Constitution
Literacy Association of Greater Erie (LitAGE)
Article I
Name and Territorial Limits
Section 1. The name of the organization shall be the Literacy Association of Greater Erie (LitAGE).
Section 2. The territorial limits of the Association shall be Erie, Warren, Crawford, Venango, and Forest counties of Pennsylvania.
Article II
Objective
Section 1. The purpose of this Association shall be to improve the quality of instruction at all education levels, to facilitate professional cooperation of the members, and to integrate the efforts of all those who are concerned with the improvement of instruction in literacy and English Language Arts.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. Membership in the Association shall be open to all persons engaged in the teaching or supervision of literacy education at any education level and to all others interested in the improvement of such teaching. Only members whose current dues are paid shall be in good standing, entitled to vote, and permitted to hold office.
Section 2. The Association shall have no fewer than 25 members.
Article IV
Officers of Directors
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. There shall be six (6) to fourteen (14) elected directors, two of whom shall be elected each year for a two-year term.
Section 2. The board of governors shall consist of all officers, directors, and the NCTE liaison officer. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3. All members of the board of governors shall be members of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Section 4. Vacancies among the officers and directors shall be filled by election at the annual business meeting. Those elected shall assume their duties at the close of that session.
Article V
Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. Officers of the Association shall perform the duties prescribed by the Association constitution and by the constitution of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Section 2. The president shall be the chief officer and shall direct the conduct of the business of the Association; appoint by July 1, after taking office, the chairs and members of standing committees; preside at meetings of the Association and of the Board; appoint all other committees deemed essential to the conduct of the Association; and be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
Section 3. The vice president, in the absence of the president, shall perform the duties of the president, and perform such additional duties as the Association or the board of governors may require.
Section 4. The secretary shall keep the minutes of the meeting of the Association and of the board shall maintain a roll of membership, be custodian of the permanent records of the Association, submit to the Association the minutes of the Association business meetings and the recommendations of the board, and carry on such correspondence as does not properly belong to other officers.
Section 5. The treasurer shall receive all funds of the Association and shall deposit them in a bank designated by the board, pay all authorized bills, and submit the books for audit by August of each year to a committee appointed by the president.
Section 6. The directors shall represent the members of the Association, serve as advisors to the board of governors, and perform such other duties as may be requested.
Article VI
Liaison Officer
Section 1. A liaison officer between the Association and the National Council of Teachers of English shall be appointed by the president for an indefinite term.
Section 2. The liaison officer with the president shall submit reports at least annually to the National Council of Teachers of English. The reports shall include:
a. A statement of the membership of the affiliate;
b. A generalized report of an annual meeting;
c. The results of the election of officers;
d. A summary of the projects undertaken of contemplated;
e. A notice of special situations and problems as they arise in the area served by the affiliate;
f. Notice of special needs of the affiliate and its committees.
Article VII
Meetings
Section 1. Unless otherwise ordered by the Association or by the board, regular meetings of the Association shall be held in the fall and the spring of each year. Either meeting shall include the annual business meeting.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Association may be called by the president and shall be called upon the request of three active members of the Association. At least twenty-four hours’ notice shall be given.
Section 3. One sixth (1/6) of the active members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meetings of the Association but at no time shall the lack of a quorum prevent those present from proceeding with the program as outlined.
Section 4. The board of governors shall select the place of regular meetings.
Section 5. The election of officers and directors shall be held at the annual spring business meeting.
Article VIII
Board of Governors
Section 1. The officers, directors, and liaison officer shall constitute the Board of governors. The officers of the Council shall be the officers of the Board of governors.
Section 2. The board shall have administrative control over the affairs, funds, and property of the Association. It shall authorize payments from the Association funds, receive such reports of committees as may be necessary between business meetings of the Association, submit policy recommendations to the Association, and perform such other duties as the Association and the constitution may require.
Section 3. Unless otherwise ordered by the directors of the board, regular meetings shall be held at the least twice annually at a time and place to be designated by the president.
Section 4. Special meetings may be called by the president and shall be called upon the written request of at least three members of the board. At least twelve hours’ notice—personal, written, or telephone—shall be given.
Section 5. A majority of the board of governors shall constitute a quorum.
Article IX
Elections
Section 1. The election of officers and/or directors shall be held at the annual business meeting of the Association.
Section 2. A nominating committee of three (3) members appointed by the president shall, prior to the meeting of the Association, prepare a slate, which shall be presented at the last meeting of the year. Nominations from the floor shall be in order.
Section 3. Election shall be acclamation, and a plurality vote shall elect.
Section 4. Elective officers and directors shall serve terms of two years and may be re-elected to successive terms.
Section 5. In case of a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president shall become president. Vacancies in other offices shall be filled in the following manner: the board of governors shall act as the nominating committee and shall report at the next business meeting or at any special meeting called for the purpose. Nominations may then be made from the floor and the Association shall elect.
Section 6. The resignation of any officer or director shall be sent to the president who shall present it to the board of governors for action.
Section 7. The directors shall be a continuous body, elected at the annual business meeting as offices become vacant.
Section 8. At the annual spring business meeting, a delegate and an alternate shall be elected to the Annual Business Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English. The delegate shall preferably be the president. The alternate shall be preferably be a member of the board of governors and must be an active member of the Association and a member of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Article X
Dissemination of Information
Section 1. The Association shall maintain a bulletin or other effective means of disseminating information among its members.
Article XII
Amendments
Section 1. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership present at any meeting.
BYLAWS
Article I
Dues
Section 1. The annual dues of active members of the Association shall be established by the board of governors and paid not later than the spring meeting of each year.
Article II
Time and Place of Meeting
Section 1. The time and place of meeting of the Association shall be determined and designated by the board of governors.
Article III
Expenses of Delegate
Section 1. If funds permit, a contribution shall be made to the expenses of the official delegate to the Annual Business Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English. The board of directors shall determine the amount of the contribution.
Article IV
Parliamentary Authority
Section 1. The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Orders, Revised, shall in general govern the board of governors and the Association.
Article V
Dissolution
Section 1. This organization may be dissolved by a 2/3 majority vote of the board of governors.
Section 2. Upon dissolution of this organization by a 2/3 majority vote of the board of governors of the Association, all funds in the treasury shall revert to the National Council of Teachers of English, in Urbana, Illinois after an audit and within 60 days of the vote.
Article VI
Policy Development
Section 1. Policy development shall be in accordance with the National Council of Teachers of English policy statements.
Revised: July 9, 2019