North Carolina Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association

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CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA DRIVER AND TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

 

CONSTITUTION

 

ARTICLE I     Name

The name of this organization shall be:  North Carolina Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association.

ARTICLE II     Association Districts

The Association shall consist of 6 Districts of equal representation. The Districts shall be:  Capitol, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, South Piedmont, and West.

ARTICLE III     Purpose

Section 1         The purpose of this organization shall be:

  1. The promotion and advancement of all phases of Safety Education and of Driver Education and Traffic Safety in schools and colleges and universities in North Carolina.
  2. The stimulation of general interest in the total problem of the conservation of human life, particularly as related to vehicular and pedestrian traffic safety.
  3. Endeavor to achieve its purposes through the rational use of such materials, conferences, programs, and other activities as may be deemed essential and appropriate.

ARTICLE IV     Memberships

Section 1         Membership in this Association shall be Active, Associate, Supporting, Honorary, Retired and Life.

Section 2         Active members shall be persons employed by commercial or non-commercial state approved schools or colleges and universities in Driver Education or Safety Education, or Traffic Safety personnel employed by LEA’s or State Agencies with emphasis in Driver Education or Traffic Safety.  Active members shall hold membership in the District in which they are employed.

Section 3         Only active members may vote and hold office in this organization.

Section 4         Associate members shall include school administrators and all other persons actively interested in Driver Education, and specifically related activities in Traffic Safety and Safety Education.

Section 5         Supporting members shall be those individuals or organizations which wish to support the purposes of the Association by purchasing supporting memberships.  Granting of a supporting membership shall in no way bind this Association to support philosophies or policies of any supporting member, nor to support or participate in projects or undertakings of said supporting member.  The Board shall be authorized to set the annual fee of supporting membership.

Section 6         Honorary membership in the organization may be extended to any person not eligible for active membership.  The Association shall elect such members by two-thirds (⅔) majority vote of members present at any general meeting.

Section 7         A retiree is defined as someone who is no longer gainfully employed in any capacity in the field of driver education by a public or private school, contractor or any other employer.

Section 8         Life membership in the organization is available to anyone eligible for active membership.

Section 9         The membership period shall begin May 1st and end April 30th of the following year.

ARTICLE V     Membership Dues

Section 1         The Board of Directors shall have the authority to set the annual dues as the Board deems necessary up to a ceiling of $50.00.

Section 2         The ceiling shall not be reduced or increased except by a majority vote (66 2/3 %) of the Active members present and voting.

Section 3         Retired membership dues shall be the same as active membership dues.

Section 4         Life membership dues shall be fifteen (15) times the annual membership dues payable in full or in three (3) consecutive annual installments.

ARTICLE VI     Officers

Section 1         The elected officers of this Association shall be a President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President and a Recording Secretary.

Section 2         All candidates for office shall be nominated and elected at a general meeting held each fiscal year.  (Fiscal year is from July 1st to June 30th.)

Section 3         The elected 1st Vice-President shall automatically move up to the office of President when the President’s term of office expires or if the office becomes vacant prior to expiration of the term.

Section 4         The elected 2nd Vice-president shall automatically move up to the office of 1st Vice-president when the 1st Vice-President’s term of office expires.

Section 5         The Nominating Committee shall not nominate anyone for office who has not consented to stand for election and to serve if elected.  Elected officials shall be notified as soon as possible by the nominating Committee.

Section 6         All officers, elected or appointed, shall assume office at the conclusion of the annual general business meeting each year.

Section 7         The Board of Directors membership shall consist of:

  1. The Director elected from each district, the President elected from each district, the immediate Past-President of the association, and the elected state officers as voting members.
  2. The Vice President elected from each district as a non-voting member for discussion purposes. This Vice President may vote only in the absence of either the Director or President of the district which he/she represents.

ARTICLE VII     Duties of Officers

Section 1         The Board of Directors shall:

  1. Formulate and approve the policies for the Association.
  2. Render a financial report to the Association at the annual meeting.
  3. Fill vacancies in office until the next election.
  4. Be the custodian of the property of the Association.
  5. Have the power to make contracts.
  6. Perform such other duties as may be necessary for the efficient function of the Association.
  7. The Board of Directors shall consist of a two-third (⅔) quorum before transacting business of the Association.

 

Section 2         The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Board of Directors.  In addition, he shall:

  1. Appoint all committees and their chairmen as provided for in the constitution.
  2. Serve ex-officio on any or all committees.
  3. Administer all business of the Association.
  4. Represent the Association or delegate authority in all contracts with other organizations.
  5. Appoint an Executive-Secretary with confirmation by the Board of Directors.

Section 3         The 1st Vice-President shall assume all the duties of the President in the absence of the president.  He shall:

  1. Serve as a member of the Executive Board.
  2. Attend all meetings of the Executive Board.
  3. Keep informed of the activities of all committees.
  4. Be responsible for collecting annual reports.
  5. Secure chairmen of standing committees who will serve during his term of office as President.
  6. Serve as chairman of the Program Committee.

Section 4         The 2nd Vice-President shall assume the duties of the 1st Vice-President if during the course of the year it becomes necessary to fill the 1st Vice-President’s position.  In addition, he shall:

  1. Stay informed of all activities carried on  by the 1st Vice-President.
  2. Assist the 1st Vice-President in his regular duties.

Section 5         The Recording Secretary shall:

  1. Keep an accurate record of all general meetings of the Association.
  2. Keep an accurate record of the Executive Board meetings.

Section 6         The District Directors shall:

  1. Serve as members of the Executive Board.
  2. Serve as liaison between members and officers.
  3. Perform duties as requested by the President.

Section 7         The District President shall:

  1. Preside over District meetings
  2. Serve as a voting member of the State Board of Directors

Section 8         The District Vice-President shall:

  1. Perform all of the duties of the District President in his/her absence.
  2. Serve as a non-voting member of the State Board of Directors.
  3. Serve as a voting member of the State Board of Directors in the absence of either the District Director or District President.

Section 9         The Executive-Secretary shall:

  1. Keep an accurate record of all monies of the Association, collect membership dues, and pay debts of the organization upon approval of the Executive Board.
  2. Keep all funds in an Association account.
  3. Prepare a complete financial report prior to the final Board meeting of the year for submission to both the current and incoming Executive Board and the auditing Committee for their approval.
  4. Keep an operating budget for the Executive-Secretary’s office.

ARTICLE VIII     Committees

Section 1         At the first board meeting, the President shall appoint standing committees as follows:

  1. Membership Committee
  2. Nominating Committee
  3. Auditing Committee
  4. Public Relations Committee
  5. Study and Planning Committee
  6. Constitution and Bylaws Committee

Section 2         In addition to the standing committees, the President may appoint any other temporary committee that is deemed necessary to carry on the work of the Association.

Section 3         The duties of the standing committees shall be:

  1. Membership Committee:  to attempt to secure desirable members for the Association.
  2. Nominating Committee:  to nominate and present the report of nominations of members to hold offices for the incoming year.
  3. Auditing Committee:  to approve or disapprove the financial reports as presented by the Executive-Secretary at the close of each fiscal year.
  4. Public Relations Committee:  to assist in promoting favorable public relations in all activities of the Association.
  5. Study and Planning Committee:  to assist in the formulation of desirable programs for the Association’s involvement and keep the Board of Directors informed of the Activities of the committee.  The committee shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by the President.  The term of office shall be for one year.  To facilitate a smoother operating program, the President may reappoint any or all members for a new term at the expiration of their term of office.
  6. Constitution and Bylaws Committee:  shall assist the Secretary and President in submitting to general meetings any constitution and/or bylaws amendments.

ARTICLE IX     Meetings

Section 1         A general meeting shall be held each fiscal year.  Other meetings as are necessary may be called by the President.  The time and place of these meetings will be decided by a majority vote of the Executive Board.  Members shall be notified of actual date and location at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled time.

ARTICLE X     Amendments

Section 1         An amendment to the constitution may be introduced at any general meeting of the Association provided it has been submitted to the Recording-Secretary at least sixty (60) days prior to a general meeting.  The Recording-Secretary in turn must submit the said amendment to the President for review and notify the general meeting.

Section 2         An amendment will be voted upon by secret ballot and ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the actual members present at any general meeting provided the terms for presentation have been met.

ARTICLE XI     Ratification

Section 1         This constitution became effective upon ratification by two-thirds (2/3) of the active members present for the first general meeting after January 1, 2004.

 

BYLAWS

 

ARTICLE 1     Rules of Order

Section 1         The Roberts’ Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the authority on all questions not specifically stated in this constitution or its Bylaws.

ARTICLE II     Amendments

Section 1         These Bylaws may be amended by the same procedures as the Articles of the Constitution.

ARTICLE III     Affiliations

Section 1         This Association shall seek affiliation with ADTSEA.

ARTICLE IV     Quorum

Section 1         Members present at a meeting, properly notified as in Article VIII, Section 1, shall constitute a quorum for transacting business of the Association.

ARTICLE V     Cooperating Organizations

Section 1         The Association shall provide the framework to enable interested groups to contribute to the effectiveness of driver education and safety education and traffic safety activities in educational programs in North Carolina.  All relationships between the Association and non-education professional organizations interested in driver education and traffic safety activities shall be guided by fundamental educational principles.  The Association will encourage this kind of cooperation but will not become affiliated with non-education professional groups on a continuing basis or in other ways which would permit such groups to speak for the Association.