Constitution and By-Laws

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

MONROE-OWEN COUNTY RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

Serving retired professional educators in Monroe and Owen Counties

PREAMBLE – The retired professional educators of Monroe County and Owen County agree to lend support to local, state and national educational programs, to maintain working relationships with the active teaching profession, and to promote and support issues that are in the best interest of their fellow retirees.

CONSTITUTION

I. NAME - The name of this organization shall be The Monroe-Owen County

Retired Teachers Association.

II PURPOSES

1. To promote fellowship among retired educators now living in these communities.

2. To work with the Indiana Retired Teachers Association (IRTA) and the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) toward improving quality of life of retired educators.

3. To encourage retired educators to participate in local educational and community activities.

4. To support local schools.

5. To prepare active educators for retirement.

III. MEMBERSHIP

1. Any retired person who has been a professional employee of a school corporation may hold membership in this organization. Local MCRTA Associate Memberships are open to anyone who is interested in the work of the association. Active teachers are encouraged to become Local Associate Members.

2. Members in the association are urged to join IRTA and NRTA.

3. Membership begins at retirement and can be renewed on an annual basis by the payment of dues.

4. The membership year shall be from July 1 until June 30.

IV. OFFICERS

1. The officers of the association shall be: president, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

2. A nominating committee, appointed by the president, shall announce the slate of proposed officers at the meeting prior to the spring election.

3. The election of officers shall take place at the association’s spring meeting. Election shall be by a majority of those members present. The newly elected officers will be installed immediately by the retiring president.

4. The term of office shall be two years. New officers take office at the time they are installed.

5. It is encouraged that neither the president nor the first vice-president serve more than one full term. The first vice-president is the president-elect and shall serve as president for the following term.

V. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. PRESIDENT: The association president is its leader, chief executive, and

its presiding officer. The president is the official representative of the

association and is responsible for the association newsletter. The

president presides at meetings of the association as well as meetings of

the board of directors, and is responsible for implementing the decisions

of the board. The president appoints the committee chairs with the

assistance of the nominating committee.

2. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT: The first vice-president is the president-elect and performs the duties of the president in the president’s absence. The first vice-president also serves as program chair.

3. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT: The second vice-president serves as president in the absence of both the president and the first vice-president. The second vice-president serves as membership chairperson and assists the treasurer in receiving and depositing dues and maintaining the membership list.

4. SECRETARY: The secretary keeps minutes of the meetings of the board of directors and of any business conducted at a regular meeting. The secretary keeps on file a copy of the association’s constitution.

5. TREASURER: The treasurer receives, records, and banks the dues and other monies received by the association. The treasurer makes a financial report at each association meeting. The treasurer keeps the association books and prepares them for an annual audit in June by the auditing committee. At the direction of the board of directors, the treasurer writes checks on the association’s account. The treasurer maintains a current membership list of the association. In the absence of the treasurer, the president is authorized to write checks on the association’s account.

VI. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The board of directors shall consist of the past-president, officers, and the chairs of the following committees: a. the legislative, b. member concerns, c. community service, d. social, e. telephone tree, f. publicity, g. necrology, h. historian, i. auditing, j. nominating, k. rules, l. website.

2. The board shall conduct the business of the association and help form

the association policy.

3. The board’s minutes shall be recorded and filed by the secretary. The

minutes shall be available at each board meeting.

4. Meetings of the board of directors shall be at the president’s call.

5. Vacancies shall be filled by interim appointment by the president with the approval of the board of directors. Such appointments shall be announced at the next meeting of the association.

VII. MEETINGS

1. Five meetings of the association shall be held each year.

2. A letter shall be sent to all retired educators early in the fall containing the coming year’s schedule of meetings, a list of officers and of committee chairs.

3. Information shall be distributed to the membership in a timely fashion prior to each meeting.

4. The president may call additional meetings.

VIII. DUES – Dues shall be established by the board of directors.

IX. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS TO THIS CONSTITUTION – The board of

directors may propose amendments to this constitution. Adoption of any

amendments becomes effective at the time of approval by the majority of

members present at an association meeting. The secretary shall make a

note of the date of passage of any amendments and shall keep a dated copy

of the amendment in the association’s file.

PRESIDENT____________________________________________________

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT______________________________________

SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT___________________________________

SECRETARY___________________________________________________

TREASURER___________________________________________________

AMENDMENT APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT AT THE NOVEMBER 7, 2017 MEETING.