Proposed Bylaw Changes
In order to align our bylaws with those of the New Jersey State School Nurses Association, the executive board has proposed changes that are outlined below. Most of the changes involve changes to committee names and membership. Please review these as they will be presented at the October meeting and voted on at our January Meeting.
Middlesex County School Nurses Association Bylaws
VISION STATEMENT The MCSNA will provide direction for leadership and advocacy in the specialty practice of school nursing. MCSNA will promote professional and ethical standards and guidelines through education and communication.
MISSION STATEMENT The MCSNA will uphold the published standards of practice of the American Nurses Association, the National Association of School Nurses, Statutes and Regulations of the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the New Jersey State Department of Education.
Article I: Name and Affiliations
The name of the Association shall be the Middlesex County School Nurses Association (MCSNA). Herein after known as the Association or MCSNA. The Association is an affiliate of the New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA) and the Middlesex County Education Association (MCEA).
Article II: Objectives
The objectives of the Association shall be:
a. To operate as a non-profit professional school nursing association;
b. To promote professional collaboration with health and education stakeholders;
c. To promote evidence- based practice and high standards in professional school nursing and school health services through on-going professional learning, advocacy, and leadership; and,
d. To serve as a voice for school nursing at the local and county levels.
Article III: Membership
Section 1. Regular: All members in this classification shall possess a current license to practice as a registered professional nurse in the State of New Jersey and a New Jersey School Nurse certificate. Eligible members must work or reside in Middlesex County. Regular members shall have full privileges including voting, holding office and serving on committees. Annual dues shall be approved by the Executive Board. Annual dues (50% of this amount shall be allocated for the scholarship fund) shall be recommended by the Executive Board.
Section 2. Associate: Any registered professional nurse licensed in the State of New Jersey who is not eligible for Regular Membership shall be eligible for Associate Membership provided he/she:
a. Is employed in a New Jersey public school as a non-certified nurse or a substitute school nurse; or
b. Is employed in a New Jersey private or parochial school as a school nurse; or
c. Holds a New Jersey provisional certificate as a school nurse.
Eligible members must work or reside in Middlesex County. Associate members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association and may serve on committees, but shall not vote nor hold office. Annual dues (50% of this amount shall be allocated for the scholarship fund) shall be 75% of the amount specified for Regular members.
Section 3. Student: Nurses matriculated in a college or university program leading to a permanent New Jersey School Nurse Certificate who are not employed part- or full-time as school nurses shall be eligible for Student membership. Student members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association, but shall not vote, hold office, nor serve on committees. Annual dues (50% of this amount shall be allocated for the scholarship fund) shall be 50% of the amount specified for Regular members.
Section 4. Retired: Regular members upon retirement shall be eligible for Retired membership. Retired members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association, may serve on committees, but shall not vote, nor hold office. However, a retired member may be appointed chairperson of a committee by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board. A retired member appointed chairperson of a committee shall be a member of the Executive Board but shall not have any voting privileges. Annual dues (50% of this amount shall be allocated for the scholarship fund) shall be 50% of the amount specified for Regular members.
Section 5. Members-at-Large: Those persons who hold a special interest in or who are working with the Association and who do not fit into any other Association membership classification shall be eligible for membership, but may not vote, hold office, nor serve on any committees. Annual dues shall be 75% of the amount specified for Regular members.
Article IV: Executive Board
Section 1. The officers of the Association, the chairpersons of standing committees and the immediate past president shall constitute the Executive Board.
Section 2. The executive board shall transact all business of the Association between regular meetings.
Section 3. Absence without cause from three consecutive meetings shall constitute a resignation. Such vacancies will be filled by the Executive Board until the next election.
Article V: Officers
Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be a President, President Elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 2. The President shall be the official representative of the Association, preside at all meetings, countersign all checks and contracts, appoint chairpersons of committees and serve as ex officio member of all committees. At completion of term, the president will serve on the executive board.
Section 3. The President Elect shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties of the President and assist the president upon request. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the President Elect who shall serve for the unexpired term of the President and the term of office as President to which he/she was elected.
Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall record and type the minutes and reports of all meetings and shall be the custodian of these records for their term of office.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for all official correspondence of the Association.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds for the Association, receive dues and revenue, deposit funds in a bank designated by the Executive Board, sign all checks together with the President, submit an annual budget at the last meeting of the year, attend to all bills and prepare the books for audit at the end of the year.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1. Unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Board, regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at an established time prior to the general meetings and at other times as deemed necessary. Special meetings of the board may be called by the President and shall be called upon at the request of three members of the Executive Board. Five (5) Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. General meetings of the Association shall be held four times annually: October, January, March, and May, the time and location to be determined by the Executive Board. Fifteen (15) regular members of the Association shall constitute a quorum at general meetings.
Section 3. Election of officers, standing, and special committee and officer reports and all appropriate business will be conducted at the March meeting. The May meeting shall be for the purposes of installing officers, receiving special committee and officer reports, presenting scholarship award(s), and honoring
retiring members.
Section 4. The President, upon written request of ten (10) regular members, shall call special meetings.
Article VII: Committees
Section 1. Standing committees shall be known as: Membership, Educational Programs, Professional
Development, Public Relations, MCEA Liaison, Standards and Practices, Communications, NJSSNA Representative, Legislative and Scholarship.
Each committee shall consist of a chairperson or co-chair from the Regular or Retired membership category and committee member(s) from the Regular, Retired or Associate membership categories. Special committees may be created as needed by the Association.
Standing Committees will function as follows:
a. Membership: Shall be responsible for processing applications, compiling a membership list, preparing mailing labels and keeping the list current via computer applications. Shall be the custodian of the membership list.
b. Educational Programs: Shall be responsible for planning for the location and speakers for general meetings.
c. Professional Development: Shall compile an active list of current educational opportunities for members and shall issue professional development hours for programs conducted or co-sponsored by the Association.
d. Public Relations: Shall be responsible for reporting the activities of the Association and promoting the MCSNA to the membership and community.
e. MCEA Liaison: Shall represent the Association and communicate reciprocal concerns.
f. Standards and Practices: Shall be responsible for the process necessary to elucidate and communicate for standards of professional school nursing practice at the county, district, or institutional level.
g. Communications: Shall be responsible for editing, publishing and mailing the newsletter, notices, promotional materials, posting information on the website and any other communications required by the Association.
h. NJSSNA Representative: Shall be responsible to represent our County Association at the NJSSNA Executive Board Meetings.
i. Scholarship: Shall be responsible for the scholarship program.
j. Legislative: Shall report to the membership regarding newly proposed legislation which relates to our practice and provide updates as needed.
Section 2. Special Committees
a. Nominating Committee: Chairperson shall be appointed by the President at the January general membership meeting. The Chair shall recruit a committee of a minimum of three (3) persons. This committee shall present a slate of candidates at the Executive Board meeting in February. A closed ballot vote will be taken at the March General Membership meeting as needed.
b. Auditing Committee: Shall consist of three executive board members, of which one will be the treasurer. The committee shall audit the books of the Association annually.
Article VIII: Elections
Section 1. All officers are elected to office by a majority of the members voting.
Section 2. The following persons shall be elected every odd year: President, President Elect, and Recording Secretary
The following persons shall be elected every even year: Corresponding, Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 3. In the event of a resignation of an officer the President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall appoint a successor until the next election.
Section 4. Officers will be elected for a term of two years. The President and President Elect shall not succeed themselves. The Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary may succeed themselves for one additional term. The Treasurer may remain in office for no longer than three consecutive terms.
Article IX: Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.
Article X: Amendments
These By laws shall be amended at any general meeting of the Association by two-thirds of the vote cast provided notice of the amendment had been submitted at a previous general membership meeting of said Association.
Article XI: Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of MCSNA all assets, less liabilities, shall be donated to the New Jersey State School Nurses Association or other appropriate nursing organization as determined by action of the Executive Board.
Article XII: Professional Consultants
Section 1. Auditor: A professional auditor shall be retained as designated by the Executive Board to audit the books of the Association every five years or as needed.
The fiscal year of the Association shall be July 1st to June 30th.