SCCTM Constitution & Bylaws

Constitution of the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the organization shall be:

(1) To encourage and stimulate greater interest in mathematics and its applications;

(2) To encourage and provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and materials related to the instruction of mathematics;

(3) To further the cooperative study of problems related to the teaching of mathematics at all levels; and

(4) To work for the improvement of mathematics instruction at all levels of education.

Article III. Membership

Membership shall be open to all persons interested in the purposes of this organization.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. The officers shall be President, President-elect, the immediate Past-President,

Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President for Elementary Teachers, Vice-President for Middle School Teachers, Vice-President for High School Teachers, Vice President for Post-Secondary Teachers, Vice-President at Large, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Representative.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall be composed of all elected officers and representatives from the South Carolina State Department of Education. The voting members of the Executive Board shall be all officers listed in Article IV, Section 1. The representatives from the South Carolina State Department of Education, as chosen by the board, shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Executive Board. A Government Relations representative shall be appointed by the Executive Board to serve a term of two years, renewable once and will serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Board. Six voting members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

Article V. Meetings

There will be at least three (3) Executive Board meetings per year. The annual business meeting will be held once a year at the annual conference.

Article VI. Amendments

This constitution may be amended at the annual business meeting of the Council by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that written notice of any proposed change has been given to the membership not less than ten (10) days in advance of said meeting and provided a quorum is present. The members present at any duly announced meeting of the organization shall constitute a quorum for transacting business of the organization.

Article VII. By-Laws

The Executive Board shall have the power to form the organization’s by-laws.

Article VIII. Dissolution Clause

If, at any time, the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics shall cease to carry out the purposes as herein stated, all assets and property held by it, whether in trust or otherwise, shall, after the payment of its liabilities, be paid over to an organization, selected by the final Executive Board, which has similar purposes and has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as now enacted or as it may hereafter be amended, and such assets and property shall be applied exclusively for such charitable, scientific, and educational programs.

By-Laws

Article I. Duties of Officers and Executive Board

Section 1.        The President shall:
a.   preside at all meetings of the organization and of the Executive Board; set the agenda                   for the meetings and notify members as appropriate;
b. appoint all necessary committees not provided for by the constitution or by-laws;
c.   carry out the expressed wishes of the organization in its regular and special
      meetings;
d. authorize the payment of all legitimate bills of the organization; and
e.   serve as the Site Chair for the annual conference.

Section 2.        The President-elect shall:
a.   assist the President in carrying out the work of the organization;
b. preside at all official meetings and functions of the organization in the absence of
      the President;
c.   work with the President to negotiate contracts for the site of a future annual state
      conference;
d. work with the President and Past-President on the site and program for the annual

conference and serve as a member of the Program Committee;

e. work with the Past-President to update the Executive Board Handbook; and

f. coordinate all activities related to the SCCTM Advisory Assembly.

Section 3. The Past-President shall:

a. serve as Chairman of the Program Committee for the annual conference;

b. work closely with the President and the President-elect in an advisory capacity;

c. chair the Professional Development Grant Committee; and

d. update the Executive Board Handbook annually, after the Fall Conference.

Section 4. The Secretary shall:

a. keep minutes of all meetings of the organization and of the Executive Board and distribute copies to members of the Executive Board within 30 days following the meeting;

b. preserve all records and documents and transfer them to his successor within 30 days following the termination of office; and

c. serve as the organization’s historian.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall:

a. work with the database manager to provide for the collection of all membership dues and any registration fees authorized by the Executive Board;

b. pay all bills that have been duly authorized by the President;

c. keep an accurate record of all monies received and paid out; coordinate an annual external audit of the financial records in conjunction with the filing of the Federal Income Tax Return by a professional accountant not related by blood or marriage to any member of the Executive Board;

d. submit a proposed annual budget at the last Executive Board meeting of the preceding fiscal year;

e. make a financial report at the annual meeting whenever called upon by the President; and

f. preserve the financial records of the organization and transfer them to his successor by December 31 of the calendar year in which the term of office ends.

Section 6. The Vice-President for Elementary Teachers shall:

a. represent the elementary teachers of the organization on the Executive Board; and

b. serve as a member of the Program Committee, the Publications Committee, and the Grants Committee.

Section 7. The Vice-President for Middle School Teachers shall:

a. represent the middle school teachers of the organization on the Executive Board;

b. serve as a member of the Program Committee, the Publications Committee, and the Grants Committee;

c. serve as the liaison to the state MathCounts competition;

d. represent SCCTM at the South Carolina Middle School Association Conference

(In the event that both meetings occur at the same time, the President shall appoint a substitute to fulfill one of these duties.); and

e. coordinate awards and recognition of winners at the regional science fairs.

Section 8. The Vice-President for Secondary Teachers shall:

a. represent the high school teachers of the organization on the Executive Board;

b. serve as a member of the Program Committee, the Publications Committee, and the Grants Committee;

c. represent the organization at the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science awards ceremony and present the mathematics award; and

d. coordinate awards and recognition of winners at the regional science fairs.

Section 9. The Vice-President for Post-Secondary Teachers shall:

a. represent the post-secondary teachers of the organization on the Executive Board;

b. serve as a member of the Program Committee, the Publications Committee, and the
Grants Committee; and

c. send correspondence concerning the organization’s scholarships to the mathematics and education departments at all South Carolina colleges and universities.

Section 10. The Vice-President At Large shall:

a. represent the memberships of the organization on the Executive Board;

b. serve as a member of the Program Committee and the Grants Committee; and

c. serve as chair of the Publications Committee.

Section 11. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Representative shall:

a. keep informed of the activities of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and bring pertinent information to the attention of the organization;

b. encourage membership in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics;

c. serve as principal delegate of the organization to the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; and

d. organize and manage the NCTM and SCCTM booth at the annual conference.

Section 12. The Government Relations Representative shall:

a. keep informed of governmental and legislative issues related to mathematics education at the state and national level and bring pertinent information to the attention of the organization.

Section 13. The State Department of Education Representatives shall:

a. serve as liaisons between the organization and the South Carolina State Department of Education; and

b. work closely with all board members in an advisory capacity.

Section 14. A Database Manager shall be employed by the Executive Board to:

a. perform duties as outlined in a contract; and

b. attend Executive Board meetings as requested.

Section 15. An Editor of the organization’s journal, The MathMate. shall be employed by the Executive Board to:

a. perform duties as outlined in a contract; and

b. attend Executive Board meetings as requested.

Section 16. The Executive Board shall:

a. meet annually to plan the year’s program and adopt the budget for the year;

b. select the Nominating Committee;

c. name an alternate delegate to the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics;

d. negotiate the contract for the organization’s Database Manager;

e. negotiate the contract for the Editor of the organization’s journal, The MathMate;

f. establish various types of memberships in the organization and designate the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of such memberships; and

g. perform other duties as assigned.

Section 1. Nominations for all offices to be filled shall be prepared by a Nominating Committee at least three (3) months prior to the annual meeting. One or more nominations for each office shall be presented by the committee. Members of the nominating committee may not be nominated for an office.

Section 2. Any member of the organization shall be eligible for any office except that the vice-presidents for elementary, middle, secondary and post-secondary teachers shall be classroom teachers of mathematics and shall be teaching at the level suggested by the office.

Section 3. All officers shall be elected by a majority vote not later than the annual business meeting.

Section 4. The President-elect shall become President, then Past-President. Each office shall be held for a term of one year.

Section 5. The Past-President shall not be eligible for election to any office in the year following the end of his term.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall be elected for a term of four years and shall not be eligible for re-election to a second consecutive term.

Section 7. Every other elected officer shall serve for a term of two years and shall be eligible for reelection to the same position for only a second term.

Section 8. The Vice-President for Elementary Teachers, the Vice-President for Secondary Teachers, the Secretary, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Representative shall be elected in even-numbered years. The Vice-President for Middle School Teachers, the Vice-President for Post-Secondary Teachers, the Vice-President at Large and the Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years. The treasurer shall be elected every four years beginning in 2005.

Section 9. In the event a duly elected vice-president, through subsequent change of employment status, shall not be a teacher at the level suggested by the office, that vice-president shall be eligible to remain in office until the next election of that position, provided he remains in educational work.

Section 10. Newly elected officers shall assume their duties at the close of the annual meeting.

Section 1. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the President-elect will assume the presidency for the unexpired term and will continue as President the following year.

Section 2. In case of a vacancy in the office of President-elect, the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a member to fill the unexpired term only, with the membership electing a President and a President-elect at the next annual meeting.

Section 3. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President for Elementary Teachers, Vice-President for Middle School Teachers, Vice-President for Secondary Teachers, Vice-President for Post-Secondary Teachers, Vice-President At Large, Government Relations Representative, or National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Representative, the President, with approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a member to serve in this position for the unexpired term.

Section 4. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the immediate Past President, the President shall appoint a Chairman of the Program Committee.

Section 5. If an officer consistently fails to fulfill his obligations, including regular attendance at board meetings, the Executive Board has the power to request his resignation.

The annual dues shall be determined by the Executive Board of the organization and shall be payable on or before the date of the annual meeting. These dues shall cover from October 1 to September 30.

Section 1. A person can purchase a Life Membership for a one-time payment equal to twenty-one (21) times the regular membership dues.

Section 2. Persons who have retired from full-time teaching or other related employment shall be eligible to Retired Membership. The dues for the Retired Membership shall be at least two dollars less than the regular dues amount set by the Executive Board.

Section 3. Any person who is enrolled full-time in either undergraduate or graduate programs and who has an interest in mathematics and its teaching shall be eligible for Student Membership. The dues for the Student Membership shall be at least two dollars less than the regular dues amount set by the Executive Board. Further, persons designated as Student Members must never have held Regular Membership in the organization.

a. Elementary, which is open to any elementary school at a rate of at least five (5) times the regular dues amount set by the Executive Board. These schools will receive five (5) copies of the organization’s publications and membership registration rates for all instructional employees attending the annual conference.

b. Middle-Secondary-College, which is open to any school of that level at a rate of at least three (3) times the regular dues amount set by the Executive Board. These schools will receive three (3) copies of the organization’s publications.

Section 5. Any business or corporation interested in the advancement of mathematics and mathematics education in the state of South Carolina may become a Corporate Sponsor upon payment of the annual donation in an amount set by the Executive Board and shall enjoy the following rights, privileges, and responsibilities:

a. right to display materials at all annual conferences (where the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the sole sponsor) with up to one display table provided for all days of the conference (if desired);

b. receive five (5) one-year-subscriptions to The Mathmate and any other publication produced by the organization;

c. receive (if desired) an up-to-date mailing list of the organization’s membership in January of each year for which it is a member;

d. receive a 30% discount on all advertising in The Mathmate and other publications of the organization; and

e. be listed as a Corporate Sponsor in any of the organization’s publications when such a listing is appropriate.

A Corporate Sponsor shall be considered in good standing for a specified annual donation determined by the Executive Board. Membership shall begin with one annual conference and run up to, but not include, the next. Early registration costs and late registration costs for Corporate Sponsors will be determined annually by the Executive Board. This information will be communicated to exhibitors at the time they receive their conference exhibitor information packet.

Section 1. The President, the President-elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer shall serve as an Executive Committee between regular meetings of the Executive Board to carry out routine duties of the organization.

Section 2. A Nominating Committee shall nominate no more than two persons for each elective position and recommend procedures for conducting the election. The chair of the Nominating Committee shall be named by the President. The chair will select two other persons to serve on the committee and submit their names for the Executive Board’s approval. No member of the Nominating Committee shall currently hold a position on the Executive Board. No member of the nominating committee may be nominated for an office.

Section 3. The Program Committee shall design, publicize, and execute the plans for the program at the annual meeting and other meetings of the organization. The Program Committee shall consist of the Past-President, the President-elect, the five vice-presidents, and any other members that might be appointed by the President. The Past -President shall serve as Chairman.

Section 4. The Publications Committee shall work with the editor of the organization’s journal, The MathMate, and any other publications it deems necessary to support the purposes of the organization. The members of this committee shall either write or submit at least one article for each issue of the journal. The chair shall be the Vice President at Large.

Section 5. The Executive Committee shall select an independent auditor to audit the organization's books every year.

Section 6. The Scholarship Committee shall review applications from candidates, select winners before the annual conference, and inform the Executive Board of the winners before the annual conference. The chair shall be selected by the President.

Section 7. The Awards Committee shall review nominations for the Outstanding Contribution to Mathematics Education Award and the Richard Riley Award using the guidelines set for the committee and shall make their recommendations to the Executive Board for final approval prior to the annual conference. The chair and committee members shall

Section 8. The Grants Committee shall review applications, select up to five winners each year, and inform the President on the applicants and recipients. The Grants Committee is composed of the chair (selected by the President) and the five vice-presidents. No member of the executive board will be eligible for receiving a grant.

Section 9. The Professional Development Grants Committee shall review applications, select winners according to available funds, and inform the President of the applicants and recipients. The committee is composed of the chair (the Past-President) and six members representative of the geographic regions of the state and including representation from both K-12 and post-secondary institutions. No member of the executive board or of the Professional Development Grants Committee will be eligible for receiving a grant.

Section 10. Such other committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the President as the organization or the Executive Board shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the organization. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

Section 1. The Advisory Assembly shall be comprised of teachers of mathematics from each of the eight regional mathematics and science centers representing each level: Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Post-secondary.

Section 2. Members shall be appointed on recommendation from the Unit Coordinator of the Mathematics and Science Centers, Advisory Assembly members, or Executive Board members for three-year terms.

Section 3. The purpose of the Advisory Assembly is to provide guidance and make recommendations to the SCCTM Executive Board on issues that are important for the organization to pursue and services that the organization provides to its members.

Section 4. The Advisory Assembly will meet at least once each year, generally at the annual fall conference.

Section 5. Coordinating the activities of the Advisory Assembly, including arranging for replacements of new members as terms expire, maintaining an up-to-date membership roster, and coordinating logistics and facilitating all meetings will be the duty of the President-Elect of SCCTM.

The Executive Board shall be empowered to establish, amend, and rescind by-laws by a vote of two-thirds of its full voting membership.

Robert’s Rules of Order will be the authority for conducting business unless they conflict with the Constitution or By-Laws.