ARTICLE I - NAME

Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

Section 2. The Warren County Education Association is incorporated as a non-profit corporation under Title 15, Section 1-12 of the Revised Statutes the State of New Jersey.

ARTICLE II - AFFILIATION

The Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall be an affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association.

ARTICLE III - PURPOSES

The Warren County Education Association, Inc. is established for the following purposes:

Section 1. To work for the welfare of school children, the advancement of education and the improvement of instructional opportunities for all.

Section 2. To develop and promote the adoption of such ethical practices, personnel policies and standards of preparation and participation as mark a profession.

Section 3. To unify and strengthen the teaching profession and to secure and maintain the salaries, retirement, tenure, professional and sick leave and other working conditions necessary to support teaching as a profession.

Section 4. To unite the teachers of Warren County into one (1) organization that will coordinate and represent the local associations within the county.

Section 5. To encourage, develop, and maintain good community relationships.

Section 6. To give the individual teacher the opportunity to have his or her voice heard at the state and national level.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. All personnel employed in professional education positions in Warren County, who are serving within the scope of a certificate issued by the New Jersey State Board of Examiners, shall be eligible for active membership, provided they are members where eligible of the appropriate affiliated local association, the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association, upon payment of the annual dues.

Section 2. Active Support Members. Any person employed in any other than a professional education capacity in a public school operating under the State of New Jersey and who, where eligible, is a member of the appropriate affiliated local association, may become an active supportive member of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. by payment of the annual dues. Active Support members shall have the right to vote, hold offices, and receive services of the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

Section 3. Active members upon retirement may continue to enjoy all rights and services including the right to vote, but not to be elected to office, by payment of the annual dues as a retired member.

Section 4. Rights of Membership

a. Every active member shall have equal rights and privileges within the organization to nominate candidates for office; to vote in elections or on referenda of the Warren County Education Association, Inc.; to attend membership meetings; to participate in the deliberations and voting upon the business of such meetings.

b. Every member shall have the right to meet and assemble fully with other members; to express any views, arguments or opinions; to express views at meetings upon candidates in an election of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. or upon any business properly brought before the meeting.

c. No member shall be fined, suspended, expelled or otherwise disciplined except for non-payment of dues without being served with specific written charges and given reasonable time in which to prepare a defense which may be asserted at a full and fair hearing.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

The officers of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All officers shall be elected for a term of two (2) years.

In the event the office of President becomes vacant, the vice-president shall become President. The Representative Council shall fill vacancies in the office of vice-president, Secretary, or Treasurer.

ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. This committee shall consist of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. officers, the New Jersey Education Association Executive Committee member for the county, the New Jersey Education Association Delegate Assembly representatives and chairpersons of all Warren County Education Association, Inc. standing committees.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall administer, plan, and coordinate the programs of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. It shall, at the May Representative Council meeting present the budget and plans for the following year.

Section 3. The Executive Committee of the Warren County Education Association, Inc., shall meet monthly. The Executive Committee will meet at least one (1) week prior to each scheduled Representative Council meeting.

ARTICLE VII - REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Section 1. The Representative Council is a representative body with full governing powers and shall consist of representatives from each unified local association in Warren County. The Representative Council members shall be selected directly by the local unified associations. The Warren County Education Association, Inc. Executive Committee shall also be members of this council but with voting rights only if the Executive Committee members are also duly elected representatives of their local affiliate, except in the case of the president who may vote in accordance with established parliamentary practice.

Section 2. The Warren County Education Association, Inc. derives its power and resources from its unified local associations. Members of the Representative Council are responsible for coordinating and representing their local associations at the county level. The primary representative to the Representative Council from each local affiliate shall be the local association president.

Section 3. Each affiliate local association in Warren County shall be entitled to elect one (1) representative to the Representative Council for every twenty-five (25) members of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. in that local association or major fraction thereof. Affiliated local associations with fewer than thirteen (13) members may combine to form units of twenty-five (25) or more members for the purpose of representation.

Section 4. Each local association shall guarantee ethnic-minority representation on the Representative Council at least proportionately to its ethnic-minority membership. Where an all-inclusive affiliate exists, it shall provide proportionate representation between its active classroom teacher members and its active non-classroom teacher members.

Section 5. The immediate past President may serve in a non-voting advisory capacity to both the Executive Committee and the Representative Council.

ARTICLE VIII - RECALL OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall serve their terms so long as they satisfactorily perform the duties of their office. Where an officer is guilty of misconduct or nonperformance of duties, such officer may be removed for cause by the Executive Committee and with a recommendation to be considered by the majority vote of the members of the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

a. Recommendation for recall can be made by the submission of a petition containing the signatures of sixty percent (60%) of the membership to the Executive Committee.

b. The Executive Committee shall notify in writing any officer who has been recommended for recall.

c. Any officer may appeal in writing to the Executive Committee.

d. The Executive Committee shall schedule hearings, whenever necessary, to review the recommendation of recall of an officer.

e. The report of those hearings shall be made available to the membership.

f. A general membership meeting shall be called two (2) weeks after the issuance of the report.

g. Such recall shall be determined by a majority vote of the membership in attendance at said meeting.

h. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as precluding officers from succeeding themselves in office if duly elected.

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

The Representative Council at any meeting may propose amendments to this constitution. Such amendments shall be distributed to all active members in writing. Any amendment so proposed shall then be submitted to the active membership and shall require a majority vote of the active membership at the next general meeting.

1. MEETINGS

Section 1. General - The Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall have at least one (1) general meeting a year. The President with the approval of the Representative Council shall call said meeting. A quorum shall consist of the members present after due notification of the meeting.

Section 2. Representative Council - The Warren County Education Association, Inc. Representative Council shall hold meetings on the third (3rd) Wednesday of September, November, January, March and May. Special meetings may be called by the President or at the request of a majority of the Representative Council. A quorum shall consist of the members present after due notification of the meeting. The President shall require a roll call vote of all matters of importance.

Section 3. The Warren County Education Association, Inc. committee chairpersons, New Jersey Education Association Delegate Assembly Alternates and members of the statewide New Jersey Education Association Committees shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Representative Council invited to attend meetings and granted the privilege of speaking on any motions.

2. POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1 President - The President shall:

a. Preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee, Representative Council and General Membership.

b. Appoint the chairperson and members of all standing committees and special committees with the approval of the Executive Committee not otherwise provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws with the approval of the Executive Committee have the ability to rescind the appointment of chairpersons and members at large.

c. Be an ex-officio member of all committees.

d. With the treasurer, sign all orders drawn upon the treasury for which a voucher has been submitted.

e. Represent the Warren County Education Association, Inc. before the public either personally or through a designated representative.

f. Meet with the Executive Committee to plan meetings.

g. Provide a complete Presidentís file to the incoming President.

h. Submit to New Jersey Education Association such reports as may be requested by the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

i. Perform all other functions usually attributed to the office.

Section 2. Vice-president - The Vice-president shall:

a. Assume all duties of the President in his or her absence and work closely with one or more standing committees as the President may suggest.

b. Become president whenever the presidency becomes vacant and serve until the next annual election.

c. Be an ex-officio member of all committees.

d. Chair at least one (1) of the committees at the request of the President.

Section 3. Secretary - The Secretary shall:

a. Keep accurate minutes of all Executive Committee, Representative Council and General Membership meetings.

b. Maintain the official files.

c. Distribute copies of all proposed amendments to the Constitution as prescribed in Article IX of the Constitution.

d. Be responsible for handling all correspondence for the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

Section 4. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall:

a. Receive, keep record of and deposit in a convenient bank within Warren County the funds of Warren County Education Association, Inc.

b. Hold the funds of Warren County Education Association, Inc. and disburse them accordingly upon submission of vouchers approved by the president in accordance with the duly approved budget.

c. Sign all checks along with the President.

d. Make a written report of the financial condition of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. at each Representative Council Meeting.

e. Have a voucher system for payment of the all bills.

f. Make no payments in cash (including checks made out to cash) from funds of the Warren County Education Association, Inc.

g. Be empowered to submit the Warren County Education Association, Inc. records to a public accountant for audit and be responsible for seeing that the audit is completed after August 31st and before September 30th. A copy of the audit will become part of the Warren County Education Association, Inc.ís permanent record.

h. Be bonded (under New Jersey Education Association blanket policy).

3. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Standing Committees - The Standing Committees of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall be Government Relations, Membership, Nominating / Elections, Instruction and Professional Development. The President and Chairperson shall appoint the committee members. A member appointed to a statewide New Jersey Education Association Committee shall be granted membership on a comparable Warren County Education Association, Inc. Committee. Chairpersons of all committees shall submit an annual report in writing at the May meeting. Where applicable, committees shall coordinate local, state, and national concerns and activities.

Section 2. Other Committees - Other Committees may be established from time to time by action of the Representative Council.

Section 3. Duties of Committees:

a. Government Relations - The Government Relations Committee shall have broad concern for state and national legislation affecting the interests of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. It shall inform members about newly proposed and enacted legislation related to their interests, promote activities leading to the passage of desirable legislation, encourage members to exercise their responsibility to vote and their right to participate in political activity.

b. Membership - The Membership Committee shall promote unified membership enrollment among non-members and inform members of the policies and programs. The committee shall develop and conduct programs for the orientation of new members. The committee shall aid in the processing of Membership administrative needs.

c. Election Committee - The Election Committee shall work in conjunction with and comply with the rules of the New Jersey Education Association Election Committee. It shall be responsible for county election rules and policies.

d. Instruction and Professional Development - The Instruction Committee shall serve the Council as monitor and initiator of the classroom teachersí input to positive programs of instruction for the schools. The Instruction Committee shall investigate recommended changes in instructional programs for effects such programs may have on the professional educator. It should report its findings on curriculum development directly to the Executive Committee.

e. Nominating - The Nominating Committee shall give careful attention to the selection of candidates for office of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. The Nominating Committee members shall be selected according to a formula established by the New Jersey Education Association State Elections Committee for county elections. Petitions according to procedures provided by the New Jersey Education Association State Election Committee for county elections may make additional nominations for office.

4. DUES

Section 1. The annual activity dues shall be $12.00 beginning in the 1988 ñ 1989 school year. Each yearís dues shall be equal to .00055, to be rounded to the nearest ten cents ($.10) of the previous yearís average teacherís salary for Warren County.

Section 2. Active Support Members dues shall be equal to one-half (1/2) of the active professional dues as established in Section 1 above.

Section 3. The dues for persons eligible for active professional or active supportive membership, for whom it is determined, under such standards and procedures as may be established by the Executive Committee. These individuals are to be considered part-time employees and are employed less than twenty (20) hours per week, shall be one-half (1/2) of the full dues for their respective active membership category.

5. AMENDMENTS

The Representative Council at any meeting may propose amendments to the By-Laws. Such amendments shall be distributed in writing to all active members. Any amendment so proposed shall then require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the members of the Representative Council at a subsequent meeting for final adoption.

6. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. shall begin on September 1st and end August 31st.

7. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The latest edition of Robertís Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority of the Warren County Education Association, Inc. and shall be kept in the Presidentís file.