant biographical information will be published in the TESOL L. newsletter prior to the Annual Meeting.

Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting. Additional candidates may be nominated from the floor. However, the nominees should be aware of the qualifications for and duties of the position and should be willing and able to serve if elected.

Regional Elections

Regional elections will take place on the same day as the general elections. There will be xxx voting centers in xxx, and in  xxx; there will be xxx voting center in xxx. The elections will be staffed by qualified volunteers. After the elections, the ballot boxes will be sealed and sent to xxx. All the votes will be tallied in xxx.

A majority vote shall decide all elected officers.

The Board

For the first year of TESOL L., the board will consist of the President, the Liaison Representative, The Advocacy Representative, Newsletter Editor, Interest Section Representatives, Secretary, and Treasurer.

For the subsequent years, the Board will consist of the Immediate Past President, the President Elect, President, the Liaison Representative, The Advocacy Representative, Newsletter Editor, Interest Section Representatives, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Board may also add the following positions: Membership Officer, Newsletter Co-Editor, Member-at-Large, Advertising Manager, and a Nomination Committee. The Board will decide if and when such additional positions are needed.

Meetings

The Board should meet at least quarterly during the year to manage the work and funds of TESOL L. For each meeting, a quorum of the Board must be present for voting purposes. Two-thirds of the Board members present will constitute a quorum. A majority vote of members present shall be considered binding for Board decisions. Thus, Board members must do their utmost to attend. If a Board member misses more than two meetings, he/she might be asked to relinquish his/her position.

The President Elect (1-year term) shall:

1. be a member of TESOL and TESOL L.;
2. serve as the program chair for all conferences; thus shall:

Ø  appoint the needed committees to assist with the planning;

Ø  meet with Interest Section Representatives to ensure that they are adequately represented in the conference program;

Ø  work with the Treasurer

Ø  work with the Secretary, who coordinates the exhibits and publicity for the conference, and posts announcements on the website;

3. serve in the absence of the President and assist the President in his/her duties;
4. attend all Board meetings;
5. succeed to the Presidency

The President (2-year term) shall:

1. be a member of TESOL and TESOL- L.;
2. preside at all business meetings of the association and all Board meetings;
3. appoint any committees the Board deems necessary;
4. remain on the Board for one year as Immediate Past President.

The Immediate Past President/ Liaison Officer (1-year term) shall:

1. be a member of TESOL and TESOL- L.;
2. be responsible for submitting the “Affiliate Leadership Update” form, “Affiliate Annual Report” form, the “Affiliate Assembly Delegate,” and “Affiliate Dues,” to the central TESOL office;
3. serve as an advisor to other Board members;
4. assist with membership, publicity, and advertising;
5. assist the Board with planning tasks;
6. attend all Board meetings.

The Secretary (Two-year term) shall:

1. record the minutes of each official meeting of the association;
2. make minutes of the full Board meetings available to the Board members;
3. maintain all the association’s official document as historian;
4. maintain the TESOL-L. website;
5. attend all Board meetings.

The Treasurer (Two-year term) shall:

1. maintain a roster of all members with contacts;
2. conduct and record all financial business of the association including collecting dues, making disbursements, maintaining proper financial records and having these audited annually as directed by the Board, and presenting a printed financial report at all the meetings;
3. serve as registration chair/coordinator for the Annual Meeting and for any conferences;
4. attend all Board meetings;
5. submit a financial report for the TESOL L. newsletter.

The Advocacy Representative (Two-year term) shall:

1. be a member of TESOL and of TESOL L.;
2. represent TESOL-L.;
3. attend meetings concerning English language teaching in L.;
4. join the TESOL Affiliate Advocacy Network;
5. present a regular report at Board meetings;
6. Attend all Board meetings.

The Interest Section Representative (Two-year term) shall:

1. promote membership in the association;
2. preside at all Interest Section meetings (e.g., the Annual Meeting);
3. work with the President-Elect to ensure that the concerns of the Interest Section are adequately reflected in the conference program;
4. attend all Board meetings.

Changes in the Bylaws

Members of the Board or the Association may propose amendments to the Bylaws.

1. Any member of the Board may request to have an amendment added to the agenda of the next meeting.
2. A bylaw amendment may be proposed by a petition signed by at least 15 members in good standing and submitted to the President.

To become effective, the amendment must either be:

1. Ratified by a three-fourths majority of the Board.
2. Approved by a simple majority of the Board, distributed to the membership at least ten days before it is to be voted on, and ratified by a two-thirds majority of the votes casts.

Sample of Constitution

This sample was developed and contributed by EFL Fellow Natasha Frank. "L' stand for the name of a country.

TEACHERS OF ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IN L. TESOL- L.
 CONSTITUTION

I. NAME
 
This association will be called Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages in L. The abbreviation will be TESOL-L. (TESOL-L.). TESOL L. will be an affiliate of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), a professional, global educational association committed to promoting “excellence in English language teaching to speakers of other languages.”

II. MISSION 

TESOL L.’s mission is to foster high quality English teaching by giving its membership resources, support, and guidance. Additionally, TESOL-L. seeks to create a diverse community of English language professionals from different regions and backgrounds.

III. PURPOSE

TESOL- L., a professional, non-profit organization, has the following purposes:

 To enhance the quality of English language instruction in L.
 To provide information and resources to its membership
 To offer professional development opportunities
 To provide a forum for exchanging ideas and encouraging collaboration between English language professionals

IV. MEMBERSHIP

Individual voting membership is open to:
 English language teachers in L.
 Anyone who supports the mission of TESOL L.

Non-voting membership is open to:
 Commercial organizations that support the mission of TESOL L.

V. MEETINGS

Every year TESOL-L. will hold at least one general meeting. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to discuss matters pertaining to the association and conduct elections (as needed). For the Annual Meeting to be conducted, a quorum of 50% of members in good standing will need to be present.

The board may call additional meetings at its discretion

VI. OFFICERS

For the first year of TESOL L. the Board shall include the following officers: President, Affiliate Liaison Officer, Newsletter Editor, Advocacy Representative, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Interest Section Representatives.

 In the subsequent year, TESOL L. shall expand the Board. The Board shall consist of the following officers: Immediate Past President, President, President-Elect, Affiliate Liaison Officer, Newsletter Editor, Advocacy Representative, Secretary, Treasurer, and Interest Section Representatives. 

 All Board members will begin their term at the end of the first Annual Meeting.

The Board members shall be in good standing with both TESOL and TESOL L. They shall perform their duties outlined in the bylaws.

If the position of President becomes vacant during the first year of TESOL L., a new election will be held. In the subsequent year, if the position of President becomes vacant, the President elect shall assume the presidency and serve for the following year. If any other position on the Board becomes vacant, the President, with the approval of the Board shall appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of that term.

Any member of the Board may be reelected for a second term (an additional two years). To be reelected a Board member must be in good standing with both TESOL and TESOL L., be nominated, and elected at the Annual Meeting. Term limits are as follows:

 President    Two Years

 Affiliate Liaison Officer  Two Years

 Newsletter Editor   Two Years

 Advocacy Representative  Two Years

 Secretary    Two Years

 Treasurer    Two Years
 
 Interest Section Representatives Two Years

VII. INTEREST SECTIONS

TESOL L. shall contain four divisions known as Interest Sections. These Interest Sections are as follows: Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Adult Education (Continuing Education), and Higher Education. Each Interest Section shall have one representative that serves on the Board. Interest Section Representatives shall perform their duties outlined in the bylaws.

If deemed necessary and appropriate, new Interest Sections may be added. To add a new Interest Section, a petition signed by 10 members in good standing should be submitted to the Board for approval.

VIII. DISSOLUTION

In case of dissolution, TESOL L. shall dispose of its assets in the following manner:
1. Pay for all liabilities of the association
2. Donate any remaining assets to a suitable, non-profit, educational association. Such a decision will be taken by a vote of the Board members.

IX. AMENDMENTS

To amend this constitution, two-thirds of the Board members must approve the amendments. Alternatively, a petition signed by at least ten percent of the members in good standing shall be submitted to the President. A proposed amendment will be announced to the membership and a vote conducted one month after the announcement. To become effective, the proposed amendment must be ratified by a two-thirds majority of votes cast.